(Not So) Hidden

Chapter 4: Tears and Suns

Author's Note:
Just as promised, a new chapter! Thank you all for the encouraging comments and staying despite the long wait. Possibly a new chapter tomorrow, but I'm not sure about what. Maybe about the hazers again.

Also, has anyone been watching the new BL dramas?! Until We Meet Again, TharnType, Dark Blue Kiss, and History3: MODC? I love them all! Might write a UWMA fanfic....

And P'Sun is from Dark Blue Kiss! So be expecting some crossovers in the future because I am crazy and just absolutely love all these CPs interacting with each other!
Chapter 4

Previously

What?!

Arthit covered his face with his hands as if to hide away from his boyfriend's slightly angry and frustrated face. He knew he should have told Kongpob sooner about it, but he was a such a coward. And he knew Kongpob would never push him despite all the times he tried asking about it, until today.

"Excuse me? Is everything all right here?"

Arthit finally gave a peek between his fingers to look at the concerned look of the waitress. He was about to reply that everything was fine, but Kongpob beat him to it.

"Actually, could we get our order to go, please? Something seems to have come up, so we have to go."

"Of course. I think your order is right about done, so I'll just go pack it up."
Arthit resolutely watched the waitress walk away even when Kongpob very pointedly coughed to catch his attention.

"P'Arthit." But the elder only shifted his eyes to his lap and anxiously played with his fingers.

"Ai'Oon, can you please just look at me?" The pleading and almost desperate tone of his boyfriend tugged painfully at his conscience, and he finally peeked at him through his eyelashes while still looking down. And what he saw made the guilt increase by tenfold. Kongpob looked so sad, and it was because of him, the dumb, shy, cowardly, supposedly older boyfriend who was too chicken shit to tell people he had the most amazing younger boyfriend. Arthit was finally about to say something, but the waitress came and interrupted with their order. And Arthit went back to staring at his hands on his lap, and although feeling completely at fault, felt like he was gonna cry.

"C'mon, P'Arhtit. Let's go back to the car first." And just like always Kongpob stood up first holding out his hand like always to his boyfriend, with a reassuring albeit sad smile which made him feel even more guilty. The elder took his hand, still not fully looking at Kongpob, and they walked at a less excited pace back to the car.

Every step they made felt even heavier than the first. They're never the most talkative couple, but even the silence was suffocating. Arthit finally couldn't take it anymore and pulled them into a coffee shop he knew Kongpob loved.

"P'Arthit, what...?"

"Just shush right now." He led them towards a more secluded corner table and sat down. Before both of them could even get a word in, one of the baristas swooped in.

"Ah! Kongpob! And Arthit, too? Have you finally swayed this sugar fairy to the dark side?" The unexpected comment startled a laugh out of Kongpob, and Arthit was red from embarrassment from it but he could't help but be relieved at seeing the sad expression gone from his boyfriend's face.

"No, P'Sun. But I prefer P'Arthit stay a fairy, so he doesn't need to change." That comment was finally the last straw and Arthit kicked him under the table. P'Sun laughed at Kongpob wincing in pain, and then they started talking about coffee which is when Arthit drifted off. He looked around the cafe and its minimalistic design and dark wooden furniture. The dark atmosphere was completely different from the dessert shop they just left with its light interior and cute decorations that younger people loved to post about. He looked around more and expectedly saw mostly people in suits or some kind of mature, sophisticated dress sipping their coffee. The chatter happening in front of him finally led his eyes back and he noticed how well Kongpob fit in the cafe's atmosphere. He wasn't in a suit, but that didn't make his looks any less sophisticated.

"P'Arthit, do you want anything?" Arthit was finally taken out of his musings and looked at his boyfriend and P'Sun.

"No, we still have the cake. The cake! Has it melted?!" He hurriedly looked in the pink bag the waitress gave them and sighed when he saw the cake still looking pristine.

"Do you guys want to eat it here?" Both boys were about to decline the offer but found the bag plucked from the table before they even got a word in. "I'll just go plate this and bring it back out along with the coffee. Now, you both need to talk about whatever made this weird tension between you two."

And just like how he came, P'Sun swept away just as quickly leaving the couple to sit in a weird silence. Arthit was still slightly gobsmacked until Kongpob cleared his throat a little and brought his hands to settle on the table.

"P'Arthit? Why did you bring us here?"

Arhit looked back at his boyfriend who was patiently waiting for an answer and steeled himself and his heart.

"U-um, Kongpob. I'm sorry."

Kongpob looked a little surprised, but smiled and smiled. "It's okay, P'—"

"N-no! It's not okay! I'm stupid and terrible b-boyfriend who can't even admit I have such an amazing and nice and handsome boyfriend to his friends. A-and I can't even tell you things, and you're so nice and all I do is throw things at you. A-and..."

At that point Arthit was almost sobbing from all the guilt and stress, and Kongpob just seemed a little too shocked to react.

"S-say something already, idiot!" The unexpected little shout finally broke him out of his shock, and he put his hands on his boyfriend's cheeks and wiped away the tears. Arthit finally seemed to stop at crying besides the little tears still welling up a little, and Kongpob intertwined their fingers.

"So, you think I'm an amazing, handsome and nice boyfriend Ai'Oon?" And just like he expected, he got a smack on the head for that comment and a now red-faced boyfriend.

"I'm older than you! Call me P'!" Kongpob laughed and  simply grabbed the adorable boy's hand again.

"Hmmm, yes P'Arthit. But P', why didn't you tell me? I would have been okay with keeping our relationship hidden if you weren't ready to come out in college."

The elder looked down at their interlocked hands and mumbled out, "It's not that I'm not okay with coming out. It's just that...I'm shy."

The last words came out in a whisper, but the close proximity of the two still let Kongpob hear it.  But the mischievous junior still asked, "Hah? What was that P'Arthit? I couldn't hear you?"
The already red faced senior blushed even harder and almost yelled out, "I'm shy, okay! I-it's just that I didn't know how to bring it up, and what would I even say? You know how awkward I can get. And I didn't want people to think I'm not c-cool and stuff..."

The last thing he said Kongpob almost didn't hear.

"P-plus I'm not brave enough when I'm not with you."

Kongpob's smile was absolutely blinding while Arthit simply kept looking at their hands embarrassed. The younger was just about to get up from hi seat to—

"Here you are!" P'Sun held a tray with their order and the cake and motioned to place the things on the table forcing the two to retract their hands.

"Your cake and coffee. As well as a special hot chocolate for the crying fairy. And congratulations for finally clearing the air! But no PDA allowed while your P' is still sad and alone."

"P'Sun!" The barista laughed and ruffled the blushing fairy's head. "And what was up with you two, anyways? You both are the most sickeningly happy couple I know."

Kongpob cleared his throat and stated in the most deadpan voice, "I'm apparently in a secret relationship with P'Arhit. And now I have to try really hard not to smile and imagine a cute, angry kitten every time P' will yell at me as he hazes me."

Suffice to say, a lot of people stopped to look at the sophisticated coffee shop where loud guffaws could be heard and a tall young man was repeatedly getting hit by a smaller red-faced young man.