Sorry not sorry you NEED to info dump me on prapapski I need to be convinced to watch this show. Im on the edge of getting into it, but im feeling lazy LOL. Push me into the void! Im ready!! Im immune to spoilers, just lay it on me XD
Well, you asked for it. Haha XD Putting it under a cut because this is long! sorry not sorry
First of all, PrapaiSky has, in my opinion, god tier relationship development. Prapai starts off as a total fuckboy, who is creepy to say the least, who becomes just the best boyfriend one could ask for to his Sky. I’ve described Sky before as a traumatized little bumblebee and I think it holds up. He can be prickly, standoffish and even downright mean, but he is also funny, fierce and an extremely loyal friend. He actually goes through the trouble and trauma of calling his ex to find out where the illegal street race is supposed to be taking place because Rain wanted to break in so he could fuck some shit up for Phayu. Sky, underneath it all, just wants someone who will love and cherish him. He has so much fear and anxiety and even depression linked to his romantic past. The way he acts is helpful in deterring most people, but Pai is not most people. XD
They start as a one night stand, that only happens because Prapai makes a bad (semi) joke/proposition after Sky chases Rain into the illegal race track. Sky needs to be able to leave without security taking him away and, it is implied, doing him physical harm/possibly killing him. Pai says he can get Sky out of the race but Sky has to do something for him. Implying but never outrightly stating that what he wants is sex, to which Sky agrees because he doesn’t want security to get him. This in itself does boarder on sexual cocertion, which is a big ass yikes, though it is clear through context clues that while Sky might not be happy to be put in this position, he definitely enjoys the sex, though he does not have a high opinion of Pai afterward. Which honestly, would anyone? I know I wouldn’t haha. Of course we realize later than even if Sky had said no to Pai, Pai would have gotten him out anyway because Pai is a lot of things but he is not that kind of asshole.
Ngl, Prapai is pretty creepy towards the beginning of his persuit of Sky. Like the first episode or so of their story (ep8 for the series as a whole), I want to smack Pai across the head and tell Sky to run very far away. But that does not last long and as soon as Sky realizes that Pai is just your home grown, organic, garden variety fuckboy rather than the actual scum of the earth that his ex is, he is more open to at least spending time with him, since Pai is so persistent in his persuit.
You see Sky is a domestic violence and sexual assault survivor, a fact he has told literally no one since it happened. Not Rain, not any of his friends, not even his dad. It’s often why he acts the way he does. He is very afraid to let anyone, including his friends, get to close to him emotionally. Prapai blatantly doesn’t listen to any of this, and keeps pursuing Sky because he genuinely wants to know Sky and wants to be with him. He is so tight lipped about it that he hasn’t even told Rain his ex is a guy. He doesn’t tell Pai about his past until the last episode, after Sky’s ex attempts to sexual assault him.
It’s around the time that Sky gets sick that you really start to see the kind of couple they will become. Sky gets sick due to his trauma. Sky begins to have nightmares around this time, which starts to cause panic attacks as well as insomnia. It is in part because of Pai insisting he be allowed to woo Sky. Pai still does not know about Sky’s trauma and thus thinks that Sky is just a tough nut to crack but if he keeps going he can do it. His smile is just so adorable that you mostly forgive him for his crimes, though I did side eye him a lot during these first few episodes.
One of the things I love about this part though is that, if you pay attention to what Sky is thinking about the whole situation, it ultimately isn’t even really about Pai, more the idea of history repeating itself. Sky’s self esteem and self worth, understandably, takes a pretty big nose dive in the wake of what happened to him and the things that Sky says to himself point to him not believing that someone like Pai could actually have feels for him, that there is no way Pai is serious about all of this. He just wants to have fun and get some sex out of the deal. Which is a big problem for Sky, because he, a) already knows exactly how good at sex Pai is and (I think anyway) would definitely be down for a repeat performance and b) is actually starting to really like Pai. He likes that Pai had an easy going guy who, on the surface at least (not just on the surface Sky), just wants to get to know Sky and have fun with him. He likes that Pai doesn’t react when Sky is mean to him, just teases Sky about it. He likes that Pai tries to bring him meals because he knows Sky is a college student in a really competitive faculty. He is terrified that he will get in too deep and fall in love again only to have the rug ripped out from under him and be left more broken and more damaged and more unloveable than he already believes he is.
Sky ends up fainting in class, which freaks the hell out of his friends, which are another friend group that I love, though they do not have enough development in my opinion. The problem is, because they are all in the same faculty, they have a lot of responsibilities in terms of school work and getting everything they need done. Sky can be excused because of his illness but the rest of them can’t. Rain ends up calling Pai to come and take care of Sky because someone needs to stay with him and Sky’s father doesn’t live close enough to Bangkok to come and Rain has too much school work that he won’t be able to finish if he tries leaving to get it and coming back. To Rain, Pai seems like the more logical option, since Prapai isn’t in school and thus doesn’t have those responsibilities. As well, Sky knows Pai and Rain thinks (only somewhat incorrectly) that they are close enough that Pai is an ideal choice to be Sky’s caretaker.
Pai gladly agrees and proceeds to take the best care of Sky he knows how to provide. Dude literally googles how to take care of sick people at home and even calls his mother because he doesn’t want to fuck anything up. The sick montage is so fucking adorable. As Sky starts to get better and better, the two spend more and more time together. Like Pai actually calls the president/CEO of his company (aka his dad because of course haha) about needing time off and ends up doing a whole bunch of work at Sky’s dorm so he doesn’t fall behind but also doesn’t want to leave Sky. The man dotes on Sky like Sky is the more perfect being in the universe (as he should!). Sky, for his part, starts to realize that Pai isn’t like his ex. That Pai is much better than his ex. He’s still not sure how much he’s willing to believe but oh boy is Sky falling even harder than he was before. It is definitely a “Prapai fell first but Sky fell harder” situation going on. It’s the best! At one point, Sky wakes up in the middle of the night to see that Pai has fallen asleep next to him on the bed, laptop open, papers everywhere, because Sky was holding his hand (because nightmares) and he didn’t want to go anywhere. Sky goes to touch Pai and ends up accidentally waking him up. Pai realizes the way he fell asleep and goes to clean up his work papers, only for Sky (who was pretending to still be asleep) to grab his arm and pretend to be having another nightmare so Pai wouldn’t leave. Don’t try and tell me my boy isn’t already completely gone over Pai, because you would be wrong! Boy wants to be close to Pai, but at this point, doesn’t have the words or courage to ask for the kind of physical and emotional closeness that he craves. With Pai caring for him though, he is slowly starting to find the words/build up the courage.
The funny thing is that Pai basically ends up a squatter in Sky’s dorm. He ends up there all of the time. To hang out with Sky, to eat with Sky, even just to sleep (which Sky makes him do on the floor haha). At one point, he manages to get Sky to agree to go out on a date with him and they still end up back at Sky’s dorm after. This also leads to one of the best of their romantic scenes. Prapai tries to draw wind on a piece of paper, and later Sky’s hand, but can’t because he was a business major, not an art student. He doesn’t know anything about art (Prapai’s brother, even makes a comment to him about how Pai would skip art class when he was in high school). Sky ends up also drawing an image of wind on Pai’s hand and Pai literally traces an image of it and gets his brother to make him a lapel pin of it. Boy is so fucking corny that when Sky sees it for the first time, Pai tells him it’s so everyone will know who Pai belongs too. Corny, but effective I suppose because while playfully embarrassed, it is VERY clear how much Sky loves the idea. Boy even shows up at Sky’s school during the end ceremony for the freshmen week, just because he heard from Phayu that it was going to go on all night and he was worried about Sky getting sick again because he is still recovering (which to be fair, literally all of Sky’s friends are worried about the same thing).
Even the rare time he ends up actually going home, Pai still ends up at Sky’s dorm. Granted it was because he thought something bad was happening to Sky…well he wasn’t wrong, just not the kind of bad that Pai was expecting. Sky got an extra assignment that day that was due the next day and that he will definitely not finish in time if he doesn’t have help…so he calls Pai, who races over because he thinks Sky’s hurt or dying and yeah no, he’s neither of those things. It’s also the first time we see him get angry with Sky and even then, boy manages to keep an absolute lid on the whole thing. It’s easy to tell he’s angry, but he keeps calm and explains to Sky that Sky needs to explain better when he panicking and he calls Pai. You know, cause Pai is very glad that Sky would think to call him and will definitely come no matter what, but god damnit don’t scare him like that next time Sky! Haha. Healthy communication! That’s the way to do it. And of course because your boy is a simp, he still helps Sky’s complete his assignment and even drives him to school the next day.
According to Pai, the whole thing is worth it because Sky kisses him. It’s a really cute scene where Sky asks what he can do to make up for making Pai panic and Pai jokes that as punishment, Sky should kiss him. He very clearly does not expect Sky to do anything of the sort, which leads to an adorably shocked expression when Sky actually does kiss him, pictured below. Boy even manages to score some more points when Sky tells that a single kiss, especially from Sky, sounds like a shitty rewards for helping him. Pai tells him that different people put different value on stuff and Sky is priceless to him. 👍👍 You go Pai, you win over your boy with corny lines and earnestness.
All of this happens around episode 10, which along with episode 11 are two of my favourite episodes of the series. These two episodes are, for the most part, the two of them existing in their little love bubble, getting to know each other and learning how they fit together. We get to see them develop their communication skills with each other a lot more, though it definitely isn’t perfect. In episode 11, Sky makes his last ditch effort to drive Pai away…by making him clean the bathroom in Sky’s dorm XD. Despite not really knowing how to clean a bathroom, Pai does it anyway, and then, on Sky’s orders, tidies up Sky’s entire dorm room. Pai wants to prove that he committed to Sky. But honestly who wouldn’t be, Sky is fucking amazing. Pai is committed to showing Sky that he’s in for the long haul, that he isn’t going anywhere any time soon, no matter how much Sky tries to push him away. He wants to be around Sky for as long as Sky is willing to let him be. It’s to the point where he almost refuses Sky when Sky finally says he’s giving in and is willing to have sex with Pai.
Sky literally gets on top of him and takes off his shirt and ya boy Pai is still trying to explain that he doesn’t want just sex from Sky. He wants Sky’s everything. He gives in though and the two of them have sex (read make love) because of course they do. Pai might be a lot of things, but he is not going to turn down sex with Sky, ever, for any reason. If his Sky wants sexy times, sexy times they shall have. This is also the nc scene where my icon comes from. It’s my favourite shot in this entire show. Fort and Peat act their asses off and you can really feel about much they love each other even if Sky is not ready to admit that he loves Pai just yet…and all they do is stare into each other’s eyes. I’m an deceased, bury me now, I am so gone for them it’s insane. I have no rational mind left. Leave me in this second, to stare at them as they looking into each other’s eyes. So much love unspoken but both know it’s there, even if they aren’t ready to fully talk about it. (I am in a glass case of emotion!!)
Episode 12 is…a wild ride. There are happy times, blow jobs if you watch the extended box set version of the episode but there is also the final test of their relationship which is literally Pai’s fuckboy past coming back to haunt him and Sky trying desperately to detect himself from Pai as a result. It all in the end leads to the endgame of the episode, which is Sky (after breaking up with Pai earlier in the episode) going back to his dorm for the first time in days, to find Pai has somehow got in (my money is on Joy, the dorm manager and grade a gossip who has been enabling Pai since day one, though Pai says he ‘found a key’ 😒), waiting for him. Turns out, yeah he found Sky’s journal and ends up reading out loud.
It’s a scene that I love because it completely lays bare what Sky has been thinking the entire time. How much he loves Pai, even though he doesn’t have the courage to say it out loud. I also hate it because it is completely heart breaking as Sky spends so much of it desperate for Pai to stop reading it out loud because he doesn’t want to be reminded of what he was thinking when he dared to be happy with Pai. Poor boy believes himself to be so unloveable that he genuinely questions if there is even a way for him to get Pai to only pay attention to him, to not get bored of him, to only love him. Like he could almost believe Pai was before he saw Pai seemingly cuddling close to someone on a couch at a party they had gone too. It was definitely a bone head move on Pai’s part, to allow his old hook up to get that close to him, but he also spends the entire scene attempting to gently disengage the other boy from himself so he can get back to Sky. Pai might have a master’s degree but he is also dumb as hell sometimes and is often nice to a fault and doesn’t want to be rude to the other boy. But remember, Sky is very traumatized little bumblebee who jumps to conclusions because his trauma takes over…trauma Pai still doesn’t even know he has!!! (Seriously, at this point the only thing Pai knows is that Sky dated someone in high school, that that boy is responsible for the nipple piercing that Sky no longer has in and that the relationship between Sky and his ex ended badly…that’s it!) (Side note, Pai is just obsessed with Sky’s nipples. This never goes away, not that Sky seems to have much of a problem with it beyond token protests lol).
This is also their “I love you” scene. After he finished reading the journal, Pai tells Sky that he loves him, after faking him out by saying he doesn’t like him anymore. (Seriously what is it with Pai and Phayu. Both used this tactic when telling Sky and Rain that they liked him. Rain almost cries, Sky actually cries.) Despite it all, I can’t get too mad at Pai for this. Again, Pai is many things, but his patients is not infinite and a little petty revenge when he’s still angry enough to say it, well I get that. After he confesses, he asks Sky how Sky feels about him, to which Sky, still kind of sobbing, though in relief at this point I think, admits he is also in love with Pai. Such a happy scene but even then, it still does break my heart a little as Sky also begs Pai not to leave him. Pai answers that he never will, and we as the audience definitely knows that’s true but it is still sad to hear Sky say it. Pai is a simp, there is no other word for him. Boy exists only to love Sky at this point…well he also works for his dad’s company and loves motorcycle racing but really that’s all secondary to just how much he wants to shower love and affection on Sky.
The two talk it out. Love to see them engaging in that healthy honest communication (takes notes Kim!). Sky might not be over his trauma, but even if Pai doesn’t know about it to reassure him and help him tackle it head on, Sky knows that he’ll be able to get through it as long as he has Pai and as long as he knows Pai is committed to him and loves him. Pai is never not going to be committed to you Sky, you have nothing to worry about.
We even get a shining example in episode 13 when after having another nightmare, Sky calls Pai and asks if he can come over. Pai literally drops everything (he was racing that night and if I recall correctly, doesn’t do a race because of Sky’s call. Not a big deal, but it definitely shocks Phayu) and races over (hehe). This show actually has one of the only real aftercare scenes I can remember seeing in a bl, as Pai help Sky to clean up after they have sex. Score another point for Pai over the asshole ex, as the ex never did this for Sky ever and always made him do it himself.
Look at the smile on those boys faces! They are so blissfully in love, it’s rotting my teeth as we speak! Of course this means that something else has to come in a fuck shit up and boy does the asshole ex ever fuck shit up. The first time Sky wants to go an watch Pai race, he runs into the asshole ex (who’s name is technically Gun, but I’m sticking with asshole ex). We get lots of flashbacks about their relationship and we get the full picture and turns out that not only is the ex an asshole, he also could be considered a groomer…As he was a fully grown ass man when they met, while Sky was 15-16. I think the asshole ex is about the same age as Pai and Phayu. The ages in this whole show are funny but if we assume that Pai is about 24-25 in present, than the asshole ex can’t be older than that, but is likely around the same age…which means he was at least 21-22 to Sky’s 15-16 when they ‘dated’. (The ages in this show really are fucky. We know Rain is 19 at the beginning of the series, but we never find out if Sky is older or younger than Rain. I’m inclined to say older but who the hell knows but they were likely born the same year. That puts Sky at 19, but also time has pasted since the start of the series, and they’re in their second year of uni now but no birthdays have been mentioned so ahhhhh! This is also one of those times we can’t use the actors ages as Fort, despite playing the older Pai was 21 when they filmed this series while Peat, playing Sky, was 25).
Long story short, the asshole ex all but kidnaps Sky. He comes up with an extremely convoluted plan to get Sky away from Pai, by tricking Rain into believe Pai is asking him via security guard, to take Sky back to his condo as Sky was saying he wasn’t feeling well (which after seeing the asshole ex, I would have said the same thing). Rain goes back to the race and Pai, being the absolutely amazing attentive boyfriend he is, realizes that someone lied to Rain in an effort to get Sky alone and together with Phayu and Rain, races to condo to save Sky.
There is a heavy trigger warning for abuse/IPV and sexual assault in this episode. While what happens in episode 8 is mild and could be considered either way depending on how you interpret Pai’s intentions and Sky’s reaction/actions, there is no such confusion with this episode. The ex gets Sky alone with the express purpose of fucking with him and assaulting him because he really is just that horrible of a person. Despite saying he “threw Sky away because he was bored of him” he still wants to continue to ruin Sky’s life because Sky finally felt safe enough to begin the long process of moving on. There isn’t any actual assault, the weather boys manage to get there before anything happens and stop him. With Pai almost beating the asshole ex to death. The only reason he doesn’t it because Phayu begs him not too. (You should have just done it Pai, the fucker deserves it.) There is however a flashback where we see the beginning of when the asshole ex’s friends (yes plural) assault Sky while asshole ex watched. It is difficult to watch, so proceed with caution.
Sky has gone kind of catatonic and Pai is the one who manages to get him to respond. He also takes Sky home, like to his family home, not to Sky’s dorm, where Sky is finally able to be honest with Pai about what happened to him. It’s a heart break but also heart warming scene. Listening to Sky explain in his own words what happened is heart breaking (like I cried the first time I watched this scene), but Pai’s response is heartwarming. Sky spends a lot of time insult himself and I absolutely love that Pai never tries to tell him he’s wrong. Like Pai knows Sky is wrong about the way he sees himself. He knows Sky isn’t broken or trash or any other awful thing he might call himself, but Pai also knows that just saying “no Sky you’re wrong, you are not those things” isn’t going to help in that moment. Sky will not respond well to being told that. So instead he is quiet and he listens. Really listens and affirms that he is there for Sky, that he isn’t going anywhere, that Pai loves him and Sky can love Pai. That Pai is the only one who gets to have Sky while they are together. (Another trauma by the asshole ex is that the ex tells Sky, right before he’s about to be sexually assaulted, is that he is bored of Sky and so he is letting his friends have his now broken toy…I really hate this man so much. Side note though, the actor who plays the asshole ex does such a good job. I really want to see him in more things, though hopefully not in a villainous role this time haha).
It’s a really amazing scene and once again Fort and Peat (especially Peat) brings their absolute a game. You really feel for Sky. Like I always wanted Sky to have nice things the whole time, for him to be able to move on, but after that scene. It increases tenfold, especially when you realize that while Sky’s life is not magically going to get better, he is not going to just wake up tomorrow and not be traumatized, he is going to be able to move forward. He finally has the support, space and feeling of safety he needs to truly be able to move on, not just for Pai or his father or his friends, but for himself. He wants to get better for himself and Pai is committed to making sure he is there every step of the way. Pai is committed to making sure that Sky knows that “the wind will always protect the sky” (not sure if that’s the direct quote from the show, but I’m pretty sure it’s pretty close).
(Actually footage of me approximately 30 seconds into episode 8.)
I really honestly love both couples in this series, but something about PrapaiSky has me in a chokehold. The growth the two of them have, not just personal growth but the growth of their relationship. They go from being this couple where one doesn’t know if he actually even wants to have sex with the other/wants to have him around/feeling like he needs to push him away to protect himself and the other is pushy and only barely respects the others boundary to a couple that understands each other and are there for each other. They figure out how to communicate with each other in a healthy way. They learn about each other, to respect each other. They confide in each other. While PhayuRain seems to be aware of some details of Sky’s past in the special episode, I definitely get the feeling that Sky never really tells them the whole truth about what happened to him. They know the broad strokes but nothing in detail while means that for better or worse, the only person Sky ever tells everything too is Pai. I know that Sky will have the courage one day to tell his father, and probably Rain as well, but that day hasn’t happened yet.
Prapai actually does a pre-proposal to Sky in the special episode. Telling him that he wants to marry Sky one day, really marry him. Pai really hopes that same sex marriage will be legalized in Thailand soon because he wants to be married to Sky in the eyes of the law too. Partly to get married but also partly to make sure he can continue to take care of Sky in the future, the way any legally married couple can. Pai also tells Sky that he is completely willing to wait until Sky is ready. Whether it’s after Sky graduates from school, or after he gets his first job or builds his first house, he doesn’t know, but when Sky is ready, he’s going to proposal for real. The thing that endears me to it even more, is that Sky even asks what will happen if he’s never ready. Pai just tells him that that’s okay because he’s going to take care of Sky forever.
Pai makes it clear from day one that he wants to be with Sky. By his own admission, it was mostly about sex at first. Sky was that one night stand that he couldn’t forget, but Pai realizes very quickly that he doesn’t just want sex from Sky. He wants anything and everything that Sky is willing to give him. It might take Sky a little while longer to really admit that he feels the same, but he does get there.
Pai is, in my opinion, in a lot of ways, the perfect match for Sky. He is pushy, but Sky needs someone who is pushy sometimes, to force him to confront things he knows he needs too, but would rather ignore. He needs someone who reminds him to take care of himself, to make sure he eats when he’s working and sleeps when he’s tired, even if he is in a time crunch for an assignment. Sky needs someone who will occasionally worship the ground he walks on, to remind him that the things he tells himself in the darkest parts of his mind aren’t true. That he has people who love him. That Pai loves him unconditionally and will not hesitate to show him.
Sky conversely is also perfect for Pai. Pai needs someone who is willing to call him out, who is doesn’t put up with his bullshit but can also be equally as playful and daring as he is. (I’m looking at you board room sex from the special episode and the implication that Sky planned and prepped for the whole thing.) Pai needs someone who forces him to mature a lot, to develop the kind of good communication skills you need if you want a working relationship. Pai needs someone to worship. He needs someone who will take charge occasionally, someone who knows who Pai is and knows how to interact with him better than he knows himself.
I am so not normal about PrapaiSky haha. They are just so good and while they may not be everyone’s cup of tea (and that’s okay) they definitely are mine. Both Fort and Peat do such a good job with these characters and are able to make me believe in these two in a way I don’t think other actors could. I’m going to be rewatching Love In The Air for a long time, and obsessing over PrapaiSky for equally as well haha, and I’m definitely okay with that
