Content Warning: This work is intended for mature (NC17) audiences. If you are younger, please kindly leave this site.
~~~
Perspective - Third Person
"She's asleep."
"Then I'll return her to her parents first."
It's very late now. In Khun Inthach's bedroom, there's a cute creature, about two years old, wearing sweet pink pajamas, hugging her favorite Disney princess blanket and sleeping in the middle of the bed. The person who played with the little girl for a long time leans over to look at her with a smile of affection.
Meanwhile, the owner of the room moves in. When he sees that his niece is sound asleep, Ae uses both hands to scoop up her little body and prepare to return her to her parents.
"Aren't you going to let her sleep here?" Pete quickly argues, causing the short guy to turn to look at him, slowly shaking his head, and speaking in a serious tone, which is different from the sentence that makes the listener's hair stand on end.
"No, I don't want my niece to wake up and see images that children shouldn't see."
Of course, the listener freezes, and can only look at his partner who carries his niece out of the room before raising his hands to cover his face in extreme embarrassment.
He shouldn't have acted so stupidly. He was upset and came to see Ae himself. What kind of person does Ae think him?
Khun-chai Pete, who is sitting with his legs dangling, leans down and buries his face in his knees, feeling extremely embarrassed. He wants Nong Yim to sleep here with him because it feels like there is a shield that prevents Ae from doing anything. Now being alone like this, he suddenly didn't know what to do.
It isn't just because of his perhaps annoying behavior, but they haven't seen each other for almost two weeks.
Therefore, the image that Inthach sees when he walks back into the room is a distressed image of his lover sitting with his head down, covering his face and eyes… which is... adorable.
"Ai'Pete in my pajamas— his dark t-shirt, and my loose football shorts—you make me feel...
Thud.
"What's wrong?" It's no longer just a feeling because the short guy walks over and pulls that round head down onto his stomach. Pete flinches from the sudden hug, but only for a moment. Then, with hesitant hands, he lifts his arms to wrap around Ae's waist, pulling himself even closer.
"Ae... Ae, khrap..." The taller one calls his name, making Ae smile a little.
"You, when you're clingy, you're even clingier than my niece."
It's not just words. Ae's large hand moves to gently stroke the soft hair of the person burying his face into him. He feels good, thinking about the warm body he hasn't hugged in a week.
"Ae, khrap... Ae."
"Heh, what is it?" Ae can tell that the Khun-chai is acting more endearing than usual as he glances down and sees the pale nape peeking out from Pete's t-shirt.
He wants to kiss him.
"I think I'm annoying," Pete suddenly says, causing Ae's hand, which was reaching for the back of Pete's neck, to freeze.
Ae pulls his eyes back to Pete's head resting on him. Pete looks up at him with eyes full of guilt.
"Why do you think that?"
"Well, I..." Pete pauses for a moment, then decides to speak.
"...I'm overly sensitive. I'm greedy. Before, just hearing your voice made me happy. Just seeing you made me smile for days. Now, just because you're tired and want to sleep, just because you don't come to see me, I get upset. I worry about it. I hate how annoying I've become."
Pete lowers his head a little more. He knows how he's acting spoiled, but he really can't stop these feelings.
Once you start dating, you just want more... more.
Slap!
"Ouch." This makes the listener flick his fingers gently against Pete's forehead, causing Pete to flinch and bring his hands up to rub his forehead sheepishly.
"As long as you overthink my matters, remember that I'm not annoyed by you. The moment you think about someone else though, I'll definitely get frustrated." This response comes along with the charming smile of the person who reaches out to lightly stroke the reddening forehead from the earlier flick.
"I'm the one who should apologize. I forgot my own birthday, making you upset. I'm the one at fault... I'm really sorry, Pete." The young football player slides his palm to stroke the cheek he misses, caressing it softly before trailing down to stop at the white neck.
"Forgive me, okay?" It's one of the few times the short guy acts this sweet, and it makes the listener feel shy, quickly looking away to see the bag leaning against the wall.
"Uh, I have a present for Ae too!"
Snap!
Inthach immediately frowns and adopts a stern look.
"No need to buy anything for me..."
"I didn't buy it!" Pete exclaims right away, then quickly turns to grab his own bag, speaking softly without daring to meet the birthday boy's gaze.
"I... made it myself."
"Hmm?" Ae makes a sound in his throat, sinking onto the bed as he watches Pete walk back with a small package, surprised ever since hearing the words "made it myself."
Squish!
Pete shifts to sit beside him, holding the package tightly with both hands, looking uncertain about whether he should hand it over.
"I don't know if you will like it, but I really put in a lot of effort... um... please open it and see," the gift is finally held out in front of Ae, who accepts it and looks at the person who seems both excited and anxious, not wanting to reveal that he is... stunned.
He never expected Pete would make him a gift. The rich boy who buys whatever he wants with money can't even peel shrimp. To say he made a birthday gift feels as if he knows that Ae would never accept anything expensive... He has paid attention to who Ae really is.
Therefore, no matter what is inside this package, Ae feels love for it... even before seeing it.
Thud!
And upon seeing it, Inthach loves it even more.
What Ae holds in his hand now is a dark brown leather wrist strap for men, made from nearly six or seven strands of leather—some are straight cuts, while others are braided into patterns, tied together at both ends, and attached to a small silver plate that, when flipped over, has the engraved words that say...
For You... from Me.
It doesn't say who it's from or to whom, but Ae knows in his heart who made it for him.
"Did you really make this?" The recipient looks up in disbelief.
It's beautiful and intricate, but it suits a rugged man like him.
"I made it myself... I had P'Money teach me, but I ended up ruining ten pieces" Haha. The giver himself isn't even confident as he absentmindedly rubs his fingers, which still bear cuts from trimming the leather lightly, explaining the origin of the gift.
At first, I had no idea what to give you. P'Money helped brainstorm many ideas, but I wanted something you could carry with you. So, it ended up being a wrist strap. I spent a long time deciding how it should look until I settled on this design.
I thought it suited you. I wove it for a long time, and I finished it just the day before yesterday. Then I went to have the engraving done on the silver plate... Do you like it?" Pete asks at the end of his sentence, unsure, but for the recipient…
Thump!
"Ae...
"Don't look at me yet," before Pete can ask why, Ae suddenly pulls him into a hug, the football player speaks in a firm tone, pulling his white-skinned partner's head down onto his shoulder. One hand tightly grasps the leather strap while he smiles widely—so wide that he knows his face must look ridiculous.
He's happy... no, he should say he's incredibly happy.
"Thank you so much. I'll take care of it the best I can." Ae's voice makes the listener feel good as he buries his face into the shoulder, holding the broader person tightly, allowing the silence to envelop them both.
Then, Pete closes his eyes and begins to sing.
"Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday—Happy birthday... Happy birthday... to you... Happy birthday, Ae."
The sweet birthday song fills the air while the birthday boy slides his hand to tuck his fingertips into the soft hair, gently tousling it to lift the singer's face. The sharp-featured boy leans down and gives a smile.
"Do you know... you are the best birthday gift for me?"
Then a soft kiss begins.
"Have you ever had friends sleep over?"
Now, both are lying together on the bed, with Inthach raising his hand with the leather wrist strap to look at it. The one lying on his side turns to speak softly, making him glance over.
"No, never... My school is far away, and none of them would bother to come all the way here... And why are you smiling?"
Pete barely manages to hide his smile before saying softly, "I'm just happy…"
Thump!
"Uh." As soon as his words finish, the rough hand reaches to grab his cheek and gives it a gentle twist, like a pinch, prompting the handsome boy to protest, but he allows Ae to play with his cheeks like that.
"Actually, what did you prepare for me?" Suddenly, Ae asks while still playing with the soft cheeks, clearly intrigued.
Ae asks this because, after being together for a while, how could he not know what kind of person Pete is? To be honest... Pete is a romantic.
Pete is thoughtful. He remembers the small details and always cares for those around him. How many guys learn to cook for someone they like? Or find what that person wants most to express their gratitude for the help received? This includes his close friend Pond, who once received a birthday gift from him, someone who sends treats for his little niece, and someone who cuts roses to put in a vase for his mother every year.
This kind of person is likely someone that girls dream about. So, it's unlikely that he has only prepared a gift for Ae.
When asked, Khun Pitchaya's face turns a little red.
"I just prepared a little something," he replies, slightly flustered, before reaching to grab the phone from beside the bed.
"Actually, I ordered a cake for you, Ae..." Then Pete shows Ae the phone with the photo album open.
On the screen appears a picture of a half-sized football cake on a green lawn.
"When I found out that you couldn't come, Ae, I canceled it. Actually, I can cook quite a few things now, so I planned to make something that Ae likes... think about that." The more Pete talks, the more the listener feels guilty as he returns the phone to Pete, who turns to place it back beside the bed.
Thump!
"Ae…"
"Stay still." But before Ae can lay back down, a strong embrace tightens around him from behind. Pete moves closer until his chest presses against Ae's back, sharing warmth with his stiffened figure. Then, Ae relaxes and places his hand over the one that holds his waist tightly.
"Sometimes I envy myself, you know?"
"Really?" Pete replies softly, confused, prompting Ae to speak seriously.
"I envy many people for having you in their life."
Thump!
"What's so enviable about me? I'm a total idiot," Pete can only respond, flustered, which makes Ae laugh softly, burying his face into the other's neck and planting a gentle kiss there while he moves their hand to clasp the one resting on his waist.
"I never said you were an idiot... Do you have class tomorrow?"
"I have an afternoon class."
"Well, you should sleep then. Driving back to the university takes at least an hour." He says, as if cutting off the conversation.
His partner shuts their eyes, wishing to say that they can skip, but knowing that there will definitely be a reprimanding voice that follows, so he only squeezes the hand behind him before letting go.
"Goodnight, Ae."
"Yeah." The deep voice replies as his partner moves closer, holding him even tighter, as if to make up for the many days they haven't seen each other.
However, this makes the one held feel something different. "Ae, um... it's…"
"Don't pay attention to it."
The listener wants to complain about how it's impossible to ignore something hard pressing against their butt, making it difficult to move. Pete simply says, "However, it's there."
"Yeah, I'm pent-up."
Such a response is unhelpful, except to make Pete feel the same way, causing the handsome Khun-chai to turn back to say something.
The other party cuts him off first, "Don't turn around. If you do, I can't hold back.", making the pale one take a deep breath before speaking.
"Well, you don't have to hold back... It's another birthday gift." By the end of his sentence, Pete is speaking with his eyes almost shut. Initially, he had planned that if Ae came over, he would gather the courage to start first.
This makes the person behind him mutter softly, slightly raising himself up, but only a little. Because the next moment, Ae drops back down again, shaking his head until his hair makes a sound against the pillow. "You like to test my patience, but not here..." The speaker's tone sounds like he's about to lose his patience at any moment, but he still adds a little explanation.
"I haven't touched you in ages. I won't stop just like that. It won't just be me who can't get up. You aren't going to class either. Importantly, my niece is awake, and trust me, Nong Yim is sure to come to this room." The speaker doesn't want to stop himself either, but for various reasons, he holds back.
It's not that he doesn't want to reveal this to his family, but it shouldn't be done like this.
"So, you can lie down now before I lose my self-control."
Pete understands all the reasons and intends to comply, but realizing how desired he is makes him pause, his fists clench tightly enough to sweat. He hesitates whether to be good or not, but only for a moment, he gathers his courage and...
"You!" Ae's partial erection presses up against Pete's hot back as Pete wiggles, causing Ae to flinch.
Then the words that seem to be brave came out. "For the cruel person who didn't come to see me." While the speaker... has buried his face in the pillow to escape his embarrassment.
The action causes the person behind to speak in a low voice. "I'll remember this, you. Don't let it be my turn."
Then the short guy lets out another deep sigh, trying to count from one to ten in his head to calm down what's been stirred up, but having a soft, fragrant body so close to his hand is like a gentle punishment. Even though Pitchaya is a novice at teasing, he still manages to get Inthach worked up.
~~~
"How did you even get here?"
"Don’t be stupid. This is a university. What’s so strange about me coming to study?" Tinn calmly replies.
"Hey, you’re insulting me again!"
It may be the semester break, but the football team still has practice. As a result, the one named after a fruit is out running in the blazing sun until drenched in sweat. Being fair-skinned by nature, his complexion turns bright red under the sun. However, that isn’t what bothers Khaen. What annoys him and ruins his mood early in the day is the person who suddenly appears to block his path just as he’s about to grab some water.
That coldly-aloof Khun Tinn, whose mere face is infuriating.
"I’m just stating the truth," Tinn says, raising one eyebrow—a gesture that the listener finds incredibly irritating.
"What do you want from me now? I sent you a LINE message to wake you up this morning, didn’t I?"
"Wake me up?" Tinn repeats flatly, crossing his arms and lifting the corners of his mouth slightly.
"If that’s what you call waking someone up in the morning, then let me tell you—I was already an hour into my gym session by then."
"Who cares? I didn’t even ask you!" Naturally, Tinn's teasing provokes Khaen, whose irritation flares in response. Instead of stopping though, Tinn just... smiles wider.
"I didn’t ask, but I have to tell you. Soon, I’ll successfully court you, and you’ll know my schedule."
Wow, bloody fucking confident! Do you really not think I might just say no?
Khaen raises his hand and noisily scratches his head. He wants to curse at Tinn too but finds himself speechless. He can only stare at Tinn’s calm face, which at the moment looks so self-assured it’s punchable. Moreover the way Tinn looks directly at him and speaks so bluntly, in that typical Khun Tinn style, just makes Khaen feel... the urge to poop again.
Everything's tingling. I definitely need to poop.
"So, what exactly are you doing here? Wait, no, no, no! Don’t give me some answer like ‘This is the university.’ Let me change the question... What are you doing on the football field when your building is on the other side of the university?" This time, the great Khun Khaen asks with confidence, sure that he’ll get an answer. He even spells out the location clearly.
Then Tinn answers, but Tinn answers like this:
"I came to score points."
"What points? Are you playing football? Woo, or are you trying to score points with my team captain? Do you want to join the team? Too bad! Unfortunately, we’re not taking new members. So, please turn around and go back the way you came!"
"Can you stop acting stupid?" Of course, this evasive response makes Tinn roll his eyes and reply in a strong voice. The one who’s been called stupid twice in a row now frowns and snaps back...
"I’m not stupid! I just... I just trust people easily. So don’t call me stupid!" The confidence in that statement! And that makes the one who’s been waiting here for a while find the wide-eyed guy, now completely red-faced, surprisingly endearing. Not to mention the soaked shirt clinging to his body.
"Your face is bright red."
"I’m not embarrassed! I’m hot! I’ve been running for an hour! It’s not because of you, Ai'Tinn!" The guy in question immediately fires back, clearly defensive, and the visitor just smiles.
"If you’re not embarrassed, then fine."
"Why do you talk like you don’t believe me? And move it, damn it. It’s break time, and I’m going to buy water." Too tired to argue with the terrible personality, Khaen shoves the other’s shoulder out of the way and strides toward his original destination, not caring whether Tinn follows or not. Though it would be much better if he didn’t follow.
What the hell? I wake up and have to send him a LINE message. If he asks me something, I have to answer right away. Before bed, I have to message him again. And today, when I come to practice, I bump into him again. Can I never escape Ai'Tinn? Oh, wait, no—I can’t. I still owe him more than thirty thousand baht.
The chatterbox, now turned overthinker (in terms of quantity, not quality), mutters under his breath as if cursing the person behind him. He can’t understand why his sister is so infatuated with Tinn. What’s so amazing about him? Just a good-looking face as a weapon (?) with money as power (?) and education that boosts his prestige like a pawn (?)? Why the hell are people screaming over him?
"Weren’t you going to wish me sweet dreams?"
"I send it to you every night," replies the voice from behind.
"Aren’t you talking about those nerve-wracking horror clips you send me?"
"Haha, you like them, don’t you? Last night’s was the best! Such a satisfying scream!" Talking about this, Khaen cheers up enough to slow his pace, allowing his creditor to walk beside him.
He recalls his nightly revenge, which he sends without fail. Anyone who thinks Kirakorn wishes sweet dreams has it all wrong. At first, he sent scary pictures, then audio files, and later full-on clips. Last night’s masterpiece was a zombie video—a scene of one ripping a woman apart, blood spraying everywhere. Just thinking about it fills him with satisfaction.
"You like it?" Tinn asks.
"Of course. The more graphic, like throat-slashing and blood spurting, the better!"
"Then let’s go watch a movie together next time." Tinn suggests.
Thud.
Khaen freezes, turning to meet Tinn’s gaze in startled shock. Naturally, he takes a step back, raises his fists in a guard position like he’s ready to box, and declares...
"You don’t have to lure me. I’m not going!" Khaen declares firmly, determined not to fall for Tinn’s tricks again.
These words and gestures, however, don’t disappoint Tinn in the slightest. Instead, he responds in an even, calm tone, laced with the kind of cunning Khaen could never hope to keep up with.
"Fine, don’t go. I was just going to invite you to a private cinema."
"Private...cinema." At the mere mention, it’s as if the fish is already nibbling at the bait. Tinn shrugs nonchalantly.
"If you’re not interested, there’s no need for me to elaborate."
Snap.
"Just tell me, please!" The proud one’s voice softens as Khaen’s white hand grabs Tinn’s arm. His curiosity gets the better of him, and he leans closer, eager to learn more. After all, the term “private cinema” is hardly anything to ignore.
"Well, I suppose I have no choice," Khun Tinn sighs wearily, as if being forced to explain.
"The private cinema is in the basement. It has surround sound, adjustable leather recliners, blankets, and a full menu of food and drinks, available 24/7. Plus, it can play any movie you want...but since you’re not going, it doesn’t matter." He finishes with a faintly regretful tone, leaving Khaen, who has been hanging on every word, wide-eyed.
"Wait! Is it free?"
"Aren’t you the one who said you weren’t going?"
"Hey! You’re pitching this hard. Don’t you know what the customer really wants to know? Not just how amazing it is, but how much it costs! So, is it free or not, damn it? This high-tech private cinema system of yours!" Khaen rattles off, and Tinn, a little taller, nods casually.
"Free."
"Then I’m going!" The decision is immediate and without hesitation. The thought of watching a movie in a private cinema—completely private, mind you—feels so grand it makes Khaen want to go right now. Most importantly, it’s free! (Oh, the joy of freebies, dear readers.)
"Are you sure?"
"What the hell? When I agree to go, you suddenly have to ask again? What for?"
"Just to confirm."
"I'm going, damn it! Just tell me the date." Khaen responds instantly, mentally brushing aside the fact that he’ll have to go out with Tinn. After all, how often does one get the chance to visit a private cinema? That thought alone makes him overlook his reservations, and his quick reply causes Tinn to glance at his watch.
"I’ll set the time later. For now, here, take this." With that, Tinn hands over a bag of something Khaen hadn’t noticed before, shoving it into his hand.
"Hey! I’m not accepting anything I can’t pay for!" Khaen protests loudly, though his tone lacks real heat. Tinn doesn’t argue, instead tugging Khaen off to the side of the walkway. Then...
Smack.
Tinn presses a kiss to Khaen’s sweat-damp cheek. The sudden action leaves Khaen wide-eyed, his first instinct to shove Tinn away. Before he can act, though, Tinn steps back with a faint grimace.
"Remind me not to do that again when you’re drenched in sweat...it’s salty."
"And who told you to kiss me, damn it? My cheek is mine! Did you ask permission first or what—" Before Khaen’s rant can spiral further, Tinn cuts him off with a faint smile and calm words.
"I don’t need permission. If you don’t want to pay in money, pay me back in some other way." His sharp eyes flick briefly to the bag in Khaen’s hand before he spins on his heel, adding casually over his shoulder,
"I have to get back to class."
Tinn walks away briskly, leaving Khaen standing frozen in place, stunned. He raises a hand to touch his cheek, where the kiss landed, still holding the bag of snacks. Under his breath, he mumbles uncertainly to himself.
"So, this damn snack I didn’t order has to be paid for with a kiss on the cheek... is that it?" Kirakorn summarizes in utter confusion, even though this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Though it has happened before, he’s just now realizing that a single kiss on the cheek is worth an entire cheesecake from a famous mall.
"I really don’t get rich people. And how come I suddenly feel all ticklish and have to shit right now?"
By now, Khaen really should have learned that being embarrassed... is quite different from suddenly needing to relieve himself.
Comments
Post a Comment