Work Text:
"Your nose is all red."
Tanwa looked up after finishing adjusting his scarf, just in time to see Trin frowning slightly. Trin reached out and touched his cheek, and Tanwa instinctively leaned into the warmth of his hand.
The air...was much colder than he thought. It was so cold it made his cheeks sting.
But Paris blanketed in snow was breathtaking beyond words. The bridges had turned a pure, dazzling white, the river was sheathed in a thin layer of ice, and snow piled up all around, so much that Tanwa felt an urge to gather it in his hands and shape it into something playful.
“Your cheeks are red,” Trin muttered as he brushed them lightly with his fingertips, His brow was knitted so tightly that Tanwa had to poke it to loosen it. Such a worrier, this man. Yet Tanwa couldn’t help but smile because underneath all that worrying was genuine concern.
It was Tanwa’s first time waking up to falling snow. he was so excited he rushed out for a walk. Even though he had wrapped a scarf snugly around himself and layered several warm coats, it still didn’t seem enough not for the doctor who was clearly concerned about Tanwa will get sick
“I can handle it, it’s just a little cold,” Tanwa replied, lips jutting out in a faint pout. He knew he had no real argument against Trin’s worrying.
“You’ll catch a cold,” Trin insisted, still sounding every bit the anxious guardian.
“I won’t. I’m really strong, you know? I hardly ever get sick. When I was a kid, I only fell ill once or twice,” Tanwa boasted proudly, certain of his own sturdy health. He had once spent an entire day soaking in the water and still hadn’t come down with anything.
And even though those two childhood illnesses had been severe enough to land him in the hospital, that was ages ago. Once he grew up, his immune system became practically unshakeable, so much so that he could brag he almost never got sick again.
“If you say so,” Trin sighed. Tanwa barely had time to finish smiling—pleased that he’d eased his overprotective lover’s worries before the smile faded. Trin was slowly taking off his own long coat.
“What are you doing? No—don’t. Put it back on.”
“You wear it,” Trin insisted softly. “I’m more used to this weather than you are.”
“No. If you came out wearing it, then you should keep it on,” Tanwa argued. But Trin didn’t listen. In the end, he stepped closer and draped the long coat around Tanwa’s shoulders, wrapping him in its warmth until the cold wind seemed to vanish. Tanwa couldn’t quite tell whether it was the heavy coat shielding him or the man standing in front of him, quietly blocking the chill.
Tanwa couldn’t help stealing glances at his lover’s face so perfectly shaped, so beautiful from every angle, like it had been carved from a print. The more serious Trin looked, the more handsome he became, until he finally couldn’t resist leaning in to plant a quick kiss on that sharp, elegant jawline.
Trin lowered his head and smiled at him.
Oh,
“If you end up getting sick, what am I supposed to do?” Trin murmured, leaning down to whisper, his hands slipping from the collar of the coat to gently cradle Tanwa’s face once more. “I wouldn’t be able to focus on work at all.”
“I won’t get sick. I promise,” Tanwa replied with a bright smile.
“In that case, we should head back,” Trin said softly before taking Tanwa’s hand and guiding him along. This time, Tanwa followed without protest.
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡
Tanwa blinked rapidly, waking to a strange soreness in his throat. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was still very early; outside, it was probably still pitch dark. Trin was lying next to him, sound asleep.
This didn’t look good.
He hurriedly sipped some water from the glass on the bedside table, only to find that the scratchy feeling in his throat didn’t ease at all. On top of that, he felt a strange, prickling warmth and chill all at once..a sensation he absolutely hated. And he didn’t want to admit it, but he feared it might be exactly what he thought.
No… it can’t be.
Before he could fully gather his thoughts, Tanwa quickly turned over and pulled the blanket up, pretending to be asleep as he tried to hide the fact that he was already awake—and that he wasn’t feeling all that well.
He could hear Trin moving beside him. His trin often woke at the crack of dawn to get ready for work. Trin stretched lazily for a moment, then quickly silenced the alarm before it could ring, probably afraid of waking Tanwa. Then he leaned over, pausing for a moment.
“Why are you hiding under the covers today?” Trin murmured, bending closer, trying to peek under the blanket to plant a kiss on Tanwa’s forehead. Tanwa immediately turned away, feigning drowsiness, like someone half-awake.
“Sorry… you should go back to sleep,” Trin said apologetically before getting up to shower. Tanwa exhaled in relief.
“Sorry too nakrub,” he whispered hoarsely, pulling the blanket over himself again and pretending to sleep once more.
The sound of water trickling slowly came to a stop, followed by the faint rustle of someone getting dressed. Tanwa realized, for the first time, just how quietly Trin did everything—probably afraid of waking him. How adorable.
Before he could even think, the quiet was replaced by the soft clinking of keys and the gentle creak of the door opening.
He must be heading to work… alright, that’s good.
But before he could even feel relieved that his little secret was safe, the soft footsteps returned, quick and light. Strong arms suddenly swept aside the blanket. Startled, Tanwa buried his face back into the bed. He was too afraid that speaking even a word might betray him, so he stayed completely still, pretending to be fast asleep.
“Let me give you a quick kiss before I go,” Trin whispered, gently running his fingers through Tanwa’s hair before leaning down to press soft kisses to the top of his head, trailing down to his neck. Tanwa immediately sat up and scooted away.
Trin’s expression faltered slightly. “Did I wake you? I’m sorry.”
Tanwa forced a small smile, shaking his head as if to say it was fine, and slowly wrapped the blanket back around himself.
“Go back to sleep,” Trin said, rising to leave. Tanwa watched him walk away, only for him to pause after a few steps. Tanwa couldn’t help thinking…yep I’m caught… I shouldn’t have shown off so much yesterday.
“Tanwa” Trin called, his face full of curiosity.
“^^” Tanwa could only smile widely in response.
“Tanwa” Trin said again, his brows furrowed. He hurried back, reaching out to check Tanwa’s forehead for a fever. Tanwa quickly ducked away, shrinking back instinctively.
“I’m fine” he replied, his voice raspy, though he still offered a reassuring smile.
But the former professor clearly didn’t believe him. Trin began checking his temperature—first his forehead, then his chest, shoulders, arms, and even his hands and legs.
“You have a cold” he declared.
“No, I don’t. I’m just a little warm, that’s all.”
“You’re running a fever, and your voice is hoarse. And you’re still saying you’re fine?” Trin’s voice tightened with worry.
“A short rest will fix it,” Tanwa murmured.
“I’ll taking a day off,” Trin said, reaching for the telephone on the bedside table.
Tanwa immediately grabbed his hand to stop him, lifting his eyes to meet Trin’s.
He’d only realized in these past few months that the young doctor couldn’t resist his pleading eyes. Whatever Tanwa wanted, Trin would give in to it.
If Trin were dealing with some girl, she probably could’ve scammed him out of all his money by now.
Good thing Tanwa was a good person.
“Don’t worry about it,” Tanwa said softly, still smiling up at him.
“And you expect me to leave you alone in the room like this? No, I don’t want to” Trin’s brows furrowed deeply.
“Don’t you have an important meeting today? You can’t miss it. I’ll be fine. Really. My temperature’s only a little high—it’ll go down soon,” Tanwa insisted, gazing at him with those bright, coaxing eyes that made Trin look away.
“You’ll be back this evening anyway. I promise I’ll take the medicine and sleep right away. You don’t have to worry.”
Trin let out a long sigh. “You promise?”
“I promise. It’s just a little headache. I’m totally fine—feeling great, even,” Tanwa said, forcing a wide smile to hide the throbbing in his head.
“Then… can I have a good-luck kiss before I go to work?”
“…”
“No?”
“Trin…” Tanwa murmured weakly.
“Are you afraid I’ll catch it from you?”
“…Yeah”
“In that case, admit it—you are sick. So stubborn,” Trin said with a sigh, shaking his head before walking off to fetch a basin and a wet cloth.
Trin moved around the room while Tanwa lay watching him gather everything sick person like him needed—medicine, cooling gel pads, even heading into the kitchen to make a simple soup. When he returned, he gently helped Tanwa out of his clothes and began wiping him down with careful, tender strokes.
“Does your head hurt a lot?”
“Do you want the honest answer or the ‘not to worry you’ answer?” Tanwa asked with a weak smile.
“The not-true one first?”
“It barely hurts. Just a tiny bit. Nothing at all. You really don’t have to worry.”
“And the real answer?”
“It hurts so much… feels like my head’s going to explode,” Tanwa confessed in a small voice, burying his face into Trin’s arm like a child seeking comfort.
Just a little whining—he wanted to be pampered by his boyfriend after all.
“I’m going to take a day off,” Trin muttered seriously, reaching for his telephone again. Tanwa quickly caught his hand to stop him.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want Trin by his side—especially when he needed him but Tanwa knew just how important today’s meeting was. He didn’t want Trin’s colleagues to think poorly of him. Absolutely not.
The young doctor skipping work just because his boyfriend was sick—What would people think of Trin if they found out?
“What are you smiling at? You’re sick and still up to mischief,” Trin muttered.
“Nothing. Go to work,” Tanwa said, catching Trin’s hand just as he was about to start wiping him down again. His tone turned serious. “I’m fine. Really. You don’t have to worry.”
Trin exhaled deeply and set the towel back into the basin beside the bed.
“…Alright.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve prepared the medicine for you. Take it and get some proper rest, alright? If anything happens, call me right away,” Trin urged before heading back to put on his suit—he was already running late.
“Alright, alright,” Tanwa replied with a faint smile. Before a light touch against his forehead made him freeze.
Trin had leaned down to press a firm, lingering kiss there, causing Tanwa to immediately raise his hands to push him away. Did he want to catch the cold or something?
“Don’t. Trin, you’ll catch it from me.”
“It’s fine,” Trin said with a soft smile—only making it harder for Tanwa to let him go.
“Go. You’re going to be late.”
“…Alright. I’ll get going then,” Trin said, forcing himself to turn away. If he didn’t leave now, he probably wouldn’t leave at all.
Tanwa knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help it.
He murmured softly to himself, “Come back soon… I miss you already.”
“I’ll hurry back,” Trin’s voice drifted from just outside the room—serious, without the usual smile he wore whenever he left.
Tanwa could only sigh. He’d already made Trin worry so much. Whenever it came to this kind of thing, Trin was endlessly anxious. One time, Tanwa had accidentally cut himself while cooking, and after just that, he was forbidden from stepping into the kitchen for a long while.
He’d almost been clipped by a car once because he wasn’t careful while walking, and ever since, he was only allowed to walk on the inner side of the sidewalk while Trin took the outer edge.
So endearing.
Thinking of all this, and missing him already, Tanwa burrowed himself into the warm blanket, sipping water and taking his medicine dutifully. He was determined to recover quickly, he didn’t want his boyfriend to worry.
⋆.˚
“Mm…” Tanwa murmured, feeling a cool touch on his cheek, as if someone had wiped it with water.
“How are you feeling?” It was Trin. Tanwa blinked rapidly, heat burning behind his eyes, making everything around him blur.
He didn’t feel any better—if anything, he felt worse.
“Trin… is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
Tanwa glanced at the clock beside the bed. Was he seeing things, or was it really only half past nine?
“Trin… it’s just nine-thirty,” he murmured.
“The meeting’s over. As soon as it ended, I hurriedly asked to leave,” Trin replied.
“Trin…”
“How could I leave my sick boyfriend alone in the room like this?” Trin said, leaning over him with a serious look.
“Besides, I wouldn’t be able to focus on work anyway. Might as well stop for the day,” he added.
Tanwa could only shake his head, smiling “Taking a day off because your boyfriend is sick… they’ll tease you for sure”
“let them,” he said with a small smile, beginning to wipe him down. Tanwa could only lie there, dazed, burying his face into the warmth of Trin’s hands. Being sick made him want to cling to his boyfriend even more than usual—though normally, he was already a little spoiled.
“I miss you, chéri,” he whimpered, secretly happy that Trin had chosen to come back to him.
“Does it hurt a lot? Do you want to go to the hospital?”
“Not really. I don’t want to go,” Tanwa replied quickly. No matter how bad the headache, going to the doctor now seemed such a hassle.
“But if it gets worse, you’ll have to go.”
“I’ll go if I have to. But I’m okay for now,” Tanwa said, blinking up at him. Trin exhaled a long sigh, a small smile slipping across his face.
I’m cute, aren’t I?
“Then rest properly, alright? You’ll get better faster,” Trin said, gently running his fingers through Tanwa’s hair.
Tanwa’s eyelids grew heavy, the soothing touch lulling him back into drowsiness. The comforting sensation of Trin’s hands in his hair made sleep feel irresistible.
⋆.˚
2:48 a.m.
Already past half past two? Tanwa blinked rapidly. He was sleepy, yet his headache made it impossible to fall asleep. His throat ached, making him afraid to speak, and a chill ran through his body, causing him to shiver.
Not far away, Trin was slumped on the sofa. Around him were medicine bottles, cooling gel packs, pillows, and work he had brought home. He looked exhausted, and Tanwa didn’t want to wake him.
He’d been taking care of him all day… and all night.
Tanwa could only smile weakly, tinged with guilt for causing Trin so much worry and fatigue.
Better let him sleep a little longer… tomorrow would be an early day at work.
With that thought, Tanwa stood, still dizzy, the water beside the bed was empty, he then decided to carefully make his way to the kitchen. He didn’t want Trin to wake up just to refill his glass—just getting up to wipe him down was already tiring enough.
This sucks. He hated being sick.
Muttering to himself as he stumbled forward, he thought that even the worst hangover had never felt this bad. Or maybe it was because he rarely got sick and wasn’t used to it.
His head spun, his body alternated between hot and cold, and sweat began to bead on his skin.
He sighed, then slowly poured himself some water. But as he lifted the glass to drink, a sharp wave of dizziness made him drop it. Tanwa clutched his head as the glass shattered on the floor with a loud crash in the darkness.
“All broken…” he muttered, bending down to pick up the shards.
Before he could even start, he heard quick footsteps approaching from behind.
“I’ll clean it up,” Trin said, his face tense. He guided Tanwa to sit on a nearby chair, then knelt to pick up the broken glass slowly.
The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence.
Was Trin… angry?
Of course he would be. Tanwa had woken him in the middle of the night—and now he’d broken Trin’s favorite glass. The one he always used for coffee. Had it even come from Thailand?
“sorry—”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
They both spoke at the same time, and Tanwa froze, staring at Trin’s stern, scowling face.
“I’m sorry… I broke your glass, Trin.”
“The glass? You think I care more about a glass than about you?”
“No, of course not..but”
“Love,” he said, holding back his emotions. “I heard the glass shatter so loudly. I was startled and when I looked for you, you weren’t there.”
“…”
“You’re sick. I want to take care of you properly. I want to make up for the time you’ve had to go through alone,” he added, carefully choosing his words.
“…”
“Did you cut yourself? Does your head hurt badly? Why didn’t you call me?” Trin’s voice was full of concern, mixed with a touch of hurt. He walked over and guided Tanwa back to bed, making sure he had water and everything he needed.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t want you to be tired. You’ve been taking care of me all day, and it’s just an illness,” Tanwa whispered.
“This isn’t tiring at all,” Trin said, lifting Tanwa’s face gently so their eyes met.
“When I work hard, Tanwa, you always take care of me, right? It’s the same for me, too.”
“…”
“When I’m sick, aunt thevi would make porridge for me. Back when it was just me and uncle Alet, he would take care of me. At the countryside house, both my mother and siblings did everything they could to look after me,” Trin continued.
“…”
“So how could I not take care of you when you’re sick? Someone this important to me,” he said gently.
“Trin…” Tanwa whispered softly, finally lifting his gaze to meet his lover’s eyes.
Tanwa had thought this was just a minor illness—something small he could endure, something that would pass soon. He didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. He rarely got sick anyway; headaches or hangovers always faded after a while.
It was just a little thing, nothing serious. Ignore it, and it would go away on its own.
But this… this was the feeling of being loved.
When had he last felt this way?
Maybe… the last time his mother held him.
“I understand now,” Tanwa said softly, finally realizing it today.
The silence lingered for a while before Trin spoke again.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Tanwa. But…I can’t handle it.”
“?”
“I can’t lose you. Not again.”
“…”
“I’m scared.”
“…”
“I’m not used to seeing you like this. Lying in bed, looking pale, eating so little, your voice hoarse,” Trin said, his expression tense. Tanwa shifted closer, resting against his shoulder and lightly stroking his back.
“Hurry and get better, alright? Don’t hurt yourself, don’t get sick again,” he whispered. “Don’t punish me like this.”
Tanwa simply leaned on his shoulder, running his hand over him. The silence stretched on, but it no longer felt uncomfortable. On the contrary, it felt…new.
Before long, Tanwa found himself lying down again, while Trin got up to prepare the cooling gel, the basin, and the towels—ready to take care of him.
Maybe because the fever is coming back again.
This time, Tanwa let himself fully relax, allowing himself to love and be loved.
Being sick no longer felt frightening or shameful, because there was someone willing to care for him.
Of course, the unfamiliarity of being cared for still lingered. Tanwa had never had a family like Trin’s, and he couldn’t help but feel a little strange—do other people normally get looked after like this? Is this how a family cares for one another?
But then he thought, if it were Trin lying here instead, he would do exactly the same. He would take care of him, never letting him out of reach. And just like that, it all began to make sense.
I love this.
Having a boyfriend is… this good. He had been afraid for no reason all along.
“What are you smiling at? Doesn’t your head hurt?”
“I’m so lucky,” Tanwa murmured, his eyes warm and flushed, already feeling dreamily light-headed.
“Lucky?”
“My boyfriend… he’s handsome, smart, and takes such good care of me. Ugh, everyone else must be so jealous,” Tanwa continued, drifting as if on the verge of sleep.
“…”
“Let’s stay together like this… forever. Moment by moment,” he mumbled, his tongue tangled but still wanting to keep talking, even though he was dizzy and too sleepy to form proper words.
“One day, when we’re both ready… will you marry me?” Trin… was that Trin, in the dream? asked.
“You’re going to propose?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Trin, you really are dating to marry, huh? Haha.”
“So… will you marry me?” This persistent Trin wasn’t giving up. Tanwa decided he’d tease him a little.
“If you really dare to get down on one knee and propose… I might say yes.”
“…”
“Maybe by a bridge… or somewhere beautiful. Then we can kiss. I like romantic things,” Tanwa added softly.
A quiet pause followed. Tanwa drifted between sleep and wakefulness, but faint words still reached his ears:
“Paris would be nice… Hua Hin in Thailand would be nice too… maybe both would be even better. But for Thailand, we’d have to wait”
They had barely started talking, and he were already imagining their wedding?
Even in a dream, it felt so perfectly like Dr. Trin.
♡‧₊˚
The next three days passed in a blur, as if floating on clouds. Tanwa couldn’t remember the details of his dreams—only that he had woken in intervals, eaten, taken medicine, been cared for, and slept again. The cycle repeated.
But in every moment, Trin had been there.
Today, however, he finally woke feeling light and free in his body for the first time in three days. So this is what it feels like to have a headache-free morning.
He could finally go out to eat ice cream, build snowmen, and take a proper walk.
But… where was Trin?
“Already dressed?” Tanwa asked, seeing Trin fully ready in his clothes, about to head out for work.
But… wasn’t today Saturday?
“Trin?” Tanwa asked, walking over to him. Trin sat quietly at the table, his expression calm, but his eyes were glistening and his cheeks were red. Before he could stop it, he coughed.
“Ahem!” He gave a small, awkward smile. “I’m fine.”
Well then.
Looks like there was someone here who needed taking care of
Tanwa shook his head. I told you not to get too close… see? You caught a cold.
But it didn’t matter.
Because Tanwa was right here. And he would take care of him, the very best he could.
^^