Earth couldn't believe how addictive Mix's body felt. Everywhere he touched his fingers sunk into his skin, everywhere he kissed Mix smelled like summer and sunshine, warm and soft.

"Earth..." Mix hummed when Earth kissed his stomach and fiddled with the sun oil between his legs for some preparation. "Earth, it's fine..." Mix pulled him up by the arm and sat up, his face flushed. He leaned in for a kiss, licking Earth's bottom lip. "I want to be yours already..."

"We don't have any protection..." Farmer boy whispered, but Mix didn't care. His body accepted him without it, and he found himself needily leaning into Earth's embrace, his arms wrapped around the muscular man's shoulders. Sounds of thunder and rain did nothing to mute his moans when Earth got deeper and Mix wished for that moment to never end.

~

"Where have you been?" Nuean asked her brother with a scolding tone as she cornered them in the stables. "Neither one of you took your phone, horses gone, the storm was so scary and dangerous to be in. Mix?" She turned her frown to the younger man who sheepishly smiled.

"We were in barn near lake all night." Earth replied, trying to get his sister's attention to himself, as Mix seemed to turn bright red when she raised an eyebrow and smirked. He curved around her and bolted for his and Earth's house, desperate for a shower. There was a skip to his step as he entered their home and he headed to the bathroom. Earth followed just minutes later, his question hesitant as he asked to join, but Mix didn't mind.

"Let me scrub your back..." Earth kissed his boyfriend's shoulder, and Mix handed him a soapy sponge. "Are you...okay? I mean, down there-"

"Stop asking already." Mix groaned and covered his face in embarrassment. "I told you, I'm okay. You didn't hurt me Earth."

"I just thought...it was so hasty..." Earth's hands slid down to hug Mix's hip, but the boy in question turned around and softly jabbed at Earth's chest.

"I'm telling you, it was great. Stop overthinking."

"I just thought I would make our first time I'm some better place." Earth admitted, but Mix wasn't having it.

"Earth...it doesn't matter where we are. As long as it's with you, as long as you're the one making love to me, I don't care when and where. I love you, and I liked our first time. Or...you didn't like it?"

"I liked it a lot!" Earth eagerly said, a little louder than he intended. Mix kissed his chin.

"See? Just don't worry about it already. I'm sure our next time will be even better."

~

There were no other words to describe what those two felt for each other besides love and adoration. Without having to attend classes, Mix used his free time to join Earth in his work, and even though he often lacked the strength Earth's arms possessed, he didn't let that discourage him from helping.

"Can I come with you?" Mix leaned against the truck with a coquettish smile. He wasn't the early bird Earth was, but since it was Monday and he offered to help at the farmer's market, he woke up early and jogged outside, just in time to see Earth loading crates to the back of the truck.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Earth closed the back one handed without breaking a sweat. "You only have two weeks before you start your internship. I figured you'd like to spend your time with the most freedom, not work."

Mix shrugged. "I just wanted to be with you. But if I'm a burden..." He pretended to sulk, only to burst into laugh when Earth wrapped his arms around him to comfort him. "I promise I'll make myself useful."

"Okay then." Earth gave his dad a 'please move' look as he opened the truck door and let his boyfriend use the passenger seat while his dad sat in the back, grinning.

"Come on you lovebirds, it's time to set up." He knocked on the car window after getting out first, but the two young men continued giggling at each other and flirting as if they've just met.

"Okay okay, we're coming!" Earth grumbled. He quickly leaned to the passenger seat, sniffing Mix's cheek. "Mmm, enough energy for the whole day."

"Are you sure that was enough?" Mix bit his lip. He touched Earth's chin and slowly turned his face towards himself more so he could plant a quick kiss on the lips instead. "This is more like it."

"Stop canoodling you two!"

~

"Mom? Have you seen Mix?" When Earth came rushing into her kitchen he nearly tripped over his own feet, startling her and his younger brother.

"I don't know honey." She placed a tray of biscuits on the counter, slapping Khao's hand when he reached for one of them and nearly burned his hand. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know where he is." Earth said in a concerned voice. "He came home from work and said he needs some fresh air, but that was four hours ago! He didn't take his phone or keys and I looked everywhere. And I mean everywhere; the barns, the stables, the coops, the orchard! It's so dark outside now!"

"I think you should calm down-" Khao tried to pat his brother's shoulder, but Earth slapped his hand away.

"I can't!" Earth raised his voice. "Mix never leaves house without a word like that, and he never leaves his phone home either! I can't believe you don't think this is serious!?"

"Honey..." His mother tried to defuse the yelling. "Let's just retrace every place you've been to, and check your house again, let's look together, hm?"

"You know your boyfriend is an adult, right?" Khao frowned, finally snatching a biscuit off the tray. "He can do what he wants. And if you're yelling like this, he probably doesn't want to be around you anyway. You're too much."

"Khao!" Their mother scolded him. "That was uncalled for. Apologise."

"No." Khao crossed his arms. "Earth is smothering him, and always tries to make everything better by being the super supportive boyfriend. Sometimes Mix just wants to scream, not get told 'this stuff happens, don't worry, it gets better', you know?"

Earth's jaw clenched and he took a deep breath, trying to get his heartbeat under control. He was guilty of that for sure. Every time Mix got upset, he would be there with affection, hugs, comforting words, but wasn't that supposed to be his duty as a loving boyfriend?

His mother stroke his hair. "Come on now...lets calm down. No more yelling."

"Mix will be fine." Khao snatched a couple more biscuits, frowning at Earth as he passed him, arms full of other snacks.

"He's in your-"

"No he's not!" Khao quickly run off, dumping the contents of his arms onto a bed and promptly locking the door behind him. "Your boyfriend is freaking out." He slumped on the bed beside Mix, offering him a biscuit.

"I figured." Mix chewed the biscuit slowly, staring into space. His eyes were still swollen from crying and his head hurt, but he was certainly feeling much better than when he first came back home. He isn't sure why he chose Khao's room to hide in, he just knew he didn't want to get comforted by Earth. "Don't worry, I'll go sleep to our house for the night. I won't bother you."

"You're not bothering me." Khao shrugged. "I know what it's like when too much love and support overwhelms you. Happens to me all the time. That's why I picked up boxing. It helps getting it all out. Sometimes we don't need comfort. We need endorphins."

"Yeah but..." Mix sighed. "I don't want Earth to be upset if I push him away like this, you know? He's just so sweet, so kind, and I feel guilty leaving him out of the loop like that."

"Then tell him." Khao patted Mix's shoulder. "Tell him that in some instances, you don't want sweet soft word. Tell him that you just want to let your frustration out instead of burying it deep inside with his kindness."

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to." Mix groaned, snatching anther biscuit and a packet of gummies for himself. "Thanks for these. I'm gonna go, before he pops a vein and have a stroke."

"No problem." Khao waved at Mix who, still stuffing his face, shuffled across the floor and through the house to get back home.

He found Earth reading on their bed, Edin swirled by his feet. The man quickly sat up as he noticed his boyfriend's return, startling his cat in the process, but at that moment, Earth didn't care. "Mix-"

"I need you to be quiet now." Mix shook his head. "I need to tell you something without you interrupting me, please."

"Oh. Of course, of course. Come here..." Earth put the book away, patting the spot beside him.

Mix sighed. "Today, at work...I had to put a dog down. I know I'm a vet and this is just part of the job, I will have to do that hundreds of times in the future, I know that, but I just... I wanted to scream and throw things. And when I got home and saw you, I just couldn't stay, because you're always just so supportive, and so sweet, and you would most likely tell me that it's just part of the job, part of life, that I shouldn't feel guilty, and that it's okay to feel sad. And I know all of that! I love you, I really do, but sometimes, when I'm feeling shitty, I don't want to hear sweet mushy words about how everything is gonna be okay. I want to punch a wall and scream. I run off because I knew if I stayed, I would blow up on you. I'm sorry."