More Than Words Book III: More Than Love

Chapter 16

  

Just returned from one of the best trips of my life (a road trip, yeah) so, you know, wasn't around any device to type stuff in. Woops. Without further ado.

"Kongphob!"  

"P'Arthit?" He asks, his voice deeper than usual. "Wha' happen'd?"

"You're getting late for work. Wake up."

  Kongphob stares at him for a heartbeat before in a quick motion, he kisses Arthit on the mouth and plops back. "Don't worry. It'll be fine." Arthit looks him stunned. "You should sleep too," Kongphob suggests and pulls Arthit closer and tucks the latter's head against his own chest before he can protest too much. "Quiet. Lemme sleep," Kongphob grunts and kisses Arthit above his ear and then his breathing is easing and he is falling asleep.

But, he suddenly jerks awake. Something wakes him up.

His memories.

His nightmares.

Always waking up to some loss, his hands trying to grab something but find nothing other than air. They clasp on thin, cold air, rejection, despair and fear. The fear of abandonment. Usually, such dreams leave him waking up in sweat, shivering. But, he isn't cold.

In fact, he is warm. The warmest he has been in a long, long time and Kongphob opens to see the bundle of warmth. It is none other than Arthit and he sucks in his breath.

"Arthit?" he whispers. He raises his hand to brush the sleeping man's hair and Arthit mumbles something in sleep. His cheeks are swollen, white, his lips pink, pouted in that adorable whenever his guard is down. He looks cute and Kongphob wants to crush him in a hug or just steal a kiss from the kissable pair. Arthit looks so soft and tired, Kongphob wants to kiss him better. He leans slightly to blow softly on the shorter man's eyes as always had been his habit before. Arthit's brows furrow before he suddenly grabs Kongphob's hand and cracks his eyes open.

Arthit's eyes had been Kongphob's favourite thing. After Arthit himself. He wants to kiss them. He wants to kiss him.

Arthit's eyes are full of confusion as he pulls Kongphob's hand away from his face.

"Kong?" He croaks and shifts but he doesn't seem awake. "Kongphob?"

"P'Arthit?" Kongphob speaks in the lowest of his voice. It feels as if the moment will shatter. As if everything will shatter.

Arthit takes Kongphob's raised hand and kisses his knuckles. "Kong?" His words are a whisper too. Slurred. "Kongphob?"

"Yes?" Kongphob is afraid to see anything else in those eyes - that cold resentment, distance, apathy which Arthit had when they had worked together during the alliance.

"Why?" Arthit asks, tracing the scars with a finger. It sends a shiver down his spine.

Kongphob turns the held hands around and kisses the back of his hand. "Don't know," he replies honestly.

"Didn't it hurt?" Arthit squints and it makes his cheeks look puffier and it just makes Kongphob want to kiss him more.

"Not more than losing you," Kongphob says softly, his heart thudding loudly.