Can Ram Say, "I Love You."?

Himilaya

It was a romantic day. Ram had taken King to one of the most beautiful gardens outside of Bangkok. The puppy-like boy eagerly ventured the garden and pointed out all of the flowers he liked. His phone held a list of new flowers he planned to grow in his room and photos of ones he didn't yet recognize.

Ram's favorite moment was when King had crouched down to admire bright, yellow Ratchaphruek petals and tugged on one of its branches. A snow-white butterfly swept above and lightly hugged King's nose. His dark eyes brightened and froze in place, not wanting to disturb the pure creature that chose him as its perching place. The cool face snuck a picture and tugged a smile. When it flew away, King looked back at him astonished.

"Did you see that?!" he sang. Ram nodded and sat next to him to look at the golden buds.

"One day, I want to have a garden like this. I'll have my favorite flowers all growing in one place," King said joyfully. He blew on one of the flowers and watched its petals wave against his breath.

Ram saw a great potential for him and King to have a future. Their dynamic worked well. As cheesy as it sounded, he thought they were going to last a very long time and couldn't imagine a life without him. They'd own a small house on the outskirts that had fields wide enough for King to grow all of the plants he desired. There'd be a day when King no longer feared dogs, and Ram would let his dogs run around their acres.

It was funny how your life could be fine without someone, but as soon as they enter, you couldn't see yourself any other way. If Ram were to be torn apart from King, it would break him. It'd feel like mercilessly stealing his other half and refusing to return it. No one had ever made Ram feel the way King did.

After King had satisfied himself with nearly every flower in the garden, Ram took him on a couples boat ride. The boat was long like a canoe and as wide as a twin-sized bed. They sat on opposite sides and allowed their knees to clash against each other. Ram generously steered the boat down the sparkling river.

"We need some music," King said randomly. He placed his phone on the bench and let Himlayas by Boy Sompob fill their silence and skate over the sounds of moving water.

Once they were isolate enough from the rest of the world, Ram stopped rowing and settled the paddles inside the boat. He stared at King, who was bopping his head to the beat of the music.

"Himalaya, Himalaya," King sung with a cute smile.

Too busy ogling at him, Ram couldn't hear anything. All he noticed was how his black hair blended into the painted trees behind him, growing darker as the sun very slowly sank down. A hint of light bounced on top of his head as it swayed.

"Smile!" King leaned over and pinched Ram's cheeks, raising them into a weird angle. Though it gave his mouth a rounded shape, it still wasn't a smile. "Smile. Smile! Smile! Smile!"

Ram's stoicism broke and soon enough, he caught King's happiness and smiled back at him. "You're in a good mood," he noted.

"Why wouldn't I be? Look at this," King gestured around them and pointed at the multi-colored sky next to them.

The setting star brushed the water with intense purples, fiery orange, and striking reds. They glittered in rows and carried the couple with glee. The bulging bulb demanded focus in the sky, not allowing the clouds surrounding to overshadow.

"It is very beautiful," Ram agreed. Softly, he focused back to King and bit his lip back after saying, "Like you."

A strong blush grew on King's face. He gently kicked Ram's shin and shook his head.

"It's true. There are many qualities about you that are beautiful," Ram started to say. Here it goes. He was going to mention all of the things he loved about King, like in that video, and end it with his declaration of love.

Again, he got that jittery feeling and watched his leg dance against King's. He did his best to contain his nerves and took in a low breath.

"Like my pimple?" King squeezed his face, letting the pink dot pop for emphasis.

"Your eyes," Ram answered.

He could see a star twinkle in the corner of his iris's at the mention. King did have the prettiest eyes. They sloped across and allowed shiny charcoal to see the world. His eyes may have been black, but King definitely saw a world full of color.

King blinked.

"I mean, they're alright," he said sheepishly.

Ram got ready to make his big speech. He'd do everything he could to convince King that if he could, he would declare King as the most handsome guy in the Universe and win every beauty pageant in existence. Then, he'd end it by telling him that he loved him more than taking his dogs on walks.

"Did you see that?! That fish just jumped out of the water!" King clung to the side of the boat and waited for the fish to leap out again.

Ram sighed. He thought that setting the scene perfectly would give him the best opportunity to say it. But life wasn't perfect, and he was starting to slowly realize that he couldn't expect their relationship to be perfect either. Still, he was determined to see his decision through. King was bound to know that he was loved.