The morning after he and Sarawat shared an enchanting night's slumber, Tine managed to rise from the bed with aching grace. Every inch of him resonated with soreness, yet a wide, warm smile graced his lips.

Last night had woven a spell around them. Tine felt transformed, as though the very fabric of his existence had shifted. He sensed a profound change in the air, a change for the better. Outside the window, birds serenaded the morning, and golden beams of sunlight bathed his cluttered dorm room.

Winter had yielded to their magic. Winter had vanished.

"Oh, you're awake," Sarawat entered the room, his grin as radiant as the morning sun. He looked nothing like the harbinger of winter he claimed to be the night before. "Did you sleep well?"

Sarawat has already woken up once before and had greeted Tine good morning. But Tine had fallen asleep soon after greeting him back, probably too tired to stay awake after last day.

"Yeah," Tine replied, his bunny-like grin on full display. He gazed at his walking winter beside him, now transformed into a pool of melted chocolate, and thought he might need a new monicker for him, something warm and inviting.

That thought reminded him of how little he knew about Sarawat. Tine wasn't certain if he loved Sarawat, but since their meeting, his heart had swelled with a sense of completeness. He couldn't determine if this was what soulmates felt upon finding each other, but it was undeniably potent and overwhelming. The intensity of their emotions the previous night had been almost too much to bear.

He could safely conclude that he liked Sarawat. He had liked him from the moment they met, and if love was in their future, he would embrace it wholeheartedly, not as a fleeting infatuation.

His reverie was interrupted by a hand waving in front of his face. "Earth to Tine?"

"I'm here," he said, scratching his nape.

"Are you still sleepy? If you're tired, you can rest a bit more while I finish tidying your room. You seem lost," Sarawat said with a hint of concern.

"It's nothing," Tine sheepishly smiled. "I just realized I know very little about you."

"Regret last night?" Sarawat's voice turned small, and his grin faded.

"No, no, no," Tine rushed to assure him, raising his hands in defense. "I loved it!" He blushed at his blunt admission and desperate stance.

Sarawat blushed as well, scratching his neck. "Okay."

"I just... I want to get to know you, you know?" Tine trailed off, uncertainty coloring his words.

Slowly, Sarawat nodded with a smile.

---

Tine and Sarawat worked in perfect harmony as they prepared breakfast together. Their movements synchronized, as though they had known each other for a lifetime, anticipating each other's next steps.

Sarawat, now his walking sunshine, attempted to engage Tine in conversation, but he noticed Tine's short, distracted answers and settled into a comfortable silence.

Tine's mind buzzed with questions, an impatient curiosity urging him to finish breakfast and unleash his inquiries upon Sarawat.

Once the plates of food adorned the table, and they sat down, Sarawat broke the silence. "Ask."

Tine was startled by the abruptness. "What?"

"You want to ask something, right? You're fidgeting," Sarawat explained, placing his hand on the tabletop. Tine was an open book, and Sarawat, the keen observer, knew the meaning behind every gesture.

"Sorry... But something is nagging at me."

"You can ask me anything, Tine. I promise I'll be truthful," Sarawat said, locking his bambi eyes onto Tine's, sincerity radiating from his gaze.

"Okay, so... Ohm told me the other day... You were cursed," Tine ventured.

"I was, but not anymore."

"Right," Tine toyed with his omelet, his thoughts circling like birds in the sky. "How did you... get that curse? I mean, how did it happen?"

"I told you, our clan carried it for as long as I can remember," Sarawat shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich. "My father mentioned a prophecy that the 56th successor of the clan could break the curse by thawing a frozen heart. An act of true love can do that."

Tine felt butterflies fluttering within him upon hearing those words. It had been a mere 24 hours since Sarawat had spoken those very words to him. "Winter may melt into Summer," Tine repeated a phrase he had seen in Sarawat's room during his previous visit.

"Yeah," Sarawat smiled.

"And you are the 56th successor?" Tine inquired, his tone playfully teasing. "It sounds like you're some sort of prince."

"A handsome prince, if I may add," Sarawat smirked, watching Tine shake his head, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"So, did you wear gloves even in the summer?" Tine asked, biting into his sandwich.

"Yeah, I got bullied a lot for it," Sarawat admitted.

"Why did you wear gloves?" Tine probed.

"Why didn't you wear sweaters?" Sarawat countered, smiling fondly as Tine raised his hand in surrender.

"I didn't mean it like that. Did you wear them because you were always cold, or was it to prevent freezing things?" Tine clarified.

"Both. In primary school, I was bullied for wearing gloves, so I switched to skin-colored ones," Sarawat explained, nodding as Tine seemed to understand.

"It makes sense why you had stacks of skin-colored gloves in your room," Tine remarked.

"Yeah," Sarawat agreed, and the two fell into a comfortable silence. Sarawat hummed a song with a melted smile and Tine offered him a mirrored smile, and they basked in the serenity of their newfound connection.

However, there was soon another question creeping up in Tine and he couldn't contain his bubbling curiosity any longer, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Sarawat, I heard from Ohm that you were keeping tabs on me, even before I met you in that meteorology class. Is that true?"

Sarawat squirmed with a hint of embarrassment in his smile. "Yeah, it's true. I heard you never wore sweaters during winter, and I thought it might be a sign. Call it a hunch, but I had this feeling that you could be the one to thaw my frozen heart."

Tine blushed at the admission, "If you knew that from the start why did you always look at me like you wanted to murder me?"

Sarawat scratched his neck, again, "I was just really frustrated with how to finally approach you and explain to you the whole curse thing... without spooking you out. Besides I wasn't 100% sure that you were the curse breaker— like there was this nagging voice in me that kept on telling me I was wrong and if I explained to you you might run away".

Tine's eyes widened realizing just how deep Sarawat's feelings ran. "I'm sorry for saying 'I love you' last night. I mean, I do feel something more than just 'like,' but I need time to figure it out. I want to say it again once I am fully sure about myself."

Sarawat's gaze softened, his hand reaching across the table to cover Tine's. "It's okay, Tine. I understand. Take all the time you need."

They returned to their meal after exchanging smiles, the atmosphere between them peaceful and romantic. The silence spoke volumes, filled with unspoken affection and understanding. Tine couldn't help but steal glances at Sarawat, feeling grateful for this unexpected connection.

As they finished eating, Tine cleared his voice and spoke, barely above a whisper. "Sarawat, when did you start loving me?"

Sarawat's eyes sparkled with emotion, the tips of his ear red. It was kind of hard to believe that Sarawat, who usually wore his usual: deadpan and scary face, would show any other emotion. It was almost unbelievable how vivid ranges of happiness were etched on Sarawat's face. It kind of made Tine's heart flutter.

"Um... I kind of fell in love the first time I saw you, Tine. The first time I saw you was at that music concert, years ago. Your smile, your energy, your passion for music – it all made me fall for you."

"Did you know by then that I was... Different?" Tine asked, shock shimmering under his skin. 

"No", Sarawat scratched his neck, "I didn't know you were just like me— You couldn't feel cold, I mean. I just like the way you sang out loud and danced like you didn't have a care in this world and it was...", Sarawat paused, cheeks flushing and smile creeping up in his lips," I mean, as an ardent music lover, that was a too- mesmerizing view."

Tine's heart fluttered, a mixture of shock and happiness washing over him. He managed a shy smile and replied, "I never imagined someone would actually love someone like me."

Sarawat leaned closer, their faces inches apart. "You're incredible, Tine. And I'm grateful every day that I found you again and never gave up on us."

Tine reached out and hooked their pinky fingers together, a small but significant gesture. "Thank you for finding me, and for accepting me as I am. Thank you for letting me melt away your curse."

They stood up, bathed in the soft morning sunlight that poured out of the large kitchen window. It felt like a dream like no other, filled with magic and warmth. At that moment, they were in their little world, a bubble away from the chaotic outside. Tine wishes he could stay here forever.

They leaned in slowly for a gentle, heartfelt kiss. Breaths hitch in anticipation and want because something heavy and fuzzy has fallen upon them, shaking them to the core. When they separated, Sarawat clasped both of Tine's hands and stuck their forehead on his. Shaky breaths mingled and Tine swore he could cry or maybe he could die because of how full he felt.

---

Tine, now comfortably nestled against Sarawat's chest, looked up at him with curiosity shining in his eyes. "What happened that your clan got that curse?"

Sarawat sighed softly, his fingers tracing circles on Tine's back as he began to recount the tale. "Well, it's quite a story. One of my ancestors, long ago, asked a God for the power to freeze things. But instead of using it wisely, he misused it to torture innocent people."

Tine listened intently as Sarawat continued, "The Gods grew angry and cursed our entire clan with the unstoppable curse of Winter. It went on for generations, and it seemed like there was no way out. That is, until the 54th successor, a girl who happened to be my grandmother, prayed after accidentally froze her non-cursed half-sister while playing."

He paused and then continued with a hint of sadness in his voice. "She prayed to the Gods to end this torture. It was the first time someone accepted the power willingly and caused an accident. Before her, other successors fought against the power or abused it when it went out of control. But she was different. And the Gods blessed her with the prophecy, saying that the 56th successor would be the one to end the curse."

Tine's eyes widened in awe. "That sounds quite like a fairytale, Sarawat."

Sarawat chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from Tine's face. "It does, doesn't it? But it's our reality."

They fell into a comfortable silence, the weight of the story settling over them. Then, Sarawat spoke up, his voice soft and filled with warmth, "At least this fairytale brought me to you."

Tine couldn't help but blush at the sincerity in Sarawat's words. "Ai' Crazy!" he said with a playful shove, trying to hide his embarrassment.

They both laughed, the sound filling the room with a sense of joy and contentment. As they lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, the world outside faded away. It was just the two of them, lost in the magic of their own love story.

"Will you be my boyfriend, Sarawat?" Tine asked but instead of receiving a verbal answer, Sarawat launched on him peppering kisses all over his face, giggles and squeals echoing the room.

"Yes yes yes yes yes, Tine", Sarawat spoke, straddling Tine. Cheeks flushed, hair messy, and a wide grin adorning Sarawat's face made Tine grin himself. He pulled the man on top of him in a searing kiss only letting him go once they were breathless. "Good, I wouldn't have taken a 'no'", he grinned cheekily again, hugging the latter, earning chuckles.

And in that moment, just like the winter, their hearts melted completely.

---

[Radio Reporter Voice]

Good morning, folks! We've got some exciting news to share today. After enduring a long and severe winter blizzard, it seems like Mother Nature has finally decided to smile upon us. Winter has melted away, and summer is here to stay!

The temperature has taken a dramatic turn for the better. We're currently basking in a comfortable 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius). It's a remarkable shift from those freezing winter days that seemed to stretch on forever.

And as for humidity, well, it's a pleasant 45%. No more dry and biting cold air, folks. It's time to enjoy the gentle warmth and the sweet scent of blooming flowers.

So, get ready to trade those heavy winter coats for your favorite summer attire. It's a happy summer day ahead, and we couldn't be more thrilled!

Wishing you all a fantastic summer season filled with sunshine, laughter, and joy. Stay tuned for more updates, and have a wonderful day ahead!

T H E   E N D

_______

A/ N: I've been yearning to pen down these thoughts ever since the "Thawed" chapter. This particular chapter had been lazying out in my work-in-progress folder for a year and a half, and now it's here for you to enjoy!

Moreover, the part I cherished the most while crafting this was the weather report at the end.

Now that we are at the epilogue, I should mention that all those times Tine saw Sarawat at the library, Sarawat was busy finding alternatives to destroy the curse without telling Tine ( because he had that nagging voice telling him he was wrong about Tine being the solution to the curse). The curse being something to do with weather, Sarawat was at the meteorology portion of the Library. He kind of gave up on his search and was sad and frustrated because he didn't want to bring the love of his life into his mess. The moment he had decided to confess everything to Tine, he found him in his dorm. His insecurity acts up and he ends up hurting Tine. In my head, Sarawat confessed everything about it one night while they cuddled to sleep.

Also, I apologize for my extended absence; life drained my energy to the maximum. Occasionally, I did manage to create a few fanarts on my Twitter, but my inspiration for writing went away. However, I'm happy to share that I've finally completed a work in progress and am posting it here. There are still numerous stories I'm eager to finish and publish, and I'll work harder to do so whenever I can spare some free time.

I hope you found it enjoyable too! Your reads, comments, and votes mean the world to me. 🫂💖