Chapter Text
Fort stared at his phone screen, scrolling through the photos he had taken of his apartment. The place was modern, with sleek gray walls, wooden flooring, and a small but cozy balcony that overlooked the city. It was his first big purchase—a symbol of independence. He had worked hard to afford the mortgage, balancing his regular job and his growing passion for music.
But there was one problem: the extra room.
It wasn’t that he minded the silence, but the bills were creeping up on him. The apartment was a little more expensive than he had planned for, and while he could manage, having a roommate would ease the burden. Plus, living alone wasn’t as exciting as he had imagined.
With a sigh, he tapped on Instagram and began typing.
"Looking for a roommate! Spacious room available in a new apartment. Great location, fully furnished, and a chill landlord (me). DMs open if interested! #RoomForRent #BangkokLiving"
He attached a few photos of the room and hit post.
Fort wasn’t a celebrity, but he had built a small following thanks to his singing. It started as a casual thing—posting short clips of himself playing the guitar and covering popular Thai songs. Over time, people took notice, and now he had around 15,000 followers. It wasn’t a huge number, but enough to get engagement.
Within minutes, likes and comments started rolling in.
"If only I lived in Bangkok!"
"Damn, that apartment looks nice. Too bad I’m broke."
"Is this an excuse to find a cute roommate? Haha."
Fort chuckled, replying to a few messages before setting his phone aside. He didn’t expect much. Finding the right person would take time.
Just as he was about to grab his guitar, a notification popped up.
@peat.wach sent you a message.
Fort frowned slightly. That name seemed familiar. Clicking on it, he found himself staring at a profile with a single black-and-white display picture. The username sparked something in his memory—Peat. They had met briefly through mutual friends a while back.
Curious, Fort opened the message.
"Hey, saw your post. Is the room still available?"
Short and direct. Fort smirked and typed back.
"Yeah, still up for grabs. Looking for a place?"
Peat’s reply came quickly.
"Yeah. Just moved back to Bangkok and need a place ASAP. Can I come check it out?"
Fort raised an eyebrow. That was fast. He hesitated for a moment before typing,
"Sure. When are you free?"
"Now?"
Fort blinked. Peat was definitely straightforward.
"Uh, yeah, I guess. Here’s my address."
He sent the location and hurried to straighten up his living room. He hadn’t expected a potential roommate to show up so soon. Within thirty minutes, a knock echoed through the apartment.
Taking a deep breath, Fort opened the door.
Peat stood there, dressed casually in jeans and a simple black T-shirt. He had a sharp yet effortless look, his dark eyes scanning the apartment with mild interest. Fort had always thought Peat had a unique presence—reserved, but with a quiet confidence that made people notice him.
“Hey,” Peat greeted.
“Hey,” Fort replied, stepping aside. “Come in.”
Peat walked in, his gaze sweeping over the space. Fort led him through a brief tour, showing him the living room, kitchen, and finally, the room for rent.
“It’s fully furnished,” Fort said, gesturing inside. “Comes with a desk, bed, closet. You’d just need to bring your own stuff.”
Peat nodded, stepping in to check the place. He tested the bed by pressing down on it, then looked out the window. Fort leaned against the doorframe, watching him.
After a moment, Peat turned back. “How much is the rent?”
Fort told him, and Peat didn’t even flinch.
“When can I move in?” Peat asked.
Fort blinked. “You’re that sure?”
Peat shrugged. “I need a place, and this works. Unless you have doubts about me?”
Fort considered that. It was a bit sudden, but Peat wasn’t a complete stranger. He’d heard decent things about him, and besides, he could always set some ground rules.
After a pause, he grinned. “Guess fate really wants us to be roommates.”
Peat gave a small smirk. “Guess so.”
Fort leaned back against the couch, staring at his bank app with satisfaction. With Peat moving in, the extra 20,000 baht from rent covered his mortgage and left him with some savings for travel. Not bad. He had lucked out with a roommate who paid on time and didn’t cause trouble.
Well, mostly.
Peat was quiet, kept to himself, and barely spoke unless necessary. But the guy was also weirdly particular about cleanliness. He wiped down surfaces before sitting, kept a bottle of hand sanitizer in his pocket, and always, always avoided Fort’s dog, Momo.
Fort had adopted Momo a year ago, a fluffy golden retriever mix with a wagging tail and an oversized love for human affection. She wasn’t just a pet—she was family.
Peat, however, gave her the coldest shoulder.
At first, Fort thought Peat just didn’t like dogs, which was fine. But it wasn’t until one evening when Peat came home, sneezing nonstop, that Fort started to put the pieces together.
“Are you sick?” Fort asked, watching as Peat dropped his bag and rubbed his nose, sniffling.
“No,” Peat muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just allergies.”
Fort raised an eyebrow. “To what?”
Peat hesitated before muttering, “Dogs.”
Fort blinked. “Wait—what?”
“I’m allergic to dogs.” Peat sighed, rubbing his eyes. “It’s not serious. Just annoying.”
Fort glanced down at Momo, who was happily wagging her tail by his feet. He looked back at Peat. “And you moved in here knowing I had a dog?”
Peat shrugged. “Didn’t know at first. But whatever, I’ll deal with it.”
Fort didn’t like the sound of that. Peat’s red-rimmed eyes and constant sneezing weren’t exactly reassuring, but Peat seemed stubborn about brushing it off.
That was his first mistake.
It started as a normal night. Peat had locked himself in his room, probably watching a drama or reading. Fort was on the couch, strumming his guitar while Momo dozed beside him. The apartment was quiet, the only sound being the occasional hum of traffic outside.
Then, a sound broke the silence—a wheezing cough.
Fort frowned. He turned toward Peat’s room, listening. The coughing continued, sharp and strained.
“Peat?” Fort called. No answer.
A bad feeling settled in his gut. Getting up, he knocked on Peat’s door.
“Hey, you good?”
Still no response.
Fort hesitated, then turned the handle and pushed the door open.
What he saw made his stomach drop.
Peat was sitting on the edge of his bed, hunched over, gripping his chest. His breathing was ragged, labored, as if each inhale took everything out of him. His lips were slightly swollen, his eyes watery and red.
“Shit—Peat!” Fort rushed over. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Peat tried to speak but only coughed in response. His hand clenched his shirt over his chest, his breathing coming in short, desperate gasps.
Panic hit Fort like a truck. This wasn’t just allergies—this was bad.
“Okay, okay, we’re going to the hospital,” Fort said, already grabbing his phone and keys. “Can you walk?”
Peat shook his head weakly.
Cursing, Fort didn’t waste time. He crouched down and pulled Peat’s arm over his shoulder. “Come on, I got you.”
It wasn’t easy. Peat wasn’t exactly light, and he barely had the strength to stand. But Fort managed to half-carry, half-drag him to the door, fumbling with his keys to get them out. Momo whimpered in concern, but Fort had no time to reassure her.
The moment they got outside, Fort practically threw Peat into the passenger seat of his car. He didn’t even buckle his own seatbelt before peeling out of the parking lot.
“Stay with me, Peat,” Fort said, gripping the wheel, his heart racing. “We’re almost there.”
Peat’s only response was a shaky breath.
It was 2 AM when they reached hospital.
The emergency room was quiet at that hour, but the moment Fort burst through the doors with Peat leaning against him, a nurse rushed over.
“He—he can’t breathe properly,” Fort stammered, his chest tight with worry. “Allergic reaction, I think.”
The nurse took one look at Peat and called for assistance. Within seconds, Peat was whisked away into a treatment room, leaving Fort standing in the hallway, his hands still shaking.
For what felt like hours—but was probably only twenty minutes—Fort sat in the waiting area, running his fingers through his hair. His mind kept replaying everything. How had it gotten so bad? Had Peat been hiding how severe his allergy was?
Finally, a doctor approached. “He’s stable now.”
Fort let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “What happened?”
“He had an allergic reaction that triggered mild anaphylaxis,” the doctor explained. “We administered antihistamines and a breathing treatment. He should be fine, but he needs to avoid exposure to allergens.”
Allergens. Meaning Momo.
Fort swallowed hard.
An hour later, Peat was discharged. He looked exhausted, but at least he could breathe normally again.
Fort drove them back in silence. It wasn’t until they were back inside the apartment that Peat finally spoke.
“Sorry,” Peat muttered, voice hoarse. “Didn’t mean to wake you up.”
Fort shot him a look. “Are you kidding me right now? You almost died, and you’re apologizing?”
Peat sighed, leaning against the couch. “It’s not that serious—”
“Not that serious?” Fort snapped. “You ended up in the freaking ER! What if I hadn’t checked on you?”
Peat flinched slightly but didn’t argue.
Fort exhaled, running a hand down his face. “Why didn’t you tell me your allergy was this bad?”
Peat hesitated. “Didn’t want to be a hassle.”
Fort stared at him, frustration mixing with something else—something deeper.
“Look, man,” Fort said, his voice softer now. “You’re my roommate. If something’s wrong, you have to tell me. I don’t care if it’s ‘inconvenient.’ I’d rather deal with that than, you know, take you to the hospital in the middle of the night.”
Peat glanced at him, then away. “…Okay.”
Fort sighed. “And about Momo…”
Peat tensed.
“I cannot get rid of her,” Fort said with his sad eyes. “But we’ll figure something out. Maybe keep her out of your room, deep clean more often. Whatever it takes so this doesn’t happen again.”
Peat blinked, clearly surprised. “You’d do that?”
Fort scoffed. “Obviously. Not letting you die on me, man. You see a dead roommate can't pay the rent I guess.”
A pause. Then, for the first time since moving in, Peat gave a small, tired chuckle.
“…Thanks.”
Fort smirked. “Yeah, yeah. But if you ever pull this stunt again, I’m charging you extra rent.”
Peat rolled his eyes, but the tension between them eased just a little.
“Actually it happened because my medicines were over and I was lazy to go to the pharmacy.”
“Are you serious? Next time don't try to die on me ok? I can get you the meds but DO NOT PULL THAT STUNT EVER AGAIN.”
Peat was confused at Fort’s reaction but he still smiled.