Chapter 31

[Beam's P.O.V: continuation..]

Everyone on that table looked at us and Bright motioned us to sit with them.

"Toot!" Forth greets. He has a funny name. This must be another cousin.

Come to think of it, am i the only one here who is not a relative? Wow. Now I'm getting more anxious about my presence in this house. I mean, this is supposed to be a family gathering...why am i here?

"My favorite cousin is heeeerrree! How about a hug?" He cheered and streched his arms wide expecting Forth to hug him from across the table but Forth just laughed.

Forth seemed to be everyone's favorite.

He's also my favorite boyfriend.

Just kidding. Kekeke

"Stop invading his personal space, Toot!" Knot says, fanning away his hands.

"Tell him to stop invading everybody's personal space." Someone from the twins said.

"Oh shut up. Anyways, who is your friend here?" He eyes me curiously. What now? Does he have telepathic mind too? "Such an eye candy.." I blinked dumbly at the remark and Forth and Knot chuckles.

"Don't even think about it." Knot smirks.

Forth introduced me to Toota then not long after, one of their friend arrived back from the kitchen with an ice bucket. I realize I'm not the only person in here who is not a blood relative. Another introduction and i learned that his name is Prem. He sat at the right side of Knot, i was on Knot's left side. Forth was on my left, then Bright was on his left, then Toota then Pick.

It was nice being included in their conversations even if i don't understand most of it because it was about Sotus System. We don't have that kind of hazing in our faculty and thank goodness we don't. Imagine me under the sun doing things that make your legs burn and make your body sweaty and smelly. No.

Forth didn't let me have too much to drink and besides, i don't want to drink too much either because i know what alcohol does to me and i don't really like it because nasty things happen after that and the worst part is i don't really remember anything after that but oftentimes, that doesn't stop me. Except only for this time because i don't want to humiliate myself while I'm staying under this roof. I need to behave.

"—totalled the car! Mae almost buried me alive! Even the look in her eyes could turn me into stone. Medusa would have been proud." i heard Toota say as i went back to myself after zoning out. He was dramatically fluttering his hands.

"That was a pretty good idea, i wonder why Auntie didn't do it. I could have helped her. You would have been a really nice gargoyle." Bright mused and Toota glowered at him.

"Eh. Being buried alive is no fun." Prem says after chugging in his can of beer. "I'll tell Auntie to send you to the camp for military training." They all grinned after that.

"Military training?! Are you crazy? I can't leave my boyfriends!" Toota yelled almost dramatically, it's like he can't even imagine himself being in a military uniform, i can't either. Pick snorted.

"Boyfriend..ss? You mean you got more than one?" Pick says not looking so amused.

"Is there a problem?" Toota glares. These bunch of cousins are mean to each other but they don't get into a fight. This must be how cousins are. I wouldn't know. Both my parents are the only children in their family so i don't have cousins or even a sibling. But i have Pha and Kit and they come close to being my brothers so maybe that's quite the same.

"Oh look at that. Love really is blind."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toota glowers after hitting Bright on the back of his head. Bright chucked a beer cap back at him.

I'm having fun watching them banter all night. I thought i would be awkward all through out my stay here but its a good thing that Forth's cousins are welcoming.

"Hey..Speaking of boyfriends, where is your boyfriend Ai'Pick? What's his name again?...Rome? Why didn't you bring him?" Toota asks without second thought. I tensed up a bit as i remembered that the people in front of me doesn't know that Forth and i are more than just friends.

"He's with.."

"Boyfriend?" Forth says. "Man I thought you said you were straight?"

Toota rolled his eyes. "Weren't we all?"

I don't know what Toota means exactly but i think what he's trying to say was at one point in our lives, we were gay. It's just some people stayed being gay and some went back to being straight. Anyways, i don't know what I'm really saying but what i know is...love knows no boundaries.

Bright shrugs. "He's heteroflexible." He jerks a thumb at his brother.

We all looked at him with the same furrowed brows.

"Hetero..what?" Prem asks again.

Bright rolls his eyes. "Heteroflexible."

"What does— is that even a word?"

"It means he's straight but sometimes shit happens and now here he is." Bright says without missing a beat.

See? I was right.

"Mm. Rome happened."

If that word is really a thing, does that mean I'm heteroflexible too? Wait, would i hook up with other uh..guys.. if Forth and i breaks up? Would he? Why am i even thinking of breaking up with Forth? I must be going crazy.

[A/N: Let's switch to third person p.o.v — Beam is not is in his right mind to continue talking.]

Third Person's P.O.V

"Mm. Rome happened." Pick says with a proud grin on his face. It was a rare occasion when Pick would let others see how smitten he was to Rome. Bright and Toota simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"Who knew you know something we don't? That's so impressive even if it's just made up!" Prem says sarcastically and tosses Bright a handful of nuts and Bright kept on protesting that it was actually a word.

"Hey! Just because i know something you don't that doesn't mean I'm making it up!"

Forth looked sideways at Beam and smirked. Beam felt his cheeks heat up and immediately thought of an excuse to get away from that table before someone from the group noticed his beet red color.

"I'm going to get water." He says in almost a whisper before standing up and then Forth also stood up. Knot looked at them.

"I'll get it for you." He says not minding that the people in the table stopped the chatting and banters to look at them.

"Tsk. It's okay. It's just the kitchen! I won't get lost." he hissed and Forth sat down again looking reluctantly at him. "Okay."

Before Beam turned his back to the table, he noticed the curious looks that the twins and Toota were sharing. He kept walking towards the kitchen but still heard Bright's comments towards no one in particular.

"I don't know about you guys but that looked so much like Arthit and Kongpob."

Knot rolled his eyes expecting Bright to have caught up by now that his cousin and the friend he brought were more than just friends but Bright had the attention span of a three year old. "Common sense just like sense of fashion is always lost on you."

Beam didn't know what Bright meant or who Arthit and Kongpob were, but he hoped they weren't found out just now or else this is going to be one heck of a night.

He walked towards the kitchen past the living room area where Auntie helpers were cleaning but didn't see someone who was making her way down the stairs looking at him. There was no one in the kitchens so he helped himself with a glass of cold water from the dispenser on the door of the fridge.

"Err..Nong? You must be Beam." Someone from behind him spoke.

He turned around and saw a woman who looked like Forth but had softer features. They have the same soft smile and eye color.

"Er..Yes P.." He smiles awkwardly.

The woman walked towards the counter on the center of the kitchen and sat in a bar stool and motioned Beam to do the same. Beam blinked several times and visibly gulped before P'Ria burst into a giggle.

"Don't worry Beam. I don't bite too much." She grinned which gave Beam a weird feeling.

"Oh." He laughs awkwardly again then pulled a bar stool to sit in front of P'Ria.

"Err..you must be P'Ria..It's nice to meet you P." He cups the glass of cold water in his hands and P'Ria did the same after she got her own glass of water.

"No, it's me who is thrilled to finally see you..I've heard so much about you."

"Huh..Really? I mean..

P'Ria giggles. "You don't have to be so nervous around me. It's okay."

"He..uhm..he talked about me?"

"Mm-hm" P'Ria nods. "You know..my brother was kind of slow when it came to you..i knew he liked you before he himself even found out. He would always talk about how Beam was fun to be with and how Beam was always joking around and Beam this and Beam that..he didn't even realize he was falling for the Med student he met at the practice hall during freshman year. He talked so much when we drifted into small talks about you and he doesn't even realize it and Ma says he's smarter than i am. Go figure." P'Ria rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. "Took him long enough to figure it out."

Beam was reminded of when Forth told him that he was always the first person Forth sees in a sea of people. Beam thought it was sweet but originally thought Forth lied to make him feel better.

"So he wasn't lying." He said in an almost inaudible tone but P'Ria had heard him.

"Lying?"

"Er..he told me some things when we had a fight and i thought he was faking it just to make me feel better, now it's just.." He sighed. "It turns out it was all real."

"Why would you think that Forth was lying?" Her voice was calm and expectant.

Beam's breathing had staggered in his throat and P'Ria watched him closely. From what he had thought himself before, he fought hard not to let too much feelings show when he was feeling too much, he only let loose when he was alone but right now whom was he kidding, it's Forth's sister in front of him.

"I...i thought maybe it's just how he was. He did and say some things just to make me feel better. (Like how everyone does.) Sometimes i know it's hard for him to deal with me but i can't see any reason why he would keep on doing it. Some people just give up easily and maybe that's what i expected of him too. To leave." Beam looked down and started fidgeting his hands. His voice was quite shaky and the skin below his eyes felt warm.

"Oh Beam." P'Ria reached for Beam's hand across the counter top. "Forth has every reason to stay. Because i know for a fact that my brother loves you." She squeezed both his hands with both her hands. "Sometimes..it's difficult to see or believe that people actually love you when you don't love yourself...but that doesn't mean that nobody loves you. They do. I've been there Beam, maybe what we went through was not exactly the same but i know how it feels." P'Ria remembered how she was also hurt and had thought that maybe that wound would never heal but her husband found her and saved her and she realized that just because she was hurt by one person that doesn't mean that everyone she meets would hurt her too. And she wants Beam to know that.

She squeezed his hands again. "My brother might seem stubborn but it's because he cares about you. Come here."

Beam got of his chair and went over to P'Ria who hugged him. "Take care of each other okay?"

Beam hugged her back and nodded, his eyes blurry from trying to suppress more tears from streaming down his cheeks.

"Ria?"

A voice from the open door spoke. P'Ria lets go of Beam and looked at her mother who had a confused look drawn across her face. "What's going on?"

"Mae..""Auntie...i—"

"Why are you crying dear?" She sounded worried now rather than confused or whatever she sounded like earlier. "Ria, did you make him cry?"

"What? Mae..." She sounded indignant but she was smiling and Beam didn't know if he would feel confused or scared or everything at once. Forth's mother had seemed to corner him while he was alone. Now he had wished that he had just let Forth get water for him.

P'Ria let him go and smiled at him. Mrs Jatuphoom came closer to him and sat on the same bar stool that P'Ria used a little while ago.

'I'm going back to my room Mae. Rina might be wondering what's taking me too long.' She then turned to Beam and mouthed 'su su na!' then winked and disappeared behind the door.

Beam looked nervously at Auntie and gulped. What's he going to do now? Then Auntie cleared her throat and pointed at the bar stool in front if her.

'Sit down dear, i want to have a chat with you.'

*

[Meanwhile at the pool area:]

'Hey cous' did your boyfriend got lost in the kitchen or something? What's taking him so long?' Toota asked Forth. He was also wondering why Beam was not back yet but Toota was only asking because he wanted to interrogate Beam because Forth had been caught and told them the truth while Beam was in the kitchen.

'Then I'll go get him.' Forth half sprinted across the living area to the kitchens and skidded to a halt as P'Ria was grinning and then winked at someone on the inside before closing the door. She caught sight of him and squinted her eyes.

'They're inside. Don't you dare go in there!' She hissed before embracing him, pinching his cheeks and walking back towards the stairs that leads to the rooms like nothing happened.

He tried to peep on the transparent glass that  leads to the kitchen and saw Beam looking down at the surface of the countertop while his Mae was talking to him. And seeing that Beam was not a bad situation, he didn't bother interrupting them.

He went back to the pool area with a wide grin.

"So where is he?" Toota was pestering him again about Beam.

A wide toothy grin appeared from his face.

"In the kitchen with Mae." he paused for dramatic effect then added: "talking about the wedding." (which of course is a joke. He didn't know what they were talking about in there but seeing how his Mae was looking at Beam he knew there wasn't a problem.)

A loud howl of "Ooooooooohhhhh" was heard throughout the gardens with Bright yelling 'That'smahboy!! I'msoproudofmahboy!' at the top of his lungs while slapping Forth on the back.

***************

[12:15am]

"What was that hug about?"

It was already past midnight and the boys (who were the only people left having fun after dinner) had decided that it was time for bed. They went into their own respective guest rooms (including Forth and Beam) after about half an hour of teasing and more shots of beer and howls of obscenities  (mostly from Bright) when Beam had arrived back from the kitchen with a flustered face.

Telling the truth about their status was not in their minds as Forth knew that Beam might still be uncomfortable about the subject but the opportunity was already there and it turned out that almost everyone knew or noticed something. Maybe his affection towards the crazy doctor has always been too obvious.

"What hug?" Beam tried to sound innocent and Forth let out a snort.

"I can't see you right now but your voice is too obvious. What did P'Ria tell you?"

"Nothing~" He grins as he shifted his position on the large bed, tucking his phone between his ears and the pillow. Not being beside Forth tonight felt cold but he didn't feel empty. Forth was just on the other side of the hallway, two walls away from him. "How about you? what did P'Ria tell you?"

Forth laughed. "Haha! Nothing."

"See? You won't tell me. I won't either." Beam pouts.

"Well? What did Mae tell you?"

"That's private." Beam says flatly.

"Tsk. Fine."

"Err..Forth?" said Beam aftet a minute or two of silence.

"Beam?" Forth teased, grinning.

"Thank you."

"for?..."

"For bringing me here..to your family..and everything you did before that."

Though Forth can't see Beam right now, he smiled fondly, his eyes looking up at the ceiling of his room. "Anything for you, Beam."

He then heard a sniffing sound from the end of the call. "You better not be crying."

Beam sniffles again. "I'm not. Just sniffing."

"Did you lock the door? I'm going in there." Forth bolted from the bed, frantically searching for his shirt before going to the room across the hall.

Beam managed a snort. "Don't even think about it dork, that door is locked shut." he lied. Why would he even lock the door?

"Okay, but please don't cry..mm?"

"I'm not crying. I'm just happy."

"About?"

About how I'm so in love with you and that I'm lucky enough because you love me too. There's a lot be thankful for and I'm so...so stupid for not realizing that soon enough. I've put you through all those troubles and now I'm mad at myself because you suffered for my crazy....irrelevant mood swings...I'm sorry.

He sniffed again. "Just..things.."

"Why are you sorry? It's fine Beam. Please stop crying.."

"I told you already I'm not crying!" Beam hissed and Forth laughed.

And then more hours of talking about anything and everything because Beam was too awake to feel even a bit of tiredness for talking too much because whatever anxiety or nervousness he had before had all vanished after that talk with Forth's mother and Forth (although he was a bit tipsy) had forced himself to stay awake and kept listening to Beam with a smile that reached way past his ears.

*

[3:50am]

"Beam? Are you not sleepy yet?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"It's almost 4am. And we're a little drunk and tired. You have to rest.."

"Mm..Okay.."

"Let's go to sleep. Uh..Beam? I love you."

"Me too."

***************

A/N: I tried. I really tried to make this chapter less boring but oh well.

I'm starting to miss the Crazy Doctors and their boyfriends. Let me just give the next scene and chapters since this book will be ending soon.

-Third and last part of this 'meeting the family' is in next chapter.-Lin (remember her?) decides to leave school. (I wonder why?)-Beam decides to leave Forth. (Don't hate me. It's going to be good.)- You'll just have to wait for the next parts.

I love you all. Thanks for still reading this!Please remember to vote! Thank you! 😍