Author Nim Again
Pete spent over two hours in Ae's work room after they ate and talked. They had slipped back into this comfortable place. It was done so seemlessly that you had to wonder if they had ever spent time apart.
Pete looked at all the projects in their different stages then looked at his completed work. He was hoping to see some things that suited the hotels and had already earmarked a few from Ae's general works pile.
Then he looked at the sculptures and it was only his attention to detail that caused him to notice the similarities. "Do you have one of these in front of the Medthanet building?" It wasn't as good as what Pete was looking at but it came really, really close.
"Yep. Traiters. They want me to remove it but I never signed it so they can't prove it was mine to begin with."
"Are you crazy?! That statue stabbing its twin in the back with such an open smile while his brother hugs him is just... I'm surprised they haven't removed it."
"Removal of it is an admission of guilt. They refuse to back down and so does Can. I only made the statue. It was all Can's plan. He commissioned it and it's the only rush job I ever did."
"But why?"
"Even I know what that Tul asshole has been doing to undermine Tin. When Tin was doing his Masters, he never let out that he already had his own company in sports equipment with his own brand Canter. It's really blowing up especially since he's sponsored a few university games and the reviews have been top notch. Then he has that online company that helps you get a job. Thai Lifester. They do everything for you, plan and do your resume, coach you for the interview and get you to the door. You just have to walk in. There's a bunch of other shit he was doing but Tul had no idea so he sent out this propaganda article and Can slammed it with one of his own about Tim's life and accomplishments. ChaAim helped him by linking him to one of her friends who works for this magazine."
Pete blinked and reached for the magazine in question. IT wasn't a rag but also only popular in business circles. People would have had to go out of their way to get to the good stuff. Another shocker! Tin was on the cover and he looked stunning.
"I have a feeling he didn't know what this was for." Pete finally commented.
"Not a clue."
Pete skimmed through the magazine and froze. "Your in here."
And so he was. Ae looked stunningly manly in the picture. In a tux, he appeared to be fixing a cufflinks as he looked up slightly at the camera. His always intense eyes locked on too the camera. Pete was sure there were many men and women who had fallen in lust with this picture especially since Ae had plainly stated he was bi in the interview. He had also said he was in a complicated relationship that was currently on hold but he had intentions of hopefully reconnecting with that person.
Everything in Pete's chest squeezed and a light blush crept up his face. He glanced at Ae who was staring at him with a light smile and blushed deeper.
"You were always thinking of me."
"Of course. All my first and all my best moments happened with you. I will never stop thinking of you."
Pete
I stared at Ae and marvelled at this guy. There was a point when I had given up hope. When I had felt utterly and absolutely alone. And then Can had sent me his first rambling email. I hadn't gotten to read it right away but Father had been so... mesmerized, for lack of a better word that he actually bought it up to comment on Can's level of intelligence and to question just what kind of friends I had exactly.
But I didn't care. Instead, I promptly negotiated with Father to be able to read the emails. They had been the godsend I had needed.
"Can I keep this? I want to read it carefully."
"Sure. They sent me a stack to share with whomever I wanted."
I look down and away from his eyes. They have always had the power to captivate me, excite me and scare me.
Ae would never hurt me but I have always worried about displeasing him. I am a very submissive person. I have learned to accept that about myself. But, I have also learned to make it my strength.
"Pete?" Ae calls after I have been silent for too long.
"Don't worry Ae. I am not over thinking." And I wasn't. It would be hard for some people to find out that while separated, their loved one took others. While it hurts a little because there is always the hope that they will purely wait for you, it is also unrealistic. If I had found someone who met my expectations, I would have absolutely agreed to a relationship and all that goes with it. I have no illusions about life and being gay.
Being gay is hard. Firstly, males make up the minority of the world population at this time. Secondly, they are choosing to be with each other. Third, as the women say all the good ones are either married, gone, or in my group. Even in my group we have a similar problem. We either find a really good one from the batch or we try to covert from the other group. I never set out to try to covert yet somehow it happened and it still doesn't count because Ae had zero sexual anything before I came along and shook his world.
"If your sure. You know you can always tell me. I can't change anything I did but I can tell you anything you want to know."
"Ae, I questioned you already and got my answers. Please do not worry."
"Ok because you know I am always worried about you and I really hope that you don't hide like that other time and try to make it all better for me when it was hurting you."
As a man, I'm not hard to please. I want someone who cares about me, point blank. Ae cares about me, about my well being, happiness, satisfaction, and basic needs. To me that is sufficient. It is merely a bonus that he is also handsome, sexy, honest to a fault, loyal, protective and dominant without being intolerable.
I move into his arms and just ease myself onto him. His arms wrap around me and I rest there, safely.
"Do you know when you said you had tried it, I was actually relieved. I had hoped that you would take this time to experiment. I was the only lover you had ever had Ae. I left you knowing that you had so many options. More than I could ever offer you. I hoped that I would be your last choice but I would have lived if I wasn't. I am not saying it would not have hurt. I am saying that I accepted that I was only one of many possibilities." His hand rubbed my back softly and it felt so good. I sighed in bliss.
"I understand. I actually never set out to meet her and if she hadn't reminded me of you, I might have been content to just say hi and move on. Mom even encouraged me to ask her out. She said it would be good for me."
"Really? She was probably thinking the same way I was. It's hard to tell with Mae sometimes. She often takes me by surprise."
"She told me it was so I would know what I really wanted. She didn't ever want me to have a what if moment later in life. "
I smiled and promised myself I would get Mae some roses just because.
The buzzer sounded and we looked at each other. No one else was supposed to be coming by.
Ae got to the intercom. "Yes?"
"I have a package for Intouch...?"
Oh. I chuckled as Ae buzzed him in and told him he would have to walk up 5 flights. The groan made Ae chuckle and refuse to meet him half way if he wanted the tip. It was a great tip too.
The guy left with a grin and Ae showed me what he ordered from this new site. It was like watching his talk about football only this time it was art.
"Do you still play?" I suddenly asked him and he grinned at me.
"Totally local of course! In fact, because of Can, I got to meet some of the national teams and a few of them wanted to recruit me. Like for real. I even train and play with them on practice games when I'm not working on a site and just in office!"
I kept feeding him questions and realized that Ae hadn't changed that much, just improved on who he was and added some new elements.
"So what about Pete? Tell me your plans for the hotel."
Oh gosh! Where to start? "You know what I asked Pond and ChaAim to do right? Most hotels operate near the active night life scene. I intend to be that scene. Whatever they can access will be available to them. Unfortunately not everyone will be able to afford us, we are not a motel, but we hope to be able to offer so many options that people come because they get everything from us."
"What about drugs?" I saw this question coming a mile away. Drugs is a major part of the party scene.
"We will not be shut down by VICE cops. I have already procured a recreational cannabis license. It's legal and we intend to sell the best. I don't intend for anything illegal to be found or done inside of The Basement."
"I see. Explain your thinking with that. I just want to understand where you are coming from with this decision."
Ae is very anti drugs. I knew he would ask me something like this.
"Drugs is something I can't control... to a point. People will always find a way to sneak it in. I am attempting to control the situation by offering the only legal one I can. I am making it clear that I am willing to work with the police and I intend to make sure the majority of it all will not get far. I will have security responsible for collecting as much of the stuff and disposing of it as safely as possible. I'll try my best. I hope that by allowing this one and making sure it's pure and not mixed or laced with anything, then they wouldn't feel the need to bring in other things and spoil my hotel."
"In other words by giving permission, you curtail the rebellion. With permission it's not a rebellion anymore and takes the fun out of sneaking. At least until they realize your only offering one option."
"But I want the one option to be so good that they don't feel the need to look elsewhere." I feel the irony of that statement once I've said it. Ae does too but he only smiles.
Then I remember. "I went too see Mom yesterday."
"She told me. Nong Yim is the one I really want you to surprise. She asked about you all the time. I finally explained it all to her last year. I thought she was old enough to understand and she did. She thinks you'll be here next month. We'll go see her tomorrow. "
"Ok. Wait! I have to buy her something!"
"Really Pete." Ae complains in a deadpan voice but his eye are so amused at me.
"Well it's Nong Yim. I only have one niece you know. Come on Ae. Please? Na na na?"
"Ok, ok. But we buy it together as always."
"And not just 1. She's 8. She needs lots of things."
He frowns and I drop the begging eyes on him full force.
"Ok stop. I can't believe you've gotten better at the puppy eyes Pete. I can only handle so much cute na."
I can't help blushing and giggling.
"So what time are we going for?"
"For lunch. She has lessons from 8 to 11. It's right there in the neighbourhood so she will definitely be at home around 12. Then we have the rest of the weekend to figure out what to do."
I know what I want to do. Blush.
"What are you thinking? Wait stupid question. I was thinking the same so I don't know why I bothered to ask."
Ae will kill me one day. With a smile on my face mind you.you
"Were we thinking the same thing?" Damn! I don't even recognize my own voice. It's gotten so freaking husky.
"Fuck! Pete you will kill me." He says it with a hiss before pulling me into a kiss.
Mmmmmm! Yesssss!
Any touches we shared earlier were comfortable and sweet but this... It's pure sex and I needed to feel it again.
Ae's tongue is in my mouth, rubbing against the roof of it and giving me the shivers. Somehow my arms and legs are wrapped around him, clutching so I wouldn't float away from all this hot air I'm suddenly filled with.
We pull away, spit smeared around our mouths, to stare at each other.
I want you Ae. I want him to see it in my eyes.
"You still have that fucking look. Staring at me like that." He growls it out and I can feel my body go from 100% to 1000% in need at the sound of that deep voice. I feel myself leak just a spurt and know I wouldn't last.
"Just touch me Ae. It will be enough for now. Please!" I'm desperate for it. A needy bitch in heat.
He does more that touch me. Suddenly my naked ass is on Ae's drawing table, he moved that fast, and I'm in his mouth, being sucked so. Fucking. Good!
"Ahhhhhh!" My body was moving to fast to register any of the sensations it was feeling. I went from needy to on the edge in seconds. Then, just when I thought I had caught up, I was coming and my body was going crazy.
Distantly, I felt him grind against my thigh then wetness. I knew what it meant, somehow, and it sent another rush to my brain.
He had been just as desperate for me.
"Pete..." His voice was a croak and he stopped to clear it.
"We'll kill each other Ae."
"Fuck," he whispered and rested his forehead on my chest.
"Save me, save me!" Just that part of BTS song was on repeat. I could immediately sense who was on the other end.
"The fuck do you want Pond? Oh right. We're getting ready. In my jeep. Fuck Off!" He viciously cut the call but I still managed to hear that asinine laugh.
"Time to get ready?" He looks over at me then suddenly pulls me in and kisses me softly on the mouth.
"I missed you Pete. That's the thing that hurt the most, how much I missed you. And not because of the sex either. I just. I needed to tell you that again."
I smiled. "I get it Ae. I really do. And yeah, it needs to be said again. I missed you too. So much. Every day. Some more than others. I missed you."