Summary :
Earth was a poor university boy working at a cat cafe because he didn't have parents to support him anymore. Kao is a rich upperclassman. They met when his cousin dragged Kao to the cafe and then secretly going out with Earth.
A prompt from @rakcoo Twitter.
***
After becoming Kao's boyfriend, the older forbade him to work and assured he would pay for anything Earth's needed. He even insists that the younger live together with him. Earth was so against being a parasite to the one he loved, but Kao never drops the issue since then.
Kao persuaded him even more. Then Earth agreed. On their 3rd anniversary, Earth got pregnant. When Earth told his boyfriend of their impending fatherhood, the older just nodded. After dating for 3 years, he already gets used to the older's cold facade, even to him.
Being 7 months pregnant, making him more tired than usual. His cravings also increased. He was glad tough, he never had weird night cravings anymore, except for that one time. He woke up at 1 AM and craved a banana ice cream, but sadly, they didn't have any in stock.
He thought he should wake Kao up, but then he withdraws his intention. Kao looked so tired because he did his uni project last night. Earth walked out to the 24/7 mini market 15 minutes away from there alone, and his boyfriend never found out about it.
Right now, Earth was rubbing his obvious bump. Lounging on the sofa while the TV shows a baby program. He's looking at his bump with so much love it's blinding. "I love you, baby, never forget that," he whispered.
Meanwhile, Kao was tidying up the jacket he wears while looking at the full body mirror near the TV in front of their bedroom. Earth looked at his boyfriend's backside in awestruck. He loves how the older could pull off every clothes he wears; it's almost not fair.
"Where are you going, P'Kao? It's almost 40 degrees out there," Earth said looking at the clear glass window behind him and the blinding light of the sun shining through it.
Kao just glanced at his boyfriend through reflection on the mirror, he shrugged his shoulders, "Bosston invited me to his girlfriend's birthday party," he answered looking back at the watch in his left hand.
Earth perked up, "Party? Can I join you, Phi?" he asked excitedly.
Kao turned his body to face the younger's form on the sofa, "With you pregnant? Hell no. There'd be nothing but alcohol there."
Earth looked down at his bump, he looked ready to object, "But you haven't introduced me to your friends even if we've been going out for 3 years, not to mention we could tell them about our bunny," pleaded Earth glancing down at his bump.
Kao looked at him sharply, "No. Once I said no is still no."
Earth hanged his face down. He looked up to the older's treating form and smile sadly at his back, "I understand Phi." His hand never stop caressing his bump.
Actually, Earth had been feeling confused and doubtful towards Kao's refusing act like these. The older kept notHe has been researching the caused on the internet. He even left his story on a forum and asked people for their opinion of it.
Earth felt weird that they've been dating for long, but the older never introduced him to his circle of friends. Kao is so popular among the university. He was a model before he enrolled at the university, and his popularity growing ever more since then.
So he got a circle of friends he was usually seen together with but never had people seen him with a lover. What's more surprising was, when Earth randomly asked around in the university, no-one actually knows Kao swings another way.
The forum's comments were surprisingly so many. Some of them were saying just how a jerk Kao was, but there is one comment Earth stuck in his mind at until now.
'Maybe he was embarrassed by being seen with you? Maybe he hasn't even come out about his sexuality. Have you ever think that maybe you're unattractive and he doesn't want people actually to laugh at him dating someone ugly?'
At first, Earth can't believe what he had read. His hormones were starting to act up after reading that, but it didn't stop there. They actually wrote a long comment.
'What if he has fallen out of love with you? About your child...ever think if he felt he'd been forced to accept that child? Like he got no choice but to be responsible about it?'
Imagining the possibility if all of it was right is hurting his heart so bad he was crying for hours after reading that. Maybe...maybe what they said was right all along. He was delusional to think he was attractive enough to be seen together proudly.
He can even saw the difference between him and Kao's circle of friends. All of them were looking so classy and sophisticated, and then here he was actually don't have any of that.
Then what they said about their child...had he forced Kao to accept their child's existence?
With a determination heart, he took a shower and prepared himself to go out.
He had seen an invitation card laying around on Kao's bedside table since yesterday. He took the said card and called an online taxi. He would like to see how Kao'd act on his sudden appearance there.
Upon arriving at his destination. Earth looked around the spacious venue with nervousness bubbling inside him. There were so many people inside, and he was glad he brought the invitation card because the party is for invited only.
He glanced around him, a few people actually noticing him and been eyeing him for quite some time now, but most people haven't look his way because they were too busy to notice. Earth's eye caught some familiar tall silhouette on the centre from the corner of his eyes.
Kao was facing the other way, but Earth can recognize that backside of him anywhere since he's been looking at it when they slept. Kao was nodding at what his friends were saying.
Then out of nowhere, there was a girl in a revealing dress walking towards his boyfriend. Earth stood frozen in the spot seeing the girl just casually circling her hands to Kao's left arm.
Perhaps he was staring a bit too long, his boyfriend suddenly turned around and caught his eyes. Kao's eyes widen for a second, and the older turn his back on him again. Earth could see the older saying a few words to his friends, and then marched towards Earth's position.
When he was in front of his pregnant boyfriend, Kao silently pulled the younger's right hand towards the toilet. Some people actually looked at them in confusion. He pulled Earth inside the spacious toilet and locked the door.
Kao faced his silent boyfriend, and he looked sharply at him, Earth was feeling a bit afraid from the sharp and cold look the older gave him right now, "Why did you think it was fine to come here?"
Earth was shaking. He hasn't seen this side of Kao for a long time. Last he saw Kao being like this, was when he got admitted to the hospital because he fainted after he forgot to eat breakfast and lunch, "I-I'm sorry..." mumbled Earth.
Kao gives a deep sigh, "Tell me. What possessed you to come here and defy my words suddenly?" he asked with a cold tone.
Earth looked down at his feet, "I'm sorry, Phi..." his hands unconsciously went to his stomach, rubbing the spot where their bunny moved.
"Mu, look at me," Earth slowly lift his head and stare at those cold eyes again, "Why did you come?"
"I was-I was curious and wanted to meet all your friends...I want to know what kind of people you surround yourself with. I want you to introduce me to them as your boyfriend proudly..." he said softly. Kao stares at him.
"...but, after I saw them. I realized I'm not suitable to be seen with you. Maybe that's why you never bring me when you met them, you're ashamed of me...right?" asked Earth with a sad tone.
Kao pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You looked well-suited with that lady from before..." Earth erased the tear that escaped his eyes fastly.
"Wait, wait." Kao gripped the younger's arms, "Where the hell did you hear that from?" he asked with an angry tone.
Earth looked at the handsome face he cherishes so much in glazed, "Did you feel obligated to be responsible for our bunny...?" he's holding back the tears that want to fall from his eyes.
"I'm sorry I was so dense to realize it sooner than this...but you don't have to anymore, Phi. I won't force you to be in our bunny's life. What I said is, I free you from the duty you was forced to be in, I wish you all the happiness in the world. Thank you...and goodbye, P'Kao."
With that said, he was about to open the locked door when Kao suddenly hit the door loudly to stop it from even being open. "Stop."
The older then bring out his phone from his jacket's pocket and call some numbers on his contract. "I'm sorry, but I might crash your girlfriend's party tonight. I will make it up to you both later." Not wanting to hear the person's response he turned off the call.
He faced the younger's sad with a bit curious face. Then he opened the lock and pulled Earth by the hand slowly towards the centre of the crowd. People were now looking at both of them curiously.
He slowly took the mic used by the performers on the stage and looked at the crowd of people while his left hand is still holding the younger's hand.
"I'm standing here because I want to introduce you all to my boyfriend of 3 years. I don't intend to hide the fact that I'm gay or I'm dating a boy because I'm embarrassed. Call me possessive, but I don't want to expose my cute boyfriend to people, like ever."
Earth stood stunned, looking at his boyfriend's face from the side. Kao looked serious like usual, but there was a softness when the word cute came out from his mouth. Earth's left hand was subconsciously caressing his obvious bump.
Kao saw the movement and smiled briefly, so fast it people wasn't looking closely, they wouldn't see it. For people who saw his brief smile was shocked to the core. The ever cold Kao can pull a soft smile for another person and not just a smirk.
He faced the crowd again, "...and we're expecting a child together. Lastly, I haven't said his name yet. His name is Earth Katsamonnat Namwirote, and he's the love of my life."
Kao gazed at Earth who's still shocked by the sudden announcement from him. Earth kept his eyes on the floor to hide his blushing face and calm his racing heartbeat. When Kao nudged Earth's head with his in a loving gesture, he looked up.
"I love you, and that's what I will always do. I choose you, I choose Earth, because it's you, I love you because you're you. This baby is a present, a miracle for us. They'd never be the reason for me retreating from your warm grasp," said Kao while looking through Earth's eyes.
Earth's eyes teared up. He tiptoed so he could circle his arms in his boyfriend's neck and nuzzled the older's chest. "Next time, I'll ask you frankly than jump to my own conclusion like this...I promise," he said.
Kao smiled with his face being blocked by the younger's face he's been nuzzling, "And I will try to be more attentive to you both. Next time you craved or need something, wake me up and never go out alone in the middle of the night again...got it?"
Earth looked up sharply at Kao, as if accusing him of how he knew his little secret, but then he huffed and burrowed his face to the older's chest again but now hiding his face inside his boyfriend's jacket with Kao's hands caressing his back and hairs.
They both didn't know that the crowd went wild right after Kao's announcement.
They're inside their own world, hearing nothing but each other's heartbeat. Kao was so engrossed he didn't realize he was showing his smiling face on the stage.
Really, love is about trust and talk.
COMPLETED
Written on 16th of May,
junijunipers.