Accidentally Married

57. Date

A light tap on his shoulder dragged Zo from the depths of sleep. He groaned, turning his face into the pillow, mumbling something incoherent. The tapping came again—firmer this time.

"Hia," Nai's voice came, gentle but firm. "Get up and get ready. Breakfast is waiting."

Zo cracked open one eye, his vision blurry. Nai was standing beside the bed, already dressed, his hair neat, his tone far too calm for what Zo was sure was the middle of the night.

"It's too early for breakfast," Zo mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

Nai chuckled softly, crossing his arms. "It's not early. You overslept."

That made Zo blink awake. He turned toward the digital clock on the nightstand, and his eyes widened in shock—it was way past his alarm.

"Oh, crap!" He shot up, nearly tripping over the blanket. "Why didn't my alarm ring?"

"It did," Nai said, amusement tugging at the corner of his lips. "You just didn't hear it. If you had slept any longer, I would have gone on the date alone."

That woke Zo completely. "You wouldn't dare!" he gasped, but Nai's teasing smile only made him panic more.

In truth, Zo hadn't been able to sleep much at all. He had spent most of the night tossing and turning, caught between excitement for the trip and... something else. Nai had unknowingly turned him on so badly that he had had to take matters into his own hands—literally. The moment Nai had gotten on top of him for interrogation last night, Zo's self-control had flown out the window.

He had ended up locking himself in the bathroom, jerking off under the shower just to calm down, then standing under icy water until his brain stopped short-circuiting. Even then, it had taken him forever to fall asleep. By the time he finally drifted off, the sky had already started to pale with dawn.

Now, Nai was standing there, annoyingly composed, telling him they were going to be late.

Zo scrambled out of bed and dashed to the bathroom. He freshened up in record time, brushing his teeth while half-dancing on his feet. When he stepped out, Nai had already laid out the clothes for him—the ones he had bought yesterday.

He slipped them on quickly, smoothing out the t-shirt. He had to admit—Nai had good taste. The clothes fit perfectly, hugging his frame just right. Zo paused in front of the mirror, tilting his head to admire his reflection.

"Still got it," he muttered to himself, flashing his best grin. He spritzed on a bit of cologne—not too strong, since Nai didn't like heavy scents—but just enough to smell fresh. He ran serum through his hair, taming the frizz until it gleamed softly. After combing it into place, he gave himself a thumbs-up. "Wish me luck, handsome," he told his reflection before heading out.

Breakfast wasn't anything extravagant—just a simple pot of khao tom, rice porridge, steaming softly on the table. Nai was seated already, casual and relaxed, the morning light catching the curve of his cheek.

"Smells good," Zo said, sliding into the chair opposite him. 

Nai nodded, ladling the porridge into his bowl. "Just something quick. We have got a long day ahead."

Zo picked up his spoon and took a sip. The warmth spread through his chest instantly. "Wow," he said after swallowing. "This is actually really good."

Nai's lips curved into a smile. "You sound surprised."

"I am not surprised," Zo said, grinning. "I am just... impressed. You could open a breakfast shop if you wanted to."

Nai chuckled. "No, thank you. I prefer cooking for one person."