Fateful Encounter (Completed)

Chapter 19

After the storm of tears, things were quiet in the hallway. Arthit felt much lighter, as if he'd put down a great weight he'd been carrying around, the entire weekend. In the protective circle of Kongpob's arms, Arthit felt safe and warm. But still, doubt lingered in his mind. He wanted to ask him why. But at the same time, just wanted to savor this moment as well. 

Due to this incident, Arthit also realized that this person has come to mean so much to him in so little time. He'd been scared, when Kongpob had looked angry and not spoken to him. He'd been afraid that all of Kongpob's words and deeds had meant nothing. But when he'd come back and hugged Arthit, it felt as if a dam broke. All of his insecurities and desires pouring out, uncontrollably. 

Few more minutes passed. The two boys were still holding each other in the deserted hallway. Arthit was loath to part with the wonderful warmth he was enveloped in when he heard something that was unexpected.

'I'm so sorry, Arthit.' 

Arthit went still, for a moment, before slowly stepping out of Kongpob's arms and looking at him. He didn't say anything, but simply kept looking at Kongpob. 

Kongpob felt a lump in his throat while a chill ran down his spine, when he saw the red rimmed brown orbs staring back at him wearing the most heartbreaking expression he'd ever seen on them. He knew he had to apologize, but when he saw that look on Arthit's face, his words stuck in his throat. Never has he ever been lost for words in his 22 years of life. 

'Why P'?' Arthit asked, when Kongpob had failed to say a word. 

'That... Arthit, I...'

'Are you sorry because you saw me cry or are you sorry of they way you acted earlier?' Arthit asked. Kongpob was stunned at the, almost defiant, look on Arthit's eyes. 

'It's not like that Arthit...'

'P'Kong, I haven't seen you or talked to you in the past four days. And before that you asked me to have dinner with you. What do you expect me to think, when the first moment you see me, after all that, you look about ready to strangle me, doesn't even say anything to me and just walk away like I don't matter?' Arthit asked. Kongpob, honestly, didn't have an immediate answer for that question. 

Arthit turned around and walked towards his apartment and opened the door. Kongpob was frozen in place. Was he really going to walk away? He looked down and noticed the back pack and few other items Arthit had dropped in the ground. Wasn't he going to take them? Was he going to just leave them in the hallway? Just when he was going to call out to Arthit, he was stopped by Arthit, who'd turned back at the open apartment door.

'What are you doing standing their looking like that? Pick those up and follow me.' With that, Arthit walked inside, leaving the door open.

It took Kongpob few seconds to snap out of his stupor and realize what had happened. Arthit invited him into his apartment, didn't he? Quickly picking the things left by Arthit on the floor, Kongpob followed the singer into the apartment. Closing the door behind him, he saw Arthit going into his room and automatically followed, only to stop dead in his tracks just inside Arthit's room when he saw a shirtless Arthit unbuttoning his jeans. For the nth time in the past few minutes he was again short of words but this time, he was also short of breath. 

Arthit was fair, fairer than him. He was about an inch shorter than Kongpob. Currently he had his back towards Kongpob and Kongpob had to swallow a sudden rush of lust at the sight. Arthit had a slim and toned build and Kongpob could see the muscles ripple under the skin, as Arthit moved to throw his shirt in to the laundry basket. Kongpob feasted his eyes on the visual temptation in front of his eyes. The slim, long and white neck; the broad shoulders, perhaps not as broad as his; nicely developed biceps, still slim; surprisingly well built forearms, probably, courtesy of his profession as a drummer; the slim waist and hips and the vertebral column that ran along his back and dipped, teasingly, in to the black Calvin Klein underwear that was visible above his jeans.