Melted: A MaxTul AU story

Eighteen: Remote Support

Author's note: This may be the longest chapter yet, so find a comfy place to sit. I just couldn't pick a logical place to stop that either didn't make the chapter too short or leave just a little left.

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The next day found Max rubbing his neck at his desk in the office with Pongpat teasing him.

"And you told me you'd be fine going back and forth across town last night? You deserve that crick in your neck. You're the only one I know who'd get sore from soaking in a hot bath."

Max just made a face at his uncle. The night before, he'd woken up in a tub of cold water. He couldn't believe he slept so hard and so long to the point that he'd woken up disoriented, cold, and stiff. He hadn't realized how tired he was, but sitting in the tub after finally feeling like his uncle was settled must have relieved his mind quite a bit. He had gotten out of the tub and taken a really hot shower, but it wasn't enough to completely work out the crick he had in his neck from the way he must have held his head in the tub. Next time, he'd need to remember to roll up a towel and put it behind his neck.

"Next time," Max mumbled to himself out loud as he saved some of his notes from the interview that morning and filed them away. There probably shouldn't be a next time. He could get far too used to soaking in that tub and falling asleep thinking of Tul. It was worse when he got dressed. Wearing Tul's clothes had wrapped him up in a smell that reminded him of Tul. He wondered what laundry detergent Tul used.

He got good work done that day, even going on a tour of one of the affiliate sites, but he had to force himself not to keep looking at his phone. He knew that Tul was supposed to meet the woman acting like his mother today, but Tul hadn't said last night what time that would be.

He had talked to Tul. Pongpat had called the "Pakorn boy" after everyone had arrived and settled down to dinner. Max remembered that at the time he had wondered when had his uncle learned how to use Line or gotten Tul's number. But Wanna had said that she taught him the week before because Pongpat had said he wanted to show Clara the new place. She had also showed him how to send pictures as well.

Tul must have seen how quiet Max was when they were all talking to him through Uncle Pong's phone telling Tul about how wonderful they thought his apartment was. Sukrit even ventured to ask if they could have a team building session at it. Max had begun to feel worse and worse about invading Tul's privacy. He had looked around wondering if the apartment had ever seen such noise.

Tul, to his own surprise, actually liked seeing them there. It made him happy to see all his team members surrounding Pongpat. He remembered feeling a bit uncomfortable when Pongpat had asked him the week before about having everyone over. They had been at work, and Ann had even jumped in to promise that it wouldn't be a regular occurrence.

On the one hand, he had always liked his personal space and felt comforted coming back to the quiet of his apartment. On the other hand, he had felt badly that Pongpat and Ann both felt like that had to ask him for permission in that way. Both of them older than him. Both having showed they were highly responsible and more trustworthy than his own family and the majority of his acquaintances. Plus, one of them was dying.

It had actually made him feel like an ass for the first time in a long time. What kind of person did they think he was? Who would begrudge a small gathering to celebrate a move? Prin and Max were right. He really needed to change his reputation with his team. They deserved better.

Thus, he had forced a smile and said 'of course' and how he didn't expect anything less and that they better call him when they were all together, so he didn't miss it. The last thing surprised Ann, but Pongpat had just given him a smile as if they shared a secret.