entering his new condo, win's conscious state of mind started eating at him once more. he thought he was ready to meet bright's feline but as soon as both men approached towards the door, win tugged at bright's arm. one look from win and he knows. "win, trust phi...you can always leave if ame makes you feel uncomfortable." 

knowing how happy bright was when win accepted his invitation, he didn't have the heart to back out. he couldn't help but froze when the doors opened and ame seated there, purring as she looked up at her father. 

perhaps ame was a dog in her past life— doing tricks, waiting for its owner by the door and lazing about carried onto this life. 

to prevent ame from running out, bright blocked the door with his body while he turned to check for win's response.

he couldn't decide who was cuter, his more-than-friend or his latest addition. he chuckled at win before leaving down to pick his daughter up.

there was a stretch between a smile and a chuckle when bright teasingly threatened the younger one by pushing ame towards him. "Noooooooo!" win whined as he took a step back to which bright quickly appeased him by pulling ame back. 

as they finally got into his home, win sat down on the black sofa, eyes wandering about the new place. he didn't have the chance to visit bright's place until now. "Ow!" win exclaimed when he spotted something on the shelves, sitting quietly beside the trophy. "you printed this photo?" win couldn't help but blush at the sweet gesture.

bright, who still had ame in his arms, returned from the kitchen with two bottles of water. "i asked for the photo to be sent to my phone and I got it printed the next day. its cute, I like it."

win held the photo frame in his hands and traced their own faces, as if replaying the scene of that night. strange, it was clearly sarawat and tine but at that moment, it felt more like bright and win.

though both of them didn't say anything, win felt it and he knew bright felt it too. there was something more, something stronger than they've felt before.

the repeated kisses from sarawat on the staircase while the crowd inside was still enjoying the concert wasn't on the script and tine returning the kiss wasn't as well yet they both felt that it was right to do it. natural was probably the word to describe that moment.

noticing ame struggling to get out of bright's grip, win returned the frame and sat back down on the sofa. bright has always did things for win in his own little ways and this was his chance to reciprocate the feelings, no matter what it was between them.

"Let ame go, phi." he sounded as determined as he looked that shocked bright. "Are you sure?" Bright asked with hesitation and reluctance. He didn't want to scare win off even though he knows ame's temperament.

Win nodded and bright got down as slow as he could and with ever slow movements, he released the feline. Win froze once more but once ame went around and got busy on her own, leaving the two adults, win's body slowly released its tension, even more so when bright sat down next to him.

At that moment, he was ever more certain that bright had become his comfort zone. He couldn't help but stare at him.

"Phi..." the confession was at the tip of his tongue but somehow, something made him swallow his words and backed out. As if bright knew, he turned to him with almost expectant eyes.

"... can I charge my phone?" Bright hid his disappointment as best as he could and pointed at the socket in front of them, above the television set. "Charge it there."

Win silently sighed when he stood up to charge his fully-loaded battery and cursed himself inwardly at his cowardice.

'Maybe next time' he thought.