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Perspective - Third Person
After Tinn leaves, silence envelops the entire table. Pete's face turns pale as he grips his watch tightly, glancing at the person beside him, who looks more furious than he has ever seen before.
Although he has witnessed Ae stand up to P'Trump before, he has never seen Ae this angry, nearly losing control of his emotions.
"Ae, don't listen to Tinn. He's like this, but he doesn't mean any harm," the speaker tries to explain, even though he feels annoyed with another friend. However, having studied together for a term, he has learned that Tinn is this way. Sometimes he may say things that are off-putting, but he isn't a bad person.
"But that loser!!" Ae turns sharply to look, and seeing the pale face of the one gripping his watch tightly makes him take a deep breath.
"Forget it," the football player says quietly, then adds flatly, "I'm going back to the dorm."
"But Ae has class," Pete immediately counters, knowing his friend's schedule well enough. He gets a heavy response in one short word from the furious one.
"Skipping!" With that, he reaches out to grab his Khun-chai's wrist tightly and drags him toward the restaurant door.
After that, throughout the journey from the restaurant in front of the university until they walk into the dorm, Pete doesn't dare say a word. Although he wants to tell Ae that he will never care about Tinn's words, he's not sure if Ae is angry because of that. All the while, he remains silent, his eyes on the back of the person walking ahead of him as they enter the dorm room.
"Sit down. it's a bit messy here."
Inside Inthach's room, everything remains the same. One side features football player posters, while the other displays AV star posters (which the owner has no intention of removing even though he has a girlfriend). Everything is scattered on the floor, the bed, and the writing desk, with the cleanest spot being Ae's bed, where he is smoothing out the bedspread.
"Sit down."
Naturally, the person afraid of his partner getting angry sits down immediately. Pete watches Ae who is busy gathering his textbooks to place on the table. He then grabs the football shirt draped over a chair and tosses it into the laundry basket. This activity of tidying up prompts the visitor to speak softly.
"Ae, it's just that I..."
"I'm sorry."
Thud.
However, the person standing by the writing desk stops his hands and interrupts Pete's voice, causing the speaker's eyes to widen in surprise as he looks at the broad back of the one who has gone still, unable to comprehend why the other is apologizing.
Ae hasn't done anything wrong at all. The one at fault should be him for taking Ae with him to meet Tinn.
"Why are you apologizing, Ae? You didn't do anything wrong..." Pete continues. "I'm wrong. I messed up."
Then the one with his back turned speaks up with a heavy tone, leaving the listener furrowing his brow in confusion, not understanding at all.
"When I got angry just now, it wasn't because your friend said we should break up. Yeah, I was angry about that, but what makes me angrier is that suddenly I feel jealous of your friend…" The speaker can only look at his hands holding the book.
Ae then lets out a heavy sigh, thinking about the real reasons behind his irritation.
"Suddenly I feel like I'm just an ordinary student. I can't even keep track of what that Trump guy has done. Don't mention finding something important to return to you…" Ae says with a tone filled with resentment. His grip on the book tightens so much that the veins in his hand become visible, and his eyes sparkle when he recalls the moment Pete picked up that watch.
The important thing that he couldn't afford to retrieve.
"…Even though I told you to rely on me more, the truth is I can't really help you with anything…"
Thud. Thud.
But then the speaker freezes when a warm embrace wraps around his waist, feeling the weight of the person leaning their forehead against the back of his head, and a muffled voice comes out.
"That's not true... not true at all. You have helped me so many times, Ae."
"That's only because I happened to be there. It's not because—"
"No, it's not! It's not just that Ae helped me when P'Trump showed up. Don't you realize how much you've helped me?" Pete stammers, his heart racing as Ae speaks.
Pete never expected Ae to see him that way. Even though he says he can't help, it's completely untrue, so Pete must say something.
"The truth is, I was afraid to know what P'Trump has done…" The speaker's voice trembles slightly.
Even though Pete pretends to be brave, wanting to know for self-protection, deep down, he is anxious about what P'Trump might have done and why he wants so much money. He had tried to think that he was likely spending it extravagantly. Another part of him insisted it must involve something illegal. Of course, he feared knowing, but today Ae was with him.
Admitting it feels like a relief.
"...but when you sat next to me earlier, Ae, it made me not afraid, no matter what bad things Trump might have done, because I know Ae won't leave me. Ae said he would... protect me, so I was not scared."
Ae is his courage, so how could Ae say he hasn't done anything?
"Ae really doesn't know how much he is my support... really doesn't know?" Both of the speaker's hands grip the other's student shirt tightly, while his face remains pressed against it. The hand holding on trembles slightly, feeling quite angry at himself for being so glad to learn how much Ae cares for him.
It's hard to put into words. Pete just knows his heart is racing... racing a lot.
At the same time, the one being hugged remains still, and suddenly, the annoyance in his heart swells unbelievably. Just hearing Pete say this makes him feel good... good enough to feel like a fool, and he almost wants to laugh at himself.
Someone like Ai'Ae has never envied anyone, never thought to compare himself to anyone. When did he become so jealous that he can't help but think that sometimes love brings fear? It makes someone who thinks they would never care about anyone this much overthink these things.
Yes, even if I can't find out what that fucking shit-lizard did, and I can't get your stuff back, Pete, I'm still the one who will protect you just as fiercely as anyone else.
He places his hand down on the pale hand, squeezing it gently, feeling the warm body pressed against him until there is almost no space left. The desire to hug his partner rushes in. He has to turn around, finding that Ai'Pete still has his head down, prompting him to pull him into a tight embrace.
"Thank you."
"W-we haven't done anything yet. It's me who should thank Ae," Pete can only speak softly while gripping the hem of the other's shirt tightly. He realizes he's the one who hugged Ae first, and the discomfort shifts into excitement.
Just now, I hugged Ae first... again.
The thought makes him quickly release the hem and shyly attempt to push away, unable to help feeling a little embarrassed. This causes the one who was just about to go crazy with annoyance to tighten his embrace around Pete's waist even more.
"A-Ae," Pete calls out softly, and the owner of the name pulls him in tighter, feeling that Pete's waist is small. Even though they've held hands many times, he's never hugged Pete's waist this tightly before.
Until now.
Even though he's wearing a student shirt, making him look like an ordinary guy, hugging him for real makes him realize just how small his waist is. The size is such that even having seen it with his own eyes when they stayed at a hotel together doesn't compare. He chuckles as he sees his Khun-chai looking unsure whether he should hug him back or not.
"You weren't lying this morning, huh?" Thus, the football player breaks the silence.
"W-what?"
"Your heart is beating really fast, Pete."
The listener stiffens, and his already warm face feels even hotter now that their bodies are touching, causing Ae to hear his heartbeat... this isn't good at all. It's not good for the heart to be working so hard.
"I... I..."
There's no need to wait for his Khun-chai to say anything more. Ae swiftly grabs Pete's hand and places it on his left chest, causing the owner of the pale hand to widen his eyes in surprise. He can only stare at his hand pressed against the chest that is much firmer than his own.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!!!
The heart within Ae's chest beats so strongly that the palm of his hand can feel it clearly. It beats hard enough to seem like it's thumping against his palm, leaving Pete to gaze into the sharp eyes that were already fixed on him. Even though the shorter one feels quite embarrassed about letting someone else know about his excitement, with Pete, it seems to be an exception because the redder Pete's face gets, the better Ae feels.
"You're really red, Pete."
Tap.
Not only does he speak, but Ae also raises his hand to touch Pete's soft cheek, feeling the warmth radiating from it until he lays his hand down. Then, he gently caresses the softness that he's become fond of, his eyes focused solely on Pete's orange lips. Suddenly, a deep voice that seems to come from far away speaks up.
"Can I... kiss you?"
The question makes Pete feel so shy that he almost wants to dig into the ground and hide. He stands there frozen, his tongue feeling stiff, unable to say anything, just staring wide-eyed at Ae.
This reaction prompts Ae, the lovestruck novice, to speak up in a firm voice. "If you don't answer, I'll take it as permission."
With that, the speaker leans in closer, warm breath brushing against Pete's flushed cheek. One hand grips his waist while the other holds his cheek, drawing the face of his Khun-chai nearer.
In the silence of the dormitory on a hot afternoon, sunlight pours in through the slats of the blinds... the lips of the two male students press against each other, experiencing a taste that can't quite be described. What is clear is that both of their hearts... are beating so fast they can hardly catch their breath.
"Ai'Pete..." The deep voice whispers softly as Ae tilts his head to get a better angle, shifting to create a tighter embrace.
Ae's hand resting on Pete's waist inadvertently strokes the slender back of the person in his arms, and things might have gone too far if not for…
Boom!!!
"Fucking shit!!! My room door is practically eavesdropping. Are you slamming it for your father? When you close it, close it quietly, damn it! As if you're hugging your Mia. Do you understand, huh?"
"Well, I don't have a Mia! How hard is that to explain?"
"Sure, just pretend you're carrying your laptop! Damn it, the walls are thin enough as it is. Why is this dorm's door so fucking awful? Look! It's practically about to come off!"
Gasp!
The two in the embrace immediately pull away as the loud voice from the neighboring room erupts. Inthach lets go of his grip, scratching his head awkwardly. Meanwhile Pitchaya shifts back to sit on the bed as before, covering his face tightly, unsure of what to do.
"Sorry."
"Mmm... it's okay."
The one who apologized remains still at the study desk. He might just have started dating someone, but the feelings that come with being in a relationship only intensify the longing to be close. Just having Ai'Pete near makes him feel as if he's about to lose control.
"I should probably stay in the off-campus dorm," Ae says with a serious tone as he moves to sit beside his partner on the bed, their shoulders touching, making it even harder for Pete to meet his gaze.
It seems this remark makes Ai'Khun-chai realize something.
"Um... about the dorm."
Pete quickly changes the subject, not daring to mention what happened earlier. He feels the warmth of Ae's flushed face beside him, realizing that this fair-skinned Pete is better off since he easily turns red. He might even be a bit of a creep for enjoying the sight of Pete's red face.
It looks... adorable, contrary to his usual handsome demeanor.
Sometimes I might be a deviant for wanting to see what Pete doesn't show in front of others.
"Dorm?"
As these thoughts swirl in his mind, he turns his gaze elsewhere.
"Uh... I'm going to move to an off-campus dorm next semester. This Friday, I'll go check it out. Can you come with me? I planned for the evening, but if you can't, it's fine. I can go alone. I mean..."
Grab.
Before the speaker can say anything more out of politeness, the listener leans in, their elbow and shoulder snugly pressed together, then speaks in a stern tone.
"We're already dating. When are you going to stop being so considerate of me?"
"Well, if you're busy..."
"I think... I'll go with you." The Ae interjects immediately, knowing how Pete is.
However, if he's not free, he'll say so directly, even though they're already dating. Therefore, Ae wants the other party to speak up, to say what he wants. He doesn't want Pete to feel shy because if he can't make it, he'll decline himself.
Damn it, every time I think of the word 'partner,' why do I have to feel so flustered? Ae asks himself.
The thoughts of the person still scratching his head reflect his annoyance at himself for acting like a 'novice,' just as Ai'Pond said.
"Really now," but then, the person beside him turns and gives a bright smile, clearly delighted. His sharp eyes seem to sparkle, even though his cheeks are still flushed, causing a flutter in the observer's heart.
Grab.
"Ae!" Pete lets out a soft yelp as Ae's hands grasp his cheeks and gently tug, as if teasing him.
Then the deep voice speaks up, attempting to mask his own feelings, "Stop making that overly cute face at me. What if I can't take it anymore?"
Damn.
I'm definitely going to die from my heart working too hard someday. In the end, Khun-chai Pitchaya can only tell himself this as he lets his new partner pinch his cheeks as much as he wants.
Of course, his cheeks are... so red that their original color is lost. Meanwhile, Pete can't help but think that sometimes this kind of touch makes him feel even more shy than their lips touching, as it feels like they're really close... incredibly close.
~~~
"Nong Pete! Over here, over here! P'Money is this way!"
On a late Friday afternoon, two young men from different faculties step into the luxurious reception area of the dorm known as the most upscale in the area. Just a few steps inside, a sharp, high-pitched voice cuts through the air, accompanied by the tall figure of someone wearing tight jeans and a leopard print shirt, waving enthusiastically.
"Nong Pete still looks handsome as ever! But... why did you bring along this short dark little one?"
The short, dark, dwarf mentioned sighs and looks at the person who continues to tease him, then replies flatly, "Then why are you here? Are you working as a caretaker for the dormitory?"
"Wow, with a face like this, you can only be the owner's child." P'Money snaps back.
"Is that true?" The football player makes a strange face as Manophop (P'Money) grins widely.
"I'm joking."
Is it wrong to want to hit this kathoey? Ae can only think this tiredly as he looks around the reception area below, designed more like a resort entrance than a student dormitory
Ae already knew from his partner that the person who recommended this dorm was an international student, so he should have accepted the difference between his haunted dorm and this one from the start.
"Actually, P'Money saw Pete asking friends on Facebook about the dorm. P'Money stays here, so she will show us around," Pete quickly explains and smiles awkwardly at the senior he respects but doesn't know why they like to tease Ae so much.
"Exactly! If Nong Pete wants the same room as mine, there's no need to waste time having the caretaker show you around. I'll sacrifice my room to show you every nook and cranny. If you want to look at anything, just let me know. I'm happy to…" P'Money locks eyes with him in a way that made the onlooker feel suddenly shy.
"I'm going to drag Pete to eat some liver, so wipe that drool."
"Nong! Not only are you not handsome, but you're also a dog-mouth. this world does not let things like that go, you know." Meanwhile, the football player is straightforward, saying exactly what he sees, causing Manophop, who had intended to flirt with the handsome younger IC student, to turn and give a glare at the obstruction in his throat.
Ugh, let's just end this, Ai'Ae. If we keep arguing, we probably won't be able to look at the dorm today. Ae tells himself.
"I'll apologize for not being handsome then." Thus, the person who dislikes arguing simply cuts the conversation, prompting another person to blurt out immediately.
"Who says Ae isn't handsome... huh?"
Thud.
Thus, as soon as the unhandsome person finishes speaking, the handsome one inadvertently exclaims, only to freeze with a blank smile when the senior suddenly turns and glares at him intently. The long false eyelashes flutter dramatically as the eyes clearly show suspicion, then glance at Ae with a curious look.
"Nong Pete!"
"Uh, yes?" Pete can only give a sheepish smile.
Pete hears everyone say that Ae isn't handsome, and he can't help but feel defensive. Who says Ae isn't handsome? To him, Ae is the most handsome person in the world. It feels like that might expose his secret somehow.
I don't know.
Grab.
"Why is Nong Pete such a good person like this!?!" P'Money gushes.
"Ha!" But then, the one who probably questions their relationship rushes in to hug Pete tightly, speaking in a high-pitched voice before continuing with an overly sentimental attitude.
"Nong Pete is worried your friend will be sad because he can't compete with your looks, right? It's okay! P'Money understands now. I won't say anything about your friend anymore. How can you be both handsome and kind like this, my dear? Nong Pete, you're clearly a born angel!!!" The person who is lost in thought keeps saying things they are imagining, causing Ae to burst out laughing.
Yeah, I get what you're thinking. I heard your name is Manophop... How did your parents know you would think like this when you were born?
"What are you laughing at, shorty!"
"I have the standard height for a Thai man. You're the one who exceeds the standard height for a Thai man…"
"Ahhh!!! Shut up!!! Just stop talking! What kind of Thai man are you? I'm a beautiful Thai woman from head to toe! I can't accept it! Nong Pete, look! Your friend has such bad manners, calling me P'Money!!!" Then the one whose heart can't handle it casually leans their face against Pete's shoulder, making the shoulder's owner smile dryly.
Pete can't help but laugh when his partner bursts out with laughter at the senior's antics.
"P'Money, please don't cry. No matter how you look at it, you're clearly a beautiful woman."
"Oh my, Nong Pete!!!!" The one praised for their beauty jumps in for a tight hug, causing his real partner to laugh even harder.
Yeah, I'm crazy to believe what Pete says. If Pete were actually a man and a bit of a playboy, he'd probably have girls chasing him left and right with that handsome face and sweet talk. Girls would be all over him.
Shakes head slightly.
Ae thinks this while shaking his head a little.
[[Translator's Note: Here there is a built in feature of Central Thai that "real man" means a cis heterosexual man.]]
Manophop stops playing when the person Pete is scheduled to meet about the room rushes in. The big ladyboy instantly links arms with the junior, refusing to let go, walking proudly past the gawking crowd of curious onlookers. They seem proud to be with the handsome Khun-chai Pitchaya, making even the bodyguard behind them chuckle the whole way.
Yeah, he's crazy, but P'Money seems genuinely nice… except I'm worried they might one day drag Pete away to do something.
After finishing the tour of various dormitory styles that feel more like condos, Money receives a call from a friend. Only the two men remain standing in one of the rooms, perfectly divided in proportion. The bedroom features a six-foot bed, a nice sofa, and a bathroom that looks like a resort with a separate dressing area. The living area connects to a small kitchen. Everything is in shades of white, black, and brown, giving a modern and classy feel.
"Then we'll take this room,"
Ugh, why do I feel like a wealthy guy bringing his mistress to choose a room? Even though Pete's paying for it himself, I feel like… What the hell am I thinking, Ae? Ae asks himself.
The one who usually doesn't think much inadvertently gazes at the large bed in the center of the room, unable to help himself, and has to look away. It feels like though he's only been dating Pete for a few days… Why has he started to develop the same awful mental habits as Pond?
Is this how everyone thinks when they have a partner?
He quickly turns his face away.
"It's up to you. I'll come help you on moving day," which makes Pete smile widely.
That smile causes those low thoughts that Ae has never had in eighteen years to begin bubbling up in his mind.
This isn't good. Being alone in a room like this isn't good for my heart and mind. Even though Pete is a guy, why did his expression when he moans in the locker room look so sexy? If I end up visiting him often, this is going to be bad.
Should I run an extra hour a day?
Ae stares at his partner blankly, watching the handsome guy's wide smile start to fade.
Pete notices that there's something strange about the way Ae looks at him. Although Ae usually gets really quiet when he's angry, this silence and the way he's looking around at his face with those odd eyes makes his body feel hot for some reason.
"Ae, why are you staring at me?"
"Pete, if I accidentally…"
Creak.
"Nong, I'm here!" Just then, the room manager pops in with several documents for both of them, their eyes meeting. "Sorry, the person in charge of the contract documents is not here. So, you're taking this room, right?"
Although Pete still wonders about the unfinished words of the other person, he quickly steps in to get things sorted.
Meanwhile, the person who couldn't finish speaking feels relieved that he didn't accidentally ask his most straightforward thought... If I accidentally do something more than kiss, will you get mad at me?
It's good that he doesn't ask.
In the end, Inthach can only sigh, and of course, thinks tonight he probably has to run again, having already run in the morning.
Still though Ae will eventually have to release his tension (masturbate) because someone's face keeps floating around in his mind all the time.
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