2014
(K20, A19)

Arthit has been waiting for his second luggage for over thirty minutes already. His first one came out immediately and he was so excited, but his second one has yet to be seen. He's getting very impatient and tired from standing in front of the luggage carousel. The man next to him also keeps stepping on him and blocking his view of the oncoming baggage. He's already tried to move over a little to let the man get closer to the carousel, but the man keeps backing further into him. It's so annoying.

Arthit yawns despite being very excited. It was his first time flying alone and internationally at that. His flight was twenty-three hours total with one connection in Dubai. Gosh, he almost missed his connection because his first flight was delayed. It was so nerve-wracking not being able to tell Kongpob or anyone for that matter since his phone couldn't make international calls or text. He kept checking his watch every two minutes waiting for his plane to touch the ground. Thank goodness he made it just in time before his connecting flight left without him. He had to run like a madman to his gate the second he landed. The people on that flight were eyeballing him with annoyance like he intentionally held the flight back.

Once he settled down in his seat, he tried to get some sleep. Kongpob told him it's the best way to pass the time and it'll help with the jet lag later. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep. He tried to read, he tried to listen to soft music, he even tried to watch a documentary on an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Nothing worked. He only managed to nod off the last three hours of the flight.

So Arthit is very tired. But he also can't wait to get through Customs and meet Kongpob on the other side. Going through Immigrations and now waiting for luggage has already taken almost two hours. Kongpob is on the other side of that frosted glass wall waiting for him. Ugh! Where the heck is his luggage?

Kongpob looks at his watch again and Arthit's flight has officially landed two and a half hours ago. He's getting very anxious to see his boyfriend. Arthit had sent him an email right before his flight took off, so he knows Arthit got on his flight. Nothing could have happened to Arthit, right? Right. Kongpob turns around to check on Jamie and Payel. They're currently sitting near the exit waiting for him and Arthit. Payel borrowed her father's minivan and offered to come along to pick Arthit up. Kongpob is beyond grateful for his friends. It's a lot more comfortable and cheaper this way. But Kongpob feels bad that they have to wait so long with him. He will offer to buy dinner, but he already knows they will protest against it.

Seriously? Where's his luggage? There's only a handful of people still waiting for their bags. Why must he be one of them? Arthit is getting very anxious and frustrated now. Did they lose his luggage? He really hopes not. That's the luggage with all the things he brought for Kongpob. On top of that, it has all the things Kongpob's mom asked him to bring for Kongpob. He had to suffer a very awkward evening for that stuff.

That day Kongpob's mother made a special trip to Arthit's house just to drop off a bag of things for Kongpob. That day also happened to be the day his mother officially met Kongpob's mother. It was so awkward sitting in the living room listening to them talk about him and his tantrums when he was five years old. They connected so easily, just like old friends. And of course, Kongpob's mother told his mother about the picture she had at her restaurant, and of course, she recounted the whole story which led to his mother telling Kongpob's mother what happened later that day. His mother really didn't need to tell Kongpob's mother that he liked that balloon sword so much that he bathed with it and ran around the house naked with it. No, there was absolutely no need for that. Krystal was no help at all. In fact, she hasn't stopped teasing him since that day. Just wait until Arthit gets something on her. That day will surely come.

Their mothers got along so well that they decided both families should have dinner together. Arthit's father paid for dinner as a thank you for the food Kongpob's mother made for them when she was recovering from the robbery incident. Arthit swears he was red as a tomato the whole freaking time. The whole experience was so nerve-wracking and bizarre. It's unfair that Kongpob didn't have to go through this. But what did make him happy was that their fathers were able to talk casually too. There's of course the initial awkwardness, but they eventually overcame it and talked about other things. They didn't make a big deal about Kongpob and him dating. They just casually mentioned that the young people will have to learn to deal with the choices they make on their own. Them as parents can only support them and guide them the best they can. Honestly, Arthit couldn't have asked for more.

That blue luggage! Hallelujah! It's finally here. Arthit almost couldn't wait for it to reach his hands.

Kongpob watches one after another come through the arrival doors but none of them were his boyfriend. The crowd of people that were waiting beside him has slowly lessened. Kongpob can't help but worry now. It's Arthit's first time traveling alone. Did he miss the connection or did something happen to him? He turns to look at his friends and he can see Payel is asleep on Jamie's shoulder.

"Kongpob!"

"Arthit!"

Kongpob immediately turns around and Arthit launches himself at him. They hold each other tightly and Arthit bounces up and down on his feet.

Arthit repeatedly kisses Kongpob's cheek and he doesn't care if anyone sees them. He's too excited. It's been exactly one year and three days, or three hundred sixty-eight days since he'd last seen his boyfriend in person.

"I miss you so much. I was so worried about you. I started to think you didn't get on the plane." Kongpob says while chuckling at the way Arthit is kissing him.

Arthit pulls away with his arms still hanging over Kongpob's shoulders. There's maybe a couple of wayward glances thrown their way but no one really paid them much attention. "I almost didn't. The first flight was delayed and I almost missed the connection. Then my luggage took forever to come out. I'm sorry for the wait."

"You don't have to apologize. I'm just glad you're here. Let's go. Payel and Jamie came to pick you up too."

"Really?" Arthit has been looking forward to meeting Kongpob's friends in person, but he was kind of hoping to at least just have Kongpob to himself for a little bit first. Oh well.

"Yeah. Payel offered to drive to save me some money. Plus, it's more comfortable. They're waiting over there." Kongpob tilts his head to where his friends were and takes the luggage trolley from Arthit's hands.

"That's really nice of her." Arthit follows Kongpob. He's a little nervous. He's been practicing his English for the past two and a half weeks. Hopefully, he'll manage to get by.

They approach the sleeping couple. Apparently, even Jaime fell asleep.

"Jaime," Kongpob calls out but Jaime didn't respond. "Jaime!" Still, nothing happened so Kongpob bends over and taps Jaime by the knee.

"Jai..ouu," Kongpob yelps as he caresses his forehead. Jaime had flicked his forehead.

Jaime giggles looking at Kongpob pout. "Oh please, you'll live. Hi Arthit! It's nice to see you in person."

"Hi, Jaime. Nice to meet you too," Arthit says shyly. He hopes his accent isn't too heavy.

The commotion wakes Payel up. "Hey, Arthit you're here. Welcome to the USA." Payel says as she stifles a yawn with her hand over her mouth.

Arthit waves a little. "Hello, Payel. Sorry for the long wait."

"Yeah, thanks for waiting." Kongpob's smiles brightly. He's so happy Arthit is finally here.

The four of them hit the town running. They dropped off Arthit's luggage and immediately wasted no time to take Arthit around town. It's not everyday Payel has a car. They drove through the three nearby iconic bridges in New York. Those being the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge.

Kongpob promises to take Arthit to walk through some of his favorite bridges in New York. Arthit loves the thrill of walking across high bridges. He has a fear of heights, but bridges to him feel safe enough yet he can still get an adrenaline rush. That's why Kongpob spent a lot of time planning which bridges to take Arthit to go explore. The High Bridge and Hell Gate Bridge are on top of the list.

Crossing bridges is one of Kongpob's favorite free and fun activities to do when he's free from work and school, which is pretty rare. Kongpob loves to walk across the bridges and soak up the city. He also enjoys the beautiful architectural design of each bridge. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a journey is worth a lifetime of memory. Now, he can share these memories with Arthit.

By six in the evening, Arthit is completely drained. Leaning on his boyfriend's shoulder, he nods off in the car. When he wakes up it's two in the morning with his boyfriend sleeping next to him in the dark. He has no recollection of returning to Kongpob's dorm. Kongpob must have changed him into pajamas.

Arthit turns to face his sleeping boyfriend and places an arm around the latter's waist. Kongpob is sleeping topless probably due to the heat of the summer being too warm. Arthit snuggles closer to Kongpob and kisses his shoulder. He loves and misses the scent of Kongpob. He misses everything about his boyfriend.

Kongpob feels Arthit stir so he turns to kiss Arthit on the forehead.

"Sorry, I woke you," Arthit whispers.

"It's okay. Try to sleep more or you can use my laptop. The password is CutieArthit, cap C, cap A."

"Kongpob! Does anyone else know you set such a password?" Arthit blushes in the dark.

"Mmm." Kongpob doesn't answer and drifts back to sleep.

The very next day, Kongpob brought Arthit to go meet Jenny. He promised he would since Jenny wasn't doing so well lately.

"Heng, is this your love?" Jenny smiles looking at the two boys entering her room. She tries to sit up a little more to get a better look.

"Yes P'Jenny, this is Arthit. Let me help you there." Kongpob quickly helps Jenny position her bed and pillow.

"Sawasdee krab," Arthit says and wais shyly. Maybe it's because Arthit met Kongpob's parents in a different context, as a new friend when he met Kongpob's mother, and as an already accepted boyfriend when he met Kongpob's father, but for whatever reason, he just wasn't as nervous meeting them as much as he's meeting Jenny. Maybe it's because she's from an older generation.

"Don't worry child. I won't bite. My dentures aren't strong enough even if I wanted to." Jenny chuckles and waves her hand for Arthit to come closer. Kongpob is the closest family to her now, and she wants to meet who he loves.

Arthit walks over and let's Jenny grab his hand. He smiles and nervously looks at Kongpob then back to Jenny.

"Heng, your lover is very handsome and prettier than many girls." Jenny teases Kongpob.

Kongpob blushes hearing the word lover and Arthit blushes because someone called him handsome and pretty.

"Thank you, P'Jenny. I was kind of nervous about meeting you," Arthit says honestly.

"Oh, there's nothing to be nervous about sweetie. I've been through enough to know, live, and let live. Heng told me all about you and I'm glad I have this chance to meet you before my time is up." Jenny squeezes both Kongpob and Arthit's hands together.

Jenny tells them stories about her and Kongpob's grandpa's adventurous days. She tells Arthit how much Kongpob looks and behaves just like his grandpa. Kongpob has heard these stories before but he enjoys them nonetheless. Sometimes, Kongpob would interject and tell his grandpa's version of the same story and make Jenny roll her eyes. Jenny then tells them about all the businesses she used to own and run until she couldn't. The only three friends on her visitor's list were actually her old employees. She truly has no family except for Kongpob. She considers herself married to Kongpob's grandpa now, so Kongpob is now her grandson. Jenny is grateful for this grandson and all the smiles he has brought to her.

Arthit is so glad Kongpob had found Jenny before it's too late. On their way out, the nurse had informed them that Jenny is showing signs of dialysis treatment no longer working. There's no telling when it will stop working completely. That night Arthit spoons a silently crying Kongpob to sleep.

It took about three days for Arthit to adjust his jet lag. Kongpob told him to take his time since he's staying for fifty days which is practically his whole summer break. They explored around town every day until Kongpob started his internship which was Monday through Friday.

Arthit enjoyed teasing Kongpob in his business casual polo shirts and khakis every day. He said that they remind him of his father. But he secretly liked Kongpob in a black polo shirt and he has a soft spot for Kongpob in white.

Every day while Kongpob went to work, either Jaime or Payel or both hung out with him. He also met a bunch of Kongpob's other friends and roommates in the building too. Technically, he was not allowed to stay in Kongpob's room. The school usually wasn't too strict about a one or two nights stay, but they really didn't allow such a long extended stay. However, Kongpob being Kongpob had won over all the hearts in the dorm building. Everyone turned a blind eye. No, they actually welcomed Arthit with open arms seeing his cute smile every day.

At first, Kongpob was worried that Arthit would get bored while he was at work but that wasn't the case. Arthit loved sleeping in with no one to bother him. On top of that, he loved rolling around Kongpob's bed until he was content. Jaime was the one that insisted he get out of bed every day to make the most of it. Sometimes they just sat under a big tree in Central Park and people watched. On the weekends, Kongpob and Arthit explored the nearby places that were only a train or a bus ride away. These places were a first for Kongpob too. They visited Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Payel and Jaime even drove them to Niagara Falls in Buffalo, NY to wave to the Canadians on the other side.

After work, Kongpob took Arthit to dinner at a different restaurant almost every night. Kongpob's internship paid generously at $23 an hour. Even though it wasn't really a lot of money, it was very good for an internship. Kongpob learned so much in Johnson & Johnson's Supply Chain Operations division that the pay was irrelevant. Arthit could really feel Kongpob's excitement every time he learned something new or received a new project. One day Kongpob came back and told him that his mentor mentioned that there are opportunities to work in Bangkok for Johnson & Johnson in the future. He can even write him a recommendation letter. Arthit thought no wonder his father said this internship would be a great opportunity for Kongpob.

In a blink of an eye, it's day forty-nine. Arthit dreads his pending leave. After tomorrow, he may not see his boyfriend again for another year. And even though Kongpob says he will return for winter break, who knows if the weather or something else will cut into his break like the last time. Who can be sure about the future? No one. The past forty-nine days has only made Arthit fall more in love with Kongpob. How will he survive another year apart?

Sitting in his pajamas, Arthit glances at the door wondering how much longer will Kongpob take to return from his shower. Arthit takes out a little bag and takes out its content. He slips them underneath the pillow. He's nervous but he feels like he's ready. They've done a lot of making out and have gone a lot further, but they still haven't gone all the way. Truth be told, Arthit has been thinking about this even before he came to New York, but now he's positive. He's ready. He's even prepared himself. He only hopes Kongpob feels the same way. He won't pressure Kongpob, but he really hopes Kongpob is ready too.

Kongpob comes into the room fresh from his shower. "Arthit, are you done packing? Oh, why is it so dark in here?" Kongpob notices the lights are out except for the standing lamp that's dimmed.

"Kongpob, can you come here?" Arthit nervously pats the space next to him.

Kongpob nods and drops his towel on his chair before sitting down next to Arthit.

Arthit puts his arms around Kongpob's neck, he looks into Kongpob's eyes that stare back at him full of love and a hint of melancholy. Tonight is their last night together before they'll part for a long time again.

Kongpob caresses Arthit's face and pulls him in for a kiss. He tries to savor this moment and memorize these lips he'll sorely miss by tomorrow. He had told himself that he won't cry and he'll see Arthit again in a few short months. There's no need for tears. They love each other and will be together again very soon. He repeated these words to himself over and over again in the shower. He needed to believe this. He wanted to believe this. This summer has been amazing and should only be all smiles. He shouldn't cry over such trivial challenges. They've made it for one year already and they can make it again. There are going to be many many years ahead of them. Two years apart is nothing when they'll have at least fifty years together in the future. Kongpob truly believed that. Yet, a single tear trickles down his face and slips between their lips, letting both of them taste its salty bitterness.

"Kongpob, make love to me."

~~~~~~
AN: Sweets, this chapter is long for me. I hope you enjoyed it. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Sorry for the roller coaster of emotions in this story. I swear I'm not an angsty writer. 🥺

Facts: Krist says he's trying to be a good person and he's at a point where he needs to be a role model for younger people. However, the standard for "good" is different for everyone and it can be hard sometimes. But he continues to strive to do better and take advices positively. He doesn't want to be a stubborn child that doesn't think before his actions. So he will continue to better himself every day.
- 9 Entertainment Interview

Curtsy,
Lana ❤️