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Pat does not care, that's what he keeps saying at least. It's irrelevant if Pran keeps acting all lovey-dovey with Wai, whose face appears to be needing a close meeting with Pat's fist. The engineer doesn't want to fight. It's definitely Wai's crooked smile asking for it and it just keeps getting harder to ignore.
Pat swears he can sense the presence of the two, peculiar architects with his eyes closed. It's self-preservation, he says with a sour expression when Korn asks about his obsession. Those are just natural, survival instincts of an alpha male, easily mistaken for jealousy if judged by an untrained eye. Korn gets it, though, even encourages Pat to keep up his ridiculous agenda. Pat listens and continues the "it's not stalking, I'm just going in the same direction." thing he's been doing. Is it unhealthy? Maybe. Is it obnoxious? Perhaps. Is it going to solve his problems? Well, he won't be able to tell if he just drops it, will he? He already has Pran's schedule memorised, notification on all his social media turned on and most importantly, he feels a very specific ick when he sees two architects together. It's definitely his third eye sensing bad vibes. Pat has heard about that on TV once and he undoubtedly would be a fool if he were to just ignore signs from the universe. A fool he was not.
Pat and Pran are on good terms, to say the least. Between shared text and plans to keep their friend groups apart, they became somewhat civil, friendly even. Their messages are more than a plain exchange of locations. There is no animosity left between them but Pat still feels a tugging, vile feeling in his body when he thinks of Pran. It's sickening at times (especially when Pran is accompanied by Wai) and disappears only when Pat manages to get some alone time with the architect. One could call that feeling just a simple longing. Not Pat, though! He doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of identifying the feeling, given that he has never even heard that word before. All he knows is that his gut is telling him to track down Pran. If he doesn't trust his gut, who can he trust, right? A few unseen texts and Pat's already on his way to the dumpling stand Pran's posted on his Instagram story just a few seconds ago. It's Friday evening and it's not unusual for Pran to go out on such a day, Pat never cared before. But Wai is in that stupid picture, and he's shoving his chopsticks in Pran's direction and Pat just can't stand the idea of Wai feeding Pran today! It's unacceptable. Wai has crossed all the lines, ignored all the stop signs and hit Pat without a warning fully unaware.
By the time he reaches the place, two disgustingly close best friends (nothing more!) are already finished. Pat's glad for all the people around him, whose presence makes him less likely to be spotted. If it was just Pran it wouldn't matter. God. He would approach him and make Pran regret not inviting him, maybe sulk a little too for a good measure. Wai makes things difficult. Wai makes Pran hostile and atrociously distant. Wai picks fights and that usually just makes Pran disappointed. Not a good environment for deepening bonds, if you were to ask Pat.
Pat plans to just wait, observe, maybe throw something at them if they get too close. Nothing too obnoxious. They won't even notice him! That's the plan but Wai is leaving, probably to the bathroom, and it's nothing but a blessing for Pat. Not that he's super interested and willing to spend time with Pran but he's already here so he might as well, right? His heart is totally not going pitter-patter in his chest, ew. It would never embarrass him like that.
"It is fate that keeps bringing us together!" Pat takes Wai's seat and smiles cheerfully at Pran whose eyes resemble two marble stones with how glossy and open they are. Oh, he must be so happy, so surprised.
"Jesus, no. Pat, not now." Maybe Pran is not that happy after all, distress coating his words. It leaves a sour aftertaste on Pat's tongue and he's absolutely sure it should not be working that way. Especially, since he was met with Pran's scolding and rejection quite often, partially used to it. It was understandable given the circumstances. "you need to leave, I'm with Wai and I'm not going to put that stupid cream on your body if you two fight again." Pran speaks in a slight panic, standing up from his chair, clearly signalling for Pat to follow him. Pat's mind is ecstatic, reminded that it was him, who Pran has been taking care of, not Wai. Another win for the engineering.
"There's a line to the bathrooms, relax," Pat says but still walks right next to Pran, gladly obeying. If he had a tail, you bet he would be creating another Hurricane Katrina with that bad boy. "He's gonna be there for a while so you can give me your attention with no worries whatsoever."
"That's not the point," Pran responds, a stern look meant to make Pat reconsider his actions. But Pat's mind is so, so euphoric. He feels high when Pran stops suddenly under a tree, their shoulder brushing. A normal reaction. Friends sometimes do that. Oh, you touched me, let me focus on my breathing so I don't hyperventilate from excitement. Right? "My point's that you knew I was here with him and still decided to look for trouble."
"You should totally ditch Wai." Pat blurts out, eyes focused on Pran, an intense gaze that could make anyone's knees bend. Anyone's, just not Pran's, his stance invariably steady.
"And you should politely fuck off." The architect points his finger to Pat's chest, waking up his lazy heart so abruptly it leaves him breathless once again. It's just a shock, it happens when you're touched without a warning.
"But you've been spending too much time with him," Pat points out, voice whiny, childishly dragging his vowels. "you two are starting to look like a couple, if I may add." he wiggles his brows but his face looks slightly disgusted, dreading the idea.
"What you may do, Pat," Pran smiles. It is not the blinding, ethereal smile framed by most beautiful dimples that Pat wishes to see. This one is forced, woesome. "is stop playing and go back to being a douche somewhere else."
"Why are you so mean to me?" Maybe it's just Pat's luxuriant imagination but Pran's eyes seem to soften suddenly as if he didn't think his remarks could be hurtful before. They truly weren't. Pat learned to read between the lines ages ago. Pran complains that Pat transferred his dirty smell to his shirts and all Pat hears is that Pran remembers his scent. Pran once said he was just a tough-looking puppy. Pran's tone at the time was not at all nice but Pat noted that as being both cute and hot, truly a win-win situation for him.
"I'm not mean," Pran's hand finds Pat's shoulder as he says it, squeezing lightly. It's the same as a parent, pulling you to the side and telling you to stop acting like a clown to impress friends. "I don't see why you would come here and act like that all of a sudden. If it's another one of your antics..."
"I'm serious about the Wai thing." Pat interrupts. He is very serious. "Tell him you met this amazing, statuesque and oh so funny guy, and obviously went out on a date. He'll understand."
"I don't think lying to my friend is an option here."
"Who said you would be lying?"
"Of all the things you are, a statue is not even at the bottom of the list." Pran laughs and Pat can't even be mad at him. There's just so much fondness in Pran's voice, it's suffocating and it makes Pat's chest warm, buzzing with happiness. For the first time, Pat thinks of that feeling as something more than friendly affection. He never had that with Korn, he never was this giddy with Ink, he never felt fluttering in his heart when he heard his sister laugh. He feels ridiculous, knowing that he has spent so much time unaware of what was going on in his heart. He is just a simple guy, though. It's not like he thought about crushing on his childhood friend on daily basis, you know?
"Oh, so us going out on a date is an actual possibility?" Pat tries. He should be nervous but he's with Pran, his Pran. It's not like he will make fun of him, not once he realizes that Pat is asking for real this time. It's not some skit meant to awaken Pran's creative mind, it's obviously not a joke either.
"I never said that." Pran's unsure, his eyes scanning the engineer's face with much intensity. Alan Turing couldn't have been this focused while cracking the Enigma, Pat can bet on that. He surely finds whatever he was looking for because he smiles, soft and gorgeous, and he shakes his head enlightened as if the answer was always there, waiting for him.
"Maybe you should." Pat smiles, tilting his head to the side. He's aware that he can be a sweetheart, he has some good tricks up his sleeve, believe it or not. "I think your consent is the only thing missing."
"And do you think you can make this date worth my time?" Pran is teasing him but he's already walking even further away from the dumbling stand with a phone in his hand. A home run, as some baseball fans would say. Not that Pat knows anything about that sport, it's mostly for the straights after all and he is a proud bisexual living his truth. Fuck Wai, that's pretty much the truth he's living right now. A true winner with no bitter feelings towards his competitors, none at all, but if there was a podium he would totally push him off. For fun, of course. It's a shame that Wai would never know there was some competition going on.
"Oh, honey, you'll be so impressed, I don't think you will ever go out with another man." Pat's words may be cocky but he fully means them. He's going to make Pran feel that stupid something in his stomach. That's the objective for the night (maybe also enjoying themselves but that's too obvious to even put on the to-do list.). Little does he know, Pran's been struggling with these vile feelings way before him, charmed so easily that Pat's eagerness could only be the death of his.