Duang With You

[Hello... Uh-huh, never mind.]

"What the fuck is up with you, man?"

 

[Aren't you back yet, Duang? Seriously, why are you staying in Chiang Mai for a whole week? What's so great about it? Spill the truth!]

 

"Oh, I forgot to send you pictures of P'Prince. Check your LINE; I'll send them now. I've been taking photos for everyone with my camera so they can post on Instagram."

 

Who's P Prince again? I forgot. There are so many people-six of you on this trip, right?

 

"Yeah, P'Prince is P'Kuafah's boyfriend. P'Kuafah is Quinn's cousin. He'sP' Daonuea's older brother."

[Hold on, let me put my AirPods in... Holy shit!]

 

Duang chuckles softly as the LINE message shows 'read, and Jettana immediately screams incoherently upon seeing the photos of Prince, Kuafah, Khabkluen, and Daonuea in that order.

 

[I'm coming! I'm running to the airport right now!]

"Calm down, dude."

 

[You can't stop me! I'm coming to meet you in Chiang Mai!!]

 

"You just want to come because you saw their faces, huh?"

 

[l'm asking you seriously, Duang. Do people who look this good actually exist? They're all so freaking perfect, and they're couples? Just thinking about it turns me on.]

 

"You're disgusting, you idiot."

[When are you coming back? I want to see the light decorations at Central World.]

 

"When you get a girlfriend."

[You jerk! Then, you can just move your household registration to Chiang Mai. You're no longer a Nakhon Pathom resident!] 

 

Jettana keeps ranting before finally telling Duang to stop pressuring him about getting a girlfriend. If it happens, it happens, but it probably won't. Why, you ask?

[Because I'm Mr Casanova, not Mr Hopeless Romantic!]

 

"Because I'm Mr Casanova, not Mr Hopeless Romantic."

[How did you even know I was going to say that?!]

 

"Who wouldn't know, you idiot? You say it all the time."

 

"Duang, P'Prince asked me to call you to try the ribs he marinated."

 

"Did I just hear Jettana? Are you talking to him?" Quinn asks, hearing Jettana's loud voice through the phone. No doubt he's yelling as usual.

 

[Duang, let me talk to Mr Quinn! Please, please, please!]

"Nope."

 

"Give it here," Quinn insists. Duang clenches his fist tightly. It's not because he's scared of his boyfriend; still, he hands over the phone immediately.

 

"Hey, Jettana."

[Waaah, I miss you so much!]

 

"Really? Where are you? Bangkok or Nakhon Pathom?"

 

[l'm always in your heart, don't you know?]

"Seriously?"

 

And then Duang can't understand a word because they start firing off English, just like when Quinn talks to P’Prince. As mentioned before, Quinn's parents studied abroad and always spoke English to him growing up, making him bilingual. My boyfriend grows up so well.

 

"Duang, try this for me," Prince says.

 

"Sure. Wow... it smells amazing."

 

"I'm not confident at all."

 

Duang stands there tasting the marinated ribs, a recipe from the host who seems to have everything. Seriously, they have it all. I believe it now. They must have so much money. Who owns so many houses, some just building horse stables by the river for casual picnics? Come on. Seriously, come on.

"It's delicious."

 

"Phew, I was worried the kids wouldn't like it."

 

"Honestly, it's the best I've ever had."

 

Duang smiles as he says it because it really is the best he's ever tasted.

 

"Quinn, Duang says it's delicious too. Am I good?"

 

"You're amazing."

 

"Now, can you go find Kluen and Daonuea for me? They're probably by the pool."

 

"What about P' Kuafah?"

 

"I'll go get him myself. He's probably napping in the room."

 

Duang and Quinn nod, watching the incredibly fit Prince head upstairs to wake his boyfriend. Duang pulls Quinn into a tight hug as Quinn hands the phone back to him. He suddenly feels like hugging him tightly.

 

"What's with the clinginess, babe?"

 

"Nothing, babe, just felt like hugging you."

 

"You hugged me all night last night."

 

"It's never enough with you."

 

"Hmm... I miss Khonfu."

 

"Me too. FaceTiming doesn't compare to cuddling her in person." The taller man presses his nose against Quinn's cheek and leaves it there. Quinn doesn't pull away since there's no one around. After that day when Quinn was sleepy and clingy, he hasn't done anything overly affectionate in front of the others again. Quinn admits he's shy. He isn't like Kuafah and Prince, who sneak kisses every chance they get.

 

"Let's go find the others."

"Okay."

 

"Want to go for a drive later today?" Quinn asks as they walk toward the pool. Prince's house is quite large. At first, Quinn is confused by all the rooms.

 

"Sure, I want to explore some local spots."

 

"Then let's take a motorbike. I saw the housekeeper has one."

 

"I don't know how to ride one. What now?"

 

"I wasn't planning on letting you ride. I'll ride, and you sit at the back."

 

"I'll hold onto your waist tightly," Duang says cheerfully.

 

"Oh, please." Quinn laughs softly, walking ahead while calling Duang a troublemaker. They reach the pool where Daonuea and Khabkluen are hovering their heads over something.

 

"My baby brooo!"

 

"What are you guys doing? P' Prince asked me to call you for dinner."

 

"We're playing Where's Waldo. Quinn, remember? We used to play this as kids."

 

"The one where you find the guy with glasses?"

 

"Yeah, yeah! Come play with us. The prince won't come down anytime soon if he has to wake P'Fah."

 

Daonuea scrunches his nose, thinking about his mischievous older brother. He's probably flirting with his friend again. No way he'll come down easily.

 

"P' Kluen, are you okay? You look out of it."

 

"A little. Daonuea made me play. My eyes hurt from searching. The more you play, the harder it gets."

 

Duang laughs because Khabkluen genuinely looks tired but still indulges his boyfriend. The four of them sit by the pool, agreeing that the loser will have to wake up early to cook breakfast for everyone the next day.

 

"I really can't find him. Kluen, have you?"

"Not yet, but I'll find him before you do, Nuea."

 

"Wow, way to trash-talk."

 

"I think I found him," Duang says.

 

"Really?"

 

"Really. I've got eagle eyes." Duang gives it his all because there's no way he'll let Quinn wake up early to cook. He's a pro at these kinds of spotting games, always beating his brother.

 

"Here."

 

"Whoa! You're right!"

 

"Well done." Quinn smiles softly, tugging his boyfriend's ear lightly as a compliment. Daonuea, desperate to win, flips to the next page with a determined look. The game really does get harder as the images become more detailed, making it nearly impossible to find Waldo with his glasses and red hat.

 

"Found him!"

 

"Ugh! Kluen, you're going to lose to Duang at this rate."

 

"Three out of four. Calm down." Khabkluen holds his boyfriend's waist to keep him seated properly. When Daonuea gets too excited, his arms and legs flail everywhere. If he falls into the pool, it'll be a problem. Khabkluen has already been playing with him for over an hour before this, and his eyes are exhausted.

 

"Duang, can't you let us win?"

 

And Duang's answer is, "No way. My boyfriend doesn't like waking up early."

 

"He's doing it for love," Daonuea teases.

 

"Of course. Plus, I want to taste your cooking."

 

"Kluen's cooking is really good, I swear."

 

"Then I'm definitely winning because I found him... Endgame." Duang clicks his tongue and points to Waldo, proving he's found him.

 

"Whaaaat!?"

 

"Heh." Khabkluen chuckles and shakes his head lightly. Sharp eyes, for sure. But Duang's reason is cute; he doesn't want his boyfriend to wake up early. As for Khabkluen, he wouldn't mind losing if it meant Daonuea had to wake up early for once, considering he's been sleeping in all week. Daonuea is so stubborn.

 

"Let's go eat ribs to console the losers."

 

"I have high expectations."

 

"For what?"

 

"Tomorrow's breakfast."

 

"Kluen! Let's go shopping for breakfast ingredients tonight. We don't lose, okay? Call me MasterChef Daonuea~"

 

Duang watches as Daonuea chats away, clinging to his boyfriend's arm, and smiles to himself. The four of them walk to the dining table but don't see the person who has marinated and baked the ribs with such care.

 

"P' Fah is doing it again!"

 

"Don't bother them. Let's eat first. Prince will take a while."

 

"This early?"

 

"Pretty much. It's P' Fah, after all." 

 

Khabkluen replies to Duang, who still isn't used to the scandalous couple. It'll take him a while to adjust because they can be even bolder than this.

 

"Sigh. Let's eat, Quinn. I'l feed youนน."

"..."

 

"Open wide»"

 

And it seems Duang still isn't used to his boyfriend being treated like a five-year-old by someone older, but who acts like a three-year-old.

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

"You're heavy."

 

"Can you handle it? If you think we'll crash, just take the car." Duang points to the luxury cars parked in the garage, but Quinn shakes his head, insisting he can handle it. Duang trusts him but still reminds him to drive slowly.

 

The cool breeze hitting their faces and flowing past them feels different from any other day they've gone out. It's better. Duang smiles widely as Quinn focuses on driving. Quinn says he'll take Duang to Angkaew and find some good food near the university.

 

Duang once wanted to study fine arts there, but somehow, he ended up in Nakhon Pathom...But when he remembers why, he can't help but smile. It's because of Quinn.

 

"Did you know? I once wanted to study fine arts here."

 

"So, why didn't you come study here? Didn't pass the exam?"

 

"I remember my scores were enough to pass, but you weren't there, so I didn't come," Duang replies.

 

"Hopeless romantic again," Quinn laughs, teasing Duang with the phrase Jettana often uses.

 

After chatting a bit today, Quinn thinks that sooner or later, something might change.

 

'What's up?' (What's the difference between liking and being interested in someone?]

 

Quinn didn't tell Duang about it, fearing the other would overreact. Somethings are better learned gradually, without rushing.

 

"How do you remember the way around the campus?"

 

"I've been here many times. P'Nuea often brought me when he came with friends. They like coming here."

 

"What do they do here?"

 

"Chill, girl-watch, take photos."

 

"Girl-watch, huh?" Duang exclaims.

 

"Sometimes."

 

"Oh, please, C'mon."

 

"Always so dramatic."

 

"If you look at girls, I'll punch them."

 

"And not punch me? I'm the one looking."

 

"My boyfriend can never do anything wrong."

 

Quinn shakes his head at Duang's antics. That's just so like Duang-so spoiling that sometimes Quinn wishes he'd be a little more self-centred. But Duang always says his happiness doesn't come from being selfish; it comes from indulging Quinn instead.

 

Quinn parks the car in the designated university parking area. When Duang sees the view of Angkaew Reservoir, he exclaims in awe. It seems like his first time here. It'd be nice to bring some beer to enjoy, but that isn't possible on campus.

 

"The weather's so nice. Coming in December was the right choice."

 

"Satisfied now? The cold weather you were asking for?" Quinn asks.

 

"It's just cool, but when it gets dark, I feel cold."

 

"I'll take you for a walk. Over there, it connects to the zoo."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, you can even hear the animals."

"Good thing I brought my camera. At first, I didn't think it'd be this beautiful. I brought it to take pictures of you, though," Duang grumbles, as he hasn't taken many photos of Quinn during the trip. This roll of film will be dedicated solely to his boyfriend

 

"Why haven't I seen this camera before?"

 

"Duang?"

 

"It's P' Nan's. I borrowed it."

 

"Do you realise how bad you are at lying?"

 

"Sorry! I bought it before the Chiang Mai trip. It was eighteen thousand baht." The guilty boyfriend quickly confesses.

 

"Do you have a death wish?"

 

"But, babeeee!"

 

"You have too many cameras, Duang."

 

"Don't be mad, okay? I can make it up to you, but I don't want you to be upset."

 

"I'm not. If I complain too much, just tell me. Sometimes I think I worry about you too much."

 

Duang feels defeated. Quinn has a way of making him feel guilty, but he's right. Like when Quinn buys clothes, they can share them. But with cameras, Duang already has too many, some barely used. It's more like a collection at this point.

 

"If you want to collect them, just say so. I'll understand."

 

"Don't be so sweet!"

 

"You probably have over ten cameras now. Or are you buying them as an investment?"

 

"Here we go, Mr Businessman."

 

"Mr who?"

"Sorryyyyy."

 

Quinn rolls his eyes and nudges Duang to follow him. He stops occasionally to let Duang take photos. Along the way, many people glance at Duang, and Quinn, who isn't doing much, spends his time observing. Duang is the type who doesn't realise how good he looks. Maybe not strikingly eye-catching, but his charm...It's abundant enough to surprise Quinn.

 

"Quinn, be a model for me, please."

 

"Take a candid shot yourself. I'm not posing."

 

"You're so annoying. If it were P'Daonuea, he'd keep asking me to take photos of him with the angles he's thought of."

 

"Mischievous, huh? Always has been since he was a kid." Quinn thinks of P'Daonuea and can't help but smile softly.

 

"I get why P'Fah is so protective. That day when the deer stole his phone, I laughed so hard."

 

"I thought we wouldn't get it back. Otherwise, P' Fah would've taken him to buy an iPhone 11 that day."

 

"True. He spoils him so much. Even P' Kluen is stricter."

 

"Nope. P' Kluen is the real spoiler, but only when they're alone."

 

Quinn shares this with Duang, who probably hasn't seen much of the cousins' private interactions. Duang has accidentally witnessed it once. Khabkluen is a lovely guy, a bit tsundere, but sweet only to his boyfriend.

 

"But P' Prince and P' Fah, I can't handle them. One morning, I got up to get water and saw P' Fah making pancakes. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his back had long scratch marks."

 

"That's nothing. I once saw handcuffs on the sofa when I went to their condo," says Quinn.

 

"Seriously?"

 

"Daddy kink."

 

"Wow... Want to try it? Call me Daddy." The cheeky comment earns Duang a smack on the head. Deep down, Duang thinks he already likes this kind of intimacy with Quinn. It isn't plain at all, but their tastes probably don't go that far. Just the thought of tying Quinn up or using toys makes his heart ache. Even now, when he accidentally gets rough, he still feels guilty for losing control.

 

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Mama found a house for us. Once we get back, we can move out."

 

"Your Mama works fast."

 

"At first, we planned to rent, but Mama said we'd be here for years, so she bought it outright. Now, Papa and Mama probably have houses all over Thailand."

 

"I'm talking to a rich kid, eh? I forgot myself-my apologies, Mr Quinn."

 

"You're annoying."

 

"But moving quickly is good. It'll help Khonfu adjust. She's used to your room. When she sees big spaces like my parents' house, she whines," Duang says, scrunching his nose.

 

"I want Khonfu to have a friend, but I don't want another pet."

 

"Is that so... Khonfu is just like you, Quinn." Duang glances at Quinn, who is waiting for him to finish taking photos of people strolling and chatting. The cool breeze, the winter air, and the setting sun-it's all perfect.

 

"Protective of her owner, not wanting anyone else to come into the picture."

It really is perfect.

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

I grab a beer from the fridge and open it. In this spacious house, it's just the two of us using the movie room to watch our favourite film together instead of hanging out with the others. I heard that their friends from Bangkok have joined the group and went to Warm Up. P' Kuafah had a mischievous look when he mentioned Warm Up, but I had no idea what memories he had of that place.

 

'Go change your shirt. Don't think you'll leave the house wearing that.'

 

'But it's long-sleeved, isn't it?'

 

'It's thin. I can see everything.'

 

The conversation and the way P'Kuafah looked at P'Prince, as if undressing him piece by piece, still linger in my mind. I can guarantee that shirt was revealing. The daddy kink Quinn mentioned is probably true, too. They're over ten years apart, after all. 

 

"About Time, right?"

 

I hand Quinn a beer, whispering for him to lean back. We sit cuddled on the wide sofa. I kiss his shoulder, peeking out from the old, wide-necked t-shirt he likes to sleep in. We've both showered, but we're still sitting, sipping beer and watching the movie. I love days like this-days when I don't have to think about unfinished work. Just holding him, finding something to do together. That alone makes me happy.

 

"I really like the protagonist's dad."

 

"Same here."

 

We chat softly as we watch the movie. This is better than a theatre. Quinn and I talk about everything. If we disagree, we try to keep an open mind. Even if we don't agree, we seek to understand the other perspective.

 

"Once we move into the house, should we buy one?"

 

"I've wanted one for a while."

 

"Okay, I'll find a store."

 

I mentally note to look for a projector store for Quinn. That way, we can watch movies together every Friday night, just like the characters in the film. I tighten my embrace, pressing a kiss to his soft cheek.

 

The movie progresses to the scene where the protagonist travels back in time to court the heroine again and again until everything falls into place as hoped. And think to myself, how incredibly lucky I am. Even though I can't go back in time to redo anything, everything I've done has led me to have Quinn today. To have us today.

 

Quinn starts crying during the scene where Jim, the protagonist, travels back in time to see his father one last time. Jim goes back to when he was a little boy to walk on the beach with his dad before saying the line that makes Quinn cry even harder. I tighten my arms around my sensitive boyfriend, kissing away his tears gently, holding him closer.

 

I just try to live every day as if I've deliberately come back to this one day, to enjoy it, as if it were the full final day of my extraordinary, ordinary life.'

 

"I'm just like that," I say.

 

"Like what?"

 

Quinn sobs against my chest. Even crying over a movie, I don't want him to cry. Not even a little.

 

"My extraordinary, ordinary life."

 

I smile softly, leaning in to kiss him as the song 'How Long Will I Love You' plays with the end credits. I cradle him close, our bodies pressed together. From a comforting kiss, it turns passionate at some point. I can't pinpoint when. All I know is that if I don't make love with him today, I'll probably go insane.

 

I pull off Quinn's t-shirt, and he cooperates willingly. I kiss the hollow of his throat, trailing my lips downward, claiming his chest. He mutters to himself, disbelieving that we're doing this in someone else's movie room. I laugh. Pressing kisses lower, 1 reach his pale stomach, unable to resist biting it hard enough to leave marks.

 

"Every time I watch a movie with you, it always ends up like this." His complaints turn into moans when I don't hesitate to claim him with my lips.

 

Quinn's fingers tangle in my hair. His body twists naturally on the sofa while I move down to the floor, kneeling loyally in front of him. He pants, begs, and pleads for me to stop, but I insist on staring him down until he reaches his climax.

 

"You came so fast."

 

"Want to try for yourself? You never take a break, Duang."

"Your mouth is so small, I don't want to bully you... I'd rather bully you right here." Look at his backside with a mischievous glint, kissing his thigh, tasting his skin. It's fragrant, soft, and so tempting to touch.

 

"Can you use a condom? I don't want to mess up someone else's house."

 

"I didn't bring one."

 

"Then let's go to the bedroom."

 

"No."

 

I act stubborn. Quinn looks like he's about to scold me, but when I nuzzle into his neck, nibbling his shoulder and showering him with kisses, he gives in. I do everything slowly, savouring him as if I'm afraid I won't be able to absorb every feeling between us. I tell him I love him over and over as I push deeper into him.

 

It's warm, it's hot, and he squeezes me so tightly I can barely control myself. At first, everything feels rough and awkward because I use saliva instead of lube. It's sex that just happened out of nowhere. I never planned to love him this hard, right here.

 

Quinn presses his face into the pillow, screaming as I push all the way in. His hips are beautiful, his waist is narrow, and his pale back is covered in kiss marks as I speed up... I lean over to kiss his cheek again and again. He's in my favourite position, turned away, arching his back, looking so tempting.

 

"You're so cute."

 

"Duang... Stop."

 

Quinn doesn't like being complimented. No matter when, but I know deep down he's embarrassed about it... His hot, tight channel squeezes me so hard I have to take a deep breath, groaning happily close to his ear. The vanilla sex he likes always makes my head spin.

 

"Mmm... Duang... ah, ahh."

 

The sweeter I am to him, the more he responds with even more cuteness, over and over. I pull it out, watching Quinn pout like a kid, and thrust back in. I repeat it until he climaxes, then speed up my pace until I come right after him. Quinn covers his face, looking annoyed because he's uncomfortable. I look at the fluid flowing out of him, and feel like I can't calm myself down.

 

"Go get some tissues and clean up."

 

"Hold still. I'll clean you up and carry you to the shower."

 

"I told you to use a condom."

 

"I'll use one for round two."

 

"What's the point now? Damn." Quinn grumbles, then glares at me when he realises I mentioned a second round. He flips me off, hiding his face in the pillow.

 

Once I'm sure the sofa is clean, I pick him up. We're about the same size, so it's kind of funny, but he's much lighter than I am. It takes us a while to reach the bedroom. 

 

Quinn complains the whole time in the shower about how terrible I am. I pin him against the wall, telling him to behave while I get the evidence that he's mine out of him. Quinn pouts, then moans loudly when I push my finger deep in him to scoop out what's left inside.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Wow, you're turned on again."

 

"Look who's talking."

 

"..So, can we go again?" I ask, testing the waters. Quinn turns his face away before nodding softly.

 

"With a condom."

Sigh.

How can you be this cute, Charat? :