Fake This Love

Chapter 20: Sarawat

Author's Note:
This is an unplanned chapter.
But Brightwin Twitter and IG have been giving me heart attacks since last night and so I think I need an outlet.

- - -

Sarawat was thinking of the hundred different ways he could make Mil suffer. Let's see that smug talentless twerp survive his wrath.
He could feel the anger coursing through his veins like liquid fire.

But then he feels a gentle finger run over his knuckles. Feather light and slow and suddenly the heat in his veins begin to pool low in his stomach. Suddenly, he finds it hard to breathe.

Tine was staring at Sarawat's left hand and absent-mindedly drawing little circles on it.

Sarawat didn't know if he wanted to order Tine to stop touching him or to push Tine against the elevator wall.

Tine looks at him and Sarawat averts his gaze.

"I can handle people like Mil, you know. You don't have to come to my rescue. I am tougher than I look," Tine says gently, resuming tracing invisible shapes on Sarawat's hand and wrist.

Sarawat bites back a groan. He was well aware Tine had the physical strength to clock deadbeats like Mil. He has had the pleasure of seeing the muscles currently hidden beneath Tine's baggy jacket. "I know you can handle them. I am the one who cannot handle it."

Tine looks puzzled. "What do you mean?"

You unhinge me Tine. You have decimated the unerring self-control I pride myself for having.

Sarawat shakes his head. He cannot say any of that. So he says something else: "I cannot handle seeing anyone hurt you in any way. I lose control."

Tine bites his lower lip as he takes Sarawat's words in. It makes Sarawat want to punch a wall. He massages his head, trying to summon his usually functioning logic. He is angry at himself for feeling so many inappropriate things when Tine had just been verbally attacked. Angry at himself for letting his emotions let loose yet again. He should not allow himself to feel this way.

Tine cuts through his thoughts. "Thank you for protecting me," he whispers, his small eyes gleaming like black diamonds.

Sarawat doesn't trust himself to speak. He simply nods. Things would be so much easier when he and Tine leave this metal box. Maybe with some fresh air his brain would start working properly again.

- - -

Sarawat spoke too soon.

He could feel his whole resolve crumbling as he watched Tine put on a fuzzy green hoodie that was so large it covered his knees.

Tine was sitting on the low diving board, eating a slice of pizza, humming to himself.

It amazed Sarawat what Tine considered a reward or a celebration. Today, all he wanted was an afternoon of swimming, thin crust pizzas, and ice cold beers.

Sarawat gladly obliged but did not swim. He sat dutifully on the tiles and contented himself with watching Tine horse around in the water.

He did not trust himself to come into contact with a Tine under water. Not ready for the feeling of smooth wet skin rubbing against smooth wet skin.

However, watching Tine was apparently a bit too much for him as well.

And if he thought Tine in swim trunks gliding across the water was torture, apparently nothing could compare to the gut-wrenching, sweat-inducing, scream-swallowing sight of a six foot tall muscular Tine transforming into a baby bunny lost inside a humongous hoodie.

And so even if it was totally ludicrous as they were the only two people there, Sarawat was sitting far away, almost in the shadows. Drinking his beer and letting Tine splash and dive and eat to his heart's content.

"Wat! You're too far!"

"I am ok here."

"But you're so far from the pizza!"

"I'm okay."

"Eat pizza with me," Tine pouts.

God help me.

Sarawat stands up and slowly walks over.

He sits down on the tiles near Tine, legs crossed. He absentmindedly takes a pizza slice from the box and is about to bring it to his mouth when Tine grabs the slice from his hands.

"Not this slice! I called dibs on that one."

"When?" Sarawat arches a brow.

"I did! You were just too far away to hear."

"There are twenty more slices of pizza here. Why can't I just have that one?"

"Because this one has more pepperoni than all the other slices."

Sarawat rolls his eyes, trying his best not to smile at the antics of the man in front of him.  He reaches for a different slice.

But Tine stops his hand again.

"What now?," Sarawat asks, closing his eyes.

"I change my mind. You can have a bite."

Sarawat opens his eyes and fuck control. He pushes his face towards Tine's and very lightly bites Tine's lower lip.

He pulls away. "Thanks for the bite," he breathes.

The air around them stills. Even the water in the pool seems to have frozen in place.

"Do you want more?," came the soft reply.

What a stupid question. If Sarawat could have his way, he would have bitten more than a lip and taken more than a bite.

But now is not the time.

Not when Tine was being considered for a major film role. Not when paparazzi could be hiding anywhere. He's not going to let this insatiable need of his to devour Tine to destroy his (fake!!!) fiancé's dreams.
Sarawat respected ambition.

He slides a thumb across Tine's lip.

Then using all the resolve he had left in him he stands up. "Unfortunately, I have meetings to attend. Congratulations again Tine. I'll see you for dinner?"

Tine merely nods and thirstily knocks back a whole can of beer.