The afternoon sun was setting, casting soft light and the shadow of the seaside house across the green lawn in front. Anupap sat on a mat under a tree, looking at Atikom's large white house.
Seaside house, a family vacation home, or did he use it for personal retreats, or to bring people on trips...
The young policeman walked over with a smile.
"You didn't wake me up at all. You let me nap in the afternoon and left my guest sitting alone and lonely."
"You were going to call me cruel again?" Anupap pretended to sound stern.
"No, I won't call you cruel anymore. I'm afraid I won't get dinner," Atikom collapsed down to sit nearby.
"The house is beautiful. Is it just called 'seaside house'? You didn't give it a fancy name like 'Sea View House' or 'Water's Edge House' or something like other people do?"
"No name. When it was finished, we just called it the seaside house," Atikom leaned on his elbow, half-sitting, half-lying.
"Did you build it yourself, Major?"
"Mm-hmm," Atikom made a sound in his throat as an answer. "I hired local contractors to build it. Tongrob came to help give opinions, but the main advisor was Awoot - the guy you met today at the restaurant... He's good. Whenever he gave advice, the contractors nodded in agreement. Unlike Tongrob, who just made them shake their heads."
Atikom briefly told the story of the three tigers from the past, carefully omitting the romantic conquests he and Tongrob pursued together.
"We separated when he went to study abroad. When he came back, we all worked in different places, so we drifted apart."
"I used to dream of having a house like this too. But on a hilltop overlooking green natural scenery, with cool air and morning mist in the cool season." For some reason, Anupap shared his dreams with Atikom.
"Then build one. I'll help. I know several engineers."
"Not yet. I'm not ready. I need to save money for a while first." Anupap shook his head, turning to look toward the sea. He couldn't help thinking of someone who had made blueprints until completion, then wrapped them in white paper with a red ribbon as a birthday gift—the last birthday gift...
"This house was finished when I'd just graduated from police academy. I only renovated and repainted everything at the end of last year."
"For kidnapping people to vacation," Anupap added sarcastically.
"No," Atikom said urgently, his voice startled.
"Your clothes in the room include small sizes that almost fit me. I thought you kept all sizes ready for people of every build... S, M, L... or maybe XL too."
Atikom laughed loudly before sitting up and hugging his knees, turning to look at Anupap with twinkling, smiling eyes.
"They're not mine. They're my younger brother's. He's about your size." Atikom's gaze remained fixed on Anupap's face.
"Sometimes he comes to stay, or brings friends along, so he leaves clothes behind. The caretaker washes and stores them."
Anupap tried to imagine Atikom's younger brother's face and personality - whether he resembled his older brother.
"He's quiet and reserved like you, Khun Nu. Not like me at all."
Atikom read the young man's thoughts again.
"But he's not very good at being sarcastic."
Anupap pretended not to hear Atikom's sarcastic comment about his skill at sarcasm.
'We're probably equally good at it,' Anupap thought to himself. 'I'm no slouch either.'
"The family vacation house is in Krabi. It's a bit far... but my father likes it there. Since I've been in police training, we haven't traveled together much. There aren't many of us in the family. I built this seaside house for real relaxation. It's convenient to get to."
"Very convenient. So deep in nowhere... no shops anywhere," Anupap paused. "Just giving my opinion, not being sarcastic."
"Well, this area is for private vacation homes. It's not Bang Saen or Pattaya."
Atikom absorbed the surrounding atmosphere into his memory. It had been so long since he'd felt this relaxed. The fun he'd had during night life adventures never made him as happy as this single hour on the lawn in front of his seaside house, lying next to Anupap, who still sat hugging his knees, gazing at the sea with fascination. He wanted to pull Anupap down to lie beside him - even if they couldn't embrace, just lying on their backs looking at the sky and talking would be wonderful.
The afternoon breeze blew gently. Even though he'd napped earlier, Atikom soon fell asleep again because he felt so content.
He woke again as the sun began to touch the horizon. Golden sunlight bathed the surrounding nature in beautiful hues. He looked around but couldn't find the young man who had captured his heart.
...
Anupap floated quietly in the sea, looking up at the golden sky as the sun set. He moved his arms gently and kicked softly to stay afloat on the water's surface, silently thanking Atikom for kidnapping him to experience this beautiful nature. It had been so long since he'd escaped the chaos of the big city, the rushed lifestyle, and work so busy he barely had time to rest.
"So that's where you are, sneaking away from me to hide here," Atikom's voice called out nearby.
Anupap was startled, flipping around to look, causing salty seawater to enter his mouth and sting his eyes. He tried to steady himself, kicking and treading water, his toes brushing against Atikom's lower body as he stood nearby.
"Ouch," Atikom pretended to cry out.
"Captain, you came so quietly," Anupap steadied himself and moved away, his toes touching the sandy bottom.
Atikom stood smiling in front of him, his wet black hair slicked back, broad shoulders, his muscular chest visible above the water.
"You didn't invite me."
"I saw you sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to disturb you, Major."
"So are you going to call me Major or Captain? If it's too difficult, you can call me P' Kom," Atikom protested.
"I'll just call you Officer," Anupap said in a sulky voice, then swam out toward the open sea.
Atikom swam after him. "Wait for me."
The two swam until they were quite far from shore. Anupap was such a strong swimmer that Atikom could barely keep up, partly because his arm still hurt.
Anupan floated on his back watching the sun sinking toward the distant water's surface. Atikom was breathing hard from exhaustion.
"You didn't waif for me."
"I did. You were just slow." Anupap smiled widely before doing a somersault and heading back to shore.
"Can't we rest a bit, Khun Nu?" Atikom sighed and swam after him.
When they neared the shore, Anupap stood on the sandy bottom and walked slowly up the beach. The sea was calm, reflecting the last rays of sunlight that painted the water's surface a shimmering gold.
"Were you a fish in your past life?" Atikom grumbled, wading through the water behind the young man. Anupap's clean white back, now bare, only intensified the desire in his heart. Atikom felt tension building in his abdomen, sparking heat that spread downward.
Anupap wore black shorts with white geometric patterns across the hips to the hem, wet and clinging to his body. Atikom couldn't help but look at the young man's lower back area. Anupap had quite a figure hidden away. When he walked, his legs alternating, 'that part' of his body moved naturally. Atikom swallowed hard... wanting to pounce.
Anupap... you're really torturing me...
The young policeman took a deep breath and chose to walk silently behind Anupap, wanting to burn this view into his memory.
***