Hello, everyone ^^

I want to apologize for the long delay. Writing this chapter proved to be very difficult! But, I've done it!

I hope you will enjoy it!

This chapter was edited by Grammarly only. So, please pardon my mistakes.

It's always a pleasure to have your votes, comments, and reviews :D

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Arthit yawned and rubbed his eyes as he entered the kitchen. It seemed that he had been waking up early these days, due to his medications and his compulsory morning exercises. He sighed deeply. He hadn't slept well last night, and now he had to undergo that unpleasant mandatory morning routine.

"Good morning," Siriporn's cheerful voice snapped from his thoughts. Looking at her, Arthit frowned deeply.

"P', what are you wearing?" he asked.

"Answer my greeting, then start asking questions, young man! Tsk! So impolite!" she lectured with an annoyed tone.

Knott, who was already in the kitchen helping Siriporn, chuckled at their exchange.

Arthit raised an eyebrow but didn't comment; instead, he repeated his question.

"One of your father's PJs! Satisfied?" she replied with a huff. "I've spent the night here upon his insistence after I had waited for him until midnight."

"Ooh," Arthit said. "Do you need help with preparing breakfast?"

"No," she replied sulkily. "If you want to help, then set up the table."

"Okay," Arthit replied with a small smile. He didn't know why but the sight of a sulking Siriporn was amusing him.

Just as Siriporn finished serving the breakfast, Phet joined them in the kitchen.

"For crying out loud! What are you wearing, woman?" he exclaimed as soon as he laid his eyes on the psychiatrist.

"Your PJs!" she replied casually. "You've given them to me last night!"

"To sleep in them, not to run around the house wearing them!" the man huffed as he sat on the table and started eating breakfast.

"Fine! Fine!" she exclaimed, waving a dismissal hand. "I'll give back your precious PJs once we're finished eating."

"Drop them into the laundry basket."

Siriporn glared at Phet. "Drop them yourself! I'm not your maid!" she mumbled to herself before she turned her attention to Knott.

"N'Knott, do you know where is N'Kongphop?" she asked. "Why didn't he come yet?"

"I don't know, P'," the bulky man replied. "I'll call him after breakfast."

"Good!" Siriporn said. "He's the only one who knows how to treat a lady around here."

"I don't see any lady here!" Phet commented faintly as if he was talking to himself, but everyone heard him.

Siriporn glowered at him but didn't comment.

'Can anyone remind me again why did I fall in love with him?' she asked herself inwardly.

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Kongphop toured his eyes between his suit and his T-shirt and jeans, wondering whether he should go to work or Arthit's house. Everything seemed to be pulling him apart from his P' every time they got close to each other, so what was the use of fighting destiny?

Kongphop closed his eyes, feeling as if a knife was wedged deep into his heart. Was it true that he wasn't destinated to be with Arthit? Then, why did they fall in love with each other in the first place?

His thoughts were interrupted by the loud ringing of his phone. Opening his eyes, he quickly picked up the phone.

"Good morning, P'Knott," Kongphop greeted the other man softly, hoping that his voice would sound normal.

"Good morning, Kongphop," Knott replied. "Don't tell me that you're still in bed?"

"No, I'm not," the younger man replied. "I'm about to change my clothes, actually."

"Good, then we'll be expecting you soon, right?" Knott asked. "P'Siri and Uncle Phet are about to leave the house, and I need to go to work soon."

"Umm—'," Kongphop said hesitantly.

"What's wrong, Nong? You seem hesitant?" Knott asked.

"Umm...I want to ask, how is P'Arthit today?"

Knott snorted softly. "Come and see yourself."

An uneasy silence hovered over the call before Kongphop sighed deeply. "Alright. I'll come," he said in a low voice.

"Good. Arthit has been on a hot tin since yesterday. Don't be late."

Without waiting for a reply, Knott ended the call, leaving Kongphop in great turmoil.

The young man stared at his cellphone perplexedly, unsure of what to make out of Knott's last remark. Shaking his head, he pushed all the depressing thoughts away and processed to change his clothes.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Phet marched into the chief's office with full confidence and poise.

"Good Morning, Chief," he said. "I came here to request that you reopen the investigation in my son's case."

"Phet," the chief said with a sigh. "the uproar that Gun had caused is still—"

"We found Yu, the Impaler," Phet interrupted, placing the file of Kla Gruemor on the Chief's desk. "He was hiding under a fake name as an employee in the warehouses of the same company of that Human Resources director."

The chief stared at the man with a shocked expression before he looked down at the file. His shock increased rapidly as he scanned through the data, still unable to comprehend how such a thing could happen in a very respectful company.

"But-but how?" he asked. "Who found him?"

"Mr. Kongphop Suthiluck, the son of the company's owner, was the one who recognized Yu among the workers in the company's warehouses and informed Gun."

The chief blinked several times. "And how does this Mr. Kongphop Suthiluck know Yu?" he asked.

"He had seen him walking out of my son's apartment over a year ago," Phet replied.

"Well, in that case," the Chief said nervously after few moments of thinking. "I'll re-open the case. Have you managed to capture Yu?"

"No," Phet replied. "He had run away before we can catch him, but his hideout was searched for evidence, his description was re-circulated to all the police stations and the roads' checkpoints. His old hangout and former gang members were already put under surveillance. And as soon as the case is reopened, I will put some employees in Siam Polymer under surveillance as well. They may lead us to that scumbag."

The Chief nodded before he asked Phet to inform Gun's head of the department of his decision, while he prepared the necessary documents, wishing them both all the luck.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Kongphop felt his heartbeats accelerating when he entered the living room and saw Arthit's new look. His lover looked as handsome as the day he had first laid his eyes on him with his new haircut.

"Hey, Kongphop," Knott said as he followed the younger man into the living room where Arthit was sitting, reading a comic book. "Why are you standing here? Sit down!"

"Y-Yes," the younger man said before he made his way to the sitting area. He sat opposite to Arthit.

"So, Kongphop, how do you find Arthit's new haircut?" Knott asked mischievously as he noticed how the younger man was staring at his best friend.

"It's bad," Kongphop said softly, causing Arthit to look up at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Bad?" Knott asked, raising a surprised eyebrow, as he looked at his friend. "I don't think it's bad!"

"No," Kongphop said, staring directly into Arthit's eyes. "I meant for me. It's bad for my heart."

Dropping the book in his hand, Arthit suddenly stood up and rushed out of the living.

"P'Arthit!" Kongphop called as he rushed behind the older man. Luckily, he was able to catch up with him before Arthit climbed the stairs up to his bedroom.

"P'Arthit! Please!" the younger man called as he got hold of his lover's hand, preventing him from escaping.

"What in hell are you trying to do?" Arthit snapped as he swirled around, facing him.

"I'm not trying to do anything," Kongphop defended himself.

"Bullshit!" the older man yelled. "Why do you insist on bringing up the past? I've told you, haven't I? WE'RE OVER!"

Hurt flashed inside Kongphop's eyes, but he managed to control himself. "I'm sorry if I offended you," he said calmly. "If my presence here is bothering you this much, then I will leave."

Arthit stared into the younger man's eyes, as guilt and remorse built inside of him, just like that time when he snapped at his younger lover in front of his colleagues at Ocean Electric.

Taking a deep breath, the older man moved closer to Kongphop. "Your presence isn't bothering me," he whispered before he turned around and climbed the stairs.

Smiling slightly, Kongphop followed the man upstairs.

Knott, who was standing nearby and listening to the conversation, smiled before he shook his head in amusement. Evidently, his friend's last line of defense had finally crumbled, and Kongphop had only to claim the spoils. Knowing that those two would be fine, he decided to leave them alone and go to work.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Gun walked through the corridors of the police station, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He was on cloud nine since his head of Department informed of the Chief's decision to resume the investigation in Arthit Rojnapat's case; not that only, the Chief also ordered the previous cases against Yuthakon Tangtrongchit to be added to this case under his responsibility.

Gun's eyes were happily twinkling as he received Yu's file from the previous detective in charge of Yu. To be the one who would catch that scumbag who eluded the police for so long would undoubtedly make him distinguished among the rest of his colleagues.

"Robin!" Gun exclaimed enthusiastically as he entered the IT department and spotted the young IT. "We have a lot of work to do!"

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Kongphop frowned as he watched Arthit sitting by himself in the yard of the house, lost in deep thoughts. Although his P' wasn't cold or distant after their little argument, he seemed to be distracted and preoccupied with something. Also, Kongphop caught the older man staring at him oddly at times.

After their return from their daily jog, Arthit sat on the small swing in the yard, silently staring into space ahead of him instead of entering the house. Kongphop stood by the house's door, quietly observing the man, afraid that the other man would try throwing himself in front of a car again, but Arthit remained in his place without moving or saying a word.

The younger man debated whether he should interrupt the other man's train of thoughts or not, but in the end, he made up his mind and walked over to his lover.

"P'," Kongphop called softly as not to startle the other man. "may I sit next to you?"

Looking up, Arthit nodded.

Kongphop sat silently next to him for a few moments before he broke the silence.

"Isn't it dangerous for you to sit out here without your mask?" he asked.

"The doctor said it's okay as long as I stayed for a short period, and there is no dust in the air."

"Isn't it hot on you?"

Arthit shook his head.

"I see," Kongphop said as he stared at the man sitting next to him. He could feel that something was weighing on the other man's mind. But for whatever reason, Arthit was hesitant to speak about it.

Kongphop feared that the older man was still upset from earlier. Taking a deep breath to gather his courage, he tried again.

"P', are you upset from me? About earlier?" he asked quietly. Another shock was his reply.

"Well," he said. "If there is something you want to get it out of your chest, P', I'll be glad to listen."

The older man looked at him with an unreadable expression before averting his gaze away.

Arthit felt his heartbeats accelerating as he stared into Kongphop's face. Since his conversation with Knott last night, he had been thinking and over-thinking about his situation with Kongphop and concluded that he wanted to be with Kongphop, regardless of the consequences. However, wouldn't that be selfish of him? To risk hurting Kongphop in such a way at the end? Or should he, as Knott said, give the other man the chance to choose?

The only thing he was sure of was that he couldn't resist Kongphop's presence near him much longer. He lost his temper at the younger man this morning was due to his uncertainty and reluctance to give in to his heart's desire.

Kongphop sighed as he waited patiently for the older man to talk or make a move. Just as he was to give up and leave, Arthit spoke.

"Kong, do you still love me?" he asked softly, still looking ahead of him.

"Of course," the younger man replied without hesitation. He hadn't expected such a question from the older man, nor he expected to be called 'Kong' but hearing his nickname, and the question that followed had made his heart flutter.

"Even after what happened to me?" Arthit looked at Kongphop, locking their eyes together.

Kongphop smiled warmly. "What happened wasn't your fault, P'. Please, do not think that something like that would change my feelings toward you."—He sighed, looking ahead of him— "I couldn't stop loving you even during the times I felt so angry at you."

Arthit stared at Kongphop for a couple of moments before he spoke again. "Kong, if you know for sure that we're destined to break up one day, would you still want to be in a relationship with me? Won't you think that it is better if we never try to renew our relationship?"

Kongphop stared deeply into Arthit's eyes for a couple of moments before he scooted slightly closer to him. "Even if I knew that we're destinated to break up one day, I would still want to have a relationship with you and make use of every second we have together. I would cook for you every day and do everything in my power to show you how much I love you so when that day comes; I wouldn't have any regrets."—cupping Arthit's now tear-stained cheeks between his hands, Kongphop wiped the tears that started to fall down his lover's beautiful eyes with his thumps— "And I will be able to smile at you and leave." he whispered gently.

Soft sobs tore themselves from Arthit's mouth as he stared into Kongphop's eyes that were filled with nothing but love, adoration, and honesty.

"I—I still love you, Kong," he finally whispered as he raised his hands and removed the other man's hands off his face. "I love you so much."

Kongphop smiled warmly. Feeling that the other man had something to say but was unable to, the younger man remained silent, giving Arthit the time to gather his courage and speak out.

Lowering his gaze, Arthit took several deep breaths before he looked up at the younger man. "Kongphop, I want us to be together," his voice was barely above a whisper. "but I'm afraid that we will part ways."

"P', the chance of parting ways is always present in any relationship, but that didn't people from falling in love and having a happy life with their loved ones."

"No, Kong," Arthit sobbed, shaking his head. "I know for sure that our love will end painfully. We will both be hurt, and our love will die."

Kongphop's body tensed as his mother's words rang in his ears again. His own fears and insectaries threatened to rise again, but he managed to suppress them. He should be focusing on Arthit now.

"P', no matter what happened or what would happen, I will always love you until my last breath," he said reassuringly. "No matter much hurt I got, I'm ready to take this risk so I can be with you. But will you be ready to take this risk with me as well?"

The older man looked up at him with eyes full of tears for a few moments before he suddenly crushed his lips against Kongphop's.

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Kongphop's body tensed as he felt his lover's lips against his and electricity ran down his spine. Slowly, his arms raised on their own and wrapped themselves around the other man's slender waist, pulling their bodies closer.

The kiss was light and soft, but it rocked Kongphop's entire existence. It was a kiss he had been craving for too long. Drowning into the sweetness of the kiss, Kongphop gently started to nibble Arthit's lower lip. Much to his pleasure, the other man didn't panic or try to pull away; instead, Arthit let out a soft moan in response. As they broke the kiss, both let out a contented sigh.

"So, does this mean that we're back together again?" Kongphop asked softly as he rested his forehead against Arthit's.

"Ahuh," Arthit replied softly before he slid down his head and buried his face into the crook of Kongphop's neck.

The younger man smiled at his lover's cute act of shyness before he tightened his embrace around his lover's slender body.

Moments passed with the two enjoying each other's warmth before Kongphop tried to pull away only to discover that Arthit had drifted to sleep.

Chuckling softly, he gently slipped one arm under his lover's legs while the other supported his back and carried him up.

Arthit, still asleep, let a soft whine before he snuggled closer to Kongphop's body as the other man entered the house and headed to Arthit's bedroom.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

As soon as Kongphop laid beside Arthit on his bed, the older man unconsciously snuggled toward the source of warmth, causing a soft chuckle to escape Kongphop's mouth.

With a smile, Kongphop adjusted his lover's body so that Arthit was resting his head on Kongphop's broad shoulder while the other man's arm was encircling his waist. Hugging the older man closer to him, Kongphop buried his face into his lover's silky hair and inhaled his sweet scent, still unable to believe that he and Arthit had returned to each other. He feared that it was nothing but a sweet dream.

When he came here in the morning, he was still unsure of what should be done in the wake of yesterday's events, but he managed somehow to push all his doubts to the back until later. However, Arthit's unexpected confession took him by surprise and somehow knocked all his doubts and insecurities out of the window. He wanted to be with Arthit, no matter the consequences, no matter how much pain he would feel later. He didn't care whether it was for a brief or extended period; as long as he could hold Arthit in his arms even once, he would be contented for the rest of his life. However, his current bliss was disturbed by two matters.

The first matter was his P's confidence that they would break up at the end. Kongphop wondered about the source of this certainty and wanted to ask his P' about it, but then he feared that Arthit would be upset if he asked, so he remained silent.

The other matter was his mother's declaration, which was still haunting his mind. He inhaled sharply, feeling his heart clenching painfully inside his chest. He had been thinking of his mother's attitude since yesterday, but he couldn't find a logic explanation for her strange behavior towards Arthit. At first, he thought that she was merely acting upon her assumption that Arthit had hurt him, but as much as he tried to explain to her, she refused to understand or even listen. And now she had crushed his hope to have a lasting relationship with Arthit.

Kongphop sighed as he remembered a particular moment over one year ago when he thought that he was only a stone-throw away from his happiness.

FLASHBACK

"Dad, Mom, I've decided to propose to P'Arthit," Kongphop declared happily to his parents as the three sat in the living room one evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Suthiluck shared a surprised look before they returned their attention to their son.

"Are you sure about this, Kong?" His mother asked as she put the teacup she was holding down on the table.

"Yes, of course," Kongphop replied. "I've been dating P'Arthit for four years. Both of us are madly in love with each other, each of us has a steady and stable job, and we have your blessings on our relationship. The only thing that is missing is to crown our happiness with marriage."

Mrs. Suthiluck gave him an uncertain look. "Kong, don't you think it's too early for you to get married? I mean—"

"Mom, I'm 22 years old," Kongphop interrupted her. "Besides, you were eager for me to marry before."

Mrs. Suthiluck pressed her lips into a thin line. "That was a different matter," she said uneasily. "The matter now is about you marrying another male."

"And what's wrong with that?" Kongphop asked darkly.

"Nothing," She replied sharply. "But have you thought about the future? What about the matter of children?"

"Mom, I have thought about nothing more than my future with P'Arthit," Kongphop said. "As for the matter of children, I don't want any. Being with P'Arthit is all I want."

"Well," she commented hesitantly. "If that what you want, then so be it. However, I want to say that an event such as this one could cause a great disturbance among our acquaintances and social circle. If you want to marry your boyfriend, then we should announce it beforehand to our social circle."

"Neither P'Arthit nor I want any grand preparations, Mom," Kongphop said. "and as for announcing my marriage, though I'm not ashamed of announcing it, I know for sure that P'Arthit will not like to make this occasion a spectacle to please others."

"But—"

"Dear," Mr. Kerkkrai finally spoke. "let's let him and Arthit decide how they're going to marry by themselves." —He looked at his son with a warm smile— "Kong, Arthit is a good man, and if you're sure that he's the one you want to spend your life with, then congratulation. I wish you both all the possible happiness."

END OF FLASHBACK

Kongphop's body tensed. He hadn't noticed it during that time, but now that he recalled that instance, it seemed to him that his mother was reluctant about him marrying his P'Arthit. Was his mother against his marriage to his boyfriend from the start? He wondered. But if so, then why hadn't she pulled an ultimatum then like she did now?

Kongphop sighed, unsure of what he should make of his mother's refusal to accept Arthit back into his life. He was uncertain if this objection was due to what had happened between him and Arthit, or it was there since the start, but his mother hadn't shown it for some reason.

Shaking his head, Kongphop pushed all his doubts and questions away. Life by his P'Arthit's side was all that he wanted right now, and he was ready to fight the entire world, if necessary, to archive his heart desire.

Tightening his embrace around his lover, Kongphop buried his face into Arthit's hair and planted a kiss on top of his head.

"I promise you, P'," he whispered. "I will fight for you, ...for us with all my power. I will allow nothing to tear us apart again!" With that, Kongphop slowly drifted into sleep.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"Gun, have you sent the evidence to the lab?" Phet asked as soon as the young detective entered his office to report his progress.

"Yes, P'," the young detective replied as he sat down. "But it will take time to analyze them all."

"That's fine," Phet said. "The important thing is that we have some traces to follow."

"P', about that employee named Benz Onruang, shall I go and interrogate him again?"

"Not yet," the older detective replied. "I suggest putting him under surveillance for a few days and see how he reacts to Yu's sudden disappearance? In the meanwhile, try to dig more information about him. Then we'll decide how to approach him according to the information we've gathered."

"Yes, P'."

"Any updates on Yu's former buddies?"

"Nope," Gun answered in a disappointed tone. "and the two scumbags who we had beaten up have barely left their houses since that night."

"I'm surprised that they hadn't left town already," Phet remarked.

Gun gave him a cheeky smile in response. Phet raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"Alright," the older detective said instead. "When you get the primary report on the disc's contents, let me know, okay?"

"Sure," Gun said as he stood up and left.

An hour later, Gun came back, carrying a brown envelope in his hand.

"P'," the younger detective said. "This is the primary report of the evidence we gathered in Yu's house."—He handed the older man a two-page report— "and the lab said that the contents of the disc aren't clear."

"Can't they enhance it?" Phet asked.

"They're already on," Gun replied.

"What is in that disc, anyway?" The older man asked indifferently as he continued to read the report.

Gun bit his lower lip, hesitant to answer Phet's question; however, he knew that he was obliged to reply. "Most likely, the—the as—assault on your son," he said in a low voice.

Phet's body froze upon the reply, but his face remained expressionless. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before looking up at the young detective.

"Did you see it?" he asked in a cold tone.

"Not yet," Gun answered. "As I said before, the technicians said that the film isn't clear, so they are trying to enhance the resolution."

"Then how did you know that it contains the assault on Arthit?"

"Please, read the end of the report," was Gun's reply.

Skipping to the end of the report, Phet's body trembled in fury as his eyes read the paragraph describing the contents of the disc.

Looking up at the other man with cold eyes, Phet spoke in an icy tone. "Once the contents are enhanced, I want you to look at them and seen if you can extract shots of the culprits and bring them to me."

"Yes, P',"

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Wad let out a relieved sigh as he exited Mr. Kerkkrai's office after a one-hour meeting with the CEO regarding Kongphop's assault on one of the warehouses' workers.

The young man was surprised by how fast gossip had spread throughout the company's main headquarters and the company's branches when he reached his office in the morning. Soon he was called to the company's headquarters for an interview with Mr. Kerkkrai.

For an entire hour, the CEO had been trying to wrench some information about what happened yesterday out of him, but Wad managed to evade answering his many questions, not that he knew much anyhow. But Wad suspected that Mr. Kerkkrai wouldn't like knowing that a wanted criminal among his working force. So, he feigned ignorance about the whole matter. It would be best if Kongphop were the one to relate that little info to his father.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Mr. Kerkkrai frowned as he called his son for the umpteenth time but without a reply. His son didn't seem to be near his phone. The older man sighed defeatedly as he put down his phone.

The shocking news of his son attacking one of his employees had been circulating throughout the company since morning; so, he called Kongphop to ask him about it but without avail. Moving to the next solution, he called Wad to his office, but the young man seemed to be as clueless as everyone else. Sighing, Mr. Suthiluck had no choice but to wait for his son to call him back.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

It was around 1:30 pm when Phet, Siriporn, and Knott returned home. The three were surprised not to find either Arthit or Kongphop in the living room or on the entire first floor.

Frowning, Phet volunteered to check on them on the second floor before he quickly headed upstairs, followed closely by Siriporn.

Phet felt his body freezing completely upon entering his son's bedroom and seeing Arthit sleeping peacefully in Kongphop's arms with a contented expression on both men's faces.

Siriporn couldn't help smiling warmly at the sweet sight; however, her moment of peace and bliss was interrupted by the sounds of labored hard breaths coming out from the man standing next to her. Looking at him, the psychiatrist didn't know whether she should be amused or worried. Phet's face was red as a tomato, and his lungs seemed to be struggling to inhale air into them.

Fearing that the man would suddenly scream and wake up the lovebirds, Siriporn quickly dragged him out of the room and the entire floor.

"What happened?" Knott asked worriedly as Siriporn dragged a petrified Phet into the living room.

"Nothing," she replied simply as she pushed her friend into the nearest couch before she sat beside him.

"Nothing?" Phet exclaimed suddenly, startling both Siriporn and Knott. "They are sleeping together! CUDDLING IN THE SAME BED!!"

"Hush your voice, P'!" Siriporn reprimanded. "You will wake them!"

"But—"

"I'm positive that nothing had happened," She interrupted. "They're fully clothed. Besides, I know that Kongphop knows his limits very well and would never cross them."

"But—"

"For Heaven's sake, P'," she hissed. "They are only sleeping in the same bed. N'Knott had been sleeping next to Oon for the past few days; I didn't hear you object."

Knott, who finally managed to connect the dots, cleared his throat, giving the pair an amused look.

"He's Arthit's friend, not his ex!" Phet protested.

"And what if he was Oon's ex?" Siriporn snapped. "If being with N'Kongphop will make Oon happy, then what's the problem?"

Phet glared at her before he stood up abruptly and rushed out of the living room, followed closely by Siriporn, who refused to let him escape this confrontation.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"P', we need to talk!" Siriporn demanded as she burst into Phet's office. The man was standing by his desk, taking deep, measured breaths as he tried to calm himself down.

"Leave me alone," he said quietly. "There is nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is," Siriporn insisted. "You're overreacting over a thing that could mean nothing."

"How do you know?" Phet snapped, turning around to face the psychiatrist. "How do you know that nothing is going on between that man and my son?"

"And what if something is going on between them?" Siriporn asked, barely able to keep her temper down. "What's wrong if they return to each other if that is what Oon wants?"

"What's wrong?!!" Phet scoffed. "After all that happened to Arthit, you're asking what's wrong? If Arthit weren't in a relationship with that man from the start, none of this would have happened to him!"

"You can't blame N'Kong for what happened to Oon," Siriporn exclaimed. "You said yourself that Kongphop isn't capable of hurting him."

"Then why everything about this case is related to him somehow?" Phet retorted. "Why was that low-life hiding in his company?"

He was fed up with all the pressure and distress he had been going through for over one year already. His day at work had been upsetting enough to last him a lifetime. It was more than enough for him to read the report that detailed the events in the video. He surely didn't need to see his son in the arms of the man who somehow was related to all of this!

If looks could kill, then Phet would've been dead and buried a long time ago by Siriporn's glares. The woman couldn't believe the amount of stubbornness in the man standing in front of her.

"I can't answer that, P'," She replied coldly. "But if you want to pass judgment based on such logic, then you too are to blame for what had happened to your son. Weren't you after gangster? Hadn't you gouged out one of his eyes during the chase? Who could say that that low-life hadn't done this to Arthit out of revenge?"

Phet's body tensed upon hearing Siriporn. The thought that was haunting him since Gun discovered Yu's involvement in this matter resurfaced and was threatening to overwhelm him.

"P'," Siriporn continued, deliberately ignoring the doom that was peeking out of Phet's eyes. "It isn't fair to blame N'Kong for some circumstantial coincidences without having any proofs to support them. And please, do remember that Oon's condition hadn't improved until N'Kong started to take care of him!"

"He promised me that he wouldn't try anything to renew his relationship with Arthit!" Phet stated with gritted teeth.

"And you think this promise is fair to someone who's in love?" She asked coldly. "You, yourself, know what it's like to be madly in love with some, P'. If you made such a promise while being near your love 24 hours, would you able to keep it?"

Phet let out an angry growl at Siriporn, but she wasn't affected at all. She knew that what she said was a hit below the belt, but it seemed to her that Phet wouldn't listen to reason if she played nice.

"Listen to me, P'," she continued. "Whether N'Kongphop and Oon return to each other or not, it's their decision. You can't keep sheltering your son like this forever. Besides, your son needs N'Kong's love and care now more than ever. So, don't be the villain here and deny your son his happiness."

Phet gave Siriporn an unreadable look before averting his gaze. He turned around and picked up his wife's picture off the desk.

"You sound just like Rawee, you know?" he said softly before he let out a soft snort. "Am I that bad as a parent?"

"You're not, P'," Siriporn reassured. "You're just overprotective of your son. I know you love him very much and don't want him to get hurt, but you can't protect him from life, P'Phet. Everyone in this life has to go through times of darkness, no matter how much they don't want to."

A heavy silence shrouded the two for several moments.

"I don't know how I feel about that man being near my son, Siri," Phet finally admitted in a low voice. "I can see that Arthit still loves him, but at the same time, I can't help fearing that he will only be hurt because of this relationship."—Phet took a deep breath— "And—I feel as if that man will snatch my little Sun away from me."

Siriporn smiled slightly before she walked next to the man and placed a comforting hand on his back. "Oon will always be your son, P'. No one can snatch him from you. And as for hurting Oon, I don't think N'Kong is cable of hurting him because he loves Oon very much. Have faith in Oon and his judgment, P', and be sure that if he were hurt, you would be the first person he will turn to for guidance."

Phet gave at her a skeptical look but said nothing.

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The first thing that Arthit became aware of as he woke up was the arms that were embracing him tightly.

Opening his eyes, he was faced with someone's sturdy chest. A frightened gasp escaped him as his sleep-muddled brain panicked, and he struggled to free himself from whoever was holding him, but the more he struggled, the arms around his waist tightened their grip. He pushed the man holding him with full force before sitting up and was about to flee the bed if not strong hands grasped his shoulders tightly, keeping him in place. He was on the average of screaming for help when a much-loved voice broke through the haze of fear.

"P'Arthit! Calm down!" Kongphop, who was rudely awakened from his sleep, exclaimed in an attempt to calm down his panicked lover.

Arthit blinked several times as slowly Kongphop's face came into focus. Seeing his lover's eyes full of worry and concern, Arthit lowered his face ashamed from his behavior, and soon, tears flooded out of his eyes.

"P'Arthit?" Kongphop called, deeply worried at Arthit's behavior. His hands unconsciously tightened their grip on the other man's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Arthit whispered, unable to look at Kongphop's face.

Kongphop's expression softened as he watched his lover's cute expression. He understood that the other man might be a little frightened after waking up a man's arms, even if it was him. Letting go of Arthit's shoulders, Kongphop gently lifted the other man's face and wiped the tears that slid down his lover's face with his thumbs.

"There is nothing you should be sorry about, P'," he said softly. "I'm the one who should be sorry for frightening you."

"N—No, you have nothing to apologize for," Arthit said hastily. "I'm the one who—" he was cut off when Kongphop placed his thumb on his lips.

"No one should apologize then," Kongphop said with a warm smile.

Blushing slightly, Arthit nodded his head in agreement. A soothing silence hovered above the two as they stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Arthit averted his gaze.

"How can I still see so much love in your eyes toward me, Kong?" he asked softly.

"Because the only thing that matters to me is you, P'Arthit," Kongphop replied. "You are my only Sun."

Arthit looked at the man in front of him with tears in his eyes, remembering the same words in Kongphop's first love letter.

Kongphop smiled and dutifully wiped his lover's precious tears. He couldn't care less if he had to fight the whole world, not only his mother, if necessary, so that he could stay by his lover's side. No matter what happened, he would not leave his Sun again.

"Are you hungry?" he asked when Arthit's tears stopped, and he seemed to calm down. Arthit nodded in response.

"Then let's fresh up and go eat something together."

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Contrary to the peaceful air that dominated the bedroom, the atmosphere in the kitchen was governed with tension and discomfort. Arthit and Kongphop were staring at the table as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world, while Siriporn was smirking smugly as she kept staring at them, Phet was glaring at the pair and Knott was eating his food with a smug smile pasted on his face.

Siriporn was already serving lunch to Phet and Knott when the two entered the kitchen and were greeted by Phet's scowl and Siriporn and Knott's smirks.

Taking their seats at the table, Kongphop and Arthit felt that their three companions were watching them like hawks, fully expecting them to show any sign of PDA.

'It's just my imagination,' Arthit told himself as he began to eat. 'I'm just feeling self-conscious.' He assured himself repeatedly, although his body was as rigid as a log, and he refused to even glance in Kongphop's direction.

Kongphop wasn't any better. He could almost feel Phet's hot breath rubbing against his neck, and his eyes boring holes into his skull. His earlier resolve to fight the whole world seemed to have taken Phet out of his calculations.

'I'm going to die today,' he thought grimly to himself.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Arthit and Kongphop let out sighs of relief as lunch was over, and they all moved to the living room. For once, Arthit was eager to resume Siriporn's jigsaw to escape the tension. But as they entered the living room, Arthit noticed that neither Kongphop nor his father had followed them in. Asking Siriporn and Knott about the two, they both shook their heads.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Kongphop was about to follow his lover into the living room when a strong hand was placed on his shoulder, halting him in his place. Looking, he saw Phet standing by his side and gesturing with his head to follow him instead.

Taking a deep breath, the young man nodded before he silently followed the detective to his office.

Phet was keen to lock the door of the office behind them to prevent anyone from interrupting them.

"What exactly is between you and my son?" he asked solemnly as he faced Kongphop, who was sitting on the couch.

"P'Arthit asked me to get back to him, and I agreed," Kongphop replied confidently.

"He asked you?" Phet asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or you did?"

"It was his wish," the young man replied boldly. "I would never force him to do anything he doesn't want."

Phet stared at the young man in front of him, trying to intimidate him, but Kongphop didn't seem to be affected.

"What if I said that I don't want you to be with my son," Phet said. "What are you going to do?"

Kongphop seemed to think about it before he stood up and marched to Phet.

"Then, I will try my best to change your mind," he replied calmly.

Phet let out a soft snort. "I can tell you now that there is nothing YOU can do to make me accept you."

"And do you think that it's fair for P'Arthit?" Kongphop asked. "He loves you, but he also loves me at the same time. I don't wish to put P'Arthit in a situation where he must choose between his father and his lover. It would be unfair and cruel. So, I must ask you, why don't you want to accept me?"

Phet let out a soft chuckle. "Don't you know why?" he asked. "after all we had discovered?"

"It's not my fault," Kongphop said heatedly. "None of it! And if I had the chance to trade places with P'Arthit, I would've done it without hesitation. I don't know why that bastard is working in my father's company! I don't know why whoever lured P'Arthit into my family's cabin had done such a thing in the first place! Why can't you believe that I have nothing to do with all of this?"

Phet stared at Kongphop for few moments. "I know that you don't have anything to do with Arthit's assault," he said. "But I'm afraid of what the investigation may reveal. I'm afraid that Arthit would be hurt again of what would be discovered later. Based on how much you're connected to this case, I'm afraid that at the end, Arthit's closeness to you will only break him beyond repair."

Kongphop's heart clenched painfully inside his chest upon hearing Phet's explanation. He also feared that such a thing would happen eventually, and his lover must be thinking the same way.

"In that case," he said softly as he pressed his palms against each other and bowed his head. "Please allow us to enjoy whatever remaining days we have together until the time when I must to leave."—Kongphop inhaled sharply, fighting back the sob that threatened to escape his mouth—"I would be contented to spend the rest of my life away from him if I got to spend only a few days by his side. Once the truth behind his assault is found and revealed, and P'Arthit asks me to leave him, I will leave without a fight. But, please, allow me to stay with him until then!"

Phet stared at Kongphop for a moment before he averted his gaze away. It galled him to admit it, but his son's health wouldn't have improved if not for the presence of the young COO. The detective was sure that Arthit would still be in the hospital or even worse if Kongphop hadn't volunteered to help. Phet's heart clenched as another thought popped up; what if Kongphop left now, his son's condition relapsed? It was possible, right?

But, how could he protect his son if Arthit knew how deeply Kongphop was connected to his assault?

Two conflicted emotions warred inside of him; his desire to protect his son and his desire to see his son back to normal again.

Sighing in defeat, Phet voiced his agreement.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

When Kongphop and Phet entered the living room, everyone stared at them questionably, especially Arthit, who toured his eyes between his father and his lover, trying to read the expression of their faces. However, neither of the two said a word nor their faces revealed anything.

Silently, Kongphop walked to Arthit and sat beside him before he started to help him with the puzzle. While Phet took his seat on the one-person couch and started to read the newspaper or pretended to do so.

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{

"Kongphop, what did my dad say to you?" Arthit asked as soon as he managed to get Kongphop alone away from the watchful eyes of his father, Siriporn and Knott.

"What you mean, P'Arthit?"

Arthit frowned at Kongphop's feign of innocence. "What did my dad say to you when he took you to his office? I wanted to follow you, but P'Siri stopped me!"

Kongphop smiled. "Don't worry, P'Arthit," he said. "We just talked."

Arthit scowled but said nothing.

"P'Arthit," Kongphop said softly, placing his hand on Arthit's soft cheek. "As long as you want me near you, I will stay. I won't leave unless you tell me so. I promise."

Arthit stared deeply into Kongphop's eyes for few moments before he suddenly leaned on Kongphop, placing his head on the other man's shoulder while his hand got hold of Kongphop's T-Shirt sleeve.

"Spend the night here!" he whispered.

Kongphop's eyes widened at Arthit's sudden request. He hadn't expected such an invitation to come from his lover, even if they did return to each other. He stared dumbfounded at the other man for several moments until his brain could comprehend Arthit's sudden request.

Taking his lover's silence as a refusal, Arthit looked up at Kongphop before he lowered his face in disappointment.

"If you don't want to," he said softly. "then it's okay. I understand."

"No, P'!" Kongphop exclaimed as he snapped out of his initial shock. "I'd love to." —he smiled— "But wouldn't that upset your father?" he asked.

Arthit looked up at the younger man, giving him his trademark glare. "If you are afraid of him," he declared stubbornly, pushing himself away from Kongphop's embrace. "then go to your house!"

Laughing amusedly, Kongphop pulled his boyfriend closer before he planted a soft kiss on the other man's forehead.

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To Be Continued...

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^^

Merry Christmas for all who celebrate it and Happy New Year to you all ^^

May the new year bring you love, happiness, and peace ^^