YOURSKY, Chapter 27
Theerak lay face down on the sofa, tilting his head toward the television to watch a show. Meanwhile, Muenfah excused himself to talk on the phone with an architect. Theerak let out a laugh when he heard the irritated voice of someone sitting at the dining table. He guessed that person was probably annoyed that the architect wouldn’t hang up, even though their time together was running short.
“That’s it, then… If there’s anything else you’re unsure about, please call
KhunReal first, okay? I’m not really free right now.”
Theerak chuckled softly while pressing the remote to change the channel.
Theerak felt the taller figure walk over and plop down near his feet before sliding up to his hips. Muenfah made him blush and want to run away because he pressed his nose to sniff his butt again.
“What are you laughing at?” Muenfah sniffed the other side of his butt with a loud smooch before saying, “Is this show that funny?”
“Phii Fah!! Don’t sniff my butt!”
“…Because your butt smells nice.”
The taller man shifted to lie on top of him, though he didn’t put too much weight down—otherwise, Theerak would’ve been flattened for sure. Muenfah buried his nose into Theerak’s neck and let out a soft laugh.
“I’m laughing at the grumpy one instead.”
“…”
“How could you get annoyed at the architect?…He’s just doing his job.”
“I have to do my job too.”
Theerak gave a small smile before asking, “What’s your job?”
“Taking care of Theerak.”
Theerak broke into a wide grin before using his free hand to stroke the chocolate-brown hair. He couldn’t kiss the sweet-talker because Muenfah refused to lift his face from his neck.
“I love you so much…”
“I love you too, little one.”
Theerak laughed before saying, “I believe you.”
As Theerak started to move, Muenfah got up to let him lie on his back. Still straddling him, Muenfah stayed in place. Theerak used both hands to cradle Muenfah’s face. He gazed deeply into those sharp eyes and saw his own smile reflected in the other’s expression.
“Little one…”
Muenfah spoke softly before leaning down to press his lips against Theerak’s. This time, Theerak knew it wasn’t just a peck—they kissed deeply once again. Muenfah slid his lower body between Theerak’s legs, using one free hand to lift his thigh up against his hip while the other hand held his face.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming longing that made Theerak surrender to Muenfah’s passionate kiss. The sound of the taller man’s breathing, mixed with the pull of their lips, left Theerak feeling weak all over. He gripped the back of Muenfah’s neck with one hand, and in that moment, he instinctively clutched a handful of soft hair with the other, startled as something slipped into his mouth.
Taking advantage of Theerak opening his mouth to gasp for air, Muenfah slipped his tongue in, lightly brushing against the tip of Theerak’s. Yet, Theerak didn’t feel invaded in the slightest—Muenfah delivered every touch with gentleness. Only the thick hand began to squeeze his thigh a little harder.
They poured their love and longing into the kiss for a while until it ended when Muenfah pulled away. He looked at Theerak with yearning eyes, despite how close they already were. Muenfah moved his face to the crook of Theerak’s neck, planting a soft kiss there before whispering in his ear.
“You are the most precious thing in my life.”
“…”
“I love you so much, little one.”
Theerak nodded before wrapping both arms around the neck of the taller man, tightening the embrace. Muenfah hugged him back, burying his face in the crook of his neck as usual. Theerak used one hand to stroke the chocolatecolored hair, slipping his fingers through it and gently tugging.
“I like it when you do this.”
Theerak laughed before asking, “Why do you like it?”
“Can’t tell you yet…” Muenfah said with a chuckle.
“It’s probably something cheeky, isn’t it…” Theerak lightly smacked the thick arm with his other hand. When Muenfah let out a laugh, Theerak became certain his guess was right. He pulled his hand away from the soft hair he’d been playing with. “Hmph… I won’t do this anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Because the cheeky guy likes it.”
“Hmph.” Muenfah chuckled in his throat, still nuzzling his neck as before.
Theerak wanted to get up because he was starting to feel weighed down, but he felt bad for the clingy man who’d endured missing him for a whole week. So he tilted his head up to see how he could shift positions. He blinked rapidly when he noticed how suggestive their pose was. With Muenfah nestled between his legs, Theerak had unconsciously spread them apart and propped them up. What made it even more risqué was that Muenfah was shirtless while he was only wearing short pants.
Sigh…
…He didn’t even want to imagine…
What would happen if Phii Babe walked in and saw this?
Muenfah would probably get beaten until his bones broke.
And he’d likely get pinched until his skin turned purple.
T___T
“Uh, Phii Fah, should we change positions?”
Muenfah chuckled in his throat before saying, “This is a basic pose, you know… Don’t you like it?”
“Phii Fah!!!!!”
Muenfah laughed heartily before getting off him. He flopped down beside him, then scooped Theerak up to lie on top of him instead. Theerak placed both arms across Muenfah’s chest, resting them there, then tilted his face to lay on his own arms. Right now, he couldn’t meet the cheeky man’s eyes or smile. Theerak didn’t understand why he felt so shy because of Muenfah’s teasing, and he really didn’t get how Muenfah kept getting cheekier every day.
When did Muenfah find the time to practice being this cheeky?!
“Let me kiss the shy one’s head, okay?” As soon as he finished speaking, Muenfah pressed his nose to his head for a kiss.
“I won’t let the cheeky guy kiss my head anymore.”
“…Then can you kiss the cheeky guy’s head instead?”
“No way.”
“Why not?”
Theerak sighed before gently rubbing Muenfah’s chest. “Because I’ll soften up and let you keep teasing me endlessly.”
Muenfah chuckled in his throat and pressed his nose to his head again for a kiss.
Theerak couldn’t stand being teased into embarrassment all the time anymore, so he decided to fight back by launching a surprise attack on the bigger one. He tilted his head up to meet Muenfah’s eyes, grabbed the handsome face with both hands, and pressed a kiss to his full lips. Muenfah raised an eyebrow in surprise, which only emboldened Theerak to press his lips harder. The smaller one shook his head side to side while kissing, as if trying to overwhelm the one beneath him into feeling as weak as he had before pulled back and glaring at the bigger one. But Muenfah just laughed heartily, clearly delighted by what he’d done.
“I’ll make you remember!!”
“Remember what?”
“Remember not to mess with me again, or I’ll crush you with kisses!”
Muenfah burst into laughter, chuckling so hard that Theerak, lying on top of him, could feel the vibrations. Though he’d been annoyed at first, Theerak broke into a smile because it had been a while since he’d seen Muenfah grin this wide.
Theerak would be the tough one more often if it meant making Muenfah smile this big.
“No one in this world is as cute as you.”
“How am I cute?…I was super tough just now, Phii Fah!”
“The tough one crushed me with a kiss and caused a situation…”
“…”
Theerak furrowed his brows, puzzled by Muenfah’s words. He was about to ask what he meant when something hard pressed against his thigh. Unsure at first, he shifted his thigh to feel it, then quickly pulled his leg away. He closed his eyes, buried his face in the bigger one’s chest, and let out a muffled whimper, too embarrassed to form a proper sentence.
“Ugh… I won’t be naughty again!”
“…” Muenfah chuckled softly and gently rubbed his head.
“I won’t try being naughty againnnn… Phii Fah, get that thing off my leg!”
Muenfah pressed his nose to his head for another kiss before saying, “Normally, I start it and knows how to control myself.”
“…”
“But this time, you ambushed Phii Fah out of nowhere… so Phii Fah couldn’t control his emotions in time.”
“I’m sorry…”
Muenfah laughed before flipping them over so he was lying beside him. He propped Theerak’s head with one arm while sliding the other around his waist. Muenfah hugged him from behind, tightening the embrace once they were comfortably positioned, and said “If I can hold you like this for a bit… my little guy will calm down soon.”
“What if your little guy is still naughty?”
Muenfah laughed before pressing his nose to his cheek. “It gets naughty when it smells your sweet scent.”
Theerak widened his eyes. “W-Well, do I smell good today?”
“You smell good every day.”
“Ugh… Tell your son not to be naughty!!”
“…”
“Take my son as an example—he’s not naughty or mischievous… never causes me any trouble.”
Muenfah laughed before gently nipping at his ear with sharp teeth. “Yours isn’t naughty or mischievous, that’s true.”
“Phii Fah!!”
Theerak was both embarrassed and wanted to apologize for turning
Muenfah’s “son” into a naughty boy. He hadn’t meant to wake it up at all. Since he was born, this was the first time Theerak had properly touched someone else’s private parts. He’d heard a bit about how things worked between two men—ever since confessing his love to Muenfah, Panli wouldn’t stop talking about “those things” in class, even teaching him ways to win Muenfah’s heart. But since Theerak wasn’t obsessed or particularly interested in it, he let it slide. He didn’t know how hard it was to control his own desires, because he’d never felt that kind of urge before.
But Theerak thought…
It must be as hard as stopping himself from kissing Muenfah.
…No, it’s probably a million times harder than that.
“Phii Fah…”
“Yes?”
“It’s really hard, isn’t it?”
“…”
“To calm your son down?”
“If it were before, it’d be really hard. I wouldn’t hold back—whoever woke it up would have to calm it down.”
“…” Sob… This chubby little pup is definitely getting eaten!
“But now it’s easy because it’s you.”
“…”
Muenfah pressed his nose to his cheek and sniffed. “With you… everything takes time.”
“My Phii Fah,” Theerak said, then kissed his thick hand.
“Your Phii Fah… loves and is so smitten with you, it’s almost too much.”
Theerak gave a small smile and gently rubbed Muenfah’s thick forearm, thinking… It wasn’t just Muenfah who was head over heels for him—Theerak felt the same way. He knew it wasn’t just love they had for each other; it was something more than that.
They were everything to each other.
Bzzz ~
Theerak was about to reach into his pants pocket for his buzzing phone, but Muenfah beat him to it and pulled it out for him. When he saw the name on the screen, he let out a big sigh.
Muenfah pressed his lips to his shoulder and said, “Time’s up, right?”
“Yes, Phii Babe is calling to fetch me.”
“Answer Babe’s call first.”
Theerak nodded and pressed accept. “I’ll head down in a bit, Phii Babe.”
[Okay, I’m parked at the lot in front of the condo.]
“Okay…”
[Rak…]
“Yes, Phii Babe?”
[Mom just called and said to invite Fah over for dinner tomorrow… in the evening, since Dad gets back in the afternoon.]
“Sure.”
[Okay, hurry down.]
“Okay…”
Theerak hung up and turned to the person beside him. Muenfah gave him that familiar smile and pressed his nose to Theerak’s forehead with a big smooch. Theerak admitted he still missed Muenfah. He cupped the taller man’s face with both hands and planted a kiss on his full lips.
Kiss…
“I miss you Phii Fah.”
“…”
Without waiting for a reply, Theerak kissed him again.
Kiss…
“I love you Phii Fah.”
“…”
Theerak did it again…
Kiss…
“I’m crazy about you Phii Fah.”
“…”
Kiss…
“I miss you Phii Fah.”
“…”
Kiss…
Muenfah laughed and kissed him back, using his thumb to gently stroke Theerak’s cheek while looking at him with the same gaze as when he’d pulled away from their earlier kiss.
“I miss you a lot too.”
“But I have to go back now.”
“Wait, let me put on a shirt first. I’ll walk you down.”
“Okay…”
The taller man kissed his cheek once more before getting up. Theerak sat up and suddenly remembered that his Mom had asked him to invite Muenfah for dinner tomorrow. He walked over to open Muenfah’s bedroom door. The taller man, who was slipping on a simple T-shirt, turned to look at him and asked—
“Did Babe call to rush you?”
“No… Just now, Phii Babe said Mom asked her to invite you to dinner at the house.”
“…”
“This evening, Phii Fah, because Dad’s leaving and going back in the afternoon.”
“Sure, I’ll head over later.”
“Aren’t you opening the restaurant tomorrow, Phii Fah?”
Muenfah walked over to him at the door, leaning in close before playfully nipping at the tip of his nose with his sharp teeth. When Theerak stepped back to dodge, Muenfah wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him in and laughing with delight.
“You… always teasing me.”
“Hmph.” Muenfah kissed his cheek again before saying, “Tomorrow, I will open the restaurant, but I can leave it to Real to handle.”
“Okay…”
“I’ll drop you off in a bit, Babe’s probably been waiting for a while.”
Theerak nodded and walked out of the room with Muenfah. The taller man escorted him to the car, chatting briefly with Phii Babe and Phii Dom before saying goodbye. Theerak, sitting in the back, rolled down the window to wave at Muenfah.
“Bye-bye, Phii Fah.”
“See you…”
Since Theerak had both hands gripping the window frame, Muenfah leaned down and kissed his forehead one more time before parting. Theerak flashed a sweet smile at the taller man.
“I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay…”
Theerak waved again before rolling up the window. He watched Muenfah standing there until the car pulled away from the condo. Theerak pulled his phone out of his pants pocket to change his LINE name and send a message to someone.
Sky’s Beloved: I miss you again.
His message was read almost instantly.
Sky’s Beloved: I miss you Theerak all the time.
Sky’s Beloved… Sky’s Beloved
#However Many Thousand Skies
Muenfah, who was rolling up his shirt sleeves, tilted his wrist slightly to check the time on his watch. Today, he had a dinner appointment with Niran’s family. The little one had called him excitedly since morning to remind him, and now his phone was buzzing nonstop with LINE notifications because someone was spamming him with messages.
Sky’s Beloved: Where are you now, Phii Fah?
Sky’s Beloved: Dad’s already left.
Sky’s Beloved: The coast is clear… hehe.
The one flooding his inbox was none other than Sky’s Beloved.
He bit his lip while staring at the phone screen. Muenfah thought Theerak was incredibly talented—able to make him feel exasperated just by seeing text, the same way he’d fallen for him at first sight.
Muenfah grabbed his phone and called Theerak. He pressed the phone to his face, balancing it with his shoulder because he still had plenty to do, but he didn’t want his little one to wait too long for a reply.
[Phii Fah ~]
Muenfah chuckled in his throat at the bright voice on the other end before replying, “Have you kissed me today yet?”
[A kiss for Phii Fah!]
“I’m getting dressed right now, but I’ll be leaving the condo soon.”
[Don’t dress up too handsomely, okay?]
Muenfah grinned, already guessing his little one would say something cute again. “Give me a reason why?”
[Because then my heart will melt!]
Muenfah burst out laughing while spritzing cologne on his neck, switching the phone to his free hand as usual. “Doesn’t your heart melt every day already?”
He heard giggles from the other end.
[My heart melts for you every other day.]
“…”
[Because I need to let my heart rest sometimes!]
“I want to kiss your little butt.” Truthfully, he wanted to bite that exasperatingly cute butt even more. The cuter Theerak acted, the more Muenfah wanted to devour him until he fainted against his chest—but because it was Theerak, he could only think about it.
[I won’t let you kiss it!]
“Heh.”
[Phii Fah… hurry up, okay? Today, Mom made all of your favorites— nothing for me at all!]
“…”
[I guess I’m just a chubby puppy with a smelly head now, since everyone’s only paying attention to you.]
“Are you feeling left out, Theerak?”
[No, I’m happy… but I’m just pretending to be upset, hoping someone around here might pamper me a little!]
Muenfah laughed before saying, “A kiss for that smelly head, okay?”
The sound of his little one’s laughter made Muenfah imagine him giggling with squinted eyes.
[I won’t tease you anymore, so you can finish getting ready and come to my house!]
“Khrapom…”
[Okay…]
“Hey, little one… give Phii Fah a kiss before hanging up!”
[Kiss]
The sound of Theerak’s kiss always made him smile.
After hanging up, Muenfah quickly got dressed to head to the Niran family’s house, making sure to arrive on time as planned. Today, he chose to drive his usual sporty Benz because it was more agile than his other cars.
Muenfah tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while waiting at a red light. He glanced at the time on his watch periodically. During the evening like this, traffic near his condo was especially congested. Even though Muenfah had left two hours early to account for it, the traffic was still so bad that he started feeling irritated.
Bzzz ~
Muenfah shifted his gaze from the road ahead to the phone beside him. The name displayed on the screen made him break into a smile.
‘My Theerak’
“Theerak, hi.”
[Hi… Sky.]
“Traffic’s really bad, but I am thinking of taking a shortcut. I should get there in about half an hour.”
[I just called to say you don’t have to rush, okay? Because me, Phii
Babe, and Phii Dom went to buy some fruit at the supermarket for Mom.]
“Oh…”
[But if you get to the house before Rak, you can go ahead and open the door, okay? Mom and Grandpa are home.]
“Yes, got it.”
[Okay…]
After hanging up with his beloved, Muenfah, who had just passed the red light, immediately changed his route. He opted for a shortcut to reach Theerak’s house as quickly as possible. If he stuck to the original route, Mom and Grandpa would definitely have to wait too long.
And as expected, Muenfah made it to Theerak’s house in just thirty minutes. He guessed the three of them hadn’t returned yet because Dom’s car wasn’t parked in front of the house. So, he got out of his car and opened the door to enter the house himself. Inside, Muenfah scanned the living area for Mom and Grandpa, but no one was around.
From the time he attended Grandpa’s birthday, Muenfah remembered Theerak mentioning that his Mom usually liked being in the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen and, sure enough, found her there. Muenfah didn’t dare call out to Mom, who was busy arranging dishes, afraid he might startle her. He stood quietly watching until she turned and noticed him herself.
“Oh, Fah…”
“Hello, Auntie.”
“Hello, dear… but wait! I don’t think ‘Auntie’ fits anymore.” “…”
“You can call me ‘Mom’ instead. I don’t mind at all.”
Muenfah nodded before saying, “Yes, Mom.”
“That little Rak bragging about how polite you are wasn’t an exaggeration after all… You really are polite, dear.”
“…” Muenfah gave a small smile, picturing the little guy chattering nonstop about him to the family. He’d definitely be talking their ears off.
“Have you seen Grandpa yet, dear? Grandpa’s been asking about you and
Rak since this morning.”
“Not yet, Mom… When I walked into the house, I didn’t see Grandpa anywhere.”
“He might take Moogrob to play in the backyard, Fah. You can wait in the living room first, dear. It’s hot in the kitchen.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Muenfah walked out to wait in the living room as his mother suggested.
After sitting and waiting for his grandfather for a while, he got up to look at pictures of a young boy—Rak Niran—in his childhood, displayed in a showcase. Muenfah let out a small smile when he saw a photo of a little boy standing with his arms crossed, wearing black sunglasses, smirking slightly, with his older sister standing behind him, hugging his neck.
Naughty since he was little…
As he shifted his gaze further, he noticed a marble plaque with small golden footprints embedded on it. Muenfah stepped closer to read the names inscribed on the marble plaque.
The first one belonged to a girl: Phafun Niran.
The second one belonged to a boy: Theerak Niran.
If he had to guess, the names of the two siblings probably meant “to bring good dreams forever” and “to reside in a land of eternal love.” But that was just his speculation. To know the true meaning of the names, he’d have to ask the person who named them, and he thought it was most likely his grandfather.
Thud!
Muenfah turned his attention away from the marble plaque to look toward the source of the sound. He heard something hit the glass door hard. What he saw was the chubby little puppy, Moogrob, running toward him. It seemed Muenfah hadn’t closed the door properly, allowing Moogrob to squeeze through the small gap.
Moogrob acted as if he was about to lie down at Muenfah’s feet, but when Muenfah bent down to pick him up, the puppy ran toward the door instead. Muenfah frowned as he observed the strange behavior. Moogrob’s tail was tucked down and trembling slightly. The round little puppy ran back to him again, then darted back to the door, his big round black eyes staring at Muenfah as if urging him to follow.
“Moogrob, come to me, quick!”
This time, Moogrob ignored him and ran out of the house. Muenfah felt an odd premonition and followed the puppy. On his way toward the backyard, he suddenly remembered his mother saying that his grandfather was probably taking Moogrob to play there. Muenfah quickened his pace, praying that nothing bad had happened.
“Grandpa!!!”
But his prayers went unanswered. Muenfah shouted for his grandfather, who was lying face down, motionless, next to a flowerpot. He rushed over to support his grandfather, using one arm to cradle his neck and gently tapping his cheek with the other hand to rouse him. But the man, whose face was half-covered in blood, showed no response. Moogrob kept running in circles around Muenfah and his grandfather.
“Grandpa! Grandpa, can you hear me?”
At that moment, it felt as if his heart stopped beating for a second. Muenfah scanned the surroundings before pulling himself together. He wiped the area where the blood was flowing the most and saw a sizable wound, though the sheer amount of blood made it hard to tell how deep it was.
Seeing the wound and his grandfather’s condition, Muenfah tried to help him sit up so he could carry him on his back. But the man, who had been unconscious moments before, slowly began to open his eyes.
“Grandpa… Grandpa, don’t fall asleep, please.”
“Muenfah…”
“I will take you to the hospital.”
“…”
Muenfah gently touched the cheek of the person who was about to lose consciousness again. “Grandpa, please hold on a little longer.”
As the dark eyelids closed once more, Muenfah, who had never feared anything before, let fear take over. He was afraid that this time Grandpa’s sleep would last longer than ever before. Driven by that fear, Muenfah hurriedly lifted Grandpa onto his back with great effort.
“Mom!!”
“…”
“Mom!! Come help me, please!”
Muenfah knew how desperate he felt at that moment. It was probably because he remembered the time Grandpa accepted him as another grandchild, and the time when a grandfatherly smile appeared on his face.
“Dad!!”
“Mom, please help me…”
He pleaded for help from Rak’s mother the moment she appeared. She seemed to be in shock and momentarily lost her composure, but his cries for help brought her back to her senses.
“Mom, please help support Grandpa onto my back.”
“Okay, okay.”
Because Grandpa was quite tall and large, Fah couldn’t carry him in his arms. The only option was to carry him on his back. Once his mother helped support the unconscious man onto his back, Muenfah carried Grandpa out of the house toward the car, with his mother running alongside.
“Mom, please reach into the left pocket of my pants and get the keys for me.”
“Okay, okay.” Real’s hands trembled as she searched for the keys, but the more she hurried, the slower she seemed to be, unable to find them.
“Mom, calm down, please.”
“Y-Yes…” The mother replied with a trembling voice before tears began to fall. Finally, she retrieved the car keys and helped unlock the car for him.
Muenfah gently lowered Grandpa so his feet touched the ground, with his mother supporting his back. Then, he helped the unconscious man into the car. After closing the door, Muenfah turned to look at his mother, who was wiping away her tears.
“my car can only seat two people…”
“Fah, take Grandpa to the doctor as fast as you can, son. Don’t worry about me. I’ll call Babe.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Muenfah nodded and ran around to the driver’s side. As soon as he got in, he checked Grandpa’s condition first. Seeing that he was still breathing, he quickly drove off. Though a flood of emotions threatened to overwhelm him and scatter his senses, Muenfah did his best to control his feelings and maintain his composure.
He released one hand from the steering wheel to hold Grandpa’s hand, before saying, “I have only been your grandson for less than a month…
Grandpa, you have to stay with me first, okay?”
“…”
“Please… stay and be our strength first, okay?”
Muenfah’s plea hoping Grandpa would understand…
#However Many Thousand Skies
Muenfah had just sent Grandpa to the emergency room not long ago. He paced back and forth in front of the door with anxiety. Every time someone opened the emergency room door, Muenfah would immediately rush toward them, but the only response he got from the nurse was to wait, as the doctor was still examining him.
He looked down at the bloodstains on his white shirt. Muenfah let out a sigh before pulling out his phone to call Theerak.
“Phii Fah…”
But that familiar voice made him close his eyes to steady himself before turning to the small figure. What pained Muenfah’s heart was the calm expression on Theerak’s face. The boy showed no signs of shock or tears. He knew Theerak was trying to stay strong to be a pillar of support for his mother and older sister, who were crying.
Dom had once told him that Babe was a very strong woman, which was why he wanted her to be the mother of his child. If something sudden happened and he passed away, Dom was confident that Babe would remain strong and raise their child without him. But now, the strong one was crying. This situation must have been too overwhelming for the Niran family to bear.
Yet his same good-hearted person didn’t shed a single tear. Theerak walked to the emergency room door, gently rubbing the opaque glass with one hand, and the words he spoke made Muenfah feel like his heart was breaking.
“I know Grandpa is as strong as me…” Theerak gave a faint smile. “I am waiting for Grandpa outside, okay?”
Theerak walked over to tightly hug his sister and mother. Looking at the small, incredibly strong figure, Muenfah thought he would need to comfort Theerak’s fragile heart. But what he saw now was different from what he had expected. His Theerak was far stronger than he had imagined.
“I shouldn’t have stopped to buy things.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Muenfah said, patting his friend’s shoulder to comfort him. Dom’s eyes were red. He was deeply attached to everyone in the Niran family, so it was no surprise he was this upset.
“Fah… sob… how long has Grandpa been in there?” Babe walked over to ask him, her voice trembling with sobs.
“Twenty minutes already.”
“Grandpa… has to be okay.”
Muenfah stood watching Dom hug and comfort his girlfriend. He had never been in a situation like this before. Muenfah felt as though the ticking hands of the clock, counting every passing second, were squeezing his heart relentlessly.
“Phii Fah…”
“Yes?”
Theerak didn’t say anything. He hugged him and rested his face on his chest. Muenfah nodded in acknowledgment and tightened the embrace. He hoped the smaller person would release their emotions through tears, so they could feel a bit more at ease. However, not a single tear seeped through the fabric. Muenfah gently patted Theerak’s head before saying “I know… I understand, Theerak.”
“…”
Muenfah truly knew and understood what he had said. He was trying to stay strong for everyone. He shouldn’t offer comforting words, as it might render Theerak’s efforts in vain. The strength he had could vanish in an instant. The only thing he could do was hold him tightly to give him the courage to be even stronger than before.
Another wish from Muenfah…
He hoped he could be as strong as he wanted to be.
And every time he felt weak…
“I will be here with you, Theerak… I won’t go anywhere, I promise.”
“…”
This sky would always be there to embrace him.
#However Many Thousand Skies
After waiting in front of the emergency room for a while, Theerak’s father arrived at the hospital. Perhaps because the situation didn’t allow him to overthink things about him and Theerak, the father didn’t pay attention to the two of them sitting together. He walked over to the mother to ask about Grandpa’s condition. A little earlier, a nurse had come out to ask a few questions about Grandpa’s medical history before inviting the mother to speak with the doctor.
Creak…
The sound of the emergency room door drew everyone’s attention effectively. Muenfah held Theerak’s hand and walked to the door along with the others. The doctor who had just stepped out smiled at all of them before speaking.
“The patient is conscious now.”
“…”
“The doctor has stitched the wound on his forehead, and we’ll take him for a brain X-ray to check for any abnormalities.”
“…”
“But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
“Thank you so much, Doctor.”
“From what I’ve asked the relatives, the patient has no underlying conditions. However, since the patient is very elderly, it’s possible for them to faint or feel dizzy like this.”
“…”
“For tonight, we’ll have the patient stay at the hospital. Tomorrow, I’ll check on him again, and we might do a thorough physical examination before discharging him.”
“Understood, Doctor.”
“In a little while, the nurse will move the patient to a private room as chosen by the relatives.”
“Yes, Doctor… Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. If the relatives don’t have any more questions, I’ll excuse myself now.”
Muenfah let out a heavy sigh before turning to look at the small figure who was bowing his head and pursing his lips. He immediately knew that Theerak’s time of being strong had come to an end.
“Who’s going to stay with Grandpa tonight? Should I and your Dad stay with him for the first night?”
Theerak quickly shook his head in refusal before saying, “Can I stay with Grandpa, please?”
He looked back and forth between his mother and father. Muenfah guessed that his father probably wouldn’t allow Theerak to stay with Grandpa, likely because he was worried about him being alone. He glanced at the small figure who was showing a worried expression.
“Then find someone to stay with you. I can’t help but worry if you stay alone.” his father said.
Muenfah shifted his gaze from Theerak to his father. Their eyes met briefly before his father suggested to his mother that they head home. Meanwhile, Babe and Dom wanted to stay and monitor Grandpa’s condition, but Theerak told Babe to go rest since it was already past 9 p.m. Besides, Babe had been crying so much that she was starting to get a headache.
“Phii Babe… trust me, please. Go rest. You can come back tomorrow morning. If you’re really worried, you can call me to check on Grandpa’s condition.” Theerak said.
Babe nodded in agreement before saying, “Fah… please take care of Rak and Grandpa for me.”
“Mm… I’ll look after Rak and Grandpa for you.”
“Do you want a new shirt?… I can go grab one from the condo for you.” Dom offered.
“No, it’s fine. It’s just one night… it’s not that dirty.”
Muenfah knew full well that his white shirt was significantly stained with Grandpa’s blood, but because he didn’t want to trouble his friend and couldn’t leave Theerak alone, he figured he could endure it for now.
“If you need anything, just call me, okay?” Dom said.
Muenfah nodded. “…”
“I’ll head back now. If anything happens, call me right away, okay?” Babe said.
“Yes, Phii Babe.”
Muenfah stood and watched as Dom and Babe walked away from the area in front of the emergency room. Then he turned to the small figure standing beside him. Theerak slumped down onto a chair as if he had no strength left. Muenfah crouched down in front of the person who had been forcing himself to stay strong.
“Theerak…”
Theerak lifted his head to meet Muenfah’s gaze. The once-bright eyes were now filled with tears brimming at the edges. With just a blink, the tears fell onto his cheeks. Muenfah stared at the long eyelashes soaked with tears as Theerak sobbed and leaned forward to hug him tightly.
“I… hic… thought I was going to lose Grandpa.”
Muenfah hugged the small figure back, closing his eyes while silently thanking Theerak for letting him be by his side—both when he was strong and when he was vulnerable. Muenfah gently patted Theerak’s head before speaking.
“Grandpa’s heart is right here… Grandpa wouldn’t leave his little heart behind.”
“Phii Fah… hic…” Theerak tried to suppress his sobs, but in the end, he let himself cry while speaking to Muenfah. “Thank you.”
“…”
“Thank you for bringing my heart to the hospital.”
The words spoken by Theerak made Muenfah feel a tightness in his chest. If he couldn’t get Grandpa to the hospital in time, Theerak’s heart would surely shatter. Muenfah gave a slight nod before pulling away from the embrace. Theerak was still sobbing uncontrollably, his prominent nose and thin lips—ones Muenfah loved to look at—now bright red from crying so hard. Muenfah moved his hand to wipe the tear stains from the pale cheeks. “I once thought… if one day I saw your tears, how would I feel?”
“…”
“Today, I finally know how it feels.”
“…”
“…I feel like the sky is collapsing.”
“…”
“Your sea doesn’t suit tears at all.”
Muenfah offered him a smile. Theerak managed a tearful smile in return, nodding before leaning forward to hug him again. Though he couldn’t stop his sobbing, at least Theerak had managed to stem the flow of tears.
“With the entire sky standing right here… the sea won’t be able to cry for long.”
Muenfah smiled before pressing his lips and nose to Theerak’s shoulder, saying, “From now on, I hope Theerak of mine will only have smiles.”
I wish…
Theerak with smiles that last eternally.
#However Many Thousand Skies
“If you need anything, just press this button to call the nurse.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Muenfah dragged a wooden chair to the bedside for the smaller figure. Theerak gave a slight bow of his head in thanks before sitting down and taking Grandpa’s hand in his own. Muenfah glanced at his watch—it was already past 11 p.m. His shop was currently open. He walked over to pick up the remote and adjusted the air conditioning temperature higher, thinking it might be too cold and could make Grandpa and his grandson sick. Then he stepped out onto the balcony to call Real.
[What’s up, Fah?]
“I probably won’t make it to the shop tonight.”
[Yeah, I figured. Dom called and told me everything.]
“Sorry, man.”
[You don’t need to apologize to me, it’s fine.]
“…”
[How’s Grandpa doing?]
“He’s safe now. He must have fainted and hit something.”
[Good to hear. When Dom called to tell me, I was so worried.]
“…”
[He said he called to let me know in advance since you might not make it to the shop, so I could prepare.]
“Today, the booking schedule has quite a few VIP customers. Can you handle it?”
[Sure, it’s just this much.]
“…”
[You should go stay with the little one. I don’t know if he’s still shaken up or not.]
“He’s stronger than you think.”
[Haha, my amazing kid, huh?]
“I’ll let you talk like that for one day… in exchange for watching the shop alone.”
[That jerk must be so jealous of me.]
Muenfah gave a slight smirk before saying, “See you tomorrow.”
[Okay.]
After hanging up, Muenfah returned to the room. He gave a faint smile when he saw Theerak talking to Grandpa. When the boy noticed him, he quickly waved him over with excitement.
“Grandpa’s awake, Phii Fah!”
“Yes.” Muenfah walked over and stopped behind the small figure. He looked at Grandpa, who still seemed slightly dazed. “How are you feeling, Grandpa?”
“Still a bit dizzy in the head.”
Theerak looked up at him and said, “Grandpa said he doesn’t remember what happened at all. He doesn’t know what his forehead hit.”
“I think it might’ve been a plant pot, because I found Grandpa lying next to one.”
“I think so too. I remember it was hot and stuffy since the afternoon, which made me feel dizzy in a way I’d never felt before. By evening, when it was time to take the dog out to play in the backyard, I was still a little dizzy. Then, all of a sudden, I passed out.”
“…”
“But I remember hearing Muenfah calling me.”
“That’s when Fah found you, Grandpa.”
Grandpa nodded in acknowledgment before saying, “Thank you so much, Muenfah.”
“It’s nothing, Grandpa.”
Grandpa gave him a warm smile, one that reminded him of his own grandfather. “Do you still remember the meaning of Theerak’s name, Muenfah?”
“Yes… Theerak means ‘the one who is beloved.’“
“Exactly… the one who is beloved.”
“…”
“I gave real names to both of my grandchildren. Babe’s real name is Phafun, because I wanted this girl to lead the people toward good dreams, so that the beloved and those they love could live in happy dreams together forever.”
“…”
“And now, I think Dom must be having good dreams because of Babe.”
“…”
“As for my dear Rak, I named him Rak because I wanted him to give love to everyone and for everyone to give love to him.”
“…”
“When you combine the first name and the last name, the meaning of the name—‘love’ and ‘eternity’—becomes… ‘love forever.’”
“…”
“Right now, Grandpa thinks… you have found eternal love.”
“…”
“Can you be the sky for this child, Theerak, forever?”
“Grandpa…” Muenfah placed his hand on the shoulder of the smaller person sitting there. Theerak moved his hand to rest on top of his, as if offering encouragement.
“…”
“No matter how many skies there are… I’m confident that no sky could love Theerak as much as this sky does.”
“…”
“…And I will be the only Muenfah who remains loyal and steadfast to Theerak.”
Grandpa nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you, Muenfah.”
“…”
“I will watch your love grow strong.”
Thank you too, Grandpa for staying as I requested.
#However Many Thousand Skies
Muenfah carried the smaller person, who had fallen asleep with their face pressed against Grandpa’s bed, to the large sofa. He arranged the pillow and their sleeping position to ensure they were as comfortable as possible. Then he sat down at their feet, placing both of their legs across his lap so they wouldn’t have to bend their knees with him sitting there. Muenfah knew full well that he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight because he could only sleep in his own bed. Another reason was his concern for Grandpa, in case he needed something or wanted to use the bathroom—Muenfah could get up and assist him immediately.
However, Grandpa slept soundly through the entire night. Muenfah didn’t have to get up to check on the patient at all, but he did have to keep steadying the smaller person, who tossed and turned so much they nearly fell off the sofa several times. Muenfah watched over Theerak until morning. When they woke up fully rested, they were in a good mood, as they were now.
“Did you sleep well last night?…I slept so comfortably, absolutely.”
Theerak sat up, smiling widely until his eyes squinted. Muenfah let out a small smile at the sight of the messy black hair after waking up. He reached out to help fix their hair into place and nodded lightly.
“As long as you slept well, I am at ease.”
“Being so sweet this early in the morning, huh, Sky? ~”
“Heh.” Muenfah chuckled before looking down at his shirt. He thought about going home to shower and change after someone came to take over watching Grandpa. “Who’s coming to look after Grandpa this morning?”
“Let me check the phone first.” Theerak said, pulling his phone out of his pants pocket before adding, “Pa—Dad.”
Muenfah nodded and leaned forward to gently press his nose against Theerak’s head, giving it a soft sniff. “I think it’d be better if I leaves before your dad arrives.”
“I think so too. That way, you won’t feel awkward either.” Theerak replied.
“Can you stay with Grandpa alone?”
“Yes, I can. There shouldn’t be any problems in the morning.”
“Okay then. In that case, I will head out first.”
“Alright…”
Muenfah stood up to his full height. He wanted to say goodbye to Grandpa too, but since the old man was still sound asleep, he didn’t want to disturb him. Muenfah turned back to the small figure who looked up at him with a sweet smile. He leaned down to give Theerak a quick kiss on the lips before saying “I love you.”
“I love Phii Fah too.”
Muenfah gently patted Theerak’s head before stepping out of the room. He raised a hand to lightly squeeze the back of his neck as he closed the door. Muenfah felt a slight exhaustion from staying up all night, but the person standing in front of him snapped him fully awake, erasing all traces of fatigue.
“Hello, Uncle.” Muenfah said, raising his hands to give a polite wai to Theerak’s father, who wore a calm, expressionless face.
“Hello.”
“Theerak and Grandpa are inside the room.”
“I know…”
“Alright, I’ll take my leave now.”
Muenfah bowed his head to the man once more before turning to walk away.
“Wait…”
But a deep voice called out, halting his steps.
“…”
Muenfah turned back to face Theerak’s father again. The man showed no emotion in his eyes, making it impossible for Muenfah to guess what he was feeling.
“If I asked you not to be with Theerak… could you do it?”
“…”
“If you truly love Theerak, you should be able to, right?”
The question squeezed Muenfah’s heart tightly, making it feel as though his world was crumbling. But the image of Theerak’s smile flashed in his mind, and it gave him the strength to feel that the world would be okay. No matter how much it hurt, he had to push through to protect that smile.
“Because I truly love Theerak, I can’t let go of him.” Muenfah replied.
“…”
“I won’t stop loving Theerak…”
“…”
“Even if I have to die in front of you, Uncle… I won’t stop loving
Theerak.”
With the man’s stern eyes fixed on him, Muenfah made his decision. He dropped to his knees on the floor and looked up at Theerak’s father.
“Uncle… please give me a chance just once.”
“…”
“I won’t make any promises at all… but I’m confident that Theerak won’t regret being with me.”
“…”
“Because if he’s hurt… the one who’ll be hurt even more is me.”
“…”
“But if you don’t give me this chance… I’ll have no choice but to keep loving Theerak anyway.”
“…”
“I’ll love him and stand by his side, no matter what happens.”
Muenfah stared deeply into those stern eyes, but soon those eyes softened noticeably.
“I thought you were going to give up.”
“…”
“Your answer was quite unexpected.”
“…”
“If you don’t get up quickly, I won’t give you that chance.”
Before Muenfah could even feel relieved, he hurriedly stood up to his full height. He maintained eye contact with the father, thinking he wasn’t dreaming—his father had truly given him the chance to love Theerak. “Thank you, Uncle… for giving me this chance.”
“And one more thing… if you keep calling me ‘Uncle,’ you won’t get that chance because it means you’re still an outsider, not part of the Niran family.”
“…”
“If you want to be part of the Niran family you need to call me ‘Dad,’ understand?”
Muenfah nodded before saying, “Yes, Dad.”
“The last time we met wasn’t exactly pleasant…” The father stepped closer to him, gently patting his shoulder before saying, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I understand.”
“The terrible things I’ve been through made me lose my senses…” The father lowered his head slightly, as if trying to hold back some emotions, before looking up to meet his gaze again. “I hope… from now on, we can create good memories together.”
Muenfah could only nod, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that left him speechless. “…”
“…” The father brushed his hand lightly over the bloodstains on his shirt before saying, “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, Muenfah, saving my dad… everyone would probably be sitting here grieving by now.”
“…”
“Go rest. You must be exhausted since yesterday.”
Muenfah remembered that… when we speak words straight from the heart… even if they’re just short sentences they carry their own value.
“Thank you, Dad.”
The most valuable thank you to repay the one who gave him the most precious thing in life.
TBC
Leave a Reply