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Their skin glimmers under the moonlight, muted and deep breaths collide with one another, the fiery adrenaline rush finally dies down as Phupha settles his sweaty body beside Tian, lips busy inhaling and exhaling ragged, stolen breaths. But the smile on their faces is brighter than the stars dangling above their heads, bubbling happiness ripple in their heart, soft giggles cuts through the fragile silence of the night.
Tian struggles to breathe as Phupha stares into his eyes, a myriad of stardust blaring beautifully from those orbs, and there is that distinct fondness, a special affection reserved only for Tian. His chest tightens in an instant, knowing the fact Phupha still accepts him, with scars and imperfections, and calls him beautiful and all those pretty things he does not deserve. It feels different hearing them from Phupha because Tian knows the other is honest, and the sweet promises chiming in his eardrums are nothing but true. It makes Tian feel lucky to be alive and surviving.
"What are you looking at?" Phupha asks, calloused fingers running all over his face, scanning his features through Tian's sparkling eyes as curiosity and insecurity taints his rapid-beating heart.
Tian smiles at him. "Your face," he answers lightheartedly, teasingly.
"Do you like it?" the chief challenges, quirking his eyebrows, puffing his cheek, and Tian wants to kiss that smugness adorning his handsome face right away.
He did just that.
Tian cradles Phupha into his embrace, his fingers intertwined on the chief's neck as he kisses him, one swipe along his upper lip, leaving cat-like bites on Phupha's lower lip. The other growls into his mouth, rough fingers grab onto the back of his head tenderly, a tinge of desperation swirls in their connected-lips as Phupha nibbles back, wanting more, desiring everything that Tian can ever offer at this moment.
He smiles into the kiss, feeling like achieved something impossible. Tian enjoys the undeniable power he has to manipulate Chief Phupha with only a touch, a kiss, a brief peck on the muscular chest, kittenish-licks along his neck, tracing every protruding vein with his tongue, securing those details in his memory.
When their lungs burn, gasping perilously for air, Tian pushes the latter away from him, eyes closed, but his heart flips and turns in delight. He sighs, feeling the weight of Phupha heavily on his body as the other settles his forehead against Tian.
He opens his eyes, and a picturesque view of Phupha fills his vision. His heart is playing a drum solo as the chief smiles at him, breathless, mindless, and Tian did all that. Tian is the cause of Phupha's dishevelled but content look. His heart thrums, and he is sincerely running out of breath.
"Is that enough of an answer for you?" he asks. Smiley lips are turning into a devilish smirk as Phupha bites his overly-swollen lips; a flash of nervousness greets Tian with a cheeky hello, and he cheers in victory.
Phupha does not reply to him immediately, but instead, the latter closes his eyes. The world darkens without warning. Tian wonders where the light went to, but he realizes all the stars are now residing in Phupha's eyes. None of them glimmers in the sky anymore. They have left to find a home in Phupha's flagrant galaxies.
Thunderstruck, dumbstruck, Phupha answers, "What have you done to me, Tian?"
He trembles in sheer happiness as he asks, "did I take your breath away?"
Phupha flutters his eyes open, and the universe lightens up once again. Oh, how beautiful.
"More than you can ever imagine," he whispers.
The smile on Phupha's face is addictive and dangerous because Tian finds himself mirroring the latter right away.
Phupha lies his body beside Tian, caging him in his arms, and Tian snuggles closer to the sweat-covered skin, whiffs of lemon and mint caresses his nostrils in a languid blow. He hums in satisfaction, loving how he can witness Phupha in this state, being in his embrace, holding onto him and experiencing the burn of purple, red and blue marks all over his body.
They lie side by side, bare bodies meeting, scorching skins touching, and Phupha reaches out to tuck Tian's naughty, overgrown bangs behind his crimson ears.
"Are you tired?" he worriedly asks, afraid if they had taken things way too far.
Tian shakes his head cutely, too adorable for Phupha to handle, but he remains silent, not trusting his voice to leave a remark.
"I am not," Tian squeaks an answer, eyes resonating sincerity and blissfulness.
"It was," he pauses, burying his face even closer to Phupha's neck, sheltering the sudden timidness that gnaws on his skin, "it was amazing."
During moments like this, when Tian bares everything for him to take, to inhale, to remember, to devour, Phupha believes that he can never love anyone more than he loves Tian. In this life, his previous or his next, the love pounding in his chest is only for Tian.
Phupha huffs a satisfied sigh. Flowers continue to bloom in his heart as he mutters, "I am glad."
Tian loosens his grip, and he hesitantly runs his fingers along Phupha's scar-painted chest, tracking every blemish with gentle touches, drawing earnest promises and radiant hopes on the latter's skin.
"Chief?" he calls, and Tian feels Phupha's awaiting eyes boring onto him.
"Hm?"
His cheeks redden, the bomb in his heart explodes as soon heartfelt words escape his puffy lips, "thank you, for tonight,"
"Why are you thanking me?" Phupha asks, trying his best to contain the jest from flaring up. Tian hears them all too well; hints of mischief coats his honey-like voice, sending him to the edge, testing his patience to the fullest.
Tian does not know how to answer, let alone he has no idea why he said that in the first place. It was so unlike him to be soft and mushy on the inside, but living in Pha Pun Dao, being by Phupha's side, he changed; rough edges smoothened out by concern scolding, hot-headedness cooled down by wise thinking and evident arrogance counterpart with down-to-earth standpoint.
Phupha changed him, and it has always been for the better.
"Do you have to ask the reason? Can you not accept it as it is?" Tian answers, slapping the other's naked chest.
The chief laughs, bubbly and smooth and velvety, and maybe Tian is falling harder than he already is.
"I am curious, that is all," Phupha answers, warm fingers busy drawing circles on Tian's cheeks. "It is okay if you do not have an answer. I do not need them anyway,"
A tint of hurt leaves a crack on his heart, unexpectedly, unwelcomed, "why?"
The chief chuckles at him, "Do you have to ask the reason? Can you not accept it as it is?"
"Chief!"
Tian pushes him forcefully until Phupha falls from the thin mattress, his back hitting the bamboo floor with a loud thud. They are lucky to be in Tian's house rather than the Phaphirun base. Imagine if they were making love on Phupha's squeaky, shaky bed? Nam, Yod and Rang will not let them live peacefully. They might have to be united the day after if Khama knew about it.
But still, Phupha finds it amusing to tease Tian.
They were always on each other's nerves, they still are, and it is always a pleasure to drive Tian out of control. It makes him happy to see the pout on his lips, the blaze in his eyes, the grit of teeth whenever he is angry; Phupha would kiss him, tell him that he is proud of Tian regardless of everything, hugs him tight before running away.
And Tian likes to sulk. Luckily, Phupha loves to reconcile.
He approaches Tian, wraps his body with the blanket and hugs him from the back, "are you mad at me?"
"No, I am not,"
"So, why are you not looking at me?" Phupha asks, loosening the grip, kissing the back of Tian's head, drowning in a sea of comfort as the latter lays his body against Phupha.
"I am too embarrassed to look at you," Tian answers meekly.
"But you have seen everything, Tian. Why are you still embarrassed?"
"Chief!" Tian screams, and Phupha can only laugh at the other's antics.
Tian plays with the end of the blanket, twirling the fabric between his fingers, reluctant to reveal the thoughts swimming in his chaotic mind.
"I," Tian pauses, looking up to Phupha, "I am so happy, chief."
Phupha's heart stops beating, words no longer making up sentences in his mind, and he forgets to breathe.
"Thank you for making me happy,"
They had crossed endless lines, challenging futile boundaries only to be with each other, to break the walls surrounding them, and Phupha wants Tian to know that nothing in this world will stop him from being closer to the other. If possible, he will discard every obstacle coming in their way with his hands.
"It is my job to take care of you," he whispers, pressing his palms on Tian's chest where the beautiful scars mar on his skin, "and I will do anything to make you happy."
Tian giggles prettily, and that is all it takes to fill Phupha's heart with contentment.
"Do not leave me," he utters, hopefully, while his eyes are busy looking at the vast dark sky.
Phupha looks down, and their eyes meet. He smiles, a crafted smile only for Tian, "I will not."