Just Friends (Completed)

1: Closer than Close

"Arthit are you home?" Kongpob yells as he crashes through the front door and into their tiny living room. It is still a sore point between them that their shared flat has only enough space for a two-seat sofa in the lounge, even though Arthit had found a place that had a much bigger space for them to share.

However, Kongpob's arguments that they had once each lived in a single room with no space for any sofas and that this flat was much nicer, much cleaner and far nearer to both of their places of work had won out; and so they suffer the tiny couch and Kongpob suffers Arthit's 'I told you so' every time they have a guest over and one of them has to slump in a bean bag on the floor instead of being comfy on the couch (usually Kongpob as its his fault in the first place!)

Yelling one more time, Kongpob shuffles into his slippers and slips his coat over a hook by the door, then makes his way into the tiny kitchen attached to the lounge, to find his flat mate stirring something over the heat, earbuds visible in each ear.

Deciding it's a chance he can't refuse, Kongpob creeps up behind him and then loops his arms around Arthit's waist, lifting him off the ground.

Red sauce splatters over the pristine white surfaces, giving the effect that a murder has been committed in their home, and Arthit (though he will vehemnetly deny it later) shrieks in shock and bats at Kongpob's hands with his wooden spoon.

"It's me... It's me," Kongpob wheezes through his laughs and then freezes in place by the fridge, hands up in front of him as he waits for the fallout.

"Kongpob! You idiot! Look what a mess you've caused - you can clean it all up." Arthit gives him his sternest look, amped up to volume eleven, and Kongpob mentally catalogues it alongside stern looks 1-10, where 1 was barely stern at all and actually, had a hint of a smirk in it.

But, even the sternest Arthit Rojnapat look was nothing that terrible when you were Kongpob Suthiluck, best friend extraordinaire.

Even when they disagreed (never fought, disagreed) neither of them actually got that mad with the other, instead it was more like gentle bickering (or constant bickering, according to Knott and Tew their best friends).

In fact, in their ten plus years of being best friends, they had only had one incident that had caused them to stop talking to each other and it had been back when they were sixteen, a long time ago. Each of them had been so upset by their disagreement that they had ended up meeting, by happy coincidence, halfway between their houses at 2am to apologise, since neither of them could sleep.

And after that, they had vowed never to step away from an argument unless it was resolved - and so far, they had managed it.

So, Kongpob knows that Arthit might blow off some steam for a little bit, but that in no time at all they would be sitting side-by-side on their sofa in their tiny living room, eating their delicious dinner and chattering about their day.

And he is right.

"I think you've outdone yourself," Kongpob moans as he strokes his stomach, the taste of Arthit's noodles still lingering on his tongue, "Where did you get that recipe? I think it's your best one yet!"

Arthit's grin is blinding and once again, Kongpob wonders how it is that his best friend is still single when everyone they meet is utterly bowled over by Arthit's even white teeth and soft pink lips with their perfect Cupid's bow. Not to mention the dimples in his cheeks when he grins.

The man is stunning, and even Kongpob has fallen for his smile on more than one occasion (a few of which are far too embarrassing to remember, though one had involved Kong walking into a street lamp and coming away with a slight concussion that Arthit had needed to nurse him through).