In a Month

A week had passed since the tense and awkward meeting between the Walor and Sestasittikul families, but for Save, the memory still lingered like an annoying itch he couldn't scratch. He thought he might get some reprieve from the madness, but that hope was dashed when his father, Lord Arun, called for him in his study one afternoon.

Save sat stiffly in the leather chair across from his father's imposing desk, arms crossed and scowling. Lord Arun stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, his commanding presence filling the room.

"We've decided," Lord Arun began, turning to face his youngest son, "that the wedding will take place in a month."

Save shot up from his seat. "A month? Are you serious?!"

Lord Arun's sharp gaze silenced any further protests. "I've given you a week to adjust, Save. That's enough time. This is an important alliance for our family, and I expect you to take it seriously."

"This is my life, not some business deal, dad!" Save snapped, his frustration boiling over.

"You're right," his father said calmly, though his tone was unyielding. "It is your life. And it's time you start acting like the adult you claim to be."

Save glared, his jaw tightening, but he knew there was no arguing with his father when he got like this.

"As for now," Lord Arun continued, "I've spoken with Lady Chanya, and we've agreed that you and Auau need to spend more time together. I don't care how you feel about this marriage. You will make an effort to get to know him."

Save groaned, throwing himself back into the chair. "This is ridiculous."

"It's non-negotiable," Lord Arun said firmly. "Auau will be coming by later today. You will be civil, and you will spend time with him. Do I make myself clear?"

Save didn't respond, glaring at a spot on the floor instead.

"Save," his father said, his voice dropping into a warning tone.

"Fine," Save muttered through gritted teeth.

"Good." Lord Arun nodded, returning to his seat behind the desk. "You're dismissed."

Later that afternoon, Auau arrived at the Walor estate, punctual as always. He was dressed simply yet neatly, his calm demeanor unchanged. When he was escorted into the living room, he found Save slouched on the couch, scrolling on his phone with an annoyed expression.

"Hello, Save," Auau greeted politely, sitting down in the armchair opposite him.

Save barely glanced up. "You're early."

"It's called being on time," Auau replied lightly.

Save rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath before setting his phone down with a sigh. "Alright, let's get this over with. What are we supposed to do? Stare at each other until we magically start liking this?"

Auau chuckled softly. "I was thinking we could talk. You know, like normal people."

"Pass," Save said flatly, picking his phone back up.

Auau leaned forward slightly, his calm gaze fixed on Save. "Your father seems serious about this, and I'd rather not spend the next month fighting with you every time we meet. What do you say we try to find some common ground?"

Save frowned, lowering his phone again. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"For starters," Auau said, leaning back in his chair, "what do you do for fun? When you're not scrolling through your phone, that is."

Save shrugged. "I ride motorcycles. Work on them, too."

Auau raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Motorcycles? That's interesting."

"Not really," Save said, his tone guarded. "It's just a hobby."

"Do you race?" Auau asked, his genuine curiosity catching Save off guard.

Save hesitated, unsure how to respond to the calm, nonjudgmental tone. "Sometimes. Not professionally or anything. Just for fun."

"I'd like to see that sometime," Auau said with a small smile.

Save blinked, his guard faltering for a moment. "What, seriously?"

"Why not?" Auau replied. "It sounds exciting."

Save stared at him, suspicious of the lack of judgment. "You don't seem like the kind of guy who'd be into that."

Auau chuckled. "You might be surprised."

Save wasn't sure what to say to that, so he just shrugged and looked away. The silence that followed wasn't as tense as before, but it was still awkward.

Auau broke it after a moment. "If motorcycles are your thing, I could tell you more about what I do as a doctor. Maybe we'll find something to talk about."

Save groaned, leaning back against the couch. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead and bore me to death."

Auau smiled faintly, unfazed by Save's sarcasm. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. It's not as glamorous as you think."

As Auau began to talk about his experiences as a doctor, Save found himself listening despite his earlier resistance. He still hated the situation, but something about Auau's calm presence and genuine curiosity made it a little less unbearable.

Just a little.

Auau leaned back in his chair, studying Save for a moment.

"How about we go out for a bit?" Auau suggested casually.

Save frowned, glancing up. "Go out? Where?"

"There's a cafe I've been meaning to check out," Auau said. "It's supposed to have good desserts. If you're interested, we could grab a bite there."

Save perked up at the mention of desserts, his interest piqued despite himself. "What kind of desserts?"

Auau allowed himself a small smile, noting Save's shift in demeanor. "Cakes, pastries, coffee apparently, I heard their chocolate lava cake is worth the hype."

Save narrowed his eyes, trying not to look too eager. "Chocolate lava cake, huh?"

"Yes," Auau replied smoothly. "Unless, of course, you're not interested."

Save was already setting his phone down. "Fine. I'll go. But don't take too long. If I get stuck in traffic because of you, I'm blaming it on you."

Auau chuckled softly, rising from his seat. "Fair enough. Let's go, then."

A short car ride later, the two found themselves at a cozy, modern cafe tucked away in a quiet corner of the city. The warm scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods greeted them as they walked in, and Save couldn't help but take a deep breath, his eyes scanning the display case filled with an assortment of colorful desserts.

"This place smells amazing," Save muttered, his irritation temporarily forgotten.

Auau smiled faintly. "I thought you might like it."

Save didn't respond, already focused on the menu hanging above the counter. "Ooh, they have strawberry shortcake. And look at that matcha roll! This might actually be worth the trip."

Auau watched him with quiet amusement as Save practically bounced on his heels, his earlier grumpiness replaced by genuine excitement. It was the first time Auau had seen him smile, and it was... endearing.

"You pick what you want," Auau said, gesturing to the counter. "I'll take care of it."

Save raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "What, you're paying?"

"Consider it my treat," Auau replied smoothly.

Save hesitated, then shrugged. "Fine. But don't expect this to make me like you or anything."

Auau chuckled. "Noted."

Save ordered a strawberry shortcake and a chocolate lava cake, along with an iced caramel latte, while Auau settled for a slice of carrot cake and an Americano. They found a corner table near the window, where the afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass, casting a warm glow over the cafe.

Save dug into his strawberry shortcake with enthusiasm, practically humming in delight after the first bite. "Okay, this is really good," he admitted, his mood lifting.

"I'm glad you like it," Auau said, sipping his coffee.

Save looked up, a smudge of whipped cream on his lip. "Do you come to places like this a lot?"

"Not really," Auau admitted. "I don't have much free time, but I thought this might be a good way for us to talk."

Save frowned, the reminder of their situation souring his mood slightly. "Right. Talking."

"It doesn't have to be about anything serious," Auau said calmly. "Just tell me what you think about the food."

Save paused, then shrugged. "It's good. The shortcake is light and not too sweet, and the chocolate lava cake? Perfectly gooey."

"Good to know," Auau said with a faint smile. "Maybe next time, you can recommend a place you like."

"Next time?" Save scoffed. "Let's survive this first before we start planning a next time."

Auau chuckled softly, watching as Save went back to devouring his desserts with single-minded focus. Despite Save's protests and sharp words, Auau couldn't help but notice that, for the first time since they'd met, Save actually seemed... comfortable.

Maybe this wasn't such a lost cause after all.