Chapter 21 - Way Too Much.

"Eung, let's eat," came a nudge from behind Akara. When he turned around, he saw it was Intha calling him. Intha's slender finger pointed upward toward the bar, signalling for them to eat in the private kitchen upstairs. Akara gripped the bottle opener in his large hand, nodded, and gave a few more instructions to the staff before following Intha upstairs.

On a busy Saturday night like this, the bar was so packed that Akara had completely forgotten he hadn't eaten yet. As soon as Intha called him, his appetite kicked in immediately. He climbed to the second floor, pausing briefly at the pool table to chat with some customers, making sure they were having a good time. After some friendly chat, he continued up to the third floor, which was his private space.

The kitchen outside his bedroom was quiet, though the faint sound of music still reached his ears. When he arrived, Intha had already set the table. There were a few dishes that Intha had picked up on his motorbike. What a pro at takeout meals.

"What's on the menu, Hia?" Akara asked.

"Fried chicken, southern fish curry... and sweet pork," Intha replied.

"How did you know I was craving southern fish curry? You know me so well," Akara said, pulling out a chair and sitting across from Intha. He accepted a plate of rice from Intha, looking like a starving child.

"Of course, someone like me knows my partner better than anyone," Intha said with a wink. When Akara ignored him, Intha rolled his eyes. Knows him well, my ass. Earlier, after finishing with the ice delivery, Akara had been muttering under his breath:

"I really want some southern fish curry~"

"I'm craving something like southern fish curry."

"They sell it at the market, at the corner shop."

"I want it so bad. I'm starving."

Being the doting partner he was, Intha had no choice but to grab 200 baht, hop on his motorbike, and head to the market to buy the curry from the corner shop.

Clink!

The sound of metal hitting the glass table caught Intha's attention. He glanced over and saw the bottle opener Akara had been holding earlier now lying still on the table. Akara had already started eating. Intha noticed that Akara always carried a bottle opener while working at the bar. Sometimes he'd forget it on a table, other times he'd tuck it into his back pocket and forget where he'd left it.

"Why do you always carry a bottle opener?" Intha asked as he used a serving spoon to scoop some southern fish curry onto Akara's plate.

"I don't like opening beer bottles with the one on the fridge door. I always spill, so I carry this around. That way, I can open bottles for customers right at their table. It looks cool, don't you think?" Akara replied with a smirk, scooping some fish from the curry onto Intha's plate in return.

"Yeah, it's cool, but you always leave it lying around, and then it goes missing," Intha pointed out.

"Yeah, that happens when the bar gets busy. I get a bit scatterbrained and forget where I put it. I've had to buy them by the dozen because sometimes drunk customers take them too," Akara admitted.

"Really? Hold on, I've got a way to make sure it doesn't go missing," Intha said, suddenly standing up. He walked over to his bedroom door, disappeared inside for a moment, and then returned. In his hand was a stainless steel chain, just the right length to hang at chest level. It'd originally been a chain for a Buddhist amulet, but Intha had removed the amulet and attached the bottle opener instead. With practised ease, Intha threaded the bottle opener onto the chain and handed it to Akara with a smile.

"Here, take this. Now it won't go missing," he said.

"Wow, what amulet did this chain come from?" Akara asked, grinning as he took the necklace.

"Phra Khun Paen, the Irresistible Charm' edition," Intha replied with a playful tone.

"Wow!" Akara responded jokingly, laughing as he put the necklace on. He watched as Intha sat back down to continue eating. When Intha looked at his plate, he glanced up at Akara. "Why did you give me so many fish from the curry?"

"Because you don't eat vegetables. Eat more fish. I'll deal with the veggies," Akara replied.

"Don't just eat vegetables. Have some meat, too," Intha said, scooping some sweet pork onto Akara's plate. They kept exchanging food until their plates were piled high.

Smiles and laughter filled the meal, making it a truly happy moment. However, they hadn't even finished half their plates when it seemed like trouble was brewing downstairs. Both Intha and Akara heard the sound of hurried footsteps running up the stairs. Moments later, Jooy, one of the bar's staff, appeared.

"Hia, Mr Eung... huff... huff... there's a fight outside the bar," Jooy reported, panting.

"..." Akara shot up from his seat, his dark eyebrows raised as he waited for Jooy to continue.

"A table's already been broken," Jooy added.

"Drag them out. I don't welcome customers like that," Akara ordered.

"Can we use force?" Jooy asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll handle it myself," Akara said, his cheerful demeanour from earlier completely vanished. His face turned stern, his dark brows furrowing in anger. Akara was clearly furious. Intha stood up to follow, torn between wanting to see how Akara would handle the situation and wanting to calm him down.

"Eung, calm down," Intha said, trying to intervene. But...

"There's no such thing as calm when customers are fightin' in my bar," Akara replied coldly, his voice sending a chill down Intha's spine. Intha muttered a protective prayer under his breath as he quickly followed Akara downstairs. At six feet tall, Intha had a height advantage, allowing him to see over the crowd as they approached the commotion outside the bar.

The loud music drowned out the sound of breaking furniture, but Intha's blood boiled when he saw a wooden table, only two days old, split in half right before his eyes. What caught his attention even more was that he recognised the group causing the trouble. It's those kids who were watching me unload the ice earlier, Intha realised.

"Shit, my bar," Akara growled under his breath, the veins on his temple bulging with anger. The sweet, petite Akara was gone, replaced by someone storming through the crowd with purpose.

"Eung, be careful!" Intha called out, but it was too late. He tried to push through the crowd as well, but the bar was packed, and the screams of the girls inside only added to the chaos.

As Intha made his way through, he noticed something odd. The customers weren't really fighting-they seemed more intent on destroying the bar. They shoved each other into other customers' tables, threw chairs, and smashed beer and liquor bottles on the floor, scattering glass everywhere. By the time Intha broke through the crowd, Akara was already ahead of him. He saw Akara pick up a fallen chair and march toward the troublemakers with determination. No...

Akara was in danger. Those troublemakers were surely going to gang up on him. Intha's body moved faster than his thoughts. He intended to grab Akara and pull him back to safety, but the group turned toward Akara. They were still slower than Akara.

"Take your fight somewhere else. Don't fight in my fuckin' bar! Get out!"

Akara's commanding voice rang out as he swung the wooden chair at the nearest troublemaker without hesitation. It seemed like Akara had lost all restraint, swinging the chair repeatedly until the troublemakers fled the bar in a panic. The sweet, charming princess chased them all the way to the door, looking ready to swing again, but no one stayed long enough to give him the chance. Frustrated, he threw the chair onto the street outside instead.

The wooden chair shattered into pieces. The real destroyer here was undoubtedly Akara. Intha grabbed Akara by the waist just as he was about to chase after them across the street. Somehow, he managed to hoist Akara over his shoulder. Akara was still pointing and shouting curses, but when he saw Jooy and the other customers, he finally calmed down.

"Hia, put me down!" Akara protested.

"Can I?. If I let you go, you'll just chase after them," Intha replied.

"Okay, okay, I'm calm now. I won't chase them, I promise."

"Nope, not letting you go. Jooy, handle things down here. You're the manager now." 

Intha said firmly, carrying Akara as if he weighed nothing. His authoritative tone made him seem even more intimidating. The crowd parted as Intha carried Akara back upstairs, his expression just as displeased as Akara's. I'm not mad at all... Intha thought to himself. But damn, my back hurts!

"Got it, sir. I'll take care of it," Jooy replied with a salute, grinning at his new role as manager. With past experience handling drunk fights in bars, he knew exactly what to do. After all, Akara had trained him well… Jooy watched as Intha carried Akara upstairs, thinking to himself, Intha is ridiculously strong, carrying Akara like it's nothing.

Eek!

Nooooo! Akara screamed internally as he was tossed onto the bed in the bedroom, the impact making the bed shake. He curled up, looking at Intha, who stood ominously at the foot of the bed. He carried me all the way up here and threw me on the bed. Now what...Wait, why isn't he doing anything? Why is he just standing there, looking all serious? Or maybe...

"Hia.. are you mad at me?"

"Fuck.." Intha let out a curse. The way he pressed his tongue against his cheek like a villain in a soap opera was something Akara wasn't used to. He started to feel nervous, even though Intha's scary vibe was kind of ruined by his bangs splitting apart. His bangs were a mess, making his face look totally goofy. He couldn't pull off the tough guy look at all.

"Why are you scolding me?"

"My back hurts."

".."

"How much do you weigh?"

"That's so rude, asking my weight like that."

"My back feels like it's about to break, Eung."

He flopped down on his back at the end of the bed, breathing hard and exhausted. He turned his head to look at the tattooed man moving closer.

"Just carryin' me a lil' bit and your back's killin' you. Weak. Can't even carry your own wifey, how are you going to survive?"

"Heh, I'll just have you take care of me. You're so good at causing trouble, I couldn't even stop you... Did you get hurt anywhere?"

"No injuries, but my arm's a bit sore from swingin' that chair."

"You probably bruised them inside from hitting so hard. It was scary to watch. I'm never messing with you again," Intha said, resting his head on Akara's lap, lifting Akara's chin to check for any injuries on his face or body.

"I just don't like people fightin' in my bar. They broke my stuff, you saw it. I want to make them pay for the damages... It pisses me off just talkin' about it. They got away."

"Forget the table. The important thing is you didn't get hurt. But there's something fishy about this whole thing."

".." Akara raised his eyebrows, confused by what Intha was saying.

"I saw those guys hanging around the bar since this evening... when you sent me to get the ice. And when they started fighting, it felt more like they wanted to wreck the bar than actually fight each other."

"What are you tryna to say, Hia?"

"I think someone's behind this." Intha finally said it. He went quiet for a moment before naming the person he suspected. "I think it's Bomb."

"No. No way. I know Bomb too well."

"Are you protecting him?"

"No... but I really know how he is. He's never done anythin' behind anyone's back. He's not sneaky."

"..." Intha went quiet. He sat up, letting his feet drop to the floor.

"Hia, I'm serious. It's not Bomb. Maybe it's someone else who doesn't like me..."

"So who do you think it is?" He was just asking, not trying to bring up Akara's past, even though it felt like Akara was defending Bomb. Feeling a bit hurt. Jealous of my wifey!

"I really don't know."

"Whatever. You're not going back downstairs tonight. I'm worried about you." Intha stood up, running his hand through his hair to fix it, then started to head out to check on the bar again. But before he could get far, Akara rushed up and hugged him from behind, nuzzling his face against Intha's back, begging for attention.

"I won't go downstairs again, but don't leave me alone... okay? Don't be upset with me."

"You even know I'm upset."

His heart was already giving in. But his face was still stern as he turned to face Akara. Intha pulled Akara's arms off, preventing him from hugging. Akara looked shocked when he was pushed away.

"In-in..."

"Don't call me that."

"Aww, come on, tell me why you're upset."

"You know exactly why I'm upset." He bared his teeth as he pushed Akara down flat on the bed. Intha grabbed Akara's thighs, spreading them apart, and pressed one knee into Akara's stomach to keep him still.

"Is it about Bomb?"

"You're still saying his name!" Intha pulled Akara's hand up and bit it, making Akara yelp. Intha didn't hold back. "Don't say his name around me again."

"Okay, I won't say it."

"You're mine, Eung-eung. You belong to me."

The biting shifted positions as Akara was flipped onto his stomach. Akara's broad, pale back was exposed as Intha pulled up his tank top, sinking his teeth into it as punishment. Akara's eyes watered, his hands clenched tight, moaning as more bites landed on different spots. It was a mix of biting and comforting kisses. He twisted away, not because he didn't like it, but because he loved it so much it made him shiver. Intha knew exactly how to drive him crazy.

"Kiss me," Akara begged

Intha's bright lips obliged. He bit down on Akara's lower lip, tugging until it stretched before letting it snap back. He pressed a deep kiss as Akara licked his lips, the kiss so rough that Akara's lips were sure to bruise. Then Intha slowly slid his tongue in, tasting the sweetness inside.

The faint taste of cigarettes and alcohol was familiar and addictive. It felt like they were melting into each other, slowly becoming one. Through their breath, their touch, their bodies, and every movement they made together. By the time they realised it, they couldn't be apart anymore. Intha's pale hands roamed over Akara's firm muscles, sliding over his abs to his hard chest. He teased and pinched Akara's nipples until Akara arched, his lashes wet with tears from the overwhelming pleasure.

Akara rolled onto his back, helping Intha by pulling off his shirt and the bottle opener necklace. His mind was foggy now, not caring how loud the music and people were outside. His focus was only on the man in front of him, whose sparkling eyes made him feel like he was in another world-a world with just him and Intha. He forgot everything else, especially when Intha's well-shaped head dipped down, and his soft lips went to work on his chest.

Loud sucking, playful biting-Akara thought he might die from it. His stomach twisted with dark desire. He couldn't take it anymore and pushed Intha down instead, his tattooed hand pressing Intha's abs to keep him still. Intha arched up a little. The new thing tonight wasn't taking off their clothes, but Intha taking the amulet from his waist, holding it up in respect, and placing it on the headboard. Taking off the amulet before his clothes. Please forgive me...

"This amulet's for you. Keep it on you for protection."

"I don't even know what to say."

"Just say thank you. It was expensive, won it at an auction."

Akara shook his head, exasperated. He leaned down to kiss Intha, grinding his hips against the hot bulge in Intha's pants. The manhood in those tight pants looked like it was about to burst out, burning hot.

After kissing to his heart's content, Akara sat up on Intha's thighs, running his hands along the seams of Intha's pants, looking down at the flushed man beneath him.

He undid Intha's belt, then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. The hard length sprang free, and Akara didn't hesitate to use his mouth. He took Intha's thick length into his mouth, listening to the soft moans of the man he loved. The sexy sounds made Akara feel like it was time. 

He let go, sat up, and pulled off the rest of his clothes. His own arousal was already leaking at the tip. The tattooed hand grabbed both their lengths together, using both hands to stroke up and down. He caught Intha watching his hand, eyes wide and unblinking, mouth open and breathing unevenly. The lube they kept near the bed was squeezed out by Intha, who expertly lifted Akara's hips, slicking up his entrance. Intha didn't look at his face, focused on what was between them, his eyes shining with desire. Akara noticed Intha swallow hard as his fingers slid inside him.

"Hia, what are you thinking?" Akara asked.

"...I want to see."

"See what?"

"See my dick getting swallowed by your hole, right here."

There was a pause after Intha's dreamy mumble. Akara stared at him, biting his lip as he considered the hot request. Then he made up his mind and moved. He turned his back to Intha, gripping the hot, hard length and guiding it to his entrance, arching back so Intha could see everything he wanted.

"Baby, I'm gonna die."

"Eung-eung, my good boy. Eung-eung, my sweet Eung-eung," Intha moaned, his lips trembling. He bit his lip at the sight in front of him, pleasure shooting through every nerve as Akara slowly took him in. It was such a tempting sight… Can't take it anymore? Eung-eung, damn… So hot. Too damn hot. Way too hot.

Intha pushed himself up from the soft mattress, reaching out with shaky hands to grab Akara's thighs from behind. Akara kept moving on him, slow and deep, up and down all the way. I told you, this one's mischievous...

"Faster, okay? I'm about to cum," Intha pleaded.

"Pervert," Akara shot back, glancing over his shoulder with a glare. He saw that Inha's face was bright red, looking totally turned on. "You're terrible. Such a perv. Total freak."

"Trash talked me, huh? You're asking for it-ten rounds!" Intha threatened with a phrase he hadn't used in a long time, then began thrusting his hips into Akara. The slow rhythm suddenly turned aggressive, the sound of skin slapping echoed through the room, mixing with their moans and the heady scent of passion they shared.

Akara thought about counting to see if Intha really went for ten rounds... but honestly, he was clinging to Intha's legs, begging for mercy by the third. Could I spread those ten rounds out, please? Damn it, I can't take this anymore. This is too much, way too much.

"Mmm... good... Hold off for now. Don't do anything until I give the word," a sweet voice spoke softly into a sleek, small phone in the dead of night. The wide balcony of the condo was eerily silent, allowing Athens, who was gazing at the city lights, to pause his conversation when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

"That's all for now," he said, ending the call. He turned on his expensive slippers to face the person leaning against the sliding glass door left ajar. The man's upper body was bare, while his lower half was still clad in the same faded jeans he'd worn since the evening.

"What are you doing out here?" a gruff voice asked, arms crossed over a muscular chest, clearly suspicious.

"Talking to my family. P'Bomb, you've been awake for a while?"

"Yeah... I woke up when you got out of bed," Bomb replied, raising an eyebrow at Athens. He took in the sight of the smaller man, looking dishevelled and far from his usual polished self. His hair was messy, and the buttons on his student uniform were done up incorrectly, a result of Bomb's earlier teasing. "Go get dressed. We're going out to eat."

"You're taking me with you?" Athens asked, his eyes fixed on Bomb's sharp features.

"Yeah, you coming or not? We can go to your favourite spot. My treat."

"What's gotten into you today, being so nice?" Athens's voice carried a mocking tone, the scoff at the end poking at Bomb's temper as he turned to head back inside.

"Can you not piss me off?"

"Just seeing my face probably annoys you already."

"Athens!" Bomb exhaled sharply through his nose, silently counting to a hundred for the umpteenth time that day.

"Yeah, it's me, Athens. Not P'Eung." The sarcasm made Bomb's patience snap. Truthfully, he wasn't a calm person to begin with. When Athens pushed his buttons... well, that was it.

"What do you want, Athens? When I'm with you, all you do is talk about Eung. When I try to go back to Eung, you won't let me. You won't break up, and staying together is just pure torture."

"You regret choosing me that much, don't you?" Athens's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and hurt as he stepped closer, shoving Bomb's chest, forcing the bigger man back into the room. The argument escalated, their voices rising. The tension between them was palpable, a battle of wills that seemed impossible to resolve.

"I just asked you to have a meal with me, and it turned into a fight. Don't eat, then. I'm sick of this."

"Fine! I'll stay here and keep annoying you. Let's just drive each other crazy... Where are you going?" Athens grabbed Bomb's arm as he tried to pull away. Bomb yanked his arm free, pointing a finger at Athens, warning him to stay back.

"Anywhere but here with you."

"No, don't leave the room," Athens pleaded, but it was too late. Their physical differences left Athens at a disadvantage as he tried to hold onto Bomb's waist to stop him. Bomb easily pried him off and shoved him onto the couch. As Athens lost his balance, the sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the room. P'Bomb is gone. He left me again...

Athens sank back onto the soft couch, resting his head against the backrest. Alone, his fiery demeanour dissolved, leaving only a vulnerable man behind. A single tear slid from the corner of his eye, falling steadily. His heart, numb from the pain, told him it was time to let go. But for some reason... the more it hurt, the more he loved. Maybe he was crazy. The more he was hurt... the more he loved and craved to be loved in return.