Work Text:
The air was pleasantly warm with a cooling breeze that ruffled his hair. The day had been just cloudy enough to avoid a sunburn while on the patio without blocking the endless blue sky. Now, the sun drifted slowly toward the horizon, and Tongrak typed the last sentence of a very productive writing session.
With a satisfied sigh, Tongrak let his eyes drift from his laptop screen to the water and smaller islands visible offshore. Island life had never appealed to him, even while he got his diving certification as a teen, even as he set books on beaches and had characters fall in love with the setting as much as with each other. Islands were hot and sandy and crowded with tourists and didn't even have skincare spas and laser hair removal offices.
Living on Koh Sà-wăn with Mahasamut was nothing like that. There were tourists, yes, but it was easy enough to avoid them if they were being annoying or if Tongrak simply wanted a private beach walk with his husband or a night out. The heat was easily managed with lightweight clothing, cool drinks and showers, and the occasional air conditioning. And, somehow, the sand never seemed to bother him anymore.
No, the fantasy of island life was not what appealed to Tongrak or made living here half the year bareable. It was the fact that he lived with the man he loved, and who loved him. Tongrak could make any place home if Mahasamut were with him.
Speaking of, Mahasamut would be home soon to make dinner.
Tongrak had just won an award for his latest book. He'd celebrated by buying Mahasamut a new outfit to wear at work. It was expensive but understated, and he could run the shop or drive a tour boat in it and look oh so nice. Mahasamut had proudly walked out of the house wearing it that morning. But while Tongrak celebrated by showing off his enviable husband, Mahasamut preferred to celebrate in more intimate ways. They had already had hours of mind-blowing sex about it, but Mahasamut had insisted on cooking him a special dinner too. He was going to bring home the ingredients after work. Even though Tongrak had no idea what it was, his stomach was already growling in anticipation.
With only the soft sounds of the wind and waves, Tongrak heard the front door snick open and shut. He was already smiling before he finished standing from his seat. Time for a welcome home kiss and to snoop on the food.
The smile vanished upon actually seeing his husband, though. The young man was naked from the waist up, which usually would've been a delectable sight, except that he was holding his shirt in his hand. His very wet, very ruined silk shirt. His shorts, which had also been expensive, had a slice up one side, showing off Mahasamut's bare left thigh.
"What the hell did you do to those clothes?" Tongrak demanded, hurrying over and taking the silk from Mahasamut, inspecting it like the story would be written on the fabric itself. "Do you know how expensive this was? You don't swim in silk! You take your shirt off first!"
Mahasamut wasn't even supposed to go diving today. That was the only reason Tongrak had let him leave the house in his good clothes. Ferrying tourists around while telling them stories about different areas and running the giftshop in between tours did not lead to soaking wet and damaged clothes!
"Sorry, Khun," Mahasamut said, looking more like a kicked dog than Tongrak had ever seen, his voice just as sad.
Tongrak closed his eyes and squeezed the shirt, feeling water drip onto his own bare feet and the wood floor. Deep breath in. Mahasamut was not inconsiderate. He would not purposefully destroy something Tongrak gave him. Breathe out. Deep breath in. Mahasamut loved Tongrak and appreciated him. Something must have happened that was out of Mahasamut's control. Breathe out.
His grip on the shirt now loose with the loss of his initial irritation, Tongrak opened his eyes. Mahasamut was running his hand through his hair and wearing an overwhelmed expression.
With a sigh, Tongrak let go of the shirt with one hand and reached out to take the reusable shopping bag from Mahasamut's shoulder. Even as he headed to drop the bag on the kitchen counter, he said, "Tell me what happened."
Mahasamut followed him like a puppy. "Some tourists had trouble with their boat. It was sinking, and one of them was stuck. I jumped in to save them without thinking," he explained.
When Tongrak set the bag down, Mahasamut immediately began pulling out produce and fresh fish. Watching a shirtless man in ripped shorts unpack groceries was incongruous enough that most of Tongrak's lingering anger was replaced with amusement.
"Did you get hurt?" Tongrak asked, eyes scanning up and down Mahasamut's body. There were no visible signs of injury, but he could be wrong.
"No," Mahasmut said with a shake of his head. "But it wasn't until everyone was safe on my boat with my own passengers that I realized I hadn't taken the shirt off first. And by the time we got them to the hospital, the shirt was looking…"
He winced and Tongrak winced with him. Yeah. Silk and seawater were not a match. Mahasamut paused in setting up to make dinner and lifted a pitiful yet hopeful gaze to Tongrak.
"Can you save it?"
Tongrak couldn't help it. He laughed. The whole situation was just so absurd. His husband's good nature and instinctive actions to save lives had ruined a very expensive outfit, and now he was standing in the kitchen in basically nothing, asking a ridiculous question. Could the shirt be saved. Really.
Eventually, he managed, "Not by anyone on this island." His cheeks hurt from smiling so wide.
His reaction only seemed to make Mahasamut more morose. "I'm really sorry, Khun. I ruined your present."
With a shake of his head, Tongrak said, "It's okay."
He turned and opened a cabinet, pulling out a small towel. Behind him, Mahasamut began messing with the groceries again. The young man hurriedly pulled out a large knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, and began arranging the vegetables for easy grabbing during prep. But his movements were jerkier than usual, his movmenets uncertain. Had Tongrak ever seen Mahasamut this nervous?
"I'll make sure dinner is extra tasty tonight. I promise," Mahasamut said without looking at him.
Tongrak stepped forward and touched Mahasamut's wrist, stopping his jittery moves. His husband glanced over at him, still looking upset.
With an easy smile, Tongrak said, "I said, it's fine." He nodded toward the food. "If you cook like this, you'll ruin dinner too, and then I really won't forgive you."
It was an empty threat and they both knew it, but it was silly enough to break through Mahasamut's funk. At the first hint of a smile from him, Tongrak turned Mahasamut to face him and held up the towel.
"Let me at least dry your hair so you don't drip on the food. Then you can keep cooking."
Obediently, Mahasamut lowered his head so Tongrak could reach every part of it with his towel.
When his hair was mostly dry, Mahasamut gently took Tongrak's wrists in his hands and looked at the older man through his bangs. "You're not mad?"
The shirt and pants had been expensive, true, but they still cost pocket change for Tongrak and his family. And Mahasamut had ruined them on accident while doing a good deed. He was also clearly, genuinely upset and repentant. How could Tongrak stay mad at him?
Tongrak shook his head once. "I was a little, but it's just a shirt." He shrugged. "I'll just have to remember to never buy you a silk work shirt ever again."
A smile graced Mahasamut's face and it lit up Tongrak's soul. He loved Mahasamut so damn much.
Mahasamut darted forward to give Tongrak a kiss, then smiled widely. "I love you."
Tongrak's matching smile was just as wide. "I love you too. Now make me dinner. My stomach's been growling for hours."
…
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fin