Come out and Play

Chapter 11: Storm

The chill in the air is something Chay never experienced before. Somehow, Kim was able to convince him to go out so early in the morning to check one of the things in their list of activities. Although getting out of the bed has never been appealing to him, Chay knows that their time in New York is limited so this morning when Kim woke him up, he pushed himself and now he is freezing from neck up because he forgot his scarf and bonnet–his very expensive scarf and bonnet.

Everything is different here though and Chay is starting to really understand why Macau thought it's a good idea to go here. The city is lively with street performers, busy entrepreneurs and office workers, and bustling establishments like restaurants and cafes. Once or twice they would stop by a street performer and simply watch and once or twice, as they're both watching, Kim's hand would automatically rest on his lower back or waist like it always did; the action starting yet again another internal war between Porchay's head and heart. 

In his mind, his brother's voice echoes, "I don't know if this will help, but you gotta understand that they–the Theerapanyakuls, Chay, they don't process emotions as normal people. Sometimes they actually can't. If you would choose to love one, either prepare to get hurt and lose a bit of yourself everytime or end it. I rather you not get hurt, but it seems like it's too late for that."

There are two bodyguards persistently on their heels and Porchay can see how it's annoying the older that it's almost amusing to watch his face twitch everytime Kim catches a glance, but it's either that or he knows Porsche will catch the next flight to New York to take Chay home and away from Kim. They reach the train station where they'll be starting their journey to Manhattan.

"Stay here, I'll buy the tickets." Kim tells the younger and looks at their bodyguards – they give him a nod of  assurance. 

Chay takes a few pictures of their surroundings and a selfie with his bodyguard Beam, both smiling at the camera before sending it to Porsche. It's only 7:13 in the evening back in Thailand so he knows his Hia would definitely see it. 

Kim buys the four of them tickets for a private coach which secures privacy as he wants the younger to at least take a nap since he woke him up at what Chay called "crackass of dawn."
He lets the younger take the window seat and sits himself beside him with their bodyguards on the opposite side. For a while, Kim listens as Chay and Beam excitedly talk to each other about the experience so far, including Perth–currently Kim's bodyguard who was handpicked by Macau–in the conversation. Porsche clearly made the right choice to have the young looking bodyguard as the head of Porchay's security as the young looking lad from Pete's hometown clearly possesses the same ease as Pete himself– although Kim would have preferred if he himself was in the security detail. 
About 15 minutes into the train ride, Chay started feeling sleepy which made Kim lightly guide the younger's head to his shoulder. Chay looks at him with a knitted eyebrow without saying a word; Kim sighs and assures him with a simple nod and a light caress on Chay's earlobe–an action Kim accidentally found out relaxes the younger; "Hia is usually tense before going to bed. He does it on me and it relaxes him. So it also relaxes me." Porchay said that night. 

About another 15 minutes passed and Kim decided to also get some shut eyes. Once the two bodyguards are sure their charges are asleep, he takes a photo of them with a soft smile. Porchay's head on Kim's shoulder, gloved hands entangled together in his lap while the young Theerapanyakul's head is leaning on Chay's. Left arm across the younger's torso like a makeshift seat belt. 

Beam and Perth look at each other after taking a photo. "Why did you do that?" Beam asks first. "I'm sending a picture to Khun Macau. You?" Perth simply answers going back to fiddle on his phone, doing exactly that. "Oh. I just thought young master Chay would like a reminder of this moment should this go well." Beam says, smiling.