"Wait for me to come back, hubby."

Kongpob replays Arthit's last words before the latter went out to buy their dinner. He feels like his face will be torn because of too much smiling, but he doesn't care. He keeps on replaying it until the door opens again.

Arthit comes back from the food stalls with plastic bags of food and drinks. He's talking to someone on the phone when he enters the room.

"I'm fine." There's a smile on his face. "How about you, Namtarn?"

Kongpob's face turns sour when he hears the name. Why is she calling him? Or did he call her?

Arthit sets the plastic bags on the table and sits on his bed. His eyes widen when he hears what Namtarn has said. Kongpob starts to get curious.

"Oon, are you listening to me? I said Joy wants to meet Kongpob. She's forcing me now, so I have no choice. That also means that you have no choice."

Joy is Namtarn's friend in her faculty that has this big crush on Kongpob. Arthit and Namtarn already talked about her before.

"I don't think—"

"Oon, shut up, and listen to me." Namtarn can be really controlling at times. "Just ask Kongpob to go to the café this Sunday. He's still single, right? I know he's still single."

"Namtarn, I don't think Kongpob will go."

Hearing his name, Kongpob's curiosity goes off the scale. Why am I involved here? Where would I not go?

"Don't make excuses for him, Oon. You still haven't asked him yet!"

"It's not that I'm making excuses for him... It's just that..." Arthit can't think of any reason. "...he's a very shy person, and he won't meet Joy—."

"Oh. He's the shy type? Well, you can accompany him. Then, I can come with Joy. Yes! Yes! That's actually better. Let's have a double date!"

Arthit's mind goes blank.

.

.

.

"Oon? Oon? Hello?"

"Ah, yes?"

"See you on Sunday."

What Sunday? "Okay."

Namtarn ends the call. It's at that moment when Arthit he realizes what he's done. .

"Fuuuucckk!"

He tries to call Namtarn, but she can't be reached now.

"What is it P'?"

Arthit holds his head with both hands. What have I done?!!

"P'Arthit, I'm worried. What is it?" Arthit tries to face his boyfriend.

"Kong, I'm sorry. I... I..." Arthit holds his head again.

"Remember Joy? Namtarn's friend, the one I told you about?"

"The one you're jealous of?"

"Kongpob!"

He's giggling.

"She... Joy wants to meet you, and I accidentally told Namtarn that you will go."

Kongpob's expression drastically changes. "Why did you do that?!"

"I don't know, Kong. I... When Namtarn told me that she and I should join, my mind went blank, and I accidentally said yes."

I think you still like her. That's why you can't say no. Kongpob refrains from speaking his mind. He just gazes down, avoiding Arthit's eyes.

But Arthit knows this look. "Kongpob, I know what you're thinking. I don't like her anymore. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"But why did you do it?"

"Kong, I don't know. I was out of my mind. I'm sorry." His hands go back to his face.

Kongpob nods, eyes still sad.

"Namtarn will kill me if I cancel it." Arthit looks at his boyfriend. "Kongpob, will you do this for me?"

"Do what? Meet her? No!"

"Kongpob, Namtarn will kill me. Please..."

Kongpob just stares at him.

"Please... hubby." Arthit uses the magic word.

His eyes roll.

Arthit continues pleading. "When you're there... when we're there, you can just say that you're not interested. It's not a proper date, after all. Namtarn and I will be there."

"I don't think it's a good idea, P'Arthit."

"Kongpob, she's been bugging Namtarn and me for too long, and I don't think she'll stop until you tell her she should."

"I don't know her, P'."

"Kongpob, I don't want this too."

Arthit's head hurts. He lets his body fall on his bed. Kongpob does the same.

They don't think they can eat their dinner.

~

The next day, Arthit wakes up very late, four hours after Kongpob left. As usual, there's breakfast waiting for him, but this time, there's no note.

His head still hurts, and it's worse than last night. He tries to stand up and go to the bathroom, but he has to hold onto the wall just to get there. Days of walking in the rain and last night's disastrous call led to a fever. He can't go to class like this.

~

The library is full of people cramming for whatever they're supposed not to cram for. The term is about to end, so this is a normal view. Kongpob is with his friends to finalize their group project. All of his classes are already done, but Arthit still hasn't texted him.

He spots Knot and Tutah at one of the tables. He is reluctant, but he still decides to ask them.

"Sawasdee ka, P'Knot, P'Tutah. Have you seen P'Arthit?"

Tutah can't hide that he's giddy.

"He didn't attend our class today, Nong." Knot answers.

Kongpob wonders why, but asking for more details might make Knot suspicious. "Oh okay. Thank you, P'Knot."

He's worried, so he finally decides to call Arthit. His first call is not picked up, so he tries again. After the third ring, he finally answers.

"Kong, I'm sorry. I was sleeping. I think I have a fever." Arthit's voice is so different. He sounds so sick.

"I'll be there."

Kongpob runs from the library, leaving his friends and all his things except for those in his pockets. He has no common sense when he's worried.

"What was that? Where's he going?"

Although Tew has an idea, he doesn't answer Oak's question. "We're almost finished anyway. I can do the rest at home."

"So, what are we going to do with all these?" Oak points at Kongpob's things.

"I can bring them to Kong's place," M answers.

Knot catches how Kongpob suddenly got worried; it's the same look Arthit had when they were in his room, when he ran to help injured Kongpob.

They really are boyfriends, he says to himself, shaking his head.

~

Kongpob uses his key to open Arthit's door and finds his boyfriend sleeping. The breakfast he left this morning is still untouched. He checks his boyfriend's temperature. He has a fever, but it's not so high. The touch awakens Arthit.

"Why are you here?"

"You're sick. Of course, I'm going to take care of you." He sits on the bed. "I bought paracetamol from the pharmacy. You still haven't eaten anything. Good thing I also bought food."

"Thank you, Kongpob." The last time he was sick, Kongpob also took care of him. He feels shy remembering this.

"Do you want to go to the hospital? I parked my motorcycle downstairs."

"No need. It's just a fever. I can manage." Arthit lifts his head and tries to sit up. Sleeping helped reduce his headache. Kongpob is about to place the bed tray like last time when Arthit stops him. "I'll eat with you."

Actually, Kongpob doesn't have a plan to eat yet because it's just 5 PM, which is too early for dinner, but eating with his boyfriend is one of his favorite things, so he gladly joins him.

Arthit finishes all his food in a flash since it's his first meal of the day.

After his very late combined breakfast and lunch, Arthit decides to stay on his porch to get some fresh air. The food and the medicine made him feel better.

Kongpob is changing the bedsheets when he looks back. Arthit doesn't know what he did in his previous life to deserve Kongpob. He's overwhelmed by the way he's taking care of him. He also feels bad because he doesn't know if he's doing enough as a boyfriend. Everything's new to him, but that is not a reason to not put an effort in their relationship.

When Kongpob is done, he joins Arthit on the porch.

"Thank you, Kong."

"Why don't you call me 'hubby?'"

"What? Why would I?"

"I hate it when you only call me 'hubby' when you need something."

"Kongpob!"

Kongpob makes a pouty face. He doesn't know it yet, but it is Arthit's weakness.

The latter starts to feel defeated. He feels as if he has no other choice.

"Thank you... uh... hubby." He softly mutters, his cheeks turning pink. It's worth it, though, because it's music to Kongpob's ears.

Like what Arthit did on the bridge, Kongpob grabs Arthit's shirt and captures his lips with his own. Arthit is shocked, the same reaction Kongpob had before, but he doesn't pull away. After blinking a few times, he closes his eyes and feels their lips together. This kiss, their second kiss, is different from the one at the Rama VIII Bridge, however. It's patient, gentler, and hotter.

Arthit feels Kongpob's hand move from his shirt to his neck, pulling him closer, and at the same time, as if by instinct, Arthit knots his fists in his boyfriend's shirt, deepening the kiss even more. Kongpob groans softly in his throat and hesitantly parts his boyfriend's soft lips, testing how far he can go.

Shivers run through Arthit's nerves when he feels Kong's tongue against his, slowly exploring his mouth.

Braving his shyness, he copies Kongpob's movements and moves his tongue, making the latter open his eyes in surprise. He feels the smile that forms in Kongpob's lips.

When they part, Arthit's already pink cheeks turn red. "Kongpob, you might catch my cold."

"I take vitamins, P'Arthit." He can't hide his greed. "Can we do it again?"

"Hey! Don't push it!" Arthit shakes his head while going back inside with a wide smile.

~

M was on his way to Kongpob's dorm, and Tew joined him. They tried to call Kongpob, but he didn't answer their calls.

"I don't know why Kongpob brings too many things to school." M complained while carrying Kongpob's backpack.

"Unlike you, Kongpob and I actually like to study."

M glared at Tew, but the latter just smiled.

Tew finds M cute, not that he would tell that to anybody. He also wondered if M is gay too.

He shook off the idea when they reached Kong's room. They knocked a few times, but no one answered. Since he's the best friend, Kongpob gave M a spare key to his room. They had no other choice, so he decided to use it.

M envies Kongpob because the latter gets to live on his own. M is staying in his aunt's house a few blocks from the university, so he doesn't have much freedom as Kongpob does.

He set Kongpob's bag on the chair. When he turned, a figure outside the window caught his attention.

Isn't that P'Arthit? So he lives there?

A moment later, another figure appeared on the porch on the other building. "Hey there's— "

Before he completed his sentence, he saw the second figure grab Arthit's shirt and kiss him.

M had nothing else to say. Tew turned to him to ask what he was saying and noticed he's staring at something outside. He looked at what M was looking at, and his eyes widened when he saw it. Oh.

When Tew discovered days ago that Kongpob is dating Arthit, he imagined how the two would look like. "So this is how they look like when kissing," he mutters. So hot.

"What?" M questioned him. "You know about this?"

Tew composed himself and thought whether to tell M the secret, but he already saw it anyway, so he nodded.

"I thought I'm the best friend," M complained.

"Hey, M, he didn't actually tell me. I just... discovered it."

"So all this time... Kongpob is actually dating P'Arthit? No wonder why he doesn't tell me about the girl because there's no girl." He looked back at the scene, and the couple was not yet done making out. He drew the curtain to block the view, knowing they were not supposed to see that.

Tew put his arm on M's shoulder. "Are you disappointed?"

"No! I'm just surprised. I knew Kong for years, and I didn't expect him to... you know... kiss a guy. It didn't look like he's gay."

"Why? Do gay people have a template of how they should look like?" Tew crossed his arms.

"Uhhh. No." His head drops. "I just wished he opened up to me. I won't shun him... you know... Maybe he thinks that way, but I won't."

"M, just give him time."

There was silence. M took a deep breath.

"But seriously? Of all guys? P'Arthit? I can't even breathe when he's near, but Kong? Is kissing him?? On his lips???!"

Tew started laughing. "Haha! I had the same reaction."