Chapter 43

It had been a few days since the event, and Ngern was still riding the high of officially introducing Jes as his boyfriend. He had expected some nerves, maybe even a little hesitation from Jes, but Jes had taken it all in stride.

Now, Ngern had his next mission—telling his family.

Of course, his family already loved Jes. His grandma adored him, his sister always teased him like an older sister would, and his parents had taken to him like he was one of their own. But this time, Ngern wanted to make it official. No more vague hints or casual assumptions. He wanted to say it, proudly, clearly—Jes is my boyfriend.

So, he invited Jes over for dinner. Jes had been a little suspicious at first, raising an eyebrow when Ngern asked twice just to confirm, but he had agreed.

...............................................................

When they arrived, the house was more lively than expected. A few extra cars were parked outside, and as soon as they stepped in, Ngern realized why.

Relatives.

His mother's siblings and a couple of cousins were around, likely just dropping by for a visit, but now they were all gathered in the living room, chatting animatedly. Jes shot Ngern a look, but Ngern just gave him a reassuring nudge.

They barely had time to greet everyone when Ngern's grandmother, who had been sitting on the couch, spotted them.

"There he is!" she said warmly, looking right at Jes. "And our future son-in-law has come too."

Jes choked on air.

Ngern blinked. "What?"

His aunt laughed. "Oh, don't be shy now, Ngern. We all know."

Jes was still struggling to process what was happening, and Ngern could only stare as his family casually accepted something he hadn't even said out loud yet.

His uncle patted his shoulder. "You're lucky, kid. Jes is a good one. He's been looking after you, hasn't he?"

Jes opened his mouth, still trying to find the words, but Ngern's sister stepped in, smirking.

"He has," she confirmed. "We've all seen it. Jes takes care of Ngern more than Ngern takes care of himself."

Jes turned to Ngern, stunned. "Did you tell them?"

"No!" Ngern said, still thrown off by how easily his family had skipped the whole "boyfriend announcement" and jumped straight to "son-in-law."

His grandmother just smiled knowingly. "You didn't have to, dear. We've known for a long time."

Jes stared at her, then at the rest of the family, who were all nodding in agreement.

Meanwhile, Ngern was still processing the fact that his grand romantic reveal had just been hijacked by his entire family.

Jes finally sighed, rubbing his temples before glancing at Ngern, lips twitching. "Well," he murmured under his breath. "That went differently than you planned, huh?"

Ngern groaned, running a hand down his face before turning back to his very amused family.

"So... what you're all saying is... you already approved before I even said anything?"

His mom chuckled. "Of course. We love Jes."

Jes, still reeling, blinked. "Uh. Thanks?"

His grandmother waved him over with a smile. "Now come sit, dear. If you're going to be family, you should eat well."

Ngern looked at Jes, who let out a small laugh, shaking his head.

"Well," Jes said, smirking at Ngern. "Guess I'm stuck with you now."

Ngern exhaled a laugh, reaching for Jes's hand under the table. He gave it a light squeeze.

"Yeah," Ngern murmured, grinning. "You are."

.................................................................

The rest of the evening passed in a comfortable haze, filled with laughter, teasing, and the warmth of family. Jes found himself easily pulled into conversations, his usual guarded demeanor softening in the presence of Ngern's relatives.

At one point, Ngern caught Jes helping his grandmother clear the dishes, the two chatting quietly, Jes nodding along to whatever story she was telling him. The sight made Ngern's chest tighten in the best way possible.

Jes fit here. He always had.

Later that night, as Ngern drove Jes home, the silence between them was easy, comfortable. The streetlights flickered past in a slow rhythm, and Ngern found himself stealing glances at Jes, who was looking out the window, a small smile playing at his lips.

"You good?" Ngern asked softly.

Jes turned to him, eyes meeting his. "Yeah," he said, voice quiet but sure. "I am."

Ngern exhaled, his grip on the wheel tightening for a moment before he reached over, taking Jes's hand in his. Jes let him, fingers lacing together effortlessly.

"You're really stuck with me now," Ngern murmured, teasing but tender.

Jes huffed a laugh, squeezing his hand. "Yeah," he admitted, turning back to the window. "I don't mind."

Ngern smiled, his heart full.

Neither of them said anything more, but they didn't need to.

The road stretched ahead, open and endless, and they drove forward—hand in hand, together.