I Found You

chapter 13

a/n: the way y'all said tine would run away skshsksh.. guess here's tine teepakorn to beat those allegations for the first time lol.

also, i know i said I'd post last night but the place i was at did not have network and i was so busy i could not edit this one so.. sorry haha. hope the length and content of the chapter would make it up to you. brace yourselves, it's gonna be a ride.

....

Tine peers inside the verandah cautiously like an escaped prisoner, alert and guilty for some reasons he did not know.

oh he did. clearly. he is just borrowing some time to brew a good explanation for his abrupt apparent apathy towards Sarawat which he fails at, partly because tensed Tine is not really a productive Tine and partly because something warm and moist makes a contact with his left palm. Tine almost jumps. he stares down to see Lily's bambi eyes gleaming with joy and her hands lapped in something white. she has her hair tied up neatly and Tine can imagine Sarawat's hands combing through her hair, dressing her up in a floral black tee and black jeans only to end her up smeared with cream all over her body. Tine has not seen Lily since that day in the hospital but he's relieved that she looks healthier. he smiles softly and kneels down, wiping her face with gentle hands as she giggles girlishly.

"i am so happy to see you sweetie" Tine says earnestly.

"i am happy to see uncle Tine too" Lily says as her lips split in a wide smile that immediately reminds Tine of Sarawat. that same smile.. full of innocence and yet as mischievous as it gets.

"Lily! where are you- oh Tine?"

Sarawat steps ahead slowly, measuring something as he comes closer, eyes on Tine for a moment before he smiles at Lily and tells her to go play with phi Lita. 

"I'm sorry she really wanted to see the  beach and Lita called me twice, asking to bring Lily and i couldn't stop Lily  especially when she learned that Uncle Kim was coming to Phuket and -"

"why.. would you stop her from coming?" Tine asks, half chuckling, half frowning.

"not her" Sarawat says in between his teeth, "i wanted to stop myself from coming."

Tine's heart starts beating fast. he moves one step closer and swallows soundly. "why?"

Sarawat shrugs, his eyes bent down in an unspoken yet obvious determination of not matching Tine's eyes. he does not seem angry. just disappointed. Tine decides, it is worse.

"don't think you really wanted my presence here."

"hey.. please don't say that." 

"you ghosted me Tine."

"that's not what it was" Tine tries  stupidly.

"then what's the better word for cozying up with someone and then sprinting out of their house to avoid them for so long?" Sarawat chuckles.

"so long? it was just a day before yesterday.."

"yeah but it's long when it's about you."

Tine's eyes soften and he holds Wat's face in his hands.

Sarawat lifts his head and finally looks into his eyes. "i don't deserve this hot and cold treatment Tine" he says simply. short and on point. how Sarawat of him.

"no you don't" Tine says and in his mind, he is having a tensed war between holding Sarawat's hand or his face or his lips. by his own lips, that is. but a wiser voice assures him that Sarawat would very much prefer his lips doing the other best thing they do other than kissing - talking. so Tine talks.