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Kao took out his phone from his pocket when it started ringing, smiling to himself at the caller ID, Thanos.
“Where are you?” came the demand as soon as he picked up the call.
So much for having a loving boyfriend. Kao used his shoulder to prop up the phone while he took his apron off and returned it to the hanger by the employee’s door.
“If you’re upset, don’t call me.”
Pete retorted immediately, as had Kao expected. “I’m not upset.”
“Then greet me nicely,” Kao told him.
“Hello Kao,” Pete spoke lazily, “Where are you?”
“Still helping out at P’Sun’s. Why?”
“You haven’t finished?”
Kao sighed internally. He knew that Pete didn’t exactly approve of him working at the cafe whenever P’Sun asked him for a favour, but he really wished Pete would just trust him and let this issue go. How long have they been together, anyway? And now their friends knew, everyone knew just how much Kao was taken by Pete.
“I did just a couple minutes ago.”
“Okay. I’ll come pick you up.”
“No need.” Kao reached for his bag and pulled out his jacket. “P’Sun will take me home in a minute.”
He could hear rustling from Pete’s side as he’s putting on clothes, and then the jingling of keys.
“I will come pick you up, just wait a bit.”
For the love of God, why did his boyfriend have to be this stubborn all the damn time? Kao’s house was not a great distance from the cafe and it wasn’t like he’d allow P’Sun to kiss him goodbye after he dropped him off. Things like that were reserved for Pete and Pete alone, so Kao couldn’t understand the reasons behind his persistence.
“Ai Pete, why are you always nagging at me like this?” Don’t you trust me?
There was a short silence on the other end of the line. Kao imagined Pete was probably trying to come up with a smart comeback to his question, but the only thing Pete said to him when he spoke again was a confirmation, “Nagging?”
“Yes, nagging.”
“Ok then,” Pete said curtly. “Get home safely.”
“Huh— Pete.” Kao was taken aback by the sudden shift in his tone. “Pete?” It was no use calling him, Pete had apparently disconnected the call.
What the hell was that? Kao thought. Pete didn’t usually give up that easy. Actually, Pete didn’t usually give up at all. He’d just fight and fight and fight with Kao until they both explode and end up making out angrily as a way to shut each other up. Most of the time, they’d both forget what they were fighting over by the time they’re done— breathless and with a bulge in their pants. Other times, Kao would start the fight again just so Pete would pin him down on the bed and take things further.
*
Sandee sat across from him at lunch the next day, cautiously glancing at Pete who was sitting two tables away with June and Thada, making small conversations.
“What’s going on with you two?”
Pete straight up ignored him the rest of the night and the entire morning, that’s what. Although Kao didn’t want to say it out loud, the behaviour certainly irked him. He called Pete after he got home, but none of his 12 calls was picked up and he even tried to video-call him the way he knew Pete liked. He texted him to let him know that he was going to bed, but Pete merely read his message and didn’t bother to send a reply.
All Kao did was ask him a question, he certainly didn’t deserve this cold treatment. He wondered what excuse Pete gave to the boys about not speaking to Kao.
“Nothing.”
“Really?” Sandee raised her perfectly drawn eyebrows at him. “You didn’t break up, did you?”
Kao stood up automatically. No way! No way was he going to let Pete call off their relationship over something like this. “What?! No! Did he say that?” He apparently didn’t control his volume, because Pete and their friends started looking towards his direction.
“No, sit down,” Sandee raised a hand toward the other table and waved casually, “I was just asking.”
The boys looked away from them and started chatting again.
“We fought,” Kao fessed up.
“About what?”
He shrugged. “He’s just... like that all the time.”
“You’re making less sense by the second,” she told him frankly.
Sandee crossed her arms across her chest, as if saying, I don’t have time for this so if you’re about to spill the beans on your love life you better do it fast. Kao weighed his options. He could either sweep it under the rug and pray for it to blow over, which was the way things usually were with Pete, or he could ask the girl in front of him, who was by no means a relationship expert, on how to handle his boyfriend’s jealousy.
Kao closed his eyes and made the jump. “I was helping P’Sun out last night because he was short on staff again and when I told Pete that P’Sun was going to take me home he just… his jealousy is overbearing, sometimes. It’s not like I’d let anything happen between me and P’Sun.”
“Kao,” Sandee sighed as soon as he finished speaking. “You’re truly a dumb ass.”
“Wh—”
She cut him off. “You had a fever last week, didn’t you?”
Kao stared at her. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all, confiding in Sandee, since it seemed like she was about to go off on a tangent.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Didn’t you?” she pressed on.
Kao nodded even though he still had no clue where she was going with her question.
“And it was raining last night, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
The rain had died down by the time they closed down the shopped, but it was still drizzling when Kao hopped on the bike. The helmet P’Sun lent him helped protect his hair from getting wet, though the back of his jacket was completely drenched by the time he got home.
Sandee leaned forward. “P’Sun only has his motorcycle, right?”
“Yes, so?”
Sandee let her hand fly towards Kao and flicked a finger at his forehead with incredible speed. Kao’s mouth fell open, he wasn’t expecting a physical attack. He could only stare at Sandee in shock for a moment after, allowing her to deliver her piece.
“Clearly, Pete just didn’t want you to go out in the rain because you’ve been sick recently. It might not have anything to do with P’Sun at all. If all I had in mind was good intentions and you tried to start an argument with me, I’d be pissed too.”
He processed her words. Then, he processed some more. Damn. She was right. Pete made such a huge fuss over him getting ill ever since the start of the relationship, but since they were out to their friends, he’s gotten more carefree about openly giving his affections when Kao’s feeling unwell. He’d make him drink tea, take a box of tissue with him everywhere, and get picky about what Kao eats. He’d drive him around and make sure Kao’s always wearing at least two layers, despite his protests of getting too hot.
“Shit…”
“Yeah, shit. You should make up soon, okay? That frown Pete’s wearing might alter his facial muscles permanently.”
Kao turned to steal a glance at Pete only to find him looking back at him with a glower on his face.
*
Kao found Pete standing next to his seat after their last class was dismissed, his bag flung over his shoulder carelessly. “Are you working again today or what?”
He stared up at Pete, whose two top buttons were already undone. Truly, the juniors in their department go crazy for him whenever they see his ragged look and if anyone has a reason to be jealous, it would be Kao. Pete doesn’t even realise the effect he has on others. The way he was setting his jaw tightly only emphasised his features, making him even more good-looking than usual. No one should be allowed to see him like this.
“No,” Kao answered him. “No, I’m not.”
“Let’s go, then. I’ll take you home.” Pete motioned for him to come and Kao complied. He didn’t expect Pete to lower his defences this quickly, though he’s not protesting if that was the case. They walked side by side to the lobby and when Pete started to rummage through his bags looking for something, Kao realised it was raining.
Pete looked for an umbrella in his bag as Kao pondered that he didn't seem like the type of guy who’d carry one around.
Kao’s instinct was proven to be right. Pete failed to magically pull out an umbrella from his bag, so he turned to him and said, “Wait here.” Then he started walking away.
“I can run to the car,” Kao said as he grabbed his arm.
Pete’s face darkened almost immediately. He wrenched away from Kao’s grip. Not harshly, albeit it was enough to surprise him. “I said, wait here. Is it so unacceptable to listen to me once in awhile?”
Kao didn’t have a chance to reply before Pete was running through the rain with his bag over his head. He returned five minutes later with the car and opened the passenger door from the inside for Kao.
They spent the whole ride to Kao’s house in silence. Pete didn’t even bother turning on the radio and Kao didn’t want to risk doing anything that might make him more upset. Even as he parked his car in front of Kao’s house, Pete simply stared blankly forward and remained quiet.
“Ai Pete… I’m sorry.” Kao took off his seatbelt and shifted his position until his body is facing toward Pete.
Pete didn’t turn to look at him. “For what?”
For not understanding you. For making you upset. For getting worked up over nothing. For taking you for granted, even though I appreciate everything you do for me, I just didn’t realise that it was so much.
Kao wanted to say all of this so badly, but it was so hard and he couldn’t force the words out. Instead, when he opened his mouth, what came out was, “I don’t know, whatever you’re angry about.”
He knew as he said it that it was the wrong answer. Pete’s reply confirmed it.
“Then you’re not sorry.”
“I am,” he insisted, because he was.
Pete nodded tiredly, finally turning to look at him. “Okay, I don’t want to argue with you. Go inside now.”
It hurt. Their fights have never ended this way. The last time Pete told him to go away, he shouted at Kao until tears were flowing freely down his cheeks. All because he didn’t want to admit that they had shared a kiss. The feelings must have bothered him then, all the uncertainties and doubt and confusion and Kao hated to think that they were arising in him once again. Those feelings were arising once again, and Pete reacted the same way he did before.
Kao resolved that this time it would be different, because he was going to stand his ground. “No. I’m not leaving until we resolve this.”
“Damn it, Kao!” Pete pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Kao stayed in his seat, true to his words. He waited for Pete patiently, watching the rise and fall of his chest. He could visibly see the tension and anger dissipating from Pete as he breathed in and out.
“I shouldn’t be this much in love with you,” Pete finally said in a whisper.
“Pete—” Kao gasped, surprised. He wasn’t sure he’d heard the man in front of him correctly. “What?”
“Er, you heard it correctly,” Pete answered as if he could read Kao's mind, “What are you going to do about it?”
Pete turned to him, chin angled upward in defiance. Asking for a fight, the school thug as ever. The first time Pete ever told Kao he loved him, it started with an argument, too. Kao chuckled inwardly at the memory, a feeling of fondness emerging in his heart.
“This,” Kao answered him before he’s leaning in, capturing Pete’s lips with his own. Pete didn’t disappoint him, of course. He placed a warm hand on the back of Kao’s neck and pulled him closer, biting lightly on his lower lips.
Kao placed a hand on his shoulder to signal him to stop. They needed to finish the conversation before moving on to other things. Other more pleasurable things.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were jealous and giving me a hard time about it.”
“Jealous? Jealous of what? That idiot Sun has no chance with you,” Kao glared at his boyfriend to remind him not to talk badly about his senior. “I just want to take care of my lover,” Pete admitted.
The word lover sent a shiver down Kao’s spine. I would like that, he thought. I would like that very much, you dark brooding handsome bastard.
“Then take care of me.”
“I’m trying to,” Pete said through gritted teeth, “so let me, asshole.”
“Alright.”
Pete rolled his eyes at Kao’s smug smile. “I hate you.”
Kao wasn’t fazed by his harsh words, not when Pete just said something completely opposite not even a minute before with much more sincerity in his tone and vulnerability in his eyes.
“No, you don’t,” he said before kissing Pete again, because damn it, he’s just as in love as Pete was.