The Color of Fame: A BounPrem Short Story

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Prem wanted him back.

Actually, Prem never wanted to lose Boun in the first place.

Prem always thought back to that night and what went wrong between them. Prem had been upset that Boun wasn't supportive of him. Sure, Prem understood Boun's jealousy, but he'd expected Boun to be proud of him at least. That's what people who loved each other did, right?

Were they actually in love?

18-year-old Prem, in his final year of high school dating his best friend, would have said yes, absolutely.

19-year-old Prem, freshly heartbroken, would have said maybe not.

Now, 23-year-old Prem, who had spent 4 years aching for the love he once had, wasn't sure about anything anymore. 

Prem knew it wasn't just some high school crush, but was it possible to love someone so much and not spend the rest of your life with them?

The only thing Prem knew for sure was that he regretted walking away from Boun that night. He was young and had apparently watched too many movies where the hero chases after his lost love. But life isn't like the movies and Prem had been living with regret all these years.

Prem also found it quite frustrating that no matter how much he had tried to reach out, Boun never responded. Not even a "hi." Were their years of friendship just meant to fizzle out like that?

"What's with the face?" Prem looked up to see the tall, dark figure of his best friend towering over him. Kao placed one of the drinks in his hand on the table in front of Prem before taking the seat next to him with his own drink. "Don't stress yourself out. You have a show tonight." 

Prem smiled to reassure Kao. "Thanks, Kao. I'm fine." 

Kao raised a leery eyebrow at Prem. "You've been saying that for the past four years, Prem. Are you sure you're really fine?"

"Are you this brutal to Boun?" Prem asked with a laugh.

"Worse, actually," Kao said, matter-of-factly as he took a sip of his drink. 

They both looked up when they heard the door to the little café chime and in walked a tall boy wearing a crisp white t-shirt and jeans. He had his medium length dark hair pulled back into a half-ponytail. Clinging to his elbow was a smaller boy wearing a blue striped shirt with a pen tucked behind his ear, whose brown hair had a reddish tint to it. Prem waved them over to join him and Kao.

"Ohm, Fluke, this is my best friend, Kao, who also owns the venue we're playing at tonight. We've been friends for many, many years. Kao, this is Ohm, my bassist and Fluke, my drummer." Prem pointed to each of the boys in turn, who both shook hands with Kao. 

"It's nice to finally meet you! Prem has told us so much about you!" Fluke said enthusiastically, his bright eyes sparkling. 

"Ohm and Fluke have been together since ... how long has it been guys?"

"Since our first year of touring," the brooding bassist spoke up. "We hated each other at first." 

"I tend to get a little annoying when I get excited," Fluke said, taking the pen out from behind his ear and fidgeting with it. "But I grew on him," he smiled. 

"Yeah, like a parasite," Ohm rolled his eyes, but Prem was all to familiar with the smitten look that always accompanied Ohm's eye roll whenever it was about Fluke. 

"Now we're just waiting on my keyboard player."

"He said he was on his way," Fluke said. "He should be here any minute."