Always You

19

Kongpob's POV

I am hardly the sort of person who fidgets when anxious. I am, if I may say so, perpetually level headed. As cool as a cucumber taken right out from the refrigerator. But that day, my usually composed demeanour was thoroughly crushed, so much so that I had to ask Arthit to drive instead of me because I couldn't stop tapping my damned foot on the accelerator. My mind meanwhile, was constantly vacillating between being crazy ecstatic and crazy nervous. Ecstatic because Arthit had let me accompany him home and nervous about having to finally meet his family. I wasn't sure if Arthit would choose to go ahead and tell them what we were. And I did not expect that of him either. I was sufficiently happy to meet his parents as a friend or whatever he had told them I was. For now.

Arthit was already struggling with the effects our relationship had on his sexuality. And although he would never admit to it, I could see him questioning it every now and then. Not too long ago, I had been in the same situation. Having dated and been attracted to girls my whole life, Arthit had come as a life altering shock. So not only could I empathise, I could also most certainly identify with him. And yet he had never made me go through the consequences of his introspection, keeping me firmly away from it. He had ensured that I felt secure and unthreatened about every aspect of us. And he was doing a great job at it. It was getting more and more difficult to not fall for him harder than I already had.

And therein lies the biggest problem. I was not just meeting my boyfriend's family; I was meeting the family of the person I had come to love more than anything.

I was still biting my nails bald, when a soft hand dragged my fingers away.

"Stop it Kong. It's just my family, not the King."

"Currently, meeting the King seems like a cake walk."

I plopped my face in my palms, groaning loudly. "What if they don't like me?"

"Not a chance. My family is really shrewd you see. They'll know how amazing you are the minute they lay eyes on you."

I smiled and held his hand to my chest. It had the instantaneous effect of calming my erratic heart beats.

"Are you going to tell them about us?"

"I don't know what to tell them yet. But one thing's for certain. If they ask me about us, I am not denying anything. Our relationship isn't some filthy secret to be shoved behind the veil of heterosexuality. However taboo being gay is, I am nothing but proud to be with you."

"You are proud of me?"

I don't know why but the thought of Arthit being proud of me made me insane with joy. He gave me a comical look before shaking his head.

"Duh-uh. Don't I make it obvious enough?"

"I am proud of you too. I ... think you're incredible."

He kissed my knuckles before redirecting his attention back on the road.

I wanted to say more, so much of it, but this wasn't the place nor the time. Right then, my exclusive focus was to make sure his family falls head over heels in love with me. To the extent that they would deem no one and absolutely no one, other than me, fit enough to deserve Arthit.

The car slowed down as a pleasant two storeyed house came into view.

"Ready?" He asked, while parking the car in the driveway.

After stealing one last glance at the mirror and straightening the collar of my polo shirt, I got out. My hands juggled a big bouquet of lilies and a paper bag containing green apples. We trudged up to a timbered porch. It was lined with flower pots and creepers of all kinds, making the air around us smell of honeysuckles and roses. Before Arthit rang the bell, he held my face and kissed me gingerly.