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“What do you mean I need to move out?” Tine asked incredulously. “It’s the middle of the semester! How am I going to find a new place to stay in such short notice?”
The dorm manager sighed and scratched his head. “I’m sorry, Tine. The university released a list of accredited housing for students and my building wasn’t included. There’s nothing I can do.”
“I signed a lease!” Tine protested. “What about my advanced payments?”
“I’ll return your deposit and advance since neither of us technically broke the contract. I have the check in the office already.”
Tine closed his eyes. “Fine.” He could feel a migraine coming.
“I’m really sorry, nong. My hands are tied.”
Tine let out a breath and gave the man a wai. “I’ll get packing then, P’. When do I need to leave?”
“In a week.”
“A week?!” Tine screeched.
“This isn’t going to work.” Tine mumbled, going through rental listings on his computer with a frown. The list of accredited housing the university provided was limited and the rooms were too expensive for one student to afford alone.
I guess this is how they’re forcing students to room with someone else after that girl got pregnant last month.
Tine closed his laptop and grabbed his phone, sending a message to his friends’ LINE group chat and asking if they needed to move out from their dorms. He stood up and tossed his phone on the bed, stretching and eyeing the boxes that littered the room.
He had four days left and he would be homeless.
“Maybe I should just squat in the library.” Tine joked to himself. “Nobody uses it anyway.”
“That would be illegal and you would get kicked out of school.”
“Fuck!” Tine exclaimed, turning around quickly and gripping his chest. “Sarawat! How did you get in here?”
Sarawat tossed him a set of keys. “You left these yesterday in my room. Thought you might need them back since you’re moving out and all.”
Tine mananged to catch them with one hand. He sighed and stared at the keys resignedly. Sarawat cleared his throat.
Tine looked up and saw Sarawat staring at him. “What is it, Wat?”
Sarawat’s lips pressed together tightly before he asked,
“Do you want to move in with me?”
Tine felt his heart skip a beat.
“What?”
The tips of Sarawat’s ears were slowly turning red as he scratched the back of his neck. “My building isn’t accredited either and I can’t really afford rent alone so…” he trailed off.
Tine was dumbstruck. They’ve only been dating for two months and Sarawat was asking him to move in together? They hadn’t even gotten to second base yet! Tine blushed at the thought of him and Sarawat sharing a living space. Wasn’t this all happening a little fast?
Tine, you idiot, you need a room. You’re not exactly a blushing virgin either, you prude. His mind supplied traitorously.
“I mean, it’s just an idea.” Sarawat said hurriedly. He was obviously embarrassed.
Tine saw his phone buzz on the bed, breaking his and his boyfriend’s staring contest. He grabbed it with clammy hands and read through the influx of messages from his friends.
Fong: Sorry, man. My building’s fine and Puak already begged me to let him stay over while he looks for a place.
Puak: You snooze, you lose!
Ohm: My brother is transferring here and we decided to get a room together. Sorry, Tine!
Tine frowned as he read further.
Fong: Plus Man told us that Sarawat was looking for a new room too. Why don’t you guys move in together?
Ohm: Use protection!
Puak: I’ll send over a care package!
A vein throbbed in Tine’s forehead as he recalled the “care package” Puak likes to send his friends when they start dating something new. Fong’s latest girlfriend broke up with him because of said package.
Tine: If you send me condoms and lube, Puak, I will kill you.
Puak sent him a kissy face emoji.
Sarawat cleared his throat again.
“So.”
Tine looked at Sarawat’s hopeful expression and felt his resolve crumble. Besides, if Tine was being honest with himself, living together with Sarawat wouldn’t be so bad. He loved Sarawat. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.
Not yet, at least.
Tine smiled at Sarawat. “Yeah, okay.”
Sarawat’s smile lit up the entire room.
Yeah. Tine thought, maybe this won’t be so bad after all if I get to see him smile like that.
“You planned this, didn’t you?” Tine accused, placing the box he was carrying on the floor. He and Sarawat were moving in their stuff today after Tine had handed over his keys to his dorm manager.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Sarawat said innocently, depositing his own boxes beside Tine’s.
“There is no fucking way that you managed to get this unit, sign the lease, and pay the deposit in a day.” Tine looked at Sarawat expectantly with his hands on his hips.
Sarawat had a blank expression on his face.
“Am I right?” Tine asked.
Sarawat approached Tine slowly, wrapping his arms around the boy’s waist and nuzzling his neck. “No.”
Tine felt the fight go out of him. Sarawat’s hugs were the best, and who doesn’t love a clingy boyfriend, to be honest? Tine was usually the touchier one in his previous relationships so it was welcome change for him to be hugged or cuddled first.
Tine pressed a kiss to Sarawat’s temple.
“I believe you.”
Sarawat pulled away and pecked Tine’s lips softly. “I did sign the lease last Monday though.”
“Ha! I knew it!” Tine exclaimed. “How did you know I would agree? What if I had beaten Puak out for Fong’s room?”
Sarawat shrugged shyly. “I hoped you would.” I hoped you would choose me, anyway.
Tine felt butterflies in his stomach. He smiled at Sarawat and pulled him close, tugging him towards the couch and laying them down. Tine snuggled into Sarawat’s chest and closed his eyes.
“Are you taking a nap?” Sarawat asked softly, brushing Tine’s hair away from his forehead. “You’ve only lifted one box, Tine.”
“I’m tired,” Tine whined. He could hear Sarawat’s laugh.
“Okay. Let’s take a nap then.”
Sarawat snaked an arm around Tine’s waist and held him closer. The two boys fell asleep, bathed in warm afternoon sunlight.
Click.
Tine’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of a shutter going off. He shifted and felt a Sarawat move beneath him, grumbling loudly. Tine felt a crick in his neck.
Maybe napping on this thing wasn’t such a good idea.
“Earth to Tine. Are you awake yet?”
Tine’s sat upright, elbowing Sarawat in the stomach accidentally.
“Man!” Tine stood up in surprise. He turned red at the thought of Man seeing him snuggling with Sarawat. “You took a picture, didn’t you?”
Man raised both hands innocently. “Wasn’t me, dude.”
“It was me!” Type appeared from behind Man, shaking his phone in front of Tine’s face.
“P’Type!” Tine whined, attempting to grab the phone from his older brother. Man laughed as Type stuck his tongue out and proceeded pull up his Instagram app.
“Don’t you dare story that, P’!”
“Too late, Tine!”
Tine groaned as he felt his own phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a notification that he was tagged in an IG story on the screen.
“You guys look cute.” Type said happily. “Come on, wake up your boyfriend and we can go out for dinner. Your friends invited us for drinks after.”
“I’m awake,” Sarawat said sleepily from the couch, rubbing his own neck. “We need a bigger couch. This one is too small.”
Man sniggered and tugged his friend to his feet. “You definitely need a bigger one if you plan doing other things on that couch as well.”
Type gave Man at light slap on the back of his head. “Stop it, you pervert. My baby brother will not be doing those things yet!”
Man laughed and tugged the older boy out of the room, Type protesting loudly all the while.
Tine smiled at the two with a shake of his head. He turned towards Sarawat. “Come on. I’m hungry!”
“You’re always hungry,” Sarawat said, sliding his hand into Tine’s and slotting their fingers together.
The next morning…
Tine groaned in pain as he felt a stabbing pain in his lower back. He turned over, attempting to sit up but Sarawat’s grip on his waist was too tight.
“Saraleo, wake up.”
“Too early, tua woon wai.” Sarawat complained, keeping his eyes closed.
Tine felt his boyfriend’s arms loosen and he grabbed the blanket that ended up on the floor, wrapping it around his shoulders as he stood up. Tine picked up his phone, which was also on the ground, to check the time and found a message from Man.
Man: So, in light of those things that obviously happened last night, I recommend this couch from IKEA. Your brother doesn’t complain the morning after ever since I got it.
Tine gagged at the thought of his P’ doing that.
Tine: TMI, Man!
Tine sent a throwing up emoji for good measure.
Sarawat had turned over on his stomach and the early morning light was dancing softly against his face. Tine’s boyfriend really was too handsome for his own good. Tine was a lucky bastard.
He rolled his shoulders and felt another crick in between them.
Looking around the room and seeing the clothes scattered around and his naked boyfriend who was still sleeping on the tiny couch, Tine thought Man was right.
They definitely needed a bigger couch.