"I'll be right back," I told him and went to the laundry room to get a hanger.
When I returned to the art room, I placed the hanger on the table and turned to Chak. I looked into his eyes as I slowly began unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time, never breaking eye contact. Once the shirt was fully unbuttoned, I gently slid it off his shoulders, hung it neatly on the hanger, and took it back to the laundry room, where I placed it on the drying rack.
When I came back, Chak was standing by the table, staring at my sketches. I stepped behind him, wrapped my arms around his waist, and kissed the tattoo of the eagle on his back first the left wing, then the right, and finally its head. I felt him shiver slightly beneath my lips.
He slowly turned around. His gaze was soft, tender. He leaned down and kissed me gently the same way I had kissed him yesterday. I smiled into the kiss.
In a calm voice, he said, "I love you, Niran. Even though I don't always show it... I'm scared I might hurt you. Because I hide my feelings. Because I have secrets no one knows about."
I brushed his cheek with the back of my hand. "I fell in love with you just the way you are. I like that you've started showing your emotions, even though at first I thought you didn't have any. Even if you're a bit mysterious, I find that attractive. Everyone has their secrets and that's okay."
Chak smiled.
"Let's go to bed," he said gently.
He took my hand, and together we walked toward the stairs. Just as we were about to go up, I remembered something. I let go of his hand and went to the kitchen to grab my phone. When I returned, I took his hand again.
As we reached his bedroom, he said,
"Come to my room after."
I nodded and headed to my own.
I noticed a message from Taeng on my phone:
"Hey, would you and Chak come to Kit's place after work tomorrow?"
I put the phone down, grabbed my pajamas, took a quick shower, and then walked quietly into Chak's room. He was sitting in the armchair, looking at his phone.
I stepped closer and said,
"Taeng texted me. He asked if we want to go to Kit's after work tomorrow."
Chak nodded.
"I'm in if you are," he replied.
"I'm in too," I smiled and texted Taeng back: See you tomorrow.
I lay down on the bed. Chak put his phone away and came over. He lay on his side, facing me, gently placing his hand on my waist.
"You're tired," he said softly, looking at me with that gentle gaze he only shows when we're alone.
"A little," I admitted. "But today was really nice even if it was long."
There was a quiet pause. Then Chak whispered,
"I like it when you're with me. It feels like time stops."
I turned toward him and rested my forehead against his.
"With you, I feel different. Like no one can take you away from me."
His hand slid under the blanket and gently held my wrist.
"I know I still hide things. But... I don't want to run from how I feel anymore. I don't want to hide you."
"You don't have to tell me everything all at once, Chak," I said. "I just want you to trust me when you're ready."
I looked into his eyes. In that moment, he wasn't the cold, distant Chak from the office. He was mine the version of him that only I got to see. The one afraid to be fully seen.
"Promise me," I whispered. "Promise we'll pretend at work like there's nothing going on. That you'll treat me just like the others. I don't want anyone to find out about us."
"I promise," Chak said and kissed my forehead.
"But when we're alone... I want to make up for all the time we lost."
"You've got a deal, my Chaky," I said softly.
"I like that nickname," Chak smiled. Then he added,
"You'll always be my artist."
I smiled back.
"Goodnight, my Chaky," I whispered and kissed his cheek.
"Sweet dreams, my artist," Chak replied and kissed my forehead once more.
He pulled me into his arms. One hand gently ran along my back, slow and soothing. I closed my eyes
I fell asleep in his arms.
When I woke up in the morning, the soft sunlight was seeping through the window. Chak was still holding me. I reached for my phone and saw it was 6:45. Gently, I slid out from under his arm.
I got up and quietly made my way to the kitchen. I decided to prepare breakfast and bring it back to the room.
I made fresh juice with oranges, lemons, strawberries, and watermelon. I poured it into two glasses and made two warm sandwiches to go with it. I also sliced some fresh fruit and placed everything neatly on a tray.
When I returned to the bedroom, Chak was still asleep.
I set the breakfast on the nightstand, leaned in, kissed his cheek, and whispered,
"Good morning, Chaky. Time for breakfast."
Chak slowly opened his eyes.
I sat down beside him, lifted the tray, and placed it gently on the bed.
He looked at me and smiled.
"Good morning, my artist," he said, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.
I handed him one of the glasses, but he shook his head playfully and said,
"Let's share."
He reached for the glass in my hand and took a sip, his eyes on me the entire time. Then he offered it back to me with a smile. I took a sip too, feeling the cool sweetness on my tongue.
"It tastes better when we share," he said, his voice still thick with sleep.
I laughed softly. "Everything does."
I picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite. Chak leaned in and took a bite from the same side I had just bitten into. Our eyes met, and I could see a little smirk forming on his lips.
"Seriously?" I asked, amused.
"What? You started it," he replied, chewing slowly. "Don't be stingy."
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't stop smiling. We passed the sandwich back and forth, bite by bite, until it was gone.
"Next time, I'm making three sandwiches," I joked.
Chak leaned his head on my shoulder.
"No need. I like eating like this. It feels… close."
I turned to him and kissed the top of his head.
"It does," I whispered. "It really does."