[ GawinKrist ] Coffee Sweetness

2. Have Dinner With Me...?

Gawin has always been a patient, considerate and understanding man in the relationship. He didn't get angry easily, even right now when his girlfriend completely forgot about their date and was having the dinner with her colleagues and the new boss. He could hear the sound of women chatting with loud music in the background. She apologized to him in a small voice, Gawin turned his head to look at the closed door, leaving the house that was not his.

"Don't drink too much, I will come and pick you up." He calmly replied.

Gawin shoved his hands in his pockets when walking back to the clinic, his dark hair fell into his eyes. He glanced at the ground before lifting his head and staring out at the night sky. The melody of a ballad song softly came out of his mouth, his calmness blended in the autumn scenery at 6pm, making the whole surroundings become more serene. He had planned a homemade dinner for the two of them as both had not seen each other for days, but again she was busy.

Both had been together for almost a year, his guts told him that something was going off the rails.

Gawin reached out to catch a falling leaf while walking slowly along beneath the ginkgo trees. His footsteps paused on the brick stairs, his clinic was about six steps from where he was standing. 

At the front door, he found someone dozing off.

That cute-looking man was sitting against the door, his round head kept bobbing, Gawin could not see his face clearly except his left cheek that was look like a soft vanilla-flavored mochi. He wore a green charcoal gray hoodie, his sweatpants were black, probably his red backpack was the only spot of bright color in the early evening. It took Gawin more than three seconds to process whether or not had he made any appointment with his clients on this day, and a name abruptly crossed his mind. It'd been a week since he checked the teeth for Krist, and he forgot about the follow-up appointment because of his girlfriend.

Gawin sucked in a deep breath and rubbed his temple, unable to accept the mistake he's never made before, but now it happened, the small guy sitting in the front of the clinic. Gawin walked up the stairs and then touched Krist's shoulder lightly, trying to wake him up without making him startled.

"Krist..."

The moment his name came out of the other's mouth, Krist woke up. He blankly stared at the hand on his shoulder and shifted his look to the standing figure. Krist sent him an innocent smile, his eyelids refused to move, his sleepy eyes still couldn't fully open. Gawin could see the dreaminess in it, but that quickly turned into excitement as soon as Krist saw him. The sky was painted gray at that time, the streetlights had not came on, but his bright face lit up the whole scene.

Krist just smiled without showing any sign of annoyance after being disturbed from his sleep, and that only made Gawin feel even more uneasy, especially when looking at that pure smile. His voice came out, and the streetlights went on at the same time.

"I'm so sorry, Khun. I did make an appointment with you but I forgot, how long have you been waiting out here?"

Krist used one hand to brush the dirt off his pants, while fixing his hair with the other hand to make sure it was not messy.

"I came here right after I finished the practice at the studio, but it's just a while, I thought your clinic didn't work today." His tone was a bit sulky to tease the other.

Gawin quickly opened the door and leaned against it to let Krist come in first. The small guy stood confusedly in the middle of the room while the taller one walked to the corner and turned the lights on. The lights shone down on Krist's new hair color, the smoky silver color making his skin even more fair. Seven days ago, he looked like a mischievous, adorable boy in the hazelnut colored hair, but Gawin felt that the guy standing in front of him at the moment was much more handsome in the silver hair.

The dentist took off his coat...

"I'm really sorry, I want to prepare you a cup of coffee to apologize for my carelessness, but that would affect the check-up."

Krist put his backpack on the sofa, about to get himself a cookie on the table but stopped right after hearing Gawin's words. 

He then replied. "Thank you, but I don't drink coffee very often, I prefer sweets."

Although Krist didn't seem to be upset, it could be because he just dozed off a bit, or maybe the new color of his hair made him look a bit blue. Gawin couldn't help but feeling that the other's face had a slightly cute expression of displeasure in contrast to the smile on his lips.

Perhaps he was hungry, but Gawin made a suggestion that he himself later did not understand why.

"I think the check-up may finish at 8 o'clock, would you like to have dinner with me?"

"You're still feeling guilty about that? I told you I'm okay .. I'm fine."

"It's just that...well, I haven't had dinner yet, if you are free tonight, join me...it will be on me, I don't feel comfortable when making mistakes, especially to my customers."

This time Krist only thought for about two seconds and then nodded. He didn't smile, but Gawin still saw the corners of his lips curled up a bit, that at least made him feel relieved. He then took him to the clinic room to re-examine his teeth condition. After a week, it was no longer hurt like the first days but Krist still needed to refrain from eating sweets, or other teeth will also be damaged.

When both left Gawin's clinic, it was almost 8pm. The night sky in October was dark, without a star in sight. Gawin and Krist walked side by side slowly to the parking lot, the short guy kept shrugging his shoulders every few minutes because of the autumn breeze, meanwhile, the taller one was chill and composed. 

He looked at Krist when the guy covered his head with the hood.

"Next time you should wear one more shirt inside, you will feel better."

"Don't you feel cold, Khun?" Krist regretted wearing only a hoodie in this weather.

"I can stand the cold very well."

Krist didn't have his car with him because Aou drove him to the clinic. He at first thought of walking to the main road and catching the bus home, so right now both were in Gawin's car. Then later the other would give him a ride home because unexpectedly their houses were on the same road, but Gawin's house was a bit closer to the clinic than his house.

"Khun Krist, what do you want to eat?" Gawin asked while waiting for Krist to fasten his seat belt.

"Anything is fine, I'm not a picky eater...and, by the way, just call me Krist."

Although the car door was closed tightly, the two of them could feel the cold air through the almond trees swayed back and forth in the wind. This weather was ideal for having a drink and grilled meat. Since both of them were men, they could enjoy a cold beer or two in their dinner. As if they could read each other's thought, Gawin and Krist spoke simultaneously.

"Can you drink?"

"Do you like to drink?"

They looked at each other and chuckled after realizing they just asked the same thing. 

People often say that the fastest way for two men to get close is to drink together. 

Gawin drove the car out of the parking lot, quietly listening to Krist listing the names of a few barbecue places on the way home, and then choosing the most familiar one.

Their first dinner was decided like that.

[ END CHAP 2 ]