"P'Arthit! Why did you leave and why aren't you picking up my calls? I had to use the tracking app to get hold of you -"
Arthit grimaced, he turned his face away, trying to hide the inevitable pained expression, his face conveyed.
"I'm tired, I wanted to go home -"
"I can tell when you're lying. Please turn around and talk to me."
Kongpob pressed his chin against Arthit's shoulder, pressing himself snugly behind Arthit, till their cheeks were pressed together.
"What is it P'Arthit? What's wrong?"
Arthit pressed his lips together, he felt Kongpob's arms slide around his waist, turning him around in his embrace.
"I heard what P'Ran told you at the station -"
"Is that why you ran away to the middle of nowhere? Because of what P'Ran said? Oh, P'-"
Arthit looked straight into Kongpob's eyes, determined to say his piece.
"He's right, you know, P'Ran. I always take you for granted, don't I? -"
"That's utter nonsense, P' and if you believe that, then sorry, but that's really stupid."
"Kongpob!"
Arthit's nostrils flared, he tried to reign in his temper, unsuccessfully. Kongpob seemed unfazed by his anger, he put a hand over Arthit's protesting mouth.
"No. Listen to me. Otherwise you will keep on overthinking things in your head. P'Arthit, you probably won't even remember this, but, the first time we met, I was just fresh out of high school and you were already two years into your course. You were so kind to me then, when I was just a stranger -"
Arthit made a sound of protest, and Kongpob lowered his palm from his mouth.
"Why don't I remember this?"
Kongpob smiled, a mischievous look on his face.
"Clearly you made more of an impression on me, then I did for you. You see, I had a soft corner for you from that day, I wanted to see your smile again, wanted to be the reason behind it even."
"Stop, don't you feel embarrassed, spouting this nonsense?"
"Not even a little bit. What I'm trying to say, rather inarticulately is, that I love you, most ardently. If you think, even for a second that, you don't deserve my love, then I've failed in loving you and perhaps, it should be me who doesn't deserve you."
Arthit's hand was gripping his forearm tightly, he looked like he couldn't bear to hear anymore of Kongpob's words.
"What can I say to make you believe that? Tell me, and I will say, or do, whatever it takes."
Arthit put his arms around him, pressing his forehead against Kongpob's shoulder.
"Nothing. You don't have to do anything."
Arthit basked in the warmth of their embrace, thinking to himself that even if he didn't deserve Kongpob's love, he would allow himself to be selfish for once, if it only meant having him by his side.
"Can we go home now?"
"P'Arthit, it would be probably be better to get back -"
"If I see P'Ran again, I swear I'm going to do some permanent damage to him -"
Kongpob gave him an uneasy smile, but even this he loved about his P'Arthit.
"Alright. Let's go home."
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The first warning sign was the ajar door to their apartment. Kongpob pushed Arthit back, hoping to leave undetected, but luck wasn't on their side. No sooner had he taken a few steps back, that the door to their apartment opened revealing a smiling Somchai.
"That wasn't very clever was it, Detective Sutthiluk? I was almost certain, coming here would be in vain."
"There are police cars patrolling this area, how did you get in?"
Arthit watched Kongpob's jaw muscle strain as he tried to maintain his composure. His eyes were flitting from Somchai to the hallway they were standing in, trying to think of exit strategies.
"It was almost too easy to get rid of them. You see, when you have the money, getting things done is simple. Won't you come in, it is your home after all?"
Kongpob bared his teeth, he pulled out his gun, pointing it square in Somchai's face.
"Step aside and surrender. You can't hope to gain anything from your pathetic attempts at revenge."
Somchai grinned peering over Kongpob's shoulder, at a livid Arthit.
"Hello, Arthit. I had forgotten how cute you were -"
He ran his eyes over Kongpob's stoic posture, licking his lips suggestively.
"- though I have to admit, a man in a uniform, does it for me too."
"What's the plan? Did you escape from prison just to come and gloat?"
Somchai tutted, making his way into the apartment. A hefty looking man stood inside, he shoved both Kongpob and Arthit inside. Kongpob almost lost hold on his gun, regaining balance at the last minute.
"Put that away, detective. I just want to have a chat."
Somchai picked up the photograph of Arthit and Kongpob, smiling unpleasantly at the pair.
"I have to admit, I underestimated you, particularly when you solved the case surrounding Gun. I had been so careful planning his demise -"
"Why didn't you kill him, when you had the chance? Why let him live?"
Kongpob asked quietly, that had been an aspect of the case which had baffled him.
"Keeping him alive while the whole world thought he was dead, thinking he committed a heinous crime, wasn't that worse punishment than just killing him?"
Arthit who had been quiet until now, looked at him with disgust.
"There's not a single redeemable quality about you. You're disgusting!"
"For someone who looks so adorable, you sure do ruin the illusion when you open your mouth -"
Kongpob had tolerated Somchai for as long as he could bear. He stood up, aiming his gun at Somchai. Almost immediately, the hefty man in the corner lunged at him, knocking him over. The gun, wrenched from his hand, lay on the ground. Arthit tried to stretch his arm towards it.
Somchai kicked the gun away, putting his hands around Arthit's neck, pressing hard. Arthit began to choke, try as he might, he couldn't push him off. A few feet away, Kongpob was engaged in a fistfight with the man from before.
Arthit could feel his vision blurring, when he heard a gun shot. Panicking, he tried to look up through his tear stained eyes. Kongpob had recovered his weapon, and had shot the man in the leg. He pulled Somchai off Arthit, and they began to scuffle. Arthit took in large gulps of air.
Kongpob and Somchai were moving so fast, that Arthit couldn't make out which flailing limb was whose. He tried to grab hold of Somchai but before he could do anything, he heard another gun shot go off.
Arthit's breath caught in his throat when he saw Kongpob fall to the ground, motionless. Somchai was breathing heavily, he grinned at Arthit maliciously.
"Who's going to save you now?"
Arthit wanted to howl, to break down in tears, rush to Kongpob's side. Instead, his vision turned red, he punched Somchai in the face. Through his tears, he kept on hitting various parts of his body, till his knuckles were bloody and bruised.
Nothing seemed enough, and soon Arthit found himself scrambling for Kongpob's gun. With shaky hands he pointed it at Somchai. Somchai's mouth was filled with blood, when he smiled, his teeth were stained with crimson.
"Someone's angry. Do you think you'll be able to fire that thing? It doesn't look like it."
Arthit took one look at Kongpob's body strewn across the floor and he pulled the trigger and released his finger.
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A/N : Look I know what you are feeling right now, but just have faith. More to come, soon.
So who was the knight in shining armour, was it Kong or Arthit?