Tine shrieked as he entered their love lair on a warm summer afternoon.

What had caused him to shriek out was not the dimly lit darkroom that screamed 'spooky' in every language, but the man sitting on their bed strumming guitar strings.

"Who are you?— A ghost, is it?— I— Ai'Wat! Help me!" He squeaked, standing on the same spot for he was too scared to move.

"Tua Woon Wai? Ai' Tine, is that you?" The man's silhouette shifted.

Did the ghost just talk back in Wat's voice?

Or could it be that Sarawat was inside him and that the ghost has had its dinner on his boyfriend?

Or was Sarawat dead and it was his ghost?

Or Was Sarawat playing tricks on him?

Tine hoped for the last and called out," Ai'Wat? This is–isn't funny! Wh–where are you?" His voice shook.

"I am here", the silhouette man came out of the shadows and turned on the lights.

An odd picture came into view.

Tine's jaw dropped.

It was only one month Tine was away spending the summer holidays with his family and never in his wildest dreams he had imagined Wat to have a wild, overgrown beard and mustache obscuring his face.

Sarawat Guntithanon! With a beard?!

Tine burst out laughing at his boyfriend, making Sarawat furrow his eyebrows, clearly offended at the action.

"Oh–oh my gawd, AHAHA! Have yo–you seen— Good God! You look ridi–ridiculous!" He clutched his belly while squatting down throwing his bag somewhere on the floor.

"It was your fault", Sarawat pouted, clearly looking like those Mexican people with a beard holding a rose between their nose and lips with a pout— for Sarawat the rose was missing but everything else was the same.

"My fault?" Tine raised himself a bit, rubbing out some tears from his eyes.

"Exactly! I thought you had abandoned me and will be sending a divorce paper shortly to ask for an end— Oi, don't you start laughing at me!"

But it was too late, Tine was laughing again. His melodious laughter filled the room and Sarawat's heart involuntarily fluttered as if getting filled up with something warm— he wasn't quite sure what was it exactly.

"Shut up, Ai' Tua Woon Wai", Sarawat groaned.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tine took deep puffs of breath and stood up. His face was red and some tears smeared along the edges of his eyes.

"I am sorry, I am sor–sorry", Tine said suppressing another wild urge to bark out a laugh.

Sarawat pouted and slowly walked to hug Tine.

"I missed you, Ai' Tua Woon Wai. I thought you left me", Sarawat said putting his face in the crook of Tine's neck and breathed a familiar smell.

Sarawat's facial hairs tickled Tine and he broke the hug pushing Sarawat away.

"First, you look hideous", He stated, with a smile," second, I wouldn't like to hug someone who doesn't look like my boyfriend", he chuckled at the frowning face of the bearded man.

"But..."

"No buts, go clean up!" Tine ordered.

"I... Fine, but you'll have to shave them for me", Sarawat pouted.

"Me? Why?" Tine blinked thinking about Sarawat's plans in the sentence.

"I missed you. You were a nuisance! You made me feel bitter! I went mad... I felt like–like you left me", He sniffed.

An unusual scene.

Whoever knows Sarawat, knows how unlikely the whole reason might be for Sarawat to cry.

But Tine knew better. Tine knew about the insecurities Sarawat faces especially those which have given way when Tine left the place with Mill after he saw Pam hugged Sarawat.

Probably the whole summer vacation at Tine's home gave way for the insecurities to far–fetch into this form.

Tine smiled a bit apologetically, "Alright, I'll help."

The bathroom filled up with gurgles of laughter as the Tine put the lather of shaving cream on Sarawat and Sarawat tried to put some on Tine, teasingly.

"Ai'Wat! Stop! Slow down! Sit— urgh!" He rubbed off the foam from his cheeks with the back of his palm and shoved his laughing boyfriend back into the chair.

"Ai'Tua Woon Wai! You're so cute", he said between his laughter.

"You are being a Tua Woon Wai now! Saraleo!" Tine snapped, smiling all along," Now be still!" Sarawat grinned cheekily before obliging to his words.

Tine carefully slide down the razor over his cheeks and facial hair-filled lather moved away from portions gradually.

Sarawat stared at Tine's concentrating face and adored the way Tine furrowed his eyebrows and bit his lips. The lip-bitting gestures made his stomach do things inside him, making him want to kiss them, forever.

When Tine was cleaning the left cheek, he said, "I wonder what Team Sarawat Wives had said after seeing you with a beard and mustache. They probably trended the hashtag #SarawatOrCaveman or kind of #BeardChallenge".

"I didn't go out these days, that's impossible for them to see me", Sarawat answered, bitterly. Tine giggled.

After one swift and artistic stoke on the last portion of the  lather, Tine took a towel and rubbed off the residue of the foam, "Done!"

"I feel free", Sarawat said running his fingers through his, now clean cheeks and admiring his boyfriend's work.

"Thank you for visiting Mr. Tine Chic Chic's salon! Please deposit one million Bhat at the counter", Tine joked, bowing down again like those salon workers.

"I am bankrupted, Mr. Tine. But I can give you some kisses", Sarawat laughed a bit before pulling Tine on his lap.

"Hey! Hey! Ai'Wat. Leave me!" Tine shrieked with laughter.

"What you don't want kisses?" Sarawat laughed and started peppering kisses all over his face, "Did you feel the affection, Tine?"

"Affection, my ass. I feel ticklish, Ai'Satt!" Tine remained giggling and Sarawat joined him by laughing at the squirming figure.

When they had stopped, Sarawat took some foam from the shaving cream bottle and put it Tine's left hand's ring finger in the shape of a ring.

"Wha—"

"Will you marry me, Tine?" He asked looking at him with sincerity.

Tine was dumbstruck at the gesture. Moments ago they were laughing like the happiest people who didn't have a thing to care for in this world and now Sarawat is here proposing with a lather ring.

He blushed, his face growing warmer and smile kissing his lips. Though the whole lather ring was done playfully and that Sarawat often does this kind of tricks, that couldn't hide the sincerity in his eyes every time he does this trick. He shoved Sarawat, giggling and hiding half of his face with his right hand.

"Why having me as your personal salon worker is not enough?" He asked pulling away from his hands from his face.

"No," Sarawat pouted, narrowing his eyes, playfully, "I don't want you to only take care of my hairs. I want you to take care of me, as a whole... As my wife".

"Ai' Shameless!" A very red-faced Tine shoved his boyfriend and jumped out of the bathroom, stumbling his way out of Sarawat's gaze.

Sarawat sat in the bathroom and laughed his heart out at his Tine.

_________

(A/N) : my heart🥺💖
Anyways, these days my mental health is seriously not fine and I am feeling a bit low. I don't know who exactly needs to hear this at the moment, but I'll say it anyway :

YOU AND YOUR OPINIONS MATTERS! AND YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY!