Archive of Our Own ^beta

Itt's first instinct upon setting his tired eyes on Pi’s disheveled appearance was to find the guys who'd dared to lay their filthy hands on his precious treasure and make them regret ever being born. 

Pi was the most important person in his life. His savior, his other half, his everything. He’d dedicated his entire life to Pi, and to see him standing sheepishly in their living room with a large bruise on his cheek and a split lip was more than enough to have his age-old anger rising within him. The very same anger that used to consume him whole whenever he got into fights at school, transforming him into an entirely different person. 

The thing was, Itt never fought for himself. He couldn't care less what people said about him behind his back. He only jumped into the fray to help the twins when they were being picked on. 

But he wasn't in school anymore. He was a grown adult, and he could no longer solve his problems by brawling first and asking questions later. Especially when the love of his life was right in front of him, looking as sweet as sin despite the minor injuries marring his visage. 

His sweet, precious Pi. He was so protective and brave, the most caring and nurturing person on this planet. Anyone who would raise their hand against such a kind soul deserved to be buried six feet under with no hope of redemption.

But then, Pi was stepping closer, grabbing one of his hands. His grip was gentle, as it always was. Pi was never rough with anyone, unless they deserved it.

Somehow, Pi had determined early on that Itt fit into the category of those who didn’t warrant a rough approach. As such, he’d always touched Itt with a tenderness that he wasn’t used to. He was familiar with harsh words and rough gestures, not soft tones and pleasant brushes of skin. 

But over time, he’d grown accustomed to Pi’s gentle approach, and now he sought out those comforting touches at every given opportunity. 

Pi tilted his head down to look at Itt through his eyelashes, pouting those pretty lips out. He was always so gorgeous, with those lively eyes and plump lips that Itt never tired of kissing. He was made no less beautiful by his mild battle scars, not even the puffy line drawn down the middle of his bottom lip. 

“Don’t be mad at me.”

And just like that, his murderous intent dissipated, replaced by something much more important: the intense need to make sure his beloved was okay. The desire to soothe the kicked puppy expression from his lover's angelic face and bask under the warmth of his smile instead.

With one hand still held in Pi’s delicate grasp, he caressed the bruise on Pi’s cheek with his free hand. He kept the pressure light to not irritate the injury, his touch even softer than usual as his fingertips traced over that reddened skin. 

The gentle touches went both ways between them. Ever since he met Pi three years ago, he had never so much as nudged Pi too hard or grabbed his wrist with a fraction too much force. Both of them had been through their fair share of rough treatment and outright violence in their younger years, they were more mature and careful now. They treated each other with the utmost respect.

“I could never be mad at you.” 

Pi relaxed at the statement, all of the tension draining out of his shoulders. His concern about Itt stomping out the door to avenge him that instant would’ve been amusing, if it wasn’t for the large bruise blossoming across his cheek.

Itt was very familiar with bruises, as he’d been in plenty of fights when he was younger. Since the injury was fresh, blood was still pooling beneath the surface of Pi’s skin. 

His bruise was the color of the red chrysanthemums that decorated their backyard garden, symbols of love and deep desire. Pretty little reminders of Itt’s devotion and loyalty to the one man who gave him an honest chance to turn his life around, rather than deeming him the scum of the Earth like everyone else did. 

After a few days, Pi’s bruise would bloom shades of blue and purple, reminiscent of bluebells. Itt’s favorite flower. Not only for their gorgeous color, but also their deeper meaning of gratitude and everlasting love. Such a flower was a perfect representation of how he felt towards Pi.

Unfortunately, bluebells didn't grow in Thailand, as they thrived at cooler temperatures. But that was okay, because Pi was his little bluebell. 

Yellow hues would then color Pi’s cheek, like a dandelion right after blooming. Dandelions were a symbol of happiness. They reminded Itt of Pi’s sunny disposition, his bright smile and warm presence. Even taking one glance at Pi was enough to have him smiling so wide that he thought his face might break in two. 

But dandelions don’t retain their yellow color forever. They turn fluffy and white with time as the petals are replaced with seeds, which are ready to be carried away in the wind, dispersing to create more dandelions. Thus, the legend of making wishes on dandelions was born. In the process of helping the seeds spread, someone may just have their wish granted by the powers above. 

But Itt never wished on dandelions, not anymore. He had everything he could ever want, with Pi by his side. 

Just like the dandelions, Pi underwent a significant transformation of his own. He went through so much when he was younger, before they met. Itt often lamented this lost time and wished he could’ve found Pi sooner. But what’s done is done. He couldn’t turn back time, all he could do was look towards the future. A future filled with hope and promise, all thanks to Pi. 

Pi came out the other side of his struggles all the same, without Itt’s help. He was brave and strong like that, much more than Itt was. And just like the hopeful little dandelion, Pi now spread his joy to everyone else. He was a happy pill, lighting up every room he walked into. It was impossible not to cheer up when faced with Pi’s overwhelming positivity. 

If anyone told Itt a few years ago that one man would transform him from a hardened criminal into a lovesick fool who researched the meanings behind various flowers so he could plant the perfect garden for him, he would’ve punched them in the face. But what could he say? Pi had tamed him. 

Pi leaned into his touch, despite the added pressure no doubt sending a fresh wave of pain throughout his cheek. That was what reminded Itt that he had yet to ask the most important questions, too caught up in the comfort of Pi’s presence and his dazzling natural beauty. 

“Are you okay? What happened?”

Pi offered a warm smile, showing off those darling dimples that were his biggest weakness. He definitely knew what he was doing, softening Itt like butter to avoid being scolded. And it was working. Pi had him wrapped around his finger, and he wouldn't change a thing. 

“I’m fine. You should see the other guys.”

Pi always did that, minimizing his pain for the sake of the people he cared about. But Itt was more than willing to shoulder Pi’s struggles. In fact, if it was up to him, he'd take on all of Pi’s troubles as his own, so he could live a stress-free life, unburdened by the shackles of his past. 

Meanwhile, Itt was still trying to get over his own past. 

Back in his criminal days, every operation was a risk that marked the difference between life and death. One such occasion had almost taken him off the face of the planet.

It was a handover of stolen merchandise gone wrong. 

The heist itself had gone perfectly according to plan, not a hair out of place. That alone should’ve been an indication that their luck would be running out soon, because infiltration was seldom that easy. 

Itt was in charge of contacting buyers and setting up their meetings. As such, he was also the one who ensured the merchandise handover went smoothly, taking the offered payment as the client checked over the stolen goods to make sure they were legit. 

Itt had been contacted by a new client, a rich man who’d do anything to get his hands on “haunted” artifacts. Itt couldn’t care less about why anyone would want such a thing. His job wasn’t to ask questions, only to acquire the objects for a steep price. And although this mission was a bit above their pay grade, it was going to be so profitable that he couldn't turn it down.  

But really, the fact that the man had reached out to him should’ve been his first sign that something was amiss. After all, he was usually the one who had to make the effort to find their clientele. 

At the time, he just chalked it up to one of the other rich buffoons with too much money to know what to do with had recommended their service. If he had spent more than two seconds thinking about it, maybe he would’ve found it to be slightly suspicious and proceeded with more caution.

As they say, hindsight is 20/20. And beating himself up about his transgression wasn’t any help to him when the meeting went off the rails.

It started off smoothly. Jib and Kong were leisurely sitting in their getaway car, waiting for the exchange to be complete. They didn’t really need everyone to be there for such a simple handover, but they always stuck together throughout the entire process. That was how they’d survived for this long. 

Petch was hanging towards the back of the car, not paying much attention to the proceedings. They’d done this countless times before, and the rich man had shown up alone, so they had no reason to be on their guard.

Boss was hauling the giant duffle bag of stolen artifacts from the back of the van towards the client, who would then check over the merchandise to ensure it was legit. Only then would they receive their payment, then pack away into the van and head back to their base for the night.

Itt was closely overlooking the exchange, which was why he spotted the silver glint of the knife in the client’s hand before anyone else. Boss was too worried about carefully carrying the large, heavy bag without damaging its contents to notice the knife coming towards him.

Before Itt registered what was happening, his body was already moving on its own. He shoved Boss out of the way, causing both him and the bag of artifacts to fall to the ground with a loud clatter. 

Unfortunately, that put him right in the pathway of the knife. An overwhelming pain the likes of which he’d never experienced blossomed from his right side, causing him to double over, frantically clutching at the gushing wound. 

“Itt!,” Boss shouted as he scrambled up from the ground. Petch was rushing over, too. But then, more unfamiliar men popped out from behind various fixtures and pillars of the abandoned factory they’d agreed to meet in.

They probably should’ve done a sweep of the area before beginning the transaction. But they were tired from the heist they’d just completed, and they wanted to get rid of the evidence as quickly as possible so they could go home. 

The reinforcements were all armed with knives. Clearly, they were willing to put their lives on the line to secure these cursed artifacts for free.

And Itt’s little band of thieves was decidedly not ready to give up their lives for their petty crimes.

They were just a small-time gang, nothing fancy. They weren’t armed with anything more lethal than a baseball bat. They were just naive youngsters who thought they were bigger than the world, their struggles of poverty weighing on their entire existence until they had no choice but to do anything it took to scrounge up some cash.

Stealing and picking pockets always worked as a quick cash grab, until it didn’t. 

Jib and Kong had exited the car, and were now rushing to stand between the weakened form of Itt and the group of perpetrators. 

“You two, get him out of here! We’ll hold them off!” That was Kong’s order, and he was the boss after all. Besides, Itt was hardly able to stand, so he couldn’t exactly help. They were outnumbered and outmatched, and he was dying. He would only weigh them down. 

Boss and Petch were hauling him up, slinging one of Itt’s arms over each of their shoulders. They hauled him away, but his legs weren’t cooperating, so they were stumbling around a bit too much. The sounds of the struggle they’d left behind echoed in Itt’s ears, and he only hoped Jib and Kong would be able to escape unscathed. 

His legs were numb and his fingers were slippery with blood as he attempted to staunch the blood flow. It was dark outside, the bright moon serving as their only light source, accompanying them as he was dragged away by his first-ever friends. 

His heart was pounding in time with every ragged breath he took, each pump of the pitiful organ sending a fresh wave of blood through his fingers, dirtying his clothes as well as Boss’, who was holding up his right side. 

“You idiot, why did you do that?” Boss griped at him while carrying half of his weight.

Itt’s response was more of a wheeze than proper words. “I saved your ass.”

“Yeah, and look what that got you.”

Normally, he would react with an annoying grin and say something like, “Well, someone had to save the damsel in distress.” But this situation was anything but normal. He didn’t have the strength to speak or walk anymore. His knees buckled and he was sent crashing to the ground, dragging the twins with him.

“Get up, Itt!” That was one of the twins, his words frantic as he attempted to tug Itt back into a standing position.  

He could always tell the twins apart. He’d learned the differences early on, when they were children, because he knew they hated being confused with each other. But this time, his sight was too blurry to make out their features, and his hearing was too muffled to pick out the differences in their speaking patterns.

“I can’t…” That was all he could say. And even that felt like it took too much effort, his last energy breathed out along with the words as his head lolled back on the concrete. 

As he was lying on the uncomfortable sidewalk, broken and bleeding, he thought he'd reached the end of the line. That his years of criminal activity had caught up to him, and it was time to reap what he'd sown. 

He remembered when they were little kids. Boss, Petch and Itt had been the best of friends, ever since grade school. They were neighbors, so Itt frequently visited the twins’ house for sleepovers. Their place was more of a home to him than his own house, which remained largely empty most of the time. His parents were always out at work, struggling to make ends meet. 

They never said it in so many words, but Itt knew they regretted having a child. They didn’t have the means to take care of another person, but they were always hopeful that things would get better. That they’d get a promotion and their lives would magically improve.

It never happened. So, he much preferred spending time with the twins, in a house where he didn’t feel like his entire existence was a burden. 

Jib came along when they were in middle school, and he was just as troubled as them. He was transferred from his old school because of behavioral problems, and he fit right in with their trio, now a quartet. 

When they met Kong in high school, that was when their trouble-making really began. He was the perfect delinquent leader, one year older than them and not scared of getting his hands dirty. With their band of thieves complete, they quickly started robbing small targets. Over the years, they went for riskier jobs, and that was what landed them where they were now.

Secretly, he always hoped they’d all make it out of this life together. That they’d overcome this rebellious lifestyle and make honest livings they could be proud of.

Now, that was never going to happen. Because Itt was dying, and it was time to pay the piper.

It was all a pipe dream, anyway. The idea of them living happily ever after, far away from criminal activity, was nothing more than a mirage in the desert. An image of happier times that went up in smoke as soon as he got too close, and all he could do was watch as it dissipated before his very eyes. Leaving him with nothing but the humid air that remained from the shift in the atmosphere, dooming him to a hopeless existence.

Realistically, if he hadn’t been stabbed tonight, they still wouldn’t have escaped their lives of crime. This kind of profession was venomous, with poison slowly sinking through your skin and moving through your veins until it reached your heart, resulting in your death.

At least, he hoped the people he left behind wouldn't reach their end as brutally as he did. 

His head was pulled into someone’s lap. He was pretty sure tears were falling onto his face, warm and wet droplets that slid down his cheeks. He didn’t think they were his. 

“Damn it, Itt. Get up right now!”

“Come on, just stand up!”

He couldn’t tell who was speaking.

He hadn’t done anything meaningful with his life. His existence hadn’t left any kind of mark on the world, unless making rich people richer counted. He’d only brought more sin upon this planet, when there was already plenty of it without his assistance.

When he was younger, he wanted to be a doctor. But his family was so poor, he was lucky to have a meal at the end of the day. There was no way he’d be able to attend University when he had to spend all of his time penny-pitching and doing whatever it took to survive.

He was no doctor. All he was, was a sorry excuse of a man who’d wasted his years on a life of crime. 

His eyes fluttered shut as his hands fell to the sidewalk, lacking the strength to continue applying pressure to the wound in his pitiful attempt to stop the bleeding. There was no use anyways, he’d already lost too much blood for it to make any difference.

Someone else’s hands replaced his, pushing into the wound with a bit too much force, making him groan. Even though it was a fruitless endeavor, he appreciated the twins’ dedication to keeping him alive. 

If he had to choose between himself and Boss being the one bleeding out, he'd pick himself every time. He couldn't bear the thought of Petch having to live without the other half of his soul. So he knew he'd made the right decision in taking the hit, for the twins’ sakes. They'd have each other to lean on in the wake of his demise. 

As he lay dying, his blood gushing out of him like a waterfall, all he thought was that the world would finally be rid of the dark stain of his existence.

The next thing his hazy brain registered was the pleasant scent of lavender. His closed eyes scrunched in the corners, irritated by a bright light shining on his eyelids. 

He let out a groan as he forced his eyes open, squinting against that harsh light. But he wasn’t greeted with the fiery gates of hell, as he might’ve assumed. Instead, there was a face above him, illuminated around the edges by the sunlight streaming in through the window. A golden halo of light sat atop soft, downy hair, the man's every feature illuminated by the gentle caress of the sun.

Soft, empathetic eyes sat above a button nose and rounded cheeks, making him look warm and inviting. Someone you'd trust to hold your drink when you had to take a bathroom break at a club. Someone who wouldn't hurt a fly. The complete opposite of Itt, who forged a path of destruction everywhere he went and left no stone unshattered.

Beauty marks dotted the man's neck, accentuating his skin nicely and tempting Itt to follow the trail of them with his eyes. His gaze was led to the side of his nose, where another mark rested, artfully adorning him. His attention was drawn slightly downwards next. Pretty, pink lips were spread into a gorgeous smile, pushing charming dimples into the stranger's cheeks.

Itt couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked happy to see him. 

“You’re finally awake.” The man’s voice fit him perfectly, all soft tones and pleasant inflections, painting him as some kind of saint with the golden rays of the sun serving as his perfect backdrop. 

Was it possible for someone like him to be granted the gift of heaven’s sweet embrace? In all his years, he never would’ve imagined himself sitting pretty on a fluffy cloud, enjoying the afterlife with upstanding citizens who’d never so much as gotten a speeding ticket. And yet, the situation he found himself in was nothing close to eternal damnation. 

“Am I dead?”

The man snorted, and took a step closer to the bed. Which only allowed Itt to more effectively soak up the beauty of his every feature. “Why, do I look like an angel?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

The answer was tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he watched in wonder as the tips of the man’s ears turned red. But he was nothing if not honest, in this moment at least. 

Clearly, he wasn’t dead. Somehow, he’d been allowed to live to see another day. This whole screw up would be just another notch in the bedpost of the sorry existence of his life. 

His awareness of his surroundings returned to him slowly, unfortunately bringing the pain alongside it. He was laying down in a soft bed, much more comfortable than the rigid cot he was used to in the base he shared with his crew. His wound had been stitched up and bandaged by someone who knew a thing or two about patching up injuries. 

He shifted into a sitting position, wincing when his injury was agitated from the movement. It felt almost as bad as it had the night before, when he felt all of the life draining from his body. His brain was still a little slow, his senses dulled by the pain and from the haze of sleep still clinging to the edges of his consciousness. 

“How did I get here?”

“I should be asking you that. You’re the one who was bleeding all over my doormat.”

That was fair enough. But if Itt had opened his front door to see a dying man leaking blood all over the place, his first instinct wouldn’t be to bring the stranger into his home and patch up his suspicious wound.

“I’m lucky you were here, then.”

The man raised a single eyebrow with an amused tilt to his mouth. “Is this your game?” 

“What do you mean?”

“Landing on someone’s doorstep so they'll drag your sorry ass inside and you can flirt with them.”

Oh, this guy had a sense of humor. He had to be crazy, to bring an injured stranger into his home and play doctor, instead of calling the cops like anyone else would. And even now, he didn’t bother to ask Itt why he was injured, or if there would be people banging the door down searching for him. He simply carried on with a semi-normal conversation, as ordinary as it could be, given the circumstances.

Well, this guy had saved his life. And it wasn’t every day that he woke up in an attractive stranger’s bed, he wasn’t one to squander such a golden opportunity. 

“Depends, is it working?” 

The man pointedly glanced up and down Itt’s blanket-covered form, as if checking him out. He definitely looked all kinds of pitiful, small and weak on this unfamiliar bed, trying his hardest not to grimace in pain at every slight movement. Nobody would find him appealing in such a sad state.

“Maybe.” 

That answer surprised him, and he wasn't yet collected enough to school his expression. The man let out a little laugh at his widened eyes. It was a soft and pretty sound, Itt wouldn't mind hearing it more often. 

“You look like a sick little animal. Lucky for you, I love a good fixer-upper.”

“You do look the type to play the hero.”

The man shook his head, but he was still smiling. “I’m no hero, just Pi. And who might you be? I’d like to call you something other than the dying man who washed up on my doorstep.”

He lifted the blanket off his body and scooted to the side of the bed, dangling his numb legs over the edge. He flinched halfway through when his wound let out a fresh wave of pain. He was really ruining his cool, bad boy image here. 

“I'm Itt. Sorry for bleeding all over your welcome mat.”

“Oh, that old thing? I needed to get a new one, anyway. You helped me, actually. I finally have an excuse to throw it out.”

Pi didn’t seem bothered that a strange, injured man was in his most sacred place, his bedroom. He didn’t know what Itt was capable of. And yet, he didn’t show one hint of fear. In fact, beneath all of his inherent charm and warmth, Itt could sense confidence in the way he carried himself. 

Pi wasn’t scared, because he was sure that if it came down to it, he’d be able to fight Itt off of him. Itt didn’t know why he found that so attractive. 

He looked down to check his bandages, and that was when he realized the clothes he was wearing were unfamiliar. He held the soft fabric of the shirt between his fingers. It was a simple T-shirt, with cotton shorts to match. “Did you change me?”

Pi offered a shrug. “Was I supposed to let you soak blood through my sheets?”

Itt was filled with mortification. Not only did this stranger, who happened to be very pretty, have some sort of hero complex that caused him to rescue Itt and patch him up. But he’d also stripped Itt of his clothes in the process.

“Relax, I didn’t see anything crazy. Your underwear stayed on.”

That was a relief, at least. But it wasn’t enough to stamp out the embarrassment and shame that had already filled his veins. Pi had seen him in a broken, vulnerable state. And he still was in that state. There was nothing he could do about it, not when his side was still radiating pain every second. 

But Pi wasn’t really looking down on him for being weak. He simply accepted that Itt needed help, and lent his assistance without question.

He was a really interesting person.

“Breakfast is already waiting for you, if you can stand.”

He didn't realize just how starving he was until the idea of eating was pulled to the forefront of his brain. He stood up on shaky legs, attempting to take a step, but moving his right leg forward only agitated his wound and drew a pained groan out of him.

“Here, let me help.” Pi jumped into action, wrapping Itt’s arm over his shoulder to support his right side. 

Pi was fearless, almost naively so. For all he knew, Itt could be a wanted criminal on the run. And well, the second part of that was true, he was technically a criminal on the run. Though, he wasn't wanted by the police. Not yet, anyways. 

As Itt hobbled along, he recalled how he’d been dragged away from the factory by the twins. If it wasn't for them, he would've died in that dingy abandoned building, surrounded by dust and rusty pipes. 

“What happened to my friends?” 

“Funny you should ask.” 

Pi led him down a hallway, to the living room. Boss and Petch were sleeping on the floor, on top of some blankets. They somehow looked even more exhausted than Itt felt. 

“They refused to leave until they knew you lived through the night. Wake them up so we can eat.”

Pi offered him a pat on the back before turning to disappear into another room, presumably the kitchen.

Not only had Pi allowed Itt into his home, but also Boss and Petch. And he even offered them free rein of the place, not bothering to keep an eye on them, as if he knew somehow that they wouldn’t repay his kindness with violence or by robbing him blind. 

Pi was either really naive or really intuitive. 

He wasn’t about to bend down with his injury, so he settled for nudging the closest twin with his foot, who happened to be Petch. “Wake up.”

Petch mumbled something as he shifted in his sleep, but the grasp unconsciousness had on him was too strong, and his eyes remained firmly closed. Itt sighed deeply, then grabbed a pillow from the couch, throwing it so that it would land on both of them. 

They startled out of their rest, looking around with bewildered eyes. It was humorous how they both registered the situation at the same time, looking like excited puppies waiting for their owner at the front door as they jumped up, crowding around Itt and speaking over each other.

“Are you okay?”

“Does it hurt?”

“Are you really alive?”

“I thought you were dead for sure.”

Itt shushed their incessant questions, but that only made their excited energy manifest in a different way, in the form of both of them wrapping their arms around him. 

It was nice. It reminded Itt of times long past, before they got into shady business. Back when it was just the three of them, sharing one bed in the twins’ bedroom because Itt didn’t want to return to his empty house. 

A few minutes later found them all sitting around the dining table. The three criminals were eating like they’d been starved for days. Something about running for their lives really took the energy out of them. 

It wasn’t until the food was mostly gone that one of the twins opened their mouth.

“Pi, right? Why did you help us?” Of course, it was Petch who broke the comfortable silence that had overtaken the table. He was always the more curious one, not to mention he couldn’t sit still for more than three minutes at a time. 

“Yeah, why didn't you call the police?,” Boss supplemented, speaking with his mouth full.

Pi didn't appear surprised by the question. It was only natural that they'd be confused about why he would stick his neck out for a group of strangers. “Does it look like I need a cop nosing around in my business? You’re lucky it was my doorstep you landed on and not someone who is less understanding.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Are you secretly a murderer who let us in to kill us?”

Itt felt a little bad that his savior was being put through the paces of having two curious twins flinging questions at him. Itt had long since grown used to their back-and-forth, but it could be a bit much for a newcomer to handle.

But Pi didn’t really seem to mind all the questions. He didn’t seem to mind much of anything that was happening, honestly. Perhaps he was simply a go-with-the-flow type of person. 

“Let’s just say, I’ve been in similar situations. I wish I had someone to save me back then.”

Itt took this chance to jump into the conversation, before the nosy twins could shoot off another round of inquisition. “How can you let us into your house so easily? You don’t know what kind of people we are.”

Pi turned to him with that amused tilt to his mouth that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his pretty face. His gaze swept up and down Itt’s form, which wasn’t covered by a blanket this time, so he was a little embarrassed at the attention. Especially when he wasn’t exactly in his top shape at the moment. 

“Trust me, I can handle myself. And anyway, you were laying there like a sick dog and these two were sobbing like babies. You weren’t exactly giving off intimidating, murder me in my sleep vibes.”

Itt could picture the scene in his mind. Before he’d passed out, he’d thought he felt the warmth of tears dampening his cheeks, and it seemed he wasn’t mistaken in that. Itt was oddly flattered, because the last time he saw either of the twins cry was probably a good ten years ago, when they were still children. 

It seemed his life was worth something, after all. If the tears of his two childhood best friends counted as something.

“I don’t care what you’ve done, I wasn’t going to let someone die on my doorstep when I could help.”

What Itt wasn’t yet aware of was that Pi, despite his caring nature and easy-going smiles, had a sordid past himself. He was caught up in drug dealing during his younger years, when all that seemed to matter was getting paid. They were quite similar in that way. Except, where Itt had turned to stealing, Pi had turned to selling drugs.

The softened, wiser version of Pi that Itt met that day was more mature than the version that had gotten in too deep with the wrong crowd. Having a prison scare would do that to a person, he supposed.

Luckily, Pi had still been a teenager when he was caught, so he was let off with a stint in juvie and some community service afterwards.

It was surprising that such a gentle, thoughtful person had once been locked up for committing a crime. But life happens, and sometimes good people are pushed past their limits. Everyone falls on hard times. People shouldn’t be weighed down by their past mistakes for the rest of their lives. 

Itt didn't think any differently of him when he learned all of this a few weeks after their initial meeting. He'd be a hypocrite if he did, being a criminal himself. 

Nobody was perfect. Even the sun, for all the good it did for the world, had dark spots. So, too, did Itt’s personal sunshine have flashes of darkness in his past. 

But that did nothing to diminish Pi’s overwhelming luminance, his bright rays that never failed to lift Itt’s spirits. Even on his darkest days, when he was consumed with a need for vengeance against the person who stabbed him, Pi’s brilliant light still reached through to him, guiding him through the gaze of hostility and ensuring he remained safe and sound. 

Itt needed someone to look after him while he healed. His initial plan was to return to their safe house and make himself his crew’s problem, because that was what they always did when one of them was hurt. Although, none of them had ever been injured this badly before. Bruises and scrapes were nothing compared to a gaping wound.

They called Kong after they were finished eating. They wanted to inform him that Itt hadn’t died after all, and also make sure he and Jib had made it out of the factory alright. 

The Kong that greeted them was unlike the one they’d all come to know. After the initial relief of hearing about Itt’s stable condition, he sounded subdued, like someone had taken the wind out of his sails.

Kong had always been a strong, fierce leader who never backed down from a fight. And although his voice didn’t waver in some sudden weakness, his muted tone indicated something was amiss.

That was how the three of them learned that Kong was formally disbanding their crew. It came as a shock to everyone, but after some thought, it made a lot of sense. 

The incident had shaken all of them up. They weren’t just some band of thieves who had no real emotional ties to each other, they were friends. Kong may have been the last one added to the lineup, but that didn’t mean he cared about them any less. After years of leading them around and holding their lives in his hands, he'd grown close to them. 

In the wake of Itt's near-death experience, Kong had determined that this criminal lifestyle was too much of a risk.

Itt didn’t try to argue. After all, he was the one with a knife wound in his side, so he knew the hazards of their chosen occupation all too well. And he wasn’t exactly eager to break into another place after their last heist had ended so terribly.

And so, with their gang broken up, he needed another place to stay. 

Naturally, his next idea was to mooch off Boss and Petch, who would no doubt move back in with their parents for a while. 

Jib had a boyfriend to go home to, Dome. They had an apartment together, so he was rarely at the safehouse anyways. Kong would probably use his extensive savings to start renting an apartment for himself. 

That left Itt and the twins. He’d been to their childhood home so often that he was basically an honorary family member, so he knew he’d be allowed to bunk there. 

But before he could coordinate anything, he was being given an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Pi suggested that Itt should stay with him, at least until his wound healed. He felt some personal responsibility for Itt, given he’d dragged him in and patched him up. If he wanted to continue to play doctor, Itt certainly wouldn’t refuse.

There was only one condition. Considering Pi’s history with drugs, Itt wouldn’t be allowed to stay if he engaged with any criminal activity. Luckily for him, his life of crime was now behind him, so there was no issue.

One thing led to another, and Itt found himself depending on Pi in ways he'd never imagined to be possible. 

There was just something about the gentleness that Pi treated him with, like he was made of the most fragile glass, that had Itt inexplicably drawn to him. 

He’d never been taken as a soft, sensitive soul. He’d never even seen himself that way, until Pi had dragged some secret tenderness out from deep inside him that he never knew existed. 

Needless to say, he’d continued living with Pi long after his injury was completely healed. About three years longer, to be exact.

Near the beginning of their arrangement, there were times when he’d be tempted to steal something, just like the good old days. 

Someone would leave their car door unlocked as they made a quick run into the convenience store, and Itt’s mind would flash back to the many times he’d hotwired a car with Jib or one of the twins in the passenger seat. Or someone who’d had one too many drinks would leave their wallet on the counter of the bar, ready and waiting for Itt’s pilfering fingers to slip it into his pocket and walk away like nothing had happened.

But Pi was so proud of how he’d turned his life around. Despite not knowing Itt during his criminal days, Pi quickly formed a bond with him, likely due to the unique attachment between a hero and the person he saved.

What Pi didn’t know was that he’d saved more than just Itt’s life. Because every time he felt that familiar itch to steal, his fingers twitching with the impulse to grab something that wasn’t his to touch, he thought of Pi’s welcoming smile.

Pi loved showering Itt in praise, which he wasn’t accustomed to. And he knew Pi would be so disappointed in him if he allowed his urges to overcome him, proving that he would never be able to truly change. Because he wasn’t a good person underneath the crime, like Pi was. He was nothing more than a filthy speck on this Earth, an ugly blemish discoloring Pi’s otherwise bright world. 

Except, Pi made him want to be a good person. 

It only took a few weeks of living together for him to start craving Pi’s approval. He lived off of those smiles Pi handed out like candy, and his soft, gentle touches that he was never shy to initiate. 

He'd turned his life around for Pi. He'd do that and more for him. 

He wanted to be a better man for Pi, the best he could be. Which was why this new and improved version of Itt ignored the unlocked car, ripe for the taking. And when he scooped the lost wallet up from the bartop, he handed it back to its rightful owner instead of claiming it for himself. 

A past version of himself would never believe the state he was in now. He’d call his future self soft, a watered-down version that had lost all of its spark.

But that wasn’t the truth. Because Itt had never been more true to himself than he was now, away from his illicit past. His younger self’s misguided attribution of softness to weakness was born from deep-seated insecurities.

From a young age, his parents never paid attention to him. Something like that shapes who someone is for the rest of their life, and it just so happened to instill a criminal streak in Itt.

Pi had shown him that being gentle wasn't a weakness. In fact, it required the utmost strength. 

It was easy to blaze through life violently, leaving chaos in the wake of destruction. It was simple to not care about others or even yourself, past ensuring you'd live to see another day. 

What took guts was turning the other cheek. Getting knocked down by life and, instead of dragging others down to pull yourself back up, learning to stand on your own two feet. It was hard, and it was unfair how people like him were knocked down constantly, victims of circumstance. But life was never fair. Everyone had their own set of struggles to face. 

Pi was strong enough to overcome those obstacles and come out the other side in one piece. Not everyone could do that. There was a time when Itt was convinced he would never be able to leave his past behind him. But with his reformed crew and Pi by his side, he’d made it over that line and changed his life for the better. 

Back when he was still adjusting to his new living arrangements, there was another factor Itt was struggling to get used to: his growing attraction to Pi. 

They exchanged admiring glances and flirty statements once in a while. After all, they spent so much time together, and they were clearly attracted to each other. It was only natural to playfully express that attraction, even though Itt had no idea why an angel like Pi would ever look twice at a broken being like him, who couldn't even walk down the hallway on his own. 

But it never went any further than that. Itt was too much of a coward to do anything but nervously glance away when he caught Pi staring at him, or to excuse himself from the room when the magnetic connection drawing them together got to be too much for him. 

Pi was just so sweet, caring and adorable. Someone like Itt, whose hands destroyed everything he touched, was liable to chew him up and spit him back out without even meaning to. He wasn’t soft and gentle like Pi, his hands weren’t made to cherish and love. 

Except, being around Pi was kind of rubbing off on him, exposing his more sensitive side. He didn’t know how to deal with the butterflies that formed in his stomach every time Pi’s hand brushed against his, or the heat he felt rising to his cheeks when those cosmic eyes landed on him. 

He was living with the biggest temptation he’d ever faced. The desire to claim Pi and sink his greedy fingers into every iteration of his savior that he could possibly touch was much stronger than his occasional itch to steal. 

But that was just the thing. Pi was the man who saved him and helped him turn over a new leaf, so his life didn’t end before it had even really started. He owed Pi so much. The last thing he wanted to do was throw his pathetic feelings into the mix and do something to hurt him. 

Pi deserved a partner who was just as lovely as he was, not a rehabilitated monster like him. 

For all his soft-spokenness and polite smiles, Pi was surprisingly bold when he wanted to be. It made sense in retrospect, because Pi was the bravest person he knew. But he was still shocked when Pi was the one to make the first real move.

It was about two weeks after his wound had fully healed. They'd become quite close in the months it took Itt to recover. After all, Pi was the ultimate host and always went above and beyond to ensure Itt was comfortable and taken care of. He cooked Itt’s meals, helped him hobble around, and even made sure he wouldn't be bored by keeping him company.

A much better use of Pi’s time would be going out with his friends and enjoying himself. And yet, every weekend found him camping out on the couch, searching for something to watch with Itt.

Itt tried to tell him once that he didn’t have to waste all of his time at home for his sake. That he would be just fine if he was left alone. But Pi had simply turned to him with that easy-going smile and said, “Have you ever thought that I have more fun here with you than I would if I went out?”

Then Pi turned back to the TV, resuming his search for the perfect movie, and Itt was too speechless to respond. 

Itt frequently found himself in that state, blinking dumbly as his brain struggled to process how someone could be as caring and understanding as Pi was. He didn't even ask for anything in return for his hospitality, aside from his strict no-crime policy. 

Itt must have done a lot of good deeds in his past life to land himself on the doorstep of the most caring person in the country, because he certainly did nothing in this lifetime to deserve it. 

They were sitting on the couch, but Itt was shirtless, because Pi was removing his bandages to change them. It just so happened that there was no need to do that anymore, because he’d stopped bleeding a long time ago. In fact, he could’ve gotten rid of the bandages altogether weeks ago.

But then, there would be no excuse for him to sit politely in front of Pi as those gentle, skillful hands wrapped the gauze around his abdomen. 

Pi had successfully removed the gauze, but he didn’t move to grab any fresh bandages. Instead, he leaned closer to Itt, looking into his eyes. 

He’d never seen someone from such a close distance before. He could count Pi's every individual eyelash, if only he had his wits about himself to count higher than ten at the moment. He couldn’t focus on anything other than the millions of stars twinkling in Pi’s irises, and the way his tempting lips parted slightly when he caught Itt’s gaze. 

“Itt, do you have something to tell me?”

He sounded so pretty when he said Itt’s name. His voice was always pretty, but something about his name coming from between those sweet lips always had his heart picking up the pace, pumping blood ferociously to his cheeks. 

Itt swallowed around nothing, nervous by the sudden proximity. Pi was gorgeous, and he smelled faintly of vanilla and hibiscus, and his brain was emptied of all coherent thought.

“What?” His response was all but squeaked out. If he had any shred of his previous bad boy persona left, it would've flown right out of him at that moment. But Pi had already seen him at his most vulnerable, so it didn't feel necessary to put on some act in front of him. 

Pi reached out to place his hand on Itt’s side, where his injury once was. In its place rested a scar, a few centimeters wide. That tiny line was the only proof that there had ever been a wound there in the first place. 

“I know you're fully healed. How could I not, when I'm the one patching you up?” Pi traced his thumb along that little scar, as if memorizing the way the texture of his skin changed. Itt couldn't hold back a shudder. But not because of some phantom pain or discomfort. His body was simply very receptive to Pi’s touch. 

“But you act like it still hurts and keep asking me to change your bandages.” Pi’s gentle touch moved up, slowly caressing his side as he gazed at Itt through his eyelashes. “Is it because you want me to touch you, but you're too shy to ask?”

Itt was stunned into silence, eyes wide and cheeks pinkening embarrassingly fast. Somehow, Pi always knew what he was thinking. Even when Itt tried his hardest to keep his weaknesses hidden, Pi always saw them. 

“You don’t have to say anything, I already know I’m right. But I don’t need an excuse to touch you, you know?” 

As if to prove his point, Pi rested his hands on Itt’s shoulders, squeezing them gently. Even that innocent touch was enough to have Itt’s heart pounding, and the warmth of Pi’s palms only caused his grip on reality to slip even further.

Pi was rubbing his shoulders now, probably attempting to ease the tension out of them. Because Itt had indeed tensed up at the gentle touch, his body not used to such tender affection. He was severely unhugged as a child, which meant he had no idea what to do when someone was touching him like this. Much less when that person was Pi, this man who’d saved his life and was now looking at Itt like he was the entire universe.

Pi was clearly expecting something. And Itt could guess what it was, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to face the truth. 

Pi’s patient smile won him over in the end, because he was weak to everything Pi did. He could only take a deep breath to attempt to steady the shaky foundation his brain was operating on as he took that plunge Pi had no doubt been waiting for. 

“I don't want to go.” 

Even admitting that much had his throat closing up on him, threatening to choke him with the truth. Because he was exposing his weakness to Pi, letting him know just how much he craved Pi’s presence. He was scared that his injury being healed would mark the end of his stay. After all, he had no reason to keep mooching off Pi anymore. 

His admittance may as well have been a trust fall, because he was counting on Pi to see beauty in his weakness and find him worth catching, too valuable to be thrown aside like Itt had been for his entire life. 

Two warm, gentle palms caressed his cheeks, holding him like he was something precious. Those hands that spelled out Itt’s lifeline guided his head up from the ducked position he’d taken to avoid Pi’s eyes, ensuring their gazes met again. A charged moment passed between them, electricity flowing beneath Itt’s skin where Pi’s soft fingertips touched him.

“I don't want you to go, Itt.”

Pi spoke each word slowly, deliberately, maintaining eye contact the entire time. He wanted to make sure Itt didn’t only hear the words, but digested them, processed the full meaning behind them. 

“Stay here with me, na? I'll take care of you.”

Such a statement would have made him bristle in the past, protests ripe on his tongue that he didn't need anyone to take care of him and he could handle himself, just as he always had.

But Pi had changed him. And those changes were irreversible. He couldn’t erase the mark Pi had made on his mind and soul, transforming him into a softer, more empathetic being. Or perhaps, Pi had only scrubbed away his outer layers, exposing something that was already there. Itt’s inner gentleness, which was never nurtured or allowed to thrive due to his rocky childhood. 

The walls that he’d spent years building up around himself were nothing in the face of Pi’s tender affection. And there was no way he could react badly when Pi was still gazing at him like he was the prettiest sight he’d ever seen. Like instead of a reformed criminal, what he saw was the prettiest sunset, or the most vibrant flowers growing in a lush garden. 

He looked at Itt like he was important, like he mattered.

So instead of jumping to anger, he was… flattered.

Pi had already been taking care of him in some ways, but Itt had the excuse of being injured for why he was so eager to allow it. With that excuse gone, he found that he still wanted Pi to take care of him. He wanted Pi to hold his heart in his hands, cradling it like it was his most prized possession and vowing to protect it with every ounce of his strength.

And maybe that was selfish of him. Pi had already done so much for him, so asking him to look after Itt’s heart was just adding another layer of responsibility onto him. 

But Pi didn’t seem like he would mind. In fact, it was almost like he wanted that extra responsibility, if the way Pi was looking at him was any indication.

An unbearable heat was creeping across his cheeks and down his neck, and he was sure his every emotion was obvious on his face at that moment. But even if his feelings weren’t written across his face, he still wouldn’t be able to escape Pi’s intuitive nature. Pi knew exactly how he was feeling, because he'd been the person to pick him apart and put him back together with patient fingers. 

“Pi…,” he whispered into the minimal space between them, and he surprised himself when he felt the unfamiliar sting of tears welling in his eyes, threatening to blur his vision.

Itt wasn't someone who cried, ever. The last time he shed tears had to have been when he was a baby who didn't know any better, before the world had beaten him down at every turn and transformed him into a hardened criminal. 

And yet, tears sprang to his eyes at this pinnacle moment. Because Pi had never seen him as a petty criminal, not even when the life was draining out of him on Pi’s doorstep. He’d taken a chance on Itt, allowing him into his home to save his life. 

Pi only saw him as human, and that was the first time Itt experienced that from someone outside of his crew. From a young age, he was regarded as a burden, a curse upon his family. That was what pushed him to a life of crime, the only way he could guarantee a future for himself with no other means of support.

But things were better now. He’d left all of that behind him, and he no longer made his living through nefarious acts.

More importantly, he had Pi to depend on. Pi was his oasis in the desert that ensured he didn’t die of thirst after hours of kicking up dirt in his tireless trek across miles of land. He was a healing balm rubbed over Itt’s wounds that helped them close up quickly, so he could spend less time wallowing in pain and more time enjoying the new life he was forging with Pi’s unwavering assistance.

Pi was a soothing ice cube placed over the scorch mark of trauma that had burned much deeper than Itt’s skin. It wasn’t a physical scar, but rather an emotional mark that buried deep into his core, unsightly and poisonous. At first, he was scared of Pi peeling back his layers and catching a glimpse of the trembling, hurt child that he was on the inside. 

But now, he realized he had nothing to worry about. Because Pi wouldn’t see him any differently, no matter what he discovered when he peeked behind the curtain. 

Before he knew it, he was being pulled into Pi’s arms. His embrace was so warm and safe, and he rubbed Itt’s back in comforting circles. “There, there. It's okay, Itt. You never wanted to steal, right? It's okay, I know you're a good person.”

Sometimes, it seemed like Pi may know him better than he knew himself. He'd already identified all of Itt's insecurities, and he seemed determined to eradicate every single one of them, even going so far as to call Itt a good person. He didn’t know how badly he needed to hear that until the phrase sent a wave of emotion through him the likes of which he’d never before experienced.

He couldn't help but relax into Pi’s hold. He was just too warm, and Itt was so tired of shouldering so much burden. He wanted to be the one who got to fall apart for once, who allowed his body to shake with sobs as he buried his tear-stained face against Pi’s neck. 

Pi held him through his cries, never letting up on his back rubs and soothing phrases. He allowed Itt’s tears to wet his neck without complaint. 

When Itt’s body finally stopped trembling, he was eased out of his hiding place so Pi could set his gaze upon his face. He must’ve looked so pitiful in that moment, with red splotching over his cheeks and the tip of his nose, matching tear tracks drawn down his cheeks. 

But Pi gave him that lovely smile all the same, dimples decorating his cheeks, looking every part an angel that had rescued Itt from the ashes.

“You’re such a pretty crier.”

He hadn’t expected such a compliment. He’d never found himself to be pretty. That was reserved for girly things, like flowers and bows, not a criminal like him.

But he wasn’t a criminal anymore. And he trusted Pi. He wouldn’t lie to him.

If he couldn’t believe in himself, maybe he could believe Pi’s trust in him. And if Pi said he was pretty, maybe he could start to believe that about himself, too.

So when Pi started to lean closer, Itt didn’t allow himself to second-guess anything anymore. He’d had enough of being unsure of himself, of falling back on locking away his feelings as his crutch ever since he was a child. 

Because Pi wanted to experience every ounce of Itt’s emotion. And Itt wanted to let him. 

Itt’s eyes fluttered shut, and the soft press of Pi’s lips against his was so warm, sending sparks through his whole body. He’d never felt anything like it; this near-detrimental heat welling up in his face and chest, making him feel like he was on fire with every soft brush of Pi’s lips. 

Pi reached up to cradle his neck as he moved his lips against Itt’s. He helplessly melted into the kiss, following Pi’s lead. He didn't even attempt to take control of the situation, simply resting his hands on Pi’s waist and allowing himself to be spoiled with his sweet kisses.

And Pi wasn't letting up any time soon. Whenever he paused for a brief moment, Itt thought he'd had his fill and was pulling away. Instead, Pi dove back in once he tilted his head to adjust the angle of his lips. Pi seemed determined to kiss him from every possible angle, and Itt was more than happy to let him. 

It wasn't until he was struggling to breathe and his lips were starting to tingle that Pi decided enough was enough. 

Itt had assumed Pi wasn’t shy, since he was so confident in the way he moved his lips. But when Pi finally pulled away, he wore a flush matching Itt’s, turning his cheeks a beautiful shade of red that only had Itt falling further in love with him. And there was a hint of bashfulness to the upturn of his lips as he wiped away the remainder of Itt’s crystalline tears with his delicate fingers.

“I’ve wanted to do that ever since you first woke up in my bed.”

Itt couldn’t handle the suffocating heat anymore, so he tucked his face against the safety of Pi’s neck once again, hiding from the world. He was greeted with Pi’s soft, tinkling laugh caressing his ears. “You’re so cute.”

First, he was being called pretty, and now cute. Itt wasn’t sure how he survived the encounter without exploding. He never would've expected that he'd find such a loving, ethereal partner. He used to think he'd never find a partner at all, much less someone as perfect as Pi. 

That was three years ago now, and Itt’s feelings never waned for even a second. Every day that passed, he thanked his lucky stars that it was Pi’s house he'd collapsed in front of, and that he was a great makeshift doctor. A better one than Itt would've ever been if he’d followed the childish plans he’d made when he didn’t know how the world worked for poor people like him.

Pi deserved a collected, consistent partner who would be there for him. Someone he could trust to not fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. And Itt has spent the last few years trying to be that perfect partner for Pi, the person he could trust with his life.

Ironically, it had been Pi who flew off the handle this time. Which was why he was standing in front of Itt with that budding bruise and a cut over his plump bottom lip. 

The old, anger-riddled version of him would've demanded to know who hurt his beloved so he could hunt them down like vermin, beating them to a pulp. 

But Pi was right in front of him, looking at him with those twinkling eyes, and he didn't want Itt to fight anyone. All he wanted was love and comfort from his boyfriend, and who was Itt to deny that? He was the only person who could calm Itt's aggression.

He leaned forward, gently pressing a kiss to that bruised cheek. When he pulled back, Pi was looking at him with those starry-eyes, all soft cheeks and dimples, and Itt was compelled to kiss his other cheek too, just because he could. 

He grabbed onto Pi’s hands, brushing his lips gently over each bruised knuckle next. Pi had definitely gotten his hits in. Itt would be surprised if whoever he fought wasn't covered in injuries, while Pi had made it out relatively unscathed.

“My pretty Pi, you don't deserve to feel any pain. Why did you get into a fight instead of calling me?”

“You think I can't fight my own battles?”

Pi’s words came out slightly whiny, a stark contrast to the subject matter, and Itt suspected he was doing it on purpose, to weaken him even further. 

And indeed, Itt did soften at his adorable tone, dropping Pi’s hands only to caress his hair with the gentleness that once had been buried deep inside him but had long-since been pried out of him with Pi’s patience and care. 

“I never said that, I know you can. I just don't like seeing you hurt.”

Pi leaned into his touch yet again, always eager for physical displays of affection. Itt never had to worry about being touch-starved when Pi was around. Pi was always quick to cling onto him, to squeeze Itt in his arms and give him tiny kisses when there was a lull in conversation.

Each touch only healed Itt even more, transforming him into a gentle being that needed Pi’s warm affection to survive. Which was why he couldn't stand seeing his sunshine hurt. 

Pi had taken it up a notch, pressing his hand against Itt's neck and rubbing his skin in a flirty gesture that he knew made Itt's knees weak every time. His neck was especially sensitive, and Pi never hesitated to use that insider information against him. 

“They were talking badly about you, baby.”

Of course, Pi was also privy to Itt's weakness for pet names. But really, his one weakness was Pi himself and everything he did. 

Pi was his soft spot, the sensitive area of his psyche where all his delicacies lay, making him vulnerable to an attack of prying fingers. One wrong move, one harsh word would be enough to cause him to break.

But Pi only ever treated him with kindness and compassion. He'd never allow Itt's softness to be exploited, he'd guard Itt's delicate heart with every ounce of his energy. 

Which was also why Pi was quick to oppose anyone who so much as said one bad word towards Itt.

Shortly after Pi’s sentence in juvie ended, one of his friends had set him up with a job at a center for underprivileged youths. The idea was that having a role model who’d been put through the paces as much as Pi had would encourage the younger generation to avoid going down the wrong path. Pi served as proof that one small mistake could cost years of your life.

It just so happened that the center was expanding around the time Itt crashed into his life, which meant there were a few openings.

Itt, having similar experiences to Pi and also being in the process of turning his life around, seemed like the perfect person for the job.

Rung, their boss, had also made grave mistakes in her life. Thus, she was very understanding of the struggles Itt and Pi had faced, and she never made Itt feel judged for his sordid past. 

Unfortunately, some of their coworkers who hadn’t experienced the harsh realities of the world first-hand weren’t quite so forgiving. Itt knew that some of them found fault with him especially, because they didn’t think he had the right vibes to be a role model for children, or something like that. They were worried he might be a bad influence.

Which was ironic, given they were the ones so quick to gossip and bad-mouth people while he minded his business, but he digressed.

Pi had stayed at work for a few extra hours that day to help Rung plan a charity event that was coming up, which was why Itt had gone home first and prepared dinner for them. Two plates of food were sitting in the kitchen as they spoke, waiting to be heated up.

Itt could imagine a scenario where one of their loud-mouthed coworkers crossed the line, raising their tongue against Itt and causing Pi’s saintly patience to wear thin. Because he knew how hard Itt had worked to change himself, to become a better person and establish himself as a trustworthy support system for Pi to fall back on. 

Pi wasn’t quick to violence, unless someone he cared about was done wrong. His fists weren’t meant to attack, but to protect. 

His protective instinct was strong, Itt couldn't fault him for that. Itt had gotten into fights over much less during his wildest years. And, he had to admit it felt nice that he had someone who cared about him enough to fight for his honor. 

But he didn’t want Pi to get injured in his name. Seeing even minor wounds on his beloved’s face felt like that knife was stabbing into his side again. 

“I'm supposed to be the hot-headed one, not you.”

“I'm only hot-headed when it comes to you.” 

Itt knew all too well that there was a generous flush spreading across his cheeks from that sentiment. No matter how long they were together, he never became immune to Pi’s flirtations. If anything, each day that passed only made him weaker to them, until he was putty in Pi’s gentle hands. 

“I don't care about their opinion of me. I only care about yours.”

“You'd do the same if you heard someone talking badly about me.”

Pi’s hands were so distracting. His curious fingers were tracing over both sides of Itt's neck, the touch light and almost ticklish. Itt had to swallow around nothing and gather his wits about himself before he could respond.

“That's different.”

“How?”

He didn't say what he wanted to say: that Pi was worth fighting for, and he wasn't. 

Pi never liked it when he looked down on himself like that. And Pi was the one who gave him a new lease on life, a reason to get up in the mornings, something to improve himself for. So he didn't want to sour his mood. Because even though he’d just came home injured, he was just the same cuddly cat that he always was, all soft and cute and affectionate. 

He didn’t answer the question, instead redirecting Pi’s focus by running his fingers through his hair. Pi always liked when he did that, tilting his head back and letting out cute little pleased hums from the touch.

“Be more careful, darling.”

That captured Pi’s attention, enough for his pretty eyes to widen as he let out a little squeak of surprise. “Darling? That's a new one.”

“What, you don't like it?”

Dimples pushed into pinkened cheeks as Pi offered a wide smile, those lips that Itt loved so much curving into the perfect arc of joy and adoration. “I do!”

Pi gave an excited hop, then started pressing kisses all over Itt’s cheeks, holding him still by the grip he maintained on Itt’s neck.

He was so cute. 

Itt could do nothing but stand there and allow himself to be kissed within an inch of his life. Not that he’d move away if he was given the chance. There was nothing he’d rather do than have his lover’s lips claiming every inch of his skin, kissing over his freckles as he often loved to do.

Once Pi got his fill of kissing Itt’s cheeks, he started landing them on his lips instead. Small, chaste pecks that had Itt unable to fight back a smile.

When Pi was finally satisfied, he pulled away just enough to look into Itt's eyes, stealing his breath away with those captivating irises. 

“You are worth fighting for, Itt. You're the most important person in my life.”

Pi provided an answer to his silent question that he didn't have the guts to ask. Pi was always looking right through him, picking him apart like he was the easiest book to read. All so that he could handle Itt with the utmost care, providing him with all the reassurance he needed to thrive.

He'd always been told that he was emotionally unavailable, hard to read, too defensive and guarded for others to determine how he really felt. Apart from the members of his crew, who for the longest time had been the only people who understood him. 

But all of that melted away under Pi's intense, bright light, rendering him powerless to those intuitive, empathetic eyes. Pi took extra steps to understand him, to deconstruct his thought process and caress each layer of his psyche as he peeled them back to expose his true self. 

Pi grabbed onto Itt’s hands, pressing kisses to his knuckles, repeating what Itt had done to him earlier. “These hands weren't made to destroy.”

Pi somehow always knew just what he was thinking, and easily thought of how to combat his insecurities. He was still working on his self-confidence, and Pi was always patient with him, gently redirecting his thoughts away from negative pathways and towards positive ones.

“Yeah? Then what were they made for?”

Pi placed Itt’s hands on his cheeks, allowing him to feel the heat of Pi’s face beneath his palms. Itt held him as gently as possible, his little angel. 

“They’re made for holding me.” 

Pi was so cute with his cheeks squished and his lips pouting out, and the sentiment behind his words was so adorable that Itt was fighting off an intense wave of cuteness aggression.

“Call Rung and tell her you're not coming in to work tomorrow.” 

“What? I can still go to work.”

Pi’s pouted lips were too irresistible, Itt had to lean forward to place a soft kiss to them. 

“Do you really want the kids to see you like this?” 

Pi offered a tiny huff, but didn't argue further. “Fine, but only for one day. I’ll use concealer to hide the bruise after that.”

That was the best Itt was going to get, and he'd take the win while he was ahead. 

He led Pi over to the kitchen, supporting his weight as if he'd been gravely injured instead of barely scratched. He unwrapped the plates of food he'd prepared and heated Pi’s first, which prompted Pi to playfully complain that Itt was spoiling him too much. 

“Hey, remember when I almost died and you did everything for me? It's my turn to return the favor.”

“That was different. You actually needed my help, I can do things just fine like this. I didn't get stabbed.”

“Are you saying you don't need me?”

Pi gave him the fiercest puppy-dog eyes known to man, placing a gentle hand on his arm. 

“I would never say that. I need you so much.” 

He was just too cute, Itt couldn't take it. 

Itt pulled him closer by his cute little satchel that he always had tucked safely against his chest. It was no longer filled with drugs or dirty money like it may have been all those years ago, only tissues and other mundane things.

He was struck with curiosity one time and went through Pi’s bag, with his permission of course. When he asked why Pi was carrying around a pack of hair ties, his sweet response was, “In case your hair gets in your face and starts to bother you while we're out.”

Itt did indeed have a habit of becoming frustrated when his bangs touched his forehead a certain way, and Pi always noticed. During those times, Pi would produce a hair tie out of seemingly nowhere for Itt to tie his hair back, and Itt had never stopped to consider why he always had those on hand. 

As he shifted around the contents of the satchel, he realized it was filled with things Pi didn’t even use himself. 

He carried mint flavored chapstick because Itt didn't like the fruity or sweet ones. He tucked away extra bandanas in the pocket of his satchel because he knew Itt liked tying them around his head, another solution to keep his hair from brushing against his forehead. 

There was a box of band-aids with cute designs on them for when Itt was a little too clumsy and hurt himself. Itt grumbled each time Pi patched him up, because the band-aids were pink and flowery, which didn't fit with the image of coolness that he liked to project. But Pi just told him that if he didn’t like it, he should stop getting hurt.

Secretly, he loved how adorable Pi was in those moments, playing doctor with his cute little band-aids. It was very reminiscent of the scenario they first met in.

Pi’s thoughtfulness extended further than just Itt. 

He had a few small snacks hidden away in his satchel because he knew the twins often became hungry when they were all out together. Itt didn’t know how Boss and Petch’s parents weren’t eaten out of house and home when those two were growing up, considering how much they ate. Especially when they’d beg and plead for Itt to spend the night, only adding another mouth for them to feed. 

Buried under those snacks was a portable phone charger, because Jib was the type of person who never had his phone charged. Then, he had the audacity to whine and complain when his phone died, because his teerak couldn’t contact him if something happened. 

Lastly, there was a pack of gum. Pi wouldn't be caught dead chewing it, seeing as it was cinnamon-flavored. But that happened to be Kong’s flavor of choice, and he had a hard time focusing on anything when he didn’t have his emotional support gum. 

Pi loved him so much and thought of him down to the smallest detail, even to the point of taking care of the people Itt considered as his family. 

Which was exactly why he needed Itt to spoil him and remind him to look after himself, too. 

“Then let me take care of you, baby.”

Pi melted against him, and Itt could tell he won this time. His reward was a sappy, clingy Pi who was eager to drown him with affection, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing him tightly. 

“I'm glad the last thing you stole was my heart.”

That line would've been cheesy if anyone else was saying it. But coming from Pi, this ray of sunshine who could make anything sound cute, Itt was only overcome with even more adoration. Which led to him planting his lips on Pi’s, a proper kiss after all the pecks they'd exchanged tonight. 

Pi’s lips moved eagerly against his, drinking up the affection like he was starving for it, even though Itt knew very well that he was spoiled. But Pi always acted like that, like he couldn't get enough of Itt, no matter how much affection he was drowned in. Like he was obsessed with having every ounce of Itt’s attention on him. 

And Itt loved every second of it, he savored the feeling of Pi devouring his lips and clinging onto him like he'd explode if Itt was even one inch away from him. 

A sudden ding broke them apart, and they both looked at the microwave, which was housing Pi’s dinner. Itt had been so wrapped up in his lover's ethereal presence that he completely forgot he was supposed to be making sure Pi ate. 

He turned back to Pi, taking in his sparkly eyes and beautifully flushed cheeks as he caught his breath, still recovering from the kiss. 

Itt snorted in amusement, lightly pinching one of those cute cheeks. “Now, the last thing I stole was your breath.”

It was sappy, but he couldn't help it. Pi knew just how to bring out the playful, flirty side of him. Besides, Pi’s bright smile was well worth the potential embarrassment of being so sentimental. 

Pi insisted on sitting right beside him at the dining table every time, always keeping some point of contact between them. Whether it was his knee gently knocking against Itt's, or his hand resting on Itt's thigh, or the occasional lean over to kiss his cheek. 

He was just so clingy, in a way Itt never would've expected himself to enjoy so much. But he leaned into every touch like he needed it to survive, because he did. Pi was his lifeline, and he didn't want to be without him for even a second. 

And so, when Itt finished his dinner first, he took it upon himself to reciprocate the clinginess, resting his head on Pi’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around him. 

“I love you, my little bluebell.”

Pi had been swinging his legs under the table, like an excited puppy waiting for a treat. And just like that, his movements stopped, his boundless energy replaced with a sweet shyness as he squished his cheek against the top of Itt's head, dropping his fork in favor of returning the side hug. 

“I love you too, my pretty water lily.”

Just as Itt was fond of likening Pi to his favorite flower, Pi was quick to return the sentiment. 

Water lilies were a symbol of rebirth and peace. They were the perfect representation of the fresh start both of them had taken, and Pi had always adored them. It just so happened that he now adored Itt as well, so it was only natural for him to compare the two. 

Pi placed a little kiss to the top of his head. “I would do anything for you, babe.” 

He knew that was true, because Pi had already done so much for him. Itt would never be able to pay back his kindness in this lifetime. All he could do was give his everything over to Pi on a silver platter and hope that was enough. 

If Pi’s cute little giggles as he nuzzled his cheek against Itt's hair was any indication, Itt's love was more than enough of a repayment. So he'd make sure to drown Pi in his adoration until the end of time.