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Can't Remember to Forget You

Summary:

There was one memory Tin held close to his chest from before, one single memory he wouldn't let anyone touch. Just before leaving to study abroad, Pete had thrown a going away party for him - one of course Tin had never asked for or wanted. What he'd planned to be just one or two people Tin could tolerate evolved as people invited their own friends.

One boy stood out, pulled his attention and his heart. Leaving within a few days, Tin takes a chance, never expecting to see this boy again much to his regret.

Notes:

Yes, it starts when they were younger, but don't worry there will be a time jump. Will continue if there is interest <3

Chapter 1: Seven minutes

Chapter Text

❖ Age Fifteen ❖

 

Tin frowned as he stared around him, unsure how Pete had managed this when neither of them actually had friends besides each other, and for two very different reasons.  For Pete, he was too shy, too nervous about certain parts of him to open up to anyone.  For Tin, he simply didn’t trust anyone enough to let them near him.  As it was, only Pete was actually sure of their friendship, Tin still denied that it existed, but there he was, somehow managing to throw a going away party for him.  It was his last week in Thailand before he went to study abroad, something he was told was good for him.  Tul thought it was, so Tin, as always believed him.  Tul knew him better than anyone, he certainly cared more about him than anyone else did.  So when Tul said going to study in a different country was what was best for him, Tin agreed blindly in a way he didn’t with anyone else.  

What Pete had described as just a few people from school had evolved.  The few people Pete had invited had invited a few friends, who had also invited a few friends… and so on.  

There weren’t very many people he even recognized at this point.  There were a few football players loudly teasing a much smaller member of their team, a few groups of kids loudly wrestling and play-fighting with each other, groups of girls giggling to themselves, all keeping their distance from each other.  Tin himself stood back leaning against a wall, looking bored as ever as Pete stood nearby.  He’d already urged him to try to socialize a few times, but as Pete wasn’t even trying to socialize himself, he saw no need.  It didn’t much matter that it was supposed to be his party, because it was a party he didn’t want.  

His attention only shifted when one of the football players announced that since they were there to celebrate someone studying abroad, that they should play some foreign games.  A bunch of games he’d never heard of were listed, before the group landed on one that was apparently very American.  That wasn’t even where he was going, so he rolled his eyes as he felt Pete latch onto his arm.  They weren’t the only ones that looked reluctant to play, though they still sat in the circle the player had directed them too.  The only ones who didn’t were him, Pete and he noted one very loud boy who protested right up until one of his friends pushed him until he sat down.  He had a feeling he knew why Pete didn’t want to play - he didn’t want to wind up kissing a girl.  From the instructions, it seemed they spun a bottle and whoever it landed on, they had to go in a dumb closet for seven minutes together.  Presumably to kiss, though really, who would know if they didn’t?  

It wasn’t until someone grabbed Pete’s hand to pull him forward that Tin found himself also moving towards the stupid game.  Pete’s hands on his arms were like a death grip, enough that he saw his friends' knuckles turning white.  It wasn’t like Tin to give in to something just because he could tell someone else was nervous, it wasn’t in him to actually care.  But he’d always had a soft spot for Pete, so he went with it, sighing as he sat down.  

 

The game went a while before he leaned back, settling into the fact that the people who were actually spinning the bottle were the ones who seemed a bit keen on finding someone to make out with.  Tin himself, half hoped Pete’s mom would come home and break up the nonsense.  He wasn’t ever that lucky, of course not, the bottle was passed to him and he stared at it with a bored look as the same guy who started the whole thing loudly called out, “he’s the one going abroad! Let him have a turn.”  As if he was doing Tin some sort of favor, he was better off without a turn.  

It was a nudge from Pete, which he easily took as take your turn then please give it to someone who isn’t me, that had him sighing as he set it down and spun.  What he hadn’t expected was for it to land on a guy.  Not just a guy but the small one that he’d watched the other football players messing with earlier in the night, the very same one that had also protested playing.   

“He spins again, right?  He gets to spin again?!” The smaller guy questioned loudly, through a sea of snickers and giggles that should have been his answer right there.  With a glance at Pete, Tin mouthed you owe me before he got to his feet.  

“Go on Can, you’re it!” Though the smaller guy protested, even louder this time, his friends had already hoisted him to his feet, and as Tin moved into the closet, already rolling his eyes, the smaller guy… Can… was pushed inside as they shut the door.  Tin himself simply moved a few coats out of the way, so that he could lean against one of the walls in the small space.  It was going to be a very long seven minutes.   

Can seemed to agree though, not once did he stop fidgeting, nor did his hand leave the door.  Now that they were in close proximity, Tin had the opportunity to get a better look at him.  He was on the smaller side, clearly athletic, dark hair falling just below his eyebrows.  The more he took in his appearance, the more he realized he was actually attractive.  More than attractive, he was beautiful, even in the twitchy, nervous way he was currently moving around.   His eyes glanced down to the boy's lips, noting the pout that rested there, and that those too were beautiful.  It made his heart flutter in his chest in an unfamiliar way.  Typically he found girls attractive, but never enough to make him actually react.   

The seven minutes were going to take forever.   As he glanced at his watch, he noted they still had six minutes of this.  “Would you stop fidgeting?  Do you ever stop moving?”  The way Can puffed out his cheeks, the way his eyes glared at him didn’t do much to slow his heart.  What was it about this weird, twitchy boy that sped up his heart and gave him butterflies?  Can huffed at him as he crossed his arms, his hand finally leaving the door.  That was an improvement, he looked less like he was going to dash at a moment's notice.  

“I can't help it, you should shh anyway, I don’t think we’re supposed to be talking, it’s not part of the game,” the words came out fast, causing Tin to raise an eyebrow as he watched him.  Not only was he cute, but he was interesting in a way that made Tin wish he was staying in Thailand a bit longer to watch him.  

“No, talking isn’t.  Kissing is though, we can do that instead if you want.” Though he hadn’t been keen on the game to begin with, it was a bit more interesting now.  He’d never kissed a guy before, hadn’t ever wanted to.  He wanted to now, wanted to see what it was like with this specific guy.  Even in the dark of the closet he could see the color of Can’s cheeks change, could see him blushing.  For Tin, he took that to mean he wanted to as well.  He made to reach out when a sharp huff left the other.

“No, that is not what I want to do.” He breathed out in a hushed tone, and Tin let his hand fall even if an amused smile crossed his face.  Cute, interesting and actually endearing in the most stubborn sort of way.   He let a low hum leave him as he nodded, his way of telling the other that he didn’t entirely believe him.  If anything, Can was even more twitchy than he had been before, his hands fumbling with just about everything he could get them on, everything except Tin, he noted.  

“Would make the time go by faster,” he offered, his own grin only widening as he felt Can’s wide eyes fixate on him.  It was true, time would certainly move faster, too fast, probably.   

Five minutes left.

Can was still staring at him with impossibly wide eyes as he finally did what he wanted.  He reached a hand out, allowing it to brush over his cheek.  For the first time since they’d gotten into the damned closet, Can was impossibly still, his eyes still fixed on Tin.  He saw shock there, along with perhaps some nerves and something else he couldn’t quite place.  He took a step closer, his hand now resting on his neck as he waited to see if he’d pull back.  He already knew Can could fight if he wanted to, he’d witnessed that in how he’d been with his team earlier.  The thing was, he wasn’t fighting, he was standing very still, his eyes still staring right at him.  

That was a first, people usually didn’t stare at Tin for too long, no they looked away as soon as he made eye contact usually because he’d made himself intimidating just to get them to leave him alone.  He assumed his name, his family's wealth helped perhaps a tad.  He let himself lean down slightly as he moved Can back against the wall, his eyes searching him for a sign that he should stop.  “Not going to stop me, Can?” He questioned curiously, already close enough that he could feel Can’s breath ghost over his lips.  

To his surprise, Can didn’t stop him, his wide eyes instead slowly shut.  With a quick glance at his watch, he noted four minutes.  It was now or never if he at least wanted to get some time in with the weirdest, cutest person he’d ever met.   Tin didn’t wait before he bent down the rest of the way, his lips pressing gently against Can’s.  His free hand moved, tucking behind him as he pulled Can closer.  It took a second before he actually felt Can kiss back, and once he did he lost himself in it completely.  Their lips moved together, softly, sweetly, it was Can’s hands in his hair that spurred him on.  The kiss grew hotter, heavier as he pushed his tongue into his mouth.  There was resistance for a minute, Can able to get the word dog out before Tin went right back to kissing him. 

He wanted to say it was practice for the fact that he was about to be living in a western country, but it was Can.  He’d kissed plenty of people before, enough that he knew what to expect.  Can was unexpected, he’d never felt anything from anyone before, never felt his heart race, felt as though he could stay in that moment for the rest of eternity.   It was Can, something about him left Tin wanting more.  His hand moved, running through Can’s hair for a moment before it moved to rub at his chest, experimenting for a moment as he drew him in closer.  The door to the closet opening came as a shock, he stood quiet still as Can jumped back, his own hand lifting to his lips because he could still feel Can’s there.  He’d forgotten where they were, that it was some stupid game that had put them in there together.  A stupid game he was silently thanking for what it had given him.  He stepped out as he glanced back at Can, red faced, lips swollen, hair a mess, and his own lips twitched into a large grin.  


His eyes met with Pete’s for just a moment, the surprised look he’d left Can with was almost repeated there.   At least Pete now knew he wasn’t the only one who wanted to kiss guys.  Though for Tin, there was only one guy he thought he’d want to kiss, and he’d go in for seconds if he thought he could.