Content Warning: This work is intended for mature (NC17) audiences. If you are younger, please kindly leave this site.
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Perspective - Third Person
"Please date me, Pete... Please date me."
At this moment, the only sound in the locker room is from the young football player, even though he is tightly embracing Pete's tall frame. Both of their breaths are still rapid, their body temperatures still burning hot from the actions moments ago, and Pitchaya's mind is buzzing from just a single sentence.
"...Let's date..."
At this moment, Pete can't think of anything. Let alone answering the question, his taller but weakened body clings tightly to Ae's shoulder. His eyes, glistening with tears, clearly reflect his shock, while the only thing circulating in his mind is that single question.
It isn't just a request to date, but Ae referred to himself in the most pleasant way.
"Please date me..."
Is Ae really asking me to date him? Asking for us to be together... for real?
The silent response from the person in his arms makes Inthach, who has already expressed his desire, pull back slightly. He looks up, feeling quite guilty. Even though Ae knows that the other person likes him, it doesn't mean he isn't worried about his own actions…
No different from a damn rapist.
What just happened was entirely his doing. Ai'Pete didn't consent at all, but it couldn't be stopped. He truly couldn't prevent what had just happened.
I want to touch him so badly it's driving me crazy.
"Pete..."
Gasp!
At just the gesture of reaching out to touch his cheek, Ai'Khun-chai flinches, his eyes widening in surprise, causing the one reaching out to hesitate. His sharp eyes are filled with guilt as he looks at the state they are both in... he is still covered in sticky, viscous liquid.
However, at that moment, Inthach has no intention of letting guilt cloud the situation further.
He is sure—the feelings he has for Ai'Pete are real, and he no longer wants to feel like he doesn't have the right to claim him.
"I'm sorry, but what about your answer?"
The question snaps the listener back to reality as he flinches once more, meeting the gaze of the one who asks.
A soft, trembling voice follows. "This isn't a joke, right? Ae... It's... It's not a joke..."
It's not a joke, is it? When Ae asked for us to date?
This time, the listener frowns immediately, almost using his own wet hand to ruffle Ai'Khun-chai's hair, but stops, realizing what he is about to do. Then, he speaks in a firm voice, though his cheeks are beginning to flush, slightly embarrassed by his own actions.
"Do you really think I'd joke about something this important?"
"N-no, I don't think that at all..."
"But you just said it." The football player speaks sharply, making the listener shake his head hastily, both cheeks burning, his words now a tangled mess.
"I-it's just that I can't believe it. Ae asked us to date... a-and what you said... w-what you said about... dating Ae... is us..."
Finally, the one who has just asked to date suddenly pulls away, turning towards the corner of the room where a towel is hanging. He quickly wipes his hand on it, an action that causes Pete to feel slightly anxious, thinking the other might be so angry that he doesn't want to look at him anymore.
Then, the one who has been left in a state of shock notices something...
Ae's ears are turning very red... very much so.
"I'm serious. I don't like it when you're close to other people. I don't like that I can't show anything, can't say anything, can't stop you... I'm jealous of you."
Even though he is so embarrassed he wants to sink into the ground at the overly sweet and out-of-character line of "date me," the straightforward speaker still voices his feelings. He understands why these words slip out just now.
The emotions have been bottled up so tightly that they burst out on their own. He just wants to plead... for Pete to agree.
"So, date me."
The person who has been wiping his hands on the towel stops, but still doesn't turn to look at Ai'Khun-chai. Even though he is the type to confront things head-on, that doesn't mean he isn't scared. It doesn't mean he isn't anxious about the response from someone he already has feelings for. His sharp eyes are fixed only on the small patterns on the towel, even as his heart races, and his blood pumps harder than after finishing a football match.
This feeling is something Ae has never experienced before, but it isn't unpleasant. He finally understands why movies and novels describe the protagonist's heart as if it were about to burst out of their chest.
For him, with this first confession, and the crazy desire to be with someone, this too is a first. He is so nervous that it feels like his heart might just explode out of his chest.
"...Okay."
Snap.
Then, a very soft response comes from behind, causing the listener to immediately whip around. However, instead of seeing the face of the person who responds, the tall figure of Ai'Khun-chai slides down, sitting on the floor, hugging his knees tightly. He can only say that one word.
"Yes... yes... yes, Ae... yes..." That is the only word that comes out of the trembling Khun-chai's mouth, his entire body shaking, prompting the person watching to move closer, sensing something.
"Lift your head, Ai'Pete."
Shake, shake.
Instead of answering, Pete shakes his head vigorously while hugging his knees even tighter. His hands gripped his jeans, refusing to lift his head. Does Ae, who is being refused, care? No, because Ae grabs Pete's cheeks with both hands and pushes up until he can see... tears.
Tears that aren't out of sadness, but... happiness.
"D-don't look at me right now, Ae, please don't..."
However, it is only for a moment, because Pete pulls himself away and returns to hugging his knees, his shoulders shaking. However, that is more than enough for someone who needs to know.
Swoosh.
So, Ae shifts to sit against the locker beside him and decides to place his hand on Pete's soft hair. He can feel Pete's body trembling, but he still asks the same question.
"Alright... you're going to date me, right?" As Ae asks, one of his hands scratches Pete's head, as if it can ease his embarrassment.
"Y-yes." The one hiding his tears mumbles an answer, making the asker tilt his head back against the locker as he asks further.
"So... Now you're my partner, right?"
"Y-yes."
"And I'm... your partner." The one who has to answer bit his lip tightly, feeling too shy to speak with this question.
He wants to say, "Shouldn't Ae be the one to answer that?" The longing in his heart makes him nod firmly and give the reply though.
"Yes."
Then... Ae goes quiet for a moment as he looks away, but his hand remains resting on Pete's short hair.
"...We're officially a couple now."
The room fell silent for a brief moment before a short reply broke the quiet.
"...Yes."
Grab.
As soon as Pete finishes speaking, the shorter one reaches out to pull the taller one in to rest his head on his shoulder. He doesn't care why Pete is crying, nor does he care about the soft sob that follows from the surprise. The one pulling Pete into the embrace simply turns his flushed face and red ears away, while his deep voice murmurs under his breath.
"You're my partner now, so why are you still resting your head on your knees when your partner has a shoulder for you to lean on?"
Now, Pete is no longer aware of anything. He only knows that both his hands are gripping Ae's shirt tightly as he rests his face on his brand-new partner's shoulder, with tears he tries to hold back falling onto Ae's football shirt.
I'm not secretly in love with Ae anymore, right?
After calming down, the newly minted couple sits in silence in the locker room, each facing in a different direction. The only clues to what has just transpired are the red cheeks, the red ears that no one can hide, and the shoulders... now resting against one another.
While one of them is reflecting on what has happened, the other is still feeling the lingering heat down below. Naturally, an odd sense of embarrassment envelopes both of them.
"Why did your friend come looking for you?" The shorter guy breaks the silence, still bothered by that ill tempered Khun-chai.
The one being questioned simply raised an eyebrow slightly before giving a dry smile.
"There's nothing going on."
"What if I said I don't believe you?"
"B-but Tinn and I really have nothing going on, honestly. He's just a friend..." The one who has begun to understand why Ae is acting the way he is starts speaking quickly, stealing a glance at Ae before hastily looking away, feeling like he just can't meet Ae's gaze for some reason.
When he looks, he thinks about the touch from earlier. When he thinks about it, he feels something. When he feels something, it all becomes too much.
Thud.
Then, the football player speaks firmly, before elaborating further.
"I might be imagining it, but the way he looks at you compared to how he looks at me... it's not the same." Ae falls silent for a moment before continuing with clear displeasure about his own feelings.
"Even though I know it is baseless, I still can't stop myself from being jealous of you."
Yes, he knows Pete probably doesn't feel anything for that cocky jerk, but it's not like that jerk doesn't feel something for Pete. That's what makes him feel protective of Pete in a way he can't quite explain. The more certain he became of his feelings, the stronger his sense of possessiveness grew.
You're really in deep, Ae!
"Uh, actually, I asked Tinn to help me with something..."
At the same time, Ai'Khun-chai, who has heard Ae mention jealousy multiple times, lowers his head as his heart races. Eventually, he decides to explain. Something tells him that if Ae finds out later, he'll definitely be angry, so he figures it is better to tell all.
"It's about... Phii Trump."
Whip.
"You still like him or what?!" The shorter guy immediately turns his head, his sharp eyes flashing dangerously. He is really displeased that Pete has mentioned his ex's name, even though the guy has been completely out of the picture for some time.
"N-no, of course not. After what happened, there's no way I can still like Phii Trump. You know that, Ae. You know who I... um, like now..." The one accused of still liking Trump shakes his head vigorously, speaking quickly as if desperate for Ae to not misunderstand. His voice then gradually softens until it fades away.
It is something that makes the listener feel unexpectedly good, but that doesn't mean he is going to let this issue slide.
Phii Trump might just be the one thing that worries him most about Pete.
"So what does this have to do with him?" The one who has to answer lowers his head even more.
"Well... I asked Tinn to look into what Trump's been doing, where he's been spending his money. At the very least, if I know what he's up to, I can protect myself..."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Ae immediately interrupts, not even waiting for Pete to finish explaining.
Ae's thick eyebrows furrow as he realizes he hadn't known about this earlier. The thought that Pete had only shared this with that damn Tinn makes Ae inexplicably irritated. With Pete's answer, it only makes things worse.
"I didn't want to bother you, Ae. You've helped me so many times already, so I... wanted to handle this myself."
"What you did though was rely on someone else, not me."
If Inthach had said this in his usual firm voice, Pete might have felt a little hurt, wondering why Ae had to be so harsh. However, the tone Ae uses, which sounds somewhat hurt, and the hand that reaches out to hold him, makes Pete turn to look at Ae's sharp profile.
Maybe he is just imagining it, but Ae... hmm... might actually be possessive?
Pete thinks back to Ae's actions earlier—stroking his cheek, forbidding him from being around his friends, and now this moment...
It might be wishful thinking, but can Pete allow himself to believe that Ae is jealous?
Ae is like a straight line—it only moves forward, never turning left or right, and if you happen to stand in an alley, will Ae even notice you?
Pond had already told him that Ae is like a straight line. Now that they are together, Pete should make it obvious to Ae and not hide in the shadows where Ae won't see him anymore. As someone trying to change himself, Pete takes a deep breath and squeezes Ae's hand in response.
"At that time, I really didn't want to trouble you, Ae…"
Whip.
The listener nearly turns around to ask, "What the hell do you mean by not wanting to trouble me?"
The sharp eyes that are already turned his way makes him stop, waiting for his Khun-chai, who is trying to smile despite his cheeks being so flushed that it is almost alarming. Then even the swollen bruised-looking orange lips draw Ae's eyes so much that he has to collect his thoughts.
Knowing they are dating, why does Pete seem even more attractive? It's not that he's more handsome. He is already handsome. Now he seems... like he's drawing me in uncontrollably… What the hell is wrong with you, Ae?
"...I've secretly loved you, Ae, and yet, I have kept asking you for help so many times. I felt like I was burdening you too much, even though we weren't even together. Even though you said we were friends, I really thought I shouldn't bother you any more than that... until just now." Pete's voice grows quieter, and he can't meet the steady gaze before him.
In the end, he looks away and mumbles softly, "Now that... now that we're dating... it's okay for me to bother you... right?"
By the time he manages to say the word dating, the speaker has used up almost all his strength. He feels like this is completely different from when he was dating P'Trump.
At that time, it might have been exciting, but not to the point where he felt like he might faint at any moment like this. Back then, it might have felt good, but it is nothing like the fluttering in his chest now, like butterflies flapping their wings.
The feeling of dating Ae is incomparable to anything else.
At the same time, the listener freezes for a moment. His sharp eyes observe his Khun-chai's handsome face, which is now beet red, and the way he struggles to say the word dating makes him...
Grab.
"Ah, Ae…" Pete gasps as both of Ae's hands pull his taller body into a hug, bringing his head down to rest on Ae's shoulder.
Ae admits that he can't keep making eye contact for much longer as he whispers deeply, yet tenderly, from his heart:
"Why are you so damn cute?"
Pete can only be stunned because, instead of complimenting him with any other words, Ae chooses to call him cute again. Then for some reason, that compliment makes this man, who has been called handsome all his life, feel more embarrassed than ever. So, Pete hugs Ae back.
"Rely on me more. I want to be the one who protects you, Khun-chai."
What else can Khun-chai say in response but, "Yes."
The responder buries his face into Ae's warm shoulder before his lips curve into a smile, unable to hold back his happiness. Who would have thought? All Pete has ever wished for is to secretly love him, but now they are really dating. His thoughts, however, don't realize that dating is only the first step in their relationship.
~~~
"Ai New! Ai Type! Ai Champ! Catch that Phueak Monkey for me, now... Execute!"
"Whoa, the captain is power-mad!"
"Now that you're the captain this year, you're really bossy. Last year, you were still following the orders of the seniors just like us!"
"Who the hell picked him to be captain?"
The sarcastic voices from his friends make the captain's eyebrow twitch even more. He turns to glare at his friends and juniors, who burst out laughing, before turning to chase after the first-year kid that everyone on the team adores. Naturally, when comparing Khaen and Ae... Khaen becomes the lovable Phueak Monkey in an instant.
Sure, everyone knows Ae is talented. Otherwise, how could he have been recruited to the team as soon as his name appeared at the university? His personality though? No senior would dare mess with him. On the other hand, Khaen is the type that just begs to be teased and bullied.
"Come here, little bro!" And a pitiful sight follows as the tall, bulky, dark-skinned senior runs and jumps on the lone freshman. It takes only a moment before the hyperactive one is carried by the arms, struggling in front of the team captain, flailing around, refusing to give in.
"P'Nooo! Khaen was wrong! I will listen from now on, so please, let me go… okay?" Khaen pleads.
"‘Okay,' my ass! I'm not laughing, you know! Do you realize how tiring it was to catch you?" Techno snaps in a harsh voice, trying to act like a reliable captain, which makes even his close friend roll his eyes.
"He says that as if he caught him himself."
"Yeah, that's what happens when people get a little power—they go mad with it."
The power-mad one shoots a glare at his teammates, only to find them making mocking faces. He turns back to focus on the smiling freshman in front of him and can't resist knocking him on the head.
"Go buy some water. Quickly."
"Again?! Does P'No have any punishment other than, ‘Ai Khaen, go buy water'? Seriously, don't you think of buying water before practice even starts?" As soon as he is told to do something he doesn't want to do, Khaen immediately starts complaining.
Naturally, Techno puts on a serious face and replies in a matter-of-fact tone.
"You know you need to strengthen your leg muscles more. Carrying the water back is a form of leg muscle building, you know."
The listener's eyes widened in shock.
"What?! P'No, do you think I'm a buffalo or something? Always the same excuse... Where's the money? I'll go buy it." The person who says he isn't a buffalo then holds out his hand, asking for money right away, causing the seniors to burst into laughter.
This is why this kid is more endearing than the other freshmen?
Soon after that, the person who had just been running around the field walks to the exit with a hundred baht bill in hand, thinking a bit mischievously that the leftover change will go toward buying snacks. However, before even stepping out of the football field…
"Hey, you."
Who are they calling?
Even as he thinks this, he turns to look, and Khaen's eyes widened in surprise. He raised his hand to point at the person calling him, filled with anger as it surges within him. It's that shit-lizard who once looked down on me and Ae!
[[Translator's Note: Pointing at someone in Thai culture is much more offensive than pointing at someone in most English speaking parts of the world including the USA.]]
"You!!!" As soon as he sees who it is, Khaen's friendly demeanor changes immediately, and he makes a confrontational face at the guy whose appearance clearly screams Khun-chai, much like Pete.
However, Pete is way more likable. This guy has a face that makes you want to twitch your feet in annoyance.
At the same time, the accusatory gesture doesn't intimidate Tinn in the slightest. On the contrary, he turns to his own affairs, not wanting to converse with this guy for long.
"You're friends with someone named Ae, right?"
"Yes, and so what? Are you looking down on my friend or something?"
Unlike Tinn, who has deep-seated resentment that is hard to root out, Khaen has rolled up his sleeves, looking displeased at someone slightly taller than him.
"How close is he with Pete?"
The question is clearly surprising to the listener, who doesn't understand why the other is asking. However, as someone who thinks shallowly, Khaen smiles broadly.
"Why? Are you jealous that my friend is closer to Pete than you are? Yup, those two are really close. Wherever I go, I see them together. They eat together all the time, and Ae always buys food for Pete. They've even gone shopping and watched movies together. They're super close, so much that it's hard to believe they're in different faculties."
The one who wants to brag about how close Ae is to Pete is clearly the one who knows right away. He is trying to add a little color to the story. It seems that no one wants to befriend this dog-mouth guy, except maybe Pete, who is kind enough to associate with him—and now this Tinn is here, asking questions about Ae and Pete.
Huh? The one wanting an answer since he encountered that Thai major who had said right to his face not to mess with his person is pondering to himself.
Tinn has had a nagging feeling ever since he heard about that guy named Trump, and he felt even more certain when he saw Pete's actions with that Thai major.
Asking the guy in front of him was also a way to bolster his confidence in what he is thinking, so these words slip from his mouth.
"Disgusting."
Pause.
"What did you say?!" Khaen, who has been rambling on, stops abruptly and whips around to glare at the person who speaks just one word but a word that makes his veins bulge. This makes Tinn lock eyes with the speaker, then he can't resist curling his lip in disgust.
"I said it's a completely disgusting relationship."
Thud!
Crash!
"Don't you dare insult my friend like that again, you shit-lizard!!!"
The moment Tinn finishes speaking, a heavy punch lands square on his face, sending him stumbling back, completely caught off guard. He never thought anyone would dare punch the son of a billionaire without considering the consequences.
"Hey! Ai'Khaen, calm down! What's going on?!"
At the same time, Type, who has been watching things go south since the Phueak Monkey started talking to someone, rushes in and tightly grabs the younger boy's arms, holding him back as he tries to lunge at the man who has already staggered several steps from the blow.
"Calm? No way! That dog-mouth bloody fucking cur has no friends! Don't you insult my friend again! You're the disgusting one... Let me go, P'Type! I'm going to beat him up!!!"
"Calm down, Ai'Khaen, calm down! Damn, hasn't anyone told you not to throw punches around like that?" Despite Type's words, the enraged youth is beyond reasoning, fuming and struggling to get back at Tinn. Luckily, several older students rush in to help restrain the raging Khaen.
Meanwhile, Tinn wipes the corner of his mouth calmly, then turns his cold gaze to the one who attacked him, just in time to hear...
"You can insult me, but don't you dare insult my friend!!!"
Tinn, who had been determined to retaliate fully, freezes for a moment. His sharp eyes flare with a fury he doesn't expect, as if the words have struck him deep.
This guy is seriously protecting his friend. How does he know that his friend wouldn't betray him in the end? How does he not know that what he is protecting so fiercely might be the very arrow that will someday come back to stab him?
"Don't you insult my brother! My brother would never do something so vile!"
The memory of the voice of a young boy echos in Tinn's mind, causing him to clench his fists tightly. Without another word, the tall figure turns and walks away from the football field. Khaen's voice, however, echoes throughout, as though it is trying to hammer in memories Tinn doesn't want to remember.
"Don't insult my friend where I can hear you again, you bloody fucking cur!"
For Tinn, trusting others is just a stupid trap, one that will only lead people to fall into the pit of betrayal.
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