Love and Loyalty COMPLETED (Love in the Air / Kinnporsche/Tharntype)

Chapter 1

The more Som held that small piece of colored paper in his hands, the more he ended up creasing it. His sister wasn't much helpful, in her opinion her brother would never find the courage to go to Payu and confess his true feelings. Ple didn't only think so, she hoped that Som would be too embarrassed to make a move, so that she could have more time to speak to Payu herself.

That morning, Payu was waiting for a cup of coffee at his usual table of the café in front of his former university. There were a few other cafés that were closer to his office, but he got used to this one in particular during his college years, and even after graduating he remained a very loyal customer. He noticed Som approaching holding something in his trembling hands.

"H-Hi P'Payu, I'm Som, I don't know if you...." Som quickly ran out of courage and found himself stuck without even getting to finish a whole sentence. Payu looked up at him, he smiled at the senior student, he surely looked cute to his eyes, Payu felt like some kind of element was missing, but he couldn't really define it with words, so he preferred to ignore that little voice in his head.

"Nong Som, I remember you. I signed your paper during your freshman year. Is there anything I may do for you? I'm a little busy, but I guess I can help you, if you want some tips for your projects."

"Do... do you really remember me? Thank you for offering me your help, but there is another reason why I'm here... please, accept this..." Som was extremely surprised to hear that Payu still remembered their first encounter, his eyes widened, thinking that maybe there was actually a chance of success. He handed him the small square of paper, holding it quite firmly now, Payu saw it and gently took it.

The young architect, the heartthrob of the entire university even after his graduation, looked at Som before opening the letter, as if his eyes were seeking for an explicit permission to give a look at those intimate feelings. Payu understood that Som was in pain, that short wait felt like a century of torment, a long torture that only his beloved Payu could end with a word, a word that could mean his blessing or his damnation.

At first Som looked at the floor as he heard the feeble sound of paper unfolding, then he looked up at Payu, hoping to find happiness on his face while he was reading the love letter he crafted with so much care. Finally Payu folded it back and put it into his pocket.

"Som, if you have time, we can have breakfast together tomorrow, do you like the idea?" Payu replied. The young architect didn't want to play with Som's feelings, he didn't want to tell him that he loved him when he wasn't ready to express that kind of feeling, he barely knew him after all, but he surely wanted to give him a chance.

After that day, Som and Payu started having breakfast together, they chatted, Som always laughed at Payu's jokes, then they started going to restaurants or to the seaside for a romantic weekend. It was during one of those weekends that Payu finally managed to say it:

"I love you, Som... I love you"

Those few simple words caused a tempest of feelings in both of them. When Som confessed his love to Payu the first time, he felt like he was already incredibly in love, and yet every day he spent with him, he felt like his feeling for him always managed to reach new heights.

Payu, on the other hand, felt different, he really liked Som, he liked spending time with him, hearing his laughter could make him feel some sort of relief after a stressful workday, but he had never been in love before, a part of him feared that what he was feeling wasn't love... but there was no turning back after that.

Ple couldn't handle that situation much longer, she knew that her duty as a sister was to be happy for her brother's healthy relationship with a good natured person like Payu, but she simply couldn't do it. She wanted Som to be happy, but she didn't want him to be happy with Payu. She knew she deserved Payu much more than her brother.

Som was too inebriated by his new love life to notice his sister's change of behavior. Whenever he managed to notice something subtle about her, he quickly ignored it, certain that it was jealousy not related to him being with Payu, but to the attention he was receiving at the university for dating such a popular figure.