call out my name [2gether]

CH 33

THE MEMORIES OF US (I).

"You know, jealousy doesn't look good on you," Sarawat said with an infuriating smirk just as he moved his chair closer to Tine's, its legs scraping over the floor of the jam-packed café. The tea lights on the tables cast flickering shadows around the room. Their thighs pressed snugly together as Sarawat propped his sharp chin in his hand, the elbow perched atop the table as he gazed at his sullen soulmate, dark eyelashes flickering in the golden light.

Tine looked so devastatingly beautiful and he could just not get enough of him. How had he not noticed him on campus before? Was he blind? Sarawat's eyes traced hungrily how the pink hue first blossomed on Tine's sharp cheeks and then spread rapidly down his slender neck, disappearing under the collar of his cotton t-shirt.

Aww. Was Tine really that worried about Pam? Silly bunny. Sarawat smirked, his tongue darting out to lick at the corner of his mouth.

Tine stilled in his seat under the scrutiny, like a tiny animal, eyes going even rounder than usual at being caught in his silent fuming. He looked down quickly, drawing his shoulders up to his red ears, suddenly feeling silly for acting so childish. They had already been on their way out from the food stall with the guys when Sarawat finally returned from his talk with Pam. Having his patience stretched thin while anxiously waiting for Sarawat to come back, Tine had not acted particularly mature, turning his nose up at the guitarist and answering him only in clipped sentences. In the end Sarawat had dragged them exasperatedly to a café close to the campus while they waited for Type, ditching the other guys who were more than willing to escape the unexpectedly loaded atmosphere.

This was not Tine's proudest moment. But could anyone blame him? Since he had woken up at the hospital Sarawat had always been at his side, his whole attention solely focused on Tine. Seeing Sarawat leave like that with someone else, an ex-girlfriend nonetheless, tugged painfully at the heartstrings inside of him. All that self-imposed distance while Tine was working through his estranged feelings and nightmarish visions had only made him starved for attention from the other young man. In the end, he simply wanted to be held close, feeling the weight of Sarawat's secure arms around him, as the warmth of his skin melted together with Tine's own. Everything else could wait. The world could wait. Right?

"Tine, look at me," Sarawat said as he ducked his head to catch Tine's lowered gaze, invading his space. He trailed his deft fingers over Tine's side soothingly, softly swiping them over his ribs one after another. "You don't have to worry about anything. Pam and I are just friends. We dated before but there are no romantic feelings left."

"Really?" Tine asked with a pout, fingers drawing shapes on the glossy tabletop as he squirmed a little under Sarawat's sneaky touch, feeling ticklish. Biting down on his lower lip with his bunny teeth, Tine tried to repress the coy smile that threatened to spill over his plump mouth at Sarawat's admission. What a simple thing to be so instantly happy about.

"Really," Sarawat chuckled, shaking his head. Tine was so simple to please, even though his beautiful mind sometimes worked in unexplainable ways.

He exhaled fondly. "You're kinda high maintenance, you know that?" Sarawat nudged Tine's head softly with a knuckle, seeing a blinding smile break out over his lips. "Now, give me your hand. I wanted to wait for a special moment or something, but now is probably as good as any."

Sarawat placed one hand on the tabletop, palm up, an easy peace offering. Tine's doe eyes instantly darted questioningly to Sarawat's face but he still did as he was asked. As soon as Sarawat felt Tine's cool skin against his palm, he quickly closed his hand like a trap. Sarawat clutched at Tine's long fingers while he twisted around in his seat, rummaging inside the pockets of his black slacks. Tine arched his fine brows curiously, trying to see what the other was doing but only got his vision full of the other man's broad back, his shoulder blades moving tantalizingly under the grey, oversized sweatshirt that he was wearing.