Chapter Text
Lee is only half listening as Teerak rambles about something. He's reading over the directions for a project he has coming up. Nothing too complicated, just time consuming.
“So anyway,” Teerak’s voice is way too chirpy, “will you help?”
Lee has no idea what he's supposed to be helping with but if it’s anything like any other type of help Teerak has ever needed, it's probably about Fah.
“Sure,” Lee answers without much thought. Teerak probably just needs help figuring out what kind of gift to give Fah or some other sickeningly, cutesy couple thing.
“Oh, really?” Teerak looks a little surprised Lee is starting to rethink just how easily he agreed, “actually this is really good timing because he's right over there!”
When Lee looks up he's expecting to see Fah, not some random (the most beautiful) man.
“Ghlaijai!” Teerak calls and the person looks straight at them, lips already spreading in an easy smile.
Lee feels the way his stomach starts to make knots out of itself.
Ghlaijai begins to walk towards them, and when they're finally close enough Lee can smell the faint notes of orange and tea.
“Hey,” Ghlaijai smiles at Teerak, then turns to look at Lee, “hello.”
“Ghlaijai, this is Lee! I told him about your issue and he said he'll help!” Teerak’s words rush and bump together in their eagerness and Lee feels more and more that he's somehow walked into something strange.
Ghlaijai’s eyes flicker from Teerak to Lee, gaze intense in their quietness.
“Are you sure?” Ghlaijai asks him.
“Yes!” Teerak answers for him.
Lee turns to look at Teerak, huffs in annoyance but before he can tell him off Ghlaijai speaks towards him.
“Do you want to get something to drink and talk about it with me?” he asks Lee.
-
“So I thought if Ghlaijai had a boyfriend that guy would leave him alone,” Teerak finishes his explanation again, takes a sip of his drink as he leans back on his chair, clearly pleased with the idea.
“And you asked me because…?”
“Well, I offered Fah at first but then he made the point that everyone on campus already knows he is dating me so that wouldn't work,” Teerak’s eyes go dreamy and Lee rolls his eyes at the cheesiness of it all.
“You don't have to do it,” Ghlaijai speaks. He had been entirely too quiet the whole time Teerak had been talking, Lee would have forgotten he was there, if not for the way his eyes couldn't help but catch a peek at him every so often. “I think if I keep refusing him he will eventually leave me alone.”
His voice is so soft, warm and sweet, Lee thinks that if he ever let Ghlaijai get close enough he would do anything for him if he asked.
“I,” Lee stops, clears his throat, “I don't know if I would be a good fighting boyfriend,” he says truthfully, knowing he's never been into roughhousing and play fighting even when he was younger.
“I think just seeing you two together will be enough,” Teerak helpfully replies, playing with the straw of his own drink.
Right, Lee thinks, of course it won't be that easy to just not do it.
Ghlaijai is looking at him still, its overwhelming and Lee feels the way his will is starting to slip.
“Okay,” he manages to squeeze out, already bracing himself to whatever craziness Teerak is about to walk him into.
“Yay,” Teerak cheers, “you're the best best friend ever, Lee!”
“Let's meet here again tomorrow,” Ghlaijai's gentle voice cuts through Teerak's raucous mini celebration, “okay?”
“Y-yeah,” Lee agrees right away, “sure.”
Lee goes home in a stupor. He sits in his room, locking and unlocking his phone as Ghlaijai's contact information, newly added, greets him over and over. His profile picture is cute. Smile wide, eyes bright.
He's still looking at Ghlaijai's picture when he gets the notification of a new message. A new message from Ghlaijai.
thank you so much for agreeing. i know you didn't have to do it.
Lee reads those two sentences carefully. Once, twice, thrice.
He starts to type out his answer, slow as his brain tries to think of a reply that makes him sound cool, aloof maybe.
you're welcome.
No, that's too short, too cold.
He backspaces, watches the blinking line of the cursor.
no problem! can't wait to see you tomorrow :)
No. Too eager. They just met, briefly.
no problem. we can talk about it tomorrow.
He presses sent before he second guesses himself. He watches his message pop up alongside Ghlaijai's, the the three dots of Ghlaijai typing.
yes, see you tomorrow. good night.
-
The next day drags on. Classes feel like they're going at half speed. Lee keeps glancing at the clock, at his phone, his watch, the time on his tablet.
He ignores his friend's bickering, Teerak's looks, wanting to talk about the situation with him.
Lee can't find himself thinking of anything that isn't meeting Ghlaijai in the cafe.
And then finally, finally, his last class ends. Just in time to be on time for his meeting with Ghlaijai.
He packs his stuff up, leaves without a word as he takes his phone out, still checking the time.
When he gets to the cafe, it's packed, he looks around the tables, all he sees are groups of friends, couples. He decides to check the outdoor seating. Finds that it is just as crowded but still no sign of Ghlaijai.
Lee follows the steps up the spiral staircase, one hand holding on to the railing the other fixing the strap of his bookbag.
When he gets to the upper floor, all the seats are empty, he walks carefully, eyes scanning the area, taking notice of the decor, the surrounding greenery of the area. Lee walks slowly towards the back where his eyes land on Ghlaijai, sitting on a couch, reading a book.
In the soft sunlight, gentle breeze, he looks like the protagonist of a romance novel.
Lee approaches quietly, not wanting the startle the other, he stops at the side of the couch, watches the other, entrance in the pages of his book, Lee is not even a thought in Ghlaijai’s mind.
“Did you wait long?” Lee asks, soft but still catching the attention of the other man.
Ghlaijai turns to look at him, his brown eyes piercing right through Lee.
“Not at all,” Ghlaijai answers, slides a bookmark into the page he had just been reading, “please sit with me.”
Ghlaijai motions to the couch in front of him, across the small table meant for drinks and pretty pastries.
“Okay,” Lee agrees easily, shrugs his bag off, drops it and himself on the couch.
“Thank you again, for agreeing,” Ghlaijai says quietly, “I hope you didn't feel pressured by Teerak or anything like that.”
“It's nothing like that,” Lee quickly reassures Ghlaijai, “if I can help I will try my best.”
“Right,” Ghlaijai nods, and finally smiles at Lee. A smile directed at Lee and only Lee.
Lee swallows around his dry throat, offers a tentative smile back.
“So what exactly do you need me to do?” Lee asks.
Ghlaijai blinks at the question, as if he wasn't expecting the most obvious of questions. If Lee looks carefully enough he can make out the faintest of pink dusting over Ghlaijai’s cheeks.
“To be honest,” Ghlaijai starts slowly, “I have never been in a…ah…relationship so I don't know what is appropriate to do when you are dating someone.”
“Oh,” Lee nods like he understands, as if he has any experience dating, ignoring the fact that he too has never dated anyone, “that's okay. I can help you think of things to make it seem convincing between us two.”
Ghlaijai's smile comes back full force this time.
“How should we start then?” Ghlaijai asks, leaning closer towards Lee.
“Let's start easy,” Lee takes out his phone, “lets change our contact names to something cute.”
“Like what?” Ghlaijai looks at him as he takes out his own phone.
“Just something cute,” Lee says again, clicking on his messages with Ghlaijai from last night, tapping quickly at his profile. He takes a second to look at Ghlaijai again, his hair, eyes, nose, lips, his long neck. Heart beating a little faster. He looks away, shakes his head, stats typing slowly.
“Like this, see,” he says after he edits Ghlaijai's name.
my darling 🐰🩷
“Ah,” Ghlaijai looks down at his own phone, fingers hovering over the keyboard. Lee waits for a second, then two and finally Ghlaijai looks away from his phone, gives Lee an embarrassed expression.
“I can't think of anything,” he admits, “you pick your name.”
He offers his phone to Lee. Lee takes it without much thought, looking at the blank space where his name probably was seconds ago.
He types out a new name, gives it back to Ghlaijai.
“My moon?” Ghlaijai asks, eyes lingering at the little crescent moon emoji, the matching pink heart.
“My name,” Lee starts, “it means moon.”
Silence lingers again, then, “so what's next?”
Lee freezes at Ghlaijai's question.
A lot, Lee wants to answer, instead says, “are you hungry? I can buy you something to eat.”
Ghlaijai gives him a curious look but nods, smiles again.
“Sure.”
-
Lee gets home after the sun sets. He drops his bag on the floor of his bedroom, lets himself fall on his bed.
He stares at his ceiling.
He reaches for his pants’ pocket, takes out a neatly folded square of paper, ripped from one of Ghlaijai's fancy notebooks.
He holds it above himself, eye level, unfolds it carefully, not wanting to rip it.
It's a list, written in Ghlaijai's neat handwriting.
A list on how to look like they're in love.
Lee thinks he's already halfway there. He thinks he's ready for heartbreak.