Stand By Me...

No Stepping Back.

Kongpob snapped his eyes open. With ragged breathes and cold sweat. His throat felt perched. He looked around breathing hard. He was in a dark room. But, he knew it was his room.

Why was he here? What happened? He remembered Arthit rushing towards him. And then everything went dark.

Kong remembered whatever happened to him. And he broke in fresh new set of tears again. Biting his lips, sobbing silently. What has he done wrong?

But, he looked around. Getting up, ignoring his screaming body. Arthit. Where was he?

Kong turned around and clicked the side lamp on. He wanted to see Arthit.

He came to his feet. Getting hit by a dizzy spell. For standing so suddenly. He gripped the nearby wall. For keeping himself from falling down. Gripping his head with the other hand.

"Kongpob... Why are you up?" The lights came on.

Kong blinked, adjusting his vision. To find his mother standing at the door. With her wide brown eyes staring at him.

"Mother?" Kong frowned.

Luna blinked, gulping a lump. As they stood where they were... It was the most awkward moment between a mother and a son, in the history.

Luna grew Kongpob, more or less like a supervisor of an orphanage would. And now that she finally took a stand, she didn't know how to talk to her own son.

"Umm... How are you feeling?" Luna broke the silence.

Kong blinked, gripping the bedpost tight. His head still spinning. With hunger, shock, his mother's sudden change of heart.

And most definitely, a part of him knew, that he was feeling this extremely affected. Because, he was in dread. Not finding Arthit. Next to himself.

Kongpob remembered the police coming. And he knew his father wasn't here. He was free of the clutches, that he wished for his whole life.

The clutches which got him to Arthit. But, now. There wasn't anything remotely binding him to Arthit. Anymore. Arthit didn't want in. In the first place, to begin with. He just took pity, on protective instincts. But, he didn't have to anymore.

The dark void that spread in Kongpob, with his father's cold eyes. The numbing pain that twisted his whole insides. Was now spreading like crashing waves over rocky shores. Hitting him, like the rocks on the edges. And Kong couldn't help the hyperventilation that was making him choke on his breaths.

He didn't want out of the new clutch, that Arthit unknowingly put around him.

But, after what his own father told him. Kongpob didn't want to be a baggage to a great man like Arthit. And push him to a point, where all that'd be left for Arthit is for him to raise a knife for Kongpob.

If his whole lifetime wasn't enough for his father to love him back. Then what possibly could a drink that was served a month ago. And three or four meets, after that particular evening where Arthit was drinking away his heart after watching his own girlfriend getting engaged, and forcing that man into a marriage convenient for Kongpob, emotionally blackmailing the man, could possibly make Arthit feel anything for a lowlife like himself.

And yet... Kongpob didn't want to let go... Being the pathetic self that he was. For even thinking that Arthit could ever love him back.

Kong was in love with Arthit, wasn't he?

Was in love with the warmth that Arthit gave him. The feeling of being safe. Even before Arthit did anything for him. Kong just fell in love the moment he saw Arthit smiling for his girlfriend engaging with his own brother. Displaying a strength which Kong doesn't relate ever having. Like an infectious element which strengthened Kong too.