"-and what career path you might want to choose if perhaps higher education is to your wishes. Here is a couple of brochures you can go through, and if something piques your interest, let's talk about it in more detail tomorrow." The teacher smiled before walking around the classroom with a stack of paper brochures from different universities and handing over a several to each desk. Majority of the class just passed the papers along as a lot of Mix's classmates have already talked about working instead, and it was no surprise to him when he noticed his boyfriend passes the papers along as well. Feeling a little guilty, Mix tried to swipe away a particular brochure before Earth could see it, but it didn't escape the eyes of his cousin who quickly snatched the pamphlet out of his hand. "Seriously?" Niam flipped the paper around, smacking Mix in the face with it. "Can't you at least choose something normal like engineering, or IT? You know, manly stuff, not this fruity girly shit? My mom will never pay your tuition once I tell her you want this frou-frou nonsense. Even your oaf isn't gonna study; look!" With rather harsh shove, Niam turned his cousin's head towards his boyfriend, who just leisurely passed the brochures along without even looking at them. As the bell rang, Mix quickly tossed his backpack over one shoulder and dashed out of the classroom to escape his cousin's rude nagging and mocking, leaving the pamphlet behind. Despite Mix cussing him out during the disco night, Niam just continued bothering him at school regardless, but Mix seemed pretty good at ignoring the insults and snarky comments. It was only once he arrived home that Mix realised he has completely forgotten to talk to Earth after school, so it was no surprise when he found himself reading the several texts Earth has sent.

'Did you go home already?'

'Did he hurt you?'

'Are you okay?'

'Please call me when you get home.'

There was something very endearing about the way Earth got so concerned and Mix couldn't help but smile as he dialled his boyfriend's number. He laid on the bed with the phone on speaker phone, but quickly switched it off and placed the phone to his ear when Earth picked up. It felt like he was closer to him that way, and Earth's warm voice tickled his skin when he picked up with a soft "Hello?" Mix sighed. "Hey..."

"Did you get home safely?"

"Mmm. Sorry I didn't wait for you, I just..."

"It's alright. Can we talk? I mean if you're not busy."

"I picked up, didn't I?"

"I meant face to face."

Mix checked the time on screen. Just past 5pm. "Okay...where?"

"Can I pick you up? I'll bring you dinner."

"Really? Okay! When-?"

"You should probably go open the door." Click.

Mix frowned at the screen when the call abruptly ended, and it took him an extra second to realise what Earth's word meant. He quickly stomped outside, jaw dropping when Earth waved at him from his horse's back. "Seriously? Why not a bicycle?" Granted, horse was much cooler than a bicycle, but Mix couldn't possibly imagine parking a huge animal in their little garden. Well, tying her down or something. Earth shrugged. "Just wanted Snickers to have a change of scenery for the day. Hop on, let's have a picnic." He gestured to his backpack and patting the spot infront of him. Mix nervously chuckled. Earth has taken him for a ride quite a few times, but Mix has never just climbed on the horse himself, and he was not about to try it any time soon. When the boy wouldn't budge from his spot, Earth elegantly jumped down, grabbed his boyfriend's hips, and hoisted him up before flinging his own leg over the horse's back and securely hugging Mix's waist to centre him properly. "Where are we going?" Mix asked as he held the inner reins. "River front?" "Nah, let's go to the old mill, they cut the grass there the other day, it's gonna be nice putting the blanket down." Not so confident in his riding skills, Mix let Earth to guide Snickers around, but he slightly panicked when Earth sped up and they galloped, not slowing down until the abandoned mill building came to view.

Earth got off first, helping Mix to get down before tying the long rope to a nearby tree and handing Snickers a couple of sour apples. "You know, one day you're gonna make a really good husband, cooking like this." Mix grinned through a mouthful. "Are you proposing to me over a chicken casserole?" Earth wiped his mouth as he put the lunchbox back into the backpack and handed Mix a familiar brochure. "You left this at your desk in school." There was an awkward silence when Mix slowly took the pamphlet into his hand and stared at it briefly before crumpling it up. "I don't need it. I don't want to go to university." "Mix..." Earth sighed as he grabbed the ball and gently straightened the paper as much as he could. "You're not going either, I saw you pushing the brochures away." "That's different." Earth pinched his pouting boyfriend's cheek. "I already got a job at the farm, I want to work. Is this about Niam saying this is fruity? What an a-...ignorance." "You can call him asshole; it's what he is." Mix couldn't suppress a smile. "I don't see anything fruity about wanting to be a vet; do you?" Earth raised an eyebrow as he waved the university pamphlet around. Mix shook his head. "It's not that. I just... My aunt has set up my university tuition fund from my grandma's inheritance. When Niam said he will tell her not to pay for my school, I realised...I don't want their money. Uncle called my mom and they had an argument over the phone, he called me ungrateful so I said I won't be coming over for a while. I know it's not fair to auntie, distance myself from her so much, but I also know without that money I'll never be able to afford vet school. So isn't it easier to just give up now?" "Are you stupid?" It was the first time Mix has ever heard Earth talk like that, and he was stunned to speak for a moment.

"What?" "Sorry." Earth shook his head. "You're not stupid, I know, but this is a little silly. You know, if my boyfriend becomes a doctor, you bet anything I'll be bragging to everyone and anyone. If you don't want your aunt's money, we'll figure something out. It will work out just fine, I promise." He said with a smile before pulling Mix into his lap. The former city boy accepted Earth's thighs as a pillow and let out a long sigh. "You know, it's five hours away, I don't think we would see each other much. And it's five years course, with the last two being an internship, so I'd be even busier, with actual work. Who know where can I intern. That is, if I even pass the intern exam. There's a cram school an hour away from here, three times a week. It's free but it's for three hours and I probably wouldn't have time to be with you after school on those days." "How do you know all this?" Earth asked as he played with Mix's hair. Mix blushed. "I might have googled it after I got home today." "See? So you do want to university! Honestly, I think you should go. We can video call and text, and if I see you in person once a month, I can endure the rest of the time apart. Besides, the last two years you could be closer to me anyway." "What do you mean?" "My sister's wife, Amy, she owns the veterinary clinic here." Mix's eyes widened. How could he completely forget about his boyfriend's sister-in-law being a vet? They talked about it just last week! "Mix...can I ask you something? Did you choose this major...because of me?" Mix who was still processing the fact that his internship could be so close, chuckled. "You mean because you have animals and I don't? Would it make you feel better if I said yes?" Earth's lips curled into a smile. Of course it would, his cute boyfriend doing something for him and his animals seemed just like a wonderful gesture and plan for the future. Mix sat back up, kissing Earth's cheek. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but no. Being a vet and working with animals was my dream since childhood but my dad always shat on it, and he wouldn't even let me have pets, so I gave up on that idea. But I guess now being with you gave me the final push. I will do it. I will go to cram school and work hard to get in, maybe even apply for a scholarship program if they have one."

------------------------------------

"Look at your face." Nuean teased when she entered the stables and saw her brother brushing Snickers's tail, grinning from ear to ear. The boy's smile faltered but she patted his hair and smiled too. "Come on, don't hide it, I'm happy for you. I really love seeing you happy. So what did he say this time that got you all floaty?" Talking to his sister was always more than therapeutic as she always listened and never judged, even gave a very helpful advice, not to mention she was always happy to hear more about her brother's boyfriend. Nuean really liked Mix, he was cute, funny, and made her brother blush profusely with such simple gestures as holding hands or touching his shoulder. As always she has given an excellent advice that made Earth sprint out of stables and into his father's study where the man liked to read every evening. "What's the hurry?" "Dad..." Earth panted as he leaned against the door frame. "You haven't used my university fund yet, did you?" His dad put the book down with a surprised expression. "I haven't touched it, it's your money, but didn't you say you don't want to go to university?" "I don't. It's not for me...it's for..."

"I feel like I'm gonna puke." "Do you want me to open it for you?" "No way!" Mix quickly snatched the envelope out of his mother's hands and clutched it to his chest. It's been nearly two weeks since his admission exam to the university, and he's been relentlessly checking their mailbox ten times a day, but now that it was finally here, Mix felt more than anxious to open it. Despite his mother trying to reassure him he definitely got in, as his mock exam results were way above average score, he couldn't help but wonder if he failed miserably. Cram school he attended weekly seemed like a great start to prepare him, and he spent more than half his free time face buried in books, only taking time for school and his boyfriend who enthusiastically supported him on every step. Mix nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone buzzed and his boyfriend's name flashed on the screen. He grinned at his mother before running out into the garden and picking up. "Hey..."

"Uhm...where are you? I thought we were meeting in town...?"

"Oh my god!" In his whole freak out about the university letter, Mix completely forgotten about his date with Earth. He looked at the screen; he was almost twenty minutes late! "Wow, I'm so sorry! It slipped my mind! I'll be right there!"

"Don't rush, you know how you get inju-" Earth frowned when the disconnecting tone beeped in his ear and he put the phone back into his pocket before leisurely leaning against nearby lamp post. When Mix finally emerged he was out of breath, both from running and seeing his boyfriend in tank top. Earth rarely wore his sleeves fully rolled up except on the farm or in Mix's house, he kept them at a modest mid length be it a tee or a shirt, but this tank top just showed everything. His full biceps and naked shoulders, and even slight view of his pecs peeking through the arm hole when Mix looked at him from the side. Not to mention he paired it with knee length shorts and sandals, and Mix tried hard not to have his mouth hang open. "Sorry! I just got...I mean..whew.." He managed to get out a couple of words until his breath finally got under control and he waved the letter. Earth gasped. "Well what does it say?" "I...don't know." Mix admitted as he turned over the envelope and showed its untouched seal. "Wow, you didn't open it? Why?" "I'm scared what it might say! I think I'll just throw it in the trash, I can't-" Over his rambling Mix didn't pay attention and Earth took it as a chance to snatch the letter away and tuck it into his pocket. "Let's go eat lunch and then we open it together, okay?"

Their original plan was to visit Moonlight Chicken; a new little restaurant that opened just a week ago and served only one dish, but Earth knew in stressful situations, the best he could do to let Mix choose and sample everything on the menu, hence why he very gently dragged him into the nearby buffet. Satisfied with his stomach and cheeks filled, Mix had a skip to his step, swinging their joined hands as they walked outside in the sun, completely forgetting about the envelope until they sat by the riverfront and Earth took it out. "Can I open this for you?" He smiled, slipping his finger under the seal and ripping it open. "Please." Mix nodded. "I feel like if I touch it I'll rip it in half." Understanding, Earth placed the empty envelope back into his pocket and skimmed through the text quickly. Mix hated that he couldn't decipher what his calm expression meant, and he refused to peek over Earth's hand to read it himself. "Dear Mr. Mix Sahaphap Wongratch, we write to you on behalf of Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, to inform you about your test results and...oh well, that's unfortunate." Mix felt the blood drained from his face. "What...?" He gasped, now eagerly reaching for the letter.

Earth couldn't hold the happy grin any longer. "It's unfortunate that I'll be seeing you in person every couple of months because congratulations, you got accepted! Whoa!" The muscular boy could barely brace himself when Mix pounced on him heavily and hugged him with excited shrieks, freaking out. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! What was my score? What's my score???" "187/200. You're in the top ten! It says so right here under-" "I can't go." "What?!" Earth watched as Mix got off of his lap. "Why not?" Mix sighed. His hands snatched away the letter just so he could double check the score. It wasn't enough. "Only the top 5 are eligible for the free tuition scholarship. Mom and I crunched the numbers and from my savings I could only afford two years, tops. I'm not taking my aunt's money. Maybe if I got a part time job it could work but mom said it would definitely impair my studies." "Did you forget about my offer?" Earth asked as he gently took Mix's hands to his own. He offered it weeks ago, without pressure or wanting anything in return, but Mix was hesitant to accept it. Sure Earth assured him he wouldn't need money for his own academic pursuit, and that he would gladly pay for his boyfriend's tuition and even still have enough to spare, but it still felt strange. Mix felt guilty; they haven't even slept together yet. "I didn't." Mix shook his head. "Frankly it would be too humiliating to take my boyfriend's money, even if he doesn't need it. What if I end up doing badly in school and the money would be wasted?" "What if we treat it as a loan? I spoke to Amy; she pays her interns. What if you did your internship for free instead? That would be enough of a payback." "Really?" Earth chuckled. "Yeah. I really wanna brag that my boyfriend is a doctor."