Fragments Of Us [Completed]

Krit loves you

Michael and Ping stood outside Krit’s house, ringing the doorbell for the third time. Michael glanced at Ping, his expression puzzled.

“Maybe he’s out?” Ping suggested, looking around the quiet street.

“Should we call him?” Michael pulled out his phone and dialed Krit’s number. After a few rings, Krit picked up.

“Hey, what’s up?” Krit answered, sounding casual.

“Uh, Krit, we’re outside your place, ringing the doorbell, but... you’re not home?” Michael said, a hint of confusion in his voice.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Krit swore under his breath. “Damn it! I totally forgot you guys were coming by today.”

Ping smirked and shook his head, mouthing to Michael, Told you.

“Yeah, looks like you did,” Michael said with a chuckle. “So what now?”

“Sorry about that. I’m not home right now, but you can head over to Vel’s place. He’s working from home today. It’s room 610. You can wait there until I get back.”

Ping looked surprised. “Vel’s place? We’ve never met him before. Are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s fine. Just tell him I sent you, and give him the phone if you need to. He’ll understand,” Krit reassured.

Michael nodded, still feeling a little awkward about it, but agreed. “Alright, we’ll head over.”

After hanging up, Ping raised an eyebrow. “Well, this is going to be... interesting.”

“No kidding,” Michael muttered as they made their way to Vel’s apartment.

Michael and Ping made their way to Vel’s apartment, both feeling the awkwardness grow as they approached room 610. Ping pressed the doorbell, and after a moment, Vel opened the door, dressed casually but looking slightly surprised to see two strangers at his doorstep.

"Uh, hi... can I help you?" Vel asked, his tone polite but confused.

Ping stepped forward. “Hey, we’re friends of Krit. He said we could wait here until he gets back. Gave us your address.”

Vel blinked, then glanced at the phone Ping held out. “Oh, right. Let me talk to him.”

Vel took the phone, and Krit’s voice came through the speaker. “Hey, Vel, sorry about this. I completely forgot I had plans with Michael and Ping today. Can they crash with you for a bit until I get home?”

Vel hesitated for a second, but then nodded. “Yeah, sure. No problem.”

After handing the phone back to Ping, Vel stepped aside, letting the two inside. “Come in. I’ll grab you guys something to drink.”

“Thanks, man,” Michael said, trying to ease the tension. As they sat down, Vel came back with glasses of orange juice and some snacks.

“So... you’re Krit’s friends?” Vel asked, settling down on a chair across from them.

“Yeah,” Ping replied, sipping his juice. “We’ve known him for years. But this is the first time we’re meeting you.”

Vel smiled slightly, though the awkwardness still lingered. “Yeah, Krit mentioned you two a few times. I just didn’t expect to meet you like this.”

Michael chuckled. “We get it. Bit of a strange introduction, but hey, here we are.”

There was a brief silence before Ping exchanged a glance with Michael, deciding it was time to bring up what had been on their minds since they arrived. Ping leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “Vel, there’s something we need to talk to you about.”

Vel raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

Ping glanced at Michael for support, and Michael continued, “It’s about Krit. I don’t think you realize just how much he cares about you.”

Vel’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? We’re... figuring things out.”

Ping sighed, shaking his head. “No, we mean more than that. He’s been struggling with the idea of just being ‘friends with benefits.’ You might not have noticed it, but it’s been hurting him.”

Vel’s expression shifted, his surprise evident. “I didn’t realize... I thought it was just a casual thing. He never really... said anything.”

“That’s Krit for you,” Michael said, leaning back. “He’s not the best at talking about his feelings, but he’s always there for the people he cares about. And, Vel, you’re not just anyone to him. He’s falling for you, man.”

Vel’s gaze lowered as he processed what they were saying. “I... I didn’t know.”

Ping nodded. “Look, we’re not here to make you feel guilty. We just want you to see how much you mean to him. It’s not fair for him to carry all of this on his own. You’ve got to look out for him too.”

Vel stayed silent for a moment, his thoughts racing. He hadn’t fully realized how deeply Krit felt, or how much his own actions might’ve hurt him. “You’re right. I’ve been so caught up in my own issues, I didn’t see what he was going through.”

Michael gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re important to him, Vel. He’s ready to do anything for you, but it can’t just be him making all the effort. You need to take care of him too.”

Vel nodded, feeling a mixture of guilt and determination. “I will. I promise. I... I’ll make it right.”

Just then, the door to the apartment opened, and Krit stepped inside, looking slightly out of breath. “Hey, sorry I took so long.”

Krit immediately noticed the serious expressions on everyone’s faces and raised an eyebrow. “What did I miss?”

Vel stood up and walked over to him, wrapping his arms around Krit in a firm hug. Krit blinked in surprise but hugged him back.

“I’m sorry, Krit,” Vel said quietly. “I didn’t realize how much this was affecting you. But I promise I’m here for you too. We’ll figure this out together.”

Krit pulled back slightly, his expression softening. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ve got time to work through it.”

Vel smiled, and the tension in the room seemed to dissolve. Ping and Michael exchanged a relieved glance, happy that they’d helped Vel see what was really going on.

“Now that everything’s out in the open,” Michael said with a grin, “how about we all go grab something to eat? We could use a break from all this serious talk.”

Krit chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”

As they all headed out together, the atmosphere was much lighter. Vel walked beside Krit, their hands brushing occasionally, a silent understanding passing between them. The future might’ve been uncertain, but for the first time, they both felt like they were on the same page.

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Hi, guys!

Yes, this is the second update! I know it's shorter than usual, but I guess that’s fine. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be on a trip for the next three days. I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to update during that time, but there might not be any author's notes—just chapters.

I’ll be putting a temporary halt on the third book to focus more on the first one. You can expect at least two updates over the next few days. Tomorrow will be hectic since we’re traveling, the second day should be a bit calmer, and on the third day, we’ll be heading back. If I manage to post, it’ll likely just be chapters, maybe while I’m at the hotel. But don't expect any detailed author’s notes—just the usual "vote, comment" kind of notes.

Now, about this chapter! We focused on how Vel should feel about his actions toward Krit—specifically, not understanding him and piling everything on him. That’s what I wanted to explore here.

So yeah, that’s it for now. Let’s chat in 3-4 days! Share your thoughts, leave your comments, and let’s hope I have a safe trip!