When the elevator doors opened, Glai walked out holding bread and milk, which his older brother always placed in his locker every Wednesday. He was accompanied by his two close friends. After delivering the mascot costume request form for the department to use on Open House Day, Glai and his friends headed straight to the wide field behind the university. A few days ago, the art department head in charge of the booth had sent a message in their group chat asking for more volunteers.
Seeing that no one responded, Glai, having finished his part of the work, volunteered to help. That's why he brought himself and his friends to this wide field.
"Glai... where's Leef?" Pie asked as they noticed students from various faculties painting their booths there as well.
"Over there, Leef's right there..." Glai replied, pointing to a classmate who was waving at them before adding, "...let's go."
"Looks like Leef's almost done with the booth, doesn't it?" May asked while walking alongside Glai toward their classmate.
"But Leef might have other work for us to help with..."
"I think so too," Pie said, "because when Leef sent that message asking for help, it seemed like there was a lot of work left."
May and Pie, who were walking beside him, nodded slightly before they stopped in front of Leef, the art department head, who had beads of sweat on his face. Letting out a sigh, Leef spoke:
"Sorry to bother you all... I shouldn't have troubled you guys."
"It's okay, Leef."
"So, what's left for us to do?" May asked.
"The booth is all done now. We're just waiting for the paint to dry."
"..."
"But the task I'd like you guys to help with is creating brochures... to hand out to freshmen at our booth."
"Oh...."
"Can you guys use Photoshop?"
"Yes, I can manage..." Glai nodded while answering.
"Even if we can't, don't worry, Leef..." May said before glancing at him with a smile.
"...because GlaiJai's future boyfriend studies graphic design. We can ask him for help."
"May!"
"Oh... you mean Panlee?"
May and Phai laughed delightedly at the question from their classmate. Glai raised his hand to rub his ear, feeling warmth spreading, before nodding in response. Leef asked so directly, so Glai had to answer just as directly.
"I thought so... I've seen you with Panlee often."
Leef's words made Glai feel even more flustered, so he moved his hand to rub the back of his neck. "..."
"Alright, I'll leave the brochures to you, Glai."
"Sure, I'll handle it."
"Once you're done, send it to me by email. I'll print it out in the morning..." Leef said, letting out another sigh. "...Good thing you guys came to help. Otherwise, we wouldn't have any brochures for our booth tomorrow."
"Aren't there other classmates helping out?" May asked.
"Some are helping, but only a few. The rest said they had classes they couldn't skip. I have classes too, but this is a group responsibility, so I had to make time."
"I totally understand..." Glai said.
"Exactly..." Leef gave a faint smile before continuing, "Anyway, thank you so much, guys."
"Alright... we'll head off now. After the next class, we'll rush to work on the brochures."
"Okay."
After getting a nod from their classmate, Glai signalled to his two close friends, and they walked away from the area. On the way, the three of them decided to work on the task at his condo after their next class.
"Glai... can I stop by to grab a cocoa smoothie real quick?"
"Sure, sure."
"I'll go too~"
Glai watched as Pie ran after May to the drink stall under the faculty building. He sat down on a long bench, lifted the milk bottle, and took a drink before unwrapping the bread from its plastic packaging. His thin lips bit into the soft bread as he chewed contentedly.
However, the vibration of his phone in his pants pocket made Glai place the milk and bread on his lap before pulling out the device. Seeing the name on the caller ID brought a sweet smile to his face.
'My Moon'
"Done with your class, puppy?"
[Yes, I am.]
Glai pressed his lips together to suppress a smile upon hearing Khun Prachan's voice. They hadn't met at all yesterday because he had a presentation and classes late into the evening, while Panlee had a meeting with business partners at the Once in a Blue Moon until late. Although they often called each other, it didn't lessen the overwhelming longing he felt.
"Panlee..."
[Yes...]
"What time are you done with classes today?"
[Actually, I'm already done, but I have to help a friend with the booth first.]
"Oh...."
[Is there something you need, Khun Glai? Did someone bother you?]
"No... no one bothered me."
[Even if no one did, I bet there's something going on. Otherwise, you wouldn't ask what time I'm done with classes.]
"I just wanted Panlee to help me design some brochures. My friend from the art department asked me to help with it."
[Oh... sure!]
"But if Panlee is busy, it's okay. I can manage, but it might not look as good," Glai said, laughing.
[Panlee can help, but it might be later in the evening. Does your friend need it urgently?]
"My friend needs it by tomorrow morning because they're going to print and distribute the brochures then."
[Oh... in that case, it's doable. It should be finished tonight.]
"..."
[But we're not working on this at the university, right?]
Glai smiled before answering, "We decided to work at my condo, me, May, and Pie."
[Oh...]
"Why are you making that sly 'oh' sound, puppy?"
Glai broke into a wide smile as he heard soft laughter from the other end.
[You're overthinking it... Panlee's just talking normally.]
"You're gonna get it~"
Khun Prachan laughed heartily, a sound that filled Glai with warmth. It made him decide to say something that might make the other person feel equally fluttered.
"To be honest... asking for help with the work was just an excuse."
[...]
"An excuse from someone who misses Panlee."
[You little rascal...]
Glai chuckled softly before saying, "I miss my little puppy so much."
[I miss you too.]
"Then finish the work and come quickly, okay?"
[Okay. See you in the evening.]
"Alright."
In the past, Glai might not have understood why he would sit smiling at his phone alone. But now, he knew exactly why he could smile so happily. Because of Panlee. The one who brought back Glai's smile.
Because of the same moon.
The one who brought happiness back into Glai's life.
🌙🌙🌙
I found myself standing in front of the little rascal's room at 8 PM. I was late because I stopped by home to shower and change clothes. I couldn't possibly visit Glai covered in paint from helping my friends set up a booth for tomorrow's open house. Glai mentioned that his two close friends would also be helping at the condo, which made me feel even more compelled to dress nicely before coming here. But the most important reason I decided to change into a new shirt, new pants, and spray the cologne I thought Glai would like the most because he had said:
'I miss my little puppy so much.'
I believed that Glai's feelings of longing had accumulated over the entire day we hadn't seen each other, eventually spilling out into words. And if this loyal puppy were to be hugged tightly by its owner, I wanted to leave a strong impression right from the first embrace.
By now, I fully understood.
I was no longer Panlee or anyone's 'Lee.'
What remained was...
A loyal puppy belonging to Glai alone.
Knock knock
My fist lightly tapped the large white door. It didn't take long before it creaked open, and the room's owner appeared. The small figure in a white t-shirt and gray shorts greeted me with a sweet smile. Normally, Glai's gentle smile would make me smile back every time, but this time, I frowned, staring at the faint blush on his cheeks.
"Why are your cheeks so red?" I asked, reaching out to cup both sides of his face. The warmth radiating from his skin made it clear that Glai had a fever.
"You're burning up, Glai."
"Yeah... suddenly, my fever just spiked."
"Have you taken any medicine?"
"Yeah," the smaller man replied weakly, nodding.
"Glai, should we go see a doctor? I'll take you."
"I've already taken medicine, so I'll be fine. It's not too serious. Don't worry, puppy,"
Glai said with a faint smile before adding, "Come inside."
I followed the feverish man into his room. May and Pie, who were sitting on the floor cutting paper, turned to greet me with smiles as they always did. I set the helmet I had been carrying onto Glai's desk before settling down on the floor by the long sofa. After escorting me into the room, Glai immediately collapsed onto the couch.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah... I'll be fine. The pharmacist said some of the medicine might make me sleepy like this."
"..."
"But I'll feel better when I wake up."
"I told him to go to the doctor, but he didn't... he ran straight to the pharmacy," May chimed in from nearby.
I let out a quiet sigh and looked at the drowsy Glai, who was now lying on his side, facing me. He gave a small smile and reached out to pat my head.
"Puppy... don't make that face."
"But I'm worried about you."
The sick man smiled before saying, "You can worry... but stay away from me, okay? Otherwise, you'll catch the fever too."
"The hospital's not far from home. If I catch it, so be it. I'm not afraid."
I picked up GlaiJai's MacBook from the desk and placed it on the glass table near the sofa so I could work close to him. I sat down on the floor again, leaning against the edge of the sofa as I opened the MacBook. At that moment, someone gently ran his hand through my hair. There was no need to guess whose hand it was, as I knew it belonged to the sick person lying on the sofa behind me. The patient must have wanted to sleep so badly, but he tried to resist the drowsiness and the effects of the medicine because he still wanted to chat with me.
"This puppy is really stubborn"
"Stubborn like GlaiJai," I replied as I started working for him and asked, "What kind of design does your friend want, Khun Glai?"
"We've already written the brief in Word. The file is named 'Project Brief.' Panlee, open it and take a look."
I nodded and replied, "Okay."
It didn't take long for me to grasp the details of GlaiJai's friend's requirements. I glanced at him on the sofa and saw that he couldn't resist the medication and sleepiness anymore. His light eyelids were closed, and the slender hand that had been stroking my head had now fallen lightly onto my shoulder.
I gently lifted his hand from my shoulder and placed it by his side. Then, I turned to look at him. His cheeks were flushed red, making me worry. I lightly touched his forehead, finding that his body temperature hadn't increased but also hadn't gone down.
"Panlee..."
"Yes?" I responded, looking towards the voice. May stood there with scissors and paper in hand, concern evident on her face as she looked at the patient.
"Panlee, I think you should take Glai to rest in the room properly... He seems to be in a deep sleep already."
"I think so too..."
"I'll open the bedroom door for you," May said, abandoning everything in her hands. She stood with a smile, walked to the bedroom, and opened the door, gesturing as if inviting me in. I stood up and leaned down towards GlaiJai. "Khun Glai, let me take you to the room."
"..."
He stirred slightly as I slid one arm under his neck and the other under his knees. As I lifted his small body into my arms, his slender arms wrapped around my neck. His light eyelids slowly fluttered open.
"Ah... Panlee..."
"What is it?"
"I can walk by myself..."
"Stop being stubborn, GlaiJai..." I replied, looking at his flushed cheeks and lips. Though he tried to stay awake, he finally nodded slightly and rested his head against my chest.
"Puppy... I have to trouble you again. I'm sorry"
I smiled at his soft apology and carried him to the bedroom. Once I placed his small body on the soft bed with white sheets, I turned to look at May, who stood at the door. She smiled and nodded before quietly closing GlaiJai's bedroom door. In the bedroom, it was just...
Panlee and GlaiJai.
I arranged him into the most comfortable position and covered him with a thick, fragrant duvet up to his chest. Sitting beside him, I thought of my childhood. When I was little, my mother always did one thing before I went to sleep. She said it would help me sleep and 'dream sweetly.' Back then, I wholeheartedly believed her, and every time she kissed my forehead, I had sweet dreams.
When I grew up, I realized it was simply a gesture of love from a mother. But I wasn't angry at her for saying that, as I understood that even if it didn't protect me from nightmares, she never stopped wishing I'd have peaceful dreams every night.
I've been lucky to rarely have nightmares, whether in dreams or real life. It's different for someone I love... GlaiJai has probably faced many nightmares.I knew deep down that this action couldn't save GlaiJai from nightmares, but because I still hoped and believed that the great love I had for him...would help drive away the nightmares that existed in both his dreams and real life.
So I leaned my face closer to the sweet face, before I pressed my lips on his thin lips gently. The warm temperature transmitted from the thin lips attracted me to deepen the kiss, imprinting it firmly.
My heart beat fast like the first time I met him, and it continued to beat hard until I pulled away from the thin lips. One of my thick hands moved to hold the side of his red cheek before I moved my lips to touch his forehead.
My mother never said a kiss on the lips would bring sweet dreams. But I'm the one saying... wherever I kiss you, on your lips, forehead, or anywhere else, if it's a kiss from me, GlaiJai, you'll never have nightmares again.
And if it's unavoidable...
Let it be me who takes on those nightmares instead of you. And I admit that I couldn't hold back, so I kissed the thin lips again. But the next second, I quickly pulled away because I knew that I had taken advantage of GlaiJai too much. I smiled faintly while looking at the sweet face and used my fingers to brush his cheeks and whispered softly, almost as if I only wanted myself to hear,
"Never thought I could love someone this much..."
🌙🌙🌙
"Khun Glai..."
"..."
"Khun Glai..."
Glai began to regain consciousness when he heard a gentle voice calling repeatedly and felt a large hand lightly tap his arm. His light eyelids slowly opened, and he blinked rapidly to adjust the image before him. However, before he could clearly see the person sitting in front of him, his lips were stolen by someone. Glai felt his face flush with warmth as the other person withdrew from the kiss, revealing a bright smile.
"P-Panlee..." he stammered in a hoarse voice, staring at the cheerful person in front of him. Glai vaguely remembered being carried into the room by him but didn't recall what happened afterward until now, when Panlee stole a kiss right before his eyes.
He pressed his lips tightly together, glancing at the clock on the white wall. The clock hands showed 11:30 PM, and he sighed, realizing he had slept for hours. His plan to help his friends make a signboard for the mascot failed miserably, and it even caused Panlee to stay at his condo until late.
"Sorry to wake you up... it's just that I need to hurry back to fix some work,"
"..."
"P'Pee is in a hurry to finish the work tonight... So I have to go back to fix it first."
"Oh..." Glai said as he straightened up to sit. "Panlee, you can go back to fix your work. Don't worry about me."
"At first, I intended to stay and watch over Khun Glai, but P'Pee..."
Glai smiled faintly before saying, "I'm feeling better now... Panlee, just go back to work."
"..."
"Besides... tomorrow morning, you'll have to be at the faculty booth to welcome the juniors too. So tonight, you should go home and get some rest."
"..."
"I ended up sleeping for so long. Otherwise, I would have told you to go back and rest since 9 PM."
The taller person smiled before leaning in closer to him. Panlee placed a light kiss on his forehead. "It's okay... it's nothing."
Glai lowered his gaze, thinking that his hours-long sleep had somehow caused this obedient little puppy to change noticeably. Now, the puppy wasn't satisfied with just kissing his hand anymore and had become more demanding. This left Glai unprepared, sitting there flustered.
Okay, they'd kissed on the lips once before.
But that was an accident.
And yes, he'd let the puppy kiss his hand before.
But now it's the forehead?
His heart wasn't okay with this ;____;
"Uh, then... I'll walk you out, Panlee."
"Yes, sir."
Glai got off the soft bed and followed the taller person out of the bedroom. He thought his two close friends might still be working outside, but when he came out, he didn't see anyone.
"May and Pie..."
"Oh... those two went home since 9 PM, but May said she'd take the work home to finish."
Glai nodded slightly. "..."
"I've finished the brochure, Khun Glai... I saved the file on your desktop."
"Okay... thanks, puppy."
Panlee didn't reply, only giving him a smile before grabbing his favorite helmet. The two of them walked to the large front door. When Glai reached out to open it, the taller person's hand moved to grab his waist
"Once I leave, don't do anything else, okay?"
"..."
"Go back to sleep right away, understood?"
"Mmm..."
"'Mmm', you can't just say 'Mmm', you have to do it too."
Glai pressed his lips together and nodded as Panlee gave him a stern look. "Got it."
"I'm going now..." Panlee said as he leaned down and and pressed his nose to Glai's head before continuing, "Sweet dreams, GlaiJai."
"Sweet dreams to you too, Panlee."
The handsome face smiled brightly once again. Panlee let go of his waist, waved goodbye, and walked out of the room. Glai closed the large door and pressed his lips together, thinking about the recent touches. His slender hands rose to rub his ears, and he muttered with a smile:
"This puppy..."
Yes, this puppy...
That helped chase away his nightmares.
p/s : this photo is included in the book