Chapter Text
Akk's hiding something from him, Theo's sure of it. They've been friends their whole lives, Theo's earliest memories all featuring him in some way, and if Akk thinks he hasn't noticed all the telltale signs of something being amiss, then he doesn't know Theo at all.
Whatever it is, it has Akk’s anxiety spiking to astronomical levels; Theo has never seen him quite like this – as if he’s about to vibrate out of his own skin.
And when Akk starts jumping like a scalded cat at every little sound around them, Theo decides then and there – he’ll figure out what’s going on, no matter what. He’s always been too curious for his own good, and best friends should look after each other, right?
---
“Train with me.” It’s not a question, as things with Theo rarely are. It’s really a demand aimed at his best friend when Theo quickly grows bored of the book in his hands, flopping it over the sofa’s arm.
“What?” Akk, entirely concentrated on the racing game on the TV, turns to him immediately as the sounds of his virtual car crashing ring loudly in the otherwise empty living room. Selfishly, Theo thrives on having Akk’s attention so promptly focused on him and him only, despite how aloof he’s been for the past few months.
Clapping him on the shoulder, Theo tries with all he has to not let his eyes wonder down on their usual path towards Akk’s lips, curled so prettily in a tiny smile. “Boxing, we haven’t trained together in ages.”
All at once, Akk’s gaze strays from him, and suddenly, the controller in his hands is the most fascinating thing in the universe. “ Ah… ” he unhelpfully vocalizes, scratching the back of his head nervously. “I’m a little tired.”
A terrible liar, that’s what he is; Akk knows him better than anyone else, and Theo prides himself on understanding him more than others can. Case in point: he can easily read Akk like an open book. “You’re lying to me.”
With how fast Akk moves, Theo’s afraid he might sprain something, the joystick nearly dropping to the ground. “No!” he squeaks, completely believable. “Why would I do that?”
“Then fight me, Itsara.” Theo knows evading a challenge is at the bottom of the list of things Akk would do when it comes to their friendship. He’s always been so easy to rile up and get him to do whatever Theo wants, and he’d be faking it if he said that’s not one of his favourite things about Akk.
Theo’s right, of course – rising to his feet as if hit by a lightning strike, Akk tugs him along by the forearm towards the gym equipment room.
The way Akk knows his way around the Asawa-ekanan household shouldn’t make Theo’s chest feel so warm, yet it does, anyway. That his home feels like it’s Akk’s, too, brings him a strange kind of homesickness as a child who, without the neighbourhood kids, would’ve grown up alone, flying to and back from France all the time.
He’s never been the most outgoing of people – not shy, just introverted. Crowds bore him, and Theo would much rather stay inside, book in one hand and Akk’s in the other, though that’s not quite the reality he has right now.
Theo’s lived with his feeling for Akk for much longer than he’s understood them; what began as a myriad of questions now exists as a certainty that he loves Akk, has been in love with him for years.
It’s in the sparks that spread across his arm as he’s dragged around his own house, and it’s in the look in Akk’s eyes as he throws him his gloves; it’s in how close they stand, noses nearly brushing, as Theo corrects his awful posture – sometimes he thinks Akk does it on purpose, just to piss him off.
“Come at me,” Theo taunts, fists up mockingly, knowing Akk’s terrible at this. Swinging forward in the completely wrong way, Akk aims a punch to his shoulder; as he tries to block the hit, Theo topples to the ground, staring at the man towering over him with an affronted look.
“Theo!” Divesting himself of his gloves, Akk kneels next to him, nursing his arm. “Are you okay?” He’s so genuinely anxious, it only makes Theo more suspicious.
Never mind his shoulder, it doesn’t hurt – what the fuck was that? “When did you get so strong?!”
“I’m sorry…” Between the two of them, Theo knows he’s prone to the dramatics, and Akk’s the sentimental fool, eyes filling with remorse. It’s always been this way, and he wouldn’t change it for the world, but right now, Theo doesn’t need sentimentality – he needs answers, goddammit.
With a tap of a gloved hand against Akk’s head, Theo shoves him to the floor. “You knocked me down when you don’t even know how to punch. Don’t apologize, or I’ll send you down.”
With a laugh, Akk raises himself, holding a hand out for him. “Whatever you want, Khun Theo.”
---
Stronger, faster, restless, somewhat avoidant – yeah, something’s definitely going on. All the books in the university’s library are no help, offering barely any explanations as Theo tries to juggle his research while dodging Phupha’s insistent following.
Not even Saifah, with his infinite calmness, is cooperating with him. “It’s because he likes you,” is all he says while Theo feels close to tearing his own hair out.
“That only explains why he doesn’t spend the night anymore, not the fact he’s crazy strong, and will you stop playing that guitar for fuck’s sake?” Lifting himself up from his lying position on one of the cafeteria’s benches, Theo’s so pissed he’s sure if looks could kill, he would’ve already murdered Saifah.
The strumming stops at last, and Theo immediately learns once more to be careful with what he wishes for, because Saifah’s knowing look isn’t what he needs right now. “So you do admit he likes you.”
Why’s Theo friends with him again? “I didn’t say that.”
“Listen,” Saifah talks to him as if speaking with a little kid who has no idea of what’s happening around them. “The only thing more obvious than your feelings for him, are his feelings for you.”
Chewing on his bottom lip, Theo has no response to that. Every time he thinks he’s getting somewhere with Akk, it’s like the other man can’t voice out his own heart, and they go right back to square one.
It’s frustrating, to be almost sure, to be almost Akk’s. When his thoughts aren’t being plagued by this inane longing, ideas of kissing to the point breath runs out and then kissing some more, Theo’s imagining himself shaking Akk until it gets into his head that he’s the one Theo wants, without him having to say it.
“Why don’t you just confess to him yourself?” Saifah needs to be less intuitive and easy-going, Theo swears to God.
“I–”
“Theo,” Phupha appears out of the ether to his left, and Theo has to reign in the urge to throw a punch, settling on a less scandalous, per university standards, deep eyeroll.
As if moved by some kind of ‘Theo’s mad’ sixth sense, Akk comes running up to them, tugging Theo away by the arm with some flimsy excuse of needing to talk to him right now , and no, Phupha , it can’t wait.
Theo allows himself to be dragged away while barely able to pick up his things and with no glances back, only a glimpse of a smirk from Saifah – like he’d ever deny an opportunity to be close to Akk, just the two of them, alone .
He’s still angry and confused though, and Theo’s never really had any qualms about letting his feelings be known, especially to Akk.
Well, maybe not all of his feelings, but displeasure is an emotion most people are used to seeing from him.
“Where were you?” he bemoans oce they’re out of earshot from others, making no move to free himself from the unusually tight grip around his wrist.
“In class…?” Akk mutters puzzledly, and Theo instantly misses the weight of his touch as he steps away.
“And yesterday?” Theo knows he’s being nosy, but they’ve spent so much of their lives acting like an old married couple, he’s unable to help himself from needing to be the one Akk confides in.
“I had to give P’Im a hand with something.” Skittish and even more distant – does Akk really think that Theo doesn’t know him well enough to see right through his bullshit?
“Liar,” he deadpans, arms crossed in front of his chest and foot tapping petulantly against the ground. Maybe it’s the lifelong knowledge of one another that has him feeling so free to be childish with Akk. Only with Akk. “I went to your house yesterday and Egg told me she hadn’t seen you all day. P’Im thought you were with me.”
Theo’s so aggravated, his neck starts itching; his nails barely scratch the irritated skin, an interrupting hand squishing his fingers away.
“Stop doing that,” Akk admonishes, pulling Theo’s other hand into his grasp before it can rise towards his neck.
“Or what?” Theo bites back. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“Theo…” Gaze saddened, Akk keeps their hands together, taking far too much of Theo’s focus away from his anger. “I’m just trying to take care of you.”
Having lost the battle against himself long algo, Theo’s eyes linger over Akk’s lips, downturned in the way they only become when they’re fighting. “By avoiding me?”
“I’m not avoiding you,” Akk pleads, shaking his arms.
“What are you doing, then? Trying to flunk the semester?”
Mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, Akk obviously scrambles to find another excuse. “I just have some stuff going on.”
“Akk,” Theo’s tired of the roundabouting – the only one allowed to be hypocritically convoluted here is him. “I’m your best friend, right?”
“Of course.” There’s no hesitation in his answer, something warm blooms inside Theo’s chest, heartbeats waging war against his mind to force him into thinking nothing but kiss kiss kiss .
“Can’t you trust me, then?” Theo expects a response, he really does. What did he miss that Akk’s suddenly so far away, like they’re in different countries? Chewing on his tongue so he doesn’t swear out, Theo nods solemnly. “I see.”
Turning around to leave, he’s stopped by Akk’s hold on his upper arm. “Theo,” he utters, but doesn’t say much else.
“Whatever, Akk,” he shakes the other man off, stomping away. “Whatever.”
---
Theo's not avoiding Akk, per se, not any more than Akk's been avoiding him.
He's always spent more time at the library than anywhere else, he's just actively choosing to spend even more of his idle hours in there, dismissing Akk's invitations to do this and that together.
Call him vindictive - so what if Theo wants to give him a taste of his own medicine? It's not like it isn't hurting him too.
Natee looks at him like he's gone a little crazy as they share a table, flipping pages madly like they somehow offer the solutions he's begging the universe for.
"What did you guys fight about this time?" Natee interrupts his very important thoughts about how he misses Akk.
"Why do you think we fought?" Theo tries to defend himself.
"You only get like this," the other man gestures broadly at him, like that explains everything, "when you two aren't talking. What is it?"
Hitting the table with his book far louder than he intends to, Theo looks around at the judgemental looks others throw, smiling in mock apology. "You're really nosy, did you know that?" He whispers through grit teeth.
"Yeah," Natee shrugs, paying more attention to his drawing than Theo's anger. "You tell me that all the time."
Like a lightbulb has lit up inside his head, Theo slaps the table once more, uncaring that people are getting pissed at him. "You're really nosy, Natee."
"You already-"
Theo doesn't let him finish. "Haven't you seen Akk doing something weird, or out of the ordinary lately?"
Pencil tapping against his lower lip as he thinks, Natee shakes his head. "No, why?"
"Akk's been..." he searches for the right way to explain that whoever that is, it isn't the Akk he remembers, " off , for a while now."
"Do you think he moved on from whatever the fuck you two have going on and found someone else to date?" Add Natee to the list of people Theo has no idea why he's friends with. Then again, Natee's just as blunt as himself, so maybe that's what keeps him listening to the guy's bullshit.
"No!" If he wasn't the son of the university's owner, he's sure he would've been kicked out of the library long ago. "He wouldn't, would he?"
"You know him better than I do." Not something he needs pointed out to him in a moment when Theo feels like he doesn't know this version of Akk at all. "You guys have been in this dance for as long as you've been alive, it seems. Anyone else might've gotten tired by now."
Theo's mulling over the possibility that for once in his life, Natee might be right about something, when shouting comes from outside the building, whispers that grow louder as they reach their table.
"What's going on?"
Natee pulls out his phone, scrolling through it a little before lifting his gaze. "That guy who thinks he's a superhero's outside," he gathers his things quickly, pencils tucked messily into their case. "You have to see him."
Trailing after him at a much slower pace than Natee's moving, Theo exists the library in time to see a hooded figure disappearing behind the university's clock tower. A crowd's gathered around it, oohing and aahing at the sight as the person vanishes into thin air.
---
When did people become so obsessed with this guy , Theo thinks to himself as he scrolls across yet another tweet about the vigilante that’s been moving through Bangkok.
It seems the whole city can’t stop talking about him, videos of the masked stranger clogging up everyone’s timeline like a fancam. Natee seems a tad obsessed with him, having shown Theo his little collection of drawings depicting the guy that definitely isn't weird at all.
Whoever it is that's hiding behind that mask, he’s such a cookie cutter stereotype of a comic book hero, saving cats from trees and helping old grannies, that it makes Theo laugh.
The laughter’s wiped right off his face as headlights come rushing towards him, so distracted by his phone he doesn’t notice the truck until it’s inches away from him, the horn hoking so loudly the trees shake.
One second, he’s watching his life flash right before his eyes, already picturing himself once the truck makes contact with his body and leaves him a bloody mess against the asphalt; the next, there are arms wrapped around his body, pressing him to someone else’s chest as he’s shoved out of the way, curling into himself as the person’s hand cradles his head so it won’t hit the ground.
Landing as a mess of limbs on the sidewalk, Theo takes several deep breaths as he lies there, eyes wide as saucers at what stands before him: the mysterious vigilante, mask crooked, hand moving to hold his cheek as if checking nothing’s out of place with Theo. In the back of his mind, a memory peeks out – not just one, it seems, too many recollections of playfighting Akk to count.
“Are you okay?” The man asks, voice wobbly. He sounds genuinely concerned, touch feather light as he brushes dust out of Theo’s hair.
Shaking his head, Theo tries to regain some semblance of thought, which proves itself easier said than done. He’s still reeling too much from the near-death experience to be able to coherently talk, only capable of nodding.
“Good,” the stranger mutters, rolling off him in a flash. He feels familiar, somehow, like Theo has seen him before beyond the poor-quality of the videos he’s watched.
Taking the hand offered to him, Theo sways on his feet as he rises, falling into the other man’s embrace like a fainting protagonist from a cheesy romance novel. Truly not his best moment, but who can blame him when he’s just been faced with the prospect of losing his life? He’d rather die to admit to being this embarrassed, though.
Cheeks aflame, Theo only realises he’s not moving away, that he’s not moving at all , when a low chuckle comes from the guy’s covered face. They’re so close, Theo’s sure the other man can hear how loud his heart is as it pounds against his chest in a strange mix of fright and awkwardness. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yes,” Theo pushes him away, finally finding his voice again from wherever it went to. Even with the strength he has, the guy barely budges under the pressure of his palms on his shoulders, seemingly only moving because he wants to. Theo blushes more, wanting to kick himself and the guy for having him so flustered. He's not a nervous mess, that’s Akk’s job.
Akk ... No, surely it’s just his mind playing tricks on him, dead set on connecting everything in his life back to these hopeless feelings he holds for his best friend. Akk of all people couldn’t be so dumb to risk himself like this. Oh, who’s Theo kidding? Akk would 1000% be dumb enough to play superhero, though he’d probably get himself killed in the process.
The only sounds around them are the cars rushing by, the guy scratching the back of his neck as Theo analyses him for perhaps longer than he intended to.
“Thank you for– saving my life?” He doesn’t mean for it to come out as a question, but Theo’s so befuddled, he’s not sure what he’s saying anymore.
Another laugh rings out in the space between, even more Akk-esque than the previous one. Theo’s imagining it, certainly, that Akk’s the proverbial knight in shining armour that protected him. “No problem, it’s what I do.” There’s a bounce in the man’s step, arms shaking restlessly by his sides. It reminds Theo even more of his neighbour, how agitated he’s been lately.
“Who are you?” The words slip out before Theo’s registered them in his brain.
All the fidgeting ceases as the guy freezes in place, whispering a quiet, “Take care of yourself,” before he disappears, swinging through the night sky on... spider webs?