Duang With You

"The owner, please wait outside."

 

"... Okay."

 

I hold back a smile, watching Quinn's face fall as the staff leads Khonfu into the training room. Besides the training, she'll also get to meet other puppies her age. I start to understand how parents feel when they secretly peek at their kids on their first day of kindergarten. Khonfu looks around nervously, barking when she realises both her papas have disappeared.

 

Khonfu and Quinn are so alike. If you put Quinn in a room full of friendly, hyper people eager to make connections, he'll be the one sitting quietly, observing everyone without initiating a single conversation. 

 

Khonfu is the same. She plops down and ignores the other puppies, completely uninterested in what they're doing. I watch the trainer manage each puppy. The trainer starts by teaching them to shake hands. Khonfu sometimes cooperates, and other times not so much. There are some classes where owners can join in to train their pets, but today isn't one of those days.

 

Today is the day Quinn sits there, looking worried, craning his neck to check on his daughter nonstop.

 

"Relax, Papa."

 

"I feel bad for Khonfu."

 

I chuckle softly and pat his head a few times. In the end, Quinn says, "Let's just wait at home. Watching her look so down like this is too much for me."

 

I nod and lead him to the car. It takes less than ten minutes to get from Quinn's house to the dog training school.

 

"Back so soon, kids?"

 

"Hi, Mama. Quinn is feeling down because Khonfu isn't warming up to anyone. She's not playing with the other puppies, so we decided to wait at home instead."

 

"It must've hit a nerve. Quinn was like that as a kid, too, Duang. He liked playing alone."

 

"Mama, you're making me sound bad."

 

"Alright, alright, go inside. Mama's going out to eat with friends, and Papa has errands. Be good while we're gone, okay?"

 

We each get a kiss on the cheek before Mama, dressed to the nines, cheerfully drives off.

 

"You didn't inherit Mama's social butterfly genes at all."

 

"Mama loves socialising, and Papa's no different."

 

"So, are you going to the shop this evening?"

 

"I'll just stop by quickly. Maybe after we pick up Khonfu."

 

"Alright. What should we do now? Wanna play a game?"

 

"Sure." Quinn leads the way into the house and plugs the game console into the big TV. Lately, he's been obsessed with playing old childhood games like Metal Slug. He takes it so seriously that on nights when he doesn't have work, he'll play alone until sunrise.

 

"Play properly, Duang."

 

"Yes, sir. I'll try my best."

 

"Set an alarm, or we'll forget to pick up Khonfu."

 

"What time are you leaving?"

 

"P'll leave early to wait for her. That way, she won't feel abandoned. I'll bring some treats as a reward."

 

I smile and nod in agreement before we get lost in the world of the game, battling armies, zombies, mummies, and even aliens. Each level is so frustrating that it makes us want to scream. I laugh every time Quinn curses, switching between Thai and English.

 

"Calm down, will you?"

 

"Like hell I will!"

 

"You're hilarious."

 

"Alright, new plan. Here's what we'll do..."

 

I watch his lips move as he quickly explains the strategy for the level we keep failing. I must've stared too long because he asks repeatedly if I'm even listening. I lean in and kiss him before saying, "I'm listening."

 

"Sigh."

 

"Come on, let's try again. I get it now."

 

"You weren't even listening."

 

"I was," I repeat his plan back to him, and he seems satisfied-so satisfied that he leans in and kisses me as a reward.

 

We focus on the game again, so much so that I wonder if I ever take school this seriously. Not long after, I shout in triumph while Quinn curses loudly as the screen finally displays the word 'CLEAR'. Thank goodness. I think we'd be stuck playing until we graduate. 

 

"Happy now? You play like you're aiming for a world championship."

 

"I'm just a serious person."

 

"So am I, especially when it comes to you."

 

"You never stop flirting."

 

"And I never will. I'll keep doing it just like when I first started flirting with you."

 

"What, by acting all awkward and sneaking glances at my collarbone?"

 

"You jerk."

 

Quinn rolls his eyes, probably remembering those early days. Back then, our conversations were awkward as we tried to figure each other out. It wasn't until we discovered what we liked about each other that we really clicked.

 

It started with me bringing him food. I tell you, food works. At least it got Quinn to sit still with me for a while. Then I played soccer with him, befriended his friends, offered to walk him home, and got scolded every time I pretended to stop for dinner together. I sneaked glances at his collarbone until he smacked me on the head. Eventually, I helped him with his work, and he reciprocated in his own Quinn-like way-sometimes a bit blunt, but still thoughtful.

 

"Hey, we haven't gone to the beach together yet."

 

"What do you think? We're both free tomorrow, and we don't have classes on Monday."

 

"Let's go then. We can take Khonfu and drive straight back to campus after."

 

"Alright, let me book a place. Somewhere pet-friendly." Quinn grabs his MacBook from the couch and starts searching for accommodations. I agree to everything, as long as I get to pay.

 

"Let's split it."

 

"Nope. You've spoiled me enough with all the expensive stuff."

 

"If it makes you happy, it's not expensive."

 

"Who am I even talking to right now?" 

 

I pretend to lie down dramatically on the floor, only to get a solid thump on my chest. I eventually sit up and hand him my debit card to pay for the booking. It's a pool villa by the beach, and most importantly, Khonfu is allowed everywhere.

 

Quinn looks thrilled as he starts packing for Khonfu's first beach trip: Let me tell you, he's not just fashion-forward for himself or me. Khonfu's collars? He has an endless collection.

 

"Which colour should I pick?"

 

"Blue."

 

"Let's just bring them all."

 

I want to ask why he even bothers asking me, but I decide against it. He's got heavy hands, alright. 

 

"Quinn, it's time to pick up Khonfu."

 

"Okay, let me grab some treats first."

 

"I'll wait in the car."

 

"Alright."

 

I can't help but wonder what the trainer will say about our little girl. LOL.

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

"Khonfu is very smart. The trainer says she's very obedient and focused for her age. She can already shake hands sometimes. Mr Quinn, try practising with her often so she remembers what she's learned."

 

Quinn nods, smiling as he watches Duang play with Khonfu nearby. She really is Papa's little genius. She should get her reward.

 

"You're in trouble, Khonfu. I bet the trainer told us you were naughty, huh?"

 

"Duang."

 

"Yes?"

 

"Let's go."

 

"See? We have to drop out of school now. That's why Papa wants to leave so quickly."

 

"Even teasing the dog, huh?"

 

"Haha, look at her face!" Duang laughs, pointing at Khonfu, who seems to understand human language. She looks back and forth between Duang and Quinn with a sad expression. If she can talk, she'd probably ask,

 

'What did I do wrong, Papa?'

So adorable.

"Why are you kissing her so much, Duang?"

 

"I can't help it. She's just like you."

 

"The trainer says Khonfu is obedient and focused.. You're the best, sweetie." Quinn, who is steering the car out of the training school, smiles as Duang presses his nose against Khonfu's head repeatedly, praising her and assuring her that Papa was just joking earlier. Quinn listens as Duang starts chatting with Khonfu about tomorrow's trip.

 

"Khonfu, do you know what the beach is?"

"."

 

"Tomorrow, we're going to the beach. Papa's taking you on a banana boat. Sound fun?" Duang gestures animatedly.

 

"You're so random."

 

"I want our girl to be adventurous. She's a girl, but she can play like the boys."

 

"She's already playing like the boys, Duang. Look at the stuff you buy her." Quinn laughs, shaking his head

 

Duang loves buying Khonfu silly things like squid-shaped hats or military outfits. If he and Jettana see anything funny, they buy it for her without hesitation.

 

"Oh, by the way, did you know Jettana went to Korea again?"

 

"Maybe he's just travelling."

 

"I don't think so. He's acting like he's having withdrawal symptoms. Flying back and forth, and in business class too. Is his family selling drugs or something?"

 

"I'll try to get it out of him."

 

"That's the spirit. Are we on the same team, huh?"

 

"Or maybe Jettana will tell us when he's ready. Who knows?" Quinn shrugs.

 

"He's so secretive."

 

"Maybe he doesn't want anyone to take it too seriously. If it doesn't work out, he can just pretend it never happened."

 

Duang thinks about it and sighs. In the end, he doesn't want his friend to get heartbroken. But people can't control anyone's feelings. And if Jettana really does have a long-distance relationship, that'd be insane. How would he manage?

 

Look at me. I can't even go a day without Quinn.

 

"Khonfu, do you miss Uncle Jettana?"

 

"Woof~~"

 

"You definitely do. Should we FaceTime him?"

 

Duang shakes his head dramatically, but Quinn chimes in, saying, What can we do? Our daughter is head over heels for Uncle Jettana. Duang wants to argue, but it's true. Damn it.

 

Jettana always finds a way to stir up Khonfu. Normally, she's a calm puppy who doesn't like playing with others, but whenever Jettana visits, it's like the energy in her six-month-old body skyrockets. By the time he leaves, she's panting, drooling all over the floor. But on those days, Quinn smiled all day long, happy that his little girl got some exercise. She's so chubby, and she needs to work out a bit.

 

"My legs are numb, Khonfu."

 

"Next month, when we visit the vet, we're definitely getting scolded for both Khonfu and Papa." Quinn scrunches his nose as he playfully nudges Khonfu, who whines softly.

 

"Alright, let's put your leash on. We're almost at Papa Quinn's shop."

 

"What should we eat tonight, Duang?"

 

"Up to you. I'm good with anything. But we'll probably have to get takeout and eat at home. I doubt they'll let her in here, right? Right?"

 

Khonfu gets smothered with kisses until she turns to playfully nip at Duang's hands, trying to escape his affection.

 

They park the car, and Duang takes Khonfu for a walk while Quinn checks the inventory with the shop staff. Waving goodbye to Quinn, Duang reassures him not to worry and strolls off with Khonfu. They wander until they come across another corgi, a rare sight.

 

"Calm down, girl. Calm down," Duang says, crouching to hold Khonfu, who looks ready to pounce on the other dog. She's feisty, just like her Papa. The other dog is male, even. Could it be that our girl doesn't like boys?

 

"Wow, Prod, the dog is so cute~!"

 

A tall man watches as another man crouches to gently pet Khonfu... His face looks familiar. Have we met before?

 

"Hey, don't get too carried away with other people's dogs," another voice chimes in.

 

"But it's so adorable! What's the name?"

 

"Uh, her name is Khonfu."

 

"Wow, that's such a cute name! This is my boyfriend's younger brother's dog. His name is Koro."

 

It finally clicks for Duang who the man is. He's part of the couple they met at Quinn's faculty concert-the long- haired guy with a simple style but lots of accessories. That's Shinta, the bassist of No Bad Days.

 

Wow. If Quinn were here, he'd probably be blushing like crazy. He's such a huge fan of the bassist.

 

"Khonfu looks really healthy and strong," 

Dr Aoei compliments, giving a thumbs-up.

 

Duang beams with pride, making a mental note to tell Quinn later. Quinn always goes above and beyond to find the best food for Khonfu.

 

"Is he an imported corgi? She doesn't seem locally bred."

 

"Yeah, my boyfriend ordered her from Taiwan. There's a farm here in Thailand, but they import from Taiwan."

"Same here! Koro's from Tokyo!"

 

"That makes sense. His name is so Japanese."

 

"Well, his owner is Japanese."

 

"I see. He's really well-behaved, much calmer than Khonfu," Duang says with a sheepish smile.

 

"Koro's shy. He doesn't have many friends."

 

"Khonfu's the same. Haha."

 

"But they seem to want to get along,"

 

Duang observes as the two corgis sniff each other. Koro, a handsome corgi, sits still while Khonfu investigates him.

 

Shinta raises an eyebrow, watching the two dogs slowly warm up to each other.

 

"Looks like they want to play together."

 

"Is that what you think, Prod?"

 

Instead of answering, Shinta crouches and speaks to his dog in Japanese. Duang starts to feel stressed. His dog is bilingual, just like Quinn. Actually, they're practically twins. Quinn's parents speak English to Khonfu, and Quinn sometimes does, too. Naturally, their daughter understands commands in both Thai and English.

 

But this dog? He seems to understand Thai, Japanese, and English. 

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

"So, you really met him yesterday?"

 

"Yeah, I waited while Khonfu played with the boy for ages. You missed it."

 

"Khonfu, can you just stay a puppy forever?"

 

I burst out laughing because Quinn looks so upset that his daughter spent nearly thirty minutes playing with a male corgi. Honestly, I only chatted briefly with Dr Aoei about pet care, behaviour observation, and vaccination schedules. We didn't exchange contacts.

 

"Khonfu, Papa's asking if you'll stay a puppy forever. Will you?"

 

"I don't want Khonfu to have puppies."

 

"You're jumping way ahead. She just played with a boy for a bit."

 

"I don't want her to have a boyfriend either."

 

"Are you about to cry? Haha." I pick up 

 

Khonfu and smother her with kisses. Poor thing. It's funny and sad at the same time. I don't know why her papa is so overprotective. Oh, by the way, we're almost at Hua Hin now. We left at dawn, planning to let Khonfu explore the beach.

 

She's probably going to be super excited since it's her first time seeing the ocean and so much sand

 

"Babe, can we stop at 7-Eleven?"

 

"Huh? What for?" Quinn asks.

 

"Condoms."

 

"What? I paid for the pool villa so we could make a sibling for Khonfu."

 

"You're giving me a headache."

 

"Or I can just not wear it, but no complaining later."

 

"You're impossible." He says this while signalling to turn into the 7-Eleven parking lot. He sighs as he takes Khonfu from me to hold her. I blow him a teasing kiss, earning a middle finger in return before he heads inside to buy condoms. On second thought, we should grab some lube, too-just in case we go for multiple rounds. Better to be prepared, right? I'm so proud of my foresight. 

 

"I'm back. I got you some juice, too."

 

"Thanks."

 

"Wow, you're being so sweet today." I steal a quick kiss on his cheek, buckle my seatbelt, and we're back on the road.

 

It doesn't take long to reach our accommodation. It's luxurious, worth every baht, and they take excellent care of pets. They even offer dog massages, spa treatments, and a mini salon. Quinn grins as he hands Khonfu's leash to the staff so she can get a relaxing massage after the long car ride. When my boyfriend is happy, I'm happy.

 

"The room is huge. We could fit eight more friends in here."

 

"The pool's nice, too."

 

"Come here and let me hug you. You've been driving all day. Thank you, my love." I open my arms, and Quinn walks over willingly. I hug him tightly, kissing his cheek and head, thanking him repeatedly.

 

We start unpacking and putting everything in its place. I bring watercolours and art supplies, planning to sit by the beach, enjoy the sea breeze, and paint while Khonfu gets her massage. Quinn says he wants to shower because he feels tired. I suspect he's planning to sneak in a nap.

 

"If you're not sleepy after your shower, come find me outside, okay?"

 

"Okay."

 

"Or should I join you in the shower?"

 

Quinn scolds me and laughs, then grabs my supplies and heads out to paint. The cool sea breeze lifts my spirits. The water is so clear this season that I grab my film camera and snap a few shots. I want to preserve this memory in both photos and paintings.

 

I mix colours, sketch with a pencil, and listen to the waves crashing. My eyes follow a bird gliding through the cool air, caught up in the wind. Everything feels perfect.

 

"I'm sleepy."

"Oh, you're done already? That was quick." 

 

As I paint the blue hues, I ask without turning around. Quinn wraps his arms around me from behind, resting his face against my back, mumbling about how tired he is. I tell him to lie on my lap, and he does so without protest.

 

"Should I stop painting and take you to bed?"

 

"No, keep painting. I want to see your work."

 

"Alright, but when I'm done, I'll carry you to bed."

 

"You can just nudge me awake. I can walk."

 

"Nope, I want to carry you."

 

"Look at my size," Quinn says slowly before falling asleep.

 

I brush his hair gently, letting the cool breeze and the sound of the waves lull him into a peaceful nap. And when I finish painting, I end up carrying him to bed anyway. :)

 

 ════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

"Are you sure about this, Duang?"

 

"Of course! I'll catch her right away and hold on tight. She won't sink." Standing in the pool in just swim trunks, Duang reassures Quinn to stop worrying. But how could he not? This is his daughter, after all.

 

"Khonfu, come here! Come to Papa!"

 

"Woof!!"

 

"Let her go, Quinn. She can do it. Trust me."

 

Quinn sighs and finally lets Khonfu into the pool. The staff assures us it's pet-friendly, so there's no issue. The only problem is that Khonfu has never swum in such a deep and wide pool before.

 

"Good girl! Come on, you can do it!"

Quinn, wearing a thin t-shirt, smiles widely as he dips his feet into the pool, watching Duang and Khonfu play. He realises how simple happiness can be.

 

Khonfu paddles her way to Duang, licking his face before barking loudly, urging Quinn to join them. But he shakes his head, not wanting to get wet and deal with the hassle of showering.

 

Instead, he takes out his phone to record a video of Duang and Khonfu in the pool. Once he's confident she can swim, he starts tossing her into the water. Their silly dog gets so hyper that after her first round, she keeps asking for more.

 

"Khonfu, don't be too naughty, okay?"

 

"Papa's scolding you now!"

 

"You shouldn't let her play this roughly. She's acting like a boy."

 

"You're just like my mom. Always worrying about every little thing. My dad's approach is more like, 'Go ahead, kid. If you get hurt, we'll just patch you up."

 

"That's too much. Khonfu's still small."

 

"Then let's swim back and forth together, or should we race?"

 

Quinn exhales softly, watching his boyfriend race against their dog in the pool. Khonfu isn't that small anymore-she's already six months old. But to Quinn, she's still that tiny puppy who doesn't bark, sitting cluelessly among the other corgis.

 

It's the same. It's just like how I still see Duang as the same Duang who nervously asked me out on our first day.

 

"What are you looking at, babe?"

 

"You."

 

"Why? What's wrong with me? You're looking at me like you're about to cry. Are you okay?"

 

Duang picks up Khonfu and places her on the ground. Khonfu, understanding that playtime is over, shakes off the water, walks over to drink, and then flops down on the floor, watching her two Papas, who suddenly seem serious.

"I don't know," Quinn says.

 

I really don't know.

 

"I guess I'm just happy you're still here," he continues.

 

"Where else would I go?"

 

I don't know...

Having Duang in my life feels like I don't need to know, guess, or worry about anything. I don't even need to think about whether tomorrow will be good or bad.

 

"I told you that day. I've prepared everything to love only you."

 

Because I'm sure that today, we have each other. That we'll always have each other like this.

 

"So cheesy."

 

"But someone's ears always turn red every time."

 

"Thank you for bringing me to the beach, Papa."

 

"I'm about to melt, babe. Should we stop now?" Duang laughs as their noses touch, tilting his face to just the right angle, the one they both know so well. The next moment is the best kiss... just like every kiss they've ever shared

 

"I love you, Duang."

 

"I love you, too, Quinn."

 

"Woof!!"

 

"Okay, okay, I love you too, Khonfu." They both burst out laughing as their mischievous corgi barks right after they pull away from their kiss and exchange their usual declarations of love.

 

She keeps barking until Duang, still chuckling, turns to Quinn, who is sitting with his feet dipped in the pool, and teases, "You better tell Khonfu you love her, too. She's not letting this go."

 

And so, it happens again.

"Sigh."

 

Duang and Quinn.

The two of us.

 

"I love you, Khonfu."

"Woof woof~~"

 

We have the simplest kind of happiness in the world.