Once Again...

Chapter 17

... The most effective way of punishing someone is letting that person decide its own punishment without even saying a word.

Kongpob woke up in an empty hotel room he didn't recognize and a terrible headache. He faintly remembered that Arthit was there with him but right now he seriously doubted that his mind was playing games on him.

But the most confusing part was being in this hotel room and without his clothes.

Someone must have brought him there and sleept with him as he could clearly see the head print on the pillow next to him.

He didn't do anything stupid last night did he ?
His head was killing him . The more he tried to remember , the more he couldn't. He only remembered kissing someone madly . It felt like that person was his Arthit but it wasn't possible as he was in Thailand in a place that didn't have even cellphone reception.

The thought of having cheated on Arthit was creeping up on him .
He was panicking now, beating himself up for being so stupid and unresponsible.

Arthit would never forgive him and he would not forgive himself either.

He was already drowning on guilt. When he heard a  knock on the door and  it jolted him back to the reality as much as he was hoping this would be just a nightmare.

It was just a girl from the hotel personel . She came in with a tray holding some hangover pill and a glass of water. According to her someone from this room called the reception to ask it delivered to Kongpob.

-" That person also asked us to inform you that it was going to wait for you in the lounge for breakfast when you wake up."

Kongpob just nodded like a person who was spacing out. His body was there but his mind was a mess.

He got up pathetically and went to have a shower doubting the reflection on the mirror and scared of what he might have done.

At first he wanted to run away, pretend that whatever happened did not happen. He couldn't risk his relationship with Arthit and if nobody knew anything he could get away with it.

But even if nobody else knew, he knew and it was eating him alive.

His conscience didn't allow him to flee from his mistake as a coward.
Whoever this person was he would meet with him/ her and make it clear that what happened was a mistake he would never make in his sober state.

Arthit's face was in his head all the time and Kongpob felt ashamed of himself for the first time in his life.

Going down to the lounge Kongpob was feeling so lost. How was he going to explain everything without sounding like a jerk.

***

Arthit was resting on the lounge calculating the time it would take Kongpob to come down looking for him .

He knew that Kongpob was totally wasted last night and more likely than not,  he would not remember that the person who brought him there last night was him.

Considering his always caring and responsible character he now must be pondering or freaking out about what happened last night.

Arthit made sure Kongpob's phone was off and out of battery so a call from either Akito or Sayuri to spoil his little revenge plan wouldn't be possible.

And there he was , right on time like a clockwork , Kongpob was coming to the lounge.
Arthit picked up a big newspaper and fully concealed his face as he approached.

Kongpob was looking around for that person in blind ,until a waitress showed him the way and he finally noticed a person sitting near the glass window with a newspaper in front of him.

Kongpob was nervous to say at the least but he finally mustered the courage to speak.

-" Hi, I believe you are waiting for me. I am here to actually tell you that what happened last night was my irresponsibility and if I crossed the line , I deeply apologise but I already have someone I love and whatever happened between us doesn't mean anything .
I would like to blame it on my drunken state but that was actually my fault so I don't have any words to say regarding it.
My deepest apologies.."

Arthit was secretly laughing behind the newspaper. His young boyfriend was pale and scared trying his best to sound like a gentleman he was , while he was clearly not fine.

Definitely, you cannot mess with the demons inside your own mind.

Insecurities can make even the best man on Earth a complete joke .

-" So I should take your actions and words  yesterday as a result of alcohol right? You don't really miss me huh ? Tsk tsk tsk... " Arthit finally said and slowly revealed his face to him .

Kongpob was in a daze but hearing the strangers voice he lifted his head up and stared directly at him .

This voice...it can't be...is it really himm...
"P'Arthit"  - he exclaimed finally seeing his boyfriend's face.

His legs gave up on him , he tried to get a hold on the chair in front of him as  his mind worked on a unusual speed recalling all the events of last night in a flash.

Clearly shocked and immensly reliefed  he took a seat on the chair across him.

-"P', ... P'Arthit  ... You...here... How... I ...last night.... "
He wasn't making much sense but Arthit understood everything.

-" Oh-ho,, says the guy who almost pounced on me in front of his friends and later in the taxi cab!"
  ... Are you always that careless? Someone could really take advantage of you, you know?

Kongpob was taken aback . He really deserved Arthit sarcastic tone and indifferent glance.

-" I'm sorry , I'm so sorry P'Arthit" he said bowing his head and making an apologizing gesture.

Arthit finally let out a heartfelt laugh seing his Kong so pitiful and Kongpob realized he was being played. His angry act was a facade and nothing else. He couldn't keep his straight face anymore.

Arthit pulled him closer in a hug and said.
-" But you really deserved my punishment didn't you?

Kongpob pouted and bowed his head adorably then suddenly remembered the situation last night.

-" You , yesterday ,...the dance ... you saw all of it ... that's why I'm being punished right? "

- " Um.. that, and for trying to take advantage of me on the cab , making me take care of you when I actually came all the way here to surprise you and spend some time with you .

" I missed you"  Arthit shyly admitted and Kongpob couldn't help himself stealing a kiss , and another one , and still another one.

-" I'm still mad at you! Don't think you're going to get of this so easily, you have to make it up to me . "  Arthit said while raising a brow at him.
 

Kongpob was really intrigued by those words and smirked with a grin that made Arthit feel he might just have fallen into a trap with his own feet .

For Kongpob, his  punishment was more than enough. Even thinking about losing Arthit made him mad at himself.
He promised never ever to get drunk like that again even if he was trying to do something nice for his friends.

Sometimes things really shouldn't get out of hands ....