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tee always thought por would be there.
not because por had promised.
just because… he always was.
every morning, there would be a quiet knock on apartment 3a.
sometimes it was breakfast.
sometimes it was coffee.
sometimes por just stood there because he wanted company but didn’t know how to ask.
tee loved that.
he loved how natural it felt.
until one day…
the knocks stopped.
at first, tee didn’t think much of it.
maybe por was busy.
maybe he overslept.
maybe he had classes.
but after a week…
his phone stayed silent.
his apartment stayed quiet.
and every time tee caught a glimpse of por in the hallway, por would lower his head and walk away.
it didn’t make sense.
they hadn’t fought.
they hadn’t argued.
so why did it feel like tee had already lost him?
…
“you’re staring again.”
north sat beside him in the lobby.
“he keeps avoiding me.”
“did you do something?”
“i don’t think so.”
north looked at him for a long moment.
“thinking isn’t knowing.”
…
tee spent the whole night replaying every conversation they had over the past month.
nothing.
until…
he remembered.
they had been eating takeout in por’s apartment.
por had canceled dinner with wave because tee wasn’t feeling well.
tee had laughed.
“you always put everyone else before yourself.”
por smiled.
“it’s okay.”
“no.”
tee shook his head.
“one day you’ll realize people rely on you too much.”
“…”
“you should stop saying yes to everyone.”
por had nodded quietly.
tee never thought twice about it.
until now.
…
wave answered the door with a tired expression.
“you’re finally here.”
“what do you mean?”
wave sighed.
“por thinks you don’t need him anymore.”
tee froze.
“…what?”
“he thought you were telling him to leave you alone.”
the words hit harder than tee expected.
“that’s not…”
“i know.”
wave looked toward por’s apartment.
“but he doesn’t.”
…
tee ran upstairs.
his heartbeat was so loud he barely heard himself knocking.
once.
twice.
three times.
nothing.
“por.”
silence.
“please.”
after what felt like forever…
the door slowly opened.
por looked exhausted.
his eyes were red.
like he hadn’t slept properly in days.
“…hi.”
tee’s chest hurt.
“can i come in?”
por stepped aside without saying anything.
…
the apartment felt emptier than usual.
the blanket tee always used was folded neatly away.
the extra mug was gone.
even the slippers tee jokingly called his own had disappeared.
it was like por had erased every sign that tee belonged there.
“why?”
por looked down.
“…because i thought you were done with me.”
tee’s heart sank.
“por…”
“you said people depended on me too much.”
“…”
“i thought you were trying to tell me i was becoming too much for you.”
his voice cracked.
“so i stopped.”
tee closed the distance between them immediately.
“look at me.”
por hesitated before lifting his head.
there were tears sitting in his eyes.
tee cupped his face gently.
“that’s not what i meant.”
“…”
“i said it because i was worried.”
“worried?”
“you give everything to everyone.”
“your time.”
“your energy.”
“your heart.”
tee smiled sadly.
“i was scared someone would take so much from you that there’d be nothing left.”
por stared at him.
“…you weren’t asking me to leave?”
tee shook his head without hesitation.
“never.”
por’s lips trembled.
“i missed you every day.”
tee laughed softly, even though his own eyes were burning.
“then why didn’t you come?”
“…i thought you’d be happier.”
tee wrapped his arms around him before por could finish.
“don’t ever decide that for me.”
por broke instantly.
he clung to tee’s hoodie with both hands, crying into his shoulder.
tee held him tighter.
“if something i say hurts you…”
he whispered.
“tell me.”
“don’t disappear.”
por nodded against his shoulder.
“…i’m sorry.”
“no.”
tee rested his cheek against por’s hair.
“next time, just knock on my door.”
“…even if it’s late?”
“especially if it’s late.”
“…even if i don’t have a reason?”
tee smiled.
“you’ve never needed one.”
…
the next morning…
there was a soft knock on apartment 3a.
tee opened the door to find por holding two cups of coffee.
“…i wasn’t sure if you were awake.”
tee took one cup before gently taking por’s hand with the other.
“come inside.”
por smiled.
a real one this time.
“…okay.”
and from that day on…
the knocks never stopped again.