The pain and discomfort in my body made it difficult to sleep soundly, even though I was very tired. I remember that in the middle of the night, the temperature dropped a few degrees. I curled up because of the cold, but my waist felt painful. Jay woke up to adjust my position, hugged me gently, and kissed me until I fell back asleep.
I woke up when sunlight came through the window. The atmosphere felt warmer. Seeing that I was alone in bed, I called for my morning companion as usual.
"Jay?"
I tried to sit up, although it was difficult. I heard sounds from the bathroom. Jay soon came out to help me.
"You were in the bathroom? I don't like waking up without seeing you," I whined, somehow feeling the need to say it.
"I was preparing warm water, I thought you would wake up soon," Jay explained. He brushed my hair back and kissed my forehead gently. "Don't complain, I'm here."
"Hug me."
"Of course." Jay sat on the bed and hugged me gently.
"Why did you prepare warm water?"
"It will reduce the pain. I'll order breakfast. Bread and eggs or rice porridge?"
"Porridge."
"I understand. Coffee?"
"Cocoa."
"Alright."
"Good boy," I said, patting his head. "You probably didn't sleep well. Sorry."
"It's okay, it's because of me too," he answered, kissing my cheek. "How do you feel? Still in pain?"
"Better."
"I'll do better next time." His voice sounded nervous. I looked at him and saw his face turning red. I pulled him closer for a kiss.
"You did well. It was my first time. Besides, I wasn't in the best condition."
"You should start exercising."
"Haha, I will."
"You said you would practice, but you haven't done it yet."
"I only have free time now," I answered honestly.
After a while, Jay took me to the warm bath. He didn't want to bathe with me, saying he was afraid he couldn't control himself. I fell silent, embarrassed to hear it. He brought a chair to take care of me.
After some time in the water, we changed clothes again. The weather started to feel hot. We had breakfast and then checked out just by calling the staff. Jay packed all our things, then told me to wait. He carried me to the car, and even though I asked him to put me down, he still wouldn't.
"Jay, people can see us."
"That doesn't matter."
On the way home, I noticed the cloudy sky, then heavy rain started to fall, reducing visibility. Jay drove carefully. The journey to the main road took time, as did the journey to the airport. We returned the car and waited for the flight. The weather became cold because of the storm. The flight was delayed. After lunch and taking pain medication, I felt very sleepy. I pulled up my hood and lay down on Jay's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me, and I slept until departure time.
Upon landing, Nao and Tiger picked us up at the airport. We talked about the bad weather as we got into the car.
"At least you could get down from the mountain safely. Driving there is quite dangerous," said Nao.
"Jay drove well."
"You always praise your boyfriend," Nao joked. I pinched his arm.
"How was the hotel in the mountains?"
I paused for a moment, remembering what we did there. Nao noticed me, seeming quite sensitive about this.
"The atmosphere was amazing. Very cold. You should try it. It's next to a waterfall. All you hear is the sound of water."
"Sounds fun. We'll go," Tiger nodded. "We rarely travel together, just the two of us."
"Tiger is always busy," Nao complained. Tiger, who was driving, looked back.
"Are you upset?"
"No."
"You're upset because I don't spend time with you. You feel lonely and miss me. Sorry, I'm a bad husband. I'll be better. How about we have dinner together tonight? But I love you more every day."
Nao laughed, scratching his cheek shyly. "Yes, me too."
"Do you want something special?"
"You choose."
"Alright." Tiger patted Nao's head.
"Focus on driving."
"Yes."
It was a sweet sight. Tiger worked hard but always made time for his family. With a daughter, they rarely went out just the two of them. They always wanted to bring Fei, even though she said they could go without her. When we got home, I wanted to rest before dinner. The pain in my body had lessened, although climbing stairs was still difficult. Jay offered to carry me, but I preferred to go up by myself.
"Did you take a warm bath?" Nao asked. I looked at him.
"Yes."
"And, your body seems okay."
"What?"
Nao didn't answer, he just helped me up and then asked Jay to speak with Tiger alone. I thought Nao was going to joke, but he was actually serious in asking about our relationship, looking concerned.
"You look good. Not in vain that I taught him."
"Jay asked you for advice?"
"Yes, he was worried. He asked many questions to us: me, North, and Tiger. He wanted to know how to make it less painful, how to make you feel comfortable, and how to take care of you afterward. When I said it could be very painful, Jayden immediately said that he could be the bottom, so you wouldn't be in pain."
"Seriously? He never told me."
"I said, it depends on the situation. If Dan wants to be more active, I would allow it."
"He didn't want it to be painful. How kind he is," I said, smiling to myself. About who would be top or bottom, I never really thought about it. From the beginning, I always imagined myself being on the bottom.
"But I think, no matter how gentle Jayden tries to be, someone as small and thin as you will still have difficulties."
"I will start exercising. I really will!"
"Haha, come anytime you want! But don't complain later."
"I won't complain. If I lose, I'll drink alcohol."
"Don't say that."
Nao laughed. We chatted a bit more before he suggested I rest. When Nao left, Jay came into the room.
"How was it with Tiger?" I asked as Jay took off his jacket.
"Same as usual."
"Same as usual?"
"We talked about how adorable our partners are. This time, I also responded. I insisted that I also have stories about my adorable boyfriend. We had a discussion."
"Haha," I laughed. "You debated? Interesting. What was the conclusion?"
"We will continue the debate another time."
"Debate? About who has the most adorable partner?"
"Yes."
"Hm," I frowned. "Too bad, I think you'll lose. Nao is more adorable, and Tiger is very good at praising him."
Jay frowned, looking serious. "I won't lose."
"How will you determine the winner?"
"Don't know."
"A debate needs judges."
"Yes, but who will be the judge?"
"Me?"
"No, you would definitely choose the other side."
"Haha," I liked his seriousness. Tiger, the passionate lover, would never let someone be more adorable than his partner. Jay usually just listened, but this time he really wanted to compete. Nao and I never debated things like this. "I don't understand why you're debating. To me, you're the most adorable, while to Nao, Tiger is the most adorable."
Jay was silent for a moment before speaking softly. "But he started it."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"Hello everyone. Today is a good day to determine who has the most adorable partner. This competition aims to resolve the long debate between two husbands... well, just a few days, actually." Fei pointed at Tiger with a serious face. "On the left, a man whose love has been so deep since high school. Unfortunately, too shy to express it, he was stuck in the friend zone for five years. Daddy Tiger."
Tiger cleared his throat. "Fei, speak more quietly."
"And our challenger," Fei then pointed at Jay with her usual expression. "Jayden McKay. Although they've only been together for a short time, he fell deeply in love. And he's sure he will win. I am today's host, and our judges are grandmother, father's mother, and uncle."
"Mom will be the judge," she laughed. "I will be fair. Good luck to both of you."
"Audience," Fei pointed toward us. "Papa, Uncle, and the dogs. Don't interfere. Just applaud. Clap!"
I couldn't hold back my smile and applauded to honor this competition. Nao also clapped a few times before sighing.
"You're not enjoying it?" I whispered.
"Dan..."
"Yes?"
"Tiger is a mafia boss, right?"
"Yes."
"Jayden is an ex-gangster."
"Yes."
"And the debate between these gangsters is about who has the most adorable partner?" Nao clenched his teeth to avoid shouting. His reaction was more entertaining than anything. "Why can't we do other things like traveling, watching movies, or shopping? Why debate?"
"It's a family activity, just for a while."
"It doesn't bother you?"
"Well," I smiled. "We can't stop them. We can only accept it. Mom and Fei seem to be enjoying it."
"Only the two of them. You see, Tiger and Jay are too serious."
"Haha, how did we get to this point?"
Before Fei announced the start of the debate, Tiger and Jay assured us that this wasn't personal, just a matter of honor. They wouldn't say hurtful things. The debate was so serious that we prepared a table in the garden for Tiger and Jay to sit facing each other.
"The rules are to debate three topics: appearance, personality, and abilities. How do you see your partners in each topic?"
"Oh, personality too. How can I beat Dan?" Nao whispered.
"Tiger can do it," I answered. Nao just sighed.
"Start, Daddy. Topic: Papa Nao's appearance. Time starts now!" Fei said enthusiastically, starting the timer. Tiger stood up.
"Appearance, of course. Nao has a perfect face. He exercises, has a good body, and is very attractive. His skin is soft and his hair stays fragrant even when not washed for days. His voice might sound rough, but it's full of sincerity. To me, his voice is the most beautiful in the world. His harsh words don't sound harsh if Nao is the one saying them. Sometimes it feels like flowers blooming from his mouth. I can't look into his eyes for more than ten seconds because they're too beautiful. If I do, I'll turn to stone and won't be able to hug him."
"Oh," muttered Nao while rubbing his face. "This is crazy."
"Calm down," I calmed him.
"Nao looks attractive in any clothes, whether casual or formal. On our wedding day, I thought he was the most handsome man in the world. But when he said 'I love you' in his wedding suit, it was even more beautiful. Some people have never seen Dan in a wedding suit. Because they're not married yet." Tiger turned to me.
I laughed. "So passionate."
Fei said something, then Tiger complained, saying that he hadn't even expressed a tenth of his feelings.
"The challenger's turn." Jay stood up. He looked nervous about what he was going to say.
"Dan radiates warmth that I've never encountered before. He always smiles sincerely. His words are gentle and his attitude is attentive. He's small and fragile, so I'm always careful when touching him. Just by looking at him, my heart beats fast yet feels calm. When he was still working, Dan wore shirts. Now he prefers comfortable clothes. Everything suits him. Although I've never seen him in a wedding suit, I hope to see him in one someday. Dan never stops washing his hair, so I don't know if it would still smell the same. But I love his scent. Dan has beautiful eyes, and looking at them doesn't turn me to stone."
Fei interrupted. Jay sat back down. His words made me speechless. He said he hoped to see me in a wedding suit someday. Then, they started discussing our personalities. Both described their respective partner's strengths from their loving perspective. The last topic was skills. Tiger mentioned that Nao was skilled in playing games and fixing things. Then he exaggerated, saying that Nao sang so beautifully that he attracted small animals or talked to squirrels like a Disney princess. Everyone laughed, except Jay who frowned.
"Time's up."
"Can Nao really talk to squirrels?" Jay asked. Nao laughed and shook his head.
"Can Dan do that? So I can use it in the debate," Jay asked seriously.
"No, I can't," I smiled.
Jay looked worried. Nao explained, "That was just exaggerated. I'm just good at playing games and fixing things."
"Lying? That's cheating," Jay accused Tiger.
"It's true... I think."
"No disqualification?" Jay asked.
"Calm down," said Mom. "Jayden, it's your turn."
"Dan is good at cooking, skilled in gardening, eats all kinds of vegetables, washes and irons his clothes well. He good at speaking, is reliable, patient, kind, and attentive, especially to me. He is very loyal to his family. He doesn't often sing, just hums, but his voice is beautiful. Although he's small, he's very strong. Nao said that Dan is the best brother."
Jay thought for a moment before adding, "Dan is also very adorable and loves me with all his heart."
"Does that count?" Tiger complained. "Love you so much? Annoying."
"You're annoying too, aren't you?" Jay replied.
"Time's up! Very adorable," Fei said with admiration. "What's the judges' decision?" she asked Mom.
"Ahem, of course both did well. The result is a tie. Thank you for talking about how adorable my children are and how great your love is for them," Mother answered with satisfaction.
Both contestants sighed, as if they had anticipated this result from the beginning. Nao and I knew it too. Tiger and Jay cleaned up their table. Although the competition was over, their rivalry continued with them glaring at each other.
"Phew," Nao sighed in relief. "Finally over. Why compete? I never felt the need to compete about loving Tiger more than Dan loves Jayden."
"Yes, that's right."
"Because I have to love more."
"Wait, didn't you just say there's no need to compete?"
"This isn't a competition, it's reality."
"I won't give up. Even though we've only been together for a short time, it's not trivial. Don't underestimate me," I replied. Nao laughed, seeming to enjoy this situation.
"This is really serious, huh? Even though I was just joking."
"What?" I immediately tickled him. Nao dodged while laughing hard.
"Don't run."
"Ah, ha, ha, ha, don't, ha!"