Chapter 36

As the kitchen fell into a comfortable rhythm—Jes drying the dishes while Ngern rinsed them—Ngern found himself glancing at Jes more than necessary. Jes was here. He kept repeating that in his head, like it was something he needed to remind himself.

Jes, oblivious (or pretending to be), hummed softly under his breath as he stacked the plates. "So," he started casually, "are you gonna tell me why you acted like that, or should I just assume you're secretly in love with me?"

Ngern choked on air. He turned sharply to Jes, who was very obviously enjoying this.

Jes grinned. "Ah, so it's that."

Ngern cleared his throat, scowling. "It's not—"

Jes held up a hand, smirking. "Relax, I'm kidding. But also, am I?"

Ngern groaned. "Jes—"

Jes only laughed and turned back to the dishes. "Alright, alright. I'll stop teasing—for now." He shot Ngern a sideways glance. "But seriously, you're not usually this obvious about things."

Ngern hesitated. Jes was right—he wasn't. He'd always been good at keeping things under wraps, keeping his emotions in check. But Jes had a way of pushing past his defenses before he could even think about it.

"...I don't know," Ngern admitted finally. "I just—when I saw her looking at you like that, I didn't like it."

Jes blinked, as if not expecting the honesty. He wiped his hands on a dish towel and leaned against the counter, facing Ngern fully. "Didn't like it because...?"

Ngern's ears turned red. "Jes."

Jes raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I just want to hear you say it."

Ngern let out a slow breath, avoiding Jes's gaze. His fingers clenched around the dish he was holding. "...Because I didn't want her to think she could have you."

Jes was silent for a moment, watching him. Then—softly—

"I wasn't hers to have in the first place."

Ngern's chest tightened. Slowly, he turned to Jes, meeting his gaze, feeling everything all at once.

Jes smiled, but there was something quieter behind it this time. "So next time, instead of sulking in a corner, maybe you could just—oh, I don't know—tell me how you feel?"

Ngern swallowed. "And if I did?"

Jes tilted his head slightly, eyes dark with something unreadable. "Guess you'll just have to find out."

The air between them felt thicker, heavier. Ngern wasn't sure if it was the warmth of the kitchen, or the fact that Jes was looking at him like that—like he was waiting for something.

Before Ngern could even think about what to do next, his sister's voice called from the dining room.

"Are you two done flirting, or do we have to wash the dishes ourselves?"

Jes burst into laughter. Ngern, mortified, groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Jes clapped a hand on his shoulder, still laughing. "Guess we're not as subtle as you thought, huh?"

Ngern sighed. This was going to be a long night.

As Ngern recovered from the embarrassment of his sister's perfectly timed call-out, Jes nudged him with his shoulder.

"Come on, loverboy," Jes teased, grabbing the last dish towel and tossing it at Ngern's chest. "Let's finish up before your sister starts a betting pool on when you'll finally confess to me."

Ngern groaned. "Jes."

Jes only grinned wider. "What? You think she hasn't noticed?" He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Even your grandma was giving me looks earlier."

Ngern stiffened. "She—what?"

Jes raised an eyebrow, looking far too pleased with himself. "She patted my hand and said, 'Be good to my grandson, okay?'" He smirked. "So... should I take that as her blessing?"

Ngern stared. His mind went completely blank for a moment. His grandmother said that? To Jes?

Jes chuckled at his reaction. "Man, you're really obvious, you know that?"

Ngern turned away, ears burning. "Let's just go back before they start calling us again."

Jes, still amused, didn't push any further. He simply followed Ngern back to the dining table, where his sister was already watching them with a knowing smirk.

"You two good now?" she asked, sipping her drink.

Jes plopped down into his seat and grinned. "Oh, more than good."

Ngern shot him a warning look, but Jes just laughed and started helping himself to some fruit.

His sister, clearly entertained, shook her head. "You know, Ngern, if you ever want advice on how to confess, I'm right here."

Ngern nearly choked on air.

Jes, on the other hand, looked way too interested. "Ooh, I'd love to hear this."

Ngern buried his face in his hands. This was definitely going to be a long night.

As the evening continued, Ngern did his best to ignore his sister's teasing while Jes delighted in every second of it. He had been getting bolder lately—more comfortable pushing Ngern's buttons in the way only he could.

Eventually, after dessert and some light conversation, Jes excused himself to step outside for some air. Ngern followed a few minutes later, spotting Jes leaning against the porch railing, looking up at the night sky.

"You okay?" Ngern asked, stepping up beside him.

Jes hummed in response. "Yeah. Just needed a bit of quiet."

Ngern nodded, resting his forearms on the railing. The cool breeze was refreshing after the warmth of the house.

Jes glanced at him. "You ever get tired of your family meddling?"

Ngern chuckled, shaking his head. "They don't mean any harm. They just... want me to be happy."

Jes tilted his head slightly. "And are you?"

Ngern turned to him, meeting his gaze. "Yeah. Lately... I think I really am."

Jes held his gaze for a long moment before looking away, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Good."

Silence stretched between them, but it was a comfortable one. The kind that didn't need to be filled.

Eventually, Jes sighed and straightened up. "Alright, we should head back in before your sister decides to start giving speeches about love and destiny."

Ngern groaned. "Please, no."

Jes laughed, nudging him lightly as they turned back toward the house.

But just before they stepped inside, Ngern reached out, catching Jes's wrist gently.

Jes blinked at him in surprise. "What?"

Ngern hesitated for only a second before squeezing lightly. "Thanks for coming today."

Jes, for once, didn't tease. He just gave Ngern a soft smile. "Anytime."

And somehow, that simple word made Ngern's chest feel a little lighter.

As they stepped back into the house, the evening slowly wound down, with Ngern's grandmother retiring early and his sister cleaning up in the kitchen. Jes helped gather the last of the plates, but before he could say his goodbyes, Ngern gently nudged him aside.

"Just stay over," Ngern said casually, leaning against the counter. "It's late, and you've had a long day."

Jes arched a brow. "I have work tomorrow, Ngern."

"I'll wake you up early," Ngern countered smoothly. "And make you breakfast."

Jes smirked, crossing his arms. "You will cook?"

"...I can try," Ngern said, looking only slightly sheepish.

Jes laughed, shaking his head. "Tempting, but no. I need to get home."

Ngern tried not to look too disappointed, but Jes caught the way his lips pressed into a thin line.

"I'll send you home, then," Ngern said.

Jes opened his mouth to protest, but Ngern had already grabbed his keys, shooting him a look that dared him to argue.

Jes sighed, giving in. "Fine. But don't speed."

Ngern rolled his eyes. "I don't speed."

Jes huffed a laugh as they stepped out, saying a quick goodnight to the family before heading to Ngern's car.

As they drove through the quiet streets, a sense of calm settled between them. The hum of the engine, the soft glow of the streetlights—it all felt easy. Familiar.

Jes glanced at Ngern as he drove, eyes focused on the road, fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel.

"You really didn't have to drive me," Jes murmured after a while.

Ngern shrugged. "I wanted to."

Jes didn't reply immediately, but a small smile played on his lips as he turned back to the window, watching the city lights blur past.

Maybe he wouldn't say it out loud yet, but he kind of liked this—this undeniable pull that kept bringing them closer.