The First Real Argument
The sun had dipped low over Bangkok, painting the campus sky in shades of orange and violet. Fah sat slouched on the rooftop of the engineering building, papers scattered around him, but his mind was far from equations.
Tawan arrived a few minutes late, his white coat slung over one arm. He dropped it beside Fah and sat, legs dangling over the edge. For a while, they just sat in silence, the air between them heavy in a way it hadn't been before.
"You were reckless today," Fah finally said, his voice tight.
Tawan glanced sideways, feigning innocence. "When?"
"In the cafeteria. With Narin staring right at us. You didn't even care."
"I cared," Tawan said lightly. "I just didn't panic."
Fah turned to him, frustration breaking through. "You think this is a game, don't you? That no one will ever notice. But people are noticing. And if they find out—"
"Then what?" Tawan interrupted, sharper now. "What happens if they find out, Fah? That we like each other? That we—" He stopped, searching Fah's face. "Are you ashamed of me?"
The question hit harder than Fah expected. "What? No! That's not—" He raked a hand through his hair. "I just…I don't want to risk everything we have. Not when it feels this good."
Tawan's expression softened, but his eyes still burned. "Then stop hiding like it's something wrong. I don't care who sees. Because for once, I'm not playing perfect med student. With you, I'm just me. And I want that out loud, not buried in shadows."
Fah swallowed, the words pressing into his chest like weight. "You don't get it," he whispered. "I've always followed rules. Systems. Order. If people talk, if they judge—it could ruin everything I've built."
"And what about us?" Tawan asked quietly. "Are we worth the risk to you, or not?"
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the hum of city traffic below.
Finally, Fah reached out, fingers trembling slightly as they found Tawan's. "You are worth it. More than anything. I'm just…terrified."
Tawan's expression softened completely. He tugged Fah closer, resting their foreheads together. "Then be terrified with me."
Fah exhaled, all the fight leaving him. "You make it sound so easy."
"Because it is," Tawan murmured, brushing his lips against Fah's in a lingering, tender kiss. "We'll figure it out. Together."
The kiss deepened, no longer stolen but given freely, until the world shrank to just the press of lips, the warmth of breath, the promise in their touch. For the first time, Fah didn't care who might see.