IN THE MATTER OF MONTHS

6. Maybe, one Cigarette?

"What are you saying, P'Type?" Tine threw his shoes open by the corner of the room, trying to find his suitcase that had been already sent there, he opened his walk in closet finding his black suitcase neatly tucked in one of the cabinets, he did not like someone touching his belongings so it was instructed to the house help to not unpack his baggage, traveling can give you weird peeves. Tine picked out some clean boxers and a cotton vest, since he planned to sleep the entire day in, the 12-hour flight from Paris finally taking its toll on him.

"I am saying, are you happy seeing the bane of your existence?" Type asked, body stiff with all the tension he feels.

Tine halts in what he is doing, and comes out of the closet " He is not the bane of my- Oh god, P'Type, sometimes you say the weirdest things" Tine replies eying the older guy, Type looks away, cheeks tinting pink, " Are you binging Star Wars again?" Tine asks, tone accusatory.

" Bold of you to assume the phrase is from Star Wars?" Type replied in a bored voice

"Well, that's only reasonable, no?"

" reasonable because that's the only science fiction you can recall?" Type teased

It was Tine's turn to awkwardly look away.

 That is how they end up chuckling together, the quick detour in conversation serving up the purpose of dismissing the heavy tension lingering in the air.

"Seriously, Nong, why are you back?"

"Because , I love Thailand"

" Tine!"

"What? I just happened to agree to the offer they gave me"

" Just on the day, it slipped my mouth that I had a confrontation with that asshole Sarawat?"

Tine fidgeted slightly, nervous eyes glancing at Type who was seething.

It was a rather sudden decision on Tine's part to come back to Thailand, his channel wanted to do a mini-series capturing the cultures of Thailand and had approached Tine to head the project reasoning, he was talented as well as native to the place, the job will be a lot smoother if he took over. He was mulling over it for a week when one day a very pissed off Type called him telling him that his son of a bitch ex-boyfriend-Type's words, and not an Ex-boyfriend-was seeing his own baby sister.

Tine had sighed, because he knew, he already knew 'cause Cheryl had called him and told him that she had agreed to see one of dad's friend's son. Sarawat Gunthithanon. And sure Tine had always prided himself in being a strong and level-headed man but hearing his sister lowkey gush about how mysterious she thought Sarawat was, he had to hold in the bile that rose up his mouth, stomach clenching painfully, that last string of hope of ever making Sarawat his quickly fading, Sarawat had moved on, if Tine wasn't sure until then and was wistfully hoping for the opposite, he was sure now, Sarawat had moved on a long time ago and why wouldn't he? A little college experimenting should not stand in his way of finding a partner. Everyone experiments in college.

His heart broke all over again that night but he stopped himself from crying his eyes out, instead taking out the bottle of strongest whiskey he had and nursing on it for the rest of the night. The next day his head had hurt like hell, but hey? at least the worst had passed.

Tine had decided, again, on a whim to take the new project.

"I know how vindictive you can get once you settle anything in your head" Tine replied unsurely, sitting on the edge of the bed, Type sat down on one of the chairs, sharp eyes trained on his little brother.