Past Present Future [BL - SaifahZon]

Chapter 3

p a s t

"Move away," groaned Zon sleepily, woken up by a warm breath on his nape. "You're like a walking heater." He shoved Saifah away and shifted on the bed to face his friend. Realization slowly crawled up his mind, as he noticed a sly grin on Saifah's face. His heart quivered. They really kissed, didn't they? As soon as that thought popped into his head, Zon pulled the blanket up and covered his face. He might have been drunk last night and some memories were definitely blurry, but at least that one was clear.

He wasn't sure, however, how many kisses there were.

"I told you not to worry," said Saifah, his voice husky. He rubbed his face and glanced over to Zon. He couldn't help but smile, seeing the embarrassed look on the boy's face. He really didn't remember what they were talking about, hm?

"I— I have no memories about that..." For some reason however, Zon didn't feel awkward with it. There was something in Saifah's eyes and voice that was making him relieved. The last thing he wanted, was to destroy their friendship, so as long as things stayed normal between them, it was fine.

"I didn't mind." Saifah's reassurance soothed Zon even more. He moved up the bed, closing the distance between them and looked him straight in the eyes. He could sense the change in Saifah's breathing, as their noses were almost touching.

His heart was actually fluttering, too. "Good," he whispered.

He wasn't sure where this confidence was coming from, but it didn't matter. A small smile curved his lips. They were lying side by side, not speaking a word. Zon felt his heart thumping steadily in his chest, heavy breathing escaping his mouth. With a gulp, his eyes slid down to Saifah's lips. Is he...? Or should he...?

Suddenly, a growl echoed in the room. Zon glanced at his stomach with big eyes. He was as surprised as Saifah and when he looked back at him, both of them burst into merry laughter.

Saifah touched his cheek, still smiling. "Let's go, I bet my mom left something for us to eat," he said.

A moment later they were in the kitchen; Zon sipping his water, Saifah reheating congee in the microwave. It was long past noon and the sun was pouring through the uncovered windows. There was no one else in the house and they weren't speaking much either, still tired after a whole night of drinking. Neither of them felt the need to fill up the silence, however, satisfied with just exchanging warm smiles from time to time.

"That's exactly what I needed," admitted Zon, when they finished eating. "Your mom's food is the best."

"That's because you're her favourite." Saifah giggled and put the dishes into the sink. "Normally she doesn't put so much effort into cooking."

"Can't blame her." Zon shrugged with a beaming smile and looked at the clock. "Okay, I've promised to be back home by four, so I guess I gotta go."

Half an hour later he was ready, standing in front of the door with his backpack and shoes on. Somehow, he couldn't brush off the feeling that something was not right. Ever since he came out of shower, Saifah had behaved in a weird way. He was barely looking at him, incessantly furrowing his brows and stroking his neck. What could've changed during those fifteen minutes?

"Are we still going to the cinema on Thursday?" asked Zon carefully. He didn't know what else to say.

The question seemed to snap Saifah out of his daydreaming. He blinked rapidly and looked at Zon with his typical grin. "Sure thing."

"Okay then." Zon grabbed his things and peeked at him cagily. "See ya' in two days." But before he opened the door, Saifah grabbed his wrist and leaned in for a long kiss that left Zon almost breathless.

"Yes, see ya," answered Saifah, his grin widening.

p r e s e n t

Zon looked blankly at the file in front of him, all numbers and figures dancing in front of his eyes. He had no idea how to finish this report and there was no one who could help him with it. Well, almost. Slowly, he raised his head over the computer and looked at the only person who was still in the staffroom except for him. Saifah was sitting at the other side of the room, with full focus on his notebook.

Throughout the whole week, Zon had managed not to interact with Saifah one-on-one, although, usually it wasn't even up to him. Whenever they were meeting, in the corridor or in the canteen, there was always someone, who would suddenly pop up between the two of them and dominate the conversation. Mrs. Bunnag, other teachers, sometimes even students. If he was completely honest, he wasn't sure if he was grateful for that or not, because some part of him really wanted to get close to Saifah and get all those awkward moments over with.

Just not over that damn report.

He slumped in his chair and leaned back, with a heavy sigh. Maybe if he had paid more attention to the orientation Mrs. Bunnag was giving him, he could have handled it himself. He pursed his lips and straightened his back, noticing that Saifah was peeking at him with curiosity. 'Sink or swim,' he thought to himself and opened his mouth to call for help.

Words stuck in his throat however, blocked by the pride he couldn't swallow. Why was it so hard? He clenched his hands on the knees and took a deep breath.

"Saifah...?" His hesitation echoed in the empty room, making him even more aware of how pathetic it sounded. He cleared his throat and tried to sound more confidently. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure?" Saifah put his pen down and shifted his focus on him.

"Can you help me with this? I'm not sure if I'm doing it right." With every word it was easier and easier. He gulped at the approaching figure and rushed with an explanation: "In my previous school we had different sheets and I can see there's something wrong with this, but I can't pin down what."

Saifah stood behind him and leaned over to take a look. The faint scent of a musky fragrance filled Zon's nostrils, making it hard for him to swallow. Holding his breath he looked at his face, now so close to his own. He couldn't help but notice how smooth he was shaved, how the small muscles in his jawline were moving, how his Adam's apple was going up and down and how he licked his lips in full concentration.

It really wasn't good for Zon.

"Here," said Saifah, pointing at one column. "You mixed those two, that's why it doesn't add up. If you put this here, and move that there it should be fine."

"Oh." Zon blinked, trying to come to his senses. "That makes sense, thanks."

"No problem."

They looked at each other for a few heartbeats, the atmosphere between them thickening. "I— I need to finish it," said Zon suddenly, giving him a wry smile and averting his eyes. "Thank you. For helping."

"If there's something more—"

"Yeah," he cut in. "Thanks."

When Saifah went back to his desk, Zon buried his face in his hands. He was feeling like a total asshole. Saifah didn't deserve to be avoided. Not for unsolved things from the past, or rather the things that were still living only in Zon's head. Where did his will to make things straight go to? He wanted his friend back, so why didn't he even try?

He felt Saifah's gaze on himself, when he was filling in the raport, several times, but he didn't do anything. Finally, after another twenty minutes, Saifah got up and started packing up his stuff, ready to go. That's when Zon felt a burst of courage and stopped Saifah halfway.

"Do you have plans later? Would you like to go for dinner? It's on me."

A/N: So that's it for chapter 3! I hope you like the story progression, even though it's not especially eventful.
Comments and votes are of course appreciated, but most of all, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter and you will stick around to read the next one!