"P'Arthit, wake up."
Kongpob was shaking his shoulder, Arthit grumbled, burying his head under the covers. He felt the covers being yanked, sighing he got up, rubbing at his stomach. There was a tentative truce between them, neither willing to broach the subject of the kiss that had almost taken place.
Arthit wanted to shake Kongpob, demanding to know what he was doing almost kissing him, when he had June. The familiar frustration he had felt at Kongpob had taken residence in his thoughts once again.
"Get ready, P'. I'll drop you to work."
Arthit leisurely dragged his toothbrush across his teeth, he was always slow in the mornings. Kongpob poked his head in.
"Hurry up, I want to speak to you before we leave."
All vestiges of sleep vanished for Arthit, his heart hammered as his brain was filled with hundred different scenarios. He wondered whether Kongpob would address the awkwardness which had settled over them.
Kongpob was bent over the newspaper, his fingers ran over the tiny script, he was frowning slightly. He looked up when he noticed Arthit enter.
"P'Arthit, have a seat. There are some things I have to go over with you."
Kongpob placed a key in front of him.
"First things first, that's the spare key to the apartment. If you chose to stay with P'Knott instead, we'll just have an officer posted outside his complex -"
Arthit hadn't even considered staying with Knott. His mind raced with excuses.
"Kongpob, I don't want to bother Ai'Knott, if you don't mind, can I stay with you?"
"Sure thing, P'Arthit. That makes things easier actually."
Kongpob acquiesced easily, he ticked off items in his book as he spoke to Arthit.
"There will be an officer tailing you throughout the day, just to keep an eye on you. I will accompany you, to and from the office. And another thing, P' -"
Kongpob looked straight into his eyes, his glasses perched at the end of his nose.
"Please stay away from P'Gun."
Arthit bit his lip, somehow he found it difficult to equate the bumbling P'Gun with a hardened criminal. He nodded.
"Kongpob, do you really think he's the one responsible for everything?"
"We'll know soon enough, we're bringing him in for questioning today."
***********************************************************************
Arthit ignored P'Gun as he waved at him animatedly from the glass elevator, he ignored his messages with a heavy heart. His mood worsened in the afternoon when his boss chewed him out for missing training exercises.
" -don't forget how lucky you are to be here, there are hundreds who would have loved to be in your place. And we can easily make their dreams come true -"
Knott's father was sick and he was away from work. Arthit stared at his empty chair moodily, feeling the absence of his friend acutely. So much had happened over the past week, he hadn't even had a chance to mention anything to his other friends.
P'Gun cleared his throat. Arthit bit back the greeting which was on the tip of his tongue. He pretended to look away.
"Arthit?"
When Arthit didn't answer, P'Gun sighed, smiling sadly.
"You believe him."
Arthit couldn't help himself, he had to take a look at P'Gun's face. He swivelled his chair till he was right in front of P'Gun.
"You think Detective Sutthiluk is right, that I'm involved in all this somehow -"
"P'Gun, what am I supposed to think -"
"I would never hurt you Arthit, whether you chose to believe it or not. You're too important -"
Arthit's heart hurt, he was tempted to defy Kongpob's instructions, to bring back a smile on P'Gun's usually cheerful face. The events of the last night held him back, he remembered the earnest expression on Kongpob's face as he had made his request.
"I just came to give you this -"
He pressed the latest album of the band they had heard in the car, that one time into Arthit's hand.
"I thought you might like it -"
"P'Gun, I can't accept this -"
"Don't worry Arthit, I won't bother you anymore. Consider this my parting gift to you."
He held up a hand for Arthit to shake. Arthit longed for a simpler time, when all he had to worry about was who was paying for the next round at the bar. His fingers clasped P'Gun's outstretched hand.
**********************************************************************
Kongpob was waiting for him, when he got off work. Arthit sulked on the walk to the parking lot where Kongpob's bike was parked. He was stopped in his tracks by Kongpob's arm.
"Why don't we make a stop before we go home, P'?"
"Where?"
Kongpob smiled, he pulled at Arthit's hand. They stopped in front of a small restaurant.
"Let's have dinner here."
"Why?"
"Because I want to have dinner with you here, P'Arthit. Everything doesn't have to be complicated."
Kongpob's tastes had not changed significantly, he still preferred bland meals. He smiled as he ordered a pink milk for Arthit, whose face was on fire.
"How was work, P'Arthit?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
Arthit seasoned his curried pork with more chillies, missing the sting of the spice.
"We questioned P'Gun today -"
Arthit put a hand on Kongpob's wrist, pressing down gently.
"Let's not talk about the case, or work, or P'Gun today. Can we just have a good time, right here, right now?"
Kongpob's answering smile lit up the dinky establishment.
"Sure, P'Arthit. We can do whatever you like."
***********************************************************************
It had begun to drizzle by the time, they were finished with dinner. Kongpob tried to cover Arthit's head with his hands, chuckling when Arthit almost slipped on a puddle. Arthit took his revenge by splashing the muddy water onto Kongpob's crisp trousers.
Arthit was feeling buoyant as he dodged Kongpob's returning attack, he laughed genuinely after a long time. Not even the rain could bring him down, they decided to ditch Kongpob's bike and take the bus instead.
Unfortunately, a lot of people had a similar idea. The bus was stuffed to its full capacity, Arthit was pressed against a metal rod, Kongpob a few steps behind him. Arthit tried to angle his body away from a decidedly drunken man, who kept pressing against Arthit ever so often.
He felt an arm around his waist, followed by a firm body pressed against his back. He stiffened not quite believing the nerve of the man, and was about to elbow the body when he heard a sweet whisper.
"It's me, P'Arthit. Relax."
Arthit flushed, he looked around wondering what the other passengers would think.
"No one's looking, don't worry."
Arthit relaxed his muscles, allowing himself to lean against Kongpob.
*********************************************************************
They reached Kongpob's apartment soaked to the bone. Arthit sneezed once, his heart had still not recovered from the proximity he had just shared with Kongpob, hammering away in his chest. Kongpob towelled his hair dry, Arthit couldn't stop his eyes from following the hard lines of his profile.
"P'Arthit?"
Arthit didn't dare himself to speak, he whispered into the silence.
"Kongpob -"
Kongpob's hand stilled in its movement. His hand slid under Arthit's chin, tilting it upwards.
"P' -"
Arthit couldn't bear it any longer, he stood on his tiptoes, capturing the lips which had been tempting him the entire evening, into a soft kiss. Kongpob returned the kiss with fervour, he tightened his hold around Arthit's waist, placing a string of kisses all over his face.
"Wait, Kongpob - wait -"
Arthit managed between gasping breaths. Kongpob's hair was sticking up from where Arthit had run his fingers through it. They both tried to catch their breath.
"What is it, P'?"
"What about your girlfriend?"
Kongpob's nose scrunched up cutely, he tilted his head to one side.
"Girlfriend?"
"June - isn't she your girlfriend, you told me -"
Kongpob laughed easily, pulling Arthit to his chest.
"I was pulling your leg, P'. June is Prae's girlfriend -"
"Oh."
Arthit had no time for confusion, because soon, Kongpob was kissing him again. His nerves tingled wherever Kongpob touched him. He tugged at Kongpob's jacket, trying to take it off without breaking their kiss.
The sound of Kongpob's phone buzzing didn't prompt either of them to break free from the kiss. Finally, when the buzz began to get annoying, Arthit bit out.
"Just answer it, quickly."
Kongpob broke off, thrusting a hand into the pocket of his jacket. Arthit traced his tingling lips with a finger, he couldn't help the smile which threatened to split his face into two. Kongpob was finished with the call, the worried expression on his face was enough to set off the warning bells in Arthit's head.
"What happened?"
"It's P'Gun. He's been stabbed."
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A/N : I'm enjoying reading all the theories you guys are coming up with. Honestly, there are some amateur detectives in our midst XD
Thank you all for reading, commenting and voting, it always makes my day :)