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Porsche would not approve of Chay being in this club. Chay’s not really sure he himself approved of being in this club. He’s pretty sure he saw some people openly passing pills around, and his friends managed to get drinks with little hassle despite being obviously underage. Chay kept his own bottle of water in his hands and close to his chest, just like Porsche has told him to do when in a crowded bar.
He was only here for his friends, Art and Beam (and because it was lonely at home). He’d thought they were going to do their usual hanging out at Art’s house, but Art’s older brother, Ball, had been home from university and convinced them to come to this club with him and his friend. He’d promised it would be fun.
Chay was not having fun. The music sucked, it was too crowded, it was late, and he felt like he was being watched.
“Chay, what’s wrong?” Beam asked, yelling over the music and chatter around their table.
Chay shrugged, uncomfortable. “Um, I think I might go home. It’s really loud here.” Chay yelled back.
Ball overheard and leaned towards him over the table, smiling meanly. “Aww, is little Chay scared?”
Chay did not like Ball. “If my brother finds out you brought us here, he’ll kill you,” Chay replied, looking directly at Ball.
“Uh, don’t you mean he’ll kill you?” Beam asked, glancing between them. Beam had never met Porsche.
Ball had, and looked worried, pushing away from the table and grabbing his friend. “Let’s go find some girls!” he urged, dragging him away.
Art and Beam looked unsure. “Are you really gonna leave? You can’t walk home by yourself!” Art said. “The bus stop is too far!”
“Yeah! Did you bring enough money for a taxi?” Beam asked pointedly. “Just stay a little longer.”
Chay shook his head. “I really don’t want to.”
Art and Beam shared a look. “Okay,” Art said. “Just let us finish our drinks and dance a little bit, and we’ll go with you.”
Chay smiled, relieved. “Okay.”
“Do you want to go dance with us?” Beam asked. “We’re just gonna do two songs.”
“No. It’s too crowded. I’ll wait here.”
They both nodded, downed their drinks quickly and headed into the crowd on the dance floor.
Alone, Chay let his gaze wander around the club. It was a nice club, despite the music and uncomfortable atmosphere. Maybe if he'd come here with Porsche and his friends instead of Ball, he'd be able to enjoy himself.
Chay paused his perusal of the club when it reached one of the VIP sections. There were two serious looking men in dark suits standing at the entrance, their eyes carefully tracking over their surroundings and the clubgoers.
Were those bodyguards? Was there someone famous here? Chay strained to see past the guards and into the darker area behind them.
Chay could make out three men. Two of whom seemed to be all over each other while the third sat calmly beside them and stared out into the club.
Actually, he seemed to be staring in Chay's direction. Chay squinted and tried to determine if he was actually looking at Chay or if the distance only made it seem that way. He didn't recognize him. He didn't look like one of Porsche's friends either. Chay was sure he would remember his brother hanging out with someone so obviously rich and handsome (though the latter could just be the benefit of distance).
Chay startled as an arm draped over his shoulders and pressed him into his seat. He turned his head to find an unfamiliar man smiling at him.
"Hey, kid! You lonely?" The stranger asked, gripping onto Chay's shoulder when he tried to move away. "You need some company?"
"No, thank you. I'm waiting for my friends." Chay once again tried to move out of the stranger's grip, but he tightened his hold.
"You mean the ones that abandoned you? We'll be better friends to you than them," he replied with a leering grin and tried to pull Chay closer. "We could have some fun."
"Yeah, kid. Join us."
Chay glanced over his shoulder and found two more men smirking at him. Right. This was bad. More evidence for how this club sucked. Chay was sure Porsche had shown him a move to escape a hold like this but he was having trouble remembering it, and even if he did he wasn't sure this guy's friends would let him get away with it.
He missed Porsche.
"I have a better idea," a new voice intruded.
Chay looked across the table to find the (definitely) handsome rich guy from the VIP section standing there, the two maybe-bodyguards standing behind him.
"Let go of him," he continued once he had everyone's attention. "Or lose both your arms."
Creep straightened to his full, very average height and puffed out his chest, keeping his arm tight around Chay. "Who the fuck are you?! Do you have any idea who I am?!"
Rich guy smiled. Chay tried to make himself smaller. That was not a nice smile.
"No," he turned his head towards the men behind him. "Big. Ken. Escort these men out of my club."
"Yes, Khun Kinn." They began to circle around the table, hands reaching into their jackets.
Chay was released as Creep back-pedaled away, hands held up placatingly. "Khun Kinn!? I didn't recognize you!" Creep sounded scared now. "We'll just go back to our table! No offense meant!"
"Too late," one of the guards snapped and grabbed Creep by the arm and twisted it behind Creep's back and shoved something into Creep's side that Chay avoided looking at too closely.
The other guard herded Creep's two terrified friends together and they disappeared into the crowd.
"What are you doing in this club?"
Chay turned to face Khun Kinn and found two different black-suited men standing behind him.
That was a neat trick.
"Porchay."
Chay's mouth dropped open. "How'd you know my name?"
"I know Porsche. Answer my question."
"You do?! Is he here?!"
"Chay!" Art and Beam appeared beside the table, out of breath.
"What's going on?" Art demanded. "Who was that guy all over you? Who's this?" He glared at Khun Kinn suspiciously.
Khun Kinn sighed. "It's too noisy to talk here. Come back--would you like to come back to my table?" he asked Chay. "It's quieter." He flicked a glance at Art and Beam. "Your friends can join you."
Chay hesitated, hazy memories of Porsche telling him to never trust strangers floated through his head. And Khun Kinn was kind of intimidating with his broad shoulders under a fancy suit and half unbuttoned shirt. He looked like he could snap Chay in half and not break a sweat. Nevermind having bodyguards who would probably do it for him. But he said he knew Porsche, and the club was sort of public. Surely, he wouldn't do anything terrible out in the open like this.
He really missed Porsche.
"Chay, let's just go." Beam urged, tugging on his arm. They threw a wary glance at Khun Kinn. "We should find P'Ball and let him know we're leaving."
Chay gave in. His friends were scared. "Yeah, okay." Chay gave a polite wai towards Khun Kinn. "Thank you, Khun Kinn, but I--"
"I'll let you speak to your brother." Khun Kinn grimaced. "I mean, I can get him on the phone for you. Would you like that?"
"Yes!" Chay stepped around the table towards him, his friends' fears forgotten, ready to follow the intimidating club owner anywhere just to talk to Porsche. Besides, he didn't seem like a bad guy. He had come to rescue him from Creep and his friends after all.
"Chay!" Art and Beam latched onto one of his arms each, clearly not intending to let him go.
"It's okay. He knows Porsche." Chay reassured them and attempted to pull away from them. "You can wait here, if you want."
They just gripped him tighter. "No. We're going with you." Art said firmly and glared at Khun Kinn.
He looked strangely approving as he wordlessly turned and led the way back towards his table. The bodyguards waited until Chay and his friends passed before falling into step behind them. They kept close to Khun Kinn's heels as they crossed the club, mostly due to Chay's eagerness to get where they were going.
Khun Kinn's friends were no longer making out when they reached the table, though they were still pressed closely together.
"Luring cute boys into your lair, Kinn?" one of them asked with a grin. "What would your boyfriend say?"
"Shut up, Time," Time's boyfriend(?) said, slapping him on the chest. "You saw what happened." He smiled at Khun Kinn fondly. "Kinn's big brother instinct kicked in and he had to go rescue the kid."
Khun Kinn ignored his friends as he sat down and gestured to the empty space on the couch beside him. "Have a seat."
Chay and his friends shuffled around the low table and settled gingerly on the couch, Chay sandwiched between his friends.
"He looks like a mafia boss," Beam whispered.
Chay ignored them as he watched as Khun Kinn pulled his phone from his suit jacket and dialed a number. He put the phone on speaker as it rang.
"Kinn!" The voice was cheerful and loud. "Are you going to join us? We're about to start over!" Several loud groans sounded in the background. "Be quiet! I'm on the phone!"
"Not tonight, Khun." Kinn said. "I'm still out with Tae and Time. I need to speak with Porsche."
Chay leaned toward the phone eagerly.
"Porsche? He's around here somewhere." "I'm right next to you, Master Tankhun."
"Hia!"
"Chay?! Give me the phone!" "Porsche! Be gentle with him!" "Just give him the phone, Master Tankhun! He's rabid!" "Shut up, Pol! Chay!"
Khun Kinn rolled his eyes. "Please give him the phone, Khun."
"Fine! Here, you animal!"
"Porsche!" Chay snatched the phone from Khun Kinn's hand, leaving him staring at his empty hand in bemusement. "How are you? Are you okay? When are you coming to visit again?"
"This is so entertaining," Tae said.
"Chay! I'm fine, I'm okay. I'll visit soon. Where are you? Why are you with Kinn?"
"I'm at--"
"Wait! Kinn's at his club! Are you at Kinn's club?! What are you doing at Kinn's club?!"
"Hia--"
"I'm on my way! Stay there! I just have to get a g--"
"Porsche!" Khun Kinn shouted. "Porchay is fine. He's with me."
There was the sound of a deep breath over the phone. "Right. With you. He's safe."
Chay watched as Khun Kinn's face softened with a slight smile. Interesting.
"Yes." Khun Kinn agreed. "He's safe with me. I'll get one of the guards to drive him and his friends home."
"No! Go with them! You can't just put him in a car with some strange guard."
"Hia, I'm not a baby." “You know all the guards, Porsche.”
"Especially not Big or Ken, those assholes. I only trust him with you. You take them home."
Kinn ducked his head, as if hiding his face.
"It's okay if one of the guards drives us home, Hia." Chay said. "Like I said, I'm not a baby. They can just drop me, Art, and Beam at the bus stop."
" Art? Was it Ball that dragged you there? I'll kick his ass, that little--"
Kinn reached over and hung up the phone, taking it from Chay.
"I'll take you home," he said, putting his phone back into his jacket pocket even as it began to buzz angrily.
"Uh, actually," Art said, hesitantly raising his hand. "Me and Beam can just go home with my brother. You can too, Chay, if you want." He and Beam stood, clearly eager to get away from the strange company they found themselves in.
Chay shook his head and stayed seated. "No, it's okay. I'll go with Khun Kinn. Are you sure you want to stay here longer?" he asked, worried. This club was obviously not a safe place for high school students like them.
“We’ll be okay,” Beam replied, leaning down to hug him goodbye. “Are you sure it’s safe with him?” they whispered as they wrapped their arms around his shoulders. “I was serious when I said he looks like a mafia boss.”
“Hia trusts him. It’s safe.”
Beam looked skeptical as they straightened up, but went easily when Art grabbed their arm to lead the way back into the club proper.
Chay was still unsure about leaving them here . It was a big club. What if they couldn’t find Ball? What if Creep hadn’t actually left?
His worry must have been obvious on his face.
"We'll watch out for them, Chay." Tae reassured him. "The club employees will keep an eye on them, anyways, having seen them here with Kinn."
Chay looked at Kinn for confirmation.
Kinn nodded. “I’ll leave one of my men here to keep an eye on them.” He had that soft look on his face again. Like the one he’d had when Porsche said Chay was safe with him. “Are you ready to go?”
***********
Twenty minutes later Chay sat quietly next to Kinn in the backseat of an expensive SUV as they idled in city traffic.
Chay shot a tentative glance at Kinn where he sat with his phone in hand, typing something, same soft look on his face (tinged with annoyance).
“Is there something you want to ask me, Chay?” he asked, not looking up from his phone. “You keep looking over at me.”
“Uh, sorry.” Chay replied, embarrassed to be called out. “I was just wondering what you were texting my brother.”
Kinn looked up, surprised. “How do you know I’m texting your brother?”
Chay shrugged. “Just a guess,” he lied. “Isn’t he using someone else’s phone?”
Kinn studied his face a moment before responding. “Yeah. My older brother’s. I have a feeling Porsche has gone into hiding with it.”
“Right." Chay said. "But Hia said that the private island he's on doesn't have cell service." Chay made sure to look Kinn in the eye as he said it, gauging his reaction.
Kinn met his eyes without hesitation. "That's true, but he's in the city for the night helping my brother with something."
Chay held his gaze for a moment. It sounded like the truth, but it was also a little too convenient. Just like Porsche's goodbye note.
"Okay," he finally replied.
Kinn turned back to his phone.
Chay leaned closer to him and lowered his voice. "Does my brother know you like him?"
Kinn fumbled the phone, slapping it against his chest to catch it. "What?! How–?"
"Just a guess," Chay lied again.
Kinn searched his face and whatever he found seemed to reassure him because he also lowered his voice when he responded, "He does."
"That's good. He can be pretty oblivious sometimes."
"He really can." Kinn replied, fond.
Chay grinned at him. Yeah, Porsche had that effect on people.
Kinn smiled back.
Wow. That was a cute smile. Almost as cute as P'Kim's.
Kinn's phone began to buzz. He read the caller ID then held the phone out to Chay. "Do you want to talk to your brother?"
"Of course!" Chay replied, excited, taking the phone and quickly answering.
"Kinn, you jerk. Why–?"
"Hia!"
"Chay!"
"P'Kinn said you're in the city. Will you be able to visit?"
"I'm sure I can convince my boss to give me some time. But first, tell me everything that's happened since I last saw you. I don't know how long I have until Tankhun and the others find me, so hit the highlights first."
Chay laughed. He really missed his brother.
***********
Next Day
"P'Kim, I think I met a mafia boss last night."
…
"I was just kidding, P'Kim! Wow, you got really pale."
Elsewhere
"Do you think your brother would notice a bodyguard detail?"
"Probably. Wait. What?"