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In the underground fight scene, Porsche could describe it as one moment's life . Every night he would go into the ring thinking today is the day he would be returned to his brother in a zip bag, yet that never happened. He would fight, take the money and return home safe to his brother, then go to work.
A mundane life, at least in his spectrum. Except it wasn't.
"Porsche." Duen's voice pulled him out of his thoughts as he tightened the strip of cloth around his knuckles. "Yeah?" He asked nonchalantly. "Khun Kinn has asked for you." He informed.
Porsche felt his arms tightening. He didn't reply and only kept bandaging his hands. Duen didn't bother with him anymore, knowing that he would go after he finished his work.
Porsche finished bandaging and walked towards Kinn's office.
This underground fighting arena was the biggest in the country. Ruled by the Theerapanyakul family, it had nearly 100 fighters working under them. The establishment was huge, with a training centre, dorms and gym. Once you sign a contract with them they will provide you with everything including a monthly salary and 50% of the betting profit.
Porsche joined the arena at the age of fifteen. His parents just passed and he had left taekwondo. After fighting with some random goons on the road a man had approached him asking for his number, only to be invited here the next day.
The moment Porsche arrived at the doorstep he realised something was going on inside. Pete was standing right in front of the door with a face that was a mix of anger, worry and disgust. Seeing Porsche the emotions eased a little but still. He quickly made way to let him in before Porsche could ask anything.
That was an untold rule for Porsche that he didn't need to announce his arrival, not Kinn's bodyguards ever stopped it to check if he was available to see Porsche.
So when he went inside, he saw a scene that made his blood freeze. Tawan was standing in front of Kinn, his one hand inside Kinn's shirt caressing the skin. He had his normal hooded gaze like honey mixed with alcohol that will make anyone dizzy with desire. Kinn didn't turn to him just flicked Tawan's hand from his skin. "Get out." He growled.
Tawan's eyes flickered to Porsche and it burned, like if Kinn wasn't inside the room he would attack him like a hungry animal. "Don't be such a spoiled sport, Kinn." He said, "After all, I am still capable of driving you mad." He said it to Porsche more than Kinn as he passed by him to the door.
"The fight will start in 20 minutes," Porsche said. It took some time for Kinn to reply, but when he did Porsche felt his anger flaring up.
"Step down from this fight."
"What?" Porsche laughed out of sheer shock, "What did you just say?"
"Step out of this fight for today." Kinn raised his voice a bit, now gritting his teeth. "This is dangerous, today's fight will be dangerous."
"What the fuck do you mean?" Porsche growled, "Are you doubting my ability, Kinn?" He asked.
Kinn didn't reply, instead, he stared at him. "No." He replied, "I am worried."
"Worried about what?" Porsche pressed, "Worried about me embarrassing you in front of your ex?" Porsche finally said it.
It had been nearly a month since Tawan came back. Came back after 2 years of leaving this man alone. Tawan wasn't an unknown figure in this arena, he and Kinn's romance was pretty enviable before Tawan cheated on him. Turned out he was a serial cheater and a pathological liar, he had done this many times and gaslighted Kinn to take the blame for his unfaithfulness. Porsche couldn't even imagine the Kinn tolerating all these for years.
"Do you really think that's the case?" Kinn said to him, "Do you think I care about my image in front of Tawan more than you?"
"Well, it seems like it, considering you stopped-" Porsche but his tongue, what was he going to say, that he cried even last night thinking about how Kinn was ignoring him since Tawan appeared.
Kinn loved Tawan, enough to hide his blunder in front of everyone. Porsche made his way in his life when Kinn was vulnerable and hurt, so what does that make him except a rebound?
"I am the Phoenix." Porsche said instead, "I am the top among here and I won't stand off from this fight." He backed out of the room, not giving Kinn a chance to respond.
"Today's bet on our side is almost $10,000." Duen's voice wavered in excitement as he counted the money. Porsche was doing some breathing exercises, trying to focus his mind away. Today his opponent was one of King's top fighters. The offer was brought in by Tawan, He introduced himself as King's current lover but Porsche knew it was just to spite Kinn. Though the man's face barely changed during the exchange he knew Kinn enough to know he was bothered.
The ring was set, the bosses from both sides. Porsche glanced at Kinn to see the man was sitting straight, as taut as a bowstring. He entered the ring and saw his opponent on the other side. He frowned, his sixth sense screaming at him for something. The man was normal, behaving normally. The eye checkup was also normal. The referee came between them and started the fight.
After dot five minutes Porsche caught it. The opponent was drugged. It was something that kicks in slowly but works faster, in this case, the pupil check inside the ring came negative because the drug didn't kick in but as soon as it kicked in it started working.
Porsche went from offensive mode to defence. His primary goal changed to survive. A doped opponent in a fight is extremely hard to deal with, they won't have any sense of reality so their blows are fatal and going on offensive means you die. It was illegal, nonetheless, he knew why his opponent was doped today.
Porsche glanced at Kinn who was also staring at him. He still hasn't figured it out. So Porsche didn't give him any hint and just continued the fight.
Defence for the punch offence for the kicks. He managed to survive by doing this before the opponent punched him straight in the heart and Porsche gasped, feeling dizzy.
The crowd screamed. It was an illegal move. Punching on vital organs like the heart and anywhere near the brain was illegal, but the drugged man couldn't stop himself. Porsche steadied himself trying to form another defence position for the next blow that would surely come for his head.
Yet before that, it was as if a hungry jaguar jumped from the ground to the ring. The other fighter was flung to the other side. Kinn was standing in front of him panting and growling. The opponent guy came towards them again, his eyes were blown wide from the drug and Kinn let out a feral growl that was humanly impossible and kicked him straight on the stomach. This time the man flew outside and fell straight onto the pavement. Porsche had no idea if he would be alive or not.
"King!" Kinn growled, "You fucking dare to send a doped man here?" And the bodyguards flowed in surrounding them. Kinn quickly turned around and looked at Porsche, he wanted to touch him Porsche could tell just by his eyes but he didn't instead he jumped out of the ring towards the hostages.
King's bodyguards were all restrained, leaving him alone and vulnerable. Tawan didn't look much phased, he sat on the sofa as if all of these didn't concern him. Porsche was quickly approached by the resident doctor, she checked him with the stethoscope saying he will have to have a C.T scan and ECG later. Porsche listened to her but his eyes never left Kinn.
The man kicked down King and held a gun on his forehead, threatening to cross him in his own house. Porsche knew that stupid kid had no idea who drugged their fighter, he was a man in love with someone he shouldn't be. Tawan was sitting with his eyes trained on Kinn, a smile on his lips increasing by seconds. Porsche knew why he was happy, why he felt that Kinn still trusted him.
But he was wrong, now Porsche understood why Kinn wanted him to step down from this. So he waited for this dumbfuck to talk and lightly touched Kinn's shoulder talking in his honey-laced voice to calm him down , Porsche wanted to barf.
Kinn's reaction to it was unexpected as he flung his hand from his shoulder and slapped him hard. So hard that he toppled from the sofa, hitting his head on the wall.
Porsche could swear Pete chuckled a little at the scene.
Like a deer caught in the headlight, Tawan got up, "Kinn what are you doing?" He asked.
"Do not fuck with me." Kinn's voice was dangerously low. "Are you telling me this.." he pointed at King sitting on the ground, "...a barely-twenty boy has enough guts to drug a player in my place?" Tawan's breath hitched, "Kinn…." His eyes were extra big for the effect, "You know I cannot do that…" He slowly made his way towards Kinn like a predator disguised as prey.
Yet Kinn only snarked, "Oh you can." He said as his hand went straight to Tawan's neck, his back collided with the wall as Kinn squeezed it. "You know I am not that mad because you dared to cross me." He said, "But you tried to harm Him ." Tawan was struggling, as Kinn's hand travelled to the north he was losing his footing.
Porsche slowly got up from the chair he was sitting on and walked towards Kinn. "Kinn." He called, his hands touching Kinn's shoulder. "Kinn that's enough you will kill him." He soothed, "Then it will be a huge mess to clean, the body and everything." He said as if Tawan wasn't a person and that's exactly what he meant.
Kinn's breath quieted down as his hands loosened around Tawan's neck. The man fell to the floor like a rag doll, coughing trying to catch his breath. Kinn took several deep breaths, his hands were shaking. Porsche grabbed onto it, intertwining their fingers.
"Why are you doing this, Kinn?" He heard Tawan ask, "You weren't like this…this…this isn't you."
Porsche suppressed an eye roll. Again this tactic, the same shit over and over.
"This is me." Kinn said, "You just have no idea how I look when I am not in love with you."
Kinn now suppressed a full-body shudder and Porsche engulfed him in a hug. He felt the other man's hands tighten around his waist as he tightly gripped his nape. Kinn had turned his back so Porsche was facing Tawan through the hug. Their eyes met and Porsche smiled a subtle smirk, just a little to show whom Kinn belonged.
You might be still capable of driving him crazy but I am the only one who can calm him down.
Then he closed his eyes and relaxed his body in Kinn's arms. "Porsche!" He heard Kinn bellowing before picking him up and running.
He apologised to Kinn in his heart for pretending to faint, or that psycho bastard with a silver tongue would again spew bullshit and mess him up more.
He opened his eyes only when he was laid down on the bed of Kinn’s adjourned room with the office. The doctor was checking his pulse and asked him questions like if he was experiencing any chest pain. Kinn ordered for the tests to be performed right now but Porsche shook his head, “Stay with me.” He said. “Let’s sleep till tomorrow.”
Kinn stared at him before lying down beside him. They lay there in each other’s arms. Tomorrow they will have a long talk about the relationship and where they both stand but for today, Porsche will busk in this warmth.