⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝐱𝐯. —— p'chit.
─ i ─
Pete raised his head from his phone when a familiar voice got to him, making him scan his surroundings. He was going to Kao's place after his lectures to get his sick boyfriend the notes and he just wanted to stop by a convenience store, because Kao texted he ran out of snacks. Before Pete could walk in, his eyes settled on a short student that was walking at a fast pace, holding onto the stripes of his backpack and keeping his head low as three other guys followed behind, talking loudly and laughing. One of them caught the backpack and made the student halt as he stumbled, turning around.
"You know, P'Tul, you really should stop acting like you're trying to shake kids for their lunch money when you're already in your twenties, it's fucking ridiculous," the short one said, and it earned him a fist to the face, but Pete thought it was a funny thing to say. He still hid his phone in his pocket and quickly ran up to them, catching the bigger guy's wrist before he could use his hand again, because Pick would probably kill Pete if he knew that he let anyone hit his boyfriend right in front of him.
"Hold it there, Rocky. Three on one doesn't look like a fair fight to me," Pete said, voice low in a warning. "And there are security cameras in front of the store, so scram," he added, nodding his head behind and with satisfaction watching the arrogant look slip off of their faces. He knew the type, guys like this could talk the talk, but would never walk the walk, and it took them only a couple of seconds to turn back where they came from. Pete watched them for a moment, then slowly turned his gaze back to the shorter student by his side. "Hm, no self-preservation skills whatsoever, huh? So that's what Pick likes in a guy."
Rome tugged his white dress shirt down to smooth it after the guy named Tul roughed it up, and then he wiped at the corner of his mouth, grimacing a bit when he glanced at the blood left on his skin.
"I don't have a death wish, if that's what you're implying," Rome answered slowly. His jaw must have hurt pretty badly because his golden eyes seemed to water a bit as he tried to get his words out. "But thank you for the help, P'Pete. Can you... maybe not tell P'Pick about it?" he asked sheepishly and Pete was starting to slowly understand why his best friend was always so happy to just do the things that Rome asks of him. The kid knew what he was doing.
"It's probably gonna bruise," Pete noticed, pointing towards Rome's cheek. There was the telltale of a bruise forming next to his lips and though it wasn't big, Pick probably knew Rome well enough by now to not be bought with I walked into the door kind of excuse. "Come on, let's get you some ice for this, you disaster," he sighed, catching the stripe of Rome's backpack to almost drag him into the store. It was like picking up a stray cat off the street and Pete was not a babysitter, but he couldn't just leave the guy like that.
Besides, he actually did like Rome, he wasn't just saying that to piss Pick off. Anyone who could make Pick fall head over heels like that must have been a charmer and a keeper, not to mention that Rome was able to put up with that tall freak—that, right there, was commitment. So if Rome was going to date Pete's best friend, Pete came to the only logical conclusion and that was to simply make Rome his another best friend, because what else was there? And so he texted Kao that he might be a little late because he just so happened to adopt a child on his way; he also attached a picture of Rome trying to get something from a high shelf because it was funny and Pete was a bit of an asshole.
"So the thing with those guys..." Pete tried to broach the topic when they got out and sat down with their backs pressed to the front of the store. He handed Rome the smaller bag of crushed ice because it was the only useful thing he could find and the boy was gently pressing it to the corner of his mouth. "It seemed like you knew them well. Does this happen often?" he asked carefully, because he was aware of the fact that they weren't quite there yet, and he knew from Pick that Rome didn't like to talk about those things.
Rome shrugged lightly, like he couldn't be bothered to give a more appropriate reaction to being threatened by a group of assholes.
"Sometimes. But it's kind of funny– okay, not funny, but..." he trailed off when Pete raised an eyebrow at him. "They've been doing it since I was like... sixteen, maybe? It was when they found out I'm gay. We've been in the same primary and high school, they didn't like me before but it became worse after that. Like I was personally offending them by not being straight. It's the longest time that I've had someone paying attention to me. I'd think they have a crush on me if it was anyone else," Rome hissed a bit when he pressed the ice too hard and he pushed at the inside of his cheek with his tongue. Pete thought he got lucky it was just the corner of his mouth, a split lip would hurt more for someone who talked so much. "By now they just sometimes push me around and we go our separate ways. They don't get to see me often after I moved out, I needed to grab something from my house today so that's why..." he gestured vaguely and Pete nodded with a frown.
"Why do you sound like you're okay with that though?" he asked, because maybe he was stupid but that didn't sound right. "You don't strike me as the type to take anyone's shit, I know you don't take Pick's, so then why..."
"Hm, maybe because I'm actually a coward and I prefer the easy way?"
Pete bumped Rome's shoulder, opening a bag of chips and offering some to the younger boy. "Getting beaten up is the easy way for you? Do I want to hear about the hard one then?"
"It's more like... Covering my own bruises is easier than having to explain the ones I left on someone. If I even could, that is," Rome chuckled, but Pete was mulling this over. He knew a shit ton about unhealthy coping mechanisms and he felt that if people were born with a brand above their heads, that one would be Rome's. "My family's a shit show, P', that's really all there is to it. But they're still the ones that I will have to see for the rest of my life. The assholes who sometimes treat me like a punching bag are not. That's what it comes down to; the people at the university, the neighborhood bullies, all that won't matter in a few years when I'm done studying and I probably won't meet any of them ever again. That's why it's not important, you know? But my dad, my brother... what they think of me and what people think of them because of me, it's always going to be there. So isn't being gay enough? Should I try to become a hooligan as well?"
Pete knew there was something flawed about that reasoning, but somehow he couldn't come up with a way to refute it, because you can't fix nineteen years of trauma and bad parenting with one conversation and good intentions. Pete wasn't like Kao who could make people feel better just by being there, he wasn't like Porsche who always knew what to say, and he wasn't like Pick who would take both good and bad in a stride and run with it, figuring things out as he went. Pete was the one that needed time and even then he was awkward in offering support, but he knew it counts that he's trying, he knew because Kao always said that—it matters, even if all he could offer was a bag of ice to ease the pain and the presence of a human being that wouldn't judge.
He thought about the pictures Pick received and put them against Rome's words; what people think of them because of me. And Pete understood now, because yeah, Rome would freak out about it in more ways than one, but the question was if he'd want to go through it with Pick out of all people.
"I can't say I know what you're going through, because the only thing my dad was concerned with when he found out I have a boyfriend was the fact that he thought Kao is way too good for me," Pete said, making Rome laugh and then squint in pain, and then laugh some more. And Pete let him, because it was funny, that was his dad, after all. Damn, he should be on Pete's side, shouldn't he? Pete was a gift to the world, thank you very much. "But there is one thing my dad said at that time and it just stuck with me. He told me, I'm your dad, Pete, if you can't come with this to me, who will you go to? And that's the thing, isn't it? If you have something so important in your life, but you can't go with it to the person who was supposed to make you feel safe, then is it really worth it to put them first? Now, you can just listen with one ear and throw it out the other because I'm just some random guy that's friends with your boyfriend, but I want you to know that you do have people that will have a place for you if your house doesn't really feel like home, yeah? Hell, my dad would probably adopt you right away, he doesn't really like me anyway," Pete added, noticing the way Rome's hands started to tremble slightly and wanting to do literally anything to keep him from crying.
Rome choked out a laugh and quickly rubbed his eyes. "Putting myself first isn't really my style," he admitted, like it wasn't obvious.
"Accepting the fact is half of the process, my guy. Just remember what I said because I mean it," he ruffled Rome's hair, and he thought he must have done something right as a friend because Rome was smiling, and he wasn't crying, so that's a score.
"Do you really think your dad would like me?" Rome asked, like that was the most important takeaway he got from all of it, and now Pete was laughing, too, because his best friend was in love with the most chaotic dumbass Pete has ever met, and he wanted them to work out so badly it was embarrassing at this point.
"He's met Pick, the only way from there is up."
"That is a very valid point."
─ ii ─
"Rome, do you know where the pamphlets for the photography club are? I can't find them anywhere," Emma asked, sounding out of breath. Rome looked up from the planner to notice her red face and he concluded that she did run here all the way from the other faculty.
"They're in the club room, Em. Pear said she left them there after her lunch break. You could've just texted me," he answered with a frown, reaching for his water bottle and handing it to her.
Emma shot him an annoyed look. "I called, you're not even answering! I'm going to kick you in the knee, I swear," she huffed. Rome quickly took the phone out of his pocket and sighed when he was greeted with a red battery sign on a black screen. "Ugh, why do I even bother? Of course you didn't charge it. Give it to me, I'll plug it in for you in the club room, just remember to get it later. Do you have a lot of groups left?" she peeked down on the planner over his shoulder, hiding his phone in the pocket of her school uniform.
"No, there are only two left for me because Pear is taking the rest and I'm switching to the booth." Rome glanced at his watch and then started to walk out with Emma.
The open days at their university were always long, busy and tiring, because it was one of the better public schools in the city, so there were tons of young students who wanted to check the place out before filling their applications. Rome wasn't that interested in the school life, but he did like to help out here and there, so this year his seniors roped him into being a guide for the groups that were interested in the faculty of photography, because apparently he was "cute enough to attract more people." Rome might have let his ego get in the way of refusing them, but it wasn't all that bad. He was cute enough to attract more people and he had spent half of the day being followed by younger students who looked like little ducklings trailing behind him.
Rome was just about to walk over to the next group when Emma suddenly caught his hand and tugged at it, making him turn towards her with a questioning look. She seemed panicked and she was trying to hide it, but Rome had known her for too long to not notice, especially since the change was so quick from her earlier state.
"Ah, how about we let Pear handle this one? I'm sure she won't mind and I could use your help at the photo booth now," she said, trying to make him get back inside with her.
"But they're already here, so I can just—" he started, but then he looked towards the waiting group and the words died down slowly. He knew he made some sort of sound in the back of his throat and then he felt like he was going to be sick, he felt Emma pulling at his arm, putting herself in front of him when the man Rome was staring at started to walk closer after catching his gaze. Everything inside of him was twisting in the weirdest of ways, as if he was trying to crawl into his own skin and hide somewhere.
"Hello, Rome. Hi, Emma," the man said, his voice light as always. Like he never treated anything seriously because he didn't have to.
"Don't hi me. Where the hell did you get the audacity from?" Emma sputtered, still hiding Rome behind her and keeping a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently.
"Ah, why so harsh? Weren't we friends once?"
Friends. That's right. That's how he always called them. Rome had never been his boyfriend, because P'Chit wasn't gay. They had never been in a relationship, they were just friends fooling around. After people found out there wasn't even that left; Rome's status changed from just a friend to a stalker who wouldn't leave Chit alone. And Rome accepted that, because for Chit, coming out could quite possibly be the end of the world, so he took the fall because he thought he was in love. Because he thought that those little moments between them meant something more than they did.
And now he felt all choked up because Chit looked almost exactly the same way he did when he left Rome. He was just a little bit taller than him with dark brown hair that waved slightly over his forehead, bangs ending an inch above his gray eyes that were always Rome's favorite. He knew he should feel anger, it would be way more than justified after everything that had happened, but after a moment of just looking at him Rome realized that he doesn't feel anything other than the urge to flee. He didn't want to see Chit, not because he was mad or upset, or because he remembered how he used to feel about that guy, but because he couldn't believe he was stupid enough to let someone walk over him the way Chit did. That he would find excuses for the toxic behavior he was met with weeks after Chit transferred from their school. Now, years later, it felt like the most ridiculous thing Rome had ever done.
"When did you get back?" Rome heard himself asking, voice distant in his ears. Emma glanced up with surprise, but she didn't move from her spot and Rome didn't either. Maybe it was stupid but he felt safe with her between them. Like it was the closest he would allow Chit to get.
"Last month," Chit shrugged, tilting his head. "I've heard you're going here, so I thought the open days would be a good way to catch up."
"And thinking was never your strong suit now, was it?" Emma asked defiantly and Rome noticed the way Chit's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. Controlling his temper wasn't Chit's thing either, and so Rome was watching him carefully for any signs of trouble. "Well, if you're so keen on catching up, then let me tell you that Rome has a boyfriend who treats him better than anyone will ever treat you, so..."
"Emma, please," Rome muttered, glancing up at the group of students behind Chit that was still waiting for their tour.
"What? I'm not lying. He's hot as hell, too. I'd say it's an upgrade but you weren't even in the competition to begin with," she finished with satisfaction, raising her head as if Rome getting a nice boyfriend was somehow her accomplishment and Rome wanted to laugh, because he loved his best friend so much. It was petty and she didn't have to say any of it, but watching her brag about Pick was quite possibly the best thing that had happened to Rome lately and as he started to think about Pick, Chit was just becoming less and less significant in his mind.
Rome was always scared whenever he thought about accidentally meeting Chit like that, but now it didn't even matter. And maybe that's how he knew he had never been in love with Chit.
"You don't have to say that just to get rid of me. I'm not here to fight, I'm here for Rome," Chit said slowly, staring Emma down as if to tell her he didn't believe in even one of her words. And Rome, honest to god, started to laugh at that, because it was ridiculous.
"Four years too late, P'Chit, and I don't need to prove anything to you. You're free to believe whatever you want. I'm busy, so if you're not here for the tour, just leave," he said, tugging at Emma's hand to get her away from Chit. "Could you go ask Pear if she can switch with me? I'll start so they don't have to wait around since it's really hot, but I just..."
"Yeah, of course. Are you okay, though?" she asked quietly and he knew she didn't want to leave him alone with Chit, but Rome was an adult now, or at least he liked to think that he was, and he wouldn't let something like that get to him so easily. "Of all the rotten luck... The wind just had to throw trash our way today."
"Come on, Em, being mean doesn't suit you," he giggled, patting her head when she pouted at him. "And I'm fine, I promise. After all, I do have a boyfriend that's hot as hell. P'Pick will be delighted to hear that, he still thinks you don't like him," Rome bumped her shoulder.
"Oh god, don't tell him anything I said today. His head is already big enough," Emma muttered with horror, but then she averted her gaze with a shrug. "But it's not like I lied. He does treat you well."
"And he's hot," Rome added with a big smile.
"Ugh, go away, boyfriend bragger," Emma pushed him a little towards the young students. "I'll get Pear as fast as I can," she promised and Rome didn't miss the nasty glare she sent Chit before running back towards the photography club room.
Rome was trying to focus on his task; he was leading the students around the faculty, showing them the darkrooms and answering questions they had about them. He showed them how to develop the pictures as well.
"P'Rome, why is the red light safe for pictures? I didn't see any other one being used, but why doesn't the red one damage photographs as well?" one of the boys asked, making Rome look up from what he was doing. He pointedly ignored the fact that Chit did tag along for the tour and he smiled at the student who posed the question.
"Ah, red light is not always used in darkrooms. It all depends on the film or the paper you're using to develop the pictures. You would usually use the red light for monochrome films, as they are mostly sensitive to blue and green, and they have really low sensitivity to red. What I'm showing you now are black and white pictures, so it's safe for them, but color films are developed in complete darkness," he said. He still couldn't get used to how attentively everyone was listening to him, he knew not all of them were even interested in photography in the first place, but the complete silence and expectant eyes on him were making him feel funny. Like he was important.
After the darkrooms, Rome was slowly showing them around the campus while still waiting for Pear to come and take his place. But instead of seeing Pear, he noticed Pick who was waving a hand at him from a distance. Rome was surprised, but it wasn't unpleasant, because Pick wasn't dressed in his school uniform; he had his black jeans on and the red flannel that Rome liked so much. Pick looked ridiculously good in red.
"Is the tour over? Because I'm so very interested in a photography student... Photography student's life, that is," Pick added like an afterthought, making Rome blush bright red, but when Pick scanned the group of students with a frown, Rome figured out that it was Emma who sent him. Because Pick was obviously looking for someone he had a description of and his frown only got deeper when his eyes settled on the target.
"We're actually close to being done, but there's another tour right after if you'd like to join that one," Rome hummed, tilting his head as Pick's attention immediately shifted back to Rome and he smirked. Rome could hear the young girls behind him squealing and in his mind he was like, I totally get that.
"How about joining the tour guide for some snacks during his break? Am I allowed to do that?" Pick asked and the squeals got even louder, but Rome's eyes were stuck on the tall man in front of him. For a moment he thought that Pick was just saying it because he wanted to piss Chit off, but when Pick's smirk turned into a softer kind of smile, Rome knew he just wanted them to spend some time together; he wanted to see if Rome was okay.
"I think I can arrange that, yeah," he laughed, nodding at the students to follow him further while Pick walked slowly by his side for the rest of the tour. He was asking stupid and annoying questions that he knew the answers to just to get a reaction out of Rome, and by the end of it all Rome was sure there were more people walking with them than there was at the start. Of course, where Pick goes, a crowd follows. Stupid people magnet, Rome really wanted to hold his hand.
The tour ended at Emma's photo booth where everyone could take some pictures as a souvenir, and Rome walked over to his best friend with Pick trailing behind.
"I thought I asked you to send Pear? Does that look like Pear to you?" Rome asked, waving a hand around Pick.
"To be fair," Emma laughed, "they're both really tall."
"You think you're so funny, right? Haha, funny?" Rome scrunched up his nose, catching Emma's face in his hands and squeezing her cheeks as she kept laughing.
"I didn't want you to be alone with him. And he's still here," she grumbled, looking over Rome's shoulder to Chit who was hanging around the students and pretending like he's reading their pamphlet.
Pick wrapped an arm around Rome and it seemed like an absentminded gesture. "I don't like him," he decided, not even trying to be subtle as he stared at Chit.
"You don't even know him," Rome rolled his eyes.
"I don't have to. You know how you sometimes peel an orange and you're sure it's going to be sour just by the way it smells? I don't like him like that. He's a sour orange," Pick decided and he sounded so sure of himself that Rome couldn't stop the burst of laughter as he leaned more into Pick.
"You're ridiculous, you know that?"
Emma snorted. "He's not wrong though."
"P'Rome, can you take some pictures with us?" one of the young students asked from the booth.
"Oh, P'Rome?" Pick echoed amused. "Well, don't let me stop you, senior."
"Don't be an ass. Will you take pictures with me, too?" Rome looked up, playing with a button of Pick's shirt.
Pick seemed to think it over. "Only if you wear that ridiculous pink wig that's lying over there," he nodded towards the booth, laughing at Rome's expression. "But seriously, if he doesn't stop staring at you I'll go over there and punch him," Pick lowered his voice, leaning closer so Rome could hear him. The shorter boy glanced towards Chit with a frown, he had no idea why he didn't leave yet.
"Just ignore him. Come on, I'll put that wig on," he offered, because he didn't want any problems. More specifically, he didn't want Pick to get in trouble, it wasn't worth it. So he caught Pick's wrist and pulled him towards the photo booth; the girls seemed excited that they could take a picture with Pick as well.
"Okay everyone, smile for the picture!" Emma said loudly from in front of them.
Rome could feel Pick's hand slowly catching his own; they were standing behind the juniors, and the fold of Pick's flannel shirt covered their palms when Pick intertwined their fingers without so much as a glance at Rome. And Rome squeezed Pick's warm hand, moving just a bit closer to him and smiling widely for the picture.
─ iii ─
Pete's ideas usually were terrible, but Pick thought that even the Samsung logo sometimes hit the corner perfectly. He didn't know why Pete suggested that Pick teaches Rome some self-defense, but once it was out there, Pick wondered how he didn't come up with that before. He understood that Rome didn't want to be involved in fights or anything like that, and it wasn't like Pick advocated violence, but the truth was that Rome was getting in trouble more often than regular people, maybe precisely because he was so keen on avoiding confrontation. And Pick couldn't be there every time to defend him, so to give both him and Emma some peace of mind, it seemed like a good thing to try.
"I feel like you're just going to break his nose by accident. And his nose is so cute," Lamai sighed, doodling in her sketchbook.
Pick chose a boxing center for their first lesson after asking one of his friends if it's cool for them to use it after it closes. He thought that Rome wouldn't be comfortable with people around and Pick didn't really like the idea of throwing Rome on the wooden floor of his apartment, because he bruised easily. He was waiting for Rome to get there because the boy said he needed to drive Emma back first, and Lamai was there because... well, because she was a dumbass, that's why. The cafe in which Sasithorn worked was just across the street, so when Pick told Lamai where he was going, she insisted on tagging along.
"I'm not going to break his nose. And what the hell are you still sitting here for? Shouldn't you be getting a girlfriend so I could finally be alone with—"
"With your boyfriend?" Lamai interrupted, like she could embarrass him by using that word. But when Pick only expectantly raised his eyebrow at her, she blushed, fiddling with the pencil. "I can't just go there... I don't even know if she likes girls," she said. Pick has heard it way too many times by now; Pete literally said that Lamai might be Sasithorn's type, so for Pick it was pretty obvious that the waitress was at least on some level attracted to girls, but apparently Lamai needed a written statement.
"So what, you're just going to wait until you catch her listening to Girl in Red in the backroom?" Pick asked skeptically, leaning back on his elbows and looking at her.
"How do you even know who that is?" Lamai whined, avoiding the actual conversation. "It's not like you did the first step with Rome, tough guy. There must have been some denial on your part, I don't believe you just accepted all of that."
Pick snorted. "Oh, there was denial and repressing my feelings, and then some more denial," he agreed easily, because it was the truth. "But it's so good to have it out there, you know? And after it's all said and done, you're left wondering why the hell you were hesitating so much. Why you wasted time being anxious about something you weren't sure of instead of just going for it and, in the worst case scenario, just drinking the pain away," he bumped her arm with his shoulder, laughing when Lamai scoffed and had to erase the accidental line he made her draw.
"Are you saying you're going to drink with me if I get my heart broken?" Lamai hummed, leaning her head over the sketchbook. Pick reached out to move her long hair back and peek at what she was drawing; it was a girl holding a rose, and Pick thought Lamai did really well considering that she was sketching for only about ten minutes. In ten minutes Pick would probably get two sticks and a circle, and then say it's a human being.
"'Course I will. Am I not the reason you're no longer fond of men? I owe you that much. We're rolling with the LGBT now, we have to look out for each other," he answered dramatically, making her laugh as she slapped his shoulder.
"Shut up, you're being annoying again. It's just scary... I guess you'd know that," Lamai sighed quietly, closing the sketchbook and giving Pick a smile. "But you do look way happier than you did before. You know, after it's all said and done."
"Ah, well, it's just..." Pick muttered, suddenly feeling embarrassed as he sat up straight. He could hear the entrance doors opening with a loud creak and he moved his gaze there, smiling almost immediately. "It's Rome."
"Hmm, yeah, I know," the girl chuckled and he could feel himself blushing even more. That's not what he meant and she knew it, he was simply pointing out the fact that Rome was there. "Okay, I'll leave you two to it. Maybe I'll get coffee across the street."
Pick stood up along with her. "You totally should. Hey, buttercup, took you long enough," he added louder, following Lamai towards the doors.
"Sorry, I needed to stop by the gas station. Are you leaving?" Rome asked Lamai, he didn't seem like he would mind her staying and Pick was glad that Rome didn't have any issues with their friendship. God knew that Lamai would be a disaster if she got left alone with all of that.
"Mhm, I want to see if Sasithorn is working today. Pick, don't break his nose," Lamai jabbed a finger in Pick's shoulder before smiling at Rome and walking out, leaving them alone.
Rome looked around the place when Pick led him further inside, taking his backpack and putting it on one of the benches. Rome was wearing comfortable gray sweatpants and a big black t-shirt with a graphic from the poster of Hitchcock's movie The Birds, which Pick recognized as his own. He tugged at the hem, making Rome send him a happy smile.
"I think we should talk later," Pick said carefully, looking down at the shirt.
Rome caught his hand. "First of all, I have anxiety, tell me now," he demanded, stepping closer.
"It's nothing bad. It's just... I wanted to ask about that Chit guy." He could feel the way Rome's body tensed slightly and he grabbed his hand more firmly before Rome could step away. "I know I said that you don't have to tell me anything if it makes you feel bad, and I still think like that, so it's alright if you don't want to answer. I was wondering if he's the reason why..." he trailed off, not really knowing how to word it.
When Emma approached him earlier that day he was surprised, but when she told him the reason, the confusion only grew. She didn't explicitly call Chit Rome's ex, but it was obvious that there used to be something there, and Pick focused on the fact that Emma seemed concerned for Rome's safety. So whatever it was, it didn't end well and it made Pick think that maybe it was Chit who made Rome feel like he should be kept a secret. He didn't like the way that guy stared at Rome; he didn't seem like someone who came back because he missed the person he used to be with, it was more like a kid seeing an old toy that he got bored of once but he found it after years and thought that he could maybe play with it again.
"He is," Rome's voice was nothing more than a whisper. He took a deep breath, looking around with a slightly lost expression. "Shit, I need to start punching things if I'm going to tell you about him," he forced out a laugh and something twisted inside of Pick.
"You don't have to—"
"I want to. I wanted to for a long time, so I guess now he gave me an opportunity." Rome shrugged, so Pick gave him the boxing gloves and put him in front of a punching bag, holding it from behind. "I was fifteen when I met him," he started, punching the bag with all his strength.
"Ow, it was that bad, huh?" Pick asked, not expecting Rome to put so much force into it. The shorter boy laughed, waiting for Pick to adjust his grip again before continuing.
"It was nice, at first. He made it clear that he doesn't want people to know and I understood that, I was his first one and he was scared, so we kept it a secret. We would meet at his place after school because his parents were never really home, so it was safe. He almost didn't talk to me at school and if someone happened to see us together, we'd just say we're working on a project or something," Rome wasn't looking at Pick anymore. His eyes were focused on the bag and he would fix his posture whenever Pick threw in small comments to help him throw the punch better. "But then... I don't know, maybe we got too comfortable. It's been a couple of months of sneaking around, so we thought we're good at it, or whatever. He kissed me behind the school, we thought we were alone," his voice wavered a bit and Pick already knew where this was going. His grip on the bag tightened without him even realizing that. "The pictures got posted on our school's page. There were no names and our faces weren't really visible, so that's the only good thing, I guess. Our parents didn't get called in because the teachers couldn't confirm who was in the pictures. But everyone knew, and P'Chit... He thought I did it on purpose. That I wanted people to find out because I was sick of keeping it a secret, so I told someone to photograph us. He called me a stalker and beat me up in front of everyone to make sure everyone knew that he wasn't... wasn't a faggot like me. Broke my ribs and all, made a big show out of it, too. He got transferred to another school the next day and I haven't seen him since. But it wasn't me. I wouldn't... I would never out someone without their permission, P', I wouldn't—"
"Hey, it's okay. Come here," Pick said quickly, pulling Rome close to him and wrapping his arms around the shorter boy. Because Rome started to breathe really fast and he seemed too agitated to continue, and Pick did everything he could to keep his own anger in check. "God, that's fucked up. I know it wasn't you, you don't have to tell me that. You don't have to explain yourself, Rome, not about shit like this, never. I get why you were so worked up about it now and I'm really sorry if I was pushing you too much back then. I know I could say that I'd never go about it the way that fucking jerk did, but you probably didn't expect him to do that either, so it won't mean much. Just... Fuck, I want to break his legs so badly now," he muttered into the top of Rome's head, holding him a bit tighter when he remembered how close Chit got to Rome today. Pick would never, ever allow him to be in the same vicinity again if he could help it.
"You don't have to apologize for anything, it's not like I told you my reasons. You were right, I just wanted to say my part and I didn't even listen. But I told you... You're different. You're nothing like him, I want you to know that. And I didn't think you were when I told you those things in front of my apartment building," Rome said firmly, stepping away and catching Pick's face in his hands. "I was scared because I've never been public with any of the people I used to date after P'Chit, but I also didn't like any of them half as much as I like you. I don't want us to be a secret, I just... got too into my head about all of it, I guess. I didn't really talk to anyone besides Emma about what Chit did. For the longest time I was excusing his behavior because getting outed is fucking terrifying. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that it wasn't my fault and he had no right to do what he did. I'm fine with all of that now, it's not like I care about him anymore. I was just surprised to see him today, I didn't know he was back in town."
Pick leaned down so their faces would be on the same level. "He won't get close to you ever again, I promise you that, shortcake. I'll be with you until I make sure you can break his neck on your own if you want to," he added seriously, but Rome's face lit up in the prettiest smile Pick had ever seen.
"Well, let's get to it then! I do want to know how to break a neck," he answered enthusiastically, pointing towards the boxing ring. Pick was glad that they talked, he was glad that he understood more now and had some context while thinking about the pictures Rome's brother sent him, he also hoped that getting it off his chest made Rome feel lighter; he was always holding so much in and if Pick could take at least a little bit of that on himself, he was more than happy to do so. Rome was right, communication was attractive in a relationship. Pick loved that for them.
He took Rome to the ring, but his thoughts went back to one thing.
He needed to tell Rome about the pictures. Especially now since Chit was back. Rome needed to know.
~ * ~
[a/n: hiii! thank u guys so so much for the nice comments under the previous part, im so happy to see that people still want to read this!! i hope you'll like the next chapters as well <3
as always, thank u for being here and please let me know what you think!]