"Can...tell me who did that?." Tin asked again.
"Huh?." Can as if in dazed just stared at Tin.
"This." Tin hold Can's chin tilting it gently. "Who did this to you." Tin's face darkened when his finger traced the bruised that looked out of place on Can's smooth cheek.
"Oh." Can reacted as waking up from a dream. "It's nothing.. Just some accident. What are you doing here?." Can's eyes survey their surrounding to checked if someone's spying on them and he breath out when he saw no one.
"It's not important.. If someone hurt you just tell me alright? I'll handle it." Tin's voice soften while caressing Can's cheeks.
Their position is too intimate that when anyone saw them will think that they are involved romantically. Can is sitting on the bench with Tin sitting on his heels while in between Can's legs as he looked up at Can while the other teen is gazing down.
Can's eyes studied the Prince's face, from his hair, his eyes, his nose, his lips and he notice the bags under Tin's eyes.
Can cover Prince's eyes as if massaging them making Tin's inside mushy and sad.
"Why you look like a panda? Can't sleep?." Can asked. His palm stayed covering Tin's eyes as if Can is afraid to looked at Tin's proving orbs.
"Uhm." Tin nodded. He hold Can's hands resting Can's palms on his cheeks. "I missed you." Tin said honestly. There is no used on denying that when the truth is, he was dying to see Can.
"I know." Can replied without pulling back his hand.
Because I missed you too..
He let Tin hold it against his cheeks as he can feel Tin's warmth travel from his palm to his arms then all over his body.
"I'm sorry." Tin said. He's been apologizing this days. But only Can deserved it and no one else.
"I know." Can nodded once again. He understand. Of course he does, from the beginning he know what are the possibilities but maybe he is just hardheaded to ignore reasons and become this selfish. He is young isn't that one hell of a reason yet? Or he is just dumb.
"I was calling you." Tin said in accusing tone. He shouldn't be blaming Can but Tin was so worried and he wanted to hear Can..if he is alright but the other line stayed quiet.
"You know why." Can rested his chin on top of Tin's head as the Prince's face is pressed against Can's chest.
Tin can hear the steady beating of Can's heart, calmly thumbing away against his ribs. Slowly calming him, like lying on a hammock under a breezy tree.
"Tin." Can called above Tin's head.
"Hmm?." Tin ignores the cramps that are slowly invading his legs on his awkward position because he love their closeness, he love that Can is just a breath away.
"In ten days..can you see me?." Can asked. His eyes is looking far as if looking for something.
"What's the occasion?." Tin asked curiously. Even though he is not allowed to go..he will find a way to see Can, even if he have to disobey his parents.
"Nothing..its just that I want to see you that day." Can pursed his lips.
"Alright." Tin agreed after a while he is already conjuring ideas how to sneak out from the palace.
"You have to go before anyone notice that you are here acting like a bandit." Can push Tin making the Prince stumbled back and fall on his butt.
Can laughed at the Prince's unfortunate luck.
Tin glared at first then he just rolled his eyes as he stood up.
"I felt used, after using me you wanted to throw me away like this hmmp." Tin crossed his arms and pretend he is mad but of course Can, can see through that facade.
"Tsk, such a drama queen." Can shook his head as Tin's antic. His cheek started to hurt as he smile genuinely again. It felt forever since he smiled like this. Like he have nothing to worry.
Tin laughed too when he realized Can is not buying his acting. He looked around and just like before, the area is void of other students because it's hidden by buildings and trees.
The Prince leaned down to the sitting Can and captured Can's lips into a quick but lingering sweet kiss.
Can's eyes involuntarily close on their own as he savor the kiss. It's not planned but enough to make their pulse quickened.
"I'll - I'll go..um, please answer my call." Tin's cheeks lightly turned red with his sudden action. It is like his body move on its own, like it is a habit.
"Okay." Can nodded as he watched the retreating Prince. His mind is settled, maybe enjoying the moment even for a while, even away from the proving eyes of those people that judging them. Just for awhile.
Can touch his lips as it tingled like Tin's kiss is still pressed on it. The warm feeling of the Prince's lips is like a calm water of a morning dew..it's nice.
Can haven't checked his Facebook ever since the news exploded about him and Tin and he is fine with that. He can live without social media but Can is hurt when some of his teammates on the football team acting like he has malignant sickness.
"Don't treat Can like he is a cancer you dumbtards, if you are going to looked at your teammate like he don't belong you are free to go." Techno for once said something intelligently.
The three boys looked down in embarrassment.
"I can leave the team P' if - if I am causing the team some tension. I'm fine ..you guys needs them and I'm just one." Can swallowed the lump on his throat. He love football and saying that, is like torturing himself. But he can't watch his team breaking because of him.
"If Can leave,...I will go too." Good who always just in the side listening said suddenly.
"No, no Can..I am sorry..we are sorry." Em told Can. "We are just acting like pricks without con sidering your feelings as our team..Captain is right..you are our brother, no matter what we should have your back."
Can almost jumped his friends in happiness but he stopped himself for the last minute.
"Thank you."
"Can, don't think too much..you acting like this being quiet is not right..we already have Good for that ..we want our Can back." Techno said with his arm around Can's neck.
"Alright, let's go after school my treat." Type said making the group hoots in happiness.
"Wow Type, you voluntarily sacrifice yourself.. Had a fight with your husband?." Techno found something to annoy Type but Type just rolled his eyes.
"You are just sad Ai'No because you are the only single in here." Type chuckled.
"That's not true! Champ is single and Good too." Techno pointed to the other two.
"Who said Champ is single..he is dating that girl from St. Fatima college and Good have a love he just don't know yet cause he is slow." Type laughed mockingly at Techno.
Can laughed as he watched his friends. He is still lucky for having them. And he should be thankful for that.
After school, the group gone to a bar that Type seems to know very well saying He and Tharn often go there when they wanted to unwind.
The noisy group rented a booth where there's a videoke machine. Can forget everything as they sing out of tune and they get drunk like it is new year.
Ae sat down beside giggling Can offering a chicken skewers.
"Can, you are drunk." Ae told Can. Ae is not that drunk he handled himself just fine.
"I am not drunk." Can slurred while giggling. "You are drunk Ae."
Ae chuckled while rolling his eyes. He watched their friends dancing while singing out of tune.
"Can, are you okay?." Ae asked.
Can paused from drinking from his glass while his smile momentarily frozen but just like an imagination his smile shine back almost blinding Ae.
"Ae, I am okay...are okay?."
"Are you sure?." Ae probe.
Can nodded repeatedly before standing up and proceeds on trying to get his hands on the microphone. They are so noisy that the next room is complaining already but the group only laugh at that.
Ae pulled out his phone as he replied on Pete's text message.
To Pete 💓: He is acting even more weirder than before.
To Ae 💓: what do you mean?
To Pete 💓: like he is acting too happy which made it like it is fake.
It's one in the morning when the group laughingly leave the bar, intoxicated and walking on zigzag mode. But who will thought that even in the middle of the night some shameless reporters will be up and about to find a headline they are thirsty about. And because Can is the hot issue they found ways to follow the teenager around.
Flash of camera is the first thing that met the group upon stepping out the bar and even intoxicated, Can's friend shield him from the vultures because the boy is too wasted to even looked up.
Pete anticipated that it will happened, the drunked part not the reporters that is why Ae's boyfriend volunteered to send a car to fetch the group.
After sending everyone home, Ae is wondering if it is safe to send Can home but Pete think that there will be people waiting there so Ae took Can at Pete's place.
Pete and Ae help Can to Tin's room at Pete's condo. Can kick his shoes off as he snuggled on the soft pillows.
Ae sighed when Can suddenly sobbed on his sleep. It's not loud just a quiet cry. Ae's finger trace the trail of tears from Can's eyes sadly.
"He shouldn't act tough when he is having a hard time." Ae told Pete.
Pete just squeezed his boyfriend's shoulder sadly. What should he say? That it will be better? Isn't that lying?
If only things is not as complicated then maybe, just maybe this will have different ending.