Chapter 17 - Goodbye, My Bangs.

The sleek BMW turned into a parking spot in a bustling shopping district. Intha clenched his jaw so tightly it made an audible grinding sound, his fists balling as his eyes landed on the bar sign where Akara and Bomb-bomb had arranged to meet. What the hell? Why am I even calling him Bomb-bomb? To make him feel cuter?! Ugh, this is so annoying.

Shaking his head at himself, he stepped out of the car. With determined strides, he marched into the bar. As he pushed the glass door wide open, his jaw dropped, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. The bar was filled with an overwhelming number of pastel balloons, making the space look like a whimsical dream. Standing right in front of him was a tall, sun-kissed man with sharp eyes and a tattoo on his neck. He recognized him instantly, Bomb-bomb. Bomb flashed a beaming smile and even threw himself into a full-body hug with Intha.

"Surprise!"

"Surprised, my ass, you son of a bitch."

"What the-why is it you?!" Bomb recoiled from Intha as if he'd touched something hot. It must've been the balloons he'd prepared to surprise Akara that had obscured his view, making him mistake Intha's legs for Akara's.

"Yeah, it's me. Surprised?"

"Let's take this outside, one-on-one," Bomb snarled.

"What the hell are you doing? Don't tell me you're trying to win my wifey back," Intha swatted the balloons out of his face. His doe eyes locked onto Bomb's with unwavering intensity, emphasizing the words 'my wifey' with deliberate clarity.

MY wifey. HE IS MY WIFEY. Eung-eung is my wifey now. I've claimed him morning and night-there's no escaping me for him, ever.

"Mind your own fucking business."

"You're the one who butted into my business first. I can't just let it slide. Fine, let's take this outside as you said. Didn't you learn your lesson after I decked you last time, huh?"

"You think I'm scared of you?" Bomb rolled up the sleeves of his T-shirt, ready to lead the way outside. Intha glanced at Bomb's shirt, mentally noting it was the inauspicious colour of the day and calculating.

Fine, if it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get. As a head disciple of Ohyay's School of Muay Thai, I fear no one. But before they could step outside, a petite figure darted into the bar, followed by a flying shoe that smacked Bomb square in the face. Intha sidestepped the shoe's trajectory, standing off to the side as if he were invisible.

Uh... guess there won't be any fisticuffs after all?

"P'Bomb!!!"

"Ow, Athens!!!"

"Why the hell would you do this?"

"I told you, we're done!"

"I'm not done! If we're done, you'll go back to P'Eung!"

"Yeah, well, Eung's better than you!"

"When you broke up with P'Eung, you said I was better. Why are you flip-flopping like this?!"

"Because I've seen the light! Now get out of my sight!" Bomb roared in rage. Intha, still trying to remain unnoticed, thought it was probably time to head home. He was sure he dressed in auspicious colours today, but why was today anything but lucky?

Better keep this under wraps. Eung-eung must never find out I ran into Bomb here. And definitely not that Bomb was trying to win him back.

"You're such a dick!"

"Ow!"

"People like you don't deserve a timely death!"

Before Intha could quietly slip out of the bar as planned, a heavy, solid object collided with human flesh with a loud thud. Intha's eyes widened as he stared at the pool of blood spreading on the floor, then at Bomb's convulsing body, and finally at the wrench lying next to him. Shit... did that boy just hit him in the head with a wrench?!

"Bomb! Bomb... Bomb?" Intha called out, but the man on the floor seemed unresponsive. His gaze shifted to the culprit, Athens, who was now sobbing uncontrollably. Well, hello there... Athens just noticed he was standing there.

"I-l didn't mean to."

"Do you think he'll kick the bucket?"

"l... I don't know. L-Let's take P'Bomb to the hospital!"

In the end, Intha had to call Akara and confess that he'd lied about going out to pick up an amulet. He tried to explain gently that he'd come to meet Bomb out of concern for his Eung-eung's safety... he really hadn't meant to lie.

His Eung-eung simply went quiet before asking where he was. After recounting the whole chaotic series of events, Akara said he'd come to meet him there. The call had ended fifteen minutes ago. Now, during this awkward limbo, Intha sat on a hard chair in the hospital's recovery room. The golden sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow.

He wasn't close to Bomb, who was still unconscious, nor to Athens, who sat vigil by Bomb's side. The room was silent, so Intha passed the time by watching a live stream of a monk amulet auction on his phone.

"Come on in, folks! Like nine times, share to ten groups."

"Because if you like it ten times, it won't register, folks."

"Like now, share now."

"We're giving away a Luang Pu Khem amulet from Wat Nong E-Tong."

"Throw a hat in the ring, and the amulet will be yours for sure!"

"Next one up..."

"Wowwww, just talking about it gives me chills!"

Not long after, the door to the recovery room swung open. A tall figure with a tattoo on his left arm stepped in, followed by a woman in heavy makeup and high heels that clicked sharply against the floor like a butcher chopping meat. Akara and Narisa had arrived.

"P'Eung."

"Is he dead?"

It seemed Akara and Athens knew each other. The boy stiffened as the former approached. 

"No..."

"You should've just finished him off. Then I could've gone to his funeral instead of visitin' him here."

Athens froze, swallowing hard as he struggled under the weight of the young man's piercing gaze, combined with Narisa's openly judgmental glare. Akara, Bomb, and Narisa were seniors from his faculty. He'd stolen Bomb from Akara, betraying a senior who'd been nothing but kind to him.

" P’Bomb broke up with me because he wants to get back with you, P'Eung."

"Oh... so you ended up splittin' his head?"

"..."

"Things that are easily taken away from someone, you should remember, can just as easily be taken away from you."

"Then, will you go back to being with P'Bomb?" Athens asked, his voice trembling. Even if P'Bomb was a jerkass, he still loved him. I love him. Can't you understand? Have the right to love him, don't..?

"Sorry, but no thanks. My new man is that guy who dragged Bomb here before he died."

Akara tilted his head toward Intha, the temple boy who'd been sitting this whole time. Intha nodded briefly before standing and stretching. He caught Athens's wide-eyed stare. To be honest, this Athens is pretty cute.

"Hia, don't look at him like that."

But Eung-eung is definitely cuter. No contest!

"What? I wasn't looking! You're accusing me again!"

"Are you P'Eung's new hubby?" Athens asked, finally taking a good look at Intha after Akara's comment.

"Yes, I am... I'm P'Eung's new hubby," Intha replied with a small, polite smile, adding a gentle nod toward Athens. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I haven't had lunch yet."

He reluctantly left the chair he'd been sitting on for so long, walking around the hospital bed to stand beside Akara, who shot him a sharp glare and muttered in a low, threatening voice, 

"We'll talk at home."

"Uh..."

Uh-oh. Looks like I'm getting my head bashed in like Bomb today. Lying, ogling a cute boy. might as well jump off a building and end it myself.

"Athens, tell Bomb to stop botherin' me. When I'm done with someone, I'm done. Got it?" Got it!?

Intha silently applauded his boyfriend in his mind. Take the hint, Bomb. This one's my wifey.

My wifey is decisive. He's a decisive man!

"Are you gonna keep starin' at Athens? Make your choice, Hia. Do you wanna sleep at home or in the room next to Bomb's?"

"Home, please," Intha quickly replied in a sweet tone, wrapping an arm around Akara's waist as they left the room. Narisa closely followed behind them, adding,

"You're dead, Hia. Eung's in full-on rage mode."

"Haha.."Akara let out a dry laugh, rubbing his nose with his finger as if to wipe away the spicy aftermath of the squid salad Narisa had brought earlier.

The young woman had left a long time ago. Afterwards, Intha had poured the salad onto a plate and served it to Akara, sitting cross-legged on the floor like a dutiful servant. He even rested his cheek against Akara's leg, looking up with innocent eyes like a devoted pupster. It was so pitiful that Akara was unsure where to start scolding him. Pitiful and infuriatin' in equal measure. Sittin' on the floor, actin' all pathetic. Damn it all! This guy...

"Eung, don't be mad, please?"

"Liar. You broke one of the five precepts."

"See? You're mad at me, and it's breaking my heart."

"Fine. Figure out your own punishment."

"What if I punish myself by ravishing you?"

"That's a reward for you."

"Ugh, got caught again. So sad," Intha muttered, not daring to smile too widely since Akara still looked stern. But he knew Akara was soft-hearted-just a little coaxing and cuddling, and he'd forgive him.

"Frankly, I wasn't even mad by the time we got home. But next time, just tell me the truth. I won't stop you if you have a good enough reason."

"Does that mean you're still mad? I need to hug and comfort you to make it all better."

The plate of spicy salad was pulled from his hands and set on the table in front of them. Right now, both Akara and Intha were sitting together, breaking in the new set of tables and chairs for the bar. The place looked a bit tacky, but it'd been all finished since the afternoon. Tomorrow, just a bit more prep with supplies and drinks, and they'd be ready to open for business.

"Come here. Let me kiss your head."

"Don't sit on me, you'll break the chair."

"It won't break, it won't. If it does, I'll just turn it into something kinky."

"So, you weren't really plannin' to make up with me, were you?"

"Of course I was." He sat down on Akara's lap, hands gripping the other's shoulders to keep him from moving. His long legs stretched out on the concrete floor, holding back his weight so Akara wouldn't have to support it all.

"The salad's got fermented fish sauce in it, y'know. My breath must stink, can you imagine?"

"So you're not going to let me kiss you?"

"Nope, not lettin' you. Get up already." He stared Intha down, but when the temple boy didn't budge, Akara stood up instead. Down he went, sittin' on the floor like a servant girl.

"You're so damn cruel."

"You break the fourth precept; you don't get to fuck me."

"But one, two, three... five, I can do all of those. Does that mean I can do something else?"

"You cheeky ass."

":)"

"Lord of Hell, I sincerely don't know this man."

"Be my wifey today, and I'll throw in a free ticket to hell."

"At least you know you're a sinner."

"I'm trying to make merit to balance the sins out," Intha laughed low in his throat. He used both hands to push up his bangs and reveal his forehead, watching as Akara got up and walked behind the bar counter, glancing back at him sprawled out on the floor.

" I already made a list of what we need to order and what we have to go out and buy. C'mon, take a look, see if you wanna add or cut anythin'."

"Ah, honestly, it's up to you. I don't even know how much of anything we need."

"Okay, we'll go with this list then. But the one payin' still has to check it over." Akara crooked his finger in an inviting way. Intha sprang up from the floor, cracking his neck side to side, making a lewd face at Akara. But when the younger man flipped him off, he went back to normal, walking over while munching on the leftover salad until he reached the bar, then grabbed the list to check it.

"Let's go with this. And do we have to go buy them all ourselves?"

"Yup. Tomorrow, we'll use my car to haul it all. We can go later in the mornin' "

"Оkay."

"I think your bangs are gettin' really long." He reached out to brush Intha's sweaty bangs aside, which were sticking to his face from the heat.

"I'll get a haircut tomorrow."

"I can cut them for you, if it's just the bangs."

"You know how?"

"Of course." Akara shrugged, grinning widely to show off his skills. "I took a hairdressin' class before openin' the bar. I even have scissors. Sometimes I cut my own hair if I'm too lazy to go to the salon."

"Just trim a little, then."

Akara wiggled his eyebrows at Intha, then ran upstairs with a clatter before coming back down with a pair of scissors. Intha dragged Akara onto his lap. The tall, round stool made it a bit awkward. Akara straddled Intha, sitting slightly higher. 

He was so close to the temple boy that his breath brushed against Intha's forehead. Intha's breathing grew heavy, probably from the suggestive position and the cool scent of Akara's cologne. His hands started to wander, squeezing Akara's waist, smacking his butt with a loud slap or two.

"If I mess up your hair, it's your fault."

"Mm."

Little tufts of hair started falling as Akara snipped. Intha's breath caught, shivering at the cold metal brushing his forehead. Akara's bright red lips were way too tempting.

Muah.

So he leaned up and kissed him, one hand pressing against Akara's back to keep him from falling. He treated Akara like a little kid, even though the other's legs were long enough to reach the floor. Muah... Muah.

Snippp...

"Uh..?"

"Shit!"

"What?!"

"Oh no.." Akara's voice shot up high, staring at the uneven hair with a guilty look.

"You messed it up?" He'd heard that the last snip was louder than the rest, so he'd guessed it. Akara's face confirmed it. When he reached up to touch, it was obvious. No need to check further, it was definitely uneven. "Got a mirror?"

"Just a little. Let me finish, then you can look."

"My bangs.."

".."

"Goodbye, bangs."

"Sit still. Don't move. I'll fix it into a style."

"Can you make it a curved bang?"

"Just go for a normal style, like a regular person."

"But then it won't stand out."

"Wow, what a reason."

"Well, can you?"

"Same style, just shorter. I don't think I can handle curved bangs, but it'll be a bit short."

"Okay, premature ejaculation isn't bad."

"What?"

"You know, short bangs. Get it?" He said, and Akara burst out laughing, hands shaking so much he couldn't keep cutting. He leaned all his weight onto Intha, shoulders shaking with laughter, but still aware he was being hugged.

"Have you ever taken anythin' seriously? Even with uneven bangs, you're still jokin'."

"I'm serious about one thing."

"What?"

"If my wifey will stop loving me."

"Then you've got nothin' else to worry about in life, huh?"

"A love confession without the word 'love...' my heart isn't mine anymore."

"Enough. My hands are shakin' from laughin'. Sit still. I'll give you the premature ejaculation bangs. Just wait and see."

Intha obeyed, sitting up straight and lifting his chin. This time, he didn't dare tease Akara anymore, afraid the mom style would turn into something else. Goodbye, my bowl-cut bangs. I'll love and miss you forever!!!

The whooshing sound and warm air from the hairdryer blew across Intha's clear face. He squinted as Akara dried his new bangs. When the dryer switched off, he quickly grabbed a mirror to check out his new premature ejaculation style. Same bowl-cut style, just shorter, now only covering half his forehead. 

"It's even, see? If you hadn't messed up, it'd be perfect."

"And who was the one messin' around?"

"Me. Eung-eung's never wrong, never ever." He pushed Akara down to lie flat on the wide bed, the blanket already a mess from that morning. Intha yanked it up to cover both of them. Akara's loose sleep shirt was bunched up around his chest.

"I think this style looks good." He stared at Intha's freshly dried hair, the fine, soft strands easy to style. The temple boy shook his head, thick brows furrowing together. 

"Eyebrows like yours, Hia. Old folks say that means you're a flirt."

"I've stopped dallying. Now I love my wifey more than anything."

"Really?" His legs hooked around Intha's hips, long fingers undoing the buttons on his pyjamas one by one. The pale chest was revealed, and the cute pink nipples just begged to be teased. Akara noticed Intha's ears turning red, and something was bulging at his thigh.

"Eung-eung," he called the name of the tattooed man in a husky voice, slipping his hand under the shirt to go deeper, not expecting to be flipped over. Akara ended up on top instead. The younger man brushed his hair back, smirking, his butt grinding against Intha's hot centre. His top had already slipped off and was lying on the floor.

"Hia, before we go shoppin' tomorrow, I wanna see Bomb first."

"Don't bring him up and get me angry. If I get pissed and go rough, you'll just complain." His face soured at the mention of Akara's ex. Dragging his half-dead body to the hospital didn't mean they were friends now.

"Just hear me out."

"Say it."

"I'm just gonna get my money back, that's all.. You're comin' with me anyway."

"You think he'll give it back?"

"I dunno, but some of it's my dad's money. Even if I only get that part back, it's good enough."

"Want me to collect it for you?"

"How?"

"By force."

"He's already half-dead." Akara grinned widely at Intha, reaching for the lube on the headboard. His doe eyes sparkled when he saw Akara get ready, and the Bomb-bomb topic faded away.

"Bomb's not going to die that easily. But the one who's about to die now is you."

"I suddenly feel scared for my life."

"You'll get your wish, I promise." He yanked the tie from the body pillowcase. Intha grabbed both of Akara's wrists together. And tied them with a dead knot. Then he hooked his fingers into the waistband of Akara's pants and pulled them down. Akara helped by lifting his hips. Intha didn't take them all the way off. 

Once they were low enough, he reached for the lube bottle that had fallen nearby. Then he slid down between Akara's legs, lifting his head to take the shaft's tip in his mouth. He gripped the muscular thighs tightly, bobbing his head up and down, working Akara up with rough, wild passion.

Akara tensed, moaning in his throat. He clenched his legs, trying not to thrust into Intha's mouth, but it felt like he was being teased even more by those slick fingers. One finger, slick with cold gel, slid in slowly, then another. Intha massaged and stretched, letting out a low laugh because Akara's hot length filled his mouth. Look at the way Eung-eung talks.

"Make sure to trim your nails tomorrow. They scratch my walls."

"Okay." His mouth loosened as he answered. Akara then let himself drop, landing right on Intha's chest. He breathed heavily, filling his lungs, his tied hands clasped tightly together. Then he shifted his hips lower, just as the temple boy pulled out his eager, hot length.

Akara lowered himself down right on top of it. His entrance slowly swallowed the hard cock in, inch by inch, until he took him all the way. Akara collapsed down against Intha, his spine shivering as that burning tip hit the bundle of nerves inside.

"Hia.."

"I love it most when I'm inside you."

"Thrust it hard. Pound me."

"Got it." He gripped Akara's hips, a wicked smile on his handsome face. And then, the heavy rhythm of their coupling began right away...