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They were curled up on the living room couch in William’s parents’ house, pretending to watch TV though neither had registered a single frame in the last ten minutes. William nudged Est lightly with his foot, the way he always did when he wanted something but didn’t want to say it directly. “You have to tell them I’m moving in,” he whispered, eyes fixed on the screen.
Est turned his head slowly, staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. “What? Why me? You’re the one who wanted to move in.”
“But it’s your condo,” William argued in a hushed, almost childlike tone, as if that settled everything in the universe.
“So?” Est asked, incredulous.
William opened his mouth like he was about to deliver a brilliant argument. “They—”
“Boys.”
William’s dad’s voice boomed behind them. They both jumped so hard they practically levitated. His father stood there with raised brows, suspicious but amused at how fast their heads snapped around. “Your mom said it’s time for lunch.”
They scrambled off the couch and walked to the dining table with the stiff politeness of people who were absolutely hiding something.
Lunch began in a heavy, awkward silence. Forks clinked. Soup steamed. And William and Est kept exchanging increasingly dramatic eye signals — You say it. No, YOU say it. Coward. I hate you. Tell them. You tell them.
Neither noticed that William’s dad was watching them in quiet amusement, his eyes sharp with a parent’s uncanny ability to recognize secrets.
Eventually, his dad set his fork down with a soft clink. “Is there something you two want to tell us?”
Everything froze — William mid-chew, Est mid-breath, and William’s mom mid-bite with her spoon dangling halfway to her mouth.
“What do you mean, Por?” William asked, his laugh shaky and embarrassingly high-pitched.
His mother squinted with immediate maternal radar. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone soft but piercing.
“Nothing’s wrong, Mae!” William insisted way too quickly.
“Then tell us,” she urged, the voice of a mother who could read him like a diary. “I know you too well, William.”
William swallowed, then pointed at Est like he was tossing a grenade. “Well… um… Est asked me to move in with him.”
Est jerked toward him so fast it was nearly comedic. “I DID NOT! You were the one who wanted to move in!”
“Yeah, but you agreed,” William said defensively.
Est glared at him. His parents watched with mild delight.
Then his mom’s expression crumpled, her voice small and trembling. “Move in? My only son is leaving me?”
William’s dad immediately reached for her hand under the table. “Honey… we talked about this. We knew he’d move out eventually.”
“I know,” she whispered, eyes filling. “But I didn’t think it would be this soon.”
William blinked, stunned. “You… expected this?”
His dad chuckled. “Of course. How could we not? You two are practically attached at the hip. On some nights you’d call asking to sleep over at Est’s — and on the nights you didn’t call, it was only because Est would be sleeping here.”
William and Est glanced at each other, cheeks flushing with shy, quiet smiles.
His mom let out a long, dramatic exhale. “Good thing you two look so adorable being in love. Fine. I’ll accept it. But I have one condition.”
William groaned. “What condition?”
“You both come home every weekend,” she said firmly. “Every single one. And if you don’t show up, I will go to your condo myself.”
Est chuckled, warm and assured. “Mae, you don’t have to worry. William and I already planned that. We’ll spend our weekends here — starting Friday nights. And you can visit anytime.”
Her whole face softened instantly. “Really? Awww… I’m so lucky to have such a sweet son-in-law.”
“MAE!” William nearly choked.
She arched a brow. “Be nice, or I’ll change my mind.”
William shot up immediately and wrapped his arms around her, swaying her side to side like a little boy trying to get out of trouble. “Maaee, I love you.”
She rolled her eyes but hugged him back just as tightly. William’s dad was laughing now, and Est — watching them, heart full — couldn’t help laughing too.
___
A week later, the elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and moving-in day officially began. William stepped out first, dragging a giant suitcase behind him… and trailing right behind were his parents
“You really didn’t have to come,” William whispered in embarrassment as they reached Est’s door.
His mom sniffed like he had insulted her entire existence. “Of course we did. You’re our only son. We walked you to kindergarten, we’re walking you to your boyfriend’s house. Tradition is tradition.”
His dad nodded solemnly, as if this were a medical mission.
Est opened the door, smiling as warmth spilled from inside the condo — soft lights, soft colors, the familiar scent of clean linen and Est’s subtle cologne. “Hi, Mae. Hi, Por. Come in,” he said, stepping aside and giving them both a hug.
The moment they walked in, William’s mom stopped at the entryway and slowly turned in a full circle. The condo was neat, minimal, but undeniably warm.
“Est, dear…” she said with a soft gasp. “Your home is so cozy. So clean. So… you.”
She paused, hand drifting to her chest before she clasped both hands together. “If you two need anything — anything at all — tell us. We’ll buy it.”
Est laughed lightly. “We’ll be okay, Mae. I promise.”
William returned from the bedroom after dropping his luggage off, brushing his hands on his pants like he’d just completed a mission. His mom marched straight to him and wrapped him in a firm hug.
“Don’t let Est do everything,” she scolded, voice muffled against his shoulder. “Just because we have a maid at home doesn’t mean I raised you to be useless. I taught you how to clean, do laundry, — all of that still applies. So help him, okay?”
“I know, Mae,” William mumbled, cheeks reddening as he hugged her back.
Then his dad stepped forward and pulled him into a hug too. “Call me if you ever need anything. Anything at all. Understand?”
“Yes, Por.”
His mom exhaled, emotional but smiling. “Okay. Take care of each other, boys.”
Est offered gently, “Why don’t you stay for lunch?”
“Oh, we’d love to,” she said with regret, “but one of our colleagues has a birthday lunch. We just came to drop William off.”
There were more hugs — one last round — and then finally, the door clicked shut, sealing the moment.
Silence filled the room.
William turned toward Est with a slow, blooming smile. He stepped forward, hands sliding around Est’s waist in one fluid, familiar motion. The kiss he pressed to Est’s lips was unhurried, warm, a little breathless. A kiss that said finally, a kiss that said we made it here, a kiss that deepened because neither of them wanted to be the first to stop.
When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together, breaths mingling softly.
“Thanks for letting me do this,” William whispered.
Est’s thumb brushed his cheek, tender. “You don’t have to thank me. I wanted this too.”
He nudged William lightly. “Go unpack. I’ll cook lunch.”
William nodded and disappeared into the bedroom — and the moment he stepped inside, his smile broke wide open.
Est had cleared space for him.
Half the closet empty.
A shelf cleared.
A drawer labeled for you in Est’s tidy handwriting.
Empty hangers waiting.
William ran his fingers gently along the drawer, heart swelling so full it ached. This wasn’t just space — this was invitation. This was love made physical.
_
The smell of garlic and butter drifted from the kitchen when he returned. They ate together at the small dining table, knees brushing now and then.
After they finished, William rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry I can’t really help with cooking. But I’ll do the dishes.”
Est had already started stacking the plates. “It’s okay—”
“I can do this,” William insisted, taking the plates from his hands. “Sit on the couch. Rest.”
Est paused, studying him. Then he shook his head with a soft smile. “How about… we help each other with everything?”
William blinked. “Everything?”
“Yeah.” Est’s voice dropped into something warm, a little shy. “You cook with me. Even if it’s just stirring, or cutting vegetables, or tasting. You’ll learn. Then we clear the table together. You wash the dishes, I’ll dry them. We… do it all as a team.”
He looked at William — fully, openly, no hesitation. “That’s how I always imagined it,” he admitted. “Us doing things together.”
The words hit William straight in the heart. He stepped closer, hands sliding up Est’s arms, smile spreading helplessly.
“I like that,” he whispered before kissing him slowly, deeply. “A lot.”
Est wrapped his arms around his neck, leaning into him, chin resting on William’s shoulder.
Afternoon sunlight spilled into the condo, soft and golden, warming everything it touched — the couch, the floor, their joined shadows. The quiet hummed with something new. Something steady.
Just like that—without any dramatic announcement—they slipped into life together.
Two toothbrushes standing side by side. Two pairs of slippers by the door.
A shared closet, shared routines, shared mornings and shared nights.
The condo wasn’t Est’s anymore; it was theirs. Their home. Their beginning.
And the first chapter of the rest of their life together began right there in that warm, sunlit room.
___
Note:
I was supposed to write and post this last night, but the WilliamEst Destiny clinic happened and William finally dropped the Chiang Mai vlog. So I ended up spending the rest of the night watching fancams and their vlog on repeat, internally screaming and kicking.
As promised, I’ll keep writing epilogues — little glimpses of their life together in their shared home, their life in school, with friends, and how they handle stress, conflict, etc. Please look forward to it.
And thank you again for your support. 🥹🫶
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