Calm dragon

When Kit finished his story, he leaned back on the couch. I looked at Chak and quietly said,

"I always knew there was another side to you, one you keep hidden. And that's exactly why I admire you."

Gently, I took his hand and held it in mine.

Kit added with a warm voice,

"Chak means more to me than just a friend. He's my family. Someone who believes in me even when I'm about to give up. Now that I have money and can afford anything, I would never trade that for his friendship. I'm grateful for the day I met him. I can always count on him even in the middle of the night."

Chak stayed silent for a while, then finally spoke,

"You saw a confidant and a friend in me… even before I admitted it to myself. When I was thinking about whether I should sell this apartment or not… I decided I'd rather give it to you. For everything you've done for me over the years. You were there for me when things were hard, even if I never said it out loud. You've always stood by me even now. You were the first one I told about my feelings for Niran. And when I took over the company, you believed in me, even when I doubted myself as a CEO."

Kit smiled.

"I'll always be there for you, whenever you need me."

I turned to Chak with curiosity.

"So… Kit was the first person you told about your feelings for me?"

"That's right," Kit confirmed. "It was my idea to move in with Chak for a while. And that evening, before you arrived, he was so nervous. He kept pacing up and down the living room and asking me the most ridiculous questions."

"Like what?" Taeng chimed in, his interest clearly piqued.

Kit was about to answer but paused and said,

"I'll tell you over dinner."

I sighed with a small laugh.

"Fair enough."

Kit got up and headed to the kitchen. Taeng followed him. Chak and I were left alone in the living room.

Chak glanced back at what Kit and Taeng were doing, then quietly lay down with his head on my lap. He took my hand and placed it on his hair, closing his eyes.

I smiled and said softly,

"My dragon."

He peeked one eye open and looked at me.

"What did you just call me?"

"Dragon," I chuckled. "At work, you breathe fire. But when you're with the people you love, you're calm."

He smiled faintly and closed his eyes again. I gently ran my fingers through his hair as he slowly relaxed against me.

A few minutes later, Kit called out, "Dinner!"

"We're coming," I replied. Chak opened his eyes and slowly sat up.

When we reached the round white table, it was covered with all kinds of food. I sat down next to Chak.

"This table used to be gray," Kit said. "I painted it white."

Just then, Taeng came out of Kit's bedroom. He had changed into a black T-shirt with tiny turtles on it. As he approached the table, he looked at it and said,

"If you have it, then I'll have it too."

I smiled and said, "Good choice."

Kit was staring at Taeng when he asked, "What does that mean?"

Taeng replied, "Niran and I bought those shirts on the day we graduated. As a memory of university and all the fun adventures we had together."

I smiled at him fondly.

Chak gave me a serious look and asked, "What kind of adventures?"

"I'll tell you next time," I said, glancing at him with a playful smile.

Before sitting down, Taeng leaned over and kissed Kit on the cheek.

Then he took a seat beside me and added, "That's the reason we came here today."

He blushed slightly, and Kit noticed. He added, "Taeng and I started dating. We've been together for five days now."

He paused and looked at Chak. "And… Taeng moved in with me."

I smiled warmly. "Congratulations, I'm proud of both of you."

Chak gave a small smile. "I knew you two would end up together sooner or later. You're perfect for each other."

"What about you two?" Kit and Taeng asked in unison.

"Starting today," Chak answered, looking at me. "We were waiting for the right moment and today was it."

Under the table, I searched for his hand and held it. I smiled and teased him, "Wasn't last night the right moment?"

"That doesn't count," Chak said, shaking his head slightly.

Then he pointed to his cheek with his finger.

I lowered my head and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

When I looked back at Kit and Taeng, their faces were glowing with happiness.

"You know, Niran," Kit said, "you've got a boyfriend who's a better person than most people realize."

"I know," I replied with a smile. "And you've got a boyfriend who can make a delicious meal out of just two ingredients… and who experiments a bit too much in the kitchen."

I glanced at Taeng, who burst out laughing.

As we ate, Kit added, "I still owe you an answer about what Chak was like before you arrived…"

"He was a mess," Kit continued with a chuckle. "He kept asking me the most random things like, 'What if Niran doesn't like the house?', *'What if the bedroom is too small?', 'What if the mattress is uncomfortable?', 'What if he burns himself cooking?', 'What if he thinks I'm too cold?'"

I turned to Chak, eyebrows raised. "Seriously?"

Kit nodded. "He even worried what you'd think of him. And when you were running late, he got even more nervous pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. But the second you rang the doorbell, he slipped into CEO mode like nothing was wrong. Total poker face."

I laughed. "So that's why you looked like a cold statue when I arrived."

Chak cleared his throat, muttering, "Professional habit."

"Sure," I teased, squeezing his hand under the table.

Then Taeng chimed in, grinning. "That's nothing. Niran was panicking just as much before he came here. He was watching cooking videos nonstop. 'Do you think this dish is easy? What if I burn the rice? How do I know when oil is hot enough?' He even asked me how to not burn water."

I groaned, hiding my face with my hands. "I was just trying not to destroy Chak's kitchen…"

Taeng laughed. "I had to give him survival tips like he was going camping in a jungle."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Then Kit leaned forward, lowering his voice dramatically. "Oh, and Chak… don't even get me started. He spent hours googling art supplies. 'What's the best canvas? Are these pencils too soft? Do I need watercolor paper? What kind of eraser is best for shading? And then he panicked what if the pencils aren't good enough? What if the paper is too rough? What if the colors don't match what Niran uses?'

He shook his head with a fond grin. "I swear, he drove me nuts all day. He moved the table, the easel, the canvas at least thirty times. It was like watching a nesting bird trying to make everything perfect."

Chak groaned quietly and looked down.

"I just…" he mumbled, "I just wanted it to be perfect for him."

I looked at him, heart swelling. "It is a perfect. You don't need to try so hard. You're already everything I need."

He glanced up at me. For once, no mask. No guarded expression. Just him. Soft. Real. Vulnerable.

Under the table, I reached for his hand again and laced my fingers with his.

Kit smiled. "Honestly, I've never seen him like this before. He's softer with you. And that's a good thing."

Chak didn't deny it. He just nodded and gave me the faintest smile.

And in that moment surrounded by laughter, food, and people I loved everything felt exactly where it should be.

The plates were nearly empty. The room had grown quieter, filled now with the warm comfort of full stomachs and easy smiles.

Kit and Taeng were curled up on the couch, quietly chatting about which movie we watch, laughter occasionally escaping in soft bursts as they debated between an action film and a romcom.

Chak stood up and gave me a look I couldn't quite read. He didn't speak

I stood to help clear the table, but Chak gently reached for my wrist.

"I'll take care of it later," he said quietly. "Come."

Without another word, he led me out to the balcony. The night was calm, the air crisp and cool. Below, the city lights flickered in quiet rhythm, like distant stars.

We stood in silence for a moment. The kind of silence that doesn't press on you it simply is.

"I'm not used to this," Chak said suddenly. "Being like this."

"Like what?" I asked softly, glancing at him.

"Open. Vulnerable. Letting someone see me… really see me."

I didn't say anything right away. I just stepped a little closer and gently rested my head against his arm.

"You don't have to prove anything to me," I murmured. "You already do more than you know."

He looked straight ahead, but I felt the way his fingers twitched beside me. Slowly, carefully, he turned his palm upward. I slid my hand into his, and he gripped it not tightly, but with certainty.

"I still get scared," he said. "That I'll mess this up. That I'm not enough."

I kept my head on his arm, feeling the warmth of his body next to mine.

"I'm scared too," I admitted. "But that's okay. We don't need to be perfect. We just need to be real."

He gave my hand a small squeeze.

"I like this," he said.

"What?"

"This quiet. This… you."

I smiled against his sleeve. "Me too."

And together we stayed there still, steady while the city whispered below us, and the night wrapped around us like a soft promise of something new.