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The digital clock beside his bed read 2:14 AM. It was a malicious attack to be at 2:14 in the morning and not to sleep.
Est groaned, burying his face deeper into his pillow. He had to be up in four hours to teach university students. Instead, he was being subjected to a loud live performance against his will.
The walls of his bedroom vibrated.
Literally vibrated.
It had been happy and silent for three weeks before his new neighbor moved in. He hadn’t seen the newcomer yet, but he remembered the boxes, and he saw the guitars in the hallway, but didn’t think about it. He didn’t think someone would have the audacity to play music at two in the morning.
His old neighbor was a kind little old lady who knitted. The rowdiest she got was if she messed up a stitch or baked too much and wanted to share.
Now he had a literal hooligan aiming for Est to go through a psychotic break from lack of sleep. How was one supposed to handle young adults on no sleep? It could not be done—well, it could be, but Est wanted to sleep.
“Enough,” Est snapped at the empty room.
He threw off his blanket, cold anger replacing exhaustion. The first thing he grabbed for was his glasses. He grabbed a shirt, not even bothering to change his pajama bottoms for jeans, and stomped out of his room and towards his front door.
He walked straight up to the neighbor's door and started banging on it.
“Open up!”
The music suddenly cut off. The relief to Est‘s ears was immediate.
A moment later, a lock clicked. The door swung open, revealing a younger man leaning against the doorframe—Est‘s breath caught in his throat, his practiced angry lecture dying in his head.
The neighbor resembled someone who had just stepped off a dark stage, yet was also prepared for a magazine cover shoot. He wore a torn black tank top that showcased his muscular biceps and intricate black tattoos. His dark hair was styled in a messy halo, and he had a sharp jawline that could cut glass, along with a silver piercing above his left eyebrow. A faint aroma of expensive cologne, cigarettes, and leather surrounded him.
William blinked at Est, his gaze dropping to the cute puppies on Est‘s pajama bottoms before rising to meet his eyes with a devastatingly handsome smile.
“Hello, neighbor,” he purred, his voice raspy in a way that made Est shiver. “Am I keeping you up?”
“Keeping me up?” Est squeaked, quickly clearing his throat. “You’re breaking several noise ordinances, actually. You’re probably keeping the whole building up. Some of us have actual, respectable jobs in the morning. Turn off your amp, or I'll call the police.”
William tilted his head, completely unbothered by the tongue-lashing he was getting. He leaned in a fraction, his smirk teasing, "Respectable, huh? Let me guess… accountant? Oh! Librarian?”
“Professor,” Est snapped, crossing his arms over his chest, acutely aware of how ridiculous he looked in his puppy pajamas and slippers compared to the literal rockstar aesthetic the other had going on. "And my students will suffer because you decide to treat your apartment like an underground stadium."
William let out a low chuckle. He reached up, casually rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes never leaving Est's face.
"Tell you what, Professor," William said softly, stepping back to let the door start to close, "I'll plug the headphones in for the rest of the night. Sorry about the racket. But hey…," he paused, his grin turning wicked as he winked, "... you look pretty cute when you're angry. Sleep tight."
The door clicked shut before Est could even process the words.
Est stood in the hallway, his face burning a furious red. The apartment was completely silent now, but as he walked back to his own room, Est realized his heart was pounding far too fast for someone who was supposed to be falling asleep.
—
The smell of stale energy drinks and the lack of proper air conditioning in the cramped underground studio were all William smelt.
He sat on the worn leather couch, a guitar resting carelessly across his lap. His fingers were idly plucking at the strings, but his mind wasn't on the music. He was staring at the acoustic foam on the opposite wall, a slow smile pulling at the corner of his lips.
He was thinking about the cute animal pajama pants. And the fluffy bedhead. And the way a certain teacher looked when his face flushed a bright, beautiful pink from sheer exasperation.
Est. The name felt crisp and neat, just like the man himself.
He got the name that morning from the landlord's wife. All it took was a charming smile and a wink to get the name. Probably broke a law, but William didn't care. Because, now, he had a name.
"Yo, Earth to William," Nut barked, snapping his fingers directly in front of William's face. Nut, the band's drummer, was leaning over his kit, sticks poised, "We've been trying to start the bridge for five minutes. Why are you grinning like an idiot?"
William didn't even look up. He just chuckled and plucked a single chord, "Just thinking."
Tui, who was tuning his rhythm guitar nearby, snorted loudly, "Thinking? Since when do you look happy thinking? You usually look confused, like thinking is hard."
From the corner of the room, Lego stopped messing with his synthesizer. He leaned forward, squinting hard with a knowing look in his feline eyes, "Oh, man. Look at his eyes. He'd got the look. Who is she? Or is it a he this time? Who did you bring home last night?"
"Nobody," William said smoothly, his smile only widening as he remembered the way Est had crossed his arms, trying so hard to look intimidating in a giant, fuzzy cardigan. "Didn't bring anyone home."
"Liars go to hell, William," Hong chimed in, spinning around in his rolling chair with a dramatic gasp, his fingers brushing over the chords of his bass, "You've been zoning out all session. You missed three cues, Mr. Lead Singer. Our gritty, brooding frontman is smiling at a blank wall. It's creepy. Tell us everything."
"Seriously," Nut joked, throwing a drumstick playfully at William's chest, which William caught effortlessly with one hand. "Is it that art major from the venue last week? Oh! Or that cute photographer?"
"Neither," William said, tossing the drumstick back to Nut. He leaned his head against the back of the couch, completely unbothered by the firing squad of teasing. He usually hated people prying into his personal life, but right now, he couldn't bring himself to care. The memory of the pretty teacher next door with the heart-shaped lips was keeping him in too good a mood. "Just… met one of my neighbors last night."
For one or two seconds, the studio was silent. It never lasted long.
"A neighbor?" Tui laughed, shaking his head.
"Did they come over to punch you?" Lego asked, grinning.
"He complained," William admitted, his voice softening as he pictured Est's indignant, wide-eyed glare. "Wore slippers and everything. Threatened to call the cops."
"And that made you smile?!" Hong asked in disbelief. "You're a psychopath. He hates you!"
"He doesn't hate me," William purred, shifting the guitar on his lap and finally standing up, ready to actually play. His eyes dark and full of a sudden, playful intent. "He just doesn't know me yet. Come on, from the top. Let's get this song done. I have to get home early to annoy a very pretty Professor."
As the late afternoon rolled around, William was leaning against the wall of the apartment building, a cigarette unlit between his fingers. He had intentionally left the studio early, his mind entirely occupied by the thought of his neighbor.
He didn't have to wait long.
A modest, perfectly clean sedan pulled into the garage. The engine cut out, and a moment later, Est was walking towards the front of the building. He looked entirely different in the daylight, but no less captivating. The pajamas were replaced by sharp gray slacks, a nearly ironed white dress shirt, and a structured navy blazer. He had on a messenger bag that looked far too heavy.
When Est caught sight of William, he froze. William didn't move. He just tilted his head, a lazy smirk spreading across his face as he watched the teacher's reaction.
Est's shoulder visibly tensed. He took a deep breath, adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder, and continued walking. He clearly intended to march straight inside without acknowledging William, but that wasn't about to happen.
"Afternoon, Professor," William called out, his voice cutting through the Bangkok traffic not too far away. "Rough day at the chalkboard?"
Est stopped in his tracks. He turned his head slowly, his eyes sweeping over William. Today, William was wearing a faded graphic tee, ripped denim, and his signature eyebrow piercing, catching the afternoon sun.
"I see you managed to survive the night without being arrested for being a nuisance," Est said, his tone clipped and unbothered, or so he wanted William to think.
"Barely," William chuckled, taking a few deliberate steps closer to Est, a hand in his pocket, "It was pretty lonely without you knocking on my door at two in the morning, to be honest. I missed the pjs."
A beautiful pink flush immediately crept up Est's neck, blooming across his cheeks just like it had the night before. "They are lounge pants. And if I have to come over tonight, it won't be for a chat. It will be with the police."
"Relax, relax," William said, raising his hands in mock surrender. A stray breeze caught Est's hair, blowing a few strands into his eyes. Without thinking, William reached out, his fingers brushing a fraction of an inch away from Est's face to tuck the hair behind the teacher's ear.
Est gasped softly, flinching back slightly, his wide eyes locked onto William's focused gaze. The sudden intimacy between them was suffocatingly close.
"I promised I'd use headphones, didn't I?" William murmured, his voice dropping an octave, his thumb brushing lightly against Est's jawline before he pulled his hand back, "I'm a man of my word, Est."
Est swallowed hard, his knuckles turning white as they gripped the strap of his bag. He looked utterly bewildered by the gesture, "... Good. Keep it that way."
With that, Est turned on his heel and practically bolted for the door, but William wasn't done.
"The name's William, by the way," he called after the teacher.
Est didn't turn. The heavy thud of the door closing echoed. William stood there, watching the door. He reached down, finally lighting his cigarette, a low laugh leaving him. He was completely and utterly hooked.
—
The sun beat down on the university courtyard, and elegant shadows danced across the historic bricks of the quad. Students bustled between classes, carrying heavy textbooks and clutching iced coffees, their voices a soft hum in Est's ears.
Est stood near the marble fountain, a stack of heavily annotated essay papers cradled securely under his arm. He took a sip of his mug, feeling remarkably grounded for a Tuesday.
"Well, look who finally rejoined the living," Santa remarked, stepping out from the shadows of the humanities building. He adjusted the leather strap of his own bag, a brilliant, knowing smile on his lips, "Last week, during the department meeting, I genuinely thought you were going to fall face-first into your laptop. Today, you actually look like a University Literature professor and not a Victorian ghost."
"He really does," Phuwin agreed, joining them. He adjusted his glasses, looking Est over with an amused expression, "For nearly a month, your lectures on Paradise Lost have sounded like cries for help, Est. Did you finally find a way to silence your nocturnal menace next door, or did you buy earplugs?"
Est felt that traitorous warmth spread at the back of his neck. He quickly looked down at the top essay in his stack, pretending to check a grade.
"The noise issue has been… resolved," Est said eventually, "My new neighbor and I had a brief dialogue. He agreed to use headphones. Though I'm still trying to figure out how he got my name."
Santa's eyebrows shot up. He leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "A dialogue, huh? Wow. You must have hit him with your syllabus-enforcing voice. Who is the guy anyway? Some undergrad throwing frat parties?"
"No," Est mumbled, his mind instantly flashing to the vivid memory of shredded black cotton, dark tattoos mapping well-defined biceps, and the gravely rasp of William's voice. "He's an adult, I think? He seems… artistically inclined. A lot of tattoos."
Phuwin, who missed absolutely nothing, caught the subtle tension in Est's posture. He smirked, crossing his arms over his blazer, "Artistically inclined? And he just politely gave in to your demands. Fascinating. Usually, those who blast music at ungodly hours aren't known for being particularly deferential."
"He was… surprisingly cooperative," Est insisted, his eyes daring across the quad to avoid Phuwin's perceptive gaze. Cooperative was a massive understatement for a man who had intentionally invaded his personal space to tuck a stray hair behind his ear. Still, Est would rather die than admit that to his colleagues.
"Cooperative, or just a massive distraction?" Santa teased, playfully nudging Est's shoulder. "Come on, Professor. You're blushing. Is the scary neighbor actually handsome?"
"Santa, please. We are standing in the middle of campus," Est scolded, his face turning an untenable shade of pink. He checked his watch, "And I have a lecture on Gothic poetry in ten minutes. I must go."
Phuwin chuckled softly as Est began to march away toward the lecture halls quickly. "Of course, Est. Keep telling yourself you're just glad to get some sleep, but if your artistic neighbor ever needs a guest lecture on creative rebellion, be sure to introduce him to the department."
—
A torrential downpour had overtaken everything, and it showed no signs of slowing by the time Est left the university. The sheets of rain hammered relentlessly against the windshield of Est's car, the whispers slapping back and forth at maximum speed.
Est drove cautiously down the dimly lit avenue just outside the university. He had stayed late grading papers, and all he wanted was to crawl into bed with a hot cup of tea.
As he approached a concrete bus stop, a flash of reflective metal caught his eye.
Parked awkwardly by the curb under the useless shelter of the bus stop awning was a black motorcycle. Slouched against the glass partition right next to it was a tall figure in a soaked black leather jacket, dark jeans, and boots. He had his helmet resting on the bench beside him, his dark hair plastered against his forehead.
It was William.
He was staring out at the flooding street, looking incredibly frustrated and completely drenched. Water droplets rolled down his jawline. Even soaked ot the bone, he looked dangerous and entirely out of place.
Est slowed his car to a crawl, pulling up tightly against the curb right in front of the bus stop. He rolled down the passenger window just a fraction of an inch to shout over the rain.
"William?" Est called out, leaning across the console.
William blinked, turning to look in surprise. When he recongfized the car, his suaully smirk immediately broke through his miserable expression. He walked out from the shelter, leaning down to look through the cracked window, the rain instantly plastering his wet shirt to his chest.
"Well, if it isn't the professor," William chuckled, "Come to give me a citation for illegal parking?"
"What are you doing?" Est asked, his authoritative teacher voice masking the sudden flutter in his chest at how striking William looked in the rain. "Why are you standing at the bus stop?"
"Bike stalled," William said, gesturing back to the motorcycle with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Electrical issue from the floodwater. Can't ride a motorcycle when the engine is literally drowning. I was waiting for the bus, but the schedule is more of a suggestion, apparently."
Est looked at William's shivering frame, then back down at the stormy road. His brain was telling him to keep driving, but his heart had other ideas. He also wasn't cruel. He wished he were.
"Get in," Est snapped, reaching over to push the door open. "Before you get pneumonia and ruin my upholstery. Throw your helmet in the back."
William didn't hesitate. He grabbed his helmet, slipped into the passenger seat, and shut the door. The sedan was suddenly filled with the scent of wet leather, rain, and William's earthy cologne.
William ran a hand through his dripping hair, shaking it out like a dog. A few stray droplets sprayed onto the dashboard.
"Hey!" Est scolded, grabbing a neat package of tissues from the glove box and shoving it into William's hands, "Wipe yourself down. I like my car pristine."
William paused, looking from the tissues to Est's flushed face. A playful glint returned to his eyes. He leaned closer across the center console, invading Est's personal space until Est could see the light brown around the pupils in William's eyes.
"Thanks for the rescue, Professor," William murmured as he carefully wiped a drop of water from his eyebrow, right by his piercing, "I didn't think you cared enough to stop."
Est swallowed hard, his grip on the steering wheel tightening, but he focused on shifting the car back into drive, "I don't care. I don't want a dead body on the street. It lowers the property value."
William let out a loud, genuine laugh that echoed in the small car as he leaned back into the seat with a grin that made Est's heart faster than the speed limit allowed.
The drive back was filled with rain hitting the window and William's low chuckles as he teased Est about his immaculate driving habits. By the time Est pulled into the underground parking garage of their apartment building, the tension between them was thick enough to cut.
They walked side by side toward the elevator, the sound of William's boots echoing against the tile. When the elevator doors opened on their floor, they stepped out into the hallway that separated their two units.
Est stopped right outside the door, gripping the strap of his bag like a shield. William paused a step behind him.
"Well, we made it," Est said, his voice a little tight as he fished for his keys out of his coat pockets, "Try to get some rest. And please, dry off properly."
William didn't move away. He took a slow, deliberate step forward, invading Est's space until Est's back was pressed flat against his own front door. The heavy scent of rain and William's cologne engulfed Est. William leaned in, his eyes locked onto Est's lips, a rare softness replacing his usual cocky smirk.
"Thanks again, Est," William said softly, "Really. I owe you one."
He was so close. So close that Est could feel the warmth radiating from William's damp skin despite the storm's chill. Est's breath was caught in his throat. His eyes fluttered shut for a split second as William tilted his head. The hallway seemed to shrink, the air growing hot.
It felt entirely inevitable. They were about to kiss.
Snap.
Instantly, the hallway plunged into pitch-black darkness. All they could hear was the roar of the storm outside.
"What the hell?" William muttered, his sudden movement rustling his wet leather jacket as he pulled back. Est heard him rustling around, likely pulling out his phone, only for William to let out a hiss of annoyance, "Great. My phone's dead."
Est, however, remained calm. Well, calm about the power. His heart was hammering in his chest as he realized he was about to let William kiss him.
"The grid must have failed due to the flooding," Est said, his voice steady. He pulled out his own phone and turned on the flashlight.
William blinked against the sudden brightness, "Well, always prepared, aren't we?"
"Yes, actually," Est said with a nod, "You should come inside. I have a gas stove, flashlights, and extra blankets. You can dry off here until the power is back on."
Est unlocked his door, pushing it open to reveal his clean and dark apartment. He stepped inside and held the door open, trying to ignore his pounding heart. William stared through the dark, an appreciative smile spreading across his face.
"Well, Professor," William purred, stepping across the threshold into Est's apartment and shutting the door behind him, sealing them both inside the dark space. "Who am I to argue with a thoroughly prepared academic?"
Est guided William through the pitch-black apartment, the beam of his phone cutting a path to his room.
Est set the phone down, angling it so it cast a glow over the room. He reached into the drawers and pulled out a gray fleece sweater and a pair of dark sweatpants. They were a bit oversized on Est, but they would likely be a snug fit on William's broader frame. He grabbed a spare flashlight from the nearby emergency bin.
"Here," Est said, turning around and handing the bundle over along with the extra flashlight. "You can use the bathroom to change. I'll find some towels."
"Thanks, Professor," William smiled.
Instead of walking away, William clicked on the new flashlight and casually slipped it into the waistband of his wet jeans, pointing the beam to the ceiling. Then, without a shred of hesitation or modesty, he grabbed the hem of his soaked t-shirt and pulled it straight over his head.
Est's breath hitched.
Even in the terrible lights, William's torso was a breathtaking sight. The dim shadows only emphasized the athletic lines of his body. Mapping across his broad chest, rippling over his ribs, and trailing down the center of his stomach was an intricate tapestry of dark ink. The shadows made the tattoos look alive, heavy black lines of abstract art, thorns and jagged lyrics twisting around his skin. Droplets of rainwater still glistened against the ink.
William shook out his damp hair, completely unbothered by his sudden partial nudity, and tossed the wet shirt onto the floor. He caught Est staring, and a devastating smirk spread across his face.
"Like what you see, Professor?" William purred, his voice a teasing whisper. He leaned in just a fraction closer, his scent filling the room, "I can give you a closer look if the lighting's too bad."
Est's face instantly turned bright red. He snapped his gaze upward, looking anywhere but William's bare chest.
"The–the bathroom is to your left," Est squeaked, his composure shattering. He grabbed the wet shirt from the floor with two fingers, shoving himself past the rocker. "Please do change."
William let out a laugh, thoroughly enjoying how easily he could fluster the professor. "Right away, sir," he mocked, playfully, turning on his heel and heading into the bathroom, leaving Est standing alone in the dark with a hammering heartbeat.
The doorway to the bathroom eventually clicked open, and William stepped back into the room.
Est's sweatpants and grey fleece sweater were a comical fit on the rocker. The sleeves of the sweater stopped a few inches short of his wrists, exposing the dark tattoos on his forearms, and the fabric stretched across his broad chest. Despite the snut fit, William looked comfortable. He walked into the living room, tossing his extra flashlight on the coffee table, and sank back into the couch with a long sigh of relief.
Est was standing by the window, watching the rain hammer the glass. He turned around, his phone replaced with another flashlight.
"They're a bit tight," Est noticed, his voice quiet in the apartment, "But at least they are dry."
William leaned his head back against the cushions, his eyes tracking Est through the shadows. A thoughtful, amused expression settled over his face. "You know, Professor… you gave me a flashlight. You could have just handed me that and told me to kick rocks back at my own place. My apartment is right next door with my own clothes. Why'd you let me stay?"
Est looked away, his fingers tightening around the flashlight, "Don't think too much into it, William. It's basic courtesy. I wouldn't leave anyone stranded."
"Yeah, but I'm not just anyone, am I?" William asked, shifting his weight and leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he locked his gaze on the professor. The playful smirk was gone, replaced with something more intense. "And you didn't answer me in the hallway before the lights cut out."
Est's breath faltered. He tried to maintain more of his composure, but the air in the room was too thin. "Answer you about what?"
"I was going to kiss you, Est," William said bluntly, his voice cutting through the roar of the rain. He stood up from the couch, taking slow, quiet steps until he was standing just a foot away from Est, completely ignoring the unspoken boundary between them. "Right before the power blew. I was leaning in, and you didn't pull away."
William tilted his head, the reflection of the flashlight beam catching the silver on his eyebrow, "You tell me not to look into things, but I want to. If the power hadn't gone out… would you have stopped me?"
Est swallowed hard. His heart was beating frantically in his chest, and the composure he had felt entirely useless against William. He was frozen, the silence of the apartment amplifying the rhythm of his own pulse. William's question hung in the air, demanding an answer that Est's logical brain couldn't formulate.
For days, Est had adhered to his rules, complained about the noise, and tried to establish boundaries. But now, looking at William, who was wearing Est's fleece sweater, smelling of smoke and rain, his once-judgmental demeanor was entirely gone. The walls Est had built around himself had completely crumbled.
He didn't have an answer—at least not one he could vocalize yet. Instead of answering, Est took a step forward, closing the distance between them. He reached up, his fingers trembling slightly as they tangled into the damp, messy strands of the dark hair at the base of William's neck and pulled him in.
Est pressed his lips firmly against William's.
William let out a muffled gasp of surprise against Est's mouth, a sudden intake of breath that Est immediately used to deepen the kiss. The gestation lasted for a fraction of a second before William's hands found Est's waist, gripping the fabric of Est's shirt with a desperate intensity that pulled the professor flush against his chest.
The kiss was chaotic and beautiful. It started with a fierce, burning urgency of pent-up annoyance, mutual pining, and midnight frustrations that melted into an electric friction. Est's lips parted, and the kiss grew deep and intoxicatingly slow. William's mouth was warm and tasted faintly of the cloves he smoked.
William groaned low in his throat, a gravelly vibration that Est felt rumble directly against his chest. William's grip tightened, his hands sliding up from Est's waist to map the sharp lines of his back, anchoring the professor to him as if he were afraid Est might suddenly change his mind and pull away.
But Est didn't pull away.
He leaned into the solid weight of the rock star, completely losing himself in the sensation of being held so securely. The steady, roaring torrent of the rain outside completely faded into the background, replaced entirely by the sound of their breathless gasps as they parted for air, only for William to lean right back in, his lips softer now, tracing a slow, bruising path across Est's mouth that left them both completely undone.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily. Est's face was burning, but he didn't try to hide it.
William let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh, his thumbs gently rubbing soothing circles through the fabric of Est's shirt.
"Well," William whispered against Est's lips, "I guess that answers my question."
"Shut up," Est breathed, heat pooling in his stomach.
Before William could even flash a triumphant smirk, Est hooked his fingers into the collar of the sweater and pulled William back in. The second kiss was even more urgent than the first, stripped of all hesitation. William let out a rough chuckle against Est's lips, his hands sliding down to grip Est's hips, lifting him slightly off his feet as he eagerly met the sudden rush of passion.
Est didn't want to think. He didn't want to analyze the propriety of kissing his chaotic neighbor, or even think about planning tomorrow's lesson. Guided only by the beat of his own heart and the bright light of the flashlight pooling onto the ceiling, Est began to step forward, unquestioningly pulling William along with him down the dark hallway into the bedroom.
—
The clock on the nightstand clicked back to life with a beep, glowing a bright 6:45 AM. The torrential rain had stopped, replaced by a misty morning light filtering through the blinds.
Est blinked his eyes open, feeling the unfamiliar warmth of William's arm around his waist. The storm had passed, both metaphorically and literally, and reality was knocking on the door.
He had sex with William.
Incredible, mind-blowning sex that had left Est completely undone. He had sex with his heavily tattooed neighbor, who forgot all sense of reason at 2 AM, by blasting his own music so the complex couldn't sleep.
That was something he had done.
Fuck.
William stirred beside him, groaning softly as the morning light hit his face. He blinked his dark eyes open, an incredibly soft smile spreading across his face the moment he locked down at Est's sleepy expression and rumpled hair.
"Well…, good morning, Professor," William said, his voice stretched with sleep.
"The power is back," Est whispered, his voice small. "You… you should probably head back to your apartment. I have an 8:30 AM lecture."
William let out a chuckle, but he didn't move away. He shifted his weight, pinning Est flat against the mattress one last time. He reached up, his finger gently cradling Est's jaw.
"Going," William assured, "But not before this."
William leaned down and kissed him. It wasn't a gentle, polite morning kiss. It was a deep, possessive, and lingering one. William's lips moved against Est with agonizing slowness until the professor was completely dizzy. By the time William finally pulled back, Est was utterly breathless, his chest heaving as he stared up at William with wide, dazed eyes.
William smirked, thoroughly satisfied with the effect he had on the uptight academic. He swung his legs out of the bed, grabbed the clothes that had been discarded last night, and pulled them on. He paused at the bedroom door.
"My band has a massive gig this Friday night," William said, leaning against the doorframe, looking effortlessly cool despite wearing Est's tight sweatpants. "And I want you here."
Est blinked, "An underground rock show? William, I don't think that's exactly my scene."
"It will be," William assured, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Just tell the guys at the door your name. They'll let you straight into the VIP section. And hey," he paused, his smirk widening, "... you can bring your professor friends so it's more comfortable."
With a final wink, William slipped out the door and out of the apartment, leaving Est sitting there, breathless, deeply flustered, and wondering how on earth he was going to explain this to his colleagues.
—
Friday arrived far too quickly.
After hours of relentless begging and an embarrassing amount of blushing, Est had somehow managed to convince Santa and Phuwin to join him at the address William had given him. To make matters worse, they invited their boyfriends, Perth and Pond. Est liked them, but it just meant those two were going to take a crack at making fun of Est.
The five of them stood outside the doors of the underground venue. The thudding bass of the opening act was vibrating right through the concrete.
"I still can't believe Professor Est, the man who gave a student a C-minus for using the wrong font on a bibliography, brought us to a literal warehouse rave," Santa teased, leaning heavily against Perth's shoulder with a massive grin.
"I'm impressed," Perth laughed, "Santa told me you only listen to classical music and educational podcasts."
"It's a rock concert, not a rave. And I do listen to music other than classical," Est corrected stiffly, his face already flushing a light pink. He adjusted the collar of his button-down shirt. He felt incredibly out of place among the crowd of leather-clad, tattooed concertgoers.
"Whatever it is, how are we getting in?" Phuwin asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes scanning the long line wrapped around the block. Pond stood beside him, nodding in agreement, "The bouncer looks like he eats university faculty for breakfast, Est. We don't have tickets."
"We don't need tickets," Est sighed. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and walked straight past the queue to the massive bouncer guarding the door, "Excuse me. I was told to give a name."
The bouncer looked down, unimpressed. "Name?"
"Est."
The bouncer nodded. He pulled back the velvet rope and unlatched the steel door, "Right this way. VIP section is up the stairs and to the left."
Santa and Phuwin's jaws dropped. Pond and Perth exchanged impressed glances at Est, who was biting his lower lip in sheer anxiety. He let the group inside the dark, neon-lit venue.
They had barely reached the edge of the elevated VIP section balcony when a blur of black leather and dark hair intercepted them.
"You actually came," a familiar voice gasped.
Before Est could even process the words, William lunged forward. His eyes were bright with pre-show excitement. He caught Est by the waist, pulled him flush against his broad chest, and crashed their lips together in a breathless and incredibly public kiss. Est's brain short-circuited. He let out a muffled squeak against William's lips, his hands clutching helplessly at the lapels of William's leather jacket.
William pulled back, a massive grin on his face. He turned his head to look at the four completely frozen men standing behind Est.
"Hey. You must be the friends from the University," William said, his voice proud as he tightly wrapped an arm around Est's waist, keeping the dazed professor. "I'm William Est's boyfriend. I'd love to stay and chat, but the guys are gonna kill me if I'm not on stage soon. Enjoy the show!"
With a wink directed right at Est's burning face, William let go of his waist and sprinted down the backstage stairs. The silence left in his wake was deafening, even over the roar of the crowd below.
Est stood frozen on the balcony, his lips still tingling, his mind completely reeling. Boyfriend? Since when were they boyfriends?
Slowly, Est turned around to face his colleagues.
Santa was staring at him, his mouth wide open, "Boyfriend?! He's your boyfriend?!"
Phuwin's expression was a mix of absolute shock and profound amusement. Beside them, Pond and Perth were grinning like idiots.
"Apparently?" Phuwin said, raising an eyebrow at Est, his voice teasing. "Our strict, rule-following Literature professor didn't just resolve a noise complaint. He went and domesticated an underground rockstar. Care to explain, Est?"
Est buried his face in his hands, his ears a violent red, wishing the concrete would open up and swallow him whole.
—
The bass finally faded, leaving the packed warehouse echoing with the crowd's cheers. Down in the backstage green room, it smelled of sweat, adrenaline, and very cheap beer.
William collapsed on the couch, his leather jacket thrown on the chair, leaving him in a sleeveless black shirt that showed off his glistening tattooed arms. He was completely out of breath, but a grin was plastered across his face.
"Yo, William," Nut yelled, tossing his drumsticks beside William, "What the hell was that? You didn't look at the crowd once. Your eyes were glued to the VIP balcony all night!"
"Seriously," Tui chimed in, cracking open a can of soda and shaking his head, "I thought you were going to trip over your own amp cord because you wouldn't stop staring at that one guy."
"Is that the neighbor?!" Hong demanded, spinning around with excitement, "Oh my god. It's the pretty Professor! The one you were smiling at the wall for? Oh man, he actually showed up!"
Lego giggled, "And he brought friends. It was amazing. We need to bring them down here right now. I want to meet the guy who finally tamed you."
"Yeah, bring him in," Nut shouted, already heading for the door. "Let's see if the Professor can handle the band."
"Hey! Sit your ass down," William barked, though he still sounded fond. He pointed a finger at Nut. "Listen to me, all of you. You are not going to mess this up for me. If you loud idiots go out there and overwhelm him, you're going to scare him off."
"Aww, look at him, he's being protective," Lego cooed, clutching his chest dramatically.
Before William could throw a couch cushion at Lego's head, the door clicked open again. Est stepped into the green room, looking incredibly flushed, accompanied by his friends.
The room instantly went silent.
William's protective scowl vanished, replaced by a breathless smile as his eyes locked onto Est. He stood up from the couch, ignoring the whispering teasing of his bandmates, and stepped forward to welcome his neighbor.
The green room erupted into absolute, unmitigated chaos as soon as William's hand was on Est's hip.
Santa stepped forward, a grin wide on his face. He looked at Nut as if he had found a partner in crime.
"So," Santa started, his voice dripping with playful intent as he crossed his arms, "You're the guys who have been torturing our Literature professor?"
Nut's eyes lit up with pure joy, "Oh! You have no idea. We thought he was gonna come over with a baseball bat. Instead, William comes back to us grinning like a total idiot because the neighbor wore animal print pjs!"
"Animal print?!" Phuwin chimed in, stepping up beside Nut. Pong was cackling from the door with Perth. "Fascinating. Est told us it was a 'brief, professional dialogue'. He completely left out the part where he was modeling his sleepwear."
"He looked cute!" William defended himself loudly, his face actually flushing as he pulled Est against him, "Hey, I told you guys to leave him alone!"
"Oh, shut up, Will. " You're outnumbered now," Tui laughed, raising his soda to Phuwin. "I'm Tui. This is Nut, Lego, and Hong. And honestly, we are so glad you guys are here. William has been a nightmare since he met Est. He missed cues on Tuesday because he was daydreaming about a chalkboard."
"A chalkboard?" Santa shrieked, clutching Perth's arm for support while the two dissolved into helpless laughter. "Est, you didn't tell us you were ruining the local music economy with your lectures!"
Est buried his face in the front of William's sleeveless shirt, his hands gripping the fabric tightly. He could feel William's heartbeat and the rumbling laughter in his chest. Est's ears were crimson.
"I want to go home," Est's muffled voice squeaked, "I have midterms to grade. I am leaving."
"No way, Teach! You're staying for drinks!" Lego cheered, pulling a cooler of beer and sodas closer to the ground. He handed one to each of them, "We need to team up. We should create a group chat to monitor William's behavior. If he plays too loud, you text us, and we'll change his amp settings."
"That is a brilliant academic strategy," Phuwin agreed smoothly, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen. "Let's exchange numbers. We need to coordinate their curfews."
"Hey! No curfews," William yelled, though he was smiling widely, his arm tightening securely around Est's waist as he pressed a quick, protective kiss against the top of the Professor's rumpled hair. Despite the brutal teasing from both sides, looking around the room at their combined laughing friends, William couldn't help but smile.
—
The drive back to their apartment building was blissfully quiet compared to the storm of teasing they had escaped. The neon lights of Bangkok blurred past the windshield, the car filled only with William's soft humming to the radio and the familiar scent of William's cologne.
Est pulled into his usual spot in the parking garage. For a long moment, neither of them moved.
William unbuckled his seatbelt, stretching his long, tattooed arms with a tired but content sigh. He turned to Est, his lazy smirk playing on his lips, "Thanks for coming, Professor. And thanks for bringing your friends. They made my bandmates' day."
William reached for the door handle, ready to step out, but Est reached across the console. His fingers caught William's wrist, his grip firm.
"Wait."
William paused, blinking at Est. He turned back around, his eyes tracking Est through the amber lighting of the garage. Est's face was still a little flushed from the night.
"What's up?" William asked, his voice gentle.
Est swallowed hard, racking in his nerves. He looked at William, trying to channel his usual serious persona, though the slight tremor in his breath gave it away. "Back at the venue… You told them that you were my boyfriend. And then your bandmates wouldn't stop talking about it."
William tilted his head, his eyebrow piercing glinting, "Yeah, I did."
"William," Est said, his voice a mix of exasperation and bewilderment. "When exactly did we become boyfriends? We never had a discussion. We never established any parameters or boundaries. You just… declared it to my entire department."
William chuckled, the sound bouncing through the car. He didn't pull his wrist away, but he rotated his hand, slipping his fingers between Est's, locking their fingers. He leaned in a fraction, a warmth replacing his playful smirk.
"Parameters, huh?" William murmured, his eyes darkening with intense affection. "Well, if you want a precise timeline, Professor… probably after the first kiss in your apartment during the blackout. Because I sure as hell wasn't looking at any other neighbors like that."
He paused, his thumb tracing a slow, deliberate circle over the back of Est's hand, making the Professor's breath hitch.
"But definitely," William whispered, his voice dropping to a wicked tone, his beautiful grin spreading across his face, "definitely after we had sex while it was pouring outside. Once I'm wearing your oversized sweatpants and tangled up in your sheets, you're stuck with me, Professor."
Est's face instantly deepened into a blush. "But you don't know anything about me."
"And yet, I'm hooked," William assured with a grin and a simple shrug, as if it were easy to understand.
William's simple, unbothered shrug made Est's brain completely stall. It was maddening how someone so chaotic could make everything seem so incredibly effortless.
"You can't be hooked," Est argued weakly, his voice dropping as he tried to find a shred of his usual logic. He looked down at their joined hands, "I like schedules, William. I grade papers on the weekend. I go to bed at a reasonable hour, and I read classical literature for fun. Your entire life is built around noise and late-night underground venues. We make absolutely no sense on paper."
William let out a laugh. He reached up with his free hand, his fingers gently catching Est's chin and tilting his face up so their eyes met.
"Then it's a good thing we're not on paper, Teach," William murmured, his eyes fierce, "I don't need you to be loud, and I don't need you to like my schedule. I like you. I like how stubborn you are. I like the way you look in those ridiculous animal-print pants, and I like that you stopped your car in a monsoon to make sure I didn't get sick.
He leaned in closer and whispered, "You're the only quiet thing in my entire world, Est. And I'm not letting that go."
Est's breath caught. The remnants of his defenses melted away under the weight of William's honesty. He didn't say another word as William let go of his chin, "There isn't a study guide you have to look up for this, Est. There is no test."
For a man who lived his entire life by syllabi, grading rubrics, and outcomes he could predict, William's words were terrifying and liberating. There was no right or wrong answer here. There was no grading scale for the way his heart skipped beats whenever William leaned close, or the way that green room had felt a little less overwhelming the moment William wrapped an arm around his waist.
"No test," Est echoed under his breath, the word foreign but surprisingly sweet on his tongue.
"None," William assured him, his smile softening even more.
Est let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The tension left his shoulders at once. Without a word, he squeezed William's hand back before finally letting go so they could step out of the car.
They walked side by side toward the elevator, their shoulders brushing. When the elevator doors opened on their floor, they didn't split up to go to their respective rooms. William followed Est straight to his door, waiting patiently as Est fished his keys out of his pockets.
As soon as the lock clicked and the door swung open, the quiet of the apartment engulfed them. The scent of smoke, leather, and adrenaline mingled with the comforting smell of Est's clean apartment.
"So," William spoke up, leaning down until his lips were brushing against Est's, "No more questions, Professors?"
Est reached up, his fingers curling into the still sweaty strands of William's dark hair, "Shut up, William."
And pulled him in for a kiss, holding him close.