It's the first day of University and Arthit feels butterflies fluttering low in his stomach. He knows that it's not going to be the same as when he was in school with the classmates he has known since he was eleven.
Instead, it's going to be a whole new world of organising his own schedule, making sure he eats at the right time and trying to make new friends. It's the last part that scares him the most. He's never found that part of school life easy.
Luckily, he has Kongpob on hand to help him through it - just a shame they're not on the same course. But they are going to meet for lunch after orientation, and the other man has assured him they'll always get dinner together when they both want to and that they can stay over at each other's dorms.
Another reason the butterflies are circling. The thought of as much alone time with Kongpob as he wants.. amazing but scary too.
But he brushes the thoughts aside as he straightens his uniform tie one last time and slides a hand through his slicked back hair. University also means reinventing his look a little and he hopes Kongpob appreciates his effort.
Quickly, he drops his boyfriend a morning text and waits in anticipation for his reply. Kongpob's classes start a little earlier than his and Arthit's taken his time to make sure he's neat and tidy before his own start, so it's possible he won't reply.
But he doesn't have to wait long before his phone chimes with a sweet text from his man and a plan to meet for lunch.
"Okay, Arthit. You can do this." He clenches his fist around his messenger bag and then slings it over his shoulder, sliding his feet into shiny, new shoes.
Pep talk over, he heads out of his dorm, dropping his keys into his pocket and adjusting the strap of his bag.
A final deep breath and he heads down the corridor towards his first day.
Once he's on campus, Arthit uses the paper map in his orientation pack to find the quad and his group of students who are shuffling together around one of the tables, a couple of senior's in red shirts marking them off on a clipboard.
He finds a way to melt into the crowd as those around him chatter and get to know each other. It's only when a large guy, who looks almost as nervous as him, catches his eye and makes a theatrical grimace, that Arthit manages to smile and join in.
The man turns out to be called Knott and he's also on Arthit's course. When they compare their schedules they turn out to be identical and it warms Arthit's heart that he'll be able to tell his worried boyfriend that he's made at least one acquaintance today with whom he feels comfortable.
The group settles when one of the third years claps his hands and then introduces himself and the other seniors. Then they're given a whistle stop tour of buildings Arthit's already seen once before when he and Kong had visited to look around.
Eventually, they find their way to the canteen and are seated in a circle around a large table, the third year's leading the way. Drinks are spread around and Arthit manages to snag a pink milk which lifts his spirits even further.
He's sucking down on his delicious treat when the group begins a general chit chat to get to know each other.
"So, you're rather good looking," one of the female first years says quite bluntly, causing Arthit's natural blush to turn his cheeks hot, "Have you got a girlfriend?"
Arthit hasn't prepared himself for the question so he feels flustered and mumbles out that he doesn't. Because, yes, he has Kongpob, but his boyfriend isn't a girl.
The young woman giggles with another freshy and Knott shifts beside him, "I think, if you want a girlfriend," he says to Arthit, "there's a good chance of you being attached by the end of this orientation."
Arthit splutters and then says firmly, far too loudly in his panic, loud enough for the whole table to hear, "I don't want a girlfriend."
The table goes silent and then there are pockets of chatter as the girl who asked him stares at him, "Sorry, I didn't realise you felt so strongly about staying single."
"I'm not single," Arthit says, but the table has already moved on to a new topic and no-one seems to hear him, except Knott who gives him an assessing look but is quickly drawn into a conversation with a loud guy to his left who introduces himself as Bright.
The rest of the orientation passes in a whirlwind of questions and answers, teasing from the third years about how hard the hazing and their courses are going to be, as well as comparing schedules and tips being shared about different professors.
Apart from the girlfriend thing, the rest of the meeting is fine. Arthit meets Bright and then in turn, Prem and Tootah, who seem eager to form a little gang with him and Knott, although Arthit isn't sure why any of them want to include him. He's not really the type of guy who settles in easily with new people and he's sure they'll hang out with him a couple of times and then drop him when they realise he's pretty boring.
Just before lunchtime, he gets a text from Kongpob that says he's coming to Arthit's canteen because his own is far too busy with all the freshmen hanging out.
Arthit looks around the Engineering canteen and is surprised to see that it's pretty relaxed now, only a few tables taken - the rest empty and waiting for the new freshmen to eat dinner.
His new bunch of friends select a table and pull out a chair for him which he gratefully sinks into. It's been quite an intense morning and he's glad to relax for a little while before they have their first official class in the afternoon.
Kongpob arrives when they're already settled with drinks and plates of rice and noodles and Arthit's heart misses a beat as his gorgeous boyfriend strides into the space, long legs eating up the distance between them.
"Who's that guy?" Bright asks, "I didn't see him at orientation and thank gosh he didn't come or all the girls would have been chasing him and would have ignored us!"
Arthit smiles a secret grin as the rest of the table murmur in agreement. He knows his boyfriend is handsome, he knows a lot of others have shared their appreciation of him in the past and he knows that Kongpob ignores them all, always telling Arthit that he has no interest in anyone else, and that Arthit is the only one for him.
Secretly, Arthit feels exactly the same. But he can't always pander to his boyfriend. Sometimes he has to make him fight to earn a compliment or a kiss or.. anything else. Otherwise, Kongpob would be far too confident and might try to kiss him in public or worse, Arthit's worst nightmare.. overly compliment him.
Kongpob's wide smile in the direction of Arthit has them all turning as one to stare at him.
"Friend of yours?" Prem asks and Arthit nods.
"Ai'Thit?" Kongpob hovers over his chair, "How are you? You changed your hair!"
Arthit looks up at him and spends a moment just appreciating how handsome his boyfriend looks in his Economic's uniform. He can't help the smile that spreads over his cheeks, "Hey Ai'Kong," he slides a hand to his new style, "Is it.. okay?"
Kong grins and reaches out to tweak a strand of it back into place, "Looks good. But then," he bends at the waist and whispers in his ear, words just for Arthit, "You always look edible to me."
Arthit ducks his head. He knows he's blushing wildly and he doesn't want his new friends to see the effect Kongpob has on him. Whatever shows in his expression has Kongpob taking a step away and then sliding out the chair beside him as he introduces himself to the rest of the group giving Arthit a minute to recover.
"Hello, my name is Kongpob, faculty of Economics."
The others welcome him in turn and he gives them his patented 'all teeth' grin that Arthit has a little soft spot for.
Then Arthit catches his thoughts wandering, thinking about the way Kongpob grins at him right before they get intimate and has to stop himself from blurting out something inappropriate, gripping his cup in his hand to stop himself reaching out for Kongpob's hand like they sometimes did during lunch in high school.
In high school, where they were out as a couple to their class.
Watching Kong interact so confidently with the other guys, Arthit knows that he'll tell them as soon as he can about Kong being his boyfriend, but for today, he knows Kong won't mind it staying a secret, as long as neither of them directly lies.
Kongpob hates lies.
That night, he and Kongpob relax in his room, after dinner at one of the tiny restaurants that are spread around the area of their dorms.
At one point, Kongpob had floated the idea of them sharing a double dorm so they could have a little more space, but Arthit had decided he wasn't ready and that he'd rather wait until they were settled in and secure in their courses.
It had been a good choice, Arthit decides again as they lie side by side on his bed. Having Kongpob with him as often as possible was definitely going to be a great thing about being in uni, but having space from each other is going to be important too. Everything has been overwhelming so far and Arthit knows that after a whole week he'll need some time to reflect alone.
Like reflecting on today's conversation with his new friends. Bright had been very open in his questions, asking Kongpob about what Arthit had been like in high school once they realised they knew each other from there.
Tootah had swooned a little when Kongpob had spoken about them both being on the school basketball team.
Kongpob had, of course, told them all the brilliant things Arthit had done and at the same time downplayed his own involvement in them. But Arthit had managed to speak up a few times and tell them how awesome Kongpob was too.
Knott had been pretty silent, but had given Arthit a knowing look and when Kongpob had left, he had pulled him beside him as they had headed to class and asked in a low voice, "May I ask.. do you have a boyfriend?"
Arthit had frozen in place and Knott had needed to urge him forward gently.
"It's okay, you know, if you do."
Arthit had nodded briefly and Knott had given him a full tooth grin a bit like Kong's.
"And.. is it Kongpob?"
"Yeah, it is."
All the awkwardness had dissipated between them as Knott asked further questions and Arthit had admitted that yes they had been together for almost four years and that yes they had chosen to come to this uni together.
When Knott had asked him if they planned to tell people, Arthit had nodded shyly and the other guy had offered his support. It had made Arthit feel like he'd made a good choice, trusting Knott.
Lying on the bed, wrapped in his boyfriend's arms, he shares the story and Kongpob kisses his head and whispers that he is excited to show him off to the new friends he has made on his course too.
However, when he makes it to his faculty the next morning, having dropped Kongpob near to the Economics building, he finds the whole of the freshman class excited over something.
As he enters the room for his first class, the female half of the room are all over their phones in a feverish state.
"What's going on?"
Bright hands over his phone and Arthit gasps in surprise when he finds a photo of his own boyfriend staring at him. "What's this?"
"Your handsome friend was spotted here yesterday and they've put his photo all over Facebook, Insta and Twitter! He's so popular that the entire class knows his name! They are all hoping that he gets voted for the campus Moon and Stars competition."
Arthit's heart begins to beat so quickly he feels like he might hyperventilate. Beside him, Knott reaches out to place a steady hand on his arm. "Don't worry. You know Kongpob, intimately, they just think he's cute."
Arthit turns to look at his new friend, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Yeah, but what if he.."
Knott frowns, "I saw him with you yesterday. That young man thinks you hung the moon."
Arthit can tell that Knott is serious so he takes some deep breaths and eases his worries.
"Text him?"
"Yeah, I should do that."
But as Arthit reaches for his phone, his teacher arrives and the lesson begins before he can check in with Kong.
After class, Arthit grabs his phone to text Kong, but his battery has died and he can't do it. Instead, he rushes over to the Econ building's canteen where he has agreed to meet Kongpob for lunch. His new group of friends follow him and he can't shake them off, especially Bright who is clamouring to ask Kongpob for advice on how to grab a girl's attention (Tootah had joked that Bright should start by having a personality transplant which had caused a whole lot of shoving on the way.)
However, when they arrive at the canteen, it's so busy they can't see Kongpob at all.
"Are you sure he said he'd meet you?" Bright waves a hand to indicate the chaotic mass of students around them. It's as if the whole of Econ have their lunch break at the same time, something that has luckily been avoided in the Engineering classes schedules.
Arthit looks worriedly out at the crowded space, he has no clue how to find his boyfriend and he can't ring him to find out where he is either since his phone is dead.
"Let's just ask people?" Tootah suggests and Prem nods in agreement.
"I think it's the best way too, after all, this is his faculty. If everyone in our faculty knows who he is, then surely these guys know him too?"
Before Arthit can reply, Bright turns to the nearest person and asks, "Hey, do you know where Kongpob is?"
The girl grins, a spark of excitement in her eyes, "Yeah, yeah! Kongpob is the hottest guy in our class, he's hanging with the popular people .. umm.. over there!"
She points one hand and all of their eyes twist to look at a table where there's a mix of first, second and third years seated. From a simple glance it's clear that they all have one thing in common. They are all stunningly beautiful or classically handsome.
Even from across the room, Arthit can tell that Kongpob is agitated. He has his phone in one hand, tapping at it furiously while he's doing his best to look interested in whatever the girl next to him is saying.
There's a lot of nodding from everyone around them and beyond the table is a crowd of students looking in on them. There's an air of expectation and Arthit wonders what is happening. Around them, whispers fill the air and his new friends fan out to see what's happening.
"Apparently, they're choosing the faculty Moon and Star." Prem slaps a hand on Arthit's shoulder, "Your friend is the likely choice."
"Oh," Arthit doesn't know what else to say, around him the whispering has become words he can actually understand and everything is about how handsome Kongpob is, and how much the girl's want to date him and how much most of the boy's want to be him.
It's hard to listen to. He agrees with them of course, but knowing everyone's after him is bringing up a lot of his insecurities.
He is Arthit's boyfriend after all.
"I think we should go." Arthit says and Knott nods firmly even though Bright and Tootah try to protest that they want to stay to see the outcome. But Prem just raises a thumb at Arthit and they nod.
Back at their own canteen, they grab a free table and Bright asks if he can have Kongpob's number so he can ask him to come out with him some time and bring some of the honey's who are so into him.
And Arthit cracks.
Today has been too much for his poor little heart. Sure he's been with Kongpob for almost four years, but he knows they were so young when it all started that maybe he's relying on their shared history together. He knows Kongpob is the loyal type, but in the face of so many options, who would blame him for letting his eyes stray?
Arthit stands abruptly and announces he's getting a drink. Then he marches away leaving a group of surprised young men behind.
When he returns, it's to a huge swarm of people buzzing around his table. For a minute he thinks that his friends have already left, but then he realises that they're actually still there, albeit surrounded.
"You've met Kongpob, you had lunch with him yesterday, what's he like?"
"Is he as handsome as he looks in his photo?"
"Do you have his number? Can we have it?"
"Do you think he'd go out with me?"
Arthit's heart sinks as Knott gives him a helpless look over one of the girl's shoulders and Arthit grimaces and then turns and fades away.
The next time he sees his friends is in class and Bright and Tootah are recounting the chaos from lunchtime.
Arthit chooses not to listen, reading over and over the notes from his previous class to distract himself. Knott offers him a sympathetic smile.
When the torture is finally over, Arthit vanishes from the classroom and goes straight home, curling up under his sheets and blaring his music loudly through his ear buds.
His phone beeps weakly where it is charging on the side, but he misses the plethora of texts and missed calls that pop up as he wallows in his frustration and possible heartbreak.
He also misses the frantic banging on his door.
The next morning, he exits his room to find a plastic bag swinging on the handle - his favourite Chinese donuts and pink milk inside.
There's only one person who could have left them, and his latest text confirms that it's Kongpob.
Sorry for all the messages and calls yesterday. I didn't realise your phone had died. I missed you - please meet me for lunch today? I have some news. Enjoy your breakfast <3
Arthit's emotions waver between pleased and afraid. Surely, if his boyfriend is about to break up with him he wouldn't have sent a heart? But, what is the news he wants to share?
His footsteps are hesitant when he heads to meet Kongpob for lunch in his canteen - blissfully without Bright's commentary or his and Tootah's shoving this time.
There's no sign of his boyfriend, so he snags a table since he's aware of how quickly they fill up, and flips through his engineering textbook while he waits.
After a while, a gaggle of young women arrive and, after checking with him, occupy the other end of his table.
At first, he ignores them, but when he hears his boyfriend's name for the fourth time through his studying fog, his ears perk up and he listens more carefully.
"I heard Jane was going to ask Kongpob out already. She's probably the prettiest out of all of us, so she may have the best shot if he's into looks."
"Yeah, but what if he's more interested in brains? There's no way Jane could keep up with him. Then it would be you, Enid?"
A girl with two long pigtails lifts her face out of her textbook, "Well, no denying I'd like to invite him on a date, but he probably won't find me attractive, I'm hardly pretty."
Arthit's jaw drops. Sure, he's pretty much established that he's gay, but even he can see how classically beautiful the young woman at the other end of the table is.
In fact, as he glances from face to face, he can see that they are all incredibly pretty.
He doesn't mean to eavesdrop, but their conversation is loud enough to carry and it's about his boyfriend after all.
"He's so dreamy. Did you see the way he gave May an eraser when she didn't have one? I thought she was going to faint."
"We've only known him two days and he's already been voted faculty Moon! That's the power of his gorgeous eyes."
"And his voice! I heard that one of the other freshmen asked him and he said he would sing for his talent!"
"Have any of you thought," the girl who is speaking lowers her voice and Arthit has to strain his ears to hear them, "That maybe he already has someone? You know, a girlfriend from back in high school?"
The woman seated in the middle scoffs loudly and waves her hand, "Don't be silly Roe, no one starts uni with a high school ball and chain attached! Everyone knows that you start afresh when you reach first year again. This is the year for experimenting, getting to know lots of members of the opposite sex, for sowing your wild oats! I'm certain Kongpob knows that!"
It's too much for Arthit. He has heard the words and his brain is now playing out scenarios that are breaking him, making him feel like he's some kind of loser who is holding Kongpob back from his chance to become a real university student, a real adult.
He shuffles his textbooks together and stands abruptly, moving away from the table as quietly as he can.
Then he marches out of the canteen and away from the Econ building. Once he's safely back in Engineering, he hides in a bathroom and shoots Kong a quick text to explain he couldn't make it because he had to speak to a professor.
The rest of the week passes slowly for Arthit.
He actively avoids his boyfriend, aware that he will know something is wrong just from one glance at his face.
His new friends huddle around him, including him in every aspect of their first week of school. There are gatherings to study, chances to chat with their seniors about their courses, and of course, hazing to attend.
Since Kongpob's faculty doesn't have hazing, Arthit uses it as his excuse for missing dinner every night and for not being free to catch up.
Around him, rumours continue to swirl about Kongpob, especially now it is confirmed he is already the Econ moon nomination when he's only been in school for less than a week.
As the comments increase, Arthit's texts get shorter and shorter and he stops answering Kong's phone calls.
By Friday, he knows he has pissed his boyfriend off, since Arwena, Kong's mother, gives him a call.
Arthit is on his way out - it's the first weekend gathering for his faculty and he is determined that he won't miss it, since he has a feeling that the way he's been treating his boyfriend means he's going to have one less person to hang out with from now on. He is going to need his new friends for sure.
Arwena, as always, is straight to the point.
"Why is my son calling me crying every night, Arthit?"
Arthit physically recoils at her words, finding himself seated in his desk chair. "What... what do you mean?"
"Kongpob! He's calling me every night to tell me he hates uni and he wants to come home. Arthit? What on earth is going on? I thought you two were going to look after each other no matter what? I thought you had plans to protect each other from feeling homesick? Why are you never with him when he calls?"
Arthit's heart sinks like a stone and he feels guilt crawling into it. He's failed Kongpob's parents.. and his own.
And if he's failed them, then he's definitely failed Kongpob.
He manages to get her off the phone with promises that he will have a happy Kongpob on a video chat by the end of the weekend and that they will both visit with Kong's family the weekend after. Then he slings his bag over his shoulder and marches out of his dorm room (forgetting his keys in the bowl by the door).
When he makes it to the bar that the first years have agreed to meet up in, he finds Knott and the rest already down a couple of pints. Around them there are huge crowds of freshy's from every faculty and he sees a few familiar females from Econ.
Once he's greeted everyone, he heads for the bar to grab a drink of his own, finger flying as he texts his man.
The reply comes lightning fast and as he pays for two drinks, he starts to glance around, trying to see a familiar head of dark hair.
Kongpob is seated in the middle of a large table, freshmen girls flanking him, a crowd of third years nearby as well.
"I'm going to ask him out!" One of the girls that Arthit recognises from the other day is near to the table and he can see that she's had a couple of drinks from the way her eyes are a bit glazed over. In fact, he can see that most of the crowd look like they've been imbibing for a while.
It only deepens Arthit's resolve for what he's going to do. He doesn't want loads of drunk women pawing at his boyfriend.
His boyfriend who is fingering a glass bottle, spinning it idly on the table, eyes lacklustre and expression serious. Not at all like the freshman enjoying his first year at Uni should look.
Kongpob looks incredibly sad, and it's a testament to how attractive he is, that even looking miserable, he's still attracting girls to him.
And that's not okay with Arthit! He doesn't want Kongpob to sit there looking so distraught when they've spent the past year dreaming about going to university together and all the amazing things they are going to do.
He steps forward just as the woman who is planning to ask Kongpob out does as well.
"Kongpob?"
Kong's head lifts and his eyes start to shine as they spot Arthit standing awkwardly by the table, holding the two bottles of coke.
"I know you were just voted to be faculty moon.. and I was wondering.. can you accept me as your star?"
Kong's eyes flicker away from Arthit and to the girl who is speaking.
Arthit holds his breath.
"I'm sorry," Kong's smile grows, "I can't possibly accept you, I already have a sun in my life."
Then he stands gracefully and shimmies past the group of girls, who all look utterly shocked, until he is standing beside Arthit.
"I didn't think you were going to come?" Kong's voice is hopeful as he stares at Arthit and for a second, Arthit wonders if his reply is going to be too much.
But then, he remembers the hours they spent, pouring over the university prospectus, Kongpob showing him images of the shared facilities that they could access together.
The amount of time they spent finding dorms that were close enough to each other but not too expensive for Arthit's rather modest budget (even if Kong's family had offered to help out).
Arthit's mind flicks to the parties they chose to miss in favour of study dates to make sure they passed the entrance exam and the day they went shopping together for their uniforms and Kongpob had pulled him into his fitting room to help him 'straighten his tie', emerging almost ten minutes later with red faces as their parents tutted at them in amusement.
Maybe his answer isn't enough?
He can see the hope start to flicker out in Kongpob's eyes as he waits for Arthit to reply.
"No, no.. I was always coming," Arthit mumbles, "But, I was a bit late. Your mother has the worst timing after all."
"My mother?" Kongpob's voice is louder and many ears perk up and the whispering begins around them as the girls wonder why this unnamed freshy knows Kongpob, The Moon's, mother?
"Yes, she called me to tell me off." Arthit speaks much more loudly, catching Knott's eye who is standing up and waving in encouragement.
Kongpob grimaces, then his eyes become shifty like he's trying to hide, "What did she say?"
"She asked me why I'm not looking after you like I promised her I would."
Again, the whispers increase, people wondering why this guy has to look after Kongpob and why his mother would ask him to do it?
"Oh.. I'm sorry Arthit. I didn't mean to get you in trouble.. I was just.."
Arthit cuts him off, "You were unhappy because your boyfriend was being an idiot."
Those closest to them clearly heard him because the rumour snakes around them as Kong gazes at him adoringly.
"Yes, that." Kong takes a step closer, "I was wondering about that too... Umm," he cocks his head, "Can you explain it to me?"
"Back in your room? Especially since I seem to have forgotten my own keys.."
"Oh Arthit!" Kong's eyes are shining a little brighter now and he's even starting to smile with his pearl white teeth, "Yeah.. yeah, that's fine." Kongpob holds out his hand, but Arthit can see the disbelief in the eyes watching them. And he can see the question growing in Kong's.
And though they discussed coming out as a couple casually at some point when they're settled.. seeing Kongpob looking so sad tonight has changed Arthit's time frame.
He's ready to come out spectacularly.. right now!
He shoves the two bottles of coke at the nearest unsuspecting girl and then reaches out to grab Kongpob's shoulder, loudly proclaiming, "I've come to congratulate my boyfriend on being chosen as his faculty's moon."
Then his mouth descends and he's swept away in a kiss he's been craving the whole week.
At first, Arthit thinks it's an insect buzzing around his ears, but as their kiss draws on, he realises it's chatter and some applause and some cheers.
They draw away and Kong looks at him, dazed, "Wow! I missed you Ai'Thit."
Arthit grins back at him, even as the noise crescendos, "You mean you missed kissing me?"
"That and other stuff!" Kongpob mutters and Arthit reaches out to pinch his arm hard.
"Oi! What was that for? I've been saying stuff like that for almost four years!"
"Well, I didn't mind it in private.. not in public!"
"The way you just kissed me, nothing about our love life is private anymore! Anyway, you didn't say it yet!"
"Fine. I missed you too, Ai'Kong! Happy?"
As they bicker, Bright suddenly approaches them and gets right up in their faces, eyes alight with mischief. Beside him Prem raises his hand in the air and the entire place falls silent.
"Excuse me, can I ask, are the two of you... boyfriends?"
Later, when Arthit is curled around Kongpob like a cat, they reflect on their grand coming out. Kongpob says he wishes Arthit had stood on a table and yelled that Kongpob is his.
Arthit rebounds that he wishes Kongpob had announced it at the moon and star choosing.
Kongpob's replies that they should have just flouted the uniform rules and worn the couple shirts their mothers had bought them that say 'His and His' and have arrows that point at each other when they stand together.
Eventually, they agree that Arthit's kissing him in the middle of a mixed- faculty freshy event that was also attended by second and third years, was probably just enough of an announcement and that they can try one of the other ways when they're in second year and a new batch of Freshy's join them.
The next morning, they joint-call their families and can see the relief on all the parent's faces that they are together. Kongpob's father even jokes that they might need a little more allowance to help pay for all the 'making up' they will have needed to do.
When Arthit's mother hits him over the screen, angrily muttering about her child's sex life being private, Kongpob and Arthit roll their eyes at each other even as they both blush and giggle at their parent's antics.
Almost four years together have truly cemented their relationship and Kongpob has assayed Arthit's fears about the next step in it, proclaiming himself utterly Arthit's - one hundred percent.
He's even offered to buy him a ring!
The end.