Me and Thee & Calm down Mr Rome Special.

Wake Up Call Special #11

The chairman and his trusted photographer strolled leisurely through the mall, casually eyeing the products on display. Following closely behind them were his younger brother and a former secretary, both now serving as impromptu bodyguards with far more seriousness than the occasion called for.

 

At first, Rome had suggested closing down the entire shopping mall, reserving the space exclusively for them before they even stepped inside. But his older brother, Theerakit, simply shook his head, calling him a fool. Why shut the place down when we can just buy the whole mall?

 

Peach let out a long sigh. It took him nearly half an hour to talk some sense into his lover, convincing him that they neither needed to close the mall nor purchase it outright. As they walked, Theerakit suddenly came to a stop in front of a toy store, narrowing his eyes at something inside. Peach stepped up beside him, peeking in to see what had caught his attention. 

 

Right in the middle of the store stood an enormous teddy bear- a brown plush bear, so big that a person could practically use it as a chair. Its fur looked unbelievably soft, and its large black button eyes gleamed under the store lights.

 

"That would be a great gift for Marn," Mok commented from beside them, his gaze softening at the thought of their adopted niece. Mhok and Marn were good kids. Though they had grown up as orphans before Thee and Peach took them in, the Arseny family had genuinely come to love them as their own.

 

"No," the photographer shook his head, his lips curling into a faint smile. "It's Mhok who loves teddy bears."

 

Mhok had never said anything. In fact, neither of their kids had ever asked for much. They were always so careful, so mindful-never wanting to be a burden. Even though their dad had tried to explain to them countless times that they were ridiculously wealthy, Mhok had only ever scolded him about the importance of financial responsibility. So, it had become a habit of theirs- to quietly observe what the kids wanted and get it for them before they ever had to ask.

 

"Mhok used to want a teddy bear when he was little. But there were too many kids at the orphanage, and not enough to go around. Since he was a boy, they told him he had to sacrifice his share."

 

He let out a quiet sigh. Who decided what a child should or shouldn't like? And who made the rule that boys had to be the ones to sacrifice? But what broke his heart even more was knowing that the one who had always been forced to give things up was his own son. 

 

"Mhok always stares at the stuffed animal stores when we go to the mall," Peach murmured, his gaze soft. "But he never found the right one, so Kian never got the chance to buy him one."

 

Their eyes drifted to Thee, who was still standing there, staring at that massive teddy bear with unwavering focus. After a long moment, the mafia boss gave a small, firm nod. "This one."

 

"Hm?" Rome leaned in to take a look. "You're sure? I mean, it's just... big."

 

Thee nodded, then pointed at his younger brother. "Take this one. But remove the button eyes and replace them with grey diamonds."

 

Rome blinked at him, looking half puzzled, half exasperated. "Wait... so the reason you've been searching for so long was just that you wanted a big one?"

 

"If it's small, the diamonds will be too small," Thee replied, completely serious, as if this were the most logical reasoning in the world. Peach sighed. Honestly, he should've known better than to expect anything less. Thee was the kind of person who had absolutely no shame about flaunting his love for his family, especially when it came to their kids.

 

He had once asked Thee if he was ever worried about making the Arseny family's enemies aware of his soft spots. But Thee had only lifted his chin with the utmost confidence and said.

 

"Do you know who I am?"

 

Peach hadn't bothered to stick around for the rest of that conversation. He had long since learned that it was better for his sanity not to.

 

"So, what are we getting for Marn?" Peach asked, tilting his head up to look at his husband, who was now watching Rome handle the purchase, ensuring the massive teddy bear was properly wrapped. 

 

Marn already told me what she wanted," Thee said, his voice suddenly gentler when speaking about their daughter.

 

"The problem is Mhok-he never asks for anything."

 

That made Peach raise an eyebrow. "Really? What did Marn ask for?"

 

Marn had never told him she wanted anything. But apparently, she had told Thee?

 

"Marn wants a gun," Thee answered smoothly, straightening up with a pleased expression, eyes gleaming with pride. There was even a hint of a smile curling at the edges of his lips.

 

"A gun?" Peach echoed, his brain short-circuiting. Thee nodded, looking entirely too satisfied with the request. Panicking, Peach immediately grabbed his husband's arm. "Kian, she's a child! She's not even old enough to drive, let alone-!"

 

For the love of God, could they please stop bringing dangerous things into their house? The mafia boss pulled his lover closer, resting his forehead against Peach's in an attempt to soften any brewing irritation.

 

"I'm not planning to put weapons in the kids' hands just yet. Don't worry," Thee murmured, his deep voice laced with reassurance. "I already told you, I'll protect this family. I'll keep you and the kids safe. I never go back on my word."

 

"And?" Peach crossed his arms, arching a brow in silent challenge. Thee found the expression irresistibly endearing, a mix of exasperation and fondness stirring inside him. He couldn't resist stealing a quick kiss from those lips. Peach immediately bared his teeth at him, cheeks burning red. No matter how many times it happened, he'd never get used to Thee's shameless public displays of affection.

 

Theerakit lifted both hands in mock surrender, a smug grin spreading across his face before shifting the topic back to their children.

 

"They're still young, yeah. But at the end of the day, they're Arseny blood. Learning how to handle a weapon is just common sense. In the worst-case scenario, the only person they can truly rely on is themselves. This is a basic survival skill."

 

Peach pressed his lips together, fingers lacing in front of him. His gaze dropped to the floor, worry creasing his brow. He didn't argue; he couldn't. He had married into this family, embraced them as his own. He knew the dangers they lived with. But knowing Marn, his little girl, would start learning how to shoot soon? That thought alone twisted something deep in his gut.

 

The mafia boss squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, pulling him in a little closer before pressing a lingering kiss to his hair. "It's alright. I'll protect our family. You don't have to worry about a thing."

 

"Excuse me, mind remembering that you've got company back here?"

 

They turned to find Rome walking behind them, arms crossed, his expression caught between exasperation and outright irritation. Beside him, Mok remained expressionless, unfazed by the scene. Thee smirked, unimpressed. His sharp gaze flicked to the bright red mark on the back of his brother's hand-evidence of a failed attempt at public affection.

 

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Rome had probably tried getting cosy with Mok, only to earn himself a firm pinch instead. Mok didn't do PDA, especially not while on duty."What's wrong? Jealous?" Thee teased. Rome bared his teeth, looking about ready to snap back, but before he could, something in the corner of Thee's eye caught his attention.

 

Rome frowned, following his brother's gaze just as commotion broke out nearby. His muscles tensed, instincts kicking in. Before he could ask what was happening, Mok was already moving toward the source of the trouble. For fuck's sake, could he not just wait a damn second?

 

Cursing under his breath, Rome hastened after him. As they got closer, they saw a woman being forcefully restrained. She was a middle-aged woman, probably in her forties or fifties, with sleek black hair that still held its shine. Faint lines traced her face, and her dark eyes darted around frantically, searching for someone while pleading with the men in black suits to let her go.

 

Mok's expression hardened immediately. Without hesitation, he gave a quick nod, signalling the guards to drag the woman away. But she wouldn't have it. She dropped to the ground, abandoning all dignity as she yelled at the top of her lungs.

 

"Peach! Is that you, sweetheart?!"

 

The photographer had already been watching the scene with unease, but the moment he heard that voice, his entire body locked up. His eyes widened, his fingers clenched into tight fists, and a tremor ran through him as if a nightmare from long ago had clawed its way back, sinking its teeth into his present. Thee's brows knitted together in an instant. His strong arms pulled Peach close, holding him firmly against his chest. The tighter his grip, the darker his gaze became. And when he shot a glare at his brother, it was razor-sharp.

 

Rome exhaled heavily, clearly irritated, before waving for the guards to hurry up and get rid of the woman. But Malee only threw herself down further, her wails rising in desperation. This was her last shot.

 

"Peach! It's me, your mother! Don't leave me behind again, sweetheart!"

 

Thee's head snapped toward her, eyes ablaze with fury. If looks could kill, the woman would've been reduced to ashes on the spot. How dare she show up here and say that?!

 

Just as he was about to give the order to get rid of her permanently, Peach suddenly grasped his arm. His fingers were ice-cold, but they were steady. His face was pale, but his eyes-those deep, knowing eyes-held nothing but quiet resolve.

 

"I'll talk to her," he said, his voice calm.

 

"No, you won't," Thee shot back immediately, his jaw tightening. "She's not worth your time. Giving birth to someone doesn't make you a mother."

 

He wanted to say something crueller, something that matched the anger burning inside him. But he held back-for Peach's sake. Peach tilted his head up, gazing at Thee with a soft, almost amused smile. There was a warmth in his eyes, something gentle, something grateful. The scars of his past still lingered, buried deep. But here, in this moment, he was surrounded by love-love that shielded him, love that reminded him he wasn't alone anymore.

 

"I don't want people to think bad of you, Kian," Peach explained, his voice low and gentle, trying to soothe Thee before his anger boiled over. "Besides, if I don't deal with this now, it'll never end."

 

He had a family now. A partner. Two kids. People he wanted to protect, no matter what it took-even if that meant facing the nightmare he thought he'd left behind. Thee wanted to argue, wanted to tell him to forget about it. But the moment their eyes met, he pressed his lips together, knowing full well that Peach would never just stand back and let someone else fight his battles. With a long, reluctant sigh, Thee finally let him go, watching as he stepped forward toward the woman who had once called herself his mother. But Thee wasn't about to let him face her alone. Not a chance. Fine. Talk to her. But no one said he couldn't go, too.

 

Lifting his chin, Thee stalked after him without a care for manners or appearances. He did whatever the hell he wanted-who was going to stop him? Peach caught the stubborn tilt of his chin and let out a small smile but said nothing. He simply kept walking, closing the distance between himself and the woman who had once abandoned him.

 

Some nightmares could only be laid to rest by facing them head-on.