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Kongthap was sitting on the edge of the sofa, elbows resting on his knees and his gaze fixed on the rug. They had had an argument about the budget that escalated way too fast, and the silence in the apartment felt heavy. Kongthap thought —although he absolutely disliked the idea— that sleeping apart was the most mature way to process the anger without saying something hurtful.
But then, he heard the shuffling of feet down the hallway.
Atom appeared. He had his favorite orange blanket wrapped around his shoulders, dragging part of it on the floor, and his hair was a mess. His eyes were narrowed in that mix of indignation and the urge to cry that always softened Kongthap.
"The sofa is uncomfortable and you're going to wake up with back pain," Atom declared, standing right in front of him like a little judge. "Do you really prefer a hard sofa over sleeping with me? How cruel of you, Kongthap..."
Kongthap sighed, trying to maintain his «I’m angry» facade, but seeing Atom looking like a resentful kitten made his resolve crumble far too quickly.
"Atom, we said we needed space..." Kongthap began in a calm voice.
"Well, the space is huge in the bed!" Atom interrupted him, waving a hand dramatically. "So you're just going to leave me alone? After you told me you’d always take care of me? You’re using the fight as an excuse to abandon your «responsibilities». You don’t have the «right» to leave me alone."
Kongthap pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tightly to avoid smiling and betraying his supposed seriousness. Hearing Atom use terms like «responsibilities» and «rights» to refer to sleeping together was, objectively, the most adorable and manipulative thing he had witnessed all week.
"Atom..." Kongthap whispered, his voice losing that rigidity he had maintained during the argument. "I’m not abandoning you. I was just trying to make sure we didn't end up shouting again."
"The sofa is your enemy and I am your boyfriend. You can't choose the enemy over me. It’s treason, Kongthap," Atom replied. "Be mad at me, but in the bed."
Kongthap let out a long sigh, finally surrendering. He lowered his hand and looked at his boyfriend. The image of Atom standing there, looking like an angry kitten but with the audacity of an elite lawyer, ended up nearly melting him. And he was tired; the afternoon training and the tension of the fight weighed on his shoulders, and the idea of sleeping on that narrow sofa was starting to seem like an unnecessary penance in the face of Atom’s logic.
"Alright, you win." Kongthap conceded, standing up from the edge of the sofa.
Atom finally relaxed.
When they reached the bedroom, Kongthap lay down on the left edge of the bed, turning his back to Atom. He didn't say a single word; he simply settled in and closed his eyes, keeping his distance.
Atom, for his part, flopped down on the right side, staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed over his chest and his orange blanket knotted around his legs. He was indignant. For Atom, the protocol was clear: you fight in the light, but you forgive in the dark.
Five minutes passed. Silence.
Atom let out a long, loud sigh. Nothing.
Ten minutes passed. Atom noisily changed positions. Silence. Nothing.
At fifteen minutes, Atom couldn't take it anymore. He began to scoot toward the center, like a spy on a secret mission, until his arm brushed Kongthap's. Getting no reaction, he stretched out a finger and gave his bicep a little poke. Then another. And then a soft kick under the sheets.
Kongthap remained motionless, though inside he was struggling not to burst out laughing at his boyfriend's persistence.
Suddenly, Atom bolted upright, sitting up in bed with his hair even messier than before and his face red from pure frustration.
"This is the height of cruelty, Kongthap!" Atom exploded. "You are a heartless boyfriend!"
Kongthap sighed but didn't turn around.
"Atom, try to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."
"No! There is no tomorrow!" Atom exclaimed, gesturing dramatically. "No matter how mad we are, the unwritten rule of the universe says we always sleep cuddling. How can you just lie there so calm? You brought me here with promises of peace and now you're giving me the silent treatment."
Atom crossed his arms again, his eyes glassy from the mix of rage and the need for affection.
"My heart hurts more than my arms after whisking eggs," he added in a dramatic whisper, playing his final emotional card. "And you only give me your back..."
Kongthap couldn't hold it in any longer. He turned around slowly, meeting the image of Atom looking like a volcano about to erupt.
"Come here." Kongthap said huskily, opening an arm in a silent invitation.
Atom literally lunged onto Kongthap’s chest, wrapping his arms around his waist to bury his face in his neck, letting out a final sigh of victory.
Atom lifted his head a little and began to nuzzle Kongthap's cheek with the tip of his nose. It was a soft, steady gesture, moving from the cheekbone to the jawline, inhaling the scent he was so obsessed with.
That delicate rub of his nose against Kongthap’s skin was Atom’s way of «marking» his territory and, at the same time, asking for forgiveness without using words. That small nuzzle from Atom’s nose was the final blow to Kongthap’s resistance; he finally let out a defeated sigh and wrapped both arms around Atom’s back, pulling him even closer. Kongthap’s hand traced Atom’s spine, passing over his backside, where he gave a soft squeeze, before reaching his thigh to pull Atom's leg up over his hip.
Atom stopped his «marking» right at the corner of Kongthap's lips, leaving a chaste kiss.
"I’m sorry, I didn't take into account how hard you work for us and that the expenses for my materials got out of control this month."
Kongthap's hand gently stroked Atom's thigh.
"I’m sorry too," Kongthap whispered. "I got too rigid with the numbers. I just want us to be okay, for us to lack nothing, but I shouldn't have spoken to you that way."
"And I yelled at you... I'm so sorry."
Atom made a small face. Neither of them was used to fighting, let alone raising their voices at each other. It had been a stressful month, and that fight was like the straw that broke the camel's back.
"It’s over now, love. Tomorrow we’ll sit down calmly, look at the numbers together, and find a solution."
"...When you left, I got scared," Atom confessed. "I thought if we slept apart, the anger would get bigger by morning, and I hate it when you're far away."
Kongthap felt a pang of guilt in his chest.
"I’m so sorry, my love. It wasn't my intention to scare you," Kongthap murmured, his voice becoming even softer. "I was just frustrated and I didn't want my bad mood to make you feel bad. But you’re right... the sofa is the enemy."
"The sofa is for watching series, not for sleeping when we fight," he nodded. "Promise it," Atom whispered, tracing Kongthap’s cheek with the tip of his nose again. "Promise that even if we're super mad and I'm being very dramatic, you’re never going to try and move to the sofa again. It’s forbidden territory."
Kongthap let out a soft laugh.
"I promise. From now on, fights get resolved here, even if we have to spend minutes giving each other the back before you start invading my side of the bed."
Atom let out a soft giggle, feeling exposed but immensely happy.