Chapter 22

After dinner, the family slowly dispersed, leaving Jes and Ngern lingering in the dining area. Ngern's grandmother had excused herself to rest, his sister had gone to check on Mali, and his parents were in the living room chatting softly. The house was warm, filled with the residual hum of a well-spent evening.

Jes found himself helping clear the dishes, despite Ngern's protests.

"You're like family." Ngern insisted, taking a plate from Jes's hands.

Jes shot him a flat look. "Then stop making me feel like a guest."

Ngern stilled for a moment before his lips quirked up in a quiet smile. He said nothing, just handed Jes the last dish, letting him do as he pleased.

They worked side by side, the sounds of running water and clinking plates filling the silence. Jes didn't mind it. It was comfortable, familiar in a way he hadn't expected.

At one point, Ngern reached for a dish at the same time Jes did, their fingers brushing briefly. Jes pulled back first, but Ngern lingered just a second longer before retracting his hand.

Jes cleared his throat. "So... your grandmother. She's the next photography project?"

Ngern nodded, drying his hands. "Yeah. She loves having photos of the family, but she doesn't really like going to photo studios. She always says they feel too staged."

Jes hummed in understanding. "So you want something more natural."

"Exactly."

Jes thought for a moment. "We could do some candid shots of her during the day. Maybe some with Mali too. Grandparents and grandkids—those moments are always special."

Ngern brightened. "That's a great idea."

Jes shrugged. "Well, you're the one taking the photos. I'm just here to guide you."

Ngern turned to face him fully. "No, you're here because I want you to be."

Jes opened his mouth, but no words came out. The sincerity in Ngern's voice caught him off guard.

"Besides," Ngern continued, grinning, "I still need you to make sure I don't mess it up."

Jes scoffed, rolling his eyes, but he couldn't stop the way his lips twitched.

Ngern laughed, nudging Jes's shoulder lightly. "Come on, let's go see what my grandma is up to. We can plan while she's still awake."

Jes let himself be led out of the kitchen, trying to ignore the strange but not unwelcome feeling settling in his chest.

They found Ngern's grandmother sitting in the living room, knitting while a soft, old Thai song played from the radio. She glanced up as they approached, her warm eyes crinkling with a knowing look.

"Done with the dishes?" she asked, setting her knitting aside.

Jes nodded, feeling oddly shy under her gaze.

Ngern plopped onto the couch beside her. "Grandma, I have a request."

She raised an eyebrow. "Another one? What is it this time, Nong?"

Ngern grinned. "Jes and I were thinking of taking some photos of you with Mali. Some nice ones, not those overly edited studio pictures you don't like."

Her eyes flickered to Jes, who nodded in quiet confirmation. She huffed a little, though there was amusement in her tone. "I look old in photos."

"You are old," Ngern teased, earning himself a light swat on the arm.

Jes, despite himself, let out a quiet chuckle. "We'll keep it natural. You don't have to pose or do anything special. Just be yourself."

She studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. But only if Jes is the one taking them."

Jes blinked. "What?"

Ngern pouted. "Grandma, I'm learning!"

She patted his hand. "Yes, yes, but I trust Jes's eyes. You can assist him."

Ngern groaned dramatically, flopping back against the couch. Jes watched the interaction, the easy way they bickered, the love evident in their words. It was... nice.

"Alright," Jes finally said, shaking his head. "I'll take the lead, but Ngern's still the one pressing the shutter."

His compromise made Ngern brighten, and his grandmother chuckled softly. "That works."

Jes sat down, pulling out his phone to jot down a few ideas. "We should start tomorrow morning. The lighting in the garden will be nice, and we can get some shots of you with Mali then"

Ngern's grandmother nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. You boys should rest now."

Jes hesitated. "I should head home, actually—"

"It's late," she interrupted, waving a hand. "You should stay the night."

Jes immediately shook his head. "Oh, no, I don't want to impose—"

Ngern clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Jes, you're already here. Just stay."

Jes turned to him, feeling a familiar exasperation. "You can't just decide that for me."

Ngern just grinned. "I can when my grandma already did."

Jes let out a long sigh. He really should say no. But looking at Ngern, at his grandmother who was already making space on the couch for extra blankets, he realized he didn't really want to.

"...Fine. Just for tonight."

Ngern's victorious smile was a little too bright, and Jes rolled his eyes as he muttered, "Unbelievable."

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Ngern's grandmother retired to her room with a tired but pleased smile, leaving the two of them in the quiet warmth of the living room. Jes stood, gathering the blankets she had left out for him, preparing to set up on the couch when he suddenly felt a firm grip on his wrist.

"Come on," Ngern said, tugging him towards the hallway.

Jes frowned, resisting just slightly. "Where exactly am I going?"

"My room."

Jes halted in place, narrowing his eyes. "Why would I—"

Ngern turned back to face him, voice low but insistent. "You're not sleeping on the couch. My room has an actual bed, and I have an extra mattress too."

"I'm perfectly fine with the couch," Jes argued, but Ngern was already dragging him forward.

"Shh," Ngern said, pressing a finger against Jes's lips.

Jes blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden gesture. His lips barely brushed against the pad of Ngern's finger, and before he even thought about it, he parted them just enough to bite down—softly, teasingly.

Ngern inhaled sharply.

Jes only meant it as a playful protest, a harmless nip, but when he pulled back, he caught the way Ngern's face turned an unmistakable shade of red.

Jes raised an eyebrow. "What? Too much for you?"

Ngern cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. "Just—come inside already."

Jes huffed a quiet laugh, but he followed anyway, watching the way Ngern flustered as he shuffled blankets around. The air between them felt different—charged, like a moment that neither of them wanted to acknowledge just yet.

Jes decided not to push it.

"Fine," Jes finally said, settling on the mattress on the floor. "But if you snore, I'm throwing a pillow at you."

Ngern rolled his eyes, though the blush on his face hadn't completely faded. "You won't."

Jes smirked, lying back. "We'll see."

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The night stretched on in comfortable quiet, the only sounds being the occasional rustle of blankets and the soft hum of the air conditioner. Jes lay on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling while Ngern shifted in his bed, restless despite insisting he was tired.

Jes had thought he'd fall asleep easily, but the stillness of Ngern's room felt oddly foreign. He wasn't used to this—sharing a space, lying in near darkness with someone just a few feet away.

"You still awake?" Ngern's voice was quiet, hesitant.

Jes sighed. "You're the one tossing and turning, shouldn't I be asking you that?"

A beat of silence. Then, a soft chuckle. "Sorry. I guess I'm not used to... having someone else here."

Jes turned his head toward Ngern, barely able to make out his face in the dim glow of the nightlight. "If you say that like that, people might misunderstand."

Ngern let out a breath of laughter, but he didn't deny it.

Jes hesitated before speaking again. "Why did you invite me, anyway?"

"For the pictures," Ngern said automatically.

Jes clicked his tongue. "Right. For the pictures."

Ngern shifted again, rolling onto his side to face Jes. "And maybe because I wanted to."

Jes stared at him, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. "You wanted to?"

"Yeah." Ngern's voice was quieter this time. "I like having you around."

Jes felt something in his chest tighten, something he wasn't sure he was ready to acknowledge. He exhaled through his nose, turning onto his side as well. "That's a dangerous thing to say to someone like me."

Ngern hummed, amused. "And what kind of person are you?"

Jes smirked, closing his eyes. "Someone who might actually start believing you."

The silence that followed felt heavier than before, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

Ngern didn't reply immediately, but after a while, his breathing evened out, and Jes figured he had finally fallen asleep.

Jes lay there a little longer, eyes open in the dark, before murmuring under his breath, "Maybe I already do."