Archive of Our Own

4 Days Left

When Sarawat and Tine decided to share with the world that they were engaged, they saw an overwhelming amount of support and love from fans all over the world. The public might not have known very much about Tine, but one thing that was crystal clear was that he made Sarawat very happy. In that interview announcing their intention to get married, not only did the world get to know just a little more about the lawyer who had previously been a mystery to them, but they also got to see a side of Sarawat that they had never seen before. He wasn’t usually very talkative in interviews, he had always been more reserved and preferred to let the other members of the band take the lead. With Tine, the world got to see a softer side of the guitarist; his gaze was loving, his smile was comforting, his overall demeanor was just that of a man in love and when he talked about Tine, his words were almost like poetry. It was love. So it was no surprise that most people were very supportive of the relationship.

Of course, it was expected that not everyone would be happy with the news, but it hadn’t really bothered them. With wedding preparations, work and still trying to find time in between their hectic schedules to spend with family, friends and each other, they really had not gotten a chance to dwell on any of the negativity. 

With the wedding only four days away, Tine had opted to work from home for a while. He could’ve just taken as much time as he wanted off, his boss and coworkers had all reassured him that they could handle the workload, but he thought that he might go crazy staying home alone with nothing to do. Sarawat had been busy with CTRL+S promotions lately and focusing on his own work was the only thing that kept Tine occupied while he waited for the other man to come home each day. 

Sarawat, being the sweet and loving fiancé that he was, had decided that the band’s new album had to be released on the eve before their wedding. He had originally planned for it to be a surprise gift for Tine, but the record label had ruined those plans when they announced the release date of the new album to the public and then forced the members of CTRL+S to go out and promote it. To say that Sarawat had been disappointed would be an understatement, he was beyond upset and frustrated that his pre-wedding surprise gift for Tine was revealed, despite his continuous request to keep it a secret. He still did as his record label requested, and everyday for the past week, Sarawat had been grumpily traveling to different radio stations, television stations, magazine studios and other production stations, along with the rest of the band, to promote their upcoming album. He would have refused but Tine managed to talk him into it. Of course, Sarawat understood that promoting the album would result in it selling better but, for the longest time, it had been his plan to give this to Tine as a parting gift after their rehearsal dinner. On that night, Sarawat would stay with his parents and Tine would also spend the evening at his childhood home with his immediate family. They’d be sleeping apart for the first time since becoming engaged and Sarawat had hoped that the collection of songs would help Tine make it through one night without him and that they would remind him that he loved him more than anything in the world. Sarawat didn’t doubt that those songs would still provide Tine some sort of comfort, but now the surprise was ruined. 

Tine smiled as he recalled the memory of a pouty Sarawat complaining about how his grand gesture was completely spoiled as he paced around their room. Tine had kissed the pout off his lips and reassured him that it was still perfect, the best wedding present he could have ever imagined, and that he would respect Sarawat’s wish to listen to songs on the night before their wedding and no sooner than that. It’s not like he had a choice anyways, Sarawat was guarding those songs as if they were his most prized possession, he wouldn’t let anyone, besides his band mates, take a listen. Tine was usually one of the first people Sarawat would share his songs with but this time around, he hadn’t heard even a peep and yet, he already knew those songs would all become favorites of his, because they were dedicated to him from his one true love. 

He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was nearly five which meant that Sarawat would probably be home soon. Tine figured he had worked enough for the day so he decided to stop and get dinner started for them. He was about to sign out when an email that caught his attention suddenly appeared in his inbox; the email’s subject line was entirely capitalized and read ‘DON’T MARRY SARAWAT’. Tine knew he should just delete it and forget about it but curiosity got the best of him, and nothing anyone could ever say would get him to stop the wedding anyways, so he opened the mysterious email. There was no explanation, no threat, no warning… in fact there was no message written at all, it was just a long link to a site he had never heard of before. He hesitated for a few seconds before finally clicking on the link which directed him to an article on a crappy looking website.

‘Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get Married’

Tine scoffed upon reading the title of the article. He thought to himself that if someone was truly trying to get him to leave Sarawat, this article wasn’t going to do the trick. It was utterly ridiculous. Of course, there was really nothing in the world that could ever convince him to leave the person he knew he was meant to be with forever, but this was just a sad attempt.

He spent a few minutes skimming through the paragraphs of the article before deciding that it was a waste of his time and shutting off his computer. It was pointless wasting time on something so meaningless when Sarawat would come home soon and would most likely be starving. It was probably one of those rare fans of his fiancé’s that wasn’t too happy with the marriage announcement that had sent him this, after all, his work email wasn’t exactly difficult to find. This was nothing to concern himself with, in less than a week, he’d finally be marrying Sarawat and nothing was going to change that. Tine was sure of it.

Reason #1: Marriage Means the End of Romance & Spontaneity

Dinner was ready and the table was set, all that was missing now was Sarawat. Tine knew his fiancé would always say that it was fine to eat without him but he never did it anyways, he preferred for them to eat together. So as he waited, he sat back on the couch in their living room and flipped through the channels, stopping when he saw the handsome face of the man he loved on the screen. Tine smiled and grabbed one of the throw pillows nearby, hugging it close as he watched the program. 

“Can you please tell us what this album is about?” 

“Actually this entire album was composed and written by our leader, Sarawat,” Earn replied with an almost teasing smile on her face, “I think he’s the best one to talk about it.”

The interviewer, along with the rest of the band, looked at Sarawat expectantly, waiting for him to speak. The guitarist had the same cool expression on his face that he always wore during interviews. He didn’t exactly like sitting down and talking about himself which is why on stage is where he really shined. He also thought that music was free to be interpreted in different ways depending on the listener, so he never saw a need to explain the meaning behind his songs. The only person he had ever thoroughly explained his songs to was Tine, because they were meant for him. 

“It’s an album for my fiancé,” Sarawat stated after a few seconds, knowing that they weren’t going to move on until he said something.

Earn visibly nudged Sarawat and told him to say more with just the look she gave him. It’s not like the rest of the band didn’t want to help Sarawat out (they usually always did all the talking because they knew he didn’t like it), but this album had really been his creation alone and they all figured it was only right for him to speak on it. The rest of them just wouldn’t do it justice. 

“It’s a collection of songs I wrote from the first moment I saw Tine till the day we got engaged,” Sarawat continued after his friend’s encouragement, “I kept these songs a secret hoping that one day he and I would reach this stage in our lives and I could finally gift them to him.”

The musician’s face visibly softened as he began to speak more about his fiancé. Tine has always been his soft spot.

“It’s songs that show each stage of me falling deeper in love with Tine. The album is coming out on the night before our wedding. It's my gift to him to thank him for being the best life partner because I wouldn’t be in this position right now if it weren’t for his unconditional love and support. In the past, I’ve dedicated my songs to my boyfriend, this album is the first and only one that I’ll dedicate to him as my fiancé because in a few days he’ll be my husband. I just thought this would be a nice way for us to always remember this period in our lives, our engagement period. It’s… the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Tine didn’t realize he was tearing up until the television was suddenly turned off and a concerned looking Sarawat reached out to wipe away a single tear rolling down his face. He then crouched down in front of the couch where Tine sat and let out a small sigh, “ You know that I hate to see you cry because of me.”

Tine didn’t reply to the statement, he simply tossed the pillow he had been squeezing aside and threw himself into Sarawat’s arms. His fiancé was stunned for only a few seconds, but then he let out a small laugh and wrapped his arms around him. Tine whispered sweet “I love you’s” to Sarawat over and over again, causing the man to smile. He might not be as eloquent with words as Sarawat was with song lyrics but he hoped it was enough. And judging by the way Sarawat was holding him tightly, he figured that his fiancé knew just how much he meant it when he said those three words. 

“Now I really can’t wait to hear it, Wat” Tine said with a sniffle and a smile, “I already know it’s going to be my most favorite album ever.”

“Really?” Sarawat pulled back from their embrace just enough to see his nuisance’s tear-stained face. He silently wondered how even after crying, Tine still managed to look this breathtaking. “Even more than Scrubb’s albums?”

“I still like Scrubb a lot,” Tine replied as he pressed his forehead against Sarawat’s and looked him directly in the eyes. Those eyes that always looked back at him with so much love, care and tenderness, he adored them. “But your music became my favorite a long time ago.”

Sarawat broke out into a smile and Tine felt grateful that he was the lucky person who got to see it. The person in front of him now was far from the cool and reserved musician that the rest of the world saw. Because in front of him, Sarawat had always been a huge and loveable softie who adored him more than anything in the world and was happy just to know that Tine loved him back with all his heart. This side of Sarawat was really something special and Tine would always treasure the fact that with him, his fiancé could be completely himself. 

“If you like my music, that’s enough,” Sarawat stated happily, “Even if no one else liked it, as long as you do, I’m happy.”

“But everyone does love it, and they’re going to continue to love it,” Tine replied confidently, because he knew it was true. Sarawat may be his soon-to-be husband but he wasn’t being biased when he said that his music was the best. People connected with it, they loved it and that’s why Tine had no doubt that Sarawat would have another successful record in his hands. “You’re the best artist ever, Wat!”

“Thank you for believing in me,” Sarawat gave Tine a quick peck on the cheek. For some reason, he had a sneaking suspicion that his lover was correct and that a lot of people would love the songs he wrote for him, they were some of Sarawat’s favorites for sure. But what he said was also true, it didn’t matter to him if no one liked them, he just hoped that Tine would hear them and know just how much he meant to him. That’s all he cared about.

“Let’s have dinner, love.” Tine pulled Sarawat into the kitchen where a warm meal was already waiting for them. “You must be starving, you’ve been out all day.”

“Oh Tine,” Sarawat stared at the home cooked meal that honestly looked more delicious than anything he’d ever seen at any five star restaurant, “You didn’t have to cook for me, you’ve been working all day too. We could have just ordered something.”

“I won’t let my husband eat greasy fast food when I’m perfectly capable of cooking for him,” Tine declared as he forced Sarawat to sit down at the table, “Besides, I wanted to do it. You love when I cook for you!”

Sarawat grabbed Tine by the waist and pulled him down to sit on his lap before he could take a seat on the chair next to his. “Husband?” he asked with a smug smile on his face, “I like the sound of that.” It made his heart flutter in a way he couldn’t even describe. That word alone caused him an immense amount of happiness. Perhaps it was the fact that he had been dreaming of marrying this man since he was a teenager and now it was all coming true. And he got lucky too, because he was going to be spending the rest of his days with someone like Tine. His Tine who showed him in the smallest acts of kindness that he loved him and cared for him. He would wake up everyday and know that he won at life because for the rest of his, he’d be lucky enough to be with someone who was this beautiful, on the outside, yes, but even more so on the inside. 

“Four more days and you’ll hear it all the time,” Tine replied softly, his eyes displaying a combination of emotions: excitement, happiness, anticipation, but most of all, love. “Get used to it, you’re going to be stuck with me for the rest of your life. I trapped you!”

Sarawat laughed a little and shook his head, “I’m not trapped,” he replied before pecking Tine’s lips, “I’m the lucky person who gets to see you smile like this everyday, for the rest of our lives. I get to come home to you after a long day of work. I get to annoy you for the rest of your life. And I get to be beside you as you accomplish everything you’ve ever wanted in life. If anything, I’m the one who trapped you.”

Tine found himself blushing at the words coming from his fiancé. “We’re both lucky then,” he said with a smile, and it was true. He and Sarawat were lucky that in a world filled with so many people, and so many places, they still managed to find each other. Tine liked to believe it was destiny working its magic, and as he sat next to the man he loved and they talked about their days while enjoying their meal, he silently thanked whatever it was that had brought them together. 

After dinner, Tine thought that maybe they’d watch some TV and then call it a night, like they usually did. It was their usual routine, some may call it a rut, but he quite liked how they were. However, today was different. 

There were moments in life in which that fiancé of his still managed to catch Tine off guard in the best possible ways. When he walked into their living room, Sarawat wasn’t sitting on the couch with the television turned on like he usually would be; instead he was standing in the middle of the room with a sheepish smile on his face. Tine heard the soft music coming from the speaker in the corner of the room and he saw their coffee table had been pushed off to the side. 

“What are you up to, Wat?” he asked as he walked up to the other, a smile already making its way onto his face. 

“It occurred to me today that our wedding is soon and I’ve never slow danced before,” Sarawat replied as held out his hand for Tine to take. “So, may I please have this dance? I could really use the practice.”

Tine found himself giggling as he placed his hand on top of Sarawat’s and intertwined their fingers. “I’ve never done this either,” he admitted as his fiancé pulled him close. Ten years into their relationship and they had never once slow-danced together, or at all. Tine figured they would just wing it on their wedding day, he never expected for Sarawat to do this. But truthfully, his fiancé could be very romantic when he wanted to. 

“Then this will be good for both of us,” Sarawat replied as the song that he had on loop started again and he began to guide his lover through the dance. 

Tine kept his eyes glued to the floor at first, afraid he might accidentally step on Sarawat’s foot or something. It was only when his fiancé brought his fingers underneath his chin and lifted his head that he finally looked into the other’s eyes. 

“Just look at me. You’re doing good.” 

And Sarawat was right. Somehow two inexperienced slow-dancers managed to glide across the living room floor with an ease and gracefulness that would make anyone think they had done this many times before. Tine thought to himself that this was only possible because it was Sarawat leading him through it all. Had it been anyone else, he didn’t think it would be going as smoothly, as perfectly, as it was with Sarawat. They were a perfect match, even on the dance floor.

So honey, now, take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

Sarawat sang along to the words of the song softly, his eyes never once leaving Tine as he did. And as the song was coming to an end, he flawlessly twirled his fiancé around once, catching the other by surprise and causing him to laugh a little. It was Sarawat’s favorite sound. More than anything in the world, he adored the sound of Tine laughing because it meant he was happy and nothing meant more to him than Tine’s happiness.

Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart, I'm thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are

Tine laughed even more as the spin came to an end and Sarawat decided to dip him. He wrapped his arms around Sarawat’s neck as the other held him tightly by the waist. His fiancé laughed along with him and at that moment they were both pretty surprised that they had managed to get through the entire dance so effortlessly. 

Sarawat stopped laughing first, staring at the boy in his arms with so much adoration. Ever since he had introduced Tine to the world, there was one thing that everyone wanted to know: Why him? What made him so different from everyone else? Why was he so special?

Sarawat thought there were a lot of correct answers to those questions. He loved how things with Tine were so easy, he loved how the man brought out the best in him, he loved how they took care of each other and how they made each other happier than either thought possible. But if he had to say just one reason why it had to be Tine and no one else, well then Sarawat would say…

“I love you,” he brought his fiancé back up into a standing position but kept his arms wrapped around him, “I love you because you’re you.”

“Oh, Wat…” Tine leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sarawat’s for a breathtaking kiss. At that moment, he just felt so loved. He knew that Sarawat would always treasure him and protect his heart. He never had to fear that he was unloveable again, because this man in front of him loved him unconditionally and wholeheartedly. He loved Tine without expecting anything in return and that was so pure and beautiful.

Marriage means the end of romance and spontaneity.

Maybe that was the case for some couples but not for them. Tine had always been sure of it, but tonight it was proven true. If in their ten years together, Sarawat still managed to keep surprising him and making him feel like the luckiest person in the universe, then Tine knew he had nothing to worry about. 

“Promise me we’ll always stay this way, Wat.” 

Sarawat didn’t need Tine to elaborate, he understood exactly what he was asking of him. 

“I promise you.”

3 Days Left

Reason #2: Attraction & Feelings May Change Over Time

“Do you ever get tired of seeing your husband's face everywhere?”

Tine frowned upon hearing the absurd question coming from his best friend. Wasn’t he supposed to know him better than anyone? He took the magazine that the man next to him was holding and looking through, rolled it up and proceeded to (lightly) hit him on top of the head with it. Fong, deciding that he wanted to be over dramatic about the whole thing, immediately yelped and rubbed the spot that Tine had just hit. The way he was acting, anyone would think that Tine had just hit him with a baseball bat instead of the tabloid rag. 

“What was that for?” Fong asked as he yanked the magazine from Tine’s hand and attempted to hit him back, just as the other had done to him. Unfortunately for him, the lawyer saw it coming and dodged the incoming attack quite easily. 

“You got hit because that was a ridiculous question with only one correct answer,” Tine replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“And that answer is?” Fong asked, because for some reason he wanted to annoy the other today. That’s what best friends are supposed to do. Besides, it was kind of amusing to see his friend with that lovestruck look on his face. Before Sarawat, Fong could honestly say that he had never seen Tine this enamored with anyone. That’s why he knew that Sarawat was different, his friend just glowed differently after the two of them got together. “Come on, answer the question!”

Tine rolled his eyes and continued his walk through the store they had been browsing for some minutes now, leaving his friend on his own. Fong already knew that the answer to that question was a resounding no. He could never get tired of seeing Sarawat’s perfectly sculpted face. How could he when his fiancé was undoubtedly one of the most handsome men in this universe? Not to mention that Sarawat’s big eyes always seemed to sparkle like the stars above and his smile had never failed to make Tine’s heart skip a beat. He could never grow tired of that.

Fong laughed as he jogged up next to Tine and held up the magazine with Sarawat’s face plastered on the cover, “I’m only asking because he’s literally everywhere! Just look around. He’s on this magazine cover and about a dozen others, his album is on display at basically all the music stores, there’s a huge billboard of him right outside this mall and I couldn’t even tell you how many people I’ve seen wearing CTRL+S shirts in just these past two hours that we’ve been browsing around. It’s crazy!”

“That’s how it’s always been, Fong.” Tine stated as he looked around the store, and now that his friend had pointed it out, he could see that it was true, Sarawat’s image really was everywhere. He found some sort of comfort in that. It’s like, no matter where he was, the person he loved was always near him.

“Yeah, he was pretty popular during our university days but this is on a whole other level!” Fong exclaimed as they made their way out of the store. They turned the corner and saw a huge LED advertising display with a picture of CTRL+S, promoting the band’s new album that would be out soon. Sarawat was standing right in the middle, his favorite electric guitar in his hands and a stoic look on his face. Fong pointed at the guitarist, “See? He’s everywhere!”

Tine laughed a little and shook his head, “Well the band worked really hard to reach this point in their careers. I’m happy for them.” He stared at the huge picture of his fiancé for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his friend, “And I guarantee you that I could never get tired of looking at that face.”

Fong scoffed in fake annoyance and started pushing Tine towards the nearest exit, “Come on lover boy. We’d better get you back home to that husband of yours before you start acting even more like a lovesick puppy.”

Thirty minutes later, Tine walked through the front door of their home and was greeted by the sound of Sarawat’s sweet singing voice accompanied by his acoustic guitar. That’s a sound that could instantly bring a smile to his face, no matter how many times he’d heard it before in the past. He dropped his shopping bags to the floor and basically sprinted up the stairs to his fiancé’s music room. 

“I’m back!” Tine announced as he swung the door open and stepped inside the room. 

Sarawat looked up at him and smiled. He stopped playing his guitar and set it down on it’s stand before walking over to Tine and taking him into his arms. It was the way he always welcomed his lover back home and Tine knew he could never grow tired of this either; Sarawat’s arms were his safe haven. He sighed happily as he wrapped his own arms around the musician and gave him a squeeze. He felt happiest in moments like these.

“Would I sound too clingy if I said I missed you?”

Sarawat laughed a little upon hearing the question. He recalled a time in their relationship in which Tine wasn’t nearly as clingy or as open with his feelings as he had been in the more recent years. But as time went on, Sarawat noticed how Tine began to stick to him as if they were glued together at the hip, how he would hug him for longer periods of time with no intentions of letting go and how he would whisper sweet nothings into his ear that could make anyone’s heart beat faster. These were all things that he had been too shy to do before but that naturally came out of Tine once he felt comfortable enough with Sarawat. The musician found it gratifying that his nuisance felt comfortable enough to be completely himself around him. Tine had many layers; Sarawat was the only person who had been patient enough to stick around and discover all those different layers. He was glad he did because those sides of Tine, the sides that he didn’t share with very many people, were the parts of him that Sarawat loved most. 

“I missed you too, baby.” Sarawat kissed the top of Tine’s head before fully pulling away from their embrace. He noticed his nuisance pouting just slightly as they separated from each other and smiled to himself upon seeing that. The guitarist took hold of his lover's hand and they walked over to the sofa in the corner of the room. Sarawat plopped down on it before pulling Tine down on the spot next to him. “Three hours is a long time to be away from you.”

Tine suddenly laughed loudly, shaking his head and surprising his fiancé next to him who was looking back at him and probably wondering if he had lost his mind. 

“I want to laugh too,” Sarawat said after a few seconds of just staring at Tine in amusement, “Come on, tell me what’s so funny?”

Tine managed to stop laughing and found himself being pulled onto Sarawat’s lap. He made himself comfortable before resting his head on his fiancé’s chest and listening to the steady beating of his heart. “It’s just funny that we were only apart for three hours,” he looked up and into those eyes that he loved so much as he reached up to caress Sarawat’s cheek, “but we missed each other as if it had been days. Wat, are we crazy? This isn’t normal, is it?”

“We’re special Tine,” Sarawat declared with a proud look on his face. 

“Really?” The lawyer brushed away some strands of hair that fell over his fiancé’s eyes as the man stared down at him, “How so?”

Sarawat pressed a kiss on Tine’s forehead, “Because our love is different from everyone else’s. I didn’t think I needed someone in my life to complete me, I was perfectly fine on my own, but then I met you and you became everything to me. I just know that what we have is what other people search for their whole lives and they aren’t as lucky. Tine, you make me happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

“Wat, are you trying to make me cry?” Tine asked as he hid his face in Sarawat’s chest. His fiancé had a way of making him feel like the most special person on earth and he still questioned what he did in his past life to deserve someone so amazing. “I was one of those people who searched for love in every place and person. Now that I have you, I realize that this feeling is more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. Wat, will you please love me forever? I don’t want to lose you.”

“You never will, baby. I promise you.”

Attraction and feelings may change over time.

Tine let out a satisfied sigh. He knew that what he and Sarawat had went deeper than all the superficial things, like appearances. Of course there was mutual attraction, if there hadn’t been they might never have looked each other’s ways in the first place, but now it was so much more than that. Tine knew that no matter how many years went by and how much older they got, they would always be connected emotionally because Sarawat was right, their love was special. 

2 Days Left

Reason #3: Unmarried, Childless People are Happier & Less Stressed 

Tine was re-reading the article that had been emailed to him a few days ago, not because he was doubting his relationship, but because despite it being incredibly ridiculous, it did bring up ONE good point. He and Sarawat talked about their future a lot; they talked about what they wanted to achieve in their careers, they talked about traveling to different places together, they talked about someday raising a puppy together and they talk about growing old together too. Occasionally, they also talked about starting a family together, but those conversations always seemed to be very brief and rushed, Tine figured it was probably because neither of them was ready for that step yet. At least, he knew that he wasn’t. 

He put his phone down on the coffee table in front of him and then looked around their home. Their home was everything he had ever described to Sarawat, it was exactly what he had always dreamed of, but Tine also knew that it was way too big for just the two of them. He began to wonder if maybe, subconsciously, he had dreamed of such a big home because he wanted children of his own one day. They could’ve been happy anywhere, in their old apartment or in a house much smaller than this one, anywhere could be home as long as they were together, so why had he picked this place? 

“I didn’t forget about the big house we always talked about getting, so we can start our own family someday.”

These are the words Sarawat had said to him on the day that he proposed. These words were true. They had both said that a big home would be nice for when they were ready to start raising kids but now, Tine was questioning if he would ever feel ready at all. He thought that 28 was a good age to get married, at least for them it was, but now he wondered at what age would he feel prepared to be a dad? What if he never did? And did Sarawat already know when he wanted to start the process? These are all questions that had sparked because of that stupid article, but Tine knew these were also important things that he needed answers to before tying the knot. With their wedding in just two days, Tine worried that there wasn’t enough time for them to figure it all out.

“Tine…. Sarawat, is anyone home?” 

Tine heard a familiar voice and snapped back to reality, not realizing that he had been completely zoned out. He looked up and immediately smiled upon seeing his adorable nephew running into the room and right towards him, followed by Type. He crouched down to the ground and held his arms wide open, laughing when the precious three year old ran straight into them and hugged him as tightly as his little arms could. Tine picked the small boy up and gave him sweet kisses all over his face, “Hello Max!”

Max shyly returned the affection, giving his uncle just a single kiss one cheek. 

“I let myself in with the spare key,” his older brother, Type, explained as he kicked off his shoes, “We were knocking for a while but there was no answer so I was just going to put these things away in your kitchen and leave a note.”

“Sorry P’Type, I was distracted.” Tine let the small boy in his arms pinch his cheeks and grab at his hair because for some reason he really liked doing that, and Tine just couldn’t find it in his heart to scold him for this. Max was just too adorable. “I didn’t even hear the doorbell.”

“It’s fine,” Type replied as he set down some bags that he had brought with him, “I went to visit mom and she sent all this food over for you and the rockstar. Apparently it’s Sarawat’s favorites. She insisted that I give these to you today.”

“I’ll take those to the kitchen,” Tine said before giving Max another quick kiss on the cheek and passing the small boy to his brother. “I’ll be right back.” He grabbed the bags his brother had set down and took them all into the kitchen, putting everything in its proper place. He thought to himself that it was sweet how much his mom adored Sarawat; she really took care of him as if he were another one of her sons. If there was one thing he would always be grateful for, it’s the fact that his family loved Sarawat as much as Sarawat’s family loved him. If they ever did have a kid, that baby would surely be the most loved and pampered toddler in the world. His mom already knew the joy of having a grandchild but Sarawat’s mother didn’t and everyone knew it was something she was looking forward to. Tine knew that it would break her heart if they decided not to have one. His heart felt heavy as more of these sorts of thoughts started filling his mind. He felt like he was letting a lot of people down when he himself didn’t even know what he truly wanted yet.  

As hard as it was, Tine knew he couldn’t dwell on any of that now, so he collected himself before walking back out into the living room where he saw his brother and nephew sitting on the floor, playing some sort of educational game, because Type was like that. He liked for little Max to play with games that could teach him things instead of rot his brain, at least that’s how Type had explained it to him. Tine wondered if he would be that type of parent should he ever have his own children. Would he be a good dad? He hoped he would be.

“What were you thinking about earlier?” Type asked as his younger brother took a seat across from him. Max noticed this too and immediately went to sit down on Tine’s lap before continuing to play with his toy. “It must’ve been something pretty serious considering you didn’t hear us. Is everything alright?”

Tine let out a small sigh as he ran his fingers through Max’s soft hair. He knew his brother would offer him good advice if he told him what was on his mind, but Tine wondered if this was something he should talk to Sarawat about first rather than Type. Then again, his brother and Man had already gone through this and maybe his advice would make everything so much more clearer. 

“How did you know that you were ready to be a dad, P’Type? Will I just wake up one day and know?”

“Hmmm,” the older of the two men thought for a few minutes before speaking, he wanted to give his brother the best advice possible, especially on this matter. “Man was ready way before I was, and I honestly didn’t know if I would ever get there. I enjoyed the tranquility of our relationship. I liked coming home from work and just relaxing with him. I liked our simple life but most of all, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be a good dad. It wasn’t easy, I’ll admit.”

Tine looked at the small boy in his arms and then back at his brother, “I didn’t know you struggled that much.”

“I did but, it was worth it you know?” Type said as he looked at the three year old boy who he loved more than anything in the world. “I will tell you that I didn’t just wake up one day and know that I was ready, it happened gradually. I did my research about the adoption process, talked to other people who had gone through it and then one day, Man and I just decided we were both prepared to also go through that process ourselves. I knew I was ready because it’s not something that’s easy to do, adopting a child is a hard and bumpy road, but I never let myself get discouraged and I never felt like giving up and I supposed that’s how I knew that I really wanted this.  When you’re truly ready to become a parent, you’ll also be ready for that child to come before everything else in your life. Your priorities will change. Mines sure did.”

Type looked away from his son, who was still happily playing with his toy, and turned his attention to Tine, “That’s my story, but that doesn’t mean yours will play out the same way, so the best advice I could give you is to talk to him about it, tell him how you feel and let him tell you how he feels too. Sarawat’s a good guy and he would want you to share your feelings about this with him. You two will figure it out, trust me.”

Thank you, P’Type,” Tine said with a small smile; he felt better after hearing that his brother also had struggled with this but that it had all ultimately worked out for him. “You’re right, I just need to talk to Wat. We’ll work through it together. He’s the best person to talk to when I’m in my head.”

“You could’ve done worse than him,” Type replied with a teasing smile and a shrug. He still liked acting like the tough big brother who thought no one was good enough for his baby brother but Tine knew that Type approved of Sarawat, even if he refused to say it out loud.

“Why won’t you just admit that you like Wat already?” Tine asked even though he knew his brother was only playing around, trying to intimidate poor Sarawat. 

“Gotta keep him on his toes. But between you and me,” Type looked around, as if to make sure that it really was just the three of them in the room, “he really is the best person for you. I’m happy it’s him you’re marrying, Tine, and I really mean that.”

Tine beamed at his older brother. It’s not like he needed Type to approve, he would marry Sarawat no matter what, but it was nice that his brother could finally say this to him. “Thank you for admitting it.”

“But don’t you dare tell Sarawat this!” Type warned, not hearing the front door being opened and shut.

“Tell me what?” Sarawat asked as he walked into the living room after another day of album promotions. Thankfully, today was the last day of these press rounds and he couldn’t be happier about the fact.

“Uncle Wat!” Max quickly got up from Tine’s lap and made his way over to the musician, providing the perfect distraction for Type to warn his brother not to say anything. 

“Hello kiddo,” Sarawat smiled as he bent down and picked up the three year old. He placed a kiss on the young boy’s cheek before walking further into the living room and making himself comfortable on the couch, sitting the three year old down on his lap. 

Tine watched as Max excitedly talked to Sarawat about his new toy and Sarawat eagerly listened. His fiancé wasn’t usually one to show very many people his softer side, but it came out naturally whenever he was with their nephew and Tine found it precious. He thought that Sarawat was a good uncle and he would definitely make a good dad someday, should that day ever come. And as he watched the two of them interact, Tine also realized that he definitely needed to talk to Sarawat about this topic sooner rather than later. Max was a precious boy and he adored him very much, but Tine knew that being a dad would be a lot more work than being an uncle, and he wasn’t ready for that yet. His focus right now was his career and his relationship with Sarawat and if they didn’t even have time to raise a puppy, then there was definitely no way they had time for a baby. Tine knew for sure now that he wasn’t ready yet but as he looked at Sarawat with Max, with that big smile on his face and that adoring look in his eyes, he wondered if they were on the same page. And if they weren’t, what would that mean for their relationship? 

It was later on at night, after Type and Max had left because Man had called to complain that he missed them, that Tine finally decided he needed to talk to Sarawat about his concerns. They were sitting down and having dinner, which Sarawat was thoroughly enjoying because he had always preferred home cooked meals to eating out. Plus, it came from Tine’s mom and that made him love it all that more. 

“I have to call mom later and thank her for the meal,” Sarawat said as continued to happily eat everything in front of him. He only stopped minutes later when he noticed that Tine was just staring at him and had barely touched any of the food on his own plate, “Something on my face?”

Tine smiled for the first time that night and nodded. “Just a little something,” he reached out and wiped away some food from the corner of Sarawat’s mouth, “You messy eater. Am I marrying a kid?”

Sarawat smiled back shyly, “Sorry babe, I was starving and got excited about all the food.”

“It’s okay you big baby,” Tine replied while looking at his fiancé adoringly. He knew he needed to bring the topic up somehow but he truthfully didn’t know how. Luckily for him, Sarawat knew him better than anyone. He felt a hand on top of his own, and noticed he had the other man’s full and undivided attention.

“You can always tell me anything Tine,” Sarawat reassured, his voice gentle as he spoke, “Just come right out and say it. I promise you, you’ll feel a lot better once you do.”

“Well…” Tine started but immediately stopped because he still wasn’t quite sure how to start the conversation. Still, he needed to say this, so he gathered up all his courage and just said whatever came to mind. “I was thinking today, when I saw you with Max, that we haven’t really gone into detail about… someday having our own family. It just feels like that’s something we should talk about, don’t you think? Before we get married?”

Sarawat nodded, “Definitely, and I’m ready to hear how you feel about it Tine. Go on, tell me.”

“But I’m scared that if I tell you how I feel, and we’re not on the same page… then you’ll have second thoughts about me,” Tine looked down at the floor, feeling anxious as he spoke. More than anything in the world, he feared losing Sarawat the most. He couldn’t imagine a future without him and he didn’t want to know what life without him would be like. But he also didn’t want to be the reason why Sarawat would ever be unhappy. 

“Tine, if you’re worried that I will leave, just because you’re not ready to have a kid right now… you’re wrong.” Sarawat cupped the other man’s face and made him look up at him. “We should take time to enjoy our marriage first, right?”

“And if I’m never ready?” Tine asked, eyes already filling to the brim with tears, “I don’t want you to ever have to settle Wat.”

Sarawat let out an audible gasp. At this point in their lives, he agreed that they weren’t ready to take that step yet, but it had never crossed his mind that they might not ever be prepared. He didn’t know what to say to that so Sarawat just pulled the man he loved into a tight embrace as he tried to find the right words to say. Right now, Sarawat could say that they were on the same page because neither of them knew if they would ever be ready. But he wondered, what if one day he decided that he did want to be a dad and Tine decided he didn’t, or the other way around…. what would become of their relationship then? Sarawat understood why Tine was so worried, those concerns were valid but they also shouldn’t let what they have now be ruined by something that they didn’t even have an answer to yet. In life, we can’t always be expected to have everything figured out, sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and trust that everything would work out how it’s supposed to in the end. Sarawat believed in them, he believed that when the time came, they would make the right decision for both of them.

“Tine, I’m actually not sure if I’ll ever be ready either,” Sarawat admitted after minutes of  deafening silence.  He kept holding his lover close as he continued, “Maybe someday we’ll decide that it’s the right thing for us or we’ll figure out that it’s not, but baby… the thing that I’m most sure of in this world is that I love you and I would never ever leave you for any reason okay? We still have time to decide, so we can’t let this consume us. We’ll figure it out, we always have.”

Tine pulled away from their hug and looked Sarawat directly in the eyes, searching for any sign that his fiancé might be lying to him just to calm him down. He saw nothing but love in them and knew that Sarawat meant what he said. They both had no clue and that was okay. They just had to enjoy the present. 

“You’ll tell me if you decide one day that you’re ready, right?” Tine asked.

“Yes, and I expect the same from you, okay?” Sarawat replied without hesitation. “We’re going to be okay baby.”

Unmarried, childless people are happier and less stressed.

Tine knew that this wasn’t true. He knew that kids were a blessing in people's lives despite the stressful moments and he knew that marriage took work, but he was more than ready to put forth the effort. They didnt know if in the future they would ever be parents, but Tine knew now that it was okay. They could get through anything together and they didn’t have to have it all figured out. One thing he knew for sure is that, if one day he did have kids of his own, there’s no one in the world he’d want to raise them with other than Sarawat. 

1 Day Left

Reason #4: Marriage Means You Must Put Up With Your Spouse’s Family 

Tine was usually the one who’d always wake up first in the mornings but on this day, he was surprised to open his eyes and find that Sarawat was already wide awake and staring at him while laying on his side. Their faces were incredibly close, so close that Tine could see practically every small detail of his fiancé’s perfect face; he stared at Sarawat’s plump and kissable lips for a few seconds before his eyes made their way up and looked into the other’s big, Bambi-like orbs. He broke out into a lazy smile, “Good morning, love.” His voice was only a soft whisper as he spoke, “You’re up early today. Couldn’t sleep?”

Sarawat returned the sweet smile, “I slept fine, I just wanted to stare at my fiancé’s beautiful sleeping face one last time.” He draped an arm around Tine’s waist and pulled him even closer than he already was, until there was truly no space between them. He continued admiring the beauty in his arms; his boy was truly flawless, even this early in the morning after having just woken up. Sarawat leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto Tine’s forehead; he was glad to see that the man was in much better spirits today than he had been last night. It had been a tough but necessary conversation and he was glad that they came to the conclusion that they just needed to enjoy the now. Sarawat trusted that things would fall into place for them, they always had in the past, so he wasn’t worried. Tomorrow he’d be marrying the most wonderful person ever and that’s what he was focused on right now. 

“What do you mean for the last time?” Tine asked with a pout that Sarawat just couldn’t help but kiss. 

“Today’s your last day as my fiancé,” Sarawat replied happily. Their engagement period had been sweet but he knew they were both more than ready for tomorrow. “The next morning that we wake up next to each other, you’ll be my husband.”

Tine lightly hit his fiancé’s bare chest and blushed furiously, “You’re too cheesy, Wat! I won’t look any different after we’re married.”

Sarawat laughed at his reaction while going on and on about how adorable he was. Tine stared at him as he laughed and felt the smile on his own face growing bigger. He was so happy at that moment; it was a type of joy that he had only ever felt with Sarawat. There were moments in his life in which Tine would be filled with doubt and would question whether or not he was doing the right thing. Tomorrow was the day he’d officially become Sarawat’s husband and he had never been more sure of anything in his entire life. This was definitely the man he wanted to spend forever with and he had no doubts about that. 

Tine looked at the clock on the bedside table; it was exactly 8AM and he knew that in just a couple of hours both their families would start showing up at their place. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day before his wedding than surrounded by the people who loved and supported them both, wholeheartedly. It was only supposed to be a rehearsal dinner but they knew tomorrow would be an even busier day than today and there would be a lot more guests to entertain, so they planned for this day to be spent with just their immediate families, up until the rehearsal dinner, when their close friends would join them too. 

“I guess we should get up now,” Tine said as he sat up on the bed, which was difficult to do considering the fact that Sarawat was holding onto him tightly. He ran his fingers through his lover’s messy locks, “Come on Wat, get up for me.”

Sarawat, deciding that he wanted to be stubborn, shook his head and instead tried to pull Tine back down into his arms. There was no reason for them to be up this early anyways, he just wanted to stay in this place with his lover for as long as possible. “Lay down and let me keep staring at you instead.”

Tine let out a chuckle and shook his head. That fiancé of his could sure be ridiculous sometimes. “That’s silly, Wat. Come on, there’s gotta be something better we can do than lay around until everyone shows up. Get up!”

“Kiss me first then,” Sarawat replied cheekily, fully expecting his fiancé to ignore his request and just get up without him. But Tine didn’t hesitate for even a second; he crawled on top of Sarawat, causing the said boy to just about lose his mind because he honestly hadn’t been expecting it at all, but he didn’t mind it one bit.

 “Just one kiss?” the lawyer asked, whispering his question directly into Sarawat’s ear, a satisfied smirk making its way onto his face when he felt the man underneath him shudder in anticipation. Oh how he loved taking his Wat by surprise.

“If you want to give me more than one,” Sarawat breathed out, his voice was shaky from the excitement he felt, “I wouldn’t oppose.”

“Hmmm… we’ll see,” Tine teased before pressing several kisses along Sarawat’s jaw and down his neck. He found it oddly satisfying how easily he could make the man underneath him lose all control. And Tine knew exactly what he was doing as he pressed his lips against his fiancé’s soft skin. He wanted to rile him up, and considering the fact that he had always been Sarawat’s only weakness, it wasn’t hard for him to do. 

The room was quiet, except for the sound of Sarawat’s heavy breathing, as his fiancé was now gently sucking on his sensitive skin. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back and let himself enjoy the feeling of Tine’s lips all over him. He had only asked for a kiss, one that he hadn’t even really expected to get, and now the boy above him was succeeding in making a mess out of him. 

“Almost forgot,” Tine mumbled against Sarawat’s neck after a while, “You just wanted a kiss.” He pressed his lips against the other man’s neck one last time before fully pulling away, smiling down at him innocently, as if he didn’t know what he had just done. 

“You tease,” Sarawat said as he stared up at the man above him hungrily. “You know that just one kiss won’t be enough now, right?”

“I figured.”

Sarawat sat up on the bed, Tine still on top of him as he did. He wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist, smiling when his nuisance immediately responded by wrapping his own arms around his neck. They stared at each other for a few seconds, both of them taking in how perfect this moment was. It was Sarawat who eventually pressed their lips together after a while, kissing his boy slowly, wanting to savor this moment as well. Tine returned the kiss, his fingers running through the other man’s hair as he did. They stayed this way for a long time, until Sarawat pulled away and pushed his fiancé back onto the mattress.

“One kiss definitely won’t be enough,” he said as he hovered over his lover this time.

Tine stared directly at him and smiled so prettily that Sarawat swore he stopped breathing for a second or two. “I’m not the one who suggested just one kiss,” he replied, the tone of his voice was a teasing one. “When has one kiss ever been enough for you, love?”

“Never when it comes to you,” Sarawat admitted. 

“Exactly,” Tine rose up from the bed just slightly and gave his fiancé a kiss on the corner of his lips, before bringing his own closer to Sarawat’s ear and whispering into it, “Lucky for you, we have more than enough time.”

And that’s all Sarawat needed to hear; they stayed in bed for a lot longer than they intended that morning.

Later on that day, Tine stepped out of their home and into the backyard with a cake that he had made himself in his hands and a big smile on his face. Their families were already gathered out there and Sarawat was sitting in between both their moms as the two women eagerly chatted about the big day tomorrow. To say that they were excited would be an understatement; he could even argue that their mothers were looking forward to the wedding even more than they were. It had been a good day today, a day that made Tine realize how lucky he truly was. He had a man that loved him unconditionally, his amazing family that supported him through everything and now he was gaining a new family that welcomed him with open arms. What more could he ask for?

Tine quickly made his way over to his fiancé, and held the homemade cake out in front of him, taking the musician by surprise. Sarawat smiled instantly as he got up from his seat. He looked at the cake and then at at Tine, “What’s this for, little buffalo?”

The cake had the word ‘congratulations’ written on top of it with icing. It was simple and Tine was honestly just hoping that it tasted decently because he wasn’t much of a baker, but he had wanted to try for Sarawat. He could’ve just bought a cake and called it a day, but making it himself made it more special. Tine knew that Sarawat would appreciate the sentiment.

“Your album comes out later tonight,” he said softly, “We usually always listen to them together, but we’ll be apart this time, so I have to congratulate you a bit early.”

“Oh how sweet,” Sarawat’s mom whispered with a smile on her face, one that matched her son’s happy expression. Of course, as a mother all she ever wanted was for her child to find happiness in life and she could tell that Tine was her son’s happiness. She could never thank Tine enough for being the reason behind Sarawat’s smile and for being his biggest support system. That’s why she adored Tine so much, because he changed something in Sarawat, and it was a change for the better.

“Thank you, baby,” Sarawat said gratefully. With all the excitement of today, he honestly hadn’t given much thought to the band’s new album, but of course, leave it to his fiancé to not only remember, but to celebrate it. When Sarawat said that their relationship was special, he truly meant it. Tine was the person who had believed in him more than anyone else in the world. When Sarawat went to him and told him that he was thinking of leaving his steady job to pursue music full time, Tine didn’t freak out or make him feel ridiculous for making that decision, he supported him and encouraged him to go for it. Tine had been the most excited when CTRL+S’ first album came out, he had sat front row at their first major concert and he still celebrated every milestone they reached, no matter how big or small. 

“I’m so proud of you, love.” Tine passed the cake to his own mother and then he brought his hands up to cup his fiancé’s cheeks, “I just wanted to tell you now, in person, that my happiness is getting to be by your side as you accomplish all your dreams. You’re so deserving of all your success and I’m always going to support you through absolutely everything, okay? I love you so much. I can’t wait to hear your album tonight.”

Sarawat wasn’t usually one to cry, but this day had already been emotional enough and after hearing Tine’s words, he couldn’t help but to shed a few tears. Not wanting anyone to see him like this, he hid his face in the crook of his nuisance’s neck as he hugged him tightly. Tine said he was proud of him but he probably didn’t know that without him in his life, Sarawat wouldn’t have ever gotten this far. Tine was his motivation to keep pushing despite all the obstacles he faced, he was the muse of his songs, the inspiration behind every single lyric he wrote and every melody he composed. Tine was the reason for his success, he was everything that was good in his life and Sarawat had always been so sure of that.

“You two are gonna make us all start crying too!” Tine’s mom said with a small laugh. 

“Nope, no more crying,” Tine giggled and stepped back only to wipe away the last of Sarawat’s tears and to give him a quick peck on the lips, “It’s a happy day! Come on love, cut your cake.”

“You two are too damn cute, it's making me sick!” Phukong teased as he filmed the couple’s entire interaction on his phone, Tine had asked him to do it earlier so he could look back on this moment. 

“Yeah,” Type agreed as he held his son in his arms, “Just cut the cake, will you? Max is all excited about it.”

“My husband just surprised me! Will you two let me enjoy it for a second?” Sarawat said while jokingly glaring at his brother and soon to be brother-in-law. He then turned his attention back to Tine, kissing the top of his head as his boy looked up at him with the most loving of gazes. 

“I like the sound of it too, of being called your husband.” Tine said quietly, only loud enough for Sarawat to hear. 

“Tomorrow it becomes official, baby,” Sarawat replied, also in a hushed tone, “I really did trap you.”

They shared a laugh that only the two of them understood and the rest of the day was spent exactly how they had hoped it would be, surrounded by the ones they loved, everyone celebrating their union and genuinely wishing them well for the future. The rehearsal dinner went without a hitch as well, thanks to their perfectionist of a wedding planner, Mimi. 

Later that evening, as everyone got ready to go back home, Tine was pulled aside by Sarawat’s mom into a corner of the room where they could talk privately. The happy smile on her face as she took Tine’s hands in hers already said a lot. 

“Tomorrow is going to be a hectic day,” she said softly “so I wanted to tell you this now, in case I don’t get the chance tomorrow.”

Tine nodded, “Of course, please tell me.”

She looked at him with so much adoration as she began to speak, “You are the best thing that has ever happened to Sarawat and I’m so happy it’s you he’s marrying. His father and I worried a lot about him when he was younger, about whether he would be able to find someone who could be patient enough to get to know the real him and not just be with him for superficial reasons. My dear Tine, thank you for showing Sarawat what true and unconditional love is and thank you for supporting him these past ten years. I have never seen my son this happy and I’ll never be able to say enough what a blessing you’ve been in his life, and in our family’s lives as well. All of us love you so much and remember, you’re family now and you can always count on us.” 

Marriage means you must put up with your spouse’s family.

Tine knew not everyone was as fortunate as him, he understood that not everyone got along so well with their future in-laws. He was lucky that from the moment he met them, Sarawat’s family had been so welcoming of him. They really had become family over the years and as Tine hugged Sarawat’s mother tightly and thanked her for her kind words, he knew that this was one thing he’d never ever have to worry about. He’d never have to dread when his in-laws came over for a visit, he’d never have to put on a fake smile around them, he’d just never have to experience those awful things that people who hate their in-laws always talk about and he was eternally grateful for that. 

“Thank you too, for accepting me into your family and for supporting us all these years. I’ll take good care of him, I promise you.”

Sarawat’s mother nodded as she wiped away a tear that had escaped her eyes, “I know you will. Now, let’s get you back in there so you two can say a proper goodbye to each other. Tomorrow is the big day!”

They walked back into the room where everyone was still gathered, Tine easily found Sarawat amidst the small crowd of people and immediately walked over to him. He took the man’s hand in his, smiling when his fiancé immediately kissed the top of his head and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“It's almost time for us to separate,” Sarawat whispered softly, almost sadly. They had been apart before, sometimes for several weeks when Sarawat would leave to go on tour, but it never got easier. 

“Lets go talk before we do.”

The two excused themselves before heading outside, it was only a bit chilly out, but overall the night was beautiful and the stars were sparkling. Their fingers we’re still intertwined and neither of them had the intention of letting go anytime soon. There was nothing in particular that either one of them had to say but as long as they were out here, they wouldn’t need to separate just yet. 

“Hey Tine,” Sarawat was the first to break the silence, “The album came out a few minutes ago.” He let go of Tine’s hand for just a few seconds to grab his phone and headphones from his pocket, he passed one over to Tine and put the other in his own ear. “Let’s listen to just the first song here and when you get home, you can call me and we can listen to rest while we’re on the phone together, okay?”

Tine smiled and nodded, “I’d like that.”

Sarawat smiled back and let out a nervous sigh before hitting play on the first song of the album. It was a song he wrote on that very first day he ever saw Tine. He had never told anyone about it, not even Man or Boss, because he feared that his friends might think he was actually crazy. Even he thought he might have been crazy back then, to think that a stranger who he had only seen very briefly and would probably never see again, was taking up this much of his thoughts. 

Maybe it's intuition
But some things you just don't question 
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant 
And there it goes, I think I've found my best friend

If people asked him now, to describe the moment that he knew he was in love with Tine, he would say he knew from the very first moment he saw him. No one had ever captivated him like Tine had on that day. Sarawat thought he was beautiful, of course, but the thing he had found most attractive about the boy who was only a stranger to him back then, was the fact that it was the simplest things that seemed to bring him joy. His smile was so radiant, so genuine and it had been engraved into Sarawat’s memory. He remembered getting home from that concert, running up to his room and writing the song they were listening to now. 

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life

Sarawat looked at Tine next to him and he wasn’t at all surprised to see that his fiancé was already crying. His nuisance had always been the type to get emotional easily but he loved that about him too. The musician silently wrapped his arms around the crying boy and held him throughout the entire duration of the song. 

I knew I loved you before I met you 
I have been waiting all my life 
I am complete now that I found you

When the song came to an end, Tine leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sarawat’s. Tears were still streaming down his face as he kissed the man he loved. He was suddenly dreading the fact that they’d have to be apart this night. Now he wished that they could head home together and that he could listen to the rest of the songs written for him with his lover next to him, holding him like he was at that very moment. That thought probably didn’t help in reducing his tears, but that was okay because Sarawat kissed him back anyways, slowly and lovingly so. 

They pulled apart after a few minutes, Tine letting out a small laugh as he quickly attempted to wipe away his tears, “Don’t look at me, Wat.” He tried to hide his face by staring down at the ground but Sarawat was having none of that. His fiancé cupped his face and made Tine look up, he wiped his tears away for him and then kissed his eyelids gently. Tine felt so loved.

“I wish I could be with you tonight,” Sarawat mumbled, knowing that his nuisance was feeling exactly how he was at that moment.

“Can you?” Tine asked, his eyes filled with so much hope that Sarawat almost said “fuck the plans” and took his nuisance home right then and there. 

“Your parents are really excited to have you stay with them tonight, baby. I’m sure there’s things they want to tell you, share with you and we can’t change up the plans on everyone.” Sarawat had to be the voice of reason, at least for tonight, but it was hard saying ‘no’ to Tine. He almost never denied his nuisance anything because he didn’t have the willpower to do it. In fact, he almost took his words back when he saw a flash of sadness reflected in his fiancé’s eyes.

“You’re right,” Tine said with a heavy sigh, “but you can’t blame me for trying.” 

Sarawat laughed a little and shook his head, “No, I can’t baby. It’s tempting, I’m not going to lie.”

Tine smiled and pressed his forehead against Sarawat’s, “Could you at least kiss me one more time?”

“I was going to do that anyways,” Sarawat brought one hand up to Tine’s face and caressed his cheek, staring at him for just a few seconds. This was one of the last moments they would share together as an engaged couple, by this time tomorrow, they’d be married and he was excited about that. But he wanted to remember this Tine forever, the Tine that stood in front of him and seemed to glow because he was so happy. His mom had told him once that people who are in love looked even more beautiful and looking at his fiancé now, Sarawat believed that that statement was true. Tine looked especially breathtaking on that night.

“Kiss me, Sarawat.”

He took in the sight of Tine one more time before finally closing the last bit of distance between them and pressing their lips together. He kissed his fiancé slowly and the other man couldn’t help but smile as he kissed back. 

Tine felt like time stopped at that moment and everything around them disappeared. He could only focus on the pounding in his chest as Sarawat invaded all his senses. Their slow kiss was growing more passionate and Tine silently wondered if he just kept his lips against Sarawat’s for a long time, if maybe then his fiancé would agree to come home with him. He didn’t want to leave his side.

“Tine!”

It was the sound of Type’s voice that interrupted their moment. Tine tried to ignore it and continue their kiss, but it was Sarawat who pulled away, much to his disappointment. He pouted slightly, Sarawat only offered him a smile and a quick apology. 

“Your family is probably ready to take you home baby,” Sarawat reached up to pat the top of his head, like he used to do when they were younger. “Listen to the album, go to sleep and tomorrow when you wake up, it’ll be the big day.”

“Can I still call you tonight?” Tine asked, he could still hear his older brother continuously calling out to him and his voice was getting closer but he wasn’t ready to separate from Sarawat yet. “I want to listen to it with you.”

“Of course you can.”

That night, Tine relived his love story through Sarawat’s songs and it felt like he was falling in love all over again. They stayed on the phone together until they both fell asleep, and they went to sleep happy because they knew tomorrow was the big day. 

D-Day

Reason #5: You’ll Be Stuck With One Person For the Rest Of Your Life

The day of his wedding, Tine woke up alone in his childhood bedroom and the first thing he did was turn to look at the framed photo on his bedside table. It was a picture of Sarawat kissing his forehead on the day of his twentieth birthday and Tine was smiling from ear to ear because even back then he was a lovesick idiot. He let out a happy sigh as he looked away from the photo and up at the high ceiling instead. Everything still felt like a dream to him at that moment, he couldn’t believe that today he would actually be getting married to Sarawat. Unable to contain his excitement, Tine brought the covers up to his face and let out a muffled squeal. Today was going to be perfect. 

He got ready for the day before making his downstairs; it was still early but he was eager to get the day started. If he was being honest, he wanted nothing more than to make his way over to the venue already, so that he could be reunited with Sarawat but it still wasn’t time for them to head out there. Mimi had already texted him to let him know that everything was just starting to be set up and to reassure him that things were going according to plan, which brought him a lot of relief. Getting married was something he would only do once in his lifetime, so of course he hoped everything would be just as he’d imagined it. But even if any problems should come their way, Tine trusted that they could handle it and he had long ago promised Sarawat that he wouldn’t let today be stressful because that’s not how he wanted to remember his wedding day. In fact, today was already perfect because he was marrying the man he had shared that past ten years of his life with and that alone already made this the greatest day ever.

Tine was beaming as he continued to make his way downstairs. Being back in his parent’s home had actually been really nice. At that moment he could smell the delicious breakfast his mother was cooking and he could hear the sound of his parents talking and laughing in the kitchen and he realized he had missed this feeling a lot. The only thing that could make it better was if Sarawat were here with him but they’d be together again soon enough. 

“There’s no need to thank us, Sarawat, really. You know, we’re actually even more grateful for you.”

Tine heard his fiancé’s name coming from his mom just as he was about to enter the kitchen and he froze. Was Sarawat here? And if so, why? The plan was to meet at the venue in a few hours so what reason would there be for him to be here so early in the morning?

“I meant to thank you both yesterday but I didn’t get a chance since everything was so hectic. Today will probably be even more crazy, so I apologize that I’m not doing this face to face.”

Tine leaned against the wall as he continued to listen to the conversation. That was definitely his fiancé’s voice but he wasn’t physically there, his parents and Sarawat were on a call and Tine probably shouldn’t have been eavesdropping but he couldn’t find it in himself to walk away. 

“I just wanted to thank you both for welcoming me into the family with open arms. Just getting to be with Tine already makes me beyond happy and now I’m also gaining a whole new family, I’m really grateful. Thank you for trusting me and I promise you both that Tine will always be my priority, I’ll always try to make him the happiest person ever.”

Tine smiled upon hearing Sarawat’s words. Those words meant a lot to him but he knew they would mean even more to his parents. They knew better than anyone that in the past Tine feared that no one would ever stick around because all his relationships had ended with him being left behind. Sarawat was different, he loved Tine so much and he always reminded him of that. Sarawat protected his heart and made all those insecurities he had disappear. Sarawat was his person. 

“Sarawat, it’s us who should be thanking you, really,” Tine’s mother said softly, “We always hoped that Tine would find someone who could love him as much as we do. That someone would make him realize how special he truly is and it’s thanks to you that my son is so happy now and so sure of himself. You two were just meant to be.”

“She’s right Sarawat,” Tine’s dad continued, “As soon as you came into his life, Tine became happier and you know, that happiness only seems to grow every time we see him. We’re grateful that it’s you he's marrying. Please keep taking care of him, and welcome to the family son.”

Tine looked down at his engagement ring and silently thanked Sarawat as well. It’s true that Sarawat made Tine feel more loved than he ever had before but he also made him feel confident in himself, he made him believe there was nothing in the world he couldn’t do and he made Tine realize that there was no need to drastically change himself to be worthy of love. Sarawat brought out the best in him. Tine could honestly say that he had never been so in love before and he didn’t think he could ever love someone this much ever again. Sarawat was it for him.

“I’ll see you both later on. Thank you again and can you please let Tine know that-“ Sarawat paused for a moment, hesitating. 

Tine was holding his breath as he listened.

“Just that… I can’t wait to see him and that I love him.”

Tine didn’t hang around to hear how the rest of the conversation went, he rushed back up to his bedroom and immediately grabbed the cell phone that he had left laying on the bed. No one said they couldn’t talk just because they were apart. 

{7:30 AM} Tine 🤍: missing me already, huh?

{7:31 AM} Sarawat 💚: I started missing you as soon as we separated last night

Tine read and re-read Sarawat’s message with the biggest smile on his face. “So cheesy,” he murmured to no one in particular as he laid back on the bed and texted back.

{7:34 AM} Tine 🤍: you miss me this much but you’re the one who wouldn’t take me home with you last night 🙄

{7:36 AM} Sarawat 💚: that was really dumb of me 

{7:37 AM} Tine 🤍: yes it was. you’re torturing both of us because of your decision 

{7:40 AM} Sarawat 💚: so you’re missing me too, huh?

Tine rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh, as if the answer wasn’t obvious to both of them.

{7:42 AM} Tine 🤍: no, I miss my bed 😒

{7:44 AM} Sarawat 💚: just admit it’s me you miss

{7:45 AM} Tine 🤍: but it’s really the bed that I miss 🤷♂️

{7:46 AM} Sarawat 💚: 😡

{7:47 AM} Tine 🤍: does that make you angry?

{7:49 AM} Sarawat 💚: 😡

{7:51 AM} Tine 🤍: are you pouting right now? I bet you’re pouting and I bet you look cute 🥺

{7:53 AM} Sarawat 💚: 😡

{7:54 AM} Tine 🤍: okay this is getting annoying. say something else wat!

{7:55 AM} Sarawat 💚: 😡

{7:57 AM} Tine 🤍: I’m going to stop texting you if you don’t say something else! I’m warning you 😑

{7:58 AM} Sarawat 💚: 😡

“You’re so freaking stubborn!” Tine said as he tossed his phone aside. He waited some minutes to see if Sarawat would give in first but his fiancé texted him nothing else and Tine knew he would need to be the one to end this little feud between them. With a sigh he reached for his phone again and finally texted Sarawat the words he knew his lover wanted to hear.

{8:09 AM} Tine 🤍: fine. I missed you too, okay? I missed you so damn much that the first thing I did as soon as I woke up was stare at your picture! I miss you so damn much that I slept in your shirt just to feel like you’re here with me! I miss you a lot!!! 😖

{8:11 AM} Sarawat 💚: I know baby and I miss you too, more than you can even imagine 

{8:12 AM} Tine 🤍: I wish I could hear you sing me a song right now 

{8:16 AM} Sarawat 💚: okay 

Not long after receiving that message, Tine’s phone started to ring. He sat up on the bed, grabbed one of the pillows next to him and hugged it tightly before answering the incoming call. 

“Good morning, love.”

He heard Sarawat messing around with his guitar before the boy also greeted him with a sleepy good morning. Tine smiled to himself as he patiently waited for his fiancé to finish whatever it was that he was doing. He was honestly just happy to hear Sarawat’s voice because damn he missed him so freaking much. 

“It’s early so my voice might sound a little rough, haven’t had time to warm up or anything,” Sarawat warned with a small chuckle.

“You always sound good,” Tine said without missing a beat and it was true, the man had never failed to impress him.

He heard Sarawat laugh on the other line, “You’re just saying that because you love me.”

“I do, I love you very much,” Tine agreed with a nod, “but I also mean it when I say that you always sound good. Now, go on love, please sing to me.”

“Anything for you, little buffalo,” Sarawat started playing his guitar and the tune sounded very familiar to Tine. It only took him a few seconds to remember that he had heard it for the first time last night, when he listened to the new CTRL+S album. He hugged the pillow tighter as he continued to listen, this was the first time Sarawat was singing him a song off the new album and it made Tine beyond happy. 

Sunrise with you on my chest
No blinds in the place where I live 
Daybreak, open your eyes 
Cause this was only ever meant to be for one night 
Still, we're changing our minds here 
Be yours, be my dear

Tine closed his eyes as he leaned back on the bed and focused on nothing but the sound of Sarawat singing to him. Even through the tiny speakers of his cell phone, his fiancé sounded amazing and his voice provided Tine a sense of tranquility. 

I'm thinking, baby
You are bringing out a different kind of me 
There's no safety net that's underneath 
I'm free 
Fallin' all in you

The musician sang every word of the song with so much meaning that Tine couldn’t help but feel extremely loved and Sarawat felt just as loved. Tine could tell from the lyrics of the song that he made Sarawat just as happy as Sarawat made him and that meant everything to him. 

Every time I see you, baby, I get lost 
If I'm dreaming, baby, please don't wake me up 
Every night I'm with you, I fall more in love 
Now I'm laying by your side 
Everything feels right since you came along

The song came to an end and both boys were quiet for a few seconds. In his mind, Tine could picture the shy smile on Sarawat’s face as he waited to hear his thoughts. He could picture Sarawat sitting on the chair in his music room with his favorite guitar in his hands, his soft hair falling perfectly into place and those big beautiful eyes staring right back into his. He could see it all so clearly and it brought a smile to his face.

“That was perfect, Wat. Thank you for… for giving into my silly request,” Tine said softly. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his lover and hug him tightly. Damn this distance.

“Anything to make you smile baby,” Sarawat replied, and Tine could hear him setting his guitar down, “Are you smiling?”

“So much that my cheeks are starting to hurt.”

Sarawat laughed, satisfied with Tine’s answer to his question, “Then I’m happy too. Now, go have breakfast with your family and relax a little. I’ll see you in a few hours, okay? Get ready to take my last name because once you do, you’re definitely stuck with me for life.”

Tine felt himself start to blush, it’s funny how Sarawat could do that to him even when they were far away from each other. “I’ve been waiting to steal your last name for years. Tine Guntithanon has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“I like it,” Sarawat replied and it was evident from the tone of his voice that he was happy, “I like it a lot, actually.”

“Tine! Breakfast is ready!”

“That’s mom calling me,” Tine let out a small sigh, he didn’t want to let Sarawat go yet but he knew he had too, “I’ll see you in a few hours, okay? I love you!”

“I love you too, baby. I’ll see you later.”

Tine hung up after a few more minutes. He fell back on his bed and just like he had done earlier that morning, he turned to look at the framed photo on his bedside table. He wondered if that 20 year old Tine realized that the happiness he felt back then would only grow with each passing year. And he wondered if that 20 year old Tine knew that Sarawat was his forever. 

“You picked a good man Tine,” he said softly, eyes still glued to the photo, “You picked the best man.”

If Tine was beaming before, he was positively radiant when he eventually joined his family downstairs for breakfast and they all knew the reason behind that smile. Sarawat had been Tine’s happiness for the past ten years and he would continue to be his happiness for many more. 

Tine took a deep breath as he stared at his own reflection in the mirror, he was just minutes away from seeing his soon-to-be husband and the anticipation was rising. He had heard stories of people feeling anxious or stressed or scared on their wedding days, some people even questioned whether or not they actually wanted to go through with it, but Tine felt none of that. He felt ready, excited and just beyond happy. But then again, how could he feel anything but pure joy when the person he was marrying today was Sarawat?

The tradition was that they weren’t supposed to see each other until the ceremony. Tine gave props to the couples who could wait that long but he definitely couldn’t and thankfully his fiancé agreed with him on that one. He needed to see Sarawat before the ceremony, to talk to him, hug him and just be alone with him for a while before the madness ensued. Tine just needed that moment of privacy and peacefulness, a moment for just them. 

Fortunately, their wedding planner had encountered other couples like them, who just couldn’t wait until the ceremony to see each other, and Mimi had just the solution for this situation: The First Look.

Mimi had explained to them that a lot of couples nowadays plan a time before the ceremony to see each other in order to spend some moments together in a more private setting. It would be an opportunity for them to just enjoy being with each other, calm any nerves and for their photographers to get a few pictures. This all sounded great to them. Tine knew that seeing Sarawat before the ceremony would put him at ease and he also wanted them to have beautiful memories of their special day. Their home was already filled with all of their most precious moments and this would undoubtedly be the most important one, so if they could be alone for a while and at the same time get new photographs to add to their collection, then Tine thought it was a win. The First Look was the perfect way for them to go.

“Tine?” His mother peeked inside the room, a smile instantly making its way onto her face when she saw her youngest son in his ice gray colored tuxedo. “I can’t believe my little boy is getting married!”

“And it’s to Sarawat,” Tine replied, a smile taking over his face as well. He walked over to the woman and took her hands in his, “Thanks for being supportive of our relationship, mom. And thanks for loving him as if he were your own son, it means the world to me, to both of us.”

“Oh honey,” she gave his hands a squeeze, “How could I not love the person that makes my son this happy? Sarawat is family now and all of us are so glad that it’s him. We’re glad you found him.”

“Me too,” Tine said softly, “I’m glad he searched for me.”

“He’s waiting for you. I just came to tell you to enjoy this alone time you have with him. His mom said that he’s been so excited to see you all day too,” Tine’s mom reached out and gave her son a long hug, one that he happily returned, before wishing him luck and leaving him on his own again. 

Tine turned to check his own reflection in the mirror one last time and saw that he looked immaculate.  Of course, he knew that in Sarawat’s eyes he was always beautiful and that today would be no exception. He left the dressing room of the banquet hall and began making his way towards the exit that would take him to a beautiful garden, the place that would serve as the background for The First Look. He pushed the doors of the building open and stepped outside, it was finally time for the moment he had been waiting for all day.

He began to scan the area and his eyes almost immediately landed on a man in the far distance, his back towards him as he waited patiently: His Sarawat. As soon as he spotted him, Tine quickly began to make his way over to him; he didn’t want them to be separated for a minute longer. He felt his heart begin to race as he got closer and closer, the only thoughts on his mind were getting to his fiancé and hugging him and telling him that he had missed him. 

Tine now stood just a few inches away from Sarawat and his heart was beating so fast that he had to take a deep breath to calm himself before reaching out and tapping the other man’s shoulder. Sarawat turned to look at him and Tine felt like everything else around him disappeared the moment their eyes met. He smiled at the man in front of him, and Sarawat returned the smile before pulling him into a tight embrace. 

“I missed you, baby.”

“I missed you more,” Tine replied as he wrapped his own arms around the other man’s neck and realized that suddenly everything was right in the world again. He was exactly where he belonged and he wanted to stay in that place forever. Sarawat’s arms were his safe haven and they would always be. “Wat, we really are crazy.”

Sarawat laughed as he pulled away from their embrace and brought his hands up to cup Tine’s cheeks instead. His boy looked breathtaking, he always did, but today especially. Tine was staring back at him with all the love and care in the world that Sarawat figured that if he was crazy it was because he had a good reason to be. Yes, it had only been one night and one morning apart but to him it felt like hell. “Call me crazy then, because I missed you so much.”

Tine started to blush at Sarawat’s words. Even now that he had Sarawat right in front of him it all still felt like a dream… but it wasn’t. He was going to marry this man and they were going to spend the rest of their lives making each other happy. He was going to spend the rest of his days with the most wonderful being he had ever met and know that he was probably the luckiest person on earth. “I’m just as crazy.”

Sarawat kissed Tine softly on the forehead before stepping back and really taking a moment to admire the sight of the man in front of him. What he saw left him feeling breathless because goodness did Tine look stunning. It wasn’t just the nicely fitted tux, his perfectly styled hair or that pretty face of his. Tine looked stunning because he was happy and that made him glow differently. Sarawat silently wished that he could always make his lover this happy.

“How do I look?” Tine asked after a few minutes of noticing that Sarawat had just been staring without uttering a single word, “Do I look okay?”

“Okay?” Sarawat asked while shaking his head, “Baby, you look better than okay. You look absolutely beautiful, I mean…. you’re breathtaking. I’m the luckiest person in the world!”

“Oh Wat,” Tine leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his fiancé’s cheek, “I’m the luckiest. Have you seen how handsome you are today? No, everyday.”

It was Sarawat’s turn to blush, something that very rarely did, but couldn’t help today. He reached out and took hold of Tine’s hand before beginning to walk towards a mahogany bench and pulling his fiancé with him. He didn’t know how long they had been out there, it didn’t feel like very long to him, but before they had to separate again, Sarawat wanted to enjoy their alone time. 

Their wedding wouldn't be overly crowded but it also wasn’t super intimate and they didn’t know if they’d get another chance to be alone like this later on. Their immediate and extended families were obviously going to be there and just greeting them all would probably take up a lot of time. Their friends were also all going to show up and there were quite a few of them. Tine had invited his co-workers from the firm because he genuinely liked the people he worked with and they had all met Sarawat already when he’d bring him to company events so it only felt right to have them there. Sarawat had also extended invitations to the people who worked with the band on a daily basis, and that was another handful of people right there. Needless to say that the couple would probably be being pulled in different directions all night.

Sarawat took a seat on the small bench and Tine took a seat next to him. He instantly rested his head on Sarawat’s shoulder and let out a satisfied sigh when the man kissed the top of his head. Their fingers were still laced together and that was what Tine’s gaze was focused on at that moment. 

“When I told you that you were my person when we were eighteen and you asked me to marry you, I didn’t think we’d actually be here someday,” Tine said softly. He brought their intertwined hands up to his lips and kissed Sarawat’s, “And I loved you so much back then but I love you even more now.”

“As long as you love me and still want me in your life, little buffalo, I’ll always be here. You know, right?” Sarawat asked as he looked at the man next to him, “That you’re it for me, and I’ve always hoped that we would reach this point in our lives.”

“You’re it for me too, Wat.” Tine smiled and leaned forward to give his fiancé just a peck on the lips, “I’m going to be selfish and keep you for the rest of my life.”

“And I’m going to keep you too,” Sarawat replied as pressed his forehead against Tine’s “You’re mine.”

The happy couple spent their time like this, talking about everything and anything and just enjoying being together. When it came time for them to separate again, they shared a quick hug, knowing that this time their time apart would, fortunately, be much shorter. 

All day long, everything had felt like just a dream to Tine and now, as he stood behind the closed doors that would be opened momentarily, it hit him that this was reality. Sarawat was waiting for him behind those doors, waiting to make a lifelong commitment to love him for the rest of their lives, no matter what came their way. When he walked through those doors, they would make vows to each other in front of a crowd of the most special people in their lives. Ten years of loving each other, experiencing life together and supporting one another had led to this moment and Tine was more than ready to be Sarawat’s husband. 

When the doors did finally open, the first thing Tine saw was Sarawat standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for him. He felt the butterflies in his stomach start going crazy, like they did when he was eighteen and Sarawat told him that he loved him for the first time. As he walked down the aisle with his parents by his side, he didn’t notice the people standing up and looking at him fondly or the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. He didn’t notice all the beautiful flowers that decorated the room or the floating candles that were lined up on both sides of the aisle. In that moment, all Tine could see was the man he loved standing underneath the tall, wooden arbor that was also decorated with flowers. Sarawat was his only focus.

They had seen each other earlier in the day, but that didn’t stop Sarawat from tearing up as Tine made his way down the aisle to him. He wasn’t usually one to cry, but at that moment, he just couldn’t help it. Tine looked beautiful, but more importantly, he looked happy and Sarawat shared that sentiment. The only man he had ever loved, the person he had spent the last ten years of his life with, the one who made him smile the most, he was currently walking down the aisle to meet him so of course, Sarawat was happy. How could he not be? He had been waiting for this moment since they were eighteen.

When Tine finally made it to Sarawat, he smiled at him as he reached out to wipe away the tears that had escaped his eyes. Almost everything else after that was, honestly, a blur to him. He did remember that his parents and Sarawat’s parents congratulated them and wished them well and he remembered Sarawat taking his hand and holding it the entire time. Tine could also recall that his eyes had stayed glued to Sarawat throughout most of the ceremony and that Sarawat had also looked at him the entire time too. Engraved in his memory was also the moment that his fiancé flashed him a dazzling smile and how his already racing heart began to beat faster after that. It all happened so fast and before Tine knew it, they were told to exchange vows. This part he remembered clearly and he would never forget it. 

“I want to say first that… you’re the love of my life,” Sarawat started with the utmost sincerity, “From the moment I first saw you, crazy as it may sound, I fell for you. I fell for your smile that, to this day, still makes my heart race. You captivated me in a way that no one had ever done before and you still manage to do that ten years later. I never thought that I could feel this strongly, this in love with someone, until the day I fell for you. Tine, I want you to remember this always; you’re the cause of my happiness, the reason for my success and the inspiration behind everything I do. Thank you for being you. For being the kindest, most patient and understanding person I know. You accept me with all my flaws and you push me to be a better man. Today, in front of all our friends and family, I want to promise you that I will always choose you. I promise to love you unconditionally, to be there for you in the good times and the bad times, to encourage you and be someone you can always count on. Most importantly, I promise that I’ll spend every single day of the rest of our lives, trying to make you the happiest person ever, because you deserve nothing less than that. I love you more than I can even say, my little buffalo, and thank you for letting me be the lucky person who gets to stay by your side forever.”

Sarawat’s vows had caused almost everyone in the room, including Tine, to tear up. It was just so abundantly clear that Sarawat loved Tine with everything in him and that was so beautiful. 

“Don’t cry, little buffalo,” Sarawat whispered and this time it was him who reached out to wipe away Tine’s tears. He smiled at the beautiful boy in front of him and let him take his time to calm down. 

Tine managed to collect himself after some minutes, he smiled sheepishly at the man in front of him before letting out a shaky breath. It was time for his vows. 

“Sarawat, love, I can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done to make it possible for us to be here, in this moment.” Tine paused simply to take in the sight of Sarawat, because he wanted to remember this exact moment forever. “You always say that you’re the lucky one but the truth is, that it's me who's truly lucky. I’m lucky because you never gave up on me. You searched for me and made me fall for you even though I tried to push you away so many times. I’m lucky because you’re patient with me when I second guess things. You make all my worries and doubts disappear. I’m lucky because I get to see a side of you that no one else gets to see. To me you’re more than just a famous rockstar, you’re the sweetest most caring and romantic person I know. And I’m lucky because out of all the people in the world, you choose me. You know I’m far from perfect and still, you manage to love me wholeheartedly and unconditionally without expecting anything but my love in return. Today, I want to promise you that I’m alway going to love you, always encourage you to do what you love and that I’m going to support you every step of the way. My happiness is you, Sarawat. My happiness is getting to be by your side everyday. I love you so much, and thank you for showing me the true meaning of love.”

Sarawat squeezed Tine’s hand and blinked away the tears threatening to escape his eyes. Those words meant everything to him. All he ever wanted was to make Tine happy and those words affirmed that he was doing something right. Tine felt happy and he felt loved and for Sarawat, that was everything.

When it came time for Tine to place Sarawat’s ring on his finger, he was all smiles again. Once those rings were on, they knew that it meant that they were publicly professing that they were married. Those rings would forever symbolize their love, commitment and unwavering loyalty towards each other. 

Tine looked down at the new ring on his finger and his heart swelled with joy. From now on he would proudly wear this band to let the world know that he was a taken man. At that moment, Sarawat became his husband and Tine knew that the universe had just given him the best gift of all, the gift of getting to call the man in front of him his life long partner. 

Marriage means you’ll be stuck with one person for the rest of your life.

As their ceremony came to an end and Sarawat leaned in to give him their first kiss as a married couple, Tine thought to himself that being with one person for the rest of his life wasn’t bad at all. 

Their lips met for a soft and tender kiss that gave them both butterflies. Tine heard their friends and family erupt into cheer and applause almost immediately and he smiled against his husband’s lips.

For the rest of his life, Tine would have Sarawat next to him and he’d always have his unconditional love and support. So being “stuck” with one person for the rest of his life wasn’t bad, at least, not when that person was Sarawat. 

Tine was still in a daze as he and Sarawat walked out of the banquet hall hand in hand. He just remembered the smiling faces of all their loved ones as they shouted out their sincerest congratulations when they walked by. Everyone was rooting for them.

Once they were out of sight, they sneaked into one of the private rooms in the building. Tine smiled as Sarawat shut the door behind them before pressing him up against it. He brought his arms around the man’s neck and bit down on his lower lip in anticipation. In front of their friends and family, their kiss had to be toned down, but now they were alone and they hadn’t kissed each other all day, up until the moment they were pronounced husbands. 

“Tine Guntithanon,” Sarawat whispered as he leaned forward to give the man a kiss on the forehead, “I’ve been waiting all day to say that.”

“Yeah?” Tine asked as he ran his fingers through Sarawat’s perfectly styled hair, “Well I’ve been waiting all day to call you my husband. You’re my husband now, Wat. I still can’t believe it!”

“Well believe it baby,” Sarawat smiled and let his lips hover over Tine’s as he spoke, “because it’s true. We’re married. We’re husbands.”

Tine shivered under his husband’s intense stare. This was no time to take things slow, someone was going to come looking for them eventually, and he needed a proper kiss before that. Taking matters into his own hands, Tine grabbed Sarawat’s tie and tugged on it to close the last bit of distance between them. Their lips met for the second time that day but this kiss was a lot different than the one they had shared just minutes ago. It was a kiss so intense and so passionate that Tine felt his knees grow weak. He was glad that he was still backed against the door at that moment, because he didn’t know if he’d be able to properly hold himself up otherwise. Sarawat’s fingers were digging into his hips and Tine was still holding onto the man’s tie. He gasped when he felt Sarawat run his tongue along his lips but quickly recovered when that same tongue entered his mouth. Tine, never one to get left behind, started to do a bit of exploring himself. In that moment, nothing else mattered, it was just them. 

Tine eventually let go of Sarawat’s tie and pulled away from their intense kiss, breathing in and out slowly as he stared at that man in front of him. 

“We should save something for the honeymoon, right?” Tine asked after he finally managed to catch his breath. 

“Right,” Sarawat replied with a smug smile. He gave his husband just one more peck on the lips, one on his forehead, another on his cheek, on every part of that beautiful face of him. 

Tine broke out into a smile and did the same thing Sarawat had just done to him, kissing one eyelid and then the other, then placing a kiss on his nose and also a peck on his lips. 

“Okay you two, I think I gave you enough time! Come out now!” Mimi shouted behind the shut door and Sarawat and Tine broke out into laughter. She was right, now was a time for them to go out and celebrate with their friends and family, they’d have their chance to be alone, without interruptions, later that night. 

“Come on, baby.” Sarawat reached out to take Tine’s hand in his, “I want to go show off my beautiful husband to everyone.”

“And I want to show off mine too.”

The rest of the day was spent with their friends and family, all of them celebrating Sarawat and Tine’s love and their union. They had moments of laughter and moments of excitement, there were even some more tears when the toasts were being made. It was the wedding Tine had always dreamed of and exactly what he had envisioned, but it wasn’t because of all the superficial things. It was because of all the things money couldn’t buy. His wedding was perfect because the man next to him through it all was Sarawat. As long as it was Sarawat and Tine, it would always be perfect, because their love was special.