The push and the pull
Of attraction to you
Let's start the game
And break the rules
**
The lanterns glowed softly against the artificial black sky of the Tower. They came in all sort of colors – the brilliant red, the mandarin orange, and a yellow that would have been the same color of an Emperor's robe. Across the stalls there was a delightful lake that curved like a rainbow.
The group had made an unexpected stop at one of the nearby towns where the Hell Train passed. Boro, their dependable Hell Train veteran, gushed that a remarkable lantern festival was just a stone's throw away from the train's next stop. A consensus was reached quickly – the group was weary from their last battle and looked forward to having several restful nights.
"Over here!"
Bam weaved his way through a sea of people, his chestnut brown head soon getting lost amongst the crowd. Khun followed closely behind, tugging his necktie loose as he hurried after his best friend. It was getting warm with all the people that came in droves, and the crowd simmered under the heat of the lanterns.
"Look at this!" Bam exclaimed, as he held up an adorable turtle figurine molded on a stick. It was made of some sort of colored sugar paste and there was a sign in front of the shop that read "handmade fresh everyday".
His golden eyes scoured through the rows of sticks that were propped up on display. "Red turtle for Rak...black turtle for me..." he mumbled. "Blue turtle –" He frowned. There was no blue turtle there on display.
"Khun, there's no blue turtle," he complained. "It has to be the three of us –" Bam turned to look at Khun, who was distracted with the next stall which served the most delicious looking candied hawthorn.
He gave Khun a good elbow in the ribs and earned himself a well-deserved glare from his companion.
"Well it has to be here somewhere, there's tons of other blue colored stuff."
Bam clutched the two chosen sticks tightly and nudged his way forward till he was face to face with the owner of the store.
"Ma'am, we can't find a blue turtle stick, please can you help us!"
The store owner was a stout, middle aged woman whose jaw seemed to be working hard on some sort of gum in her mouth, and she wasn't impressed by Bam's determination. She smacked her lips together.
"It's all here, boy. If you can't find it then we don't have it," she replied, her tone bored. She barely glanced at him again as she collected a handful of coins from another customer and tinkled them into her wooden box.
Khun grabbed Bam's elbow as he started to protest. "Let me," he mouthed, brushing past Bam to take his spot.
"We would like to buy these two figurines," he said, plucking the sticks smoothly from Bam's hand.
He gave her the most brilliant smile. "Your handicraft is fantastic," Khun remarked, touching her hand lightly as he handed the money over. "As lovely as its creator," he added sweetly. He made sure to flutter his pale lashes once when she finally looked at him properly.
She preened. "Oh – you handsome young lad," she said appraisingly. "Come back again if you want anything, I'll give you an excellent discount."
Khun pretended to be pleasantly surprised at the suggestion and took one of her hands in his in mock gratitude. "I was just really hoping to get a blue turtle figurine to match my eyes – if you could...?"
Of course she could. She whipped out a slab of blue sugar paste from a nearby compartment.
She molded it quickly, her strong fingers working with years of skill. "Here you go," she said, sticking it on a wooden stick. "A blue that matches your eyes." She leaned forward and Khun was obliged to do the same. "Free of charge, just for you," she whispered conspiratorially.
He turned to look at Bam triumphantly after they both squeezed out of the crowded stall. Bam looked at him dispassionately. "You cheated an old lady of a stick," he muttered, folding the purchase into his pocket neatly.
"I charmed her," Khun replied. "Now there's a very big difference, Bam, between a charmer and a cheat."
"You're a charmer and a cheat."
They continued their lighthearted bickering as they continued to move from stall to stall together. They bought a stick of candied hawthorn to share. They played lantern riddles as a pair. They watched wide eyed as a young man twisted, stretched and folded noodle dough into silky strands that was stirred into a large soup pot.
It was at least an hour before they finally met up with Leesoo and Hatsu.
Leesoo jingled his string pouch proudly in front of them, which was fat with coins. "He gambled," Hatsu said as they raised their eyebrows.
"You're my lucky star!" Leesoo grinned widely and thumped Hatsu on the back. "I literally won every round – five times in a row!"
"Let's go get some snacks for everyone with this money!" Bam was ever eager to share. Leesoo looked back at him, horrified that he was asked to part with his precious cash. He backed away in mock fear.
"Not a chance in hell," he cried, starting into a bit of a run and Bam chased after in jest. Khun exchanged glances with Hatsu and they both chuckled.
Bam caught Leesoo in a minute and tackled him with a laugh. Hatsu caught up to them with a jog, saying that Khun had decided to wander about on his own and would regroup with them later. The three carried on their adventure under the dazzle of the lantern lights, drinking in the aroma of fried dumplings and roasted sesame pastries. It was one of the rare times where they were together, and untroubled.
The crowd was now at its peak where most people were gathered around the lake to get a choice spot to view the releasing of the sky lanterns. Bam stopped at a stall after urging on Leesoo and Hatsu to go ahead. It was a cozy stand tucked away at the side of the road that sold hair accessories.
Bam finally picked out a blue bandanna with a paisley print after much deliberation. The lady at the store said that the paisley design represented the Cyprus tree, which was a symbol of life and eternity.
Life and eternity, he thought, were two things he wanted Khun to have.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a familiar blue that turned into a dark alley on his left. He paused in his step.
Khun? He'd recognize that shade of silver blue anywhere.
He treaded softly and quickly into the dark alley – just in case Khun was in danger, his uninvited presence could catch the attacker off-guard. The alleyway was dimly lit, and it was at least fifty meters before there was an opening to a narrow lane on his right.
He peered round the corner and his eyes widened in shock.
Khun was pressed against the wall by another man – a regular who he vaguely recognized from the workshop battle. Chang? Cheng? He couldn't remember. The man had short, dark hair and an attractive build. A hand was placed strategically beside Khun's head, as if to keep him there, and the man had the advantage of being a head taller. Fingers traced a path up Khun's dress shirt and they dipped casually into the gaps between the buttons.
They were almost whispering and Bam's ears strained to catch the words exchanged.
"So let's...?" The unknown man's fingers had now almost reached the knot of Khun's tie which was loosened earlier in the night. Bam couldn't see Khun's expression from this position, but the side of his fair cheek was unusually rosy. There was silence – a pause – and the man got impatient. He yanked the tie forward roughly, and their faces would have been pressed together if not for Khun's hand on his chest to stop him. Bam's heart clenched involuntarily.
If there was any evidence that Khun was being held against his will, he was ready to kill the man. Immediately.
Khun's next words were inaudible, but the man was pushed off gently. Khun adjusted his tie and straightened his shirt. "That's enough for today," he said, ignoring the disappointment on the man's face.
"Next time?" The man's back was facing Bam but the insinuation was clear. "You have really nice hips," he drawled.
Khun was unmoved. He didn't glance back as he walked away, waving goodbye with the back of his hand.
Bam turned round to plaster his back against the wall, a dozen questions racing through his head. What the hell was that?
He carried on making his way to the lake in a bit of a daze. He knew Khun was always attractive. He had seen how others looked at this best friend when they walked in a crowd and more than one regular had complimented Khun – his handsome features, his intelligence, his skill – but his hips? That was the first. He absorbed himself into trying to recollect how Khun's hips looked like.
"Bam?" A familiar voice echoed near his ear. "Bam!"
He looked up, startled, and Khun's face came into focus.
"Earth to Bam," Khun said dryly.
"Khun!" His eyes couldn't help but slip to the narrow length of the black tie, the buttons that fastened his dress shirt, and... his hips.
Khun looked at himself. "Is there something on me?" He brushed the front of his shirt lightly. "Come on Bam, we're going to miss the sky lanterns!" He grabbed his friend's wrist and they raced to the lake, panting. Bam's breaths came out in short puffs as they finally came to a stop in attempt to look for the rest of the group.
"There they are!"
Pushing their way to the front of the lake where the rest were gathered, they heard firecrackers go off in a distance with a bang.
The crowd gave a whoop as thousands of lanterns took residence in the sky, made buoyant by a comforting night breeze. Bam watched them, transfixed by their sheer beauty, as they suspended in the night and flickered mysteriously, as if promising to take him to unexpected places.
Khun glanced over to Bam and smiled at his wonder. Bam's golden eyes reflected the dance of the lanterns; the most magical of mirrors.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Boro walked over to them softly and whistled in appreciation. "I've seen it probably fifty years ago once, but it still never fails to amaze me."
They watched together as the lanterns rose higher still, dissolving into the darkened evening. It seemed that such beauty was destined to be impermanent. The faint echo of firecrackers exploding signaled the end of the festival, and the crowd thinned out. The team started to make their way back to the inn they had reserved for the next few nights. The plan was to stock up on supplies before catching the Hell Train to the next stop.
Bam fell behind his friends as they walked, still lost in his thoughts.
For a fleeting moment he wondered if he would have been allowed to press Khun up the wall. He shook his head to be rid of the thought, but the image of Khun being pressed up the wall by the mysterious man reconstructed in his head with terrible distinctiveness.
He looked up at Khun who was ahead of him, and couldn't help but notice – and this is where he hated himself – that Khun's slender hips were indeed, very nice.