Fluke adjusts the softcover on their bed before jumping in and taking a comfy position. He's waiting for Ohm to finish showering so they can both fall asleep at the same time. They spent the rest of the day cleaning and organizing their room, including returning Ohm's belongings to their closet.
Fluke looks at the wedding ring on his finger, which he had taken off before leaving the house the day of the accident. He wore it again after seeing it while they were cleaning the room. It just looks so good on his finger. He's confused as to why he doesn't feel the same pain now that he's looking at something he and Ohm both have. He's thinking, maybe the Fluke inside him also wanted to try on giving Ohm another chance.
Fluke raises his head when the sound of the shower door opens.
His cheeks blush when he sees the guy wearing just a towel around his waist and drying his hair with a small towel.
Instead of looking at him, he shifts his eyes to his ring, trying to divert his focus away from him.
"This morning, I...watched a video..."
"What was the video about?" The other asks.
Fluke keeps his attention on his fingers, sensing Ohm is dressing up.
"Uh, about us... I once made a salad for you but you didn't come home, so I threw the salad away because I was upset."
Fluke senses that Ohm comes to a complete stop in front of him and sits on the bed. Fluke slowly lifts his head, shocked to see Ohm's still naked.
He unconsciously bits his inner lip, before looking away.
"I told you I'd be home later than I promised I would, but you were still upset. I asked if you could make it again for me, but you were angry." While speaking, Ohm tries to catch Fluke's glances.
"'m sorry..." Fluke murmurs
He initially believed Ohm was to blame, but after hearing what he said, he no longer believes that is the case.
"No, I'm the one who should be saying that... I was gone for days and even returned late, despite promising you that I would be home early that day."
"But I tried to get home early that day because I was missing you so much." He confesses, reaching for Fluke's left hand and tightly holding it.
Fluke smiles as he slowly moves his gaze to Ohm.
Deep down, he realizes that sharing concerns with your partner is never a bad idea.
"Really? You did?"
"So much. You did not know it, but it was you who kept me going on those tiring days."
Fluke is suddenly filled with guilt. It was as if Ohm did everything for them and then returned home to an angry husband.
"Thank you, for understanding me that time." Fluke says, and Ohm responds with a smile.
When they move closer to embrace, they both sigh with relief.
Fluke rubs Ohm's back and lays his head on his shoulder, his hand feeling Ohm's bare skin.
He's relieved that the bitterness he felt when he first saw Ohm in the hospital is starting to disappear.
After a minute, the two move away from each other's embrace and look into each other's eyes. Ohm softly caresses the other's cheek, and the latter slowly loses himself in his husband's gaze. It's as if he's being eaten. It doesn't feel awkward at all, but rather brings him great comfort and peace.
Slowly, the two lean in closer together, the distance between their lips closing.
Fluke is already responding to Ohm's kiss before he knows it.
Fluke clenches his hand on the sheet as he feels Ohm's lips brush against his. He feels weird inside him. He can't describe it, but it feels like fireworks on his stomach, while his heart feels like it would explode anytime.
He needs to stop before he starts to feel something else, but he can't seem to stop.
And that's what's happening already. He feels something strange below. Fluke suddenly breaks the kiss and looks at Ohm with eyes wide open, which makes Ohm worry.
"What's wrong?" Ohm asks softly.
Fluke maintains the same expression for a few more seconds.
"Uh... I have to use the restroom." The smaller one responds before hurriedly gets out of bed and runs to the toilet, leaving Ohm alone there.
------
Fluke breathes deeply as he chopped tomatoes for the salad he was preparing. It's Thursday morning, and he got up early to prepare for breakfast. He's not sure why he suddenly felt motivated to make one, but something inside him said so. He believes it was his guilty self who was sorry for what happened before.
He moves his eyes to his left, where he is watching Fluke's vlogs on his phone. He's already seen quite a few of his videos. This is exactly what he has been doing for the past few days. Turns out Fluke even advises his followers.
"What are you doing?"
Fluke turns around to see Ohm approaching him. He waves before returning to what he's doing.
"I'm making you a salad." He answers.
Ohm comes to a halt beside him, tilting his head. "Really?"
"It's not much, but it's all I can do for now... Should I enroll in a cooking class?"
"Hmmm... I think that's a great idea. Do what you love."
Ohm sees what his husband is watching on his phone and looks at it.
"You haven't finished watching your old videos yet?"
"Yes... It's actually quite cool... I got to learn a lot from him."
"But on those videos, it was also you..."
Fluke just smiles, as though he doesn't know what to say. He actually has no idea what he's doing anymore. He can't even recognize himself in the mirror. He just knows that at this point, it's his memory, but the feelings are still Fluke's.
He decided to move the conversation to a different topic.
"Oh, and if you don't want salad for breakfast, I made some pancakes as well. I'm almost done, so go there and sit."
Ohm smiles and nods before kissing Fluke on the cheek then heads over to their table.
It had been months since he had eaten something Fluke had prepared. Fluke isn't a great chef, but he always makes an effort for them to eat together. He grins when he saw the pancakes and coffee that Fluke had made for him. The pancake is a little burnt, but that's okay. As long as his husband cooked it, he would eat it.
He just really admires Fluke's willingness to try even though he doesn't know something.
"Here..." Fluke puts the salad bowl on the table before taking a seat in front of Ohm. He has a huge smile on his face.
"Thank you so much." Ohm reaches for Fluke's hand before he starts on the pancake.
Fluke focuses on him, his eyes sparkle as he waits for Ohm's reaction.
"Hmmm..." Ohm hums and nods as he enjoys the pancake, smiling at the other. Feeling so happy.
"Is it okay?"
"Delicious. I forgot my name."
"Ohmmm..." Fluke pouts before he starts eating.
"How about we go out tonight?" Ohm asks abruptly before sipping his coffee
Fluke is confused as to why Ohm suddenly wants to go outside, but because he hasn't gone outside since he came here, and he still misses that, he figures it's fine.
He's about to say something when their doorbell rings unexpectedly.
The two exchange blank looks before Ohm goes to see who it is before opening the door.
When Fluke sees who walks into their house, he immediately smiles.
It's Earth, and then he's followed by a stranger.
"Flukeeeeee!" Fluke stands up and embraces Earth. It's quite strange because the Earth he knows didn't like skinship so he is shocked to be embraced by him today.
"Where's my kith?" As they pull away from the embrace, Earth speaks wearing a pouty face.
"We're just going to talk outside," The two are interrupted by Ohm on the door, with the man that was with Earth.
Fluke replies with a nod and smiles letting the two leave the house.
When the two are gone, Earth drags Fluke into the living room and sits on the couch, placing a large paper bag on the table.
"How come you didn't tell me about what happened? I should have gone home and taken care of you right away! It's a good thing your husband is there. I told you to treat him nicely why—"
"Cooheart, calm down.."
"How do I calm down? You've even forgotten who you are... But hang on a second....... If you can't remember who I am, how come you called me last Saturday?"
"I was just testing my phone..." Fluke lies
"Just when I thought you were going to change because you said you missed me for the first time," He remarks.
Fluke just shows an embarrassed smile.
"Did Prem pay you a visit yet?"
"I think he's busy with shooting."
Cooheart lets out a deep breath before pointing at the paper bag he brought.
"Oh, look, here's what I got for you guys. I bought everything you listed."
Fluke takes the paper bag, which is packed with skincare products and accessories. Fluke notices a small blue paper bag. He pulls it from the bag.
"Can you give that to Ohm tomorrow? Also, tell him Kao and I aren't sure if we'll be able to make it. My parents are expecting to meet us."
"...why? What is the occasion?"
"...Didn't Ohm tell you it's his birthday tomorrow?"
Is this why he suddenly wants to go out?
-----
Ohm parks his car in front of a restaurant before turning to face Fluke, who is currently staring out the window.
He says, "We're here."
They step out of the car, and Ohm waits for Fluke, offering his arm so they can enter the restaurant together. Fluke smiles before linking his arms with the other. The two finally enter the restaurant and take a seat at a table that has been reserved for them. Ohm notices Fluke scanning the area again after the two have put their orders.
"This was our favorite restaurant."
"Ohh..." He reacts as he nods his head.
"Hey, Ohm,"
Fluke looks at the girl who just walks to their table.
"Hey," Ohm says as he stands up and greets the girl before returning to his seat.
"This is Fluke, my husband. This is Ploy... She works at the company."
"It's great to meet you,"
Fluke simply smiles as the girl greets him.
"I didn't expect to see you here," The girl turns to Ohm.
"Yeah, me too." Ohm replies, "How are things going at work?" He adds.
"Everything is fine. My department has something that should be sent for you to sign. Is it okay if I give it to your secretary?"
"Yes, sure."
"Then, if you don't mind, I just came here to say hello. I'll return there, my friend is waiting."
"Sure. See you later"
The girl smiles at Fluke once again before she leaves. Fluke smiles back before he looks at Ohm, who follows the girl with his eyes.
"Ohm,"
He calls his name. Ohm's attention is shifted to him.
"Have you ever been unfaithful to me?" He asks, suspecting that this is why Fluke hated him.
"No, never," Ohm says with a shake of his head. "What makes you think I did?"
Fluke's lips lift slightly upward as he sighs, not wanting to answer the other.
But after a few seconds, he responds, "...you looked so warmly at her."
"I treat Ploy as if she were my sister... So don't think that way... And trust me when I say that I would never cheat on you."
"Then, what happened between us before?" Fluke asks.
"It's about work. My father wanted me to learn about the business, so I'd been extremely busy for the past five months. Even though I didn't go home on some days, you were really patient and stayed. Until you found out that I had some free days, and I spent them with my friends. You never said anything, but you became distant to me."
After hearing what Ohm said, Fluke feels a sharp pain in his chest. He's a little upset as he knows he doesn't deserve to be treated like that but he wanted to understand Ohm.
He breathed deeply and locked his gaze on Ohm.
"You know it's fun to spend time with your friends if it helps you relax. But I just hoped you didn't forget there was someone at home waiting for you. I mean, it's not like you have to stick with me all the time, but given that you were busy at work, and you only had few hours free, you still decided to go with your friends. You know, time is really important for couples."
"I know, I know..." Ohm grabs Fluke's hand and squeezes it tightly. "I think I became too dependent on you not abandoning me, and I took you for granted. I did what I liked without considering your feelings. I only realized what I did when you started becoming cold to me, and when you said you were already beginning to doubt our love..."
Fluke looks at their hands before forcing a smile and then looks at Ohm.
"Don't do this again"
"I promise. I've completed my training and will be spending my free time with you. I've realized my mistake. I've put in a lot of effort for us, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life without you."
Fluke then beams and places his hand on top of Ohm's, which is holding his.
The entire dinner was fun, they were able to eat peacefully, and Fluke felt as if all of his negative feelings had disappeared after their conversation.
All that was left was guilt, he doesn't know why it changed to this. After eating, the two agreed to spend more time together by going for a walk in the nearby park.
They walk together, their fingers interlocking as they hold each other's hands tightly. Fluke is a little shy, but he's also glad. He is holding his husband's hand. It's so warm that it makes his heart skip a beat now and then.
"Is there something wrong?" Ohm asks when he sees Fluke smiling brightly while staring at their hands.
Fluke attempts to conceal his smile by shaking his head. "Ohm... How did we meet each other?"
Ohm spots a bench and takes Fluke over to sit on it. They sit next together, still holding each other's hand.
"Hmm... We were both freshmen at that time... and I saw you in the cafeteria with Earth and Prem..."
Fluke rests his head against Ohm's shoulder as he listens. As he tells their story, the other gently strokes his hand.
"I liked you the first time I saw you, which may be cliché. I couldn't keep my gaze away from you because you were smiling so sweetly. So I asked for your number."
"And I gave it?"
"No, you didn't. You were not interested in me at all."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But we happened to be in one class, so I took the chance to get to know you. It took me half a year before you agreed to date me."
Ohm laughs a little, thinking that what happened before is now a funny memory for them.
"Are you serious?" Fluke is surprised, and he moves and faces Ohm. "That was long!"
"It's all right. As you said before, good things come from hard work. I wouldn't have you now if I gave up fast. You're worth the time and effort. See, I'm so much happy now that we're married."
Fluke can't help but feel shy as they gaze into each other's eyes with such love.
"Ohm..." He slowly looks away, cannot take this staring contest anymore.
"I love you, so so much" Ohm whispers to him.
"...I love you, too," Fluke replies, biting his lower lip before returning his gaze to his face.
He gives a shy smile.