after my current ATOTS fic is done, I’m gonna write another fantasy fic about how Phupha is a protector of the forests and one day he sees a glimpse of a beautiful forest spirit and chases it without success. Phupha’s so head over heels for the forest spirit that he doesn’t even realize that the baker’s son in the village, Tian, has a giant crush on him.
Phupha chases the spirit, who only appears during the sunset. The spirit runs away from him, but looks back and laughs and smiles every so often. He leads Phupha over crystal lakes and giant mountains, but always disappears at the end right when Phupha gets close enough to tap on his shoulder.
At the end of every chase, Phupha, ravenously hungry, goes to the bakery on his way home to buy more food. So he sees Tian every day, and even though Phupha swears his heart belongs to the forest spirit, he can’t help the unfurling fondness in his chest for the son of the baker, who constantly gets into trouble, is always hiding from someone or dropping something. And he always, always has flour on his face. At first, Phupha pretends not to know about the clear fondness that Tian has for him, ignoring every hint that Tian drops about hanging out together or about his love life. He’s singularly focused on catching that spirit and seeing his face up close for the first time.
But one day, Phupha walks into the bakery after another tiring chase and sees a handsome man, the son of the village chief, flirting with Tian. This starts a conflict in his heart as he doesn’t understand just why he got so angry when that happened.
It keeps going like that where even though Phupha keeps chasing the spirit every evening, his feelings for Tian grow bigger and bigger than those for the spirit. Phupha struggles a lot with these feelings until one day, he sees Longtae rehearsing asking Tian out on a date.
That’s when Phupha realizes he’s willing to give up chasing that beautiful, ethereal forest spirit so that he could truly love Tian, this troublesome, hopeless romantic, too genuine boy that always greets Phupha with a soft “Huana”, a tone that he doesn’t— and shouldn’t— use with anyone else.
And with that realization, he runs into the bakery, takes Tian’s hand and almost drags him out (poor, confused boy) and takes him to the crystal lake. Even though Tian is really clumsy, he’s still able to navigate the woods with relative ease, although he tripped (a little too on the nose) when Phupha looked at him with puzzled eyes.
They get to the lake where the sun is starting to set and Phupha says,
“Tian, I’m in love with you. The you that drops a tray on his own feet, the you that always has flour smeared on your face. The you that got into a fight with those dishonest traders from out of town and then had to spend the entire day hiding behind the counter. The you that is brave, that risks your own life to make sure that the townspeople aren’t cheated, the you who is so gifted with bread that the entire store always smells like heaven, the you with such bright, determined eyes that my fatigue goes away when I see you, the you who says my name softer than anyone else alive. If you love me back, let me take care of you, and please take care of me. I give you my heart.”
And then Tian responds with neither a yes or a no, but a completely unexpected, breathless, elated, “you caught me.”
And Phupha just goes “WHAT?” His brain is confused but his heart is starting to connect the dots.
The sun starts to set then and Tian starts to glow so bright that Phupha has to close his eyes, and when he opens them again it’s the forest spirit standing in front of him. But now that Phupha can see his face closely, he realizes that the spirit is and has always been Tian, though in this form he’s wearing a spotted deer pelt, has longer hair, pointed ears, markings on his face, and glowing eyes.
“I’ve been waiting so long for you, Phupha.”
“How did I not connect the dots at all before this?”
“My dad always took over when the sun started to set, but obviously you didn’t know this, because you were always out looking for me.”
“It’s a good thing I’m cute, right?”
“You have flour on your nose. Again.”
“Just admit it! I’m very, very cute.”
“I never said you weren’t. You are. But don’t make me climb a mountain to chase you again. My legs can’t take it.”
“Can your legs take THIS”
“Oomph— Tian, you are a fully grown man. My legs are going to fall asleep with you sitting on them!”
“So much for romance. I’m gonna run away again.
“No, please don’t, has anyone told you that you’re very cute? And that I’m very tired?”
“Don’t be like that, Tian. Can I get a kiss?”
“Not from this forest spirit.”
“I said KISS not rub the flour onto MY nose!”
“Hee hee hee look at you now Chief Phupha The Protector of the Forests with flour on your NOSE hee hee hee :D”
“God, you’re annoying. I love you so much.”
