Kongpob's home wasn't extravagant. It was a 2-storey house with a large yard. As Kongpob told Arthit, not much has changed since his parents bought the house. His parents thought that this would be their home for the rest of their lives and invested in a house with a large lot area.
"Kongpob!" Kongpob's father called his name with a smile as soon as he parked the car.
He got out of the car with a big smile on his face and gave his father a hug. Kongpob was the type to enjoy intimacy with family. Not once did he feel embarrassed about it.
"It's good to be home dad."
"You should come home more often. I missed you lots kiddo." Kongpob's dad patted his back affectionately.
"I'll try to dad. I brought a friend. He's very shy so don't scare him." Arthit was absolutely freaking out when he saw Kongpob pointing in his direction. He was totally unprepared. He couldn't even muster a smile to make a good impression on Kongpob's dad.
Arthit wanted to hide but Kongpob's dad was looking at him. He can't hide so he got out of the car timidly.
"Good morning por. My name's Arthit. I'm sorry for coming unannounced."
"No worries. I'm just glad that my son hasn't driven you crazy. It's a pleasure to meet one of his friends."
Arthit looked at Kongpob before replying to the younger man's father with a polite smile.
"You two must be hungry. I have breakfast ready. Let's get inside and catch up."
After a while, the nervous energy that filled his body eventually dissipated like a fog in the morning. He looked around the house as they walked to the kitchen. Most of the items inside were antiques and there was a wall dedicated to family photos. Arthit caught a glimpse of a smiling Kongpob's with one of his front teeth missing. He looked like he was about five or six years old. It was so cute that Arthit's cheeks were bulging in his attempt on trying not to smile much.
"What? What is it?" Kongpob saw the smile on Arthit's lips. He followed the male's gaze but couldn't pin point which photo he was looking at.
"You still look cute even when missing a tooth."
"Ah..." A look of understanding flash on Kongpob's face. "My mom took that picture."
Kongpob looked nostalgic but at the same time melancholic when he mentioned his mother.
Arthit knew that she passed away a couple of years ago. He didn't dare ask more about it and kept the topic light.
"It's a good picture. Care to show me more?"
"Later. For now, let's eat. You'll love my dad's cooking." Kongpob boasted his father's skills.
Arthit thought he wouldn't be able to eat anything after what he ate in the car, but after he saw the food laid out on the table, his stomach made space for it. He ate in bliss. Kongpob's really was a great cook.
"You could get indigestion if you eat more P'." Arthit only stopped when Kongpob warned him.
"I don't know how you can be so slim when your father cooks like this. Being able to cook this well is a god-given gift. It's so good that I can't stop eating." Arthit almost wanted to cry. The meat just melts in his mouth and the vegetable tasted fresh and savory.
The face Arthit makes when he tastes something good was very cute in Kongpob's eyes especially when his cheeks were bulging with food. He looks like a chipmunk.
"You don't need to flatter me so much nong." Kongpob's father looks proud at the young man's words. "I could teach you if want."
Arthit frantically shook his head and confessed. "I have no gift in cooking sir. I'm afraid even if you teach me, I still might burn your kitchen."
The Suttilucks laughed at his words. He joined in and yawned soon after.
"Still sleepy I see. You can rest in Kongpob's room. I'll leave it to my son to arrange it. I'll clean up." Kongpob's father was very considerate and moved to clean up.
Arthit wanted to speak up and volunteer to clean but Kongpob stopped him with a hand on his arm. Kongpob shook his head. "Dad's very particular with cleaning. You better leave it to him. He'll just clean the things you've washed if he isn't satisfied. For now, follow me to my bedroom to rest. You still look tired."
Kongpob's bedroom was on the second floor. Arthit observed that this room was almost the size of his dorm room. Little knickknacks were displayed all over the room. They were probably gifts from fans, Arthit thought. There were also photos filling one side of the room and on another were albums of the younger male's favorite artists. Arthit looked at the man's collection and saw that it was diverse. He recognized some local artists and international ones as well. The older male was surprised to see some kpop albums as well. He didn't think Kongpob listens to them.
He pulled out an album of a girl group from abroad and grinned. "This was a surprise."
Kongpob smiled back and took the album with a nostalgic look. The album was released a couple of years ago and yet the case still look fairly new. "They were very popular back then and I enjoyed a good hook song every now and then. Seeing that you recognize the group, I bet you also listen to their songs."
"I do listen even now. My friends also listen to them especially Toota. He sings on the top of his lungs to their songs when he's especially drunk. Trust me you don't want to hear that unless you want to sober up."
Despite talking bad to his friend's singing abilities, there was that fond look on Arthit's face that told Kongpob how much the older care for his friends.
"Somehow I want to see that.It must have been a memorable experience."
Arthit shook his head with a short laugh. "My friends would like that. They've been very curious about you. When you have time, I'll introduce you properly to them. You'll like them. They're weird and chaotic but they're great friends."
He continued looking around here and there while Kongpob let the person he liked explore his room. It was a very intimate experience. This was the first time he had let someone in his room besides his friends.
The mood in the room was sweet and nostalgic. No one was in a rush for anything. They took their sweet time and savored the moment.
Knowing that Kongpob loves taking photographs, it was not a surprise to see boxes of photos and negatives.
"You can look at them. I don't mind P'Oon." Kongpob gave verbal permission for Arthit to look at them. He knew how much Arthit also loved photography and Kongpob loved he could share something private with the older male.
The older male gingerly opened one of the boxes and flipped through the first set of photos while sitting on the bed. Kongpob sat beside him and looked over his shoulder as he looked at the photos. Arthit made a lot of different noises; some of the sounds he made were of appreciation and others were of surprise.
Most of the photos from the box he opened were black and white photography. He loved the focus on light and textures on the shots. Arthit was bright-eyed, looking at each photo with enthusiasm but he couldn't stop himself from yawning once again.
The younger covered the photo held by Arthit with his hand. He was seated behind the older one. Arthit suddenly became aware of the warmth of Kongpob's body behind him. They were so close that his cheeks went pink as he became flustered.
"It's time for a rest P'. You can look at them as long as you want later." Kongpob's breath tickled Arthit's left ear.
Arthit stiffened up. He didn't protest when the photos were taken from his hands. Being reminded of rest, he yawned again and blinked with slight tears on the corners of his eyes. Out of habit he rubbed his eyes. "I feel like I'm wasting the day if I sleep."
"It's better if you take a nap P'. I brought you here without asking for your permission so I need to make it up to you by making sure you're comfortable. And even if we go out you might not enjoy it if you're sleepy. There's still a lot of time left so you don't have to worry." Kongpob assured him.
What the younger male said made sense. He didn't say more.
Kongpob gave him a change of clothes to be more comfortable. Arthit accepted them and changed in the bathroom. While he was changing, Kongpob adjusted the AC, the curtains and lighting in the room. It was a lot cozier in the bedroom when Arthit came out of the bathroom.
The cold air from the AC was making Arthit sleepier. Kongpob's bed was calling him to sleep. With heavy-lidded eyes, he smiled at Kongpob and laid down on the bed. He sighed in pleasure when he felt the smooth and cool feeling of the sheets. He hadn't noticed it when he sat down but now that his brain was focused on rest, he was fully immersed on the texture of the sheets. He was acting like a cat without realizing it.
Kongpob acted like a caring boyfriend and covered the tired man. He ran his hand on the older male's hair. "Rest well P'Arthit."
Arthit had been too comfortable that in less than a minute, he fell asleep. Kongpob watched him quietly, tracing his face with his eyes for a couple of minutes before getting up to change.
It was a king-sized bed so it didn't feel cramp when Kongpob laid down as well. He got into a cotton shirt and a boxers. Unlike the older male, he didn't sleep immediately, he was staring again. He watched the man's chest going up and down, breathing deeply while asleep. Kongpob was already imagining the moment where he could continue watching Arthit sleep openly when they're together as lovers. It brought a wistful smile on his lips. He really wanted that to happen. So far, that wish was still far away from reality.
They're dating. Yes. But it doesn't automatically mean that the next step would be lovers. It might not work out. Kongpob tried not to think negatively about their future even though it was a risky relationship. He was a celebrity and Arthit was not. A lot of times, Kongpob had regretted his choice of being in front of a camera. There were a lot of restrictions and secrets. At the same time, there were also numerous moments where he was glad that he took this path. There were a lot of contradictions in his chosen profession and what made him strong and resolute was that he still had the same passion from when he first began.
Kongpob touched the ends of Arthit's bangs and traced downwards until he could feel the man's warm breath. His touch made the sleeping male frown. He removed his hand quickly, afraid that he might awaken the other. Kongpob bit his lips and tried to control his impulse to touch the man in front of him.
Bit by bit, the cool air from the AC and the dim lighting also sent him sleeping. He also burrowed under the covers with his arms around Arthit.
2 hours passed and Kongpob woke up energized. In his arms, Arthit still sleeping. He didn't seem disturbed by Kongpob's presence. Kongpob slowly got off the bed without waking him up. The younger male knew how much he loved sleeping.
"Where's your friend?" Kongpob's father was on the living room watching his favorite noon time show when his son got downstairs.
"He's still taking a nap dad." Kongpob answered and joined his father.
"Good. I saw the bags under his eyes. He looked like he needed rest. You too. Have you been taking care of yourself?"
"I am dad. We just spent the whole night playing at a friend's place and I brought him here since he was curious on where I grew up."
"I bet you just dragged him here." A knowing look formed on his father's face.
"He's going to be an intern soon so I just felt like there was no better time than now."
"Naughty." The man shook his head looking like a doting father. "This boy must be different. He's special, isn't he?"
Kongpob blinked. He sat stiffly and thought hard if he ever mentioned Arthit to his father. As far as he knew, he hasn't told his father anything about liking Arthit.
His father read his expression and explained. "Your manager called. He had expressed concern over your private life. He didn't say who it was but judging on how you treated him over breakfast, it wasn't hard to guess that boy's place in your heart."
The younger man's face became serious. He was afraid that his father might oppose his feelings for a man. They haven't seriously talked about it as it was new. This was the first time it happened for Kongpob.
"This could affect the career you've worked so hard for Kongpob." Kongpob expressed his concern. Before his son could react, he stopped him with a gesture of a hand. "I'm not stopping you if that's what you're thinking. You are a sensible man. I believe that your mother and I have taught you well.
I will always support you my son in whatever you decide, but you must be sure. When the world opposes your love, you and that boy must be strong. This world can be a cruel place and at the same time a beautiful one. It's up to the both of you on how to view and face the world."
"Thank you dad. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
"It's fine. People need to have secrets. It's how you make the world interesting. Too bad your manager couldn't stop his mouth. He's just worried for you. It's the first time you've seriously fallen in love ever since you became a celebrity. It was a cause of concern for him."
"I know. He's been warning me ever since he noticed that I've been paying a lot of attention to P'Oon."
"P'Oon?" There was a teasing tone on his father's lips. "A cute and fitting nickname."
Kongpob bit his lip at the slip. His cheeks warmed. "Please don't call P' Arthit that. He'll be so embarrassed if he knew that you heard me calling him that."
His father laughed heartily.
Kongpob endured his father's attitude and smiled shyly.
"Okay okay. I won't tell him." Kongpob's father was kind enough to stop teasing his son. He looked at the clock and stood up. "It's almost time for lunch. I'll prepare for lunch and you enjoy your time with your P'Oon."
"Dad!"
His father went to the kitchen laughing.
"P'Oon~" A soft voice that sounded far away called out to Arthit.
The older male was dreaming about lying on a donut floater with a cool drink on his hand. He was wearing sunglasses and enjoying the cool breeze.
"P'~ It's time for lunch."
Instead of opening his eyes, Arthit burrowed deeper under the covers. He was the type to sleep in more. Beds were an irresistible lullaby to him. If he could, he would prefer to sleep all day. He had already forgotten about Kongpob's plans.
Seeing the older male's stubbornness, Kongpob smirked and resorted to other methods of waking up the male.
Arthit furrowed his eyebrows when he felt something warmer around his waist. The warm thing around his torso was followed by a warm wall behind him.
That's weird. Arthit thought as he was still dreaming. In his dreaming state, he looked around surroundings but he can't see anyone else with him.
He tried squirming away from the warm thing that was sticking close to him, but whatever it was, it wouldn't budge. Arthit's movement became more frantic until it woke him up.
That was then he realized that he had been dreaming until then. He looked down and saw a slightly tanned skin wrapped around him. His eyes traced the arm and saw whose face it was connected to.
Kongpob's face was leaning on his shoulder with a heart-melting smile. "Hello P'Oon. It seems you prefer to be wakened this way. I must say that it's not bad. It feels nice to hold you."
Arthit could see that Kongpob had taken off his shirt when his hands brushed across Kongpob's bare skin. The warmth was almost searing his heart and his stomach filled with little butterflies. He could feel the metal piercings on the man's nipples. It was digging to his skin. The younger would really be the death of him.
"I'm awake now. You can let go now." He stammered. Arthit suddenly didn't know where to put his hands.
Kongpob was resisting the urge to further tease Arthit. He very much wanted to stay in bed with the man. He was very aware that his father was waiting downstairs so he postponed his plans to monopolize the older male.
He sighed lightly and playfully bit the older male's clothed shoulder playfully before letting go.
Like a frightened rabbit, Arthit jumped away in surprise. His hand was on the previously bitten shoulder while his jaw dropped in shock.
"You!" He pointed a finger at the shameless man. He was at loss for words. His brain was too jumbled to form a coherent form of scolding.
Kongpob shamelessly laughed, loving the flustered look on Arthit's face. They were alone so Kongpob brazenly did such a thing.
He picked up his shirt that he left on a corner of the bed and wore it. Kongpob smiled at his beloved person and calmly changed the topic. "Dad's waiting downstairs with lunch. I'll go ahead while you freshen up."
Arthit wasn't able to voice a word out. Kongpob was quick to escape and left him to do as told. He grouched while his cheeks and ears still pink in color.
If Arthit thought that the breakfast was delicious, lunch was much better. It wasn't good for his stomach to eat so much consecutively but he simply couldn't resist. He could only pray in his heart that he'll be able to survive unscathed from the amount of food he was consuming.
His nervousness around Kongpob's father had lessened greatly. He was able to answer a couple of short sentences in front of the man when asked about his schooling and the story on how he met the man's son. It wasn't a difficult subject for Arthit to answer so he was able to speak smoothly. Once in a while, Kongpob would also add a couple of things to his story. Lunch was harmonious as if Arthit was part of the family. He was really touched with the way the Suttilucks made him feel at home.
"Let's go to the beach P'Oon." Kongpob brought out the topic of a place they could visit in his hometown.
Arthit put a glass over his lips and drank. "What time? I had to finish something first for school. I forgot that I have a deadline today. Knot texted me when I was a sleep and only read it when I woke up."
The younger male nodded understandingly. "We can go around four so it isn't so hot. Do you need a laptop? I still have my old one in my room and we have a decent internet connection in the house so you don't have to go to a café."
The graduating student perked up at the mention of a good internet connection. "That's great. I thought I would have to worry about it. Good thing I saved the unfinished file on cloud so I don't have to start from scratch."
It would save him the hassle and worry about sending the file minutes before the deadline. It was due around 6 in the evening, but he would like to send it earlier so he could go with Kongpob to the beach.
After eating lunch, they were back to Kongpob's room. He sat on the bed and placed Kongpob's laptop on his lap. The old laptop was better than Arthit expected. It was still in great working condition and he had seen some student in campus use the same model.
Arthit focused on his paper. He filled out the remaining gaps in it. He only needed to add a couple of things and cite some sources. Citing sources was usually the part he had trouble with. He would often forget to do this and had deductions because of it. Remembering it now, he made sure that he put the proper citations.
While the older male was focused on his school work, Kongpob had picked up his camera and secretly took shots of the male. Arthit was too engrossed on his paper that he did not noticed what was happening around him. It was only after an hour when he clicked send on his email that Arthit was able to breathe a sigh of relief and see Kongpob with his camera.
"What did you do?" His eyes narrowed. He was a slightly suspicious that the younger male had decided to do something that would make him flustered.
Kongpob shrugged his shoulders and excitedly put the strap of his camera around his neck. "Ready for the beach?"
Whatever it was that the younger did, Arthit wouldn't be able to figure out so he let it go. He stretched and shared Kongpob's excitement. It had been quite some time since he went to a beach.
"Let's go!"
They both changed into something more comfortable for the weather outside. Kongpob let Arthit borrow a tropical themed shirt and a white tee while he wore a plain pastel blue and a white undershirt. They ate on the stalls they saw on the way to the beach. There were a lot of delicious food being sold that they can't help but buy.
When they arrive at their destination, Arthit saw the breath-taking view. The waves were calm like they would caress the sand.
He removed his slippers and felt that the sand was almost fine like powder. It felt nice to the skin. He smiled unconsciously. The place was like paradise.
There weren't a lot of people despite being a weekend which surprised Arthit.
"It's a well-kept secret by the locals." Kongpob explained to Arthit. Most of the visitors of the place were relatives or friends of locals.
They walked side by side along the edge of the shore. Sea water touched their feet in which they enjoyed. Arthit and Kongpob didn't have much planned when they arrived at the beach. They just talked about different things as they walked from end to end of the beach.
"My father used to scold me every time I sneak out to play at the beach with my friends. My friends and I would often play with sticks and pretend to be fighting monsters from the sea. We would chase the gentle waves and pretend that they're going to drag us to the sea if we're careless. It was stupid but we had a lot of fun." Kongpob shared to Arthit a story about his childhood.
He had always loved going to the beach since he was a child. His parents used to accompany him when he was a child. His friends would often come with him when he was in middle school. He had seldom came when he was in high school. During that time, he had been working as a model in Bangkok and seldom came home. When he time, he visits the beach alone. Now, he's not alone. Arthit was with him. He wanted to share this place to Arthit because it has always been a special for him.
Arthit laughed. He cannot imagine a Kongpob playing a silly game with his friends. He tried to think about what he did when he was young and shook his head upon realizing that he was also foolish. All kids had such stories. It wasn't unusual.
"When I was in first grade, I pretended to be a pilot and would often waste paper making paper airplanes on our second floor balcony. My mother had a field day when she saw the mess I made. After that, paper at home was tightly monitored." Arthit shared.
Kongpob choked a laugh. "I wonder how much paper you wasted."
"It was a lot that every now and then my parents would tease me about whether I'm still making paper airplanes in secret whenever they're looking for paper when I'm home." Arthit shyly revealed.
Kongpob chuckled and got themselves some fresh coconut juice to quench their thirst. All the talking and walking had them thirsty.
So much time has passed that before they knew it, they were watching the sun set. They sat down on the sand and watched the view.
Arthit sighed comfortably as the cold liquid passed his throat. "It's simply beautiful here. It's like a dream. It feels like my worries are being swallowed by the waves. I could stay here, but I don't think I can do so in the long-term. I prefer the bustle of the city life. "
"You haven't tried this place long enough." Kongpob said to him. "Even when I'm staying in Bangkok, I always come back. This place would always pull me back to return."
"Maybe." Arthit answered back. It was probably true. He was here for less than 24 hours. Who was he to judge the place?
"Let's take a picture." Kongpob remembered that he had a camera around his neck. They were too engrossed in talking that they forgot to take pictures. It was almost dark so the younger male hurriedly set up the camera and hooked his arm over Arthit's shoulder.
Arthit was in a good mood and agreed without protest. He smiled widely at the camera and posed with Kongpob. They managed to take a couple of photos before it turned totally dark.
Kongpob checked the contents of the camera and smiled at how the photos turned out.
Arthit looked at the male's profile and ingrained this moment to his brain. This part of Kongpob, he felt possessive and happy that he was the only one to witness it. Something about the moment made the older call out to the man. "Thanks for bringing me here."
"It's my pleasure P'Oon." Kongpob sensed how much Arthit liked the place. The proud expression on his face Arthit chuckle.
Kongpob couldn't help but cheekily ask. He couldn't let the chance escape to do so. "Am I closer to being your boyfriend?"
Arthit had always been aware that Kongpob was serious about him. Feeling indulgent due to the atmosphere, Arthit raised a brow good-naturedly. "What do you think?"
"Yeah I am." Kongpob almost puffed out his chest, showing dominance and confidence.
"So confident." Arthit could only smile. Kongpob didn't know how much Arthit felt so happy with his show of affection. The older male secretly agreed his words. It was only a matter of time before Arthit properly admits to his feelings.
"I have to or how else am I gonna win you over?"
Arthit punched Kongpob's shoulder lightly in response. There was an aura of pink between them.
Kongpob somehow saw this moment as a chance to do something more. He put down the camera and grabbed Arthit by the shoulders, forcing the older male to face him. Arthit saw that his eyes were sparkling with mischief and narrowed his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Arthit leaned backward when Kongpob suddenly moved his face closer to his. He almost fell but the younger man's arms where around his waist. He had nowhere to go. His arms were trapped between them.
"I think this moment calls for a kiss"
"But we just kissed a couple of hours ago." The older's eyes went big. It was a public place and he was feeling shy because of it.
"Trust me on this P'Oon. It's the perfect time to kiss. You won't regret it." Arthit received a peck on the corner of his jaw.
Whatever protest he had in mind vanished with that simple chaste kiss. He sighed and replied with a light kiss on the man's cheek.
"Don't make me regret it Kong."
Kongpob grinned and showed Arthit why it was the perfect time to kiss.
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I surprised myself when I finally finished this chapter.
I thought I was finished when I couldn't write anything. :)
Take care everyone.
18F20
musicbeatloves