#paitim

[heretherebedork]

Flip him and pin his hands above his head... only to get flipped again in return. A+.

[heretherebedork]

Tim is doomed and he knows it despite his own attempts at denial and I look forward to him having to admit that to himself fully.

[heretherebedork]

Tim and Pai's Home Project has begun.

[heretherebedork]

Pai's pain when Tim put the persona back in place, when he had to fully accept that the man he loved was a mask and truly a mask, someone that Tim said was impossible... but is still the one person who has ever let Pai put down the weight he's been carrying and truly think about resting and his personal future. And, yes, Pai still cares for Tim... but he doesn't know Tim. He says it himself. This is North's lie that was more just a few moments of manipulation. This is everything wrapped up in lies, every moment, every action... Yes, Tim married Pai for love in the end but he was never truly himself outside of a few moments.

Pai has to fully accept that he loved a man who never was, found his safety and comfort in a persona who is not real... and, yes, he still cares. And, yes, he can love Tim again. But that does not erase his pain or his loss.

[heretherebedork]

I love seeing more and more of the 'scammer' side of Tim because it contrasts so nicely with the side of him we see falling for Pai because his internal battle is eternal.

[heretherebedork]

I love their relationship so much, y'all. I adore this. I love that we get this part out of the way quickly so the rest of the show can be focused on building a more honest version of this lie. Like, this is the way to do it! Give us all the time to build up to something bigger and more honest and more real. They don't linger on the lying part and the deception and let us build up too many feelings for the fake relationship. A+.

[heretherebedork]

Oh yeah, that's the look of a man who sees an entire future with the man in front of him, marriage and kids included.

I love this despite it being so much a lie.

I love Pai so much, y'all. I adore this man in love. He's precious beyond words. And Tim is precious to me but in all the wrong ways. This man is gonna be nightmare.

Oh, Tim, nightmare man. <3 You're so doomed.

[heretherebedork]

Oh, Tim. He thought he did everything right. He thought he'd finally set himself on the right path, that he'd broken up with everyone and could start fresh... but the truth has a way of coming out. And Tim was never going to tell the truth unless he had to, unless they forced his hand the way they did.

And now Pai is in trouble. And now Pai is hurting and Tim truly loved him and loves him and now he will have to find a way to convince Pai of that. To show him that he loves him, that he meant it, that he lied yes but that every lie held a kernel of truth.

Because this is still a love story. It's just a broken one now, one that has to be put back together by the truth and by love and by time. Because Pai has given everything up now, cut himself off from his family, protecting Tim and Yu but not himself. (And then he saw Tim's injury and he reached out and Tim pulled away and they're both so hurt and so small and it's going to take so much to rebuild what was lost but Pai still loves Tim and Tim still love Pai and, in the end, that's all that will matter.)