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Perspective - Third Person
"Do you want to go see my niece with me?"
That was the invitation that slipped out yesterday, and the answer came quickly back, equally unconsidered.
"I can go, right? Let's go!"
At the moment, the two people who didn't think much yesterday—one wanting to show off his niece and the other wanting to meet her—are now sitting in a car cruising down the Tiwanon-Pathum Thani road heading toward Nonthaburi.
Yesterday, Ae asked without thinking, perhaps because he saw Ai'Pete excited about choosing a birthday gift for his niece. Now, the feeling of wanting Pete to meet Nong Yim grows stronger. He admits that he loves his niece a lot. The more people praise her, the more pleased he feels. With his partner, it seems like a mood to show off his niece.
Meanwhile, the other person was still dazed and confused from the unexpected kiss. When Ae spoke, he was overwhelmed with joy that Ae invited him and wanted him to meet the girl in the photo. Thus, he readily agreed.
It isn't until now that Pete realizes there is the question of how to explain to Ae's parents what Pete is to their son.
"Thanks a lot for letting me leave my things in the car last night and for picking me up this morning," the football player interjects over the music playing in the car, glancing at the brightly colored tricycle in the back seat, causing the listener to smile faintly.
"It's nothing. Besides, I did not even pick you up Ae."
"Let me ride the bus once in a while. Sitting in a Benz makes me feel like the bus seats are hard," the short guy says, shaking his head.
This person next to him said he'd come to pick him up at the dorms, yet it seemed unnecessary. It takes time to drive back and forth. Therefore, Ae arranged to meet up along the way instead.
"How do you usually get home, Ae?" Upon reaching this point, the person who has been worried all night about making Ae's parents dislike him asks further, wanting to pull himself out of the anxious thoughts as much as possible.
"I take the bus. There's a route that goes to Pak Kret. Then I catch another bus ride home. It doesn't actually take long, but I don't want to go back and forth to school. On weekdays, it's crowded, and I'm too lazy to squeeze in." The short guy explains this casually, prompting the listener to look over with curiosity.
"How do you usually bring things back home? Like the tricycle?" Pete asks softly, worried that the other might think he's coming today just to help carry things. However, he doesn't think that way. He isn't sure how Ae would have carried it back, but he believes someone like Ae can manage it alone.
Of course, the person who doesn't think much doesn't notice.
"I can carry it. I've even managed to carry long sheets of plywood on the bus before, to make a board for high school. A child's tricycle is nothing."
"How do you get off? You just press the bell, right?"
This time, the listener squints slightly, turning to look at the one who seems particularly interested and has to ask.
"Don't tell me... you've never taken the bus."
Okay, I already know the answer, Ae thinks to himself.
The one asking can only shake his head, feeling a bit exasperated when the driver quiets down, and his ears turn red as if embarrassed that he doesn't know how to take the bus. Ae has had friends like this. Their parents are overprotective and always drive them everywhere. It's hard to believe that someone like him, who's so much like a Khun-chai, doesn't fall into that category.
"Oh, I forgot. You'd never even ridden on the back of a bicycle, had you?"
"Isn't that strange?" The listener tilts his head slightly, then shakes it.
"Others might find it strange, but with you, it's a different kind of strange. There's nothing to be embarrassed about not knowing how to take the bus," Ae says with a dry smile.
"Everyone else manages to take it."
"Not everyone. Ai'Pond often gets off at the wrong stop. If you want to learn, I'll teach you..."
Question?!?
"When will that be?" Pete seems genuinely interested, turning to look with a wide smile, making Ae want to laugh out loud.
Is there anyone else who is this happy about learning how to take the bus?
Ae can only respond, "Whenever it is, it is... By the way, being with me means I'm taking you to experience new things. Riding a bicycle for the first time, and soon it'll be your first time on the bus. Everything is great!" The stocky young man says playfully while the other smiles dryly, feeling somewhat inadequate.
"What things are a first-time for you, Ae?"
The question leaves the listener momentarily silent before lifting the corners of his mouth. "Plenty. Helping someone who's about to get hit by a car for the first time… Meeting someone who's never even ridden on a bicycle before… Seeing someone lose all their belongings but not report it for the first time..." Each of these seemingly negative experiences makes the driver struggle to smile, feeling that he is putting Ae through hardships.
"...Then there's also pinching a guy's cheek for the first time, the first kiss, and then... the first partner."
By the end of the sentence, the speaker turns to look out the window, causing the listener's eyes to widen. He glances over with flushed cheeks, freezing in place when a soft voice follows.
"And I guess... the first time."
Pitchaya can't catch what disappeared from the sentence, but for some reason, his cheeks feel hot, gripping the steering wheel tightly before silence envelops the entire cabin.
Meanwhile, Ae rests his chin on his hand, gazing out the window with the corners of his lips slightly raised.
You are my first in everything, Ai'Pete, and I feel good that it's you.
"Just turn left up ahead. My house is a bit deeper in." After a while, the football player finally speaks up again, pointing toward a road.
"Ah, okay." This time, the one who was pulled back to another topic begins to worry again about the previous matter. The closer they get to Ae's house, the harder the lump in his chest beats.
How should he greet them? What should he say? How should he act so that the adults don't know what they are to each other?
Don't show it at all, Pete. The driver tells himself firmly as he turns onto a small road lined with row houses, some freshly painted, while others remain the same color since they were built.
When the person next to him points to a house, Pete slows down the car and parks close to the curb.
Ae's house is a four-story row house with a restaurant on the ground floor. At this time of day, the front door opens, revealing several tables and round chairs set up to welcome customers. Next to it is a shop selling electrical supplies like wires, plugs, and bulbs. What tells Pete that both row houses have the same owner is the bright blue paint that makes them stand out more than the others.
"That was P'Nut's idea, my sister-in-law. She said it would be a landmark for people buying things. When my brother invested everything in this restaurant, he painted both buildings at once," Ae explains while his Khun-chai looks on with interest before glancing around.
"Can I park here?"
"Yeah, sure. Just a little closer to the curb, or someone might rear-end your Benz... but leave the gift behind for now. I don't want my niece to see it..." Ae, who is about to open the door to step out, says while nodding toward the gift in the back. As he turns to look at the person sitting in the driver's seat, his voice trails off.
"I told you, don't worry about it." The worried look on Pete's face makes Ae shake his head slightly, causing Pete to give a weak smile.
"It can't be helped," Pete admits honestly, knowing lying won't help.
Pete tries to take deep breaths, calming his excitement, which has his heart pounding too fast.
Calm down, Pete, breathe deeply. I'm just here as a friend, but it's definitely going to be strange. Even Pond, who's close to Ae, didn't come to Ae's nieces's birthday party. Why am I here?
The concern shows on his face, making the person beside him lift the corners of his mouth.
If you didn't worry and over complicate things, you wouldn't be Ai'Pete.
Grab.
Gasp!
The one trying to control his nervousness jerks when a warm hand touches his that's resting on his chest, gently squeezing before a deep voice speaks, almost in reassurance.
"My parents aren't strict. You don't need to be afraid."
"I... don't know, Ae. I'm really nervous right now."
"There's nothing to worry about at all. I'm here." Even though it's a simple sentence, it somehow warms Pete's heart. The speaker squeezes Pete's hand firmly once before letting go and stepping out of the car, leaving Pete to follow quickly.
It's going to be okay. It has to be okay, Pete.
Pete takes a deep breath again, his anxiety slightly easing after the warm touch from earlier.
"Mom, hello! Where's P'Oh?"
Meanwhile, Ae, who got out first, walks straight toward a middle-aged woman holding a spatula in front of the stove. She turns to look at him and then smiles widely.
"Oh, Ai'Ae! You're just in time. Help your mom with something." Instead of greeting him with affection, his mother waves him over. She grabs a piece of paper, scribbles something quickly, and hands it to him along with two hundred-baht bills.
"Go buy these things for me. There's no one to help right now. Your dad took your niece to make merit early this morning and hasn't come back yet."
"Sure, noodles, bean sprouts, chili powder, preserved cabbage. Got it. I'll go get it for you... Oh, Mom, I brought a friend with me." Ae agrees while tucking the paper into his pocket and stepping aside to reveal a tall handsome young man, trying his best to smile politely.
Pete raises his hands in a respectful wai, a stark contrast to Ae's casual one.
"Bless you, dear... Oh my! Ai'Ae, you really know how to pick friends, don't you? Have you ever brought someone less handsome than you?" His mother laughs heartily upon seeing Pete's face.
Since high school, all his friends have been good-looking, and this makes Ae shake his head. "You only gave me these looks."
"Well, why didn't you take more then? Don't forget your mother was once a Nang Noppamas contestant, you know! Boys used to follow me everywhere..." As soon as his mother starts talking about this, the former Nang Noppamas (although rumor has it she never won a single pageant) begins to boast, making her son sigh.
"Let's go, Ai'Pete. If you don't want to hear an epic saga, you'd better come buy groceries with me." Seeing his mother begin her story, Ae grabs Pete's arm and pulls him toward the neighboring shop, while Pete quickly raises his hands in a wai to the elder. The mother glares at her son so hard that her eyes almost roll back.
"Uh, wouldn't it be better to listen to the whole thing, Ae?"
"Oh, I've heard it countless times. Every time she tells it, it's never the same. Come on, I'll go grab my brother's car keys." The homeowner's son shakes his head immediately, making Pete, who's never walked away from his mom, give a dry smile.
Pete can sense that even though Ae's interactions with his mom are completely different from his own, their closeness is just as deep. Maybe Ae is even closer to his mom than he is to his.
"Uh, why not just take my car then?" Pete asks, causing the shorter guy to chuckle softly before greeting the shop workers.
Ae grabs a set of keys hanging nearby while saying, "There's no parking if we take your car. This one's better..." He then points toward the front of the house, making Pitchaya glance in that direction and swallow nervously when he sees the vehicle... an old, beat-up motorcycle.
Did I ever tell Ae I don't even know how to ride on the back of a motorbike?
"Is there anything you actually know how to do?"
"Aww, Ae..."
At this point, Khun-chai Pitchaya can only say that much, but there's no argument to be made. As soon as he mutters softly, the person in front bursts out laughing.
"Sorry, sorry, I forgot you've never even ridden on the back of a bicycle, let alone a motorbike," Ae jokes with a laugh, glancing at Pete's hands gripping his shoulders.
Pete looks way more scared than he would sitting on the back of a bicycle. I don't even want to mention what happened before I could convince him to get on.
Just picture Ai'Pete, not knowing where to sit or where to put his feet, so awkward that even my brother's workers had a field day teasing him.
"And the seat's not the same either," Pete mumbles under his breath, knowing the motorbike's seat is nothing like a bicycle's dual-tier seat.
It's just one single seat that slopes down. So now, afraid that his legs will brush against something, he's pressing his thighs against Ae's hips. Pete has to admit, it's a bit embarrassing.
His thighs are practically pressed against Ae, with only a tiny gap in the middle that he's too embarrassed to close.
"Don't worry, the shop's just around the corner. You won't be sitting for long," Ae says with a chuckle, though he feels a bit sorry for Pete.
Before long, the motorcycle turns and stops on the sidewalk in front of a grocery store that also sells some fresh produce.
"Hi, Auntie."
"Oh, Ae! Haven't seen you in ages." As soon as the motorcycle is parked and Ae steps down, the shop owner greets him like an old acquaintance.
"I've been at school, Auntie. I wasn't planning to come back this weekend, but it's Nong Yim's birthday. As soon as I got here, Mom sent me to buy things." Ae, who's often sent on errands, says while pulling out the list his mom wrote.
"Well, you're a hardworking one. Whenever your mom asks, you help out with both shops. Unlike my daughter, who just eats, sleeps, and goes out partying at night..."
"I can hear you, Mom!!!" A girl lying inside the house watching her phone shouts out immediately, but her mom just shakes her head, clearly fed up with her daughter's short skirt and lazy attitude.
"If it's not true, then why don't you help out a little? Come here and take these boxes to the back!"
"I'm not doing it!"
"Fine, then you're not going anywhere tonight!" The daughter storms out to the front of the house, scrunching her nose at the two heavy-looking boxes.
"Mom, Mom! Can't you see how small I am? How am I supposed to carry this into the house?" The back-and-forth argument between the mother and daughter was so common that the neighbors were used to it, even causing Inthach to sigh.
If she were my little sister, I would've slapped her head right off by now.
"Auntie, let me help. Where do you want me to put it?"
"See that? Ae is a better kid than you."
Standing next to Ae, of course.
"Yeah, if he's so great, why don't you ask him to be your son instead!" The girl snaps loudly, before glaring at the customer she used to see often.
As soon as she looks up though, she sees not Ae... but someone else…
Phew...
"Hey, what's your name? Are you Ae's friend?" The girl rushes up to Pete, causing the handsome guy to take a step back as she speaks with a voice so sweet that it is a complete turnaround from before. Her mother can only hold her head in frustration, while Pete can only offer a dry smile.
"Uh-huh..."
"Don't you even think about it! You can't see a man without losing your mind. Get inside the house, now!" Seeing her daughter's reaction, the mother points to shoo her away, fearing the girl might just jump onto his motorbike.
The daughter responds with an exaggerated eye-roll, but she doesn't budge, still flashing a sugary smile at the dashing guy who makes the leading man from last night's drama pale in comparison.
"Ugh, I've got a headache."
"Auntie, should I carry this now?"
"Please help me out, dear. I've got a kid, but she's useless for anything."
No matter how much the mother scolds her, the daughter doesn't care. Her eyes are only on the handsome guy, who looks much better dressed than any of the local boys.
Meanwhile, Pete can only keep smiling awkwardly, trying to find a way out. However, when he glances over at his own partner, Ae has already hauled the big box into the house.
"Uh, I'll help you out."
"No, no, you don't need to. It's heavy... Look, you're already sweating!" The girl says sharply, worrying over the handsome guy but not caring at all about Ae, who is busy carrying things into the house. Not only that, she grabs Pete's hand just as he is about to lift something, completely ignoring her mother's scolding, while she keeps looking around for something.
"Here, here, let me wipe your face, handsome." She gushes.
Pete freezes, immediately pulling his hand back.
"No need, it's just a bit of sweat." Pete then copies what his partner had done before by wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, right before the girl can actually wipe his sweat for him.
The sight makes Ae, who has already carried two boxes into the back, burst out laughing.
"Auntie, here's the list. I'm going to go help my friend."
"Yeah, hurry up. I've got such a headache. The other neighbors have to worry about men coming to steal their daughters. I have to worry about my daughter stealing the men!" The shopkeeper says with exhaustion as she bends down to check the items on the list.
Meanwhile, the averagely-built young man steps back outside the shop.
"Hang on, Ai'Pete, wait for the stuff first."
"Aiii! Your name is Pete too? You're handsome, and your name is so nice. Do you have a girlfriend?"
The girl isn't letting up, making Pete feel utterly drained. Honestly, he has encountered many types of women, but never someone like this. Frankly, he doesn't want to ever again.
I don't mind chatting, coming on this strong is too much, he thinks, glancing around and noticing something. He turns back to the girl.
"Nong, could you give me two or three sheets of paper-towel?"
"Sure!" she chirps, and even makes a move to wipe his face again. Pete quickly steps back and reaches out to take the papers from her, then…
Pat.
"I'll wipe it for you, okay? Ae, Ae, you're sweating all over."
Stop.
Khun-chai Pitchaya decides to lift his hand and gently wipes the sweat off his partner's forehead, dabbing softly around his hairline with a smile that says, Please help me out. Nothing is more noticeable than the soft hand that touches his face. The act makes the football player's heart race in a way he doesn't expect.
Meanwhile…
"Hahaha! He's ignoring you! Clear enough for you? He'd rather be gay and let him wipe his sweat than let you!" The auntie from the shop cackles triumphantly, in stark contrast to her daughter, whose face flushes with rage, glaring at the guy who has rejected her kindness without even a glance.
Not only does he refuse to let me wipe his sweat, he's wiping someone else's! Is he pretending to be gay, or is it real?! She thinks furiously, her eyes fixed on the scene of the handsome prince gently wiping sweat off the short guy from the khao soi shop next door.
"Hahaha! I'm so satisfied...! Alright, Ae, it's ready!"
Ae immediately turns to the shopkeeper, pulling out money to pay, waiting for the change, and then grabbing Pete's arm, and finally leading him toward the motorbike. All of this leaves Pete visibly confused.
Suddenly, Ae goes silent.
"Ae, are you mad at me for doing that in front of those two?" Pete asks once he climbs onto the motorbike, causing Ae to shake his head slowly.
Inside his mind is the image of Ai'Pete carefully wiping sweat off his face, the smile and pleading look in his eyes, and that touch on his face.
Stop teasing me so much. I'm barely holding on as it is, Ae thinks as a hot feeling rushes through his core, so he doesn't dare look at his partner anymore. Of course, he has no intention of telling Ai'Pete about it.
~~~
"Hey, I just have a fan. I don't have air conditioning in my room."
"That's alright."
After calming down, Inthach returns to his usual self, though he can't help but chuckle at Pete's That's alright. when he is flapping his shirt so furiously that Ae has to push the fan closer to his face.
"And thanks to you too. My mom really put you to work."
"No, not at all. I think it is fun." Pete says this, and it wouldn't have been surprising if he only said it out of politeness. No though, Ai'Pete, even though his face is red from the heat, is smiling widely. He genuinely seems to enjoy being put to work by Ae's mom.
Since finishing their shopping and returning to the shop, Ae has been running around helping with this and that. When he turns around, his mom has handed a big pile of wide noodles, used for stir-fried chicken and seafood, to Pete to peel apart. Pete, being the good guy he is, follows all of Ae's mom's instructions. Not only that, but word seems to have spread about the new, handsome waiter... Today's lunch crowd is huge. They don't get a break until well after 1:30 PM.
Go, take your friend to rest before our mom takes advantage of him even more. Ae tells himself.
Ae believes with all his heart that his mom wouldn't hold back. If you don't believe it, just ask all of his friends who've ever come to his house.
Anyone who hasn't been put to work by my mom didn't truly visit.
"I'm sorry, really. I brought you here only to have my mom make you work." Even so, Ae still repeats the apology, causing Pete to laugh lightly, confirming he really did enjoy himself.
"I like it, you know. I've never done anything like this at home. Your mom even hit my hand, saying, 'How can you not know how to peel apart noodles like this?'" Pete raises the hand that got smacked, amused. Ae's mom hadn't really hit him, just a playful tap. Pete couldn't help but laugh along.
Being here makes him feel at ease. He doesn't have to be tense all the time, worrying about whether he's behaving properly or not.
Grab.
"Your hand is going to get ruined from helping out at my house."
Suddenly, Ae, who's sitting beside the bed, grabs Pete's hand and starts gently rubbing the back of it with his fingers, as if there's a wound there, and then looks up at Pete, who's sitting on the bed.
"Your hand really is soft, Pete," Ae says, flipping Pete's hand over and lightly pressing it with his thumb, causing Pete to blush just a little.
"Well, I don't do much, you know."
"Haha, not like mine. My hand's rough as hell," Ae says, spreading out his hand in front of Pete.
Pete, whose hand is being played with, moves to sit on the floor beside him, his sharp eyes gleaming, lips forming a slight smile.
"I like your hand, Ae. It's a hand that helps your family, a hand that can do anything."
Pete isn't exaggerating at all. Just spending a single day at Ae's house has shown him how hardworking Ae is. This guy is quick at everything. In the blink of an eye, he's bringing down a massive coil of electrical wire from the upper floor and delivering it to a customer's car. The next moment, he's running back to help take customers' orders, while Pete is just standing there, clumsy.
To Pete, these hands are worth more than his own, which have never really done anything.
Pete's free hand reaches out to grab Ae's hand again. He can feel the roughness of Ae's skin, but it doesn't bother him. On the contrary, it sends warmth through his body. Now the two of them are holding hands while sitting with their backs against the bed. Though Pete has no idea what kind of look Ae is giving him.
"Ai'Pete."
"Yes?"
Stop.
Pete looks up from Ae's hand, only to freeze when he sees the sharp gaze fixed on him. The face some might say isn't handsome is, for Pete, even more charming and attractive as Ae's lips curve into an irresistible smile before he pulls Pete's soft hand toward him, making Pete shift closer.
"I want... just a little."
The question makes Pete freeze for a moment, but he understands immediately when he sees Ae's eyes fixed on his lips. He lowers his head slightly, letting Inthach lean in until their lips barely brush together.
"Ah!" Just that light touch of their lips sends an electric current running through Pete's entire body. Ae tilts his head to get the angle just right and lightly presses his own against Pete's orange-tinted lips again.
Then, the football player tilts his head in the other direction, repeating the same gentle touch as if he knows how to tease, even though all he really wants is to take his time. He then pulls on Pete's lower lip, creating a soft sucking sound. His tongue flicks out to lick the orange-colored lip, as if unable to hold back.
"Ae, uh... Ae..." Pete wants to say that this is making him more embarrassed than a deep kiss would, but it seems his partner isn't listening anymore.
Ae continues to playfully toy with Pete's lips while his hand, which is holding Pete's, begins to instinctively slide up along Pete's side.
"You really are too cute," Ae mutters softly, like a sleepwalker, before his hand slips under Pete's shirt.
"Ah! Ah... Ae!" Pete gasps in surprise, but all he can do is squeeze his eyes shut, flinching every time Ae's rough palm glides over his skin.
At the same time, Ae feels the softness of Pete's skin beneath his hand. Pete's body isn't firm with muscles, but every inch of it feels perfect to touch. Ae can't help but let his hand wander higher... higher... until...
Gasp!
Pete jerks suddenly when Ae's fingertips graze one of the sensitive peaks on his chest, causing Pete to bite his lip. This gives Ae the chance to slip his tongue in and brush against Pete's perfectly aligned teeth. He can't stop.
I really can't stop.
The thoughts of a beginner lover, driven by primal instinct and curiosity, lead his fingertips to pinch Pete's light-colored nipple gently. The reaction is instant. Pete lets out a startled cry, eyes squeezing shut in a mix of fear and excitement.
"Ae... what if someone sees?" Pete blurts out in a shaky voice the moment his lips are free.
That only makes Ae squeeze Pete's nipple again, sending another shiver through Pete's body.
"Ae... mmm..."
Then, Ae moves his lips close to Pete's ear, and the words he's been holding back in his heart come spilling out.
"What should I do? Right now, I really want to embrace you, Pete."
Of course, this leaves Pete completely stunned.
NEXT Chapter 24 - The Only Reason It Did Not Happen Was Because of the Niece
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