Safe Place (MacauChay FF)

Chapter 5: I've Never Known Anyone Like You

    That week Chay found himself seeking Macau at lunch. He would find Macau either napping or eating a homemade meal that Pete and Vegas had cooked for him. Neither of the boys could remember how they had become friends so easily. Macau thought Chay was amusing and vibrant, while Chay thought Macau was wild and fun. They never argued while they trained, only had friendly competition.
 
    Chay would usually bring whichever book he was obsessing over to lunch. By the end of the week on Friday, he had The Song of Achilles, complete with a homemade kpop idol bookmark. Macau would always ask questions about the books Chay brought, since literature wasn't his strong suit.

    "I feel bad for this Patroclus kid. His dad thinks he's a disappointment, he killed his bully on accident, and he gets banished somewhere else? What kind of story is this? When does he get a break?" Macau pouted like a child.

    "I'm not sure he does get a break... It has a sad ending."

    "You know the ending? What happens?"

    Chay thought Macau's sudden interest in the book was humorous. "I don't know yet. I'm only on chapter 3."

    "Chapter 3? I need you to read faster, track star. How do you know it has a sad ending?"

    "Everyone knows..."

    "Well...not me. Why would you read something with a sad ending anyway?" Macau chewed on his food, not really enjoying it after hearing about this aspect of the book. He hated sad endings to things. Movies, books, comics, plays, he avoided anything sad. It wasn't his best emotion to deal with.

    "I like the angst. Besides, its not...compeltely a sad ending I guess. I just want to know how it got to that point. I won't spoil it for you."

    "Okay. I trust you. Now tell me, what happens next?" He leaned over to Chay, acting as if he were going to read it himself.

    "Patroclus meets Achilles, whom he saw at the Olympic games years before."

    A loud gasp escaped from Macau, startling Chay. "Its fate!" He nodded and took another bite of his food. "They're endgame, it's settled. I ship it." Chay laughed at Macau's cheeks full of food putting such a fun commentary on the book.

    "Well I can tell you one thing-they-" Chay was quickly cut off by a finger over his mouth.

    "Noooooo!" He looked at Macau with wide eyes. Macau shook his other finger at him. "No spoilers!"

    "Okay," the muffled word escaped from behind Chay's closed lips.

    Macau took his hand back and started eating again, while Chay went back to his book. Their friendship started so quickly, but there was such contentment that it felt like they had known each other for years.

    "Did you want to go to the track today? I was gonna go for a run."

    Chay perked up. Of course he wanted to, he liked training with Macau, but it quickly dawned on him that it was Friday. Porsche would want him to go home for the weekend. "I have to go home. Porsche is expecting me."

    "For what?"

    Such a simple question, but Chay couldn't find an answer. "He-uh-well I'm not sure. Family time every weekend?"

    "Do you want to go? Family time sounds...fun." The sarcasm made Chay chuckle.

    "I mean, they're all really nice to me. Tankhun spoils me to no end. He gave me so much for my 18th birthday I didn't know what to do with it all. I just...get bored sometimes." Chay really only had things in common with Kim, and even though he had forgiven Kim for everything, Kim was often busy himself. Chay wouldn't even know how to talk to Kim comfortably after everything.