Chapter Text
It was a strange week, Namping decided, but all in all it wasn’t too bad. With Keng so busy learning the ropes, he hadn’t had any chances to make any personal requests of Namping and Namping would rather keep it that way.
In fact, one of the perks of having known Keng from before was that Namping knew how Keng worked, which made him an excellent secretary. Namping knew how Keng took his coffee, knew that Keng needed a break to decompress after long meetings, knew that he preferred a quiet morning and was sharpest in the afternoon and evenings and hence knew how to arrange his schedule for maximum efficiency. Namping didn’t say any of that out loud of course, and he didn’t think Keng even knew it, but if Keng didn’t try to talk to Namping about anything work related, their professional relationship was running as smoothly as ever.
Until the welcome dinner.
Somehow, despite it being planned to help the team get to know Keng, everyone felt like it was Namping who should get the seat of honor next to their boss… even if he was the one who already knew Keng the best (not that anyone else knew that of course).
“We’ll have… let’s do 10 sticks of everything, some chicken karaage, mentaiko fries and uhhh beers for the table,” Namping put in the usual order, having arranged quite a few department dinners here before. “Is there anything else anyone wants add?”
“A glass of umeshu, on the rocks,” Keng spoke up, certain and clear. “And a plate of wagyu fried rice no bell peppers”
“Not a beer kinda guy?” A holler from Zee down the table chimed up.
“It’s for Namping, beer makes him too full,” Keng said simply before handing the menu over to the waiter who left with their order. Zee exchanged looks with Nunew next to him.
Beside him, Namping kicked Keng under the table. What was he on about? Sure he didn’t use to drink beer, but maybe now he did. Or well… no he didn’t and he much rather did prefer the umeshu but what was Keng on about, how did he remember that Namping didn’t drink beer and hated bell peppers but always craved fried rice when he drank?
A cold glare and a subtle turn of his body away from Keng was all Keng got as Namping proceeded to hand out the plates and chopsticks to everyone before anyone else noticed Keng’s order.
As the night wore on and their co-workers, and maybe even Keng got a little bit tipsy, the usual banter and nosiness started.
Everyone knew Zee and Nunew had a thing going on, and being in different departments meant that wasn’t really an issue in their company, but with that, the pair seemed determined to be the nosy couple who wanted to see everyone around them paired up as well.
“So Keng… do you have a girlfriend?” Nunew asked suddenly and loudly after his second beer (and second shot of sake). “Or boyfriend,” Nunew hugged Zee’s arm tightly with that.
Keng was red, be it from the beer, sake or embarrassment Namping couldn’t tell in the dim light and there was a slight flare of the alpha’s sandalwood scent. “No… no one,” Keng mumbled looking down before surreptitiously casting a glance at Namping. Or maybe he wasn’t as subtle as he thought as Zee and Nunew exchanged a look again.
“Oh come on, rich, young and handsome and no one has gotten their claws on you yet? You must have a heart of steel,” laughed Fah from HR which probably wasn’t an appropriate comment for HR to make but eh, sake loosens lips. “What’s your type then?” Fah wiggled her eyebrows.
Ok Keng was definitely redder now as he took another shot of sake which Namping had to stop himself from stopping Keng.
“Pretty omega, tall… about 180cm, tofu skin, smart, speaks well…” Keng was slurring slightly and still looking at Namping’s direction. The omega promptly turned away, refusing to look into those glazed brown eyes.
“Hmm… that sounds familiar,” Zee smirked as if trying to connect the dots, but luckily the alcohol seemed to make him a bit slower.
Before anyone could ask anymore, Namping abruptly stood up.
“It’s almost 10, I have to go,” Namping declared, pushing his chair back. A hand caught his arm.
“Please, stay,” Keng pleaded, puppy dog eyes out in full force.
Namping felt his head spin slightly from the drinks and his eyes grow slightly misty. The irony was, that line was what Namping would have said 4 years ago, but he never had the chance to.
“No, I have someone waiting for me at home,” Namping replied coldly, jasmine scent withdrawing too as he swiftly exited the restaurant, picking up the tab on the corporate card on the way out.
He never had the chance to see that last sentence registering in Keng’s mind as the light seemed to die behind those brown eyes.
———
Monday came with a different sort of atmosphere, as Namping walked into the office with only a post-it on his desk outlining the list of items Keng needed. Over the past week since Keng joined, they had a quick sync-up in the mornings to go over what needed to be done but Namping figured Keng may have been too busy.
Even stranger was that this behavior, a system of post-its instead of quick meetings in Keng’s office or even just an in-person request was totally missing throughout the whole week, even when Keng was in his office the whole time.
Keng was avoiding him, and Namping was totally fine with that.
It wasn’t till the week after however that Namping himself had to request for a meeting with Keng right before lunch as the upcoming project was too complex to be discussed over post-its and Keng just wasn’t giving him the information he needed.
“So the budget review from the Brand team didn’t include the PR agency fees, while the head of the design team overspent on the printing. My suggestion is moving some of the allocated funds from the Land department to the Marketing teams since the initial site inspection has almost been completed with fewer issues than we expected…” Namping went on as Keng acknowledged what Namping was saying without actually looking at him.
Keng’s scent was different too, and Namping knew well enough that something was bothering Keng from how his usual sandalwood scent was now more muted and wilted, but that was also something Namping didn’t know why nor did he want to acknowledge. Keng was just his boss and nothing more.
As Keng wrote some of his comments on the budget, Namping’s phone rang.
Namping’s scent immediately spiked when he say “Daycare” on his phone screen.
“Sorry I really have to take this,” Namping mumbled before quickly answering the call, as Keng gave a slight nod. “Hello?”
“Khun Namping hi. Khao has a fever of 38.7 degrees for the past hour and seems to be quite lethargic, we’d suggest for you to take him to the hospital as it’s quite a high temperature for a young child,” Teacher Lin said over the phone.
Namping paled. A fever? Khao was a little less energetic this morning but he didn’t feel warm when they left the house. Namping just assumed he was sleepy in the morning. How did he miss the signs?
As his jasmine scent continued to spike, Keng couldnt help but instinctively release some calming alpha pheromones who’s familiarity calmed Namping down without him noticing.
“I’ll be right there,” Namping hurriedly replied before hanging up.
“Khun Harit, my apologies I have to go my… nephew is running a very high fever,” Namping muttered, gathering his things. This wasn’t professional at all but nothing mattered more to Namping than Khao.
Keng quickly stopped him from apologizing. “Let’s go, I’ll drive you to the hospital,” Keng replied. “It’s faster than taking a Grab and the quicker the child is seen to the better,” Keng offered, having overheard the conversation.
Namping was torn. On one hand, he didn’t really want Keng to meet Khao, but on the other hand, Keng was right and he wanted to get Khao to the hospital as soon as possible. Inevitably, Namping’s parental instincts won out.
“Thank you, I’d really appreciate that,” Namping muttered as he made his way to the elevator, Keng following along.
Finally, they reached the daycare and if the daycare staff was surprised to see Keng, no one mentioned anything as they hurriedly handed a slightly shivering and subdued Khao to Namping, wrapped up in a blanket.
Getting into Keng’s Mercedes, Namping’s anxiety rose even higher, seeing his son so unlike his usual self. The usually bright and cheery boy was lethargic and shivering, despite being incredibly warm to the touch and Namping’s worry seemed to have caused his scent to break through his scent blocker. In reaction to that however, Khao sensed his omega’s parent anxiety and squirmed uncomfortably in Namping’s hold, brows creased.
“Namping, calm down,” Keng said in his strong, dependable, alpha voice, releasing some calming pheromones, dispersing the overripe scent of jasmine, which seemed to also settle Khao as the omega tightly hugged the toddler in the backseat.
Resolutely, Namping gave a tight nod, calming both himself and his son as Keng sped away to the nearest hospital.
—
Khao was whisked away to an observation bed the minute they arrived at the ER, Keng having made some calls to the hospital director on the way there. He didn’t know why exactly he felt such a strong sense of protection for the toddler, going out of his way to ensure the child received the best care, but he knew he had to do it.
Right now, they were in Khao’s hospital room, filling out the paperwork as Khao slept fitfully after exhausting himself crying when an IV drip had to be put in. Namping had insisted that Keng returned to the office but he just brushed it off with it just being internal meetings and he’ll just reachedule them, not wanting to leave the omega alone.
“Patient full name?” A stern nurse asked, clipboard in hand.
“Hirunkhao Pingmuang. Nickname Khao”
“Name and relation to patient?”
“Napatsakorn Pingmuang, omega mother,” Namping muttered, turning red. “Just me.” The nurse gave a look to the silent Keng behind Namping who she had assumed was the alpha father.
Keng on the other hand was equally confused, didn’t Namping say it was his nephew?
“Any known medical conditions or allergies?”
“Thelesimia minor. Allergic to oysters, mussels and clams.” as the nurse nodded and wrote it down. How coincidental, Keng thought - thelesimia was something that ran in his family too.
“You can remain here with the patient - we’ve put him on an IV with fever reducers and he seems to be responding well, fever is down slightly to 38.3, but with children his age we want to be extra careful, especially since he was lethargic and shivering coming in. Khun Keng has also requested for the head pediatrician to check up on your son so please wait awhile,” the nurse finished before leaving.
Finally Namping let out a sigh of relief, sinking down in a chair by the bed as if all his energy had left him, as Keng moved to the small kitchenette to pour the omega some water.
Shortly, a soft knock came from the door and Kong carefully peeked his head in. Looking up, Namping was beyond relieved to see his best friend and Khao’s godfather.
“Kong, what are you doing here?” Namping asked, though grateful that a source of comfort was there.
“The daycare called me, I was the other emergency contact,” Kong said simply, as behind him, Kong’s boyfriend Thomas entered the room too. “How’s the little guy?”
However, glancing to the side, Kong noticed a familiar face coming out of the kitchenette. Immediately, Kong’s tone shifted. “What are you doing here?” Kong asked coldly.
“Kong…? And… Thomas?” Keng was even more surprised to see his overseas MBA buddy back in Thailand than Namping’s best friend who he already knew back in college.
“Shhh all of you,” Namping hissed from the chair. “You’ll wake Khao up. Khun Keng, thank you for bringing us here, why don’t you go back to the office? I’ll repay you for all your help.”
Seeing that Namping had his friends around, Keng reluctantly agreed. There was no further reason for him to be here.
Behind him, Thomas walked him out of the hospital.
“Keng hey it’s been years,” Thomas started. “I didn’t expect to meet you here of all places”.
Keng was glad to see another familiar face in Thailand, and much less friendlier than the two omegas they left behind in the hospital room.
“Yeah, Namping’s my… secretary and there was this emergency,” Keng replied, not really disclosing his past relationship with Namping.
“Wow you’re a great boss,” Thomas laughed. “Hey listen, I’ve got to get back to Kong, but let’s catch up over coffee. It’s been what, 2 years since Switzerland? Here’s my LINE.”
And with that, Thomas bid Keng farewell who was lost in thought, all the way back on the drive to the office.