𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐀 ; forthbeam

⎛ CHAPTER FOUR. ⎠

――"FASTER THAN LIGHT."

⎛   CHAPTER FOUR.   ⎠

Beam could only recall snippets of the night he and Forth shared at the curb outside the bar.  It was a night where not many words had been shared, but for the ones that were, held a weight--a weight Beam had not fully realized at that time.  "Ai'Forth," said Beam, the bridge of his nose pinched as he attempted to ease the aching within his head, "what do you want?"

Forth gnawed on his lower lip, debating how he should word what it is he wanted from Beam--what he needed.  I want to know if you'll keep your promise, khrub.  It was on Forth's tongue, scratching and clawing, practically begging to be said, but all Forth could bring himself to do was reach within his bag.  Beam peered curiously at Forth's moving hands, a soft frown tugged at the corner of his lips.  "Ai'Forth, what are you do--"

Before Beam could finish the word, the Engineering student was uncapping a Pure Life water bottle with two white, cylinder pills in the cap.  "I'm just taking care of my wife," said Forth, the corners of his lips pulled into the smallest hint of a smile that revealed two dimples as he added, "khrub." 

Beam blinked in surprise, his lips ajar as he took in Forth's words.  Wife?  "A-- Ai'Forth," the Casanova stammered, his cheeks warming, "don't say things like that."  Forth's smile grew as Beam's cheeks continued to darken.  Cute, he couldn't help but think as Beam's eyes strayed elsewhere.

"Owh, you're right," he agreed, "we should start with boyfriends first."

"Wh—– What the fuck...?!"  At Beam's wide-eyed stare, and dropped jaw, Forth bit his tongue to keep from laughing but the effort was vain.

"My Ai'Beam is very cute."

"Ai'Forth, you ass!" Beam scowled, raising from his seat, "I am not cute!  I am a manly man!  Handsome, and strong," he listed, sounding near-frantic, "I am not cute!  I am not Wayo!"  With those final words, Beam twisted on the heel of black leathered shoe, and left——the water bottle unconsciously crumbling in his fist.  He shouldn't be mad—— No, Beam told himself, he wasn't mad.  He was irritated, irritated because Forth was Forth. Stubborn, irrational, and, at some times, Beam knew Forth to be cruel and violent; but, the one thing Forth wasn't, was a liar. So, Beam concluded, he is simply stupid. Confused, and—— and——

And Beam was stumbling, falling.

And Forth was there in three, long strides, to save Beam from his fall.

The pain in his head, the dizziness, the nausea, all becoming too much for him to endure a moment longer. He couldn't stand, not when his head was throbbing and the lighting was near-blinding to him. "Ai'Beam," called Forth, hugging the medical student close to his chest, "Ai'Beam, let me take you to the doctor—–"

"Tsk," hissed Beam, clinging to his pride, "I am the doctor."  His voice was quiet and his cough louder.  "Get off."  Beam attempted to pry Forth away, but the ladder only held him tighter.

"'Ai'Beam promised Ai'Forth,'" recited Forth as Beam unwillingly sank deeper into Forth's warm embrace, "now, Ai'Forth promises Ai'Beam, khrub."

I won't leave.

The words were unspoken, but he heard them. He heard those words too loudly, too clearly.

Too sincere for Beam to bear.

Pha——who had been watching their interaction from afar——cursed.  He had told Beam, he had warned Beam, not to push his physical limit, to stay home, to rest; but Beam was far too stubborn for his own good.  "Damn fool," cursed Phana as he hurriedly gathered their belongings in hopes of catching the pair before they left the cafeteria.  "Ai'Beam, you bastard," the medical student muttered with distaste as he threw Beam's backpack over his spare shoulder.  Taking his own bag with his right hand, and cradling both his and Beams textbooks along with the scattered sheets of their notes in his left hand, he made his way to the exit that Beam and Forth would cross in a matter of seconds.  Nearly running——had it not been for the bags weighing him down——Pha attempted to call out Beam's name, but his tongue was caught between his teeth as he tripped on his own two feet. 

"Fuck!" he swore, "Can't a guy catch a brea——"

"Phī?"

"What?!" Phana all but screamed, his faire skin turning a deep red as turned his attention to the voice that had called his name. 

"Phī," he said, with hesitance, as if afraid to deepen the red on his cheeks, "do you need help?"

At the inquirmenlt, Phana tensed.  "I'm fine," he insisted as he had begun to gather the scattered items, "I have everything under control."

"Phī," the nong repeated, kneeling beside Phana, "let me help you."

Phana, with lips parted, and his tongue raised, made to decline the offer, but before the elder could utter a sound, all that Phana had gathered was now in the grasp of Ming and both bags that had been weighing down the med student were now hung on the shoulders of Ming.  "N'Ming," said Phana, the red in his cheeks beginning to fade as his anger dispersed, "you don't have to do that."

The Nong of Engineering wore a smile far too bright for Phana to bare as he stood, his one free hand extended to his Phī.  "It's okay, P'Pha, I don't mind." 

"Erm..." the medical student scratched the back of his neck, unsure what to say to his nong—— no, not his nong, he reminded himself. Ming was a student of Engineering, he was the nong of engineering.  He was Forth's nong.  "Ai'Forth isn't here," said Pha as he, alas, accepted the extended hand.  "Neither is Ai'Kit."
Ming tightened five long, tanned fingers around Phana's own pale, slim wrist as he helped Phana find way to his feet. 

"That's okay." Ming's smile never faltered, and the touch he held on Phana's wrist had yet to leave. "I will just stay with you, Phī."

"N'Ming," said Pha with a small sigh, "I am going to the library. I am walking," he rephrased, "to the library."

"Walking?" said Ming, a bit startled. "Isn't it across campus?"

"Yes." Phana pulled his wrist free from Ming's touch and held his palm out for his and Beam's belongings. "So, if you don't mind——"

Ming stepped away from Phana's reaching hand. "Of course I don't mind taking you, Phī!" With a smile that grew brighter and brighter with each word, the engineering student practically sang, "We can take my bike!"