Duang With You

"Study hard, okay? See you this evening."

 

"Yeah. You, too." Duang doesn't even realise how wide his smile is as he stands there holding Quinn's hand in front of Quinn's classroom. He admits he's overly excited. Even though being in a relationship doesn't really change much since everything has already felt special from the start, he can't help but feel thrilled.

 

They agree that every month they're together, they'll each get one wish that the other has to fulfil unconditionally. Naturally, Duang makes his request almost immediately after hearing about it.

 

"Babe," says Quinn.

 

"What is it, babe?"

 

Duang asks Quinn to call him 'babe' as he does. Oh my god, it's so adorable. 

 

"You put your phone in my pocket."

 

"What? Since when?"

 

"Go now, or you'll be late."

 

Duang watches Quinn's back as he waves goodbye and disappears into his classroom. If it weren't for the fact that he doesn't want to disturb anyone, Duang would announce over the university's PA system that they're officially dating. Seriously, he'd do it.

 

"Hey, Mr Hopeless Romantic, why are you so late?"

 

"Dropped my boyfriend off."

 

"Wow, you did say that."

 

"Boyfriend. Emphasize it. Boyfriend. Highlight it. Boyfriend. Add thirty asterisks around it." Duang has just parked his car at his own faculty and hasn't walked far when he runs into Jettana.

 

To be fair, Jettana already knows they're dating because Duang announced it on Instagram in a grand way. Well, not that grand, just a picture of Quinn sitting at a grand piano, flipping the camera off, with the caption, A drop of water drips on a rock every day, and the rock finally said, Fine, let's date:). The best part isn't the comments calling him a show-off, but the ones lamenting as if they've lost their true love.

 

"Stop praising him, would you?" Jettana shakes his head in exasperation. He has to admit, though, Duang has been praising Quinn since before they even started seeing each other, and it's only escalated now that they're officially together. Duang has even moved most of his stuff into Quinn's place.

 

"I like that your story isn't complicated. It's happy all the way through."

 

"We're not trying to make things complicated. If we have something to say, we talk about it. At first, it's a bit awkward because we don't know each other well, but he's been so good to me. He opened up, and it made me realise I couldn't give up."

 

"You're right. I still remember when we all went out to eat with Mr Quinn and his friends. You were so shy, barely touching your noodles."

 

"I think about that, too. I never thought he'd actually talk to me."

 

"Have you ever asked him why?" Pae asks while erasing lines on his paper, his ears and eyes still focused on the professor. Duang pauses to think before answering as he sketches on his own paper.

 

"He says he sees possibilities in me."

 

"When it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Sometimes, just one look is enough to take another step."

 

"Jettana, since when did you start saying stuff like that?"

 

"I'm just playing the role of the wise philosopher."

 

"Ugh, you're so annoying."

 

"Focus on your studies, you gossipmongers, or you won't get an A," Jettana says, effectively ending their conversation. But Duang knows that come lunchtime, he'll be grilled all over again.

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

"Not single anymore, huh, Mr Popular?"

 

"Mr Lovebug is serious this time."

 

"Duang really pulls it off."

 

I get teased all day. Literally all day. From the moment Duang drops me off at the classroom until he leaves, and even after classes stretch into the evening, my friends keep teasing me until I have to kick them a few times. Not because I'm embarrassed-no, I've stopped being flustered about it a long time ago, because we've always been like this. It's just annoying

 

"Wanna go drink tomorrow? Eight o'clock, same place."

 

"Let me check with Duang first."

 

"Damn. If it were back then, you'd agree immediately."

 

"We're dating now. I'm not doing anything that could hurt our relationship."

 

"I'm jealous of Duang. And you, too."

 

I don't respond, but if I have to choose, I'd say I'm jealous of myself. It's hard to believe someone like him exists in the world-someone consistent in both words and actions, someone who supports you all the way, someone you can be with without feeling suffocated, someone whose mindset aligns with yours, someone who doesn't overlook the little things. It's the kind of love I'd always wanted to have and to give to someone. Until Duang came along.

 

"Here comes Mr Lovebug."

 

"Hey, Duang. You're glowing."

 

"Hey, Tong. What's up?"

 

"Man, you're always on time. Ever been late?"

 

"I just don't want Quinn to wait. If nothing's holding me up, I'll always be on time."

 

I stand up from the bench and grab his hand to walk away together because the teasing is getting out of hand, and Duang is the type to get flustered easily. A little teasing and he's ready to dig a hole and hide.

 

"Wow, running off with your boyfriend, huh?"

 

"Shut up," I yell back, flipping them off as we leave.

 

"What's got you so worked up, babe? Too much teasing today?"

 

"They've been doing this all day."

 

"Aww, poor thing."

 

"How was class? Tiring?"

 

"Seeing you makes it all better."

 

"What? Too cheesy?" Duang reaches over to pinch my cheek as we sit in the car. I roll my eyes. I want to curse at him or call him names, but then again, we have an agreement. Respect him, I remind myself.

 

"What do you want to eat?"

 

"Something simple. I've got work to do."

 

"Same here. I've got some drawings to finish."

 

"Alright, let's grab something quick."

 

"How about noodles with gravy? Wide noodles?"

 

"Sure."

 

"I'll eat the kale stems for you."

 

'That's your job anyway."

 

"You're so cute."

 

"You say that about everything," I say, squeezing his hand as he reaches out to hold mine.

 

The day is simple, moving slowly but never boring. Honestly, life doesn't need much more than this.

 

"Are you staying up late? I'll grab some coffee for you so we don't have to go out again."

 

"If you sleep, I'll sleep."

 

"You just want cuddles, don't you? You've been extra clingy lately."

 

"Maybe I'm addicted."

 

I glance at him, noticing how flustered he looks. I like it-seeing him lose his composure because of me, his ears turning red, biting his lip out of embarrassment, or when he flinches after catching me staring at him.

 

"You okay, babe?"

 

"You love teasing me."

 

"Look at what you're doing."

 

"Is it weird that I still get nervous around you even though we're dating?"

 

"Not at all." I gently pat his head as we stop at a red light. He leans into my hand like a puppy or a kitten. We talk about school, exams, and the upcoming Loy Krathong festival next week. We decide to make our ice krathong and float them without candles or incense to be more eco-friendly.

 

"Hey, I hear your faculty is hosting a concert."

 

"Yeah, some alumni are performing. There's also Gump and the whole No Bad Days band."

 

"It's going to be packed with such big names."

 

"If you want to go, let me know. I can get tickets."

 

"Of course, it's your faculty... Oh, by the way, you like that Japanese guy, right? You told me before."

 

"Shinta."

 

"Yeah, him."

 

"I just like his vibe," I say.

 

"Do you like me?"

 

"Are you seriously jealous over that?"

 

"I'm jealous of everything. Can't help it."

 

I chuckle softly as he parks in front of the noodle shop, offering to go in and buy the food while I wait in the car. I shake my head—I want to go together. There's one more thing I want him to know.

 

"I like you way more. There's no comparison."

 

"Good answer."

 

"Your reward is doing the laundry tonight."

 

"Sure, I'm already the househusband."

 

The truth is, I'm completely addicted to him.

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

Paint-stained brushes dip into water as Duang busies himself with his painting. The most important part is figuring out how to convey the emotions. 

 

They draw lots in class that morning, and he gets a watercolour project where he can only use shades of blue. Naturally, blue leans toward sadness. He plays some music to set the mood before starting, occasionally glancing at Quinn, who sits across from him, worried the sleepyhead might doze off.

 

Duang steps back to look at his work from a distance, getting a wider perspective. He's satisfied now; all that's left is to wait for it to dry.

The tall guy takes off his headphones. Quinn, who's been wearing noise-cancelling headphones while getting lost in his music notes, makes Duang smile. He's so charming when he's working... And now he's free.

 

Duang decides he'll just go do the laundry and tidy up his side of the room. He doesn't want Quinn to know he's done with his work yet. Otherwise, Quinn will just drop everything to hang out with him again.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"Oh, you noticed... Laundry," Duang says, sitting with his knees hugged in front of the computer. Quinn nods and tells him to hurry up and come back. Duang agrees and heads down with the laundry. Just then, he spots a sweet roti cart rolling past the front of the dorm. 

 

Without thinking, he runs after it to buy some. Quinn loves this kind of stuff. Sweet, milky treats. Perfect. I'm going to spoil Quinn until he's all chubby and cuddly. Just the thought makes him smile.

 

"Take a break, Quinn. You've been at it for hours."

 

Duang presses his nose to the top of Quinn's head as he sits there, wide-eyed, still working. He sets down a plate of bite-sized roti pieces, loaded with sugar and condensed milk, for Quinn. He tells him to take a break, but really, it doesn't matter when he knows Quinn is always super focused when he works.

 

"Come eat with me."

 

"Whoa, you're really taking a break?"

 

"Come eat."

 

I love this.

Boyfriend privileges.

 

"Can I lean on you?" Quinn asks.

 

"Are you tired?"

 

"Yeah, I got a headache."

 

"Want me to give you a massage?"

 

"Your hands are so big. Will you crush my head?"

 

"You're funny. Come here." Duang pulls Quinn into his arms, letting him lean against his chest and eat roti like a king. Go ahead, be as spoiled as you want-you're my boyfriend, after all.

 

"Our hair's getting long, Quinn. Both of us."

 

"Didn't we say we'd see who could grow it longer?"

 

"You can keep growing yours. I want to cut mine already. It's hot, and I have to use all these conditioners and stuff." Duang wrinkles his nose, looking at Quinn, who glances up at him with puppy eyes.

 

"Can you keep it a bit longer?"

 

"Babe..."

 

"I want to see you tie your hair up." And then the sly guy leans in for a soft kiss, knocking out any argument. Duang nods, licking his lips and tasting a faint sweetness from the condensed milk left by Quinn's kiss.

 

"Want some?"

 

"No, just watching you eat makes me full."

 

"When we're done, let's make some instant noodles."

 

"Seriously? We just had noodles at seven-thirty, Quinn."

 

"Can't I?"

 

I wanna die. Where did he learn to be this cute... Must be that relative of his. That cousin of Quinn's who acts like a kindergartener.

 

"Who taught you to blink like that?"

 

"P' Daonuea."

 

"No wonder. Do you talk to him often?"

 

"If he messages me, I reply."

 

"And what about the other one?"

 

"P'Fah? Not really. He's busy, even though he's not a doctor anymore."

 

Duang's eyes go wide as he blurts out, "Wait, he was a doctor?"

 

"Yeah, really smart. Actually, he's good at everything."

 

"I'm impressed."

 

"And you? Do you talk to P' Nan?"

 

"Ugh, he only messages me to yell at me or when he needs something. I mess with him sometimes, too. Last time, I bragged about dating you."

 

"Was that necessary?" Quinn laughs softly, shaking his head in mock exasperation.

 

"I told my parents everything. If I could put a sign on the expressway, I would."

 

"Drama queen."

 

Quinn finishes the roti, leaving the plate spotless, which makes Duang, who ran after the cart to get it, feel pleased. He presses his nose to Quinn's cheek a few more times before letting him get back to work. Meanwhile, Duang tidies up the room and gets ingredients ready for late-night noodles: some meat, a few veggies, and two cans of beer.

 

Eat before bed for a good night's sleep. Duang packs up Quinn's guitar and bass, guessing Quinn forgot them because he's so busy. The tall guy paces back and forth, but every time he passes by, he stops to kiss Duang's head or shoulder.

 

"Babe, I'm going to get the laundry now," says Duang.

 

"Okay, thanks."

 

"No prob."

 

They share a small smile before Duang takes care of both his and Quinn's laundry. He shakes out the clothes and hangs them on the balcony. Duang wishes he could let them dry in the sun, but there's never time to do laundry in the morning. They'll probably have to get a dryer soon.

 

"Here, let me help."

 

"Babe, finish your work. I can hang it myself."

 

"I'm done. Hand them over."

 

The pale guy takes the clothes and quietly hangs them up. Duang hangs from the left side, Quinn from the right. Before they know it, their shoulders are touching as they clip the last piece in place.

 

"Such nice, cool air."

 

"Must be almost winter."

 

"Do we have winter in Thailand?"

 

"You're something else," Duang laughs softly, pulling Quinn's waist into a hug from behind. He rests his chin on Quinn's shoulder and kisses the side of his ear.

 

"At first, I thought it was cheesy, all those things people say like 'I still miss you even when you're right here.'"

 

"Oh, please."

 

"But it's true. Even when I'm holding you, I still miss you."

 

"You're the real Mr Hopeless Romantic."

 

"You're so good at teasing me."

 

Then they stand there kissing on the balcony. It's not super passionate, but it's the first kiss of the day that's more than just lips touching. Duang pulls away first, worried it'll go further than just a kiss. He wants Quinn to eat noodles, shower, get into pyjamas, listen to his favourite music, and go to sleep without any worries.

 

"So, who wanted noodles?"

"Me."

 

"How very cute."

Duang wants just that.

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

Duang looks at Quinn's smooth, pale back, still covered in droplets of water, and tries to control himself... They shower together. It's not a big deal-if they have class at the same time in the morning, and one of them is too sleepy to go first, they always end up showering and getting dressed together. But this time is different. No one's fully awake in the morning.

 

"I know what you're thinking."

 

"I don't want to be demanding with you," says Duang.

 

"You said I can be as demanding as I want with you... Same goes for me."

 

".."

"You can be demanding with me, too."

 

It's like a thin thread of self-control snaps. Duang grabs Quinn's slim waist and pulls him close. The soap Quinn lathers on himself gets shared as their bodies press together. Duang can't control his hands at all, squeezing every part of Quinn's soft, pale body until his heart pounds. When their lips touch, it's like time stops.

 

The sound of warm water running over them and hitting the floor fades away, replaced by the intensity of their kiss. Their lips press together, moving, growing rougher and hotter with every wave of feeling. Duang moans in his throat as Quinn bites his lower lip and pulls away.

 

"So impatient."

 

"Not as much as you... mmm."

 

Quinn sucks on Duang's neck, leaving marks on purpose so they'll last for days. The mischievous way he wiggles his eyebrows makes Duang pull him in for another kiss.

 

"You're impossible."

 

"Why?"

 

"So sexy."

 

"I know you want me."

 

"Quinn."

 

"Yeah?"

 

Duang repeats the word 'patience' a hundred times in his head, but it's too late when Quinn kisses his chin with that playful look. His penis is already so hard it hurts, just from Quinn's teasing touches. Honestly, it started the moment Duang saw Quinn naked.

 

"Don't say stuff like this to anyone else, okay?"

 

"Who would I say it to? I only have you."

 

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

 

"I know."

 

"And do you know what happens when you say things like that?"

 

"Show me, then."

 

That's it. Duang turns the tease around. The more they do this, the easier it gets to understand each other... So much so that when he smacks Quinn's pale butt and hears him moan, his own shaft is so hard he can rub against Quinn's hot, twitching entrance, begging him to go all the way in.

 

"You troublemaker."

 

"Ahh... Babe... no."

 

"What do you want, Quinn? Tell me."

 

Duang pins Quinn's hands behind his back so he can't move. He kisses his shoulders, the back of his neck, his back, biting everywhere his lips touch, while his right hand presses his own hardness against Quinn's entrance but doesn't go in yet.

 

Duang wants to tease Quinn until he cries.

He loves it so much.

 

"I want you to put it in."

 

He loves it when Quinn begs.

"Duang, hurry."

 

"Not going easy on you tonight, Quinn. You started it."

 

"We'll see."

 

"You love challenging me... Raw, okay?

 

Quinn could die from those two sentences that don't even go together, and even if he tried to tell Duang to stop or to put on a condom, it's too late... Too late for both his desire and Duang's impatience. It's so tight. But it feels different from every other time.

 

"Breathe slowly. You're so tight."

 

"You're not all the way in yet, right?"

 

"Yeah... mmm, Quinn." Duang scolds the other guy for moving his body toward him. 

 

As he watches Quinn take him in completely, it's such a dirty sight that his heart pounds so hard, everything feels like it's moving in slow motion. He can barely control himself, and this kind of touch, doing it like this for the first time, feels so good he can't hide the joy in his heart.

 

Duang kisses Quinn's cheek and turns to press their lips together. The kiss is deep, and they both sink into a wave of feeling that crashes over them. Duang moves his hips from slow to fast and intense. Quinn's legs shake so much that he can barely stand. If Duang wasn't holding Quinn, he'd probably collapse from the pleasure.

 

The sound of skin slapping echoes through the bathroom. Quinn can barely breathe because every time Duang thrusts in and pulls out all the way before slamming back in again and again... it takes his breath away completely.

 

"Quinn, babe... Babe..."

 

Quinn doesn't answer. He seems to have forgotten how to speak, because Duang keeps hitting all the right spots, making Quinn feel so good he's about to come. 

 

Soon, he climaxes, panting against the wet bathroom wall, his whole body tingling as Duang comes inside him. Duang leans in, kissing every part of Quinn's face before pulling out. The emptiness makes Quinn feel hollow. He stands there, legs weak, letting Duang wash him and clean him up right there. Next thing he knows, he's being led out and kissed on the forehead by the bed.

 

"What's wrong? You're so quiet."

"..."

 

"It wasn't good?"

 

Quinn shakes his head, pressing his face into Duang's waist as Duang stands there drying his hair. They're both naked... Quinn doesn't know what to say. His cheeks feel hot. It's not enough. I'm addicted now.

 

"Duang."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Can we go again?"

 

Quinn's dark eyes see Duang swallow hard at the question… That's probably the answer. Quinn thinks to himself as he reaches out to touch Duang, who's already getting hard again. He moves his hand up and down in a rhythm he knows Duang likes. That's why he said sex is important.

 

"What if you can't get up for class?"

 

"Already turned in my assignment by email."

 

"You're being way too naughty, Quinn."

 

"Isn't that a good thing?" Quinn asks, rubbing his cheek against the hot shaft in his hand.

 

Duang feels like he's being messed with, his breath catching so much that Quinn notices and goes even deeper... Duang watches as Quinn uses his mouth on him and can only reach out to run his hand through Quinn's damp hair. Duang told himself he wouldn't be demanding anymore. He told himself that was enough. But Quinn is just too good at being so sexy.

 

"That's good.. just like that, good boy."

 

The pale guy sitting at the end of the bed nibbles the tip of Duang's hot shaft like a kitten playing with a toy. It's the sexiest, dirtiest thing Duang's ever seen. He thinks to himself about how he'll mess with Quinn on this soft bed next, and before he knows it, he pushes the mischievous guy onto the bed, turns him over, and bites his soft butt as punishment for being too naughty.

 

"Pervert."

 

"I'm going to bite you all over."

 

"Not this position, or I'll come too fast."

 

"Come on." Duang flips Quinn over to face him, straddles the sassy guy, and leans down to whisper close to his lips. He thought after this shower, they'd both be knocked out and go straight to sleep because today was so exhausting, but it's not turning out that way at all.

 

"If the sun's not up, I'm not stopping."

 

"Still so sassy."

 

"You should be careful.

 

"Oh? Scolding me?"

 

"Only in bed. Can you handle it?"

 

"You're so damn sassy."

 

"I like it... You're such a little troublemaker."

Quinn moans as Duang kisses his ear and bites the soft skin along his neck on purpose. Their bodies press together so close that Quinn knows what's coming next. His pale hand runs down Duang's broad back, kissing his cheek as if he's not worried at all about not getting any sleep tonight.

 

"I can be even more of a troublemaker than you think, Duang."

 

"We'll see about that. :)"

 

And in the end, they really don't get any sleep at all.