Distant Signals: The Love Between Us

Chapter Thirty-Two

The truth was Kongpob had forgotten something in his haste to see Arthit, but his boyfriend hadn't grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the door to ask why he hadn't brought him his favorite drink. That much was obvious in the red hue that colored his cheeks, and the awkward way that he opened his mouth a few times before finally settling on saying, "I just thought you'd forgotten something, but I was wrong. Go. I'm tired."

"You're right," said Kongpob, his eyes flickering to Arthit's lips as he leaned in. "I forgot something." He pressed his lips briefly against his boyfriend's and then pulled away, his heart full of warmth. "Good night, P'Arthit. I'll see you tomorrow."

A shy smile tugged on the corners of Arthit's lips, and he simply nodded in response, his cheeks still an adorable shade of pink. It made Kongpob want to kiss him again.

After the door shut behind him, Kongpob listened for the lock to click into place before he started heading for the elevator. He touched his lips. The memory of Arthit nipping at his bottom lip sent a jolt of electricity through him, and he flushed, wishing he could go back and completely ravish him.

But he couldn't do that. No matter how badly he wanted to rid Arthit of all his clothes and spend hours exploring every part of his body, learning how to draw out lascivious noises from his lips and cause him to tremble in pleasure, Kongpob knew that he needed to be patient and take things slow. Because no matter how badly he yearned to be physically intimate with Arthit, he was well-aware that his adorable, sweeter-than-pink-milk boyfriend ran hot and cold in regards to sex, vacillating between enthusiasm and apprehension at the idea. The last thing Kongpob wanted was for Arthit to feel pressured into having sex with him. Until he had enthusiastic consent the entire time—from beginning to end—Kongpob would wait.

As he approached the elevator, Kongpob spotted a familiar figure standing in front of the doors, waiting for them to open. "Wad?" he asked, coming to a stop next to him.

Surprise briefly flashed across Wad's face, but then it was gone, and his expression returned to its usual air of nonchalance.

"Do you live in these dorms too?"

Wad shook his head. "No. I was visiting a friend."

"Oh?" Kongpob had half a mind to ask who Wad had come to visit—Prem, he suspected—but something about his demeanor felt closed off, as if questions weren't welcome, so he chose to refrain from inquiring further.

The elevator doors opened, and they got inside. Kongpob pressed the button for the first floor, and as they descended, the silence was awkward and heavy.

"I haven't seen you at school lately," said Kongpob, as they passed the fourth floor. "Is everything okay?"

"I've had to help out at home lately. I'll be around more often now."

"If there's anything I can do to help..."

"Don't worry about it. I can take care of myself."

The elevator dinged to indicate they'd reached the first floor, and the doors slid open automatically. They walked out together.

"I know you can take care of yourself," Kongpob said. "We all can, for the most part. But we're friends, right? If you need help, come to us. You don't have to do everything alone."

Wad frowned at him for a few seconds, but then the tension in his shoulders lessened a bit and he nodded. "I will. Thank you." Then, after a few seconds, he added, "I won't be in class tomorrow. Can you send me the lecture notes?"

Kongpob nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

From there, they parted ways and Kongpob returned to his dorm, where he immediately loosened his tie and sank into his desk chair, exhausted. Unable to resist, he reached over and pushed aside the drapes so he could look across the way at Arthit's dorm. He smiled. After a short time, the light in Arthit's dorm switched off, and Kongpob released his hold on the drapes, letting them fall back into place.