Work Text:
Qin hated waiting rooms.
Hospitals. Guidance offices. Empty classrooms before meetings started. Places where time stretched too thin and every second became loud.
Apparently, being courted by Duang for six months felt exactly like that.
Not because Duang was doing anything wrong.
That was the problem.
He was still sweet. Still consistent. Still showing up with Qin's favorite iced americano. Still offering to drive him home even after practice drained everyone into silence. Still leaning against Qin’s shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Still texting things like, “Did u get home safely, Ter?” with lots of that stupid yellow emojis.
Nothing changed.
Which made Qin spiral harder.
Because if Duang really still liked him... shouldn’t he ask again?
Shouldn’t there be another conversation by now?
Some “Can I be your boyfriend?” to push forward.
But Duang never did.
And Qin couldn’t tell if that was patience or surrender.
Tonight, Qin lay flat on his bed staring at the ceiling fan chopping the darkness into slow circles. His phone glowed against his chest.
Three unread messages from Duang.
Preapring to sleep?
don’t stay up too late okay
Good night, ter 🌙
Dream of me😘
💛💛💛
Qin pressed the phone against his chest.
Idiot.
His chest felt tight in that embarrassing.
He wanted to say yes already.
He had wanted to say yes for weeks now.
Maybe months.
But every time the moment appeared, it slipped sideways.
Too many people around.
Wrong timing.
Duang looked too tired.
Qin got nervous.
And now the answer had sat unsaid for so long it began rotting at the edges inside his head.
Tong’s voice replayed from earlier that afternoon.
“You take forever to reply, man.”
Qin had frowned. “Reply to what?”
Tong gave him a look over his drink. “Everything.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means if someone confessed to me and I waited six months, I’d think I got rejected already.”
That sentence lodged itself into Qin’s ribs like broken glass.
Rejected.
No.
No, Duang still courted him.
Right?
...Right?
Qin opened their chat again.
Scrolled.
Duang still sent updates.
Still sent photos.
Still asked if Qin ate.
Still remembered tiny things Qin mentioned once three months ago.
But...
What if that was just how Duang was?
Kind.
Warm.
Attentive.
What if somewhere during these six months, Duang’s feelings quietly shifted shape while Qin stood frozen at the starting line?
Qin buried his face into his pillow with a groan.
Fuck.
What if Duang pitied him now?
He’d shown Duang too much lately.
The fears.
The dreams.
The way he sometimes shut down completely after exhausting days.
Duang had seen all the ugly, fragile parts and held them so gently Qin almost couldn’t breathe around it.
But Duang was kind to everyone.
Pain made him softer, not colder.
What if Duang kept courting Qin because he couldn’t bear making him feel abandoned?
The thought made Qin feel sick.
That's not true....right?
His phone buzzed.
Duang.
Qin stared at the notification for a full ten seconds before answering.
“...Hello.”
“Still awake?” Duang’s voice came out drowsy and warm.
“Mm.”
“something wrong? Mind telling Duang na kha?.”
Qin couldn't reply for a few seconds. Why does Duang know him like an open book?
“Nothing”
Tiny sleepy laughter crackled through the speaker. “You sure, ter? I thought something bugged you 'cause u didn't reply to my messages. I'm sad na khaaaa.” duang fake cries
Qin swallowed.
Thump...thump...thump
This is ridiculous, Qin really is in love.
There was rustling on the other end. Probably Duang turning over in bed.
Then softer:
“Something happened?”
Qin almost said no.
Instead:
“Duang.”
“Hm?”
A pause.
Qin’s throat suddenly felt too tight.
“What are we?”
Silence.
Not bad. Just surprised.
Then:
“Huh?”
Qin immediately regretted everything.
“Never mind.”
“No wait wait,” Duang said quickly, voice suddenly awake. “I’m thinking.”
“That’s worse.”
Duang laughed under his breath again, quieter this time.
“Qin-cha…”
The nickname melted against Qin’s ears in that dangerous way it always did.
“I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That I’m waiting for you...?”
Qin stared at the ceiling.
His heartbeat got louder.
“yeah but it's been six months now...” he muttered.
“Yeah.”
“Are you still...waiting?”
Another pause.
Then Duang said it so simply Qin almost got angry.
“Yes. Because you’re worth waiting for.”
Qin shut his eyes hard.
Idiot.
Idiot.
“You should’ve asked again,” Qin whispered.
“I'm sorry, I didn’t wanna pressure you.”
“But what if I thought you stopped liking me?”
Duang’s voice turned careful now. “I WOULD NEVER. Did I do something wrong?”
Qin pressed the heel of his palm against his eyes.
Thump... thump...thump
God.
“...You never thought I rejected you?”
“wait—did you rejected me already?” Duang sounded worried now.
Qin’s chest dropped. But before he could answer, Duang spoke again.
“If you don’t want this anymore, I’ll stop, okay?”
That hurt more than it should have.
Qin sat up abruptly.
“I didn’t say that.”
“...”
“No, Duang, I mean it. I'm not rejecting you”
“oh thank God, Ter.”
“Aren't you upset?”
Duang snorted.
“Why would I be upset?”
“Because six months is too long?”
“Feels short to me.”
Qin’s stomach flipped.
Then quieter, almost embarrassed:
“I like pursuing you.”
Qin stopped breathing for half a second.
“And...” Duang continued softly, “for the record, I still really, really, really like you.”
Qin suddenly felt ridiculous.
All this time he’d been standing in front of an open door convincing himself it was locked.
“Duang.”
“kha?”
Qin stared at the dark ceiling.
Then muttered:
“So if I said yes now..."
Complete silence.
Then a loud thud.
Qin blinked. “What was that?”
“I fell off the bed.”
Despite himself, Qin laughed. A real one this time.
And from the other side of the call came Duang’s muffled, disbelieving:
“Wait. Wait wait wait wait.”
Qin heard frantic rustling from the other end of the call.
Drawers opening.
Something falling.
Duang muttering, “Where’s my jacket... fuck... wait shoes....”
Qin smiled before he could stop himself.
“You’re stupid.”
“Qin-cha,” Duang said breathlessly, “can I see you?”
The smile disappeared instantly.
“Huh?”
"Like right now.”
“It’s almost midnight .”
“I know.”
“You have class tomorrow.”
“I know...?”
Qin sat frozen on the edge of his bed, phone warm against his ear.
“You don’t have to come here,” Qin murmured.
“I want to.”
The answer came too quickly.
Too honestly.
And then, quieter:
“Please?”
Something in Qin’s chest folded in on itself.
Duang almost never asked for things desperately.
Not like this.
Not with that tiny crack in his voice.
“...Why?”
A pause.
Then Duang laughed once under his breath, nervous and disbelieving all at once.
“Because if I stay here, I think my brain’s gonna explode.”
Qin huffed.
But his pulse was already racing.
“I just...” Duang exhaled shakily. “You said yes. Or almost yes? Half yes? I don’t know, my soul left my body a little.”
“You’re dramatic.”
“Very.”
More rustling.
A zipper.
Keys jangling.
Then:
“This conversation feels too important for a phone call.”
Qin looked down at his own hands.
His fingers were trembling slightly.
“Duang.”
“Hm?"
“What if my answer changes when you get here?”
He knows he won't... but a part of him wants to know what Duang would do.
Silence.
Then Duang said softly:
“Then it changes.”
Qin’s throat tightened.
“I’d still rather hear it from your face, ter”
God.
That stupid gentle way he talked sometimes felt cruel.
Qin rubbed at his eyes hard.
“You really came prepared to get rejected, huh?”
Duang laughed quietly.
“I’ve been prepared.”
“What?!”
“I’m kidding. Mostly.”
“Mostly?!”
Duang’s laughter spilled warmer now, fond and so painfully him that Qin had to press the phone harder against his ear.
Then softer again:
“Can I come?”
Qin glanced toward his bedroom door.
His house was silent.
Still.
Waiting.
Just like him.
“…How long?”
“Fifteen minutes if I run.”
“You’re not running here at midnight.”
“Twenty, then.”
“Duang.”
“Hm?"
Qin swallowed.
“…. End the call, if your about to drive”
There was a loud clatter.
“Did you fall again?”
“No,” Duang said immediately.
A beat.
“…Maybe I tripped.”
Qin laughed into his hand.
And for the first time in weeks, maybe months, the fear inside him loosened enough to let warmth in.
Before hanging up, Duang suddenly spoke again.
Very small.
Very careful.
“Qin?”
“What?”
“…Can I hold your hand when I get there?”
Qin’s ears burned instantly.
“Just promise to drive safely"
"I promise, Ter!!!"
By the time Duang arrived, Qin had changed shirts four times.
Which was insane.
He never cared about things like this.
Yet now his entire closet looked like a typhoon had passed through it.
Qin glared at the mess.
“This is your fault,” he muttered to nobody.
Then the doorbell rang.
His stomach dropped so fast it almost hurt.
For one terrible second, Qin considered pretending he was asleep.
Another ring.
Then a message.
"Im outside, terrrrr"
Idiot.
Qin went out of his room before his courage could evaporate.
The moment he opened the door, he immediately stood face to face with Duang.
Hair messy.
Breathing slightly hard.
Jacket half-zipped wrong.
Like he really had rushed here without thinking twice.
The sight hit Qin embarrassingly hard.
Duang stopped moving the second he saw him.
For a few moments neither spoke.
The moonlight painted soft gold across Duang’s face. His eyes looked impossibly awake despite the hour.
Then:
“Hi,” Duang said quietly.
Qin looked away first.
“…Hi.”
Duang laughed under his breath like Qin had already done something cute.
“Can I come in?”
“Mm.”
Qin led him to his room carefully, both of them strangely quiet now. The energy from the phone call had shifted into something softer. Heavier.
When Qin closed his bedroom door behind them, the silence suddenly became enormous.
Duang stood near the desk awkwardly.
Qin stood near the bed awkwardly.
Two idiots.
Neither knew where to start.
Then Duang held out his hand.
Not forceful.
Just open.
Waiting.
Qin stared at it.
"I drove safely, terrr"
That same hand that always reached for his bag first. That tugged him away from crowded streets. That brushed sleepily through Qin’s hair whenever Qin dozed off beside him.
Slowly, Qin stepped closer.
And placed his hand there.
Duang inhaled sharply.
Like he’d been holding his breath for half a year.
His fingers closed carefully around Qin’s hand.
The warmth of Duang’s palm.
The slight tremble in his fingers.
The way Duang looked at him like he’d reached something precious after a very long walk.
“…Okay,” Duang whispered.
Qin looked down at their hands.
He still couldn’t believe this person waited six months for him without bitterness curling underneath it.
That kind of patience felt terrifying.
Duang rubbed his thumb lightly over Qin’s knuckles.
Like he was afraid one wrong movement would startle him away.
Then he smiled softly.
“You know… I’ve imagined holding your hand so many times already. And I know we've hold hands many times before, but I still feel it like the first time”
Qin’s ears burned.
“That’s weird.”
“Very.”
Idiot.
Warm idiot.
The silence settled again after that.
Comfortable this time.
But Qin could feel the words pressing against his throat now. If he didn’t say them tonight, he never would.
So before courage disappeared again, he asked quietly:
“Duang…Are you still courting me?”
Duang looked up immediately.
The response came so fast it almost overlapped the question.
“Of course.”
No hesitation nor confusion.
Just immediate certainty.
Qin’s chest squeezed painfully.
“Why are you answering so fast?”
Duang blinked.
“...Because it’s true?”
“…Oh.”
Duang laughed softly at Qin’s expression.
Then his face gentled again.
“Qin-cha, I still like you. A lot.”
The honesty in it made Qin’s pulse stumble.
He stared at their joined hands for a long moment.
Then took a breath.
“…Then you don’t have to court me anymore.”
Duang went still.
“Huh?”
Qin’s face heated instantly.
God.
He was bad at this.
But Duang waited quietly, eyes fixed entirely on him.
So Qin forced himself to continue.
“If…” He swallowed. “If you still want to... we can be boyfriends now.”
The silence afterward felt enormous.
Duang stared at him so hard Qin almost wanted to hide behind a wall.
Then slowly:
“…Are you saying…”
Qin groaned softly. "Don’t make me repeat it.”
But Duang suddenly looked so overwhelmed Qin couldn’t even get embarrassed properly.
His grip on Qin’s hand tightened.
“Qin,” he whispered.
That voice again.
Soft like he was handling something fragile.
“You’re saying yes?”
Qin looked away immediately.
“…Mm.”
For one terrifying second, Duang said nothing.
Then Qin heard the tiniest, shakiest laugh leave him.
Like relief had been trapped inside his lungs for months.
“Oh my god,” Duang breathed.
“You’re dramatic.”
“I’ve been waiting half a year, let me be dramatic.”
Qin’s mouth twitched despite himself.
And then suddenly Duang looked nervous.
Actually nervous.
“…Can I hug you?”
That made Qin laugh properly.
“You’re asking that now?”
“I always ask.”
“I noticed.”
“…So can I?”
Instead of answering, Qin stepped closer first.
Carefully.
Still shy even now.
Then rested his forehead lightly against Duang’s shoulder.
The inhale Duang took sounded almost wounded.
His arms wrapped around Qin slowly after that.
Warm.
Gentle.
No rushing.
Just holding him like he’d wanted to for a very long time.
Qin closed his eyes.
This.
This is what he thought he'll be afraid of.
Not rejection.
Not pressure.
But how badly he could love someone who treated him this softly.
And now he realized... there's nothing to be afraid of. Not when it's Duang he's doing it with.
Duang’s hand moved slowly up his back once.
Then stopped there.
Grounding.
Present.
“Hi, faen” Duang mumbled into his hair.
Qin immediately shoved his shoulder weakly.
“Don’t say it like that.”
“Why? It’s true.”
“You sound smug.”
“I am smug.”
Qin could hear the smile in his voice.
Idiot.
But Qin stayed there anyway.
Neither moved for a while.
Then Duang pulled back slightly, enough to look at him again.
His eyes flicked down once toward Qin’s mouth before immediately returning upward.
Polite even now.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked quietly.
Qin stared at him for a second.
Then grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him down.
The kiss started clumsy from surprise.
Short.
Warm.
Then softer the second Duang realized Qin was really kissing him back.
One of Duang’s hands lifted instinctively toward Qin’s face before stopping midway.
Still asking silently.
Qin leaned closer on purpose.
That was enough.
Duang cupped his cheek gently after that, kissing him carefully like he was terrified of ruining the moment.
Qin’s chest hurt.
Not painfully...just too full.
When they pulled apart, Duang looked genuinely dazed.
“…Wow.”
Qin hid his face against his shoulder instantly.
“Shut up.”
“I’m trying to process my life right now.”
“You’re annoying.”
“You kissed me first.”
That only made Qin more embarrassed.
Duang laughed softly again before his expression shifted.
Not colder.
Just more thoughtful.
“…Wait... I have a question.”
Qin peeked up slightly. “Hm?”
Duang brushed his thumb carefully beneath Qin’s cheek.
“Did I really make you anxious this whole time?”
The warmth in Qin’s chest tangled immediately with guilt.
“…Not on purpose.”
“but still... if it's okay, would you mind sharing your thoughts with me?" Duang said softly.
But Qin looked down anyway.
Words crowded inside him now that the door had finally officially opened.
Messy ones.
Ugly ones.
“I just…” He swallowed hard. “You’re really kind.”
Duang blinked once.
“…Okay?”
“And you take care of people.”
Qin’s fingers tightened slightly in Duang’s shirt.
“That’s why I got scared.”
Duang stayed quiet.
Qin forced himself to continue.
“What if you only kept courting me because you saw how… messed up I am.”
Duang’s face fell immediately.
“Ter...”
“What if you felt responsible for me after seeing all that stuff.” Qin laughed weakly. “You hate making people feel abandoned.”
Duang looked almost heartbroken hearing that.
“Qin-cha...”
“I now know that it's all worthless thinking but I spiraled and then a thought occurred to me…” Qin stared at the floor. “Maybe you stopped liking me a while ago and just didn’t know how to stop without hurting me.”
Silence.
Then suddenly Duang lifted Qin’s chin gently.
Not forcing.
Just enough for eye contact.
And his expression now was so open it made Qin’s chest ache.
“I need you to listen carefully.”
Qin nodded once.
Duang stepped closer again until their foreheads nearly touched.
“I stayed because I love you.”
No hesitation anywhere.
“You being vulnerable didn’t make me trapped,” Duang said softly. “It made me want to stay beside you more.”
Qin’s eyes stung immediately.
Annoying.
“And honestly?” Duang smiled faintly. “You’re the one who kept giving me chances even while scared.”
Qin shook his head weakly.
“but I did took too long.”
“So?” Duang whispered.
The word landed gently.
No blame inside it.
Just warmth.
“You still answered me."