Strawberries & Cigarettes (Completed)

Chapter 8

"I'm sorry, Kong." Arthit wraps an arm around the other and lays on his chest. He doesn't know how long they stayed like that laying on top of stacked hay bales under the star-filled sky. He gave Kong time to let it all out. Maybe Kong had kept it bottled up inside all this time. He really can't imagine going through all that practically alone and at such a young age.

After a while, Kong's breathing finally steadies and his body's low tremble comes to an end. All is calm again, Arthit carefully sits up.

"Are you tired? Do you want to go back?" Kong asks the kid as he sits up too. He doesn't know what has gotten into him. He usually doesn't like to talk about these things or talk at all for that matter. Maybe it's too much for the kid too. He doesn't want to make the kid sad or pity him.

"No. I'm not tired yet. Let's stay for a little bit longer. It feels so nice tonight."

"Mmm."

"I once overheard Miss Sue and my Pa worrying about you always getting into fights and even almost landing in juvie. So I was so sure you were a troublemaker when I first saw you."

"Is that so? Is that why you were always peeking at me when you thought I wasn't looking? To make sure I wasn't causing trouble? And you followed me to my smoke breaks to keep an eye on me? Hm?"

"What? I did not peek at you! And...and I need breaks too."

Kong chuckles, "so you weren't peeking, you were just checking me out then." Kong smirks knowing the kid must be blushing so hard at the moment.

"Stop! Stop this or I'm not talking to you again." Arthit warns. He can feel himself flushing up to his skull. One minute the other was crying and now he's teasing. Such an obnoxious brat!

"It's okay. I peek at you too."

"Stop!" Arthit shouts, throwing a handful of hay at the other.

"Okay okay. I'll stop. What were we talking about?" Kong doesn't want to mess with the kid too much. He can make out the kid is pouting by the looks of his jutted lips under the dim lighting.

"Fights. Get back to the fights. So, were those fights worse than the one at the bar?"

Kong sighs. "Kind of I guess. The fight at the bar wasn't really even much of a fight. But I have to make something clear here, I didn't go out looking for trouble. They came looking for me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, there was this gang of four kids, Billy, Todd, Vin, and Joel that basically terrorizes all the other kids at school. Billy was the leader of the gang and they practically got away with everything because his father was the chairman of the board, so no one stood up to him or his gang."

"So let me guess, you did?" Arthit raises an eyebrow at the other.

"Pfff. I didn't have time for their nonsense when my Ma was around. I went to school and went home. That was it. I didn't even have time for friends. But when my Ma left, I saw no reason to try so hard anymore. I hung out with whoever I wanted to. I did whatever I felt like. I got tattoos just to piss my Pa off. But I didn't go out looking for trouble."

"So that's when you became this bad boy?" Arthit chuckles.

"Isn't that what you like? That's why you're so curious about me, right?" Kong teases. What can he do? The kid practically sets himself up.

"I am not!" Arthit denies knowing he's freaking blushing again. Thank goodness the other can't see it at the moment or he'll never hear the end of it.

"Mmmhmm." Kong reaches for a strawberry and stuffs it in his mouth with a smirk. "At one point, I even shaved all my hair off. I actually have a tattoo on my head that's now covered by my hair."