More Than Words Book III: More Than Love

Chapter 8 i

It is December 9'17 here. SOTUS S premiers tonight, fam :)

Arthit takes the Lift to the Ground Floor, smiling to himself. He needs to get ready quickly to reach office on time. It is always a bad idea to go out for drinking on a Sunday but then he hadn't been planning on drinking this much. He doesn't try to put too much thought into how he landed up in Kongphob's flat. They are practically neighbours. It is easy to slip up. The metal door slides open smoothly. He is surprised to see Perawit standing in front of him.

"Hey!"

"Hi," Arthit replies. "How come you are here?"  Arthit walks out, consciously pulling on his sleeves.

"I should be asking you that question." Perawit's eyes widen for a fraction of a second. "I knew it! I told you I knew you from somewhere before."

"Huh?" Arthit recalls the other man had said something like that when they had met for the first time.

"I have seen you here before. That's why you looked-"  An older woman with polybags full of articles comes hobbling and Perawit, like the nice gentleman he is, helps her with loading all of the bags in the metal contraption. Arthit smiles as he watches the taller man help her. He turns back to him. "So, I was right." He says, smug.

"Uhuh. So, you live here?"

 "Son, can you help me carry them to my flat?"

"Of course, P'," Perawit says immediately. He claps Arthit on the shoulder and picks his own messenger bag off the floor. "I don't. My lover does."

Arthit looks at him confused. "Didn't you two break up?"

Perawit goes inside. "Nah, Kong just likes to give me anxieties." He laughs and punches the button. The door starts sliding back. Arthit's heart starts to sink. "See ya later, man." He mock-salutes and the door shuts. Arthit hears the 'ding'. Once the carriage crosses the fifth floor, Arthit doesn't wait. He turns on his heels and leaves in haste.

He remembers Perawit saying one time how he and his boyfriend have an on and off relationship; how he is crazy about his Kong and no matter what happened, he would get his lover over his anxieties and insecurities. So, if it meant staying away from him for some time, he would. Arthit had stared at him for quite a while. But the world had more than one Kong. He didn't know what the full name of this Kong is. But, a Kong with another guy living in the same building as Kongphob?

The on-and-off thing sounded pretty much like his Kong. Though it is him for whom that happened but whatever. Maybe this is why Kongphob had easily stayed away without pursuing him in the last 6 months. Maybe that's why the former hadn't stopped him from leaving in the morning. Kongphob has really moved on.

Arthit sighs. He rubs his hands together as he walks, inhaling the cold morning air. The winter is coming to an end and soon the heat will set in. He has been away from his little flat quite a lot this past year for various reasons. He wonders if he should go home. He sighs again. He has had to take too many leaves for his leg. He can't afford any more holidays anytime soon. Arthit starts jogging, expelling breaths in puffs and looks for the nearest stall for tea.

*

He keeps rapidly blinking his eyes and when it doesn't work, he rubs them with the heels of his palms. Arthit's eyes hurt from the dim light of the room and too much brightness of his computer's screen. He just wants to go back and sleep. He wants to sleep for another twelve or thirteen hours and eat some more and punch somebody in the face. Preferably, someone tall, lean, muscular these days. Only if he could find someplace a little more horizontal and flat..

Only if he could find some place to lay down...

  Only if he could find someplace .. 

  Only if he could find some ...

Only if he could find ...

Only if ...

Arthit sits up with a start. He looks towards the door immediately to check if someone noticed him dozing off.

Thank fuck, there is no one.

He wipes his mouth and frowns. What woke him up?

He rubs the back of his neck as it is stiff from sleeping in a chair. There's a loud buzzing noise in the quiet room.

Ah.

Arthit opens his desk drawer. It is his phone. He checks the notification.

His brows furrow as he opens his text. It is from Kongphob. Why the fuck did Kongphob text him now? Had he forgotten something in his flat?

Hey!

He raises his eyebrow at the text. 

We didn't get the time to talk then.

No shit, Sherlock.

I so wanted to talk to you.

Okay, now, Kongphob sounds weird. This can't be him.

Aa'Kong is horrible.

Don't tell him I said that!

Ah. This makes sense.

I don't have to  Arthit quickly types. He is going to read it for himself.

Nopes. Am gonna delete all the texts.

Why all?

He doesn't know am using his phone.

I am not allowed to touch his phone at all.

Right.

He has no idea I know his password. Lol.

Haha.

You're sharp.

Thanks.. We all are. Kinda.

Yea.

Gotta go. He is coming back.

Nice talking to you.

Arthit laughs. Same here.

His text shows Read but there are no three dots next to it. She isn't replying then. He clicks the screen button off and puts it back into his drawer.

This is kinda surreal. Kosum is old enough to text him now. Old enough to sneak behind Kong's back and text him. Arthit laughs loudly. They are old now. Kongphob and him. He rests his elbow on the shining surface of the table, his fingers covering his eyes as he laughs loudly at the whole .. preposterousness of it. He can't hold his laughs back in. His Assistant sticks her head into the cabin to check on him and asks him if he is okay. Arthit just waves the other hand, dismissively and she backs out, worried. He hasn't laughed this much in a really, really long time. Arthit can't tell where so much of this laugh is coming from. He has no idea what he finds so much amusing except that the thought of him being a grown-up arse, of Kongphob also being an adult...

No doubt he keeps fucking things over. He doesn't really have a very adult-like approach to things and it dawns on him that he is the only one responsible for his own shit never actually sunk in. He sucks in a deep breath, pushing his hair back, away from his forehead. It had never sunk in.

He has been living in a haze for the past twelve years.

a/n: I assure you Kongphob will have his POV.