Work Text:
Pat giggled at the blue handmade bracelet with his initial glistening under the lightning from where he sat.
"Saying you're hot doesn't mean she likes you. Stop imagining things." Pa complained while bringing the laundry basket to the table, where she sat opposite her brother.
"I'm not imagining it," Pat insisted. "I can sense it."
"Last time you sensed something, you ended up buying a surf skate for a girl who dumped you right after that." She countered and groaned, getting back to folding a shirt, which is not even her's.
"That hurts," Pat deadpanned, smacking the shirt and ruining her work. "Are you really my sister?"
She looked at him in disbelief before putting her palm on her chest. "Because I'm your sister, I know how dumb you are when it comes to girls." She sassed her eyebrows at him.
Pat clicked his tongue. "Hey! You should at least be supportive to your brother."
"For what?" Pa raised her eyebrows amusingly. "You trying to flirt with Ink when she doesn't even recognize it, or you insisting how you and P'Pran are friends." She mused.
Pat grinned from where he sat. "Of course we are." Pat emphasized proudly on the last word.
Pa grimaced sarcastically. "You guys are more like rivals who fight but help each other so it's fair."
"Rivals who help each other don't hang out and make each other laugh." Pat retorted.
"I bet he just forces himself so he can move on from you."
"I bet you'd cry if I smack you."
"I bet Ink would appreciate hearing about you smacking me." Pa motioned as if she was going to hit Pat but stopped midway.
Pat groaned in defeat. He was starting to get annoyed. "Is it so hard to believe me and Pran are friends?"
Pa looked at him as if he asked an undeniably dumb question. "To be friends, you need these four things." She said vaguely.
Pat giggled. "What now? What four things?"
Pa replied with a roll of her eyes. "Fine. Just because I'm embarrassed to see you still trying."
Pat gasped offended. "Pa!"
"Shut up," Pa brushed him off and pulled her index finger in the air. "Rule number one; you need to feel comfortable in each other's presence." She stated.
Pat nodded. He pulled a victory smirk. Surely a person who doesn't feel comfortable wouldn't laugh so brightly every time Pat does something comically stupid. And a person who wouldn't feel comfortable wouldn't do those things deliberately to make Pran laugh.
"Okay." He dragged out the word with a smirk.
Pa continued raising the next finger. "Rule number two; friends don't lie to each other."
And Pat successfully passed the second rule. He had never lied to Pran, not even when they were in high school. At least not out of spite. In fact, since they help each other in keeping their friend groups apart, they always tell each other if something happens and inform the other of their whereabouts. It would be almost impossible to lie even if he wanted to.
"Rule number three; friends help each other out," He ticked the third rule victoriously. They help each other a lot. "Without expecting anything in return."
Pat and Pran have been helping each other out, even though before it was mostly because both would get something out of it. But now that he thinks about it, they just do it without much thought. Pat kept Pran's guitar for him, he also helped with the bus stop, and he didn't want anything for it. Pran sometimes let's him borrow his notes from the class they have together, he sometimes cooks for him, and he never asked for anything in return.
"Are you done, yet?" Pat asked proudly. Him and Pran are definitely friends. Even though Pran just doesn't want to admit it with words.
"Rule number four; friends talk with each other about things they would never tell anyone." She finished, and that was like a kick to the gut for Pat. He internally winced.
They never held a conversation on a topic they didn't already talk about with their friends. Except from when they brood about how to avoid their friends running into each other. But it's a different type of thing from what Pa was referring to. Pat found it hard to believe Pran would open up to him, whereas Pat is already an open book.
If Pran had asked him about something, he wouldn't hesitate to answer honestly. But if he asked a question Pran found unworthy to answer Pat, he would push him away. Pat fought hard to crack the walls Pran built around them, and he is happy that they are where they are. But it hurts that Pran doesn't found him trustworthy, after everything they've been through together.
An idea already struck Pat. And his mood brightened. Maybe this could finally be it. Determined, he brushed off any negative thoughts and gleamed smugly at Pa.
He hummed with his signature competitive smirk on. "I told you we were friends."
"Whatever Hia," Pa shrugged rolling her eyes. "It's none of my business what P'Pran and you are. Just don't hurt him."
Pat gaped at her sister in disbelief. "Why would I hurt him?" He scoffed. "We both are in this family war shit together."
"You tend to say wrong things at the wrong time without realizing."
"I do not!" He denied. And that easily turned in five, to ten, and then to fifteen minutes of bickering about how Pat is not that oblivious and ignorant.
An hour later, he offered to drive his sister back home since he also had to go buy a couple of beers for this evening's special event. Once he made sure Pa safely got home, he drove to the nearest grocery shop and searched for what he needed.
He bought a couple of Singha beers and paid the cashier. He drove back home and stored the beverages in the fridge for when Pran gets back home from his band practice for Freshy Day Contest.
It's already 8 p.m. so he figured Pran won't be out for long. In the meantime, he just scrolled through his phone and watched the reality show episode he left unfinished.
Pat doesn't want to force Pran to be his friend, but he really wants them to be anything other than rivals and sworn enemies. He doesn't blame Pran for not wanting to get too close to Pat, given how their relationship has never exceeded to anything other than people who tolerate each other.
High school was probably the best period for Pat, until it got ruined by a single contest and a stubborn Dissaya. He is determined to bring back that relationship between them, and maybe even make it stronger. That's why he is cracking the walls through actions that won't reveal his true intentions. He doesn't want to pressure or make Pran uncomfortable.
If Pran truly doesn't wish to be friends, he will back out.
Pat heard light footsteps and key rustling from the hall, indicating that Pran is finally home. A tingling sensation pools in his stomach, which he registered as excitement. So he makes his way to take the beers out of the fridge, and sways to the direction of Pran's dorm. He knocks gently, expecting Pran to open anytime.
The door finally opens, revealing a confused Pran looking at him with a frown. Pat raises the beers in his hands with a smirk, and cocks an eyebrow to Pran.
"What?" Pran asks.
"Can I come in?" Without much further thought and not waiting for Pran's answer, he enters his apartment.
He hears Pran groan behind him. "Ai'Pat, why do you ask if you'll just end up doing it anyways? What are you even doing here?"
"Just looking for someone to drink with." He admits, not far from the truth.
"You have your friends."
"You are also my friend," Pat smiles. "And I don't want to go to the bar right now."
He smirks, manouvering himself to the kitchen and searching for a beer opener.
"What are you doing?" Pran asks with visible discomfort as Pat touches and walks in his space as if it's his own. He walks towards Pat with crossed arms. Pat chuckles at the similarity of Pran and Pa's nagging.
He looks up and Pran. "I was thinking we could play a game." He says as he watches Pran who opens a drawer, already knowing what Pat was looking for.
"What game?" He asks with a frown, thrusting the opener towards Pat, he beams a smile as he takes it.
"Simple," Pat shrugs. "We take turns asking questions, who doesn't answer under five seconds or refuses to answer at all drinks." Pat cracks the can lid, followed by a sizzling sound of the beer.
Pran scoffs. "What are you, seventeen again?"
Pat shrugs with his shoulders. He places the can on the counter and thrusts his face closer to Pran's. "Why? Do you have anything to hide? Or are you afraid to lose?" He teases.
Pran steps even closer, and Pat's stomach flushed in excitement from looking at the familiar competitive expression on Pran's face. He always knows how to get Pran riled up.
"I should ask you the same question. Are you acting smug so you can avoid getting defeated?" Pran muses in a suggestive tone, Pat chuckles innocently, successfully hiding his plan which he definitely didn't spend half an hour planning beforehand. "Okay, let's do it." Pran finally says.
They gather sitting in front of the coffee table on the floor, facing eachother with small plastic cups and their cans of beer. They bicker about going who is going first. Pat insists Pran should go first as Pat is the 'host' so he should decide, and Pran retorts to Pat's dumb and nonsense logic.
Eventually, one of them gives up and it turns out to be Pat who ends up going first to ask the other questions he must either answer or down a glass of beer.
He decided he should not jump straight into hard questions but first get Pran to relax and completely focus his mind and spirit into their game. Focus his attention into them doing this together.
"Have you ever lied about being sick so you could stay home from classes?"
Pran grimaced. "Seriously?" He asked in disbelief. "Fine. Yes, yes I did."
Pat whistled in amusement. "I'm actually surprised about this revelation."
"Why?" Pran asked with a stern voice but a smile was forming on his face. He chuckled bitterly. "You think I'm just a nerd with no sense of entertainment?"
Pat chuckled. "No," He said and he meant it. "You're doing this with me, aren't you? But you are someone who makes sure he doesn't act irrationally."
Pran smiled. "Sometimes it's okay to just disappear for a day and come back with a fresh mind." He shrugged with his shoulders.
"Was it an emergency?" Pat asked and Pran frowned. "That made you have to lie to stay out of classes."
Pran raised his eyebrows, amused. "Ow? You can only ask one question at a time Khun Pat. Those are your rules." He retorted and Pat hated how he was right. He almost blew up his cover; that made this whole thing more dramatic than it actually is.
"Okay." Pat nodded with a pout, just how he does every time Pran uses Pat's own words against him. He gestured with his hand for Pran to go on as it is his turn.
"Do you hate me?" He asked after a couple of seconds, with an unexpectedly soft tone.
"What? Why would you ask me that now?"
"Because we were supposed to hate each other." Both fell silent. Pran sighed. "One... two... three-"
"Okay, okay," Pat interrupted. "I used to ask myself if you ever did anything to make me hate you."
"Did I?" Asked Pran.
Pat smiled ruefully. "Ever since I knew you, my life has been a lot tougher. Whatever I do, I need to compare it to you."
Pran hummed. "You must hate me a lot for that, don't you?"
Pat nodded and clicked his tongue. "I should," Straightening his posture. "But then I tried to think it through. You were put in the same situation too. That's why I couldn't force myself to hate you."
Pran glared at him with an expression unknown to Pat.
"What about you?" Asked Pat. It was unusual for Pran to take up on this subject first, Pat blamed it on the beer rather than anything else.
Pran didn't answer straight away. He shifted a bit in his seat, finding the right words to answer Pat.
"When you were the reason I got transferred," He started with a pause and Pat listened intently. "I was so angry with you and my mom."
Pat still felt guilty for what happened. He still felt guilty that only Pran suffered the consequences. But he felt angry that there had to be any consequences at all. What have they done wrong by being friends?
"I'm sorry." Pat apologized with regret.
"It's fine," Pran replied instantly. As if he knew what the other was going to say and was almost ready to interrupt him to brush it off. "It was just anger. Not hatred." He assured.
Pat smiled with relief scattered all over his face. Pran almost laughed. Pat sighed and took a drink, forgetting that he wasn't even supposed to since he answered Pran's question.
"Aren't you going to ask me?" Pran wondered.
Pat hummed. "Do you ever wonder what our life would've been like if our parents never fought?"
Pran stared at his drink, playing with the metal lid before answering. "I do."
Pat nodded. He watched Pran as if expecting him to continue. "Well?"
Pran looked up dumbfounded. "What? You asked if I ever think about it, but you didn't ask me to elaborate." He shrugged.
"Praaaan." He pouted but smiled once he saw the glistening eyes full of fondness, the little frown playing on his eyebrows and Pran's pursed lips cracking into a faint smile, right in front of him. For him.
He realized how he never could talk with anyone about this, except with Pran. This is their thing, ever since birth.
One thing that they could always talk about together; their secret friendship as they played rivals in front of anyone. It's something far more precious than anything he has with the rest of his friends.
They were fooling everyone, while in reality he was fooling himself thinking that they weren't close. Hiding their friendship in order to protect it. Because they care for each other. So. Freaking. Much.
.
Pat woke up in the middle of the night. He felt a warm sensation, and a weight of someone else, at the left side of his body. He turned his head and came to face Pran's sleeping presence.
He was breathing steadily as he held onto Pat. His head on Pat's shoulder, and Pat's whole arm under his head. He faced sideways and had an arm streched along Pat's chest. Although it was night time and they were naked, Pat felt warm around his heart and in the comfort of Pran's blanket and scent.
It was crazy how many things changed in a span of two weeks.
All it took Pat was Wai to make him jealous, Paa's set of rules for figuring out his feelings, and Korn to confirm how being jealous definitely means he is in love with Pran.
He probably always was, but it was never at the back of his mind that what he felt for Pran was not just brotherly love but something way more intense and deep.
He chuckled at the thought of when he desperately wanted to be Pran's friend. He felt content when their relationship after that night came to a turn, a good one. They started opening up to each other more, and hung out in the comfort of Pran's room more often.
Sometimes he felt as if they moved in with each other, and he wasn't opposed to the idea of becoming Pran's roomate.
He sometimes stalked Pran's Instagram account since they decided it's best not to follow each other, so he often played Pran's stories and felt an uncomfortable itch as he saw how frequently Pran updated and that Wai was always in it.
He gripped his phone tightly, with discomfort and a sudden rush of anger, once when he saw Pran and his other friends including Wai having a fun night out in a bar. Wai kissed Pran's cheek, although Pran called him an asshole they both bursted into laughter after that.
Pat somehow didn't mind once he went on an unsuccessful date with Ink, but when he saw Wai and Pran together, he found himself thinking about wanting for Wai to get hit by a bus. Almost as if he was jealous.
And turns out he was. But now he is Pran's boyfriend. Not Wai.
He smiled contently with that thought in mind. He doesn't know why he even woke up but it is really late and he has class tomorrow. He usually doesn't shower in the morning but since their bodies are sticky and sweaty, he made a mental note about waking up earlier.
So, he kissed Pran's temple and held his boyfriend tighter. He nuzzled his nose in Pran's hair.
As the younger let out a sleepy hum, Pat drifted into sleep with a smile on his face.