Po's heart skipped a beat when Thame said, "Can I come over to your place to watch the movie tonight?"
But no, he couldn't let himself overthink. Thame probably didn't mean anything beyond the words themselves-no hidden implications like people usually attach to being invited to someone's place. Even though Jun had told him how Thame felt, Jun had also warned him not to expect too much.
Thame wasn't the type to move quickly; he was just learning how to love and probably didn't even know how to express it properly yet.
"Phi Po," Thame called softly as they walked together, his hood pulled up to hide his identity.
"Hm?"
"Can I hold your hand?"
Thump. Thump. Po's heart pounded so loudly he thought Thame might hear it. The younger man's earnest gaze was unwavering as he extended his hand.
"But...what if someone sees us?"
"Can I or can't I?" Thame didn't seem to care about Po's worries as much as he cared about the answer. When Po hesitated but eventually nodded, Thame grabbed Po's hand and slipped it into the pocket of his hoodie.
"See? No one can see it now."
"You're really something..." Po couldn't help but smile to himself. This wasn't anything like what Jun had described. Thame wasn't slow or clueless at all-he was straightforward, even bold. He did what he wanted without hesitation or pretense.
It wasn't like they had outright confessed to each other yet, but they both knew what was in each other's hearts.
Wait...so when Thame asked to come over and watch the movie...
"Oh," Thame suddenly said, as if he'd just remembered something. "Before we go to your place, can I stop by the convenience store?"
"Uh...sure," Po replied, confused. He watched as Thame ducked into the store, picked up something that looked like a bottle, and then grabbed a small square box from the counter.
Po couldn't quite make out what it was, but he heard the cashier ask, "Just one box?"
This wasn't going to be a simple movie night, was it?
-
The lights flicked on in Po's apartment. He tried to act normal even though his heart was racing. Was tonight really going to happen? Here? In his apartment, which was...kind of messy at the moment.
"Uh, let me tidy up real quick," Po blurted, rushing to gather the clothes strewn across the sofa, the clutter on the dining table, and the various knick-knacks scattered around.
Thame, meanwhile, casually set his convenience store purchases down by the door and smiled. "It's not messy at all."
"I still need to clean up," Po insisted, mostly to distract himself from his own nerves. This wasn't his first time doing something like this, but...it was his first time with Thame.
"If we're just using the sofa, you could just tidy up this area," Thame pointed out.
Po froze at Thame's comment. Oh. The sofa. That's where this was going to happen.
"Shall we start? That way, it won't get too late," Thame said matter-of-factly.
Start? Start what exactly?
"Um...do you want to eat something first?" Po asked, stalling for time. He wasn't sure if he was ready yet.
"Sounds good," Thame agreed.
Taking a deep breath, Po pulled out two packs of instant noodles and boiled some water. But just as he was about to pour the water into the bowls, the room dimmed. Startled, he looked up to see Thame adjusting the light dimmer.
"Your lights can be adjusted? That's cool," Thame remarked.
"Uh, yeah..." "What kind of lighting do you like?"
"Well..." Po stammered, trying to interpret the question. Did he mean the atmosphere for this kind of moment? "Um, whatever you prefer."
"If it's darker, the atmosphere might be better."
Po bit his lip nervously and handed Thame a bowl of noodles.
"But since it's our first time, I'd rather see your face clearly."
Po nearly dropped the bowl at Thame's words. His hands trembled, and before he knew it, the noodles spilled all over Thame's shirt.
"Shit!" Both of them jumped.
"I'm so sorry!" Po panicked, reaching to pull off Thame's shirt. "Take it off -it might burn you!"
"Wait, wait! Phi, it's fine-it's not hot!" Thame tried to calm him down, grabbing Po's hands to stop him.
"But what if it burns-" "Phi Po!" Thame interrupted. He held out part of his shirt, showing Po that it wasn't even warm.
"Oh..." Po blinked.
They both turned to look at the kettle, which Po belatedly realized wasn't even plugged in.
The water he'd used was room temperature.
Thame chuckled, clearly amused, while Po muttered an embarrassed, "Sorry...again."
"It's fine, but it's a mess now."
"Why don't you take a shower? You'll feel better."
"Alright," Thame agreed, heading to the bathroom.
Po pointed him in the right direction, then froze. He'd just tried to undress Thame and now had him going to shower. This was all unfolding too perfectly.
-
The sound of the shower echoed faintly through the apartment. Po's heart wouldn't stop racing as he straightened the bed-just in case they ended up using it-and prepared a fresh batch of noodles.
When Thame emerged, he gestured for Po to take a turn in the shower. Po nodded and retreated to the bathroom, his nerves jangling. Was this really happening? Was he ready? He checked his reflection one last time in the mirror.
When he came back out, the movie had started playing. They sat side by side on the sofa, Thame watching intently while Po tried to focus on the film. But his mind kept wandering to what might happen once the credits rolled.
He shook himself. No. Focus. This was the movie they'd both wanted to watch.
After about ten minutes, Po finally started to relax, but then he noticed Thame shifting. He turned to see Thame watching him instead of the screen.
"You're not watching the movie," Po said.
"I am."
"No, you're looking at me."
"I'm watching it reflected in your eyes," Thame replied without missing a beat.
"Just watch the screen," Po muttered, flustered.
"I like this view better," Thame said casually, inching closer.
Po swallowed hard, unsure whether Thame was trying to see the movie better or something else entirely. Before he could figure it out, Thame leaned in so close that Po could feel his warm breath.
Po turned to tell him to focus on the screen, but their noses brushed, and suddenly their lips were only inches apart.
Thame's eyes locked onto his, then flicked down to his lips.
Their breaths mingled, and the gap between them shrank-from five centimeters to four, to three, to- "Phi Po," Thame whispered.
Po's heart stopped.
"Can I...go home now?"
Thame abruptly stood, gathered his things, and headed for the door, leaving Po sitting there, stunned, as the movie continued playing.
What just happened?
Glancing at the convenience store bag Thame had brought earlier, Po peeked inside.
Not condoms, as he'd assumed. Just a pack of sour candy.
Thame had really just come over to watch the movie. Nothing more.
TO BE CONTINUED.