FLASHBACK
"Move your ass Beam! I'm starving"
Beam looked up from his notes and smiled sweetly, the smile that according to Pha could scares away the devil himself. "Kitty, Kitty, I don't need to hurry to get my lunch, I'm not the one with short legs, you are"
Kit instantly saw red and decided to jump on Beam but got caught mid air by Pha. "Enough ladies, stop fighting" he rolled his eyes when Kit hissed at him instead. "Let's go Beam, stop bullying him"
"But I'm still working, he's the one disturbing me" Beam pouted.
Kit gasped seeing that. "Oh you did not! Pha don't get affected by that face" that earned him a smack on his head.
"Stop being a drama queen"__Pha
"Wa.." Kit was at loss. How was he the drama queen? "See! You play favorites, you always take Beam's side"
"Because he loves me more" Beam chirped and it was his turn to get smacked. "Ouch Pha"
"We're in our second year of high school but you are still a kid" Pha scolded him then turned to Kit. "Satisfied?" and indeed, Kit looked very much satisfied. Pha shoved him to move then pulled Beam by rounding an arm around his shoulders. "Tell me, why do like annoying him too much?" he whispered in Beam's ear. They had been together since their diaper days, they knew each other inside out, they never felt awkward showing affection towards each other or pulling each other's leg.
Especially Pha treated Beam like he'd treat someone very close to their heart and it wasn't wrong. He did sometimes felt like he literally was a dad to Beam, with the way Beam behaved with him. He, the ultimate tease, the guy who could break hearts or make people faint with his one killer smile, the Casanova prince, loved to act spoiled in front of Pha and get whatever he wanted from the guy. When Beam's father left and Pha, at the innocent age of eight told him that he should never cry for a dad, that he was a big boy and he can be Beam's dad, Beam really took his words to heart.
Beam looked up at his tall friend and grinned brightly. "He looks so cute when he's mad, shu... don't tell him"
Pha held his laughter and pulled Beam in for a headlock. "You are headache! Just coz you think the guy looks cute, doesn't mean you annoy him to death"
"Oooo okay Phaaaa sorry sorry"
Pha let go of Beam, laughing hard but then gave the pale guy a scrutinizing look. "Tell me, are you in love with him or what?"
Beam looked at Pha's face. "How did you know?"
"What? Be--"
"Ahahaha... gotcha" Beam danced around happily. "You idiot! Do I look that bored with my life? Let me tell you, if I'm gonna fall for either one of you, it's gonna be you not that shorty" he told Pha very seriously. "Atleast you like to stay clean"
Pha blinked. Then frowned. "Seriously--"
"Yeah seriously, in your dreams... HAHAHA" He ran to take protection from Kit before Pha could catch him. That was Beam for you, the cheerful and carefree king of tease.
And that day, he was chirpier than usual, he laughed and joked more. He didn't see the person staring intently at him from behind the pillar with pink milk in his hands, he realize that one joke of his would change all their lives in the future.
.
.
"Pha.. your shitty son is still not ready" Kit told Pha making him roll his eyes.
"You were the one who said let him lose for once Pha, medical is difficult, let him live, then you will force books up his ass" Pha mimicked Kit and got kicked in the groin.
"There there, mom and dad, don't fight"Beam emerged out of his bathroom, looking his best. Clean cut, handsome and stylish, as always.
Both his friends shook their heads and pulled him out of the dorm room.
"Hey... why did you need to pick us up? We both can drive dad, thank you very much"
Pha wrapped his hand around Beam's shoulder as usual. "Because I love you?"
"Huh.. he doesn't trust you Beamie, that's why" Kit supplied and also kicked Pha for a good measure.
Beam giggled. "Ey.. husband and wife are fighting in front of the child? Huh.. poor me" he acted to wipe his tears. "All my parents fight with each other"
That earned him two smacks. "Maybe you're jinxed" Pha wondered and got smacked on the shoulder. Kit couldn't reach his head.
"How could you?" Kit huffed.
"Ey.. my wife is fierce" Pha joined Beam to make fun of Kit.
"Oi who did you call a wife?" Kit chased after Pha to hit him. By the time they reached for orientation, Pha was sore with all the kicks he received, Kit was grumpy and Beam was running around happily.
.
.
"Why am I here?" Beam whined.
"You put my name!" Pha twisted Beam's ear.
"Aww aww aww no!!" Beam jumped.
"He didn't, I did" Kit spoke like a boss and walked inside the hall while Beam puffed his cheeks.
"You always expect the worse of me only" he massaged his ear and turned, only to bump his nose on a chest. The person moved quickly, wrapped an arm around his waist, and pulled him in an embrace to hold him steady or otherwise he'd fall.
"Aww.." Beam, unaware of his position, rubbed his nose and whined. "Pha you bastard!!"
"What? I didn't even move a finger"
Beam looked behind to find Pha standing still in his place. He looked back at the person holding him and blinked. He found three tall and rowdy looking men looking down at him. He jumped away from the guy, flustered. "Oh sorry..." he scratched his hair.
"It's okay" the guy in the middle lifted a side of his lip up in a crooked smile and looked him up and down. "Are you the moon from medical?"
Beam snorted. "Huh.. as if. I don't need a fucking beauty pageant in my life" then looked up at the man who narrowed his eyes. "Oh.. one of you must be a moon too. I think" he suddenly got hauled away from the trio and found himself behind Pha.
"Hey.. I'm the moon from med. Don't mind that idiot"
He peeked from behind Pha to look at the hot guy who was still staring at him. He blinked and shook his head. 'Why would I find him hot?' he shook his head again and his eyes met the cold ones of someone familiar. Someone he didn't recognize standing beside the hot guy at first glance. He blinked. Huh... Lam?! He's here too?!
.
.
"Did you have to hug him that tight?" Tim smirked at him who smirked back. "Asshole"
"I just felt like it" he shrugged. "It was good though"
"You bastard! Look at your dreamy face! I've never seen you stare at a guy like you want to eat him" Tim smacked his head. "You coming Lam?!"
The third person, who stood quietly behind them looked up and nodded.
End of FLASHBACK
He stood with his back against his car outside an office building, playing at his phone. He looked up in time to find a tall man who looked like in his late twenties or early thirties, walk out in a well-tailored suit. He had a hard look on his face.
"Lam!"
The man looked his way and the expression on his face tuned down slightly.
"You.."
Beam walked towards him. "I won't take much time. Just, someone who hated me did me a favor years ago, thought I'd just drop by and thank them"
Lam looked at him with an expressionless face till he looked away. "It's wasn't a favor. That's what cousins do for each other"
##~~
"Here chipmunk"
Kao looked up when a bowl of ramen is placed in front of him and smiled at Thada. "You didn't have to do this, I'm still able to buy myself food"
Thada didn't show any reaction but he placed his hand under Kao's chin and caressed the spot with his thumb. "Doing good?"
Kao blinked. He suddenly felt so warm. He smiled happily. "I'm okay. Don't worry about me. Where's your food?"
"Here..." June came and placed a drink in front of Kao. "I went all the way out of campus to get it, you better finish it all" he told Kao with a smile.
Kao narrowed his eyes. "Is that why he missed the class?" He asked Thada sternly.
Thada's frowned at June but when turned to Kao, his eyes softened. "You can beat him up for this if you want. After you eat"
Kao puffed his cheeks. "Maybe I'll beat you both. I can que for food, I'm not fragile and I didn't ask for a drink! You should not miss class. Class is important"
Thada smiled slightly and caressed the boy's chin again to calm him and like magic, he shut up right away. "You're shouting. Eat okay, we won't fuss again. Promise"
Kao pouted. "You're not gonna eat?"
Thada looked behind Kao to find his friend and the bastard walk towards them. He looked down at Kao and shook his head. "We have to be at the basketball court with the gang, but you, finish it all, okay?!"
Kao looked at June who ruffled his hair. "We'll be with you at home, don't make me worry much okay?!"
They both walked away with Kao looking at them like a lost puppy. Why did they leave me?
He got the answer a moment later when Pete sat on the table, putting his food down a bit too harshly. Followed by Sandee who eyes Kao.
"What did they want?" She asked him with a frown. "Are they bothering you? Tell me"
Kao narrowed his eyes. "Why would you think they'd bother me? They just brought me my food, I'm sick remember?!"
"How sick are you to eat spicy ramen but unable to get your own bloody food?" Pete asked him with an intense look on his face. "And I could buy you your food if you're not capable" he said a bit too harshly.
"Since when am I answerable to you? You're not even my friend! They are" Kao said firmly and started eating. He suddenly lost all his appetite.
"Fuck you!" Pete hissed.
"You should be the one to fuck off! I wasn't even talking to you" Kao snapped and Pete was taken for a moment.
"Okay okay fine, stop it Kao, you don't need to get worked up" Sandee spoke and Kao gaped at her for a moment. Really?
"Tell me, since when you become friends with such people?" She asked Kao.
"What people?"
"Those gangster type rowdy people, who fight, drink and party and play around, create trouble, have never ever heard of study in their life. Who knows what they outside the campus" she told him. "Look at them, their appearances say it all. Who knows, they sleep around carelessly or do drugs or any gang activities. I've even heard that they run a racket"
Kao stared at her with an unbelievable look. She just turned a blind eye to how Pete behaves with him but had the audacity to insult his friends. None of those things that Pete doesn't do yet here he was. Call it hormones but he felt so enraged at the irony of the situation, he stood up without a second thought.
"How could you judge people like that?" he asked slowly, seething visibly, it alarmed both Sandee and Pete.
"Kao I..."
He smiled at her. "If you judge people by appearance, I'd like knowing what you think of me" saying that he picked his bag.
"Kao! KAO!!" she stood up to call him.
He walked away from them with clenched fists, lips pursed in a thin line. He might just have walked away from his best friend at a time like this but he was just so mad.
"Chipmunk?!"
He looked up, not realizing that he'd walked straight towards the basketball court. To Thada.
Thada walked towards him with narrowed eyes and hurriedly cupped his face.
"Hey.. what happened? Are you crying?" he asked in a tone that Kao had never heard him use. A worried tone.
Kao put a finger on his eyes to feel the wetness. He didn't even realize.
"I'm just so mad..." he whispered, looking down. And then he started sobbing so hard that Thada didn't waste a moment to think and just pulled him against his chest, hugging him tightly.
##~~
Ta da.
I know, I know, Pharm and Arthit. Next chapter will be full of their cuteness I promise.