Chapter Text
When the keeerati's elder asked him to promise that he'd look after kuea after his passing as not just a brother but someone more, Lian had agreed without a second thought as he hadn't had the heart to deny the oldest keerati. Yes. But even if his consent had made it a closed discussion he couldn't get out of,he hadn't felt compelled. If anything his kuea's grandpa proposing he accept essentially taking his dear nong's hand along with the promise of forever made him realise just how fond he'd been of the younger.
When kuea's grandpa had passed away and he'd been asked to reassure auntie kewarin of his promises to the other Lian remembers proclaiming his word with rekindled will. It's that back when he'd made the promise for the first time, his younger self would continue to care for his nu like any other day. Laughing about and being in his own little bubble with the younger. Kuea would follow him like a shadow and the older would indulge the younger to the other's content. Watching the little boy grow up gracefully right infront of his eyes, Lian had felt centred just having been given the simplest chance to bask himself in his nu kuea's radiant personality. Now that's why having to witness kuea reaching his teenage years and deciding he'd want to finish his studies abroad, away from him, he'd felt lost. The flurry of longing that surged through him when he parted with his nu kuea had remained a long while. Saying goodbye to his beloved with blurry eyes he remembers how the other hand been crying enough for the both of them and how he'd been told by his mom that he'd have to be the older one holding it in for the both of them. To assure each other that this was just a temporary parting. That day he'd left a lingering kiss on his nu kuea's forehead. A promise within a gesture they nade to one another.
Upon reaching the appartment his pa and and ma had arranged for him nu kuea had sent his dearest Hia Lian a message telling him that he'd reached safely. Even though it not having been much long since he'd arrived, his kuea seemed to be quite eager to explain to his hia of all he'd seen. Chattering on about the places he'd seen and the people he'd met. It seemed he had settled in fine with his new university, already having mouthfuls he'd want to narrate about his new friends. That night as kuea upon dwelling into late hours sent him a:
'Kuea: Good night hia, have sweet dreams. I hope hia
won't forget his nu and will have dreams about him'
He'd follow his antics of that day with a:
'Kuea: don't worry, hia won't be alone. Nu will dream
of you too'
Reading the message Lian would cast his phone aside being restless. The text taunting him of the distance between them. Upon this he would make a mental note to keep talking to his kuea so he'd know he wasn't the only one who'd been doing all the missing. That he was just as terrible as the other. And from then on they'd make a sort of agreement of starting a day and ending one with each other's wishes. On the few occasions his kuea would be suck at extra hours or his hia would be buried under overtime paperwork, they'd always compensate with a face to face call where they're usually lulled to sleep by each other's even breathing. Kuea could easily admit his hia had been the one one who'd gotten him through his first year there as well as the rest.
During the younger's days over at the UK they would both make up silly promises, even going to lengths where in an attempt to get kuea to pout and fuss and maybe even blush at his words, Lian would talk of how the moment his kuea returns he would show up with his favourite flowers and a cheesy rom-com line at the top of his tongues solelyb(not really) on the reason he'd felt his nu deserved only the best. Who would tell this dork of a man that he was enough, thought kuea. Then as terminal finals had approached for kuea and the kilen brand had been bumped into a new push start, they'd both had to settle on having little to no time for each other, much less for themselves. Lian had been dreading the entirety of it but he'd also remember being over the moon as he'd seen the results his kuea had sent him after about a month or two of radio silence. The call from nu he'd received that night was like routine falling back into pace but with a slight alternative. To date he remembers word to word of how the conversation went.
"Hia" he'd heard nu's muffled voice over soft noises of rustling sheets in the backdrop. He'd assumed nu kuea had been in bed like him.
"Nu, are you there?"
"Yes hia" he'd hear in reply.
"Gosh I'd missed you" the younger would grumble out in a whiny tone and Lian couldn't help but chuckle in agreement. "I missed you as well, ter" his reply had the other letting itf a strangled noise before going into a fit of whines. "Hia~" he complains to Lian which has the older letting out an uncharacteristic giggle.
After that the conversation receeds into silence after the exchange. A comfortable one rather than one having an awkward taunt to it. Not much time is left astray with it however as they both break the silence with simultaneous interruptions,"So..." This has them laughing together once more before one nudges the other to speak their mind. Lian succeeding in getting kuea to be the one to complete his thoughts.
"As I was saying" kuea begins shy. "With the terminal finals over for now the university is offering us summer break for six months. All the others have already made plans and I was thinking maybe I should head down to pa and ma's" kuea's voice had gradually gotten thick with hope by the end.
"Kuea keerati"
"Do you know how much everyone's been
wanting to see their dearest nong again"
His hia's voice is soothing as he speaks. "Ma,pa would love to have you back even if it's just for a few months,weeks or even just a day. Know that hia misses you greatly as well" Lian softly assures the other. "If there's any chance we can see you again for a few months kuea..." Lian speaks tenderly to the other hearing a delighted giggle greeting him back.
"See you soon nu"
"See you soon hia"