A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

After Tul's mom left, Tul turned to Max.

"Wanna tell me what that was all about earlier?" Tul asked. "And why are you home right now? Shouldn't you still be at work at this time?"

"I asked my supervisor to let me take the rest of the day off," Max replied. He felt thoroughly ashamed of himself for allowing all those dark thoughts to overwhelm him.

"Why?" Tul asked.

"Because I wanted to spend the rest of the day with you, sweetheart," Max replied, giving Tul a back hug.

"That's a good idea, because after this weekend, my doctor told me that I can already go back to work," Tul informed Max.

"That soon?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"I trust my doctor's decision." Tul said simply. "Do you trust me?"

"Do I trust you???" Max asked, followed with a burst of laughter. "Of course I trust you! What are you talking about?"

Tul looked Max straight in the eye.

"Tell me truthfully why you asked your supervisor to give you the rest of the day off," Tul said.

"I ... I ..." Max averted his eyes from Tul's penetrating stare. "I tried calling you at lunch time but you were not taking my call. I tried several times more but no answer from you, so I got worried and decided to come over to check that everything was alright with you."

"And by 'everything was alright' you meant ... " Tul prompted.

Max heaved out a sigh.

"Fine, I thought Fluke was here to see you," he said, looking away, unable to meet Tul's gaze.

This time it was Tul who heaved out a sigh.

"Come here, babe," he said to Max, and when Max entered into his embrace, Tul continued, "listen carefully, okay? No matter how many people try to come between us, I will never ever give you up for someone else. Please trust me on this."

Max rested his head on Tul's shoulder and whispered, "I don't wanna lose you to anyone, ever."

"You won't," Tul promised emphatically.

"What did mom bring you for lunch?" Max asked.

Tul laughed at the sudden change of topic.

"You didn't take your lunch break at work?" Tul asked.

"I was too stressed to take in any food earlier," Max confessed.

"Tsk, tsk. That's exactly what happens when you let emotions get the better of you," Tul scolded Max. "Come to the table. I haven't yet put away the rest of the beef broccoli and jasmine rice that mom brought over."

Max hungrily ate up all the food, not leaving a single morsel on his plate.

After Max cleared the table and washed all the plates and utensils, he joined Tul in the living room.

"What's this show you're watching," he asked Tul as he settled on the couch beside him.

"It's a midday talk show. I just randomly clicked on it. It's halfway finished," Tul replied.

A commercial came on.

"I'm gonna look for something to drink," Tul said, standing up from the couch. "Do you want anything to drink as well?"

"I'll have whatever you're having, thanks," Max replied, picking up the TV remote and searching around for anything interesting to watch.

He chanced upon another midday talk show.

"You have a choice between Concord grape juice and lemonade," Tul called out from the kitchen.

"I'll have the Concord grape juice," Max called back.

Tul started pouring ice cold Concord grape juice into two tall drinking glasses.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, here's the special guest we have all been waiting for ... "  the talk show host announced.

Just at that moment, Tul came back with the two tall glasses of ice cold Concord grape juice.

"Let's all welcome ... " the talk show host stretched out his arm toward one side of the stage with a flourish.

Both glasses of Concord grape juice went crashing to the floor when Tul saw who was sashaying towards the chair where the talk show host was sitting.