Once And Always

Chapter 32

Hello!

It's a nice evening here...

Totally unrelated to the story, but I want to ask.

How many of you likes angst? 😉

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On the one-month anniversary of their wedding, a message arrived that required Tae to travel to Rayong, where one of his ships had just put into port.

On the morning of his departure, he kissed Tee goodbye on the steps of their Khon Kaen mansion with enough ardor to make Tee blush and the coachman smother a laugh.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Tee said, pressing his face to his husband's muscular chest, his arms around his waist. "Six days seems like forever, and I'll be dreadfully lonely without you."

"Prama will be here to keep you company, sweet," Tae said, grinning at Tee and hiding his own reluctance to leave. "Captain Mew is just down the road, and you can visit with him. Or you could always pay another visit to your great-grandmother. I'll be home on Tuesday in time for supper."

Tee nodded and leaned up on his toes to kiss his smoothly shaven cheek.

-

With great determination, Tee kept himself as busy as possible during those six days, working at the orphanage and helping with the village doctor, but the time still seemed to drag. The nights were even longer. He spent his evenings with Prama, who had come for a visit, but when he went up to bed, the clock seemed to stop.

On the night before Tae was expected to return, he wandered around his room, trying to avoid getting into his lonely bed. Tee walked into Tae's suite, smiling at the contrast between Tae's austere, heavily carved, dark furnishings and his own room which was done in the minimal style with gossamer white and dark blue accents, he had long disposed of the heavy French draperies. Lovingly, he fingered the black-inlaid backs of Tae's furniture. Then he reluctantly returned to his own room and finally fell asleep.

Tee awakened at dawn the next day, his heart full of excitement, and began planning a special meal for his husband's homecoming.

Dusk faded into twilight and finally into chilly, starlit darkness as he waited in the lounge, listening for the sound of Tae's car in the drive. "He's back, Uncle Prama!" Tee said delightedly, peering out the window and saw lights moving along the drive toward the house.

"That must be Captain Mew. Tae won't be here for at least another hour or two," Prama said, smiling fondly at Tee as he began smoothing his cravat and trousers. "I know how long it takes to make his journey, and he's already shaved off a day in order to get back tonight, rather than tomorrow."

"I suppose you're right, but it's only half past seven, and I asked Captain Mew to join us for supper at eight." Tee's smile faded as the car drew up before the house, and he realized it wasn't Tae's luxurious traveling one. "I think I'll ask Mrs. Boon-Mee to delay supper," he was saying when Pawat appeared in the doorway of the lounge, an odd, strained look upon his austere face.

"There is a gentleman here to see you, Khun Luang Tee," he announced.

"A gentleman?" Tee echoed blankly.

"A Mr. Godt Itthipat Thanit from Chiang Mai."

Tee reached weakly for the back of the nearest chair, his knuckles turning white as his grip tightened.

"Shall I show him in?"

Tee nodded jerkily, trying to get control over the violent surge of resentment quaking through him at the memory of the man's heartless rejection, praying he could face his P'Godt without showing how he felt. So distracted with his own rampaging emotions was he that he never noticed the sudden pallor of Prama's complexion or the way he slowly stood up and faced the door as if he were bracing to meet a firing squad.