Within My Stratosphere • SOTUS

Chapter 16. Saucer Magnolias

[Arthit]

After struggling to peel off the heavily drenched clothes from his damp skin, he stepped into the shower. With the hot water running down his chilled body, he leaned against the side of the stone wall. Now that he was alone, he was finally able to think rationally.

Looking back, prior to the date he had been a nervous mess. The swarm of butterflies flittering in his stomach at the time, remained a mystery to him. He didn't understand why he was feeling that way and thought it possibly might have been the unfamiliar clothing.

They were off now. He was completely nude in his own skin.

So what was this disconcerting feeling still abiding inside of him?

Arthit thought back to the movie date. He honestly didn't remember much. All he knew was that in the beginning, it was a nice distraction. His feelings of uneasiness had quickly changed to fearsome apprehension— that was seriously one fucked up movie. It was only after the credits started rolling, did he realized how up close and personal he was next to Kongpob. Hell— he was practically on top of him. How embarrassing. During his vulnerable state, he had subconsciously depended on Kongpob almost naturally.

And then in the garden. The dance; the song; the rain; and his singing. He had never experienced something like that before. Moving in step with Kongpob, he felt a vivacious burst of exuberant vitality. This foreign sensation had him floating. Those ever-present butterflies teemed vigorously within him, lifting him into a high.

That with the singing...he could still hear and feel Kongpob's voice which had transferred through their wet clothes, the vibrations seeping deep into his body. Confined in him the heavy vibrations spread with urgency. The disseminating tremors morphing into a light and airy substance that tickled as it traveled into every corner and hidden crevice of his body. He was full, bubbling forth with something he couldn't recognized.

Arthit didn't know what it was. Whatever this was, it must have been from the atmosphere of the garden. It had been too enchanting. It mesmerized; no, bewitched and spellbound him entirely. He wasn't himself. Unlike himself, all he could think about right now was Kongpob.

He stood unmoving as the strange sensation reveled inside of him seizing his absolute attention. He blushed. A thick vapor of steam stirred around him, veiling him in the obscure haziness. It enshrouded his flushed skin and crimson cheeks.

What was this feeling?

Turning off the water, he stepped onto the plush mat. After throwing on a white bathrobe, he cautiously peeked out the bathroom door. It was empty; he breathed out a sigh of relief. Walking over to the bedside where Kongpob had left him a folded set of clothes, he hurriedly pulled them on.

It must have been Kongpob's. Everything was huge on him. No matter how much he tied the drawstrings, the cotton shorts hung low around his waist. Thankfully, the big dress shirt helped in covering this up. As he reached over to grab the damp bathrobe from off the bed, the lights suddenly went out with a flicker.

What the—!!!

Arthit immediately crouched down to the floor, cowering in fear. This was not his fault, that freaking movie had turned him into a sniveling scaredy-cat. Building up his courage, he took a deep breath before feeling his way to the light switch. Yup. The electricity had gone out.