The sound of the waves was soothing.
The sun remained hidden, as if yearning to break upon the shore, while the sea lingered, unwilling to let go.
Through the tiny gap in the glass window, a faint cold breeze reached their feet and woke Toffee.
Artit was already awake, just waiting for him.
When the cold breeze touched them, he pulled Toffee closer, wanting to keep the warmth between them.
He breathed in the scent of Toffee's hair.
Toffee finally opened his eyes with a soft hum.
Artit's arm had already gone numb.
Toffee held it and realized it had gone numb because of his head resting on it. He shifted his gaze toward Artit, who was already awake.
"Doesn't it hurt, Hia?" Toffee asked with concern.
Artit simply beamed and brushed his nose against Toffee's.
"It will be fine after some time. Don't worry… Are you hurt, baby?"
They stared at each other, and Toffee blushed deeply.
"Mh… it was a little hard, but I can bear it."
Without warning, Artit kissed Toffee's lips after hearing those words. Their breathing turned gentle, unlike before.
Toffee started giggling when Artit trailed his lips over his body.
"Hia, don't, it tickles…"
Artit pressed his nose against Toffee's while Toffee chuckled.
"Don't tell me you're hungry. Did you wake up because of that?"
Toffee's stomach growled loudly again.
"Baby, you—"
Toffee quickly covered Artit's mouth.
"Hia, don't..."
Artit lightly licked his palm, the one covering his mouth.
Munching…
The room was filled with soft eating and swallowing sounds.
Toffee sat on Artit's lap while Artit fed him.
"Hia, did you really prepare breakfast for me? Didn't we make it difficult for them?"
Artit ran his fingers through Toffee's hair. "No, I told them after I woke up. I knew you would be hungry. And what's difficult about preparing food for you?"
"Here, drink this. You'll choke. And don't give me that look—you never drink water."
"Hia…"
"Calling me sweetly won't work. Drink."
Toffee groaned. "Why is my boyfriend like mae…"
"Baby, don't complain." Artit pinched his cheek.
"Hia," Toffee protested while Artit tried to hide his laugh.
Toffee wrapped his arms around Artit's neck.
Earlier, he had stubbornly insisted on wearing Artit's dirty shirt. Now he didn't want to drink water.
Artit had already packed clean clothes, knowing Toffee would definitely fight for his sweaty shirt.
After a long argument, Artit finally made him change.
Now Toffee wore Artit's oversized shirt, with nothing underneath.
"Hia…" Toffee muttered while staring at his legs. "Where are your hands, my dear boyfriend?"
Artit burst out laughing at his pouty expression.
"You always tease me, look at you…" Toffee mumbled.
"Hia…" he called again, dragging the word.
"Mh?"
"I want to go outside. It's stuffy here."
Artit's hand wandered over him.
"Hia, don't touch there… it makes me hot, you know that."
"Really?"
"Wait… control your hands, Hia…"
"No. Where are you running? Finish your food, baby."
After finishing breakfast, they got ready to go outside.
"Baby, why are you wearing my shirt?"
"Well, I'm wearing your shirt, but these are my pants. So what's wrong?"
"No. Change it." Artit tried to remove it, but Toffee immediately resisted.
"No, Hia… I won't."
"Toffee, come here."
"No."
"Toffee, don't be naughty. You can wear it only with me." Artit gave him a sharp look, noticing how much skin was visible. He frowned slightly.
"Hia, aren't you staring too much?"
Shaking his head, Artit said, "Your skin is showing. I don't like it. So no."
"Hia…" Toffee held his hands and tried to coax him.
"It won't work, baby. I get jealous when others see you like this. Isn't this only for me?"
Artit started complaining like an old man.
Toffee gave up and hugged him from behind. "Okay, I'll change. Stop being like this."
Artit glanced sideways. "Really?"
A small smile formed on his lips as he pretended to stay serious. "Good. I found a way to stop your mischief," he thought.
In a flash, Toffee changed his clothes.
"Why am I becoming more stubborn? I'm not like this. I always show my sweet side to Hia. Am I getting spoiled?" he wondered.
He threw the shirt onto the bed. "This is all because of this shirt Hia got upset. Not because of me. Also, it's his fault for being tall, not mine."
Toffee's small mind blamed the poor Artit for everything.
Who knows what other versions of Toffee Artit still has to face.
"Hia, I'm ready."
Artit, who was on a call, came closer and adjusted Toffee's shirt before holding him.
On the phone—
"Okay, I won't be there for a few days. Nut will handle everything. Forget the meeting—elders are always like that…"
He pulled Toffee closer. "We'll talk later."
He cut the call without even saying goodbye, his tone firm, though softer because Toffee was with him.
"Hia, are you stressed?"
Artit pulled him closer and kissed his forehead. "Didn't I tell you about my sister? Uncle Chai's daughter… She's actually a disciple of the temple master we visit."
"Oh… Wait… What?" Toffee was shocked.
"She's the next successor of the temple."
"So... Hia, she's like the temple master?"
"Well, she was… but she's really crazy, baby."
"Hia, don't say that. She's your sister."
Artit pouted. "I'm not exaggerating. She was crazy, especially as a child. When I was eight I had a fear of water."
"Hia, why didn't you tell me? This is new information—let me write—"
"Toffee, don't. Just listen."
Toffee hummed.
"She knew about my fear from grandpa."
"What did she do?" Toffee asked curiously.
"When we were kids, we always slept together after playing. She liked hugging me all the time… like I was her teddy bear. We were only three years apart."
"One day, while I was deeply asleep, she carried me and threw me into the fish pond—the same one you fed fish in yesterday."
"What? Hia, are you okay? I wouldn't have gone there if I knew! Did you—"
"Baby, relax. I'm fine. It wasn't deep."
"She's really crazy, Hia…"
"She was. And since our family is connected to the temple, she has spiritual power—even from a young age."
"So her training is done, right Hia?"
"Mh… but she ran away right after finishing. Now no one knows where she is."
"Everyone must be worried... " Toffee said.
"I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about the trouble she'll cause," Artit sighed and he thought, "she is a ticking bomb, my baby. If she sees you, she'll squeeze you. It's a good thing she wasn't there."
Toffee cuddled him. "Don't stress. I'm here."
"That's why I feel relieved," Artit said, looking outside. "It's the best time to watch the sunrise."
He held Toffee's hand. "Forget everything. Let's go."
"Wait, let me give you a piggyback. Get on," Artit said gently.
He smiled as Toffee climbed onto his back.
"Why are you hiding?"
"I'm just…"
You'll get used to it, Artit thought.
They sat on the shore.
The waves were calm, slowly fading. The sand felt cold beneath them. Toffee sat on Artit's lap, watching the sea.
Seabirds woke and filled the air with sound. The fading waves seemed to hum softly.
The sun began to rise, painting everything in orange and gold.
Toffee's hair glowed in the light. Their hands stayed intertwined.
Toffee leaned back, breathing in Artit's scent.
" Hia, It's beautiful…"
" If you like, we can come again. You can paint here too."
Toffee looked at him. "Hia… what if you didn't find me?"
Artit brushed his lips against Toffee's.
"I will find you, no matter how long it takes. And if I didn't—"
"I would wait," Toffee said at the same time. "Even if it takes years."
They both smiled and said at the same time, "Meeting you isn't a coincidence, you are mine."
Tears slipped from their eyes.
"Hia, we're fated. No, we love each other more than that…"
They wiped each other's tears.
"That's right, we are in love with each other."
Together, they watched their first sunrise.
"Hia… I'm not perfect. Sometimes I act mature, sometimes childish... stubborn, emotional… I don't even know how to cook. The only thing I can do is paint."
Artit pulled him closer. "I'm not perfect either. I get scared… I get angry… I act childish too.
No one is perfect," he said softly. "We'll figure out who we are together."
He rested his forehead against Toffee's.
"Hia, I want to walk. Look, my legs are getting impatient."
Artit brushed his lips against Toffee's cheeks and inhaled his scent.
Toffee stood up, stretched his arms, and said to Artit, "Let's go."
They walked along the shore.
The waves touched their feet again. Their footprints blended with the sand and water.
The water was cold, but their feet stayed warm.
"Hia, so we're imperfect, right?"
Artit hummed. "We can take things slowly. It's not wrong to be imperfect."
"Hia… What is love?"
Artit held his hand even tighter. "I don't know how to define it. Love doesn't have a fixed meaning—it's something we create."
Artit glanced at the sun. "Like the sun—it doesn't disappear. It just waits for its time to shine."
"Even if you don't find me, I'll wait until you come… so we can shine together," Toffee said.
They embraced as a small wave washed over their feet. Laughing softly, they moved forward together.
"Wait," Artit said, stopping suddenly.
"Baby, what if you got into a relationship before I found you and didn't give me a chance?"
"Oh? Hia, are you changing again?"
"That's right. I'm jealous."
"Really? Does that even make sense?" Toffee muttered.
Artit ignored him.
Toffee clenched his fists and began hitting him playfully as Artit ran.
"Baby, it hurts!" he said, rubbing his shoulder. Baby, you're strong… you look scary now… Give me a chance to explain…"
"There's nothing like that, Hia!" Toffee raised another fist while Artit kept running.
"Hia, don't run with those long legs! You need punishment!"
"Hia—!"
Toffee chased after him like a strong wave that never fades. Now it was clear where all his energy came from.
The waves, the sun—everything became part of their bond. Of course, they had enough of their playful fights.
They were both panting.
"Hia, you…" Toffee said breathlessly.
Artit pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him. Their sweat mixed with the sea breeze.
Toffee tightened his arms. "You're really… I'm letting you go this time."
They gazed at each other.
Toffee — Hia, so in real are we perfect or not?
Artit — No… but for now, we are perfect for each other. Step by step, we will shine. We can wait.
Toffee — It's a good thing I have you…
Artit — It's good we have each other…
The imaginary red threads intertwined, binding them together once again as if fate had brought them back to one another.
A Small Thought of walking—
For my boyfriend—
You can take things slowly, Hia. Even if you don't find me, I will wait. No matter how many years it takes.
'I love you.'
For my Toffee—
If you are not here, I would not exist. I was born for you.
Dear, 'I love you…' This is for you, my 'Dear Toffee.'
-Fated Fragments End Of Dear Toffee.
Their story had only just begun. It will grow stronger as they move forward together.
Wishing Artit and Toffee happiness and for them to keep shining as they wish.
Thank you, Artit.
Thank you, Toffee.
Thank you for finding each other.