Maybe, Probably, Certainly (Project S: Spike/Waterboyy)

Chapter 16: Brothers In Arms

Than sneaked out from Puen's room at the crack of dawn.

He woke up in the middle of the night, suddenly remembering that he didn't pack for the training camp. His P' would surely scold him for not being well-organized, like he should, when he knew ahead of time about the trip. Would he also call him immature?

Than meant to get up and go home at once, but he couldn't make himself leave the safety of the Puen's embrace. He knew he was somewhere where he belonged, and it felt even better than when he was finally appreciated and accepted by the team. He pretended that the strong arms encircling him were keeping him from moving, when in fact it was his own heart that didn't want to part so soon, after experiencing what was probably the best night of his life.

When at last he sat up, he felt a twinge of pain, and the discomfort deepened as he got dressed, went home and spend another hour packing haphazardly because he didn't want to be late to catch a bus. He managed to be on time, barely, but it still seemed like P' was displeased with his tardiness since, after greeting him, he observed his every move, frowning and shaking his head. Than read it as clear signs of irritation, and he could only hope that it had nothing to do with him, although he feared it did. He really should get up faster this morning and be here earlier.

"Get on the bus, everyone. We're leaving in five minutes." The captain of the volleyball team ordered brusquely and people started pouring in to the vehicle.

Than obediently followed his teammates, wincing a little while climbing the steps, but when he was about to sit in the first space available, he felt a hand on his back pushing him forward. Without even looking back he knew it was Puen's, so he just moved along, not wanting to defy his boyfriend in any way, since he was in this strange mood.

When they reached the back the bus, the sophomore cleared his throat loudly, much more than he usually would.

"You haven't slept much last night, right? It's because you overworked yourself yesterday, right?" His booming voice carried, so that almost everybody could hear him and shot them curious glances. "Lay down." He commanded Than, but his tone was gentle.

The boy smiled gratefully at his thoughtful boyfriend and got a gruff, covering the embarrassment, grunt in response.

The freshman sprawled himself contentedly on the seats, comforted by the caring presence of his P' beside him.

"I'm sorry for making you suffer na, even for one second." The sophomore muttered under his breath, but Than could hear him perfectly well. "If I had known it earlier–"

"P', you didn't do anything wrong." Than interrupted him. "I'm just not used to it..." His voice got lost in the sounds of the bus engine running. "...Yet."

Just as he was sure Puen didn't catch his last words, he felt fingers on the nape of his neck, softly caressing him and unwittingly giving him goosebumps. He shifted his body, instinctively leaning into that touch, hoping that their destination was far away, on the other side of the world.

***

They arrived at the camping site in the early afternoon.

Puen surveyed Than closely and it looked that the boy was doing much better, so he breathed a sigh of relief. When he saw his boyfriend in the morning, obviously not in the best condition, but still trying to hide it and pretending he was alright for his sake... It nearly broke his heart. He wished he could do more to comfort Than, but that would break the agreement they made to keep their relationship a secret from the team, so he held back. However, it appeared that his feelings reached the freshman, because he wasn't upset or sad when he went to sleep. Instead, he woke up refreshed and rejuvenated, judging by the way he skipped from the bus with a spring in his step.