Kongpob got ready to surpass the challenge. It's a battle, he had vowed to win. Gathering all his courage he tied the strings of apron around his his waist, afterall you must wear the armour before jumping in to battlefield.

After the apron had been tied, he was ready for the war. It has been two weeks that he is at war with batch of pancakes and each and every time pancakes had won.

The score is Pancake - 12 , Kongoob-0  till now. Who could have thought this innocent , squishy looking thing is so damn hard to flip mid-air. But he is determined to make it flip effortlessly as P'Arthit do.

Watching P'Arthit cook is pure bliss for him,he makes things look so simple and so easy to do that he thought he could do it easily too. But pancakes too had vowed not  to give in too easily.

Kongpob smirked " I won P'Arthit's heart, what are you ? You will see I will make you flip even with closed eyes by the end of this month! "

So with the new determination, Kong cracked the egg and made the batter exactly as his P'Arthit does.

He Poured the batter in the pan after his greased pan gained needed temperature.
Done. Ok. Time to flip...
1 .... 2 ... 3.... Go

Holding the handle of pan he flicked his wrist exactly as he had seen in YouTube, the pancake left the surface of pan and dandled in the air. Kong  traced it's descending path with baited breath, and.... Pancake fell right in the middle of pan, he beamed as it fell back in the pan. Success!!!

He can even flip the pancake in air now, when he couldn't cook  even an omelette without burning it.

P'Arthit would be so impressed.

He smiled imagining slight twitch of lips and bright shining eyes of  his boyfriend Kong will get to see when he will demonstrate this newly acquired skill infront of P'Arthit. 

His P'Arthit always becomes so happy at even smallest of his achievements. He remember how his eyes shone with pride when he passed the test for head hazer.

P'Arthit had even travelled two hours to the beach after a full shift to see gear giving ceremony. He remembers how P'Arthit was a bit sad when he couldn't see his last moments as head hazer. And after travelling after a full shift  P'Arthit had lied that it was P'Bright's idea to attend the ceremony.

He remember how P'Arthit had looked in his eyes while taking a selfie.
" He confused Kongpob's eyes for camera lense " P'Prem had joked.
He remembers P'Arthit making an instant excuse about flaunting his side profile, but pink tint creeping up his neck and colouring tips of his ears gave him away.

Sometimes Kongpob thinks P'Arthit's love for him is crazier and purer than his for P'Arthit. Older always tries to hide his romantic actions even from Kongpob. Kongpob is always left amazed at how effortlessly his P'Arthit takes care of him without even letting him know. His presence is like air, something you get used to and doesn't even realise until you miss it.

Kongpob understands his boyfriend is a private person,sometimes it's hard for him to show his emotions even to Kongpob. Now six years in relationship he had learnt to read actions of his P'Arthit.

How corner of his lips turns up when Kong throw cheesy lines at him, how he frowns if Kong sometimes doesn't pull him towards himself while sleeping ,his P'Arthit secretly likes being centre of attention but he would never admit though.

Kong flipped second pancake, again - Success!

So he flipped one after another pancakes for a week before he was ready for the his final showdown infront of Arthit.

Today he decided to show his skills and impress his boyfriend. And maybe he could gather the courage put the ring on desired fingers too !

"P'Arthit , come here. I want to show you something. " He brought Arthit to kitchen and had him stand beside him.

He saw Arthit's confused expressions as he
Poured the batter in pan.

" Kong, you learnt making pancakes last year itself ,right ? "

" Yes P'Arthit. It's something else I want to show you. " 

Kong stepped behind and holding the handle of pan, he flicked his wrist as he had practiced hundreds of time in last week, like every trial pancake hurled in the air dandled a bit and ....... half of its body lied on the pan while other half of its body hung down still trying to drag itself upward☹️☹️

Chilled water was poured on all his excitement, now P'Arthit will definitely laugh at him.

What he saw shocked him. P'Arthit stood there looking at the ceiling of the kitchen which had pancake shaped grease marks,

P'Arthit  watched those marks for several moments then his gaze turned to his hands.

He fidgeted on his legs, anticipating the definite scolding he was gonna get to ruin the ceiling.

" Kongpob, let's stop dating. I don't want you to be my boyfriend anymore. "

" What ? " Kongpob's whole world came crashing down at that single sentences.

Arthit

Arthit walked to the small flower shop he purchases tulip since last 30 days , he saw a little girl smiling at him, she was standing near the counter in cute pink frock and white fluffy shoes. She would be 5 or 6 may be.

Arthit waved at her. She waved back. cute.

Kongpob's niece was like her too. Playful and cute. He always argues with Kongpob that he was her favourite uncle.

Arthit squatted down to her level and smiled

" What is your name ? "

" My mum said , do not talk to strangers. ' the girl replied .

" Oh ! " Arthit's smile faded, he was about to stand up when girl scooted closer and whispered

" Hi, my name is Sara. My mum will come anytime. So let's talk faster "

Arthit chuckled. " sure "  he whispered back.

It would be good to have kids some day - playful and outspoken like Kongpob.

" Sara"... the mother of the child turned out to be florist. She asked him what kind of flower would he like " I would like a boquet to say that would express my feelings...." Arthit realised he would have to be more elaborate. " Umm.... I want to propose so.... Something that would say I am grateful to have my love by my side each day and I want to grow old with him "

The florist smiled, while she arranged flowers for him . " Best luck "

Arthit thanked her, he really needs luck,  because his idiot boyfriend hadn't realised even when he is proposing him each day since last one month.

He had literally kept the ' will you marry me ' wallpaper on the laptop. He is giving him tulips since a month now....
___________

" P'Arthit...how was your day ? "  Kong asked as soon as Arthit entered their apartment.

" Good ....... Here this is for you" Arthit gave him the boquet, and waited for Kongpob's reaction.

" These are beautiful P'Arthit. You freshen up.... Meanwhile let me put these beauties in a vase. "

Arthit saw him placing those flowers along with fake rose which actually was a ring box that held the ring Arthit had bright for Kong.

Can he be any dumber? Now only thing he has left to do is yell from the rooftops.

Shaking his head at his poor luck and dumb boyfriend Arthit went in to bathroom to freshen up.

______________

One day ago

Next day was Sunday after the exertion of month long proposal failures, Arthit had decided to take a break and sleep away his Sunday.

And now he sat on his bed, furiously trying to  rub away the sleep from his eyes at 7 A.M.

What happened you ask ?

Ofcourse Kongpob happened ! He relentlessly shook him since last half an hour. Arthit opened his eyes to scold Kong to let him sleep ,  his resolution melted away like butter in heat as he saw Kong jumping up and down like an excited puppy.

" P'Arthit , come here. I want to show you something. " Arthit reluctantly dragged his legs kitchen , where his boyfriend made him stand beside him as he poured batter in a pan to make pancake.

Arthit was confused, he was going to give Kongpob serious lecture if he had dragged him at 7 on a Sunday morning to make him see arthing he had learnt to do months ago.

" Kong, you learnt making pancakes last year itself ,right ? " Arthit asked.

" Yes P'Arthit. It's something else I want to show you. " 

Okay. So he watched Kong stepping back a step. Arthit took three steps back. Prevention is better than cure ! Because Kongpob was one of those people who microwave their raw egg, without piercing it !

He saw Kong expertly flicking his wrist and .... May be pancake was in dilemma whether to fall in and out of pan so it settled for a middle way - half in, half out.

Arthit looked skywards! Kong and Kitchen should be banned to use together in a sentence, something interesting caught his eyes. Ceiling had pancake shaped grease marks. It was the testament to Kongpob's trials and wish to make his pancake making skills soar in the sky.

His gaze turned to his boyfriend's hands - small burnt marks marred his perfect hands. This was not going to work.

" Kongpob let's stop dating. I don't want to date you anymore. "

He saw his boyfriend's crestfallen expressions " because I want to marry you. " Arthit added softly.

" So will you marry me ? " Arthit smiled at him.

" Yes . P'Arthit " his boyfriend's sorry his fiance's eyes glistened with unshed tears, wiping his eye with back of his hand he pulled Arthit in a hug.

" I love you...."

" Me too. "

" P'Arrhit, I love some one else too " Kong a
Said hugging him tighter.

" Who ? " Arthit's form got visibly stiff .

" Girl or boy we will adopt. " Kong answered chuckling.

Revenge is definitely sweeter.

___________________
A/N : This story is inspired from two real life four line experiences I read on internet 😄🙏