Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was quiet in the apartment when Ehn came home late that night. He assumed that Techno was asleep, or maybe he was out with friends. Techno hadn’t said anything about it, but Ehn didn’t keep close enough track on his roommate to know where he was at all times. Ehn was quiet as he moved around the main room, just in case Techno was asleep in his bedroom. He put his guitar in the corner and then went to the fridge so he could pull out something to eat that he could warm up in the microwave. Ehn stopped the microwave just before it finished so that it didn’t beep loudly. He leaned against the counter as he ate the food that he’d made while leaving his phone on the counter so that he could scroll through Facebook between bites. He rolled his eyes a little when he saw one of his friends commenting about everyone on the cute boys page crying about the fourth years that would be graduating soon. He wasn’t there very long before Techno came out of his bedroom, looking pale and shaky and just a little disoriented. His hair was a tangled mess, as if he hadn’t been able to lay still. “Ai’No. Are you okay?” he asked as he sat aside his food.

Techno seemed to take a deep breath before he answered with a vague hum. “Bad dream,” he explained after a few more seconds had passed. Ehn knew that Techno had them sometimes but never knew what they were about. Techno hadn’t offered to share, and Ehn wasn’t going to ask. He knew that Techno hadn’t become his roommate under the best of situations, though that was the extent of his knowledge on the topic.

He watched silently as Techno grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, and he struggled to open it. His hands were shaking too much. “Here,” Ehn offered, reaching out for the bottle. Techno seemed for a second like he was going to turn down the offer for help, but then he handed it to Ehn. Once he had it open, he set aside the lid and handed Techno the bottle. Techno mumbled a thank you and took several drinks of the water before setting it aside. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Mn. It’s just… been awhile since I’ve had a dream like that.” Techno’s bad dreams were far between compared to how frequent they had been after the whole thing with Kengkla. He had almost thought that he had gotten over all of it completely, that he wouldn’t have any more awful dreams.

He didn’t realize just how much it affected him, though, until Ehn was pulling him into a hug. It made him tense for a few seconds, and he could feel Ehn start to let go; but, he actually appreciated the gesture and Techno returned the hug before Ehn could actually let go. Ehn sighed softly and patted the back of Techno’s head gently. Techno took a deep breath and closed his eyes and tried to focus on calming down, on relaxing and letting the tension out of his shoulders. He was okay, it had just been a dream. He shouldn’t let it bother him so much. He felt guilty for making Ehn worry, but he knew better than to say as much. The concern would just get brushed aside.

Maybe it should have awkward standing there in the kitchenette hugging Ehn like he was, but Ehn didn’t seem to be in a hurry to push him away and the comforting hold helped him to forget the phantom, unwanted touches from his dream. After a while, Techno cleared his throat and let go as he took a step back and Ehn let him go. “Thanks,” Techno said with a short laugh. “I guess I was more shaken than I realized.”

“Don’t mention it,” replied Ehn. He smiled in a reassuring manner and gently squeezed Techno’s shoulder before grabbing the bowl of food he’d set aside a short while before. Honestly, he was just glad that he’d been able to help even the slightest. He’d gone out on a limb deciding to hug Techno because it could have backfired and made things worse. He was really glad that it hadn’t. He just knew that after he’d had an awful dream, a hug was always preferred. “Are you hungry? I can warm up some more.”

Techno shook his head. “Thanks. I think I’m just going to try to go back to sleep.” Techno wasn’t sure what had caused the nightmare in the first place. It had been a while since the last one. Then again, with the pressures of graduation looming before him and how he was supposed to be deciding what he did with the rest of his life and everything else, he guessed a bad dream wasn’t exactly unexpected. He just hadn’t thought that Kengkla would wiggle back into his dreams like that. But then he could almost hear Tar reminding him that it could be something that he never completely stopped dreaming of. Techno really hoped that wasn’t true because he really didn’t like the lingering feelings he had following the dream. He almost just wanted to jump into the shower before going back to bed, but that seemed silly. So, he just said goodnight to Ehn and took the bottle of water into his room.

When Techno woke up next, it was to the sound of his alarm. Thankfully after that first bad dream, he either did not dream at all or did not remember what it was he dreamt. Techno got up and showered and got ready for the day before leaving the condo so that he could run down the street to get some breakfast and a couple of drinks that he brought back to the room. He placed the iced coffee and food he had gotten for Ehn on the counter along with a post-it note telling him it was for him and to have a good day. Then he took his own food and left again. That time he went down the hall to Tharn and Type’s apartment. Type let him in when he knocked on the door with a grumble. “You’re so early,” he complained.

Techno just shrugged and took a drink out of his cup as he sat down on the couch. “Where’s Tharn?” he asked. Type gestured toward the bathroom and mumbled that he was in the shower. Techno frowned a little as he studied Type. He looked far worse than Techno did, and Techno had been the one to wake up late at night from a horrible dream. “Ai’Type. What’s wrong with you?”

“Don’t ask,” was the only response Type gave. He waved off the question as he grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom to shower as well.

Tharn came out of the bathroom fully clothed a couple of minutes later, looking a little concerned but he smiled when he saw Techno sitting there. “Morning, Ai’No,” he greeted. “You didn’t bring enough for us?”

Techno shook his head as he took a bite of his own food. “Nope. I figured you can more than afford your own.” Tharn clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his head with an amused smirk.

“Type is a bad influence on you. Here I thought I was one of your favorite people.”

“You are. But you also don’t have a whiny junior begging you for food every other day.”

Tharn chuckled at that as he sat down to put his shoes on. “Make him ask his boyfriend. Tin can more than afford to keep up with his appetite.”

“Yeah, well…” Techno shrugged his shoulders a little. He may have claimed to have no favorites on the team, but they were all aware that wasn’t true. Techno favored a few of the younger members and showed it in various ways. Can by buying him food, Ae by letting it slide whenever he skipped out on a practice again. “Hey, is Type okay?”

“Yeah. He’s just… stressed. His dad is pressuring him to return home.”

Techno nodded slowly at that as he took another drink out of his cup. He could see how that would upset Type since he thought so highly of his father. But they all knew that Type already had plans in place that did not involve returning home. “Are you worried?”

“Hm? About what?” Techno gestured vaguely toward the bathroom, making Tharn laugh and shake his head. “About him leaving? No. Even if he did, we’d make things work. I don’t like seeing him so stressed out, though.”

“What are we talking about?” asked Type as he came into the room, drying his hair with a towel as he walked.

“Nothing, dear.” Type rolled his eyes and threw the towel at Tharn’s face, which only made Tharn laugh and smile at him in that disgustingly so in love way that everyone knew him for as he removed the towel.

Meanwhile, on campus, Tar sat down at a table with Daw and a few others that he’d been hanging out with. He spent more time with Pete and Tin than the group of people at the table that morning, but they were both busy that day. Tar had been teaching Pete how to cook at his apartment quite often - much to Ae’s amusement when things went really wrong. Pete would always pout and, of course, Ae was there to kiss it away until Tar reminded him that they weren’t alone in the room. That morning, Tar had brought enough food that he’d made for everyone at the table. They were all excited and thanked Tar several times over as they ate. “You don’t have to do this,” Daw told him, speaking quietly under the others’ chatter so that only Tar was really able to hear him. “They’re going to get spoiled and start expecting this every day.”

“I don’t mind,” replied Tar with a shake of his head and a smile.

Daw sighed heavily but smiled all the same. “Make them pay you for it instead,” he insisted. He knew that Tar wouldn’t do that. He was too sweet. Plus, well, Daw hadn’t been unaware of the obvious attempts that Tar made to make sure that people liked him. Daw wasn’t sure why he felt he needed to try so hard. He had asked Tar about it before, but Tar hadn’t given him an answer. With a closed mouth smile, Tar simply shook his head at the suggestion. He thought it was sweet that Daw seemed concerned, but he didn’t need it. He didn’t feel like he was being taken advantage of at all.

“Just hush and eat your food.” Tar reached up and gently pushed on the side of Daw’s face to make him focus ahead on his food. Daw almost jumped at the unexpected touch; not because he minded it, but because in the entirety of their friendship, Tar had seemed almost completely averse to any sort of touching. Daw glanced back over at Tar without turning his head and smiled to himself when he noticed the small, amused smile on Tar’s face as well.

On another part of campus, Can walked slowly next to Tin as he ate the food that he’d grabbed on their way. Tin was texting someone, not paying much mind to Can’s mindless chatter between bites. He knew it wasn’t anything important, and Can knew that if he were to talk about something that was important, Tin would actively listen to him. “We’ve got practice tonight,” Can said, which did catch Tin’s attention and he put up his phone.

“Why? I thought the season was over,” replied Tin. He didn’t sound annoyed, more confused than anything. He’d gone to all of the games, after all. They’d won their final game. Can had kissed him afterward without Tin having to ask or prompt him to.

“Mn. It is. But we’re meeting to discuss who the new team captain is going to be and to send off those who are graduating.” Can started pouting as he said it. “I’m going to miss P’No.”

“You’re going to miss him buying you food.” Though he sounded irritated, Tin was teasing him more than anything. He knew that Can was close to Techno. It used to make him jealous and he hated seeing the two of them being close. As he grew to trust Can, though, that jealousy faded. Plus, he had learned that Techno didn’t really seem to have an interest in anyone, least of all Can. He truly thought of Can like a younger sibling. 

Can pouted even more at that. “Ai’Tin.” He whined as he said Tin’s name, making him laugh and shake his head. It was such a predictable reaction, yet somehow he still thought it was adorable.

“He’ll still be your friend, you know. I don’t think you have to worry too much.” He didn’t see Techno falling out of contact with Can or any of his friends, honestly. Then again, what did he know? He didn’t have many friends to worry about. Just Pete and Can. Well, and Tar, he guessed. They had hung out a couple of times without having Pete there. 

Can was still pouting as he nodded his head. “Why are we talking a- Right! Practice. But, do you want to do something after?”

“Mn. I’ll pick you up.”

Can smiled at Tin and nodded. Then he pressed a quick kiss to Tin’s cheek before rushing off to meet up with his friends. Tin just stared after him for several seconds before shaking his head and walking in the direction of his own building. He met Pete halfway there. “You look happy,” Pete commented with a knowing smile.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Pete sighed but patted Tin on the shoulder as they kept walking. “Are you hanging around until after practice?”

“Ah. Ae and I are going to have dinner together after.” Pete’s smile grew soft and overly fond as he talked about his boyfriend. “Are you? We can study together while they do whatever it is they’re doing. There’s only a couple of finals left before the end of term.” Pete was nervous, but he was sure that he would get decent grades in most of his classes, anyway.

“Pete, Tin!” said Tar when he saw them walking nearby. He said a quick goodbye to everyone at the table as he grabbed his bag before rushing over to the two of them, missing the rather dejected wave from Daw as he went. It wasn’t that he didn’t like hanging out with the others. There were just so many of them in one place, and with Pete and Tin - it was just Pete and Tin. “Have you studied for the maths final yet?”

“Some,” answered Pete with a nod of his head. “We were just heading to the library to do that now. Would you like to join us?”

Tar nodded with a smile and started to walk inside the building with Pete, but paused when he realized that Tin was still where they’d left him making Pete stop walking as well. Tin seemed to be staring off at something. Tar couldn’t quite tell, but there was a glare on his face and it almost seemed like he was looking at Daw, who was busy talking with one of his friends and maybe almost too pointedly not looking back at Tin. Tar thought that was strange and didn’t understand, but he wasn’t going to ask. “Ai’Tin,” he said as he walked over and grabbed Tin’s elbow and tugged gently. It made Tin look to him and the expression on his face softened immediately. “Come on. Let’s go study.” Tin nodded and began to follow him and Pete to the library.

By the time that they reached the library, Can had found who he was looking for over on his side of campus. The rest of the football team and a few people who were friends or significant others were all gathered at the food court as they waited for their first classes to start. Can wiggled his way in-between Champ and Techno, ignoring the way that Champ sighed heavily as he scooted over to make room. “What’s going on?” asked Can.

“Nothing, really,” Ae answered him. “You seem to be in a good mood.”

Can gave Ae an exaggerated smile before he looked around at everyone else while finishing eating, focusing on his food too much to actually talk a lot. Champ was talking to the guy he was sitting next to, Can thought it was his roommate but wasn’t too sure about that. Ae and Pond were discussing class related things with a couple of their other friends whose names Can never got. Good was getting help studying from one of the other players that Can wasn’t too close to. Type was leaning against Tharn’s side, playing on his cell phone as Tharn talked with Techno and Ehn. Can wasn’t sure when Ehn had joined their little circle exactly (he knew it was sometime after Techno had moved in with him, but that was as much as Can could say), but he liked the guy decently enough. There seemed to be an anxious energy to the air, one that he swore existed toward the end of every term throughout his schooling. It seemed university was no different.

“Hey, that’s mine,” Can heard Ehn say, breaking him out of his thoughtful silence.

He looked over to see that Techno had grabbed the cup of iced coffee that had been sitting in front of Ehn on the table. Techno shrugged and took another drink out of it. “I bought it,” he reminded Ehn.

“You said it was for me.” Ehn took the cup back from Techno with a slight huff as Techno just smiled at him. He was almost glaring at Techno, but just enough that it was obvious there was no real anger behind it as he took a drink himself. He then turned his attention to Type, who had watched the exchange with raised brows. “You’re teaching him bad manners.”

“Uh, no,” replied Type with a short laugh. “You can’t blame that one on me.” Despite his comment, he reached across the table and took a piece of the fruit that Techno had and ignored Techno’s complaint about it. 

A short while later, Techno and Type left for a shared class and Can rushed to join them since his first class was in the same general direction. “Ai’No, is there something you want to tell us?” asked Type.

“Hmm? Like… what?” Techno’s brow furrowed a little as he looked between Can and Type. “I’ve got everything ready for the practice this evening?”

“No. About Ehn,” Can offered, figuring that was the topic that Type was attempting to hint at.

That only seemed to make Techno grow even more confused. “What about him?”

“You drank from his cup. After he did.” Techno blinked slowly at him as if he didn’t understand what Can was getting at. It made Can look helplessly at Type.

“I only ever drink after Tharn,” he offered. Though the comment didn’t seem to change Techno’s confusion at all. It made Type sigh and shake his head. “Never mind.” Maybe he and Can were reading too much into nothing. It was Techno, after all. He wouldn’t exactly put it past his best friend to do what he had and it not actually mean a thing. It was just… not something that Type saw many people do with someone who was just a friend, no matter how comfortable with one another they were. Type tried to ignore the nagging feeling of worry that grew the more he thought about it. Even if there maybe was something starting there, Techno would be fine.

Or Type would follow through on the threat he’d made to Ehn when he and Techno had first moved in with one another.

Chapter Text

Techno frowned as he ignored yet another message from Technic apologizing to him and asking him to at least come visit. Maybe he was being too harsh, but Techno really didn't feel up to facing his brother again yet. He knew that Technic hadn't been aware of what Kengkla had done that night. Still, he had encouraged some not so good things and helped make it possible for Kengkla to have all those photos. The thought made Techno uncomfortable all over again. But he quickly brushed it aside. It was not a day to be dwelling on bad things. It was a good day. He had good things to look forward to with good people. That was what deserved his attention. 

“Are you ready for this?” Champ asked as the two of them walked toward the locker room. “This could be the last time either of us come here.”

“You know, I wasn't sad about graduating until now.” Type wrapped his arm around Champ's back as Champ put his arm around Techno's shoulders and they stopped to look out over the football pitch. “I'm going to miss this place.”

“That just means you'll have to show up to watch us play,” Ae said as he, Good, and Can came up behind the two of them. They didn't let go of one another but rotated around so that they could look at who they were talking to. 

“Of course we will.” Techno reached out with his free hand and ruffled Can’s hair, smirking a little when Can protested. 

After that, they continued to the locker room to change. Practice was really just them messing around, kicking the ball and trying to keep it from one another. Goals were made but no one was really blocking and they weren't really on any teams. There also wasn't anyone keeping score. It was kind of a mess but they were all smiling and happy come the end of practice where they all gathered on the benches next to the field where they'd sit during games. Techno, Champ, Type, and the other graduating members stood in front of the others. “I want to thank everyone here for everything. This team has made it so I have had a great four years, as I'm sure the other seniors will agree,” Techno said. 

“You're alright,” said Type, though he was smirking in a way that let them know he was teasing as he rested his arm in Techno's shoulder, using him as an armrest. Techno didn't even react to it. “You should all just feel lucky I wasn't team captain. Ai’No was far too easy on you lot.”

“Ai’Type.” Techno laughed a little and shook his head. He looked to Champ for support but he just shrugged as he agreed with the comment. He didn't think it made him a bad team captain, just different than what they could have dealt with. “Anyway, there's just one thing for us to do. Next year's team captain! We all discussed it for a long while with the coach, and we all agreed. Based on performance both on the field and around with the other members, Nong Ae is our choice for captain.” The seniors had all worked together with the coach to decide on who the next team captain should be. With most of the team graduating or not participating next term for various reasons, it wasn't too difficult a choice, honestly. The freshmen that year would be the only returning team members next term. Ae would have a whole new team to start with.

“Wait, what?” said Ae, his eyes widening a little as he looked from where he'd been telling off one of the other guys quietly from talking over to the line of seniors. “Are you joking?” Ae quickly glanced to some of the other players on the team, none of them seemed to be bothered by the fact that Ae was being named captain. At least nobody seemed visibly bothered anyway. 

Type laughed at Ae’s reaction along with the other seniors while Champ just shook his head. “You're a great player, and we've noticed how you'll help your teammates during practice -”

“Which you can't skip anymore,” Champ interrupted, not missing an opportunity in teasing Ae. 

“Yes, yes. Congratulations. Do you want to say anything?”

Ae seemed almost uncomfortable being called out in front of the others to talk and he laughed awkwardly as he messed with his hair. “Uhm thank you? I will try my best to make sure we have a great season next year,” he said, his face flaming red as everyone cheered and congratulated him. Honestly, some of them just seemed relieved that it wasn't Can that Techno had suggested be captain. They all adored the spirited player, but none of them thought they would be able to keep up with any training style that Can might put in place.

Everyone seemed to linger around after that, none of them quite ready to say goodbye yet. There wasn’t much left to say, nothing official anyway, and eventually they slowly started to filter out from the field to the locker room. “Anyone want to go get drinks?” Champ finally said once they’d all almost changed.

Only Ae and Can turned down the suggestion because they had plans already, though they seemed hesitant to do so. It wasn’t until Techno insisted they not cancel their plans already in place that they relented and went to go find Tin and Pete, who they knew were studying somewhere on campus. “We might come join you later,” Ae told Techno as they left.

“Then we might see you later, captain,” Techno replied, smiling at the way it made Ae all flustered.

A short while later, Techno and most of the team found themselves at their usual bar. Type placed a drink down in front of Techno as he sat down next to him. Techno seemed wary, but Type nudged him a little with his shoulder. “One drink, Ai’Asshole No,” Type insisted. He knew that Techno had been avoiding drinking since that night with Kengkla. Techno wasn’t exactly known for moderation and the idea of being drunk like that again didn’t sit right with him. “Just one, then I’ll pay for your soda.”

“Ah. Don’t you really mean Tharn will pay for it?” questioned Techno as he picked up the drink that Type had gotten him.

Type almost disagreed, until he realized Tharn was standing there behind him when Tharn wrapped an arm around his waist and ducked down to rest his chin on his shoulder. “Mn. Tharn will pay for it.” Type smirked as Tharn laughed and stood up straight.

“Says who?” replied Tharn. They all knew that he would without hesitation, despite his slight protest. Unless Type paid for it first. Though he joked a lot about making Tharn pay for things, Type made sure that they were pretty even on who paid for what. Type laughed as Tharn leaned over him to grab Type’s drink off of the table.

“Okay, okay, we get it,” said Champ as he sat down on one of the seats opposite them at the table. “You’re both disgustingly in love. You’ll make everyone here jealous.” There were some teasing agreements from the rest of the team members sitting around the table.

“You say that like you’re not dating your roommate.”

“He’s dating who now?” Techno almost dropped his cup as he realized what Tharn had said. Tharn looked away from him and took another drink out of Type’s cup to keep from saying anymore.

Techno looked at Champ, who just laughed awkwardly and smiled as he shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly. “Guess the secret’s out now,” he said. Not that it was actually a secret per se. He just hadn’t talked about it openly. If someone knew then they knew. If they didn’t… well, it wasn’t his problem.

A dawning look of realization crossed Techno’s face then and he pointed at Champ with his free hand. “That’s why there was only one bed in your apartment.” Everyone at their table got a good laugh at that, and Techno just huffed with a slight pout as he took a drink out of his cup.

“Ai’No, never change.” Champ reached across the table and pet Techno’s head a couple of times before sitting back down. He’d always found Techno’s naivety to be cute. After everything that happened, he felt like he needed to encourage that side of his friend so that certain things didn’t make Techno out to be more bitter and jaded.

Several hours later, Techno let himself into his and Ehn’s apartment after saying goodbye to Tharn and Type. He didn’t expect Ehn to be awake still. It was pretty late, after all; but, Ehn was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table with his laptop open in front of him as he worked on something. “It’s late. Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” asked Techno. Ehn hadn’t looked at Techno when he came in, but he did at the question.

“Mn. I’m doing some last minute editing of this paper,” he explained. “It’s due Monday.”

“You’ve still got days! You should get some sleep.” Techno shook his head as he took off his shoes and walked over to the couch. He lay down on it with a groan.

“Where have you been all night?”

Techno looked over at Ehn and smiled at the question as he pillowed his head in his arms. He could remember Technic often asking him the same question when he came home, but coming from Ehn it sounded different. It wasn’t demanding or insistent to the point of sounding annoyed. It just sounded like curiosity. The kind of question you asked a friend just because you weren’t aware of what they’d been up to. “We had our last practice tonight. Nong Ae is going to be the next captain.”

“Really? Huh. Yeah. I can see it.” Ehn nodded once and focused back on his laptop, though he was still listening in case Techno wanted to share some more. 

“A bunch of us went to the bar afterward for some drinks. I had dinner with Type and Tharn afterward. I think I ate too much.” Techno groaned as he finished speaking for emphasis with his statement.

Ehn looked over at Techno and laughed softly. “Sounds like you guys had some fun.”

“Mn.”  Techno nodded his head and closed his eyes as he lay there. 

“I’m glad. But you probably shouldn’t sleep on the couch, Ai’No. It isn’t that comfortable.” Techno uncrossed one of his arms underneath his head to wave his hand in a dismissive manner before he returned his arm to where it was all without opening his eyes. It made Ehn sigh and shake his head but he focused on his paper again.

At his family home, Tar found that he couldn’t sleep. He tried. Really, he did. But he found himself tossing and turning in his bed. When he looked at his clock and saw that it was after midnight, Tar sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. He decided that, obviously, sleep was not going to happen. He wasn’t sure why, either. There wasn’t anything particularly stressing him out, and he wasn’t hyperfixating on any thought while he was laying in bed. There were his usual stressors, of course; but, Tar had been learning to live with those for a long while. Tar threw off his blanket and got up from his bed, grabbing a large hoodie to pull on over his t-shirt and sleep pants. He wasn’t too sure whose hoodie it was, but it had made its way into his closet so it was his, now. Tar quietly made his way down to the kitchen where he looked through the cabinets to see what all was there.

After his quick survey, Tar nodded his head with a smile to himself before gathering the ingredients he needed. He had just what he needed to make some chocolate chip cookies and he was going to do just that since he couldn’t sleep. The mindless actions of going through the steps to make them might wear him out enough to fall asleep afterward. It should at least relax him enough to attempt it again, anyway. Tar had just put the first batch of cookies in the oven when he looked to the doorway and saw Tum standing there yawning. His hair was a mess and there was a red line on his face from a crease in his pillowcase. “Sorry,” said Tar with a shy smile. “Did I wake you?”

“Mn,” Tum replied. He walked over to the counter to see what it was that Tar was up to. “You’re making cookies? At almost one in the morning?”

Tar let out a heavy breath and nodded. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Tum nodded as he moved away to go sit at the kitchen table. “Any reason why?”

Tar didn’t answer right away. Instead he focused on finishing putting the next batch of cookie dough onto one of the sheets. “I don’t think so,” he replied after he set aside the tray for the time being. He would switch out the tray once the first batch was done cooking. He didn’t want to open the door to the oven while the cookies were baking. “It’s not… I mean… Therapy has been helping a lot, and making new friends. So it’s not… that. If that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m your brother,” replied Tum tiredly. “I’m always going to worry.”

Tar smiled at Tum, then, and nodded his head. “You can go back to sleep, P’Tum. There will be cookies in the morning.”

Tum shook his head at the suggestion. “I’ll stay here with you. But only because I want fresh cookies.” At that, Tar smiled with another nod and he focused on cleaning up some of the mess that he had made while glancing at the clock to check the time. “Tell me about your new friends. Anyone interesting?”

Tar hummed softly as he thought about it. “I mostly spend time with some boys from my school, Pete and Tin. And their boyfriends.”

“Tin? As in Tin Medthanan?”

“Yeah. Do you know him?”

Tar looked over at Tum who sighed. “Just by reputation. He doesn’t have a good one. Drug use. Violence. I’m not sure he’s someone you should spend time with, Tar.”

Tar frowned as he listened to his brother talking. He shook his head by the time Tum finished speaking, looking away again. “So, you’re saying that I should stop being friends with someone who has been nothing but kind to me since I met him because of some rumors?” He was unable to hide the frown on his face that had Tum suddenly trying to figure out why he felt like he was somehow the bad guy in the situation. “So, with that logic everyone should believe the rumors about me, right? That I’m easy and will sleep around with anyone who wants a go?”

“Tar! That’s entirely different. That’s-”

“It’s not different, Phi.” Tum sighed, reaching up to run a hand over his face a few times. “I’m not going to stop being friends with Tin just because of some false rumors. He can be a bit… prickly, but he cares in his own way and he’s always been kind to me.”

“Okay. Okay.” Tum sighed and smiled a little at Tar. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shoul- Just be careful, okay?”

“Of course, P’Tum.” Tar seemed to brighten up from the dampened mood he’d had since Tum had mentioned the rumors about Tin. He gave Tum a big smile before he went to pull the first batch of cookies out of the oven, replacing it with the waiting tray. Tar placed the finished tray on the counter and then worked on putting the cookies on a cooling rack.

The two of them continued talking about Tar’s classes and some of the plans he’d made with friends for the upcoming break. They talked about what Tum had been up to and this girl that he had been talking to. Tar teased him about it with soft laughs and smiles as he gave his brother a couple of the cookies that had cooled enough to eat. “Go back to bed, P’Tum,” Tar insisted. “I’ll go when I finish up here.”

“If you’re sure.” Tar nodded with a hum, waving him off toward the other room. “Fine. Are we still on for video games tomorrow? I can’t promise I won’t kick your ass.”

“Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, Phi.”

The following morning, Techno was woken up by Ehn holding a cold drink to the back of his neck since he was laying sprawled out on his stomach on the couch still. “What th- Ai’Ehn! Why are you doing this?” Techno asked after he looked up to see Ehn standing there with an amused smirk on his face. He covered his face with his arm and groaned. “What time is it?”

“You’re going to be late if you don’t get up and get ready,” replied Ehn as he walked away, taking a drink out of the cup as he did so. He placed the bag from his other hand onto the counter in the kitchenette. “I got us breakfast. Go get ready.”

“You didn’t have to.” Techno groaned again as he finally set up and ran his fingers through his hair a few times. “Ugh. My back hurts. Why’d you let me sleep there?”

“I tried to warn you.” Ehn shrugged as he opened the container with his food in it. “Do you need a ride today?”

“Mn. If that’s okay.” Techno nodded when Ehn told him that it was fine but that he should hurry. He then went to his room to grab his clothes and a towel so he could shower and change for the day. When he returned to the main room, Ehn had finished eating and was playing something on his guitar.

“Hurry and eat so that we can go.”

“Okay. Okay, don’t be so bossy.” Ehn shook his head and focused on his guitar again as Techno got the other container of food to eat from. “Hey, are you busy tonight?”

Ehn thought about it for several seconds before shaking his head. “No. Why?”

“Can you give me a ride to the airport?” Techno laughed at the confused question he received in response, Ehn asking if he was leaving for somewhere. “No. Just getting my parents’ car. It’s sitting in an extended lot, but they’ve decided to let me have it.” He would need it to easier get to and from work, after all. He could use taxis and such, but he would rather drive himself most days. Or some days. Not even most days. He hated dealing with traffic. But he liked the idea of having the freedom to go himself if he wanted or needed to. Techno smiled when Ehn said that he could help. “Thanks, Ai’Ehn!”

Chapter Text

Tar hadn't been sleeping very well. Since that night he'd gotten up and made cookies at one in the morning, he had been up late every night. He wasn't sure why, either. Probably just stress from everything catching up to him. Tar tried not to overthink it as he sat in one of the courtyards, reading one of his favorite books. “You’re here early,” said Daw, making Tar look up from the book he was reading. Tar hummed his agreement and mumbled a greeting while Daw sat in the seat on the side of the table next to him. It was a small table in the courtyard that only fit one person to a side. Well, two could fit if you squeezed in close, but most didn’t. Daw reached over and lifted the cover of the book that Tar was reading so that he could see what it was. His brow furrowed as he struggled to read the title and tilted his head more. “Is this French?”

“Mn,” Tar replied. He gave a small nod of his head and he placed his bookmark into the page he was in before closing the book. “Before I came here, I studied in France. I’ve got a whole bookcase of books from my stay that I never got around to finishing. It’s what I like to read in my free time.”

“So you speak three languages?” Daw looked incredibly impressed while Tar mumbled that it was nothing.

“I do not know a lot of French, but I found reading novels that I already know in French helps.” Tar shrugged his shoulders as he idly fiddled with the cover of his book. 

“Amazing. I only speak English because my step-father, who practically raised me with my mother, is an American. Was an American? He lives here now and has since before he met my mother.” Daw had been raised bilingual because of it. Teaching Daw both languages had helped his step-father learn Thai at the same time. “So if you were studying in France, why did you come back here?” The smile that had been on Tar’s face faded at the question and Daw immediately regretted asking. He lifted both hands and waved them in a dismissive manner as he said, “Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Phi.” Tar managed a small smile after he spoke. It didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Daw continued regretting that he had asked. “I just-”

“You really don’t have to tell me. I was just curious.”

Tar’s smile became a little more honest at the sincerity in Daw’s words. He knew that Daw hadn’t asked to upset him. It was just an unfortunate reaction to the thoughts surrounding his return. “Really, P’Daw. It is okay. When I first went to school over there, I was running away from some things. I wasn’t… happy there. I was just sort of going through the motions. I got tired of running.”

“Are you happy now?” Daw’s question was hesitant, as if he was scared that he might upset Tar again, which was not his intention. 

Tar paused at the question, staring at Daw for several seconds with an almost blank look. It was the first time someone had asked him that. They asked if he was ok, if he was sleeping, if classes went well. It was implied in there, he knew. Still, something felt different about being asked in that direct manner. It made Tar sit up a little straighter and slowly nod his head with a closed mouth smile that made his eyes crinkle in the corners. “For right now,” he answered. “No one can be happy all of the time. But I am happy more often.”

“I'm glad.” Daw smiled at Tar and started to ask him about his plans for the day. He stopped talking mid-question when he noticed Tin standing next to the table with Pete walking up after him. “Good morning. Would you like to sit with us?”

Pete started to thank Daw, but his words were cut off by Tin. “Actually we need to go to the library. Tar was supposed to study with us,” he said.

Tar looked surprised at that. “Were we?” he asked. He didn't remember making such plans.

“Yes. I need help revising for our test later.”

Pete looked away from the table in an attempt to hide his amused smile. While he didn't think that Tin needed to step in and be protective of Tar in this situation, it was nice to see him care about someone else. Even if he hadn't quite learned how to show it yet. “Oh. Okay. Let's go then. Sorry, P’Daw. We'll talk later?”

Daw nodded with a faint smile. “Yeah, okay,” he replied. He wanted to argue but didn't think it was his place to. Plus he had no proof that Tin was lying, even if it felt like he was. Daw had no idea why. He was just talking to Tar.

As the three of them went into the building to head to the library, Can plopped down on a seat next to Techno on the other side of campus with a whine. “I have two finals today,” he complained. 

“Sucks for you,” replied Type from across the table. He sounded wholly disinterested and the lack of real response was not what Can was going for. 

“P’No, you feel sorry for me, don't you?” Can huffed out a breath when he only received a distracted hum from Techno in response. He was busy reviewing formulas he needed for his algebra final - the last math test he would ever have to take. Hopefully. He really didn't want to have to return next term because he couldn't pass his last math class.

Can started to continue his complaining, not that anyone at the table was listening to him, when he felt something tap his shoulder. He looked up by tilting his head back and frowned a little when he saw it was Ehn with a few containers of food balanced in his hands, who motioned for Can to move over. Can almost argued, but Good grabbed him and tugged him toward the bench on the other side of the table before he could, and Can followed in order to sit with him instead. As Ehn sat down, he realized that Tharn had arrived at the table too and was taking a seat next to Type. Can watched as Ehn placed food in front of Type, Tharn, Techno, Champ and then himself while Tharn passed out drinks to all of them from the drink carriers he had that he tossed into the nearby trash bin once they were all handed out. “Wait you all got food and didn't get me any?” Can asked with a pout.

Good slowly reached over to pat his shoulder in condolence while Champ urged him to be quiet. Which was expecting a lot of Can, honestly. It was just then that Can realized there was a textbook open where he had been sitting moments before. He had actually taken Ehn’s seat, he hadn't just been insisting Can move for no reason. Can almost apologized for having been annoyed in the first place. He didn't want to be told to be quiet again, though. He would just talk to them when things calmed down. It was almost time for Can to head to his first class when Techno groaned and dropped his head onto the top of the textbook he had open. “All the little numbers and letters are running together,” he said. “Why didn't someone stop me from putting off this class until last semester?”

Techno was almost whining, even as Ehn squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring way. “I tried to,” Type reminded Techno as he looked up from his own work. “You're the one who insisted.” Type’s ‘I-told-you-so’ tone of voice and smirk made Techno lift a middle finger at him. Type laughed and shook his head with a fond smile.

“You know, I think Type is the only person I've ever seen Techno be even slightly an asshole toward,” Champ commented as he looked between the two of them.

“Right? And I'm supposed to be his best friend.” If Type was anyone else, the others might have bought the hurt expression that came across his features. 

“It's part of the best friend package,” Techno commented as he grabbed the drink Tharn had gotten for him that he hadn't touched yet. “Besides, I like Tharn better than you.”

“Yeah yeah. I know,” Type rolled his eyes as Tharn just smiled at Techno. “He's told me several times.”

“But you like Ehn better than Tharn, right?” asked Champ, hiding the smirk on his face behind his own cup while Ehn just shook his head and focused on the paper he was writing for his own class. 

“We haven't known one another long enough to say that,” Techno answered, missing the way that Champ rolled his eyes at the response. It was a very Techno-ish answer, after all.

Champ's response to that was spoken over by someone behind Techno saying, “P’No, I need to talk to you.”

Everyone looked to see Technic standing there, looking almost annoyed but also concerned at the same time. “N’Nic, what are you doing here? Go to school,” Techno told him while getting up from his seat.

“But Phi, I need to talk to you.” Techno shook his head and tried to usher Technic along. “I know I messed up and I'm sorry, I-”

“We are absolutely not talking about this here,” Techno interrupted him. “I'm- You... Just go. I'll message you later but do not come here again.” Technic for a moment looked like he was going to argue but he reluctantly agreed before walking away, but only because Techno had said he would message later. He told Techno he was expecting to hear from him later as he walked off.

All of Techno's friends turned back to focus on their work when he turned around to return to the table. Techno no longer felt up to dealing with math problems or joking with his friends or any of it. He didn't say much as he quickly gathered his books, leaving the food and drink there, and rushed off with a mumbled excuse of going to class. Type started to get up to follow him, but Tharn grabbed his shoulder and gently pushed him back down into his seat. “Give him a minute,” Tharn insisted. If he'd wanted company, he wouldn't have left them. Type wanted to argue, but he sighed and nodded his head.

Techno was rather quiet the rest of the day and he wasn't able to be found by any of his friends at his lunch break, but he attended every class. He insisted to Type that he was fine when Type stopped him on their way out of one of their shared classes, brushing past Type as he said it. Type wanted to go give Technic a piece of his mind - Techno was obviously not ready to face Technic and his part in everything that had happened. He hated that Technic was trying to force it and felt as though it was only going to cause more harm than good.

When Techno got home that evening, Ehn was already there, making something simple to eat in the kitchenette. He was making enough for both of them, worried that Techno hadn't eaten all day considering what he'd gotten for breakfast hadn't really been touched before the one kid showed up - Ehn had no idea who the kid had been but he was sure that he was somehow related to the reason that Techno had crashed at Type and Tharn’s place to start with. “I don't want to talk about it,” Techno insisted when Ehn turned to look at him.

“Okay,” Ehn replied. “I'm making food.”

“Oh.” Techno nodded his head a couple of times before taking his backpack to his room.

By the time Techno had changed and taken a quick shower before returning to the main room, Ehn had finished cooking and was sitting on the couch eating while watching something on the television. There was a second plate already waiting on the coffee table. “Sit. Eat something,” he insisted.

“Oh. Mn.” Techno nodded and went to sit on the couch, taking the second plate of food. He mumbled a thank you, and he picked at the food more than anything but Ehn felt a little better knowing that he'd eaten something at least. “That was my brother. Before at the school.” Ehn was a little surprised that Techno was talking about it, but he didn't say anything. If Techno felt comfortable enough to share with him, he wasn't going to interrupt. He nodded his head to let Techno know that he had been heard. “I don't know if I can trust him fully again. Which is ridiculous. He's my brother. But I just… He did some stuff that took advantage of my trust that hurt me for his personal gain, and I just can't seem to get past that.” 

“It's okay if you can't,” Ehn said. He didn't fully understand the story, but he knew Techno. He saw how fully and openly he trusted the people in his life. If someone did something to break it, then it had to have been pretty bad. “As your brother, you should have been able to trust him, and if he did something to damage that trust… It would be understandable if you didn't get it back.” After all, someone that should have been able to be trusted without hesitation breaking that trust to that point would make irreparable damage to anyone’s bond. 

“I really don't want to talk to him.” It had hurt more than he thought it would have when he had seen Technic again.

Ehn shrugged his shoulders. “So don't.”

Techno blinked several times at that simple statement. Was it that easy? Could he just continue to ignore Technic reaching out to him? What if something horrible happened and Technic actually needed him? Then Techno would just feel guilty once he found out. “What if it's an emergency?”

Ehn seemed to think over the question for a little bit and he set aside his empty plate. “Tell your parents to let him know that he can tell them to contact you in a real emergency. Or one of your friends. I'm sure Type would be glad to go tell him.” Type had seemed ready to fight the kid earlier, after all. Techno sighed a little but nodded and focused on his food again.

When he ate all that he could, he got up to toss the rest and help Ehn out by doing the dishes since he'd cooked. Ehn got up to help him, even when Techno insisted he didn't need to. “You don't have to answer,” Ehn said after all the dishes were washed and drying. “But can I ask what he actually did?”

Techno inhaled sharply through his nose at the question and he turned to look at Ehn. He wasn't sure he wanted his roommate to know anything about what happened. He already knew enough. At the same time, he liked that he felt like he could tell Ehn if he wanted to. The fact that Ehn would accept it if he told him to fuck off instead of answering was rather reassuring, honestly. Techno didn't answer for a long while. Ehn took his silence as answer enough and had grabbed his guitar to sit down and mess around with it. Techno didn't respond until after he had sat down on the couch again as well, sitting with the most distance between the two of them that he had put in the entirety of the time they had been roommates. “He helped his friend stalk me for a long while. Kengkla would give him things he wanted or help him with this girl in exchange for photos or keeping track of where I was and who I was with.”

Ehn had stopped playing when Techno spoke and just stared at him for several seconds as the words registered with him. Out of anything that Ehn had considered being a possibility of what happened, that most definitely was not one of them. Not knowing what else to say, all Ehn could really do was swear. It caught Techno off guard and seemed to pull a laugh from him. “Sorry, I just… That's really messed up.” No wonder Techno wasn't ready to forgive his brother or trust him again. Ehn was sure he would not have been able to, either. “Was Kengkla that boy that made you really uncomfortable that one day?”

Techno's brow furrowed for a few seconds as he tried to recall what Ehn was asking about. Then he remembered that morning that Ehn had shown up at just the right time to help him get away from Kengkla wanting to talk to him at the restaurant just down the street. “Mn. That was him.” There, of course, was more to the situation, but that was all that Techno was able to share yet. He couldn't talk about the rest of it. If it was up to him, he'd never talk about it again. He wasn't sure that was possible, though. Techno let out a shaky breath after a few seconds of silence passed between them, but then he smiled at Ehn - it was a half-hearted smile at best, but he tried anyway. “Sorry for making things all…” He waved one of his hands in an attempt to fill in the blank for a word he couldn't quite figure out. It wasn't really tense, but it was all just very… heavy. Ehn had asked, though, so he didn't feel completely horrible about it. At least he hadn't just dumped it all on him unsuspectingly. 

“It's okay,” Ehn replied. “I asked.”

“Mn.” Techno nodded. “You should play something.” It was clearly a change in topic, a change in everything in order to try to move on from the moment instead of lingering on it all. There wasn't really anything that Ehn could do about the situation with him and Technic, after all. 

“What do you want to hear?”

“I don't know. Anything.” Techno smiled as he moved to sit with his knees hugged to his chest, leaning over to rest his head against the back of the couch while facing Ehn so that he could watch him play the guitar. It was one of his favorite things about having Ehn as a roommate, Techno had discovered. He closed his eyes after several moments to just listen to the slow song that Ehn played. It sounded a little sad but hopeful at the same time, and Techno was sure he had heard it before but he couldn't place the song. He meant to ask what it was but before he really realized, he had fallen asleep there on the couch. When he woke up a few hours later to the sound of his door being closed, he was a little confused at the fact that he was in his own bed instead of the couch. Ehn hadn't left him to sleep on the couch again, but hadn't woken him up either. Techno smiled a little to himself and got comfortable again, falling back asleep only moments after he had woken up in the first place. 

Chapter Text

“Ouch!”

“Sorry, P’No,” said Tar with a slight laugh. He smoothed out Techno’s hair and patted the top of his head a few times. They were sitting in the main room of Techno and Ehn’s place with a football game on the television. There were some textbooks and abandoned papers left on the coffee table that had been pushed away so that Techno could sit on the floor in front of where Tar was sitting.

Tar had been playing with Techno’s hair, running his fingers through the newly re-dyed strands or putting it into ponytails and then taking them back out. It was soothing to both of them, honestly, so Techno never complained whenever Tar would do so - especially since Techno’s hair was long enough to put little ponytails and braids in the first place. He had accidentally pulled too hard on a strand that was sticking out between two of the loops of the elastic holding the ponytail in place at the top of his head. Tar had attempted to fix it so that all the strands were in place. He frowned when it didn’t work and he took out the ponytail to start all over again.

Techno didn’t mind. There was something soothing about the repetitive touches through his hair. It almost made him want to just rest his head against Tar’s knee and doze off like that. He wanted to watch the game on the television, though. “I wonder what’s taking Type so long,” Tar said as he leaned over a little to make sure he had enough of Techno’s hair gathered to tie a ponytail at the top of his head. There were still some strands of hair falling into his eyes, but it was good enough.

As if on cue, there was a shout from outside the door, telling someone to let him in. It made Techno roll his eyes but get up from the floor so that he could go over and let Type back in. He had been there with them earlier before running out to go get food and drinks for them. He had gotten some extra at Techno’s insistence, in case Ehn came back to the room from wherever it was he was at right then. Techno opened the door and Type came in carrying a couple of bags. “Neither one of you could bother to clean up the table?” Type huffed dramatically, but they could tell that he wasn’t actually upset or anything.

It made Tar send Type a look that was rather unimpressed as he got up to start clearing off the table. “You know, I could have made us something. I did offer, P’Type,” Tar said as Techno started to help pick up and Type set out everything he’d gotten. Well, almost everything. What he’d grabbed for Ehn he put up in the kitchenette once everything else was set out.

“Nope.” Type shook his head and then sat down on the floor next to the table. “No need to work that much or stress out even more trying to do that when there’s a perfectly good place just down the street.”

Tar pursed his lips and Techno smiled as he patted the back of Tar’s head. “Next time, we’ll let you do whatever.” Tar smiled brightly at Techno then and nodded as he grabbed the plastic spoon and fork Type had set out for him so that he could eat. Tar whined when Type reached over to steal some food out of his container and then tried to steal some of Type’s. Techno grabbed his food and he moved away from the table so that neither of them could try to take his food as well. He had a small smile on his face as he watched the two of them. Seeing Tar, especially, gave him hope that one day that lingering uneasiness he had in the back of his mind might fade away. He could remember just how sad and broken Tar had seemed when they met, but right then there were hardly any traces of that same boy in the one he saw playing around with Type and giggling despite the fact that he was in a headlock and Type was continuing to steal his food.

“P’Type, no fair,” Tar said, trying his best to school his expression into a pout, though it didn’t work. Especially not when Type transferred some of his own food to Tar after letting him go.

“One of these days,” said Techno, making the other two look over at him, “I’m going to record the two of you and show everyone because no one will believe me when I tell them that Type can be soft with someone.”

“Soft, my ass,” replied Type. He lifted his hand and made a fist as if threatening to punch Techno, though there was absolutely no way he could reach even if he tried. It was the least threatening thing ever, in Techno’s opinion. Then again, he knew that Type would never actually hit him.

“Sounds like something Tharn would say,” Ehn commented as he came into the apartment. He shut the door behind him with a light kick to knock it back since his hands were full with his guitar and another bag.

“That’s enough out of you.” Type huffed and stabbed at his food with his fork while Ehn just smiled at Type as if he hadn’t said anything in the first place.

It took both Techno and Tar several moments before either one of them caught on to what Ehn was talking about. It made Tar scrunch his face up with a mumbled complaint before taking a drink out of his cup. It made Ehn laugh softly as he put his guitar up in the corner as always. “Sorry, Tar.” Ehn dropped his other bag on the floor next to his guitar before going back over to where Techno was sitting in order to pat the top of the ponytail situated at the top of his head. Techno leaned his head back and told him not to mess it up, making Ehn shake his head in amusement. “You guys look like you’ve been having fun.”

“Mn. There’s some food over there for you if you want it. Or we can put it up for later,” Techno replied, gesturing over toward the kitchenette while holding onto his food container.

“Or I could just steal yours.”

“Ha. No. You will not.” Techno turned himself away from Ehn in an attempt to protect his food from being stolen.

Ehn smiled at him and patted the top of his ponytail once more before going over to grab the food. “You should thank me for that,” Type insisted. “I’m the one who went and got it.”

“He didn’t pay for it, so don’t listen to him,” Tar told Ehn, smiling innocently when Type turned to him and told him off for not being on his side.

As Tar and Type bickered good naturedly, Ehn went over to sit near Techno and the two of them talked quietly about Ehn’s day. He’d gone home for his younger brother’s birthday party the night before - and he had liked the birthday gift that Techno had sent with him. His mother had insisted that Techno come with Ehn next time he came home, saying that it was cruel to leave his friend alone in the condo like that. It took Techno a few minutes to realize that Type and Tar had stopped talking and were just silently watching them. When he did notice, he couldn’t quite read the look on Type’s face while Tar just looked amused. “You two done whispering secrets now?” asked Type.

“We’re not whispering secrets,” replied Techno with a shake of his head. “We were talking about his brother’s birthday party. Didn’t realize you cared to talk about someone you don’t know.”

“You have a brother?”

“Mn,” Ehn agreed with a nod. “He’s going to go into his last year of high school next term and is going to try to get into the engineering program at the university across town.”

After that, their conversation fell away from Ehn’s family to what their plans were over the next couple of weeks. Tar had several finals to complete, the other three had papers to turn in and await final grades on. Techno still had his algebra final to take. Then there would be graduation. Type and Techno were having a joint graduation party thrown by Techno’s parents. Type almost hesitantly made sure that Ehn knew he was invited, but Ehn already had plans that day with his family.

“It’s weird to think that none of you are going to be on campus next year,” Tar said when he was gathering his things along with Type a while later.

“We’ll still be around,” Techno reassured him from his place on the floor. He had lay out on it after they finished eating and was using Ehn’s knee as a pillow. It didn’t look fully comfortable, but Techno wasn’t complaining. Neither was Ehn, who was focused more on his phone than the conversation. “And you have Pete and Tin still.”

“Mn. But eventually people are going to stop knowing who you guys are and I won’t get to see the look of horror on peoples’ faces when I tell them I’m friends with P’Type.”

The absolute heartbreak in his tone startled a laugh out of Techno and Type looked for a few seconds like he was going to fight, but then he was laughing, too. “Guess I’ll just have to come around and make sure they understand,” he said in as nonchalant a tone as he could muster.

As they were leaving, Tar paused to duck down and carefully pull the hair elastic from Techno’s hair. It made Techno complain as his hair fell back into his eyes. “Go get it cut if it’s that big of a problem,” said Tar with a laugh and a smile.

“Nah,” he replied, waving off the idea. He liked his hair how it was. It sometimes got annoying, but still. Overall he didn’t want to change it. “Send a text when you get home, yeah?”

“Yes, mom.” Tar wiggled his fingers in a wave as he followed Type out the door, ignoring Techno’s complaints at being called ‘mom’. 

Despite the great day that he’d had with his friends, Techno found it nearly impossible to fall asleep that night. He tried but it only ended up with him tossing and turning all night. He didn’t want to bother Ehn or accidentally wake him up, so he stayed in his room. He messed around on his phone until he finally fell asleep about two hours before his alarm was set to go off. He wasn’t sure what it was that kept him up - stress, probably. There was a lot going on. He had an official interview on Wednesday at the place he’d done his internship at for a position there. He knew he was anxious about that. Even though he would like to think he left a good impression on his bosses there, he wasn’t sure it was enough to get a job there. Techno wasn’t sure what he was going to do if he didn’t get the position.

Of course, none of that mattered if he failed the last test he had to take. He wasn’t sure whether or not he could pass the test. He’d been studying really hard, but every time he went to work on the practice questions, he just seemed to forget all of it.

When his alarm sounded, Techno sighed and turned it off before starting to get ready for the day. He did his best to make it so that he didn’t look like he had been up most of the night. If the way that Ehn kept glancing at him before he left to go meet up with Type was any indication, he had done a poor job of it. “You look like shit,” was the first thing that Type said to him.

“Mn. Didn’t sleep much,” he replied. He waved off Type’s concerned expression. It was fine. He was fine. “Let’s go. I want to study before first class.”

“Ok. I’ve got to go take Tharn his bag, though. He forgot it. Want to come with?” Type asked his question as the two of them made their way out of the building to Techno’s car so that he could drive the two of them to campus. He’d offered to give Ehn a lift, too, but he had something else to go do.

Techno seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, but he ended up agreeing. Once they made it to campus, they made their way to the music department. Tharn was in a practice room used by the various music clubs to work on a project. He hadn’t wanted to bother Type early in the morning, so he’d come to campus but ended up forgetting everything he would need for his classes. “Morning, Ai’No,” Tharn greeted when he saw that Type wasn’t alone. He wasn’t expecting the both of them to show up but he wasn’t complaining. “Are you guys going to hang out here until class?”

Techno started to say that he needed to go to the library, but Type answered for him before he could do so. He told Tharn that, yes, they were and he led Techno to sit down on one of the chairs, ignoring Techno’s sigh in response. Type thought they could use one morning in which they weren’t stressing on the many things they had to do in order to finish off their final semester. He knew it was stressing him out, and he hoped that was the core of what was bothering Techno. “I brought you food, too,” Type said, holding the plastic bag up for Tharn to see. “You left really early.”

Tharn mumbled a thanks and apology before pressing a kiss to the top of Type’s shoulder. Type took the guitar from Tharn with his free hand, passing the food to him with the other before telling Techno to hold the guitar for Tharn so he could eat. “You didn’t ask me if I had eaten,” Techno complained with a dramatic sigh as he carefully held the guitar in his lap. He wasn’t hungry, though, but he really couldn’t pass by the opportunity to complain at Type. While Tharn started to open the food that Type had brought him, Techno started to mess around with the guitar, playing the opening notes to the simple song that he’d learned.

“Since when do you play the guitar?” Type asked as he looked over at Techno. That wasn’t something he had known Techno knew how to do.

Techno just shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know a lot. Ehn’s been teaching me some.”

Tharn glanced over to the other side of the room where there were several guitars on stands as he chewed thoughtfully on the food he’d just put into his mouth. “With what guitar? All the practice ones are still here,” he commented.

“Why would he need to borrow a practice guitar? He’s got one already.”

Techno’s brow furrowed as he stopped playing and looked up at Tharn, who looked as though he didn’t know whether to smile or shake his head at Techno. Type looked just as confused as Techno did. “Yes, you’re right; but, that’s Ehn’s personal guitar.” Tharn sighed heavily when Type and Techno shared matching looks that stated they didn’t really get the significance in Tharn’s words. Their mirrored shrugs at one another as Type took a seat only made Tharn want to sigh all over again. “Sports boys.” He shook his head at the two of them and set aside his food as he tried to think of a way to explain it in a way that would make sense to them. “Ehn is one of those musicians who his guitar is very important to him. He doesn’t let just anyone touch his guitar.”

“That’s silly,” Techno commented with a laugh. “It’s just a guitar.”

“Mm- No. It isn’t. Musicians get a personal connection to their instruments sometimes. Ehn’s guitar is one of those. There’s a sentiment there I’ve never asked the explanation for, but it’s well known throughout the department. You don’t touch Ehn’s guitar. It’s like…” Tharn struggled for words as he looked between the two of them a few times. “Ah! It’s like how you know you footballers get oddly possessive over your jersey or the number on it? How it’s a Big Deal when your significant other wears your jersey or number at a game and someone else wearing it is something that doesn’t happen? It’s similar to that. The guitar is the jersey.” Tharn almost wanted to just walk out of the room and give up from the conversation when neither one of them seemed to fully comprehend his analogy yet. “A person touching the guitar is the same as wearing the jersey.”

A look of understanding crossed Type’s features, then, as he nodded his head. He finally made the connection once Tharn had completely lay it out like that. Techno just shook his head, however. “I think you’re reading too much into things. That’s… ridiculous. It’s just a guitar. If it was, he wouldn’t have offered to use it to teach me.” That time, it was Tharn and Type who shared a look with one another, one that Techno missed because he was standing up and carefully placing the guitar on the chair he’d been sitting in, looking very much like he was trying to run away from the conversation and situation. “I’m going to go to the library, now. I really need to study for this test. I’ll see you guys later.” Techno waved at the two of them before he did just as he said he was going to do and made his way to the library so that he could focus on studying, or trying to focus on studying.

He found himself continuing to think back to what Tharn had said back in the music room. That was just… ridiculous. It was a silly idea. So what if Tharn was right about Ehn not usually letting people touch his guitar? That didn’t really mean much. They were friends, and it wasn’t like he’d had time to run out and grab an extra guitar to teach him on. The whole thing was just ridiculous. It didn’t mean anything. He and Ehn were friends. And even if he did find that he really enjoyed spending time with Ehn and getting to know him better and being around, it didn’t mean that Ehn liked him. That was just… No. That didn’t happen. People didn’t like him like that.

Well…

Obviously there was at least one exception. Techno frowned at that thought. Maybe it was rather fitting that the one person to show interest in him was Kengkla. As soon as he had that thought, however, Techno was mentally kicking himself. Type would have knocked him upside the head if he’d said such a thing aloud. He deserved better than that, Type and Tar had made sure to remind him of that many times. He just needed to believe that himself. It was a process, just like everything else, he guessed. And even more, what person would actually care to be with him if they knew all of what he struggled with? There was a lot of baggage there that Techno hadn’t even fully started to deal with yet. He hadn’t even known what he wanted in terms of a relationship or being intimate with someone before everything had happened, and after Kengkla… Well, he wasn’t sure he wanted anyone else to touch him either. What sort of relationship could that be? And- He really needed to stop thinking about it because it was ridiculous. Ehn didn’t like him anyway.

“What am I doing?” he asked himself with a shake of his head. Studying. He was supposed to be studying. That was what he needed to focus on.

Chapter Text

Can was not entirely sure how he ended up in his position. They were watching a movie together at Tin’s place, and really that was all they had been doing at first. But somewhere along the line that changed and before he really realized it, he was lying down on the couch with Tin on top of him as they kissed with the movie continuing to play in the background. Can had no idea what was going on in the movie and honestly he didn’t really care. It wasn’t too often that he and Tin would make out on in a common area of the house, but Can couldn’t say he disliked it. He just wasn’t entirely sure how they got to that point. Kissing Tin always left him a little confused because he would be too focused on the kiss and how it felt to remember anything around him. He would like to think that he had gotten much better at the whole kissing thing - at least Tin didn’t seem to have any complaints.

Can’s hands settled on Tin’s sides, his fingers curling into the material of his shirt while drawing him closer. He could feel Tin smirk against his lips and Can bit his lip in retaliation, making Tin hiss in a breath; but, he still didn’t pull away. “What are you doing?” came a sudden voice from nearby - a young voice that undoubtedly belonged to Tin’s nephew.

In a panic, Can shoved Tin off of him and sat up quickly, which sent Tin falling over to the floor. “Nothing! We weren’t doing anything,” Can insisted as Tin rolled over onto his back with a groan. Can gave him an apologetic smile before helping him up. “Sorry.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping over at a friend’s?” Tin asked his nephew. He sighed as he took a seat on the couch next to Can as he listened to his nephew telling him that it had been cancelled and he came home instead.

“Can I watch with you?” he asked them.

Can looked over at Tin, who looked for a few seconds like he was going to say ‘no’; but, the look on Can’s face just made Tin sigh. He knew that Can thought they should agree. They could put on a cartoon movie that his nephew would enjoy. “Yeah, you can watch with us. Pick out something you want.”

Meanwhile, Techno sat in the car in the driveway of his parents’ place. He wasn't entirely sure why he was there. He was supposed to be meeting up with Ae and Type, but somehow he found himself there instead. There were no other cars in the driveway, so he was pretty sure his parents weren't home, but he could see a light on inside. Somebody was home. Techno still wasn't sure that he could forgive or trust Technic yet. Despite it all, Techno couldn't just completely cut Nic out of his life. He was still his little brother. With a heavy sigh, Techno finally got out of the car and made his way into the house.

It was quiet, but he could hear talking upstairs. It made Techno tense up until he realized it was a one-sided conversation. Nic must have been on the phone with someone. Releasing the breath he didn't remember holding, Techno headed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. If he didn't get up there quickly, he would only end up convincing himself to leave. He hesitated by the open door of Technic’s room and he stood there for only a minute or two before Nic realized he was there. Nic very quickly ended the phone call and set aside the phone. “You're back,” he said as a way of greeting him.

“Just to visit,” Techno clarified. He tried to ignore the guilty feeling that attacked him as soon as Technic’s face fell at the information. “I signed into the lease with Ai’Ehn. I'm not going anywhere for awhile.”

“Oh.” Technic nodded a couple of times as he looked away before sitting down on his bed.

“How have you been? How are classes? Have you seen Auntie lately?” Techno felt guilty even more as he was reminded of the fact that Technic was very much alone in the house with their parents gone so often. “Maybe you should ask a friend to move in. I'm not going to need my old room.”

“I've thought about it,” Technic answered honestly. “It's too quiet here alone.” He had been holding out hope that maybe Techno would change his mind and come home. Hearing that he had actually signed a lease agreement made it painfully clear that wouldn't be happening. “I'm ok. Classes are almost done. Auntie was here yesterday. She cooked some things that she stocked in the fridge that I could reheat later.”

Techno let out a small breath of relief. At least Technic had not been totally alone. It made some of the guilt he felt ease. “Good. That's good. I'm glad.”

“I've missed you P’No. How have you been?” Techno gave a vague hum in response. “I got a scolding from Type the other day. He said I shouldn't talk to you anymore unless it was a real emergency, that I should reach out to him first.”

“That's… I think that might be for the best.” Techno nodded and cleared his throat. He might have been there to check in on Technic, but he didn't think he could handle regular communication or anything yet. It was hard enough being there when that voice in the back of his head kept reminding him that Technic had encouraged Kengkla’s obsessive behavior. Even if he hadn't known just how far his friend would take things, what he had done was bad enough on its own.

“If it's worth anything, Kla is sor-”

“I don't care,” Techno insisted as he crossed his arms and clenched his jaw. “I don't- Sorry doesn't fix anything or take back what he did. Sorry doesn't stop the nightmares I have or make it so that I don't feel like crawling out of my skin when people touch me half the time.” It had gotten a lot better, to the point that certain people never seemed to really bother him unless he was already overly anxious. Unexpected touches could still cause him to jump and pull away quickly, though. “Or change the fact that I hate myself now more than I ever did.”

“P’No…”

“It can't stop me from doubting the intentions of everyone else around me or from just- I can't. I can't do this. I need to leave.”

Techno turned and started to leave the house, hurrying down the stairs with Technic close behind him. He didn't hear what all Nic was saying - jumbled apologies and insisting that he knew Kla had been in the wrong but couldn't he forgive him for making a stupid mistake? Techno nearly slipped on one of the last steps when the front door opened and Kengkla was coming inside, calling out for Technic to let him know he was there. Kengkla froze when he realized that Techno was standing there. “We've been talking a lot,” Nic told Techno.

“Yeah after you punched me several times,” Kengkla said with a bitter sounding laugh. 

Techno wasn't sure what he felt about that information, honestly. “I'm still pissed at him, and he knows what he did was wrong and swears he'll never do it again. But he's my best friend, I can't just…”

“You can,” replied Techno, yanking his shoulder from Technic’s grasp when he felt a hand lay on top of his shoulder. He turned on the stair he was standing on in order to look sideways at Nic, never fully turning his back to Kengkla. “As long as he's your friend, as long as he comes to this house - I never will. I never want to see him again.” Techno turned to look at Kengkla. “I never want to see you again.”

Before either one of them could say anything else, Techno finished going down the stairs and out the front door. He could feel Kengkla grab onto the sleeve of his jacket, but he tugged his arm out of his reach quickly and kept walking. With shaky hands, Techno somehow managed to get the keys into the ignition of the car and he barely paid attention as he pulled out of the driveway to start driving. He was honestly just lucky there was no one there and he didn't hit anything. Techno had no idea where he was going. He just drove to put as much distance between himself, that house, and everything he was feeling as possible.

“I think you should go,” Nic told Kengkla. His friend laughed and started to remind Technic that he had said he was willing to move past everything. “I thought that it would be okay, that Techno would forgive you and move on.” Technic hadn't wanted to lose his best friend despite it all, but the whole interaction proved to him that he honestly had no idea what his brother was going through. He had thought he would be over it (and he had foolishly hoped that somehow he would be able to keep his brother and his best friend) but clearly he was wrong. Nic really hadn't quite grasped the full severity of everything - or maybe it was some to do with the lasting stigmas about the whole thing. Kengkla glared at Technic for a split second, quickly schooling his expression once he realized what he was doing, and then left without looking back. At the same time, Technic pulled out his phone and did the first thing he could think to do; he called Type. He didn't answer the first time, so Technic kept calling him back until Type answered the phone. “P’Type I really messed up.”

After Technic told Type what had happened (and got thoroughly scolded for being such a dumbass), Type called Techno. He didn't answer the phone, even though Type continued trying to call. “Techno is behind the wheel and he shouldn't be right now,” Type told Ae when Ae finally hit his shoulder to get him to stop ignoring his questions. “He went to see Technic and Kengkla showed up.”

“I'm going to beat his face in. Both of them,” Ae said as he clenched his fists, glaring toward one side as if debating whether or not he should go and do that right then.

“Violence later. Find Techno first. You try calling. Maybe he'll answer you.” While Ae pulled out his phone to try calling Techno, Type started a group chat with everyone he knew who was friends with Techno except for Ae since Ae was right there with him.

type

if anyone sees techno, tell him I'm going to break his damn legs and that he better answer his fucking phone.

can

what's happening?

type

nevermind he's calling back

champ

don't drag all of us into your next lover's spat

Type would have told Champ off for it not being the time for that kind of joke, but Champ didn't know what was happening and Type was too busy answering the phone call from Techno. “Where are you?” he asked as soon as the call connected.

“I don't know,” Techno answered. His voice sounded unsteady.

“Are you driving?”

“Mn. I can't- I don't feel well.

“Can you pull over somewhere safe?” 

“I can drive.” Techno was barely able to focus and his hands hadn't stopped shaking. He had no idea where he was and periodically he found it difficult to breathe. He was pretty sure that he was having a panic attack but he wasn't entirely aware of it, either. It was almost like he was sitting beside himself, telling him what was happening without him fully understanding. “I pulled over.” The response was more automatic than anything. It wasn't until he turned off the car’s engine that he even realized that he actually had done so.

Type let out a heavy breath in relief. He then started to gather his wallet and keys and gestured for Ae to follow him. “Turn off the car and just sit there.” Techno started to argue with him, to tell him that he could drive - Type didn't need to know that he'd already done that. His voice didn't sound too sure that he could actually drive, however; but, he tried to ignore that. Type really didn't feel like taking that chance. “I have Ae with me. We're coming to you. Send me your location.” Type sighed when Techno just said that he didn't know again. “Ai’No focus on me. Are you listening?” Techno hummed an agreement in response. “Good. Now use the map on your phone to send me your location.” There was silence on the other end of the call and Type almost repeated himself but then he got a message notification that Techno had shared his location. “Good. We'll be there soon.”

Techno stayed on the phone with Type until the heat and stress and everything got to be too much and he felt like he was going to be sick. Techno ended the call and scrambled to get out of the car, but he never actually got sick. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, like he would fall over at the slightest push and he eventually sat on the ground next to one of the tires of the car. He almost wanted to scream because he felt stupid and ridiculous and a voice in his head yelled at him to get it together. He was being stupid. Nothing happened. There was no reason to be so bothered, and yet he still felt like his chest was going to collapse in on itself as he ignored the sound of his phone ringing inside the car.

When it finally stopped and didn't start up again, Techno let out a long, shaky breath and closed his eyes as he tilted his head back to rest against the side of the car. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but his breathing was finally under control and his hands had stopped shaking, when he heard the sound of car doors being shut nearby. “Ai’Asshole No!” Type called as he and Ae rushed over to him. Techno turned his head to look at them. “You scared the shit out of us! Why did you hang up the phone?”

“Felt sick,” he answered. He couldn't bring himself to brush off Type’s hand when he pressed it to his forehead even though he wanted to. The idea of being touched by anyone made him want to curl in on himself.

Type seemed to realize his mistake quickly as he mumbled an apology as he pulled his hand away. Techno couldn't even say what it was he had done to make it obvious to Type that he didn't want to be touched. “Come on. Pick a car, we're taking you home.”

Techno chose his own car, and Ae got into the driver's seat after Type helped him into the passenger side. Type followed them in his own car. Ae didn't ask questions, which Techno was thankful for as he rested his forehead against the window as Ae drove. He was just so tired and wanted nothing more than to take a ridiculously hot shower and then climb into bed. “I'm sorry,” Techno finally said to Ae once they were almost at the condo building. 

“P’No you have nothing to apologise for,” Ae insisted. He still didn't know the full story of what happened. He didn't need it. All he knew was this little prick kept hurting one of his friends. That was all he needed to know.

“But I made you come all the way out to wherever it was that I had gotten to and I was upset over nothing and-”

“It wasn't nothing. If it upset you, then it upset you. Don't apologise for your feelings. Never let anyone make you feel bad for feeling something.” Techno let out a shaky laugh at that, closing his eyes again with a slight shake of his head. How was Ae even real, honestly? Techno wasn't sure how Pete dealt with it. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Techno shook his head. “I kind of just want to sleep for the next ten years.”

“Well, I'm not sure that's possible, but we'll see what we can do.”

When they got to the building, all three of them went to Techno and Ehn’s place. He wasn't home but Type texted him using Techno's phone while Techno was in the shower to tell him they were there with Techno, who wasn't feeling well. The response was almost immediate, asking if he needed anything. Type smiled faintly but responded that it was fine. He couldn't think of anything that Techno might need. It wasn't much later that Ehn came home - he brought food that was easy on the stomach and a couple of drinks that would go over well. By that point, Techno was laying on the couch with his head on Type's lap while Type played with his almost fully dried hair. Ae sat on the floor in front of them, playing some racing game on the TV with Techno who was thankful for the mindless distraction. He bent his legs to rest his feet on the couch and clear a spot for Ehn to sit with them. 

Ehn seemed for a few seconds that he was going to decline the offer, but then he placed the bag he had brought with him onto the floor next to the couch and he sat down. Once he did, he moved Techno's legs to have him laying down again with his legs across his lap. Techno just smiled faintly at him (Ehn really didn't like how it didn't reach Techno's eyes and looked far more strained than anything) and passed off the controller to Ehn so he could take over while complaining that he was tired and Ae was cheating. “You're only saying that because I'm winning, P’No,” Ae commented.

Neither he nor Type had really known what to do for Techno to try to help, but during his shower they had decided that they were going to try their best to keep him distracted and reminded that he was somewhere safe, with people who cared about him and weren't going to hurt him. Ehn was far more confused than the other two, but he knew Techno well enough to know that it hadn't been a good day. He was just going to go along with whatever cues from them that he could in order to help out as well.

By the time he went to bed that night, Techno seemed a little lighter, a little more himself again, but it didn't stop Ehn from sitting awake in the main room for much longer worrying about him and hating the fact that there wasn't much he could do to help. Meanwhile, Type wasn't able to fall asleep in his and Tharn's bed, too busy seething at the fact that Technic had managed in one careless action to erase quite a bit of the steps forward that Techno had taken.

Chapter Text

When Type finally managed to fall asleep, he didn’t sleep very well. He was plagued with nightmares of his own past and the reminder of the nagging guilt he felt about everything Techno had gone through. If he’d stayed with Techno or at least helped him to his room instead of leaving him alone, none of it would have happened. Consciously, he knew it wasn’t actually his fault, that Kengkla would have found another way to get what he wanted; but, it didn’t stop the guilty feeling from growing and making him feel worse about it all. He carefully got out of the bed, making sure not to wake Tharn up as he got up and got dressed. He then made his way to campus, intending to run some laps to get the pent up energy he felt out of his system. It was not quite fully light out yet, making Type realize just how early it was. The time was why Type was surprised at the fact that there were lights on at the football field, indicating that there was someone there already.

Techno was already there and Ehn was with him. They were laughing as they messed around with Techno’s football. Techno looked exhausted - and honestly, Ehn didn’t look that much better but Type’s priority was his best friend - but he seemed to be more relaxed than he’d been when Type had gone home the night before. “No, that’s cheating!” Techno called through his laughs when Ehn wrapped an arm around his waist and picked him up while turning away to keep him from making a goal while kicking the ball away. 

He let Techno go then and just smiled when Techno told him again that he had cheated. “Of course I did,” Ehn replied. “Can’t let you show me up that much.” Ehn noticed Type walking over to them behind Techno, then, and nodded at him in greeting which made Techno turn to see what he was looking at.

“Ai’Type, what are you doing here?” he asked. “It’s early.”

“I could ask you both the same,” replied Type as he stopped walking and put his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“Mn. You’re never up this early, though.”

Type shrugged his shoulders. “Couldn’t sleep - and, no, I don’t want to talk about it.” He added on the second statement when he saw Techno open his mouth to say something. Techno closed his mouth after being cut off and he nodded his head once. “Guess I’m not the only one. How long have you two been here?”

“Just a couple of minutes, really,” Ehn answered. They hadn’t been there very long, but neither one of them had slept a lot. Ehn had woken up before Techno despite staying up later than him. They still didn’t talk about whatever had happened to upset Techno the day before, but Ehn was glad that he seemed a little more himself that morning. There was still a sadness in his eyes that he couldn’t hide, however. The fact that Type seemed worried didn’t do a whole lot to make him feel any better about the situation.

“Do you mind another player?”

Techno shook his head. Type was welcome to join them. “Actually," Ehn said, "you two play. I’m going to go get us something to eat. Any preferences?”

“Coffee?” Techno requested. He smiled when Ehn nodded in agreement. “My wallet is with my stuff - for me and Type.” He shouted the statement at Ehn as he walked toward their things that were sitting on one of the benches at the edge of the field after getting a suggestion from Type on what he wanted. Ehn waved his hand to show that he had heard, but Techno missed the fact that Ehn didn’t even bother looking for Techno’s wallet because he’d turned back to focus on Type. Ehn just grabbed his own wallet out of his bag and his keys while Techno and Type started kicking around the ball.

Once Type was able to score a goal, he teased Techno a bit but then sat down on the field with a groan. Techno came over and sat down next to him. “I got up way too early,” Type complained as he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. With the sky finally a light blue and the sun having risen more, Type finally texted Tharn to let him know where he was, hoping that he wasn’t waking him up. “Couldn’t sleep. Too busy overthinking.”

“About what?” asked Techno as he shifted to sit with his feet flat on the ground and his arms crossed on top of his knees.

Type sat aside his phone and leaned back, using his hands to prop himself up in a reclined position, with a heavy sigh. “Everything. It’s…” Type glanced over at Techno, not sure if he really wanted to bring it up. He seemed to be in a better mood than the night before and Type really didn’t want to mess with that by bringing any of it back up. At the same time, he knew that Techno hadn’t really let any of it go. It was still hovering in the background, bound to break through his attempts at pretending to be okay at any moment. “I never said, and I know you’re going to tell me that it’s not my fault but I need to say it anyway.”

“Huh?” Techno’s brow furrowed as he looked over at Type, trying to make sense of the incomplete statements.

“I’m sorry.” Techno lifted his head and Type shushed him before he could say anything. “Just… just listen. I know you. I know you don’t blame me, but I still blame myself. If I’d been a better friend, I wouldn’t have just left you there and none of this… none of this would have happened.”

“Ai’Type-”

“You were trashed and I just left.” Type ran his fingers through his hair and laughed bitterly with a shake of his head. “Things could have gone even worse but I just- Hey!”

Type broke off with a sudden shout when Techno reached over and gave his arm a hard shove, nearly causing him to fall over sideways before looking at Techno with a glare that softened after a few seconds. “Ai’Type! Stop it. You’re going to worry yourself sick if you keep it up, and I really don’t want to deal with Tharn’s angry face for being the reason you do.” Type started to say something to that, but Techno talked over him, cutting off his words. “Kengkla was already pushing himself into my life. He was already using my brother to stalk me. Even if you had stayed, who is to say that he wouldn’t have done the same thing on another night? The only person to blame is him.” Well, Techno blamed himself, too. If he’d made his disinterest clearer earlier, maybe Kengkla would have given up on the whole thing. If he’d tried harder to tell Kengkla to go away, maybe he would have listened. He could have shoved Kengkla out of his bed the next day instead of listening to him. There were a lot of things he could have done differently, but he never once blamed Type for what had happened. He didn’t want Type blaming himself, either. “Don’t keep blaming yourself, because I don’t in the slightest.”

Type sighed and nodded. He still blamed himself, of course, but he would work on it. It wasn’t the kind of thing that could just suddenly be dismissed. Type tilted his head up to look at the sky for a few seconds and took a deep breath. When he sat up straight again, he saw Ehn walking their way with a plastic bag and a drink carrier. “Have you told him?” Type asked Techno, who shook his head as he moved to sit with his legs crossed underneath him and to pick at the grass.

“I think I want to, but I don’t know how,” he answered.

“You trust him?” Type looked over at Techno, studying his friend closely for any sign of hesitation or weariness, but he didn’t see any as Techno nodded in response. Type still wasn’t sure what he thought of the guy, but he hadn’t given Type any real reason to worry. Despite any hesitations that Type might have had, Ehn seemed to actually care about Techno and he never seemed to try to push anything past what they were. He’d been a good friend and if Techno trusted him, Type decided he would just have to, too. “Then just tell him when it feels like the right time to.”

“Tell who what?” asked Ehn as he placed the bag carrying three containers of food on the ground in front of Type and Techno. Then he grabbed the iced coffee in the drink carrier to hand to Techno. “Coffee.”

Techno thanked Ehn as Type told him that they were talking about a friend; it wasn’t exactly a lie, after all. Ehn nodded and didn’t press for any more information. He handed Type the drink he had asked for before sitting down in front of the other two so that they were in a small circle as Type passed out the food containers and utensils. The three of them sat around talking as they ate, light hearted conversation flowing easily despite how exhausted all three of them obviously were. “P’No!” they heard someone shouting from the edge of the field, making them turn to see Can standing there, waving furiously for Techno to come over to him.

“I should go see what he wants,” Techno said, getting up with a groan. He took the plastic bag they’d put their empty food containers back into so that he could throw it away, and grabbed his drink before going over to where Can was and tossing the bag in the trash can near him.

“Did he sleep at all?” Type asked Ehn once he was sure that Techno was out of earshot. He looked over at Ehn after asking the question so that he could judge Ehn’s response better, in case the guy tried to lie to him.

“A little, I think,” was his answer. “He went to lay down before I did, anyway, and he got up not long after I did.”

Type nodded a couple of times as he idly stirred the ice in his drink with the straw. “You like him.” It wasn’t a question. Type wasn’t as unaware as Techno was, and he could see it in the small things that Ehn would do for Techno or how they would talk to one another and he always seemed on the verge of a smile. Plus, he remembered what Tharn had said about Ehn letting Techno use his guitar.

Ehn didn’t respond, but Type didn’t actually expect him to. After a couple of moments, however, Ehn looked at Type and nodded his head. “I thought he was cute when we first met. Then when we started to get to know one another… It’s kind of impossible not to like him.” Type gave a half smile at that, looking over to where Techno was talking with Can, the later of whom was gesturing wildly and talking quickly. It was very easy to picture the look of confusion on Techno’s face as he tried to keep up with whatever Can was saying. “I’ve not tried anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.” The comment made Type turn his head to look at Ehn again. “I don’t know what all’s going on with him, but I’m not dumb enough to not realize that he’s in a vulnerable place.”

“He is. You’ve helped.” Type almost seemed reluctant to admit as much, but he was very aware of the fact that if it wasn’t for Ehn, Techno could likely be worse off. Ehn gave him a safe space to go to and helped give him moments of normalcy, of actually feeling okay instead of just pretending. Ehn might not have known what all he had done, but Type was very aware. 

“You already warned me not to take advantage of his kindness. I didn’t plan to anyway, but… Your threats are effective.” The slightly teasing comment brought a sense of lightness to the conversation and made both of them laugh softly.

“I don’t know how he feels about you, but if things were to change between the two of you some day - I wouldn’t be totally upset about it.”

Ehn’s laugh at Type’s words was almost startled sounding. “Well, I’m glad I made your approval. I think?” His brow furrowed slightly though he had a smile on his face as he shook his head before taking a drink.

“Mn. And if things ever do shift in that direction, a word of advice?” Ehn set aside his cup and gestured for Type to continue while using his other hand to hold himself up as he leaned back some. “Techno doesn’t understand subtle.”

Across campus, Tar just arrived in preparation to do some studying for one of his last finals of the term. He wasn’t sure where Pete or Tin were, but he had plans to have lunch with them later. He made his way toward the library and smiled when he came across Daw along the way. He seemed to be heading in the same direction, more slowly than Tar was, however, because he was more focused on his phone than walking. “Good morning, P’Daw,” he greeted. He apologized with a soft laugh when his words made Daw jump. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” replied Daw with a shake of his head and a reassuring smile. “I just didn’t realize anyone else was around. It’s kind of early, isn’t it?”

“A little. I want to study before my final.” Daw gestured toward the library to indicate that they should resume walking since they had stopped to talk.

“Is it today?” Tar shook his head, readjusting the straps of his backpack on his shoulders as they walked. “Nervous about it.” Though he seemed to hesitate, Tar nodded slowly. Daw patted his shoulder and laughed softly. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do well. What is the test?”

“Chemistry.” Tar wrinkled his nose as he answered. He understood why it was a class that he’d been signed up to take. He just hadn’t enjoyed it. He was glad that it was almost over, though.

“Do you have a study guide? I could quiz you if you’d like.”

“Really? But what about you? Don’t you have something to work on, too?” Daw had been heading to the library, after all, and like he’d already pointed out, it was early.

Daw shook his head and dug through the bag he had hanging at his side off one shoulder to pull out a couple of books. “I was going to return these and just sit around. I had to be here early for an advisor meeting.”

“Oh. Well. If you’re not busy, I wouldn’t mind the help.” Tar smiled when Daw agreed to help them, and they continued to the library.

Daw went to go drop off his books while Tar found them a table. Tar placed his backpack on the floor next to his feet and pulled out what he needed to study for the final. He was just glad that it was a written final and not a practical one. He wasn’t sitting there too long before Daw joined him, sitting on the other side of the table. He asked Tar for the paper to ask him questions from. They kept getting sidetracked, however, and spent more time sitting there talking and laughing quietly, trying not to disturb anyone else that was trying to study in the library. “I don’t think this is very effective,” Tar said with a shake of his head.

“Mn. You might be right,” replied Daw as he crossed his arms on top of the table. “Should we clear this table for someone else, then? How long before your first class?”

“It’s…” Tar looked over to the clock and then almost fell out of his chair when he realized that he was late. It was half way through his first lecture of the day. “I’m late! I have to go. I’m sorry.” Tar quickly gathered his things and rushed out of the library before Daw could really say anything about the matter.

“You forgot your… book.” Daw grabbed the book that Tar had left on the table - one for a different class that he’d pulled from his bag to get it out of the way earlier. It was the French language book that he had seen Tar reading before. Daw then stood up and left the library, intending on going after Tar to find him and give the book back. He wasn’t able to find Tar, however, and he put the book into his bag so that he could give it back to him later.

By the afternoon, when Type and Techno met up for their lunch break, they both looked like they were more likely to fall asleep in their food than eat it. Which was why when Can asked, Techno slid his tray over to Can and told him to have it all. “You’re the best, P’No,” Can told him. Techno hummed an agreement and waved him off before crossing his arms on top of the table and laying his head down to block the light from his eyes. “Is it just the three of us today?” Can looked over at Type, who was sitting with his head propped up with one hand while poking at the food in front of him with a fork in the other hand.

“Ae should be here soon,” Type answered absently with a slight nod of his head.

Can chewed thoughtfully at the food he was eating, looking between the two of them. “Are you guys… okay?”

“Mn. Just didn’t sleep a lot last night.” Type nodded with a tired sigh. “Wait, why are you eating Ai’No’s food?”

Can shifted the food a little closer to him as if shielding it from Type. “He gave it to me.” Type rolled his eyes at that and shook his head. Techno needed to eat, too. But, he was also going on only a little sleep so Type could relate to not feeling hungry at all because of it. “Oh, look. It’s Tharn.”

“I’m not falling for that,” Type mumbled only to freeze in place for a moment when he suddenly felt hands on his shoulders and a kiss being pressed to the top of his head. He relaxed with a heavy exhale after a second and reached up to place his hand on top of Tharn’s. “Oh. You really are here.”

“Mn. You left early this morning,” said Tharn as he let go of Type’s shoulders to sit next to him. 

“Sorry. I couldn’t sleep, felt restless. Came to run some laps or something. I meant to come back but Ehn and No were here, so I stayed with them.” All he had told Tharn in the text he sent that morning was that he was on campus already and that he would see him later.

Tharn nodded with a smile as he leaned against Type’s side and stole a bite of his food. “I know. Ehn told me.”

“Hey, guys,” Ae greeted as he sat down at the table with Pete sitting down next to him.

“Ai’Can? Weren’t you supposed to go meet Tin?” asked Pete when he saw Can sitting there next to Techno.

Can’s eyes widened at the question and he swore out loud as he jumped up before rushing off to go meet Tin like he had forgotten he had promised. “At least take the fo-!” Ae started to yell after him but he stopped when he realized Can was too far gone and wasn’t paying him any attention. He shook his head and turned his attention to those at the table. “Is P’No asleep?” The fact that he didn’t respond was answer enough, especially when Pond took the seat that Can had vacated with a loud greeting to everyone and he didn’t react. 

Pond only went quiet when Ae grabbed the fork off of the tray that Can left, got some food on it and shoved it into Pond’s mouth. Pond ate the bite he was given and took a second one before pausing as he said, “Wait, whose food is this?” Pete tried his best to not laugh but ended up giggling against Ae’s shoulder while Ae just smirked and took a drink of the tea he had brought with him. “No, really. Who am I eating after? Guys? Hello? Don’t ignore me!”

Chapter Text

“Can you believe we're graduating in a week?” Champ asked. He, Type, Tharn, Techno, and several of their other friends were sitting around a table at one of the bars. They had already eaten and were planning on making the most out of the night as Techno’s parents were paying for everything. They had offered to pay for an actual party at their home, but Techno had declined that idea. He knew they were only paying for everything out of guilt, feeling like they needed to do something to make up for the fact that they hadn’t been around and wouldn’t be there for graduation. “Where’s Ehn? I thought he would be here with us.”

“Family thing,” Techno answered as he took the cup that Type handed him. “He might come by here if he gets out of it early enough.” He took a drink from it without checking to see what it was and pulled a face when it was a lot stronger than he’d anticipated. He coughed a little and shook his head as he looked at Type. “What is this?”

“Just drink it,” he insisted, patting Techno’s shoulder. “We’re celebrating.” He grabbed his own glass and took a drink out of it. “We can get you a soda if you really want, but I thought you’d make an exception for tonight.” Type spoke quietly to Techno, then, leaning over to him in order to not be heard by anyone else. 

Techno waved off Type’s concern. It was appreciated, of course, but if he hadn’t planned on drinking at all that night, he would have made sure that Type knew beforehand. Techno had decided he wasn’t going to keep letting what happened completely change who he was and what he did. Of course, he knew that determination could disappear again - but at least for that night, he wasn’t going to let Kengkla ruin his time with his friends. “I can’t believe someone decided that we are ready to go out into the world and be actual grown ups now.”

“You? A grown up? We’re all in trouble,” Tharn teased him, smiling behind his glass when Techno scoffed at him. 

“No, but he’s right. We’re all still just kids,” Champ agreed. “Now we’re expected to just go out and get jobs and do like… adult things. I barely know what I want to eat for breakfast in the morning. How am I supposed to know if what I choose is really the job I want to keep doing?”

“You can always get a new job later,” suggested Type with a shrug of his shoulders. “Or study overseas. That’s a thing you could do.”

Champ pulled a face. “More homework? No thank you.” He shook his head and got up from his seat with the intention of grabbing them more drinks. It didn’t take him too long to return with another tray filled with different drink options, passing them out to everyone. “What are your guys’ plans anyway?”

“Well, I’m working at this music store and applying for a job at a record label,” Tharn answered. It wasn’t his long term goal to keep working at the music store, but it would do for the time being. He was going to work the register and give drum lessons. 

“I’ve got to go tell my dad again that I’m not coming home to work with him,” said Type with a heavy sigh. “He doesn’t listen or give me a chance to really say it on the phone and he’s got it in his head that it’s where I should be.” Tharn scowled as he finished off his first drink before grabbing the new one that Champ had brought. Type smiled smally at him and placed a hand on top of his leg with a reassuring squeeze. They both knew his father was so set in the idea because it was a way to try to get Type home and away from Tharn - which was out of the question as far as Type was concerned. “But I’ve got a job lined up already. With Techno. We got hired on at the same place.”

“Mn,” Techno agreed with a nod of his head. “The clinic I did my internship at had a couple of assistant positions open, so we applied. I’m just glad they liked me enough to actually hire me on.”

“Of course they did,” said Champ as he leaned over and pinched Techno’s cheek. Techno complained and tried to get Champ to let go, but Champ held on longer before gently patting his cheek. “You’re adorable. Why wouldn’t they hire you?”

“Pretty sure being adorable isn’t a factor in this job.” Techno shook his head with a laugh. “Besides, I’m not adorable. I’m manly or whatever.” He rolled his eyes when his friends over dramatically started speaking to him as if he was a small kid and reaching out to smooth his hair or pinch his cheeks again. “Ah, ah, ah. Okay, I get it.”

The group of them that were there sat around drinking for the next couple of hours, and by the time they left, Techno and Type were both stumbling out of the bar while hanging onto one another. It was only due to Tharn walking with them that neither of them managed to fall over or run into anything. “Are you sure you’ve got them?” Champ asked Tharn as he watched him trying to lead the two of them to his car.

“Yeah,” he answered with a laugh and a shake of his head. He had a fond smile on his face as he watched the other two stumble ahead of him a little ways until Type had a hand on the side of the car and was holding them both up. “I’ve had plenty of practice.” It wasn’t the first time he’d had to try to corral the two of them after drinking too much. It was, however, the first time in a long while since he’d had to. “See you later.” Tharn nodded when Champ said his goodbye before he went over to the other two. “Okay, you two. Into the car. Let’s go home.”

“Let’s get burgers,” Type countered, but he let Tharn help him into the passenger seat before Tharn got Techno into the backseat.

The drive back to the condo was rather amusing and Tharn almost wished someone else was there with them to film the other two. They were having a nonsensical conversation but it seemed like it made sense to the two of them. They were both smiling and laughing and it had been a good night, honestly. Tharn was glad. He knew they’d both been very stressed and with everything that had been happening… It was just a good thing. When they got the car parked, the three of them made their way into the building. Tharn was in the middle and walked with both of them as they were more uncoordinated at that point than they’d been before they got into the car and seemed as though they could fall asleep if he let either one of them sit down somewhere or even just lean against a wall.

“This isn’t our place,” Type announced when they stopped at Techno and Ehn’s apartment.

“No, but Ai’No needs to go home, too,” Tharn reminded him. “Where’s your key, No?”

“No. Ai’No should come back to ours. He can sleep with us.”

“He has his own bed, Type.” Tharn was trying his hardest not to laugh but there was an amused smile all the same.

He looked down toward the elevator when he heard the door open and then he nodded his head when he saw Ehn step out onto the floor. Ehn didn’t even bother trying to hide the amusement on his face as he took in the sight of Tharn struggling with keeping both Type and Techno upright. “Looks like someone’s had some fun,” he commented.

“Maybe a little too much,” agreed Tharn before swearing under his breath when he almost dropped Techno as he tried to sit on the floor. “They both drank a lot.”

“I’ve got him.” Ehn came over to Techno’s other side to help him stay upright so that Tharn could let go of him and he used his other hand to pull his keys out of his jacket pocket. “Hey, No, let’s go inside.”

“Ai’Ehn! When did you get here?” Techno asked, suddenly realizing Ehn was there in the first place.

Ehn shook his head with a small smile and unlocked the door. “You good?” he asked Tharn, who nodded with a hum of agreement. Tharn started to direct Type toward their own place, but Type complained that they couldn’t go yet. He said something about Techno coming back to theirs and that he guessed Ehn could join them, too, making both him and Tharn chuckle. “Ai’Type, I should get Techno to bed. We’ll come over another day.”

Type still seemed reluctant to leave Techno with Ehn, and it took several minutes of trying to talk sense into a drunk man, but eventually he let Tharn drag him off down the hall toward their own room while Ehn got Techno into the apartment and shut the door. He was struggling to hold up Techno who seemed determined to sit on the floor and sleep right there. “Come on, Ai’No,” Ehn said with a laugh and a shake of his head. “Let’s get you to bed.” Techno mumbled some sort of argument against that, saying some things that didn’t make sense to Ehn that he brushed aside as drunken rambling. He half carried Techno as he led him to Techno’s room and when he finally let go of Techno, he fell into his bed. Techno crawled up into the bed so that he was at his pillow and mumbled something else that Ehn didn’t hear. “At least take off your shoes.”

“They are off,” Techno insisted.

Ehn laughed. They most definitely weren’t. With a sigh he sat down on the edge of the bed and helped Techno take off the shoes, which he placed aside. “You’ll thank me later for not letting you sleep in them.” Techno waved him off while insisting that Ehn should be quiet. “Ai’No, you’re not going to sleep in jeans are you?”

Techno’s brow furrowed a little and he hid his face in his pillow for several seconds before he turned over and sat up with a groan. “Head hurts.”

“Tharn said you drank a lot.” Techno hummed some sort of agreement and Ehn sighed as he stood up. He went over to Techno’s dresser and found some basketball shorts to hand to Techno. “Change into these.” 

“Do I have to?”

“You’ll regret it in the morning if you sleep in jeans.”

Techno sighed but took the shorts and started to undo his jeans. Ehn turned away from him so that he could change in some sense of privacy. It was all he could do not to laugh aloud when he heard Techno struggling to change from the jeans, but he smiled in amusement the entire time. “You alright?” Ehn asked after there were several seconds of silence. He received Techno’s jeans being thrown at his back in response. “Ai’No!” He turned to complain about it, but just sighed and shook his head when he saw Techno trying not to laugh as he lay down and got comfortable. “You should drink some water before you sleep.”

“Don’t want to.” The response was mumbled as Techno turned to almost hide his face in his pillow.

Ehn shook his head and went to the other room to get Techno some water from the kitchenette sink, and he grabbed some pain reliever from where they kept it. When he returned to Techno’s room, he seemed to already be asleep. Ehn shook his head again and placed the cup of water and the bottle of pain reliever on the bedside table. He then picked up Techno’s jeans and tossed them into the dirty clothes hamper. Once that was done, he returned to the bedside table so that he could turn off the light there. Techno then reached out and grabbed a hold of Ehn’s wrist, tugging a little. “Stay here,” Techno insisted.

It made Ehn pause as he looked to Techno, whose eyes were still closed as he lay there. He wanted to, but he also wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Techno fluctuated between being okay being close to people and keeping an obvious distance from everyone else. The only people he seemed to never have that fluctuation with were Type and Tar. If it was any of Ehn’s other friends, he wouldn’t have had a second thought about it. But it was Techno, and he never quite knew what he was going to feel from one day to the other. He didn’t want to agree and then have Techno freak out because he was there when he woke up. “You stay here,” Ehn finally said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sleep it off. You’re going to have a terrible headache in the morning.” Techno whined a little at that, as if it would somehow change anything. “It’s your own fault, Ai’No. Drinking so much.” Ehn carefully removed Techno’s hand from his wrist and then reached up in order to brush Tehcno’s hair back from his face a few times. Techno hummed at the action, making one corner of Ehn’s lips twitch upward in a half smile. “Good night, No.”

Once he was sure that Techno had actually fallen asleep, Ehn got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

The next morning, Techno found himself regretting all of his choices when he woke up with a terrible headache and feeling sick to his stomach. There was a small moment of panic but it passed as soon as it had appeared, and he sat up with a groan. He started to get out of bed but paused when he saw the water and painkillers on the table next to his bed. He had a vague memory of Ehn bringing them into the room and himself asking Ehn to stay with him. “What was I thinking?” he mumbled to himself before taking a couple of the painkillers and drinking most of the water in the glass. Though honestly, he found that he felt a little... disappointed that Ehn hadn’t stayed with him. Which was silly. That was… It was too early and his head hurt too much to be worrying about such things.

Techno shook it off and then got up to get a change of clothes so that he could shower and get dressed. When he went into the main room, he found that Ehn was already awake, looking as though he’d been writing a song if the notebook and pencil on top of it sitting on the coffee table were anything to judge by. “Morning,” Ehn greeted with a soft laugh. “How’s your head?” Techno groaned and walked over to the couch, dropping down on top of it. “If it’s any consolation, Ai’Type is probably feeling just as bad.” Techno nodded his head and lay down across the couch, resting his head on top of Ehn’s leg with his eyes closed. Ehn raised his brows slightly with an amused smile. “Did you find the painkillers?” 

“Mn. You left them?” Techno kept his eyes closed and the corners of his lips twitched up into a smile when he felt Ehn almost hesitantly starting to play with his hair like he’d seen Tar do many times with a hum of agreement. “Thank you.”

“Type seemed determined to take you home. Wanted to look out for you when he couldn’t even look after himself.” Ehn told him what he’d witnessed after getting back to the building while continuing to play with Techno’s hair.

Techno tried very hard not to laugh as Ehn recounted everything that Type had said. He almost ended up falling back asleep with Ehn’s fingers in his hair like they were. It was very relaxing. “I’m going to have to cut it soon,” he commented after a few moments of silence passed between them. When he opened his eyes to look up at Ehn, he seemed confused, making Techno laugh softly. “My hair. I’m just lucky they didn’t make me cut it before now. They won’t let me walk with it like this, though.”

“Ah. Right.” Ehn nodded but frowned a little. “Too bad. I like it like this.” He was sure he would like it no matter what Techno did with his hair, honestly, but still. He’d gotten used to it being longer like it was. More importantly, Techno had seemed to like his hair that way.

“Mn. I’ll just grow it back out after. Maybe try another color. My boss doesn’t care.” Techno had been willing to change his hair color back to something natural to get a job if he needed to, so he’d been rather excited when he was told he wouldn’t have to. He hadn’t thought about graduation requirements until a couple of days before. “So. Have any plans for today?” Ehn shook his head, and Techno smiled up at him. “Want to go do something?”

“Yeah. What did you have in mind?”

They discussed options on things they could do that day before agreeing that going to get food - at that point it was lunch time since Techno had slept in so late. They also agreed to stop by and check on Type later, but he wasn’t responding to any texts so Techno was assuming he was still asleep. It was about half way through them finishing eating that Techno realized that he honestly didn’t care what they spent their day doing. He just liked the fact that he was able to spend time with Ehn at all. He still felt the need to try to tell Ehn about everything, about why he had needed a place to live in the first place; but, he decided that he would do it another day. He’d rather have that day for what it was, instead of dragging it down with what was going to be a very difficult conversation.

Chapter Text

Tar was unable to keep the smile off of his face as he pet the puppy that was laying in his lap. Daw sat on the floor next to him with a different dog leaning against his side as Daw pet it and scratched it behind the ears. “Thank you for bringing me here, P’Daw,” Tar told him with a smile before looking back at the puppy. Daw had asked him to hang out in their chat the evening prior, and Tar had agreed to meet up in the afternoon. He spent the morning with Tum, the two of them catching up and playing video games until Tar left to go meet up with Daw. Tum had been hesitant to let Tar go, claiming that it had been too long since they'd seen one another and how he wasn't too sure Tar should spend time alone with a friend that he hadn't met before. (Tar had just rolled his eyes and promised that he would be fine because Daw was a good person. He left out the point that Tin really didn't like him since he still hadn't figured out what Tin’s issue with Daw was.) He hadn’t expected Daw to take him to a dog cafe and had been very excited the moment he realized where they were.

“Mn. I was hoping you’d like it,” replied Daw. He had remembered Tar talking about this dog his roommate in Paris had and how he missed the dog more than anything else about having been there as it was the closest thing that he had had to a pet ever.

They had drinks waiting for them on top of the table, but Tar had gotten distracted by the small dog and had sat down on the floor to pet it easier. Daw had joined him after it became clear that Tar wouldn’t be returning to the table any time soon. “I do. This is amazing. ” Tar attempted to take a photo of himself with the puppy, but it didn’t turn out to be easy to do as it made the puppy squirm when Tar picked him up.

“Here. I’ll take it for you.” Daw held out a hand so that Tar could give him the phone, which he did with a thanks. After Daw took a couple of photos of him, Tar suggested he take one of the two of them with the puppy. “Are you sure?”

“Mn.” Tar smiled with a determined nod of his head and carefully shifted over so that he was sitting close to Daw’s side. He leaned in to Daw’s side as he took a couple of photos of the two of them. The dog that Daw had been petting pushed up against his arm and then ducked underneath it so that it was in the photo as well, getting into Tar’s face, making him giggle and pull away. Tar reluctantly set down the puppy in his arms and watched as it ran off to play with another puppy that was in there. “We should probably finish our drinks.” As much as he’d love to just sit there and pet the dogs all day, he also didn’t want the drinks that Daw had paid for to go to waste.

“Do you want to sit here or we could go for a walk? The mall’s close.”

Tar hummed in thought as he took Daw’s offered hand to stand up easier. Once he was on his feet, he let go of Daw’s hand and brushed off the back of his jeans. “A walk?”

The two of them then grabbed their things and thanked the cafe workers as they headed out the front door, careful not to let out one of the dogs. Then, they started walking along the sidewalk toward the mall that was only a short distance away. They talked about plans for the break and what classes they were looking forward to next term. Tar was going to tutor some high school kids in order to have something to do with all his time, help them prepare for their next term. Daw had picked up a part time job and would be at least a little busy because of it, but they made plans to make sure to hang out when they could despite that. “Oh, P’Type,” Tar said, cutting into what Daw was saying about a book he’d been reading, when he saw Type walking with Tharn. “Are you guys going shopping today?”

“No, we saw a movie and were going to get something to eat,” he answered.

“Just P’Type? No hello for me? I see how it is,” teased Tharn. He attempted to appear hurt for only a few seconds before he smiled at Tar’s rushed attempt to greet him as well. He wasn’t really upset, and was honestly glad that Tar had managed to become friends with Type. They were closer than Tharn had thought they would be when they first started talking, but seeing how much good it did both of them, Tharn really couldn’t complain about anything. “Who’s your friend?”

Tar seemed to grow a little distressed when he realized that he had forgotten to introduce his friend to the two of them. He hadn’t done it on purpose and he hoped that Daw didn’t feel ignored or awkward at all. “Oh! This is Daw,” he explained.

“Right. The kid you told us about,” Type said as he nodded a little, giving Daw a weary once over. He ignored the way that Tharn nudged him with a mumbled reminder to be nice. “What’re you two up to?”

Tar visibly perked up as he told Type about how Daw had taken him to the dog cafe and about the puppy he’d gotten to hold and how cute all the dogs were. He then moved over to Type’s side to show him some of the photos that had gotten taken while they were there. Tharn took a couple of steps away from the two of them to stand closer to Daw. “They’ll probably be talking for a while,” Tharn told him. 

“That’s fine,” replied Daw. “I don’t have any other plans.”

Tharn nodded his head in acknowledgement of Daw’s statement. “It should probably be weirder to see the two of them talking like that.” He chuckled a little when Daw confusedly asked him why that was, neither one of them really looking away from where the other two were talking - Type had a small smile on his face as Tar continued to talk excitedly. “My boyfriend and my ex. Pretty sure there’s all kinds of examples of why it should be a bad idea.”

“You’re Tar’s ex?” Daw gave Tharn a quick glance, then, and seemed to draw into himself some. Tharn was almost amused at the reaction. He hadn’t expected it, honestly, but after he’d seen it, he came to the conclusion that Daw liked Tar. While he hadn’t said as much and he hadn’t seemed like he was attempting to flirt or anything from the distance that Tharn had seen them from to begin with, he knew well that look of self doubt. “I didn’t know he had an ex.”

“Mn. It’s been a very long time. Wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t bring it up.” Knowing what he knew about Tar and what had happened at the end of their relationship, he didn’t figure it was something that Tar talked very freely about. “I’m sure that eventually, you’re going to get this same warning from Type, but you should know that Tar has a lot of people who care a lot about him. If you hurt him, it’ll be the last thing you do.” Tharn patted Daw on the shoulder and smiled as though he hadn’t just made the comment that he did. He chuckled as Daw stammered over a response, something about how he didn’t know what Tharn was talking about and how they were friends. “Even so. Don't hurt him.”

“Tar’s going to join us for dinner,” Type suddenly announced, interrupting any response that Daw might have had as the two of them walked over and left their own private conversation off to the side.

“P’Daw, would you like to go, too?” Tar asked him. He suddenly looked a little guilty about the fact he had forgotten he had shown up with Daw in the first place when he'd told Type that he would join them after Type had asked. He had agreed to come hang out with Daw and was potentially ditching him if he didn’t agree.

“If that’s okay?” replied Daw hesitantly as he looked at the way Type was once again giving him a once over.

“P’Type.” Tar spoke quietly, but almost seemed to be scolding Type all the same, before he smiled at Daw with a nod of his head. “Mn. Of course it’s okay!” Daw looked as though he wasn't sure that he believed it, but he nodded anyway and walked with them. 

Meanwhile, back at their place, Ehn and Techno were lazing around the main room. Ehn played some songs on his guitar while Techno halfway focused on the football game playing on the television. It was a game he'd watched before, though, and he spent more time listening to Ehn playing. They talked all the while, not about anything important. It was just small things that led to them getting to know one another even more, retelling some childhood stories of similar or completely opposite experiences. They talked about Ehn’s brother and how while he might have been the younger one, Ehn looked to him as a reason for continuing to do what he loved over something practical. “I want my brother to know that it's okay to follow his dreams, so he continues to be my inspiration to do so,” Ehn explained. 

“You seem close to him,” commented Techno with a small smile. He missed feeling close to his brother. It wasn't something he had felt in quite a while by that point. 

“Mn. He's probably my best friend.”

Techno smiled softly at that and nodded. “Nic and I used to be that close. Anymore…” Techno let out a heavy breath and shook his head. He hated that he felt like he couldn't fully trust his brother, and he didn't know how to fix it. “Ah, but that's not a very happy topic. We should discuss something else.”

Ehn nodded and easily let Techno change the subject to something else. Despite the light-hearted nature of their conversation, after Techno mentioned Technic, there seemed to be an almost visible dampening of the room that neither one of them could fully get rid of. It made Techno regret having made the comment and feel bad for ruining what had otherwise been a really great day. “I'm sorry,” Techno said after a little while. “I kind of dampened the mood.”

“Don't apologise,” Ehn insisted. “It's something you're dealing with. You shouldn't feel bad for talking about something that's bothering you just because it's not pleasant.”

Techno nodded a little at that. It felt like an opening in which he could tell Ehn more about what had happened and why he hadn't been able to stay at his house. At the same time, he really didn't want to talk about it and he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Another time. He'd tell him another time. 

Another time didn't seem to be nearly as long away as Techno had thought it would be when he found himself waking up in the middle of the night from his worst nightmare yet. There were things in his nightmare that he was sure were embellished, his mind filling in the blanks for him, but he found himself remembering a little more detail of the night as well, though it still remained blurry. His brother was in the dream, continuing to try to force Kengkla into his life as the same thing continued to happen multiple times.

When Techno woke up, he felt sick to his stomach and barely made it to the bathroom in time before he got sick. Once he was finished, he flushed the toilet and stood up to rinse out his mouth and splash water in his face. He didn't look up into the mirror as he did so, sure that he looked just as awful as he felt. After he felt like he could manage to walk again, he made his way out to the main room, intending to get himself some water. He didn't realize that Ehn was still awake sitting in the living room and doing something on his laptop until he heard the laptop being sat aside and he looked to see Ehn standing up. “Ai’No are you okay?” Ehn asked him.

Techno cleared his throat and tried to say that he was okay, but the words didn't come out. He shook his head, instead. He didn't fight it when Ehn came over and pulled him into a hug. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around Ehn's waist and held him tightly until he felt that he was no longer shaking. The two of them ended up sitting on the couch once he had calmed down more. Techno sat with his legs crossed underneath him and rested his elbows on his knees as he stared at the blank television and told Ehn about what had happened in the dream and how it reflected what had happened in reality. He didn't look over at Ehn to see his reaction as he told him about the night he'd gotten far too drunk and come home to Kengkla waiting in his room. He could feel the way that Ehn tensed next to him, though. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ehn reach out and then hesitate to touch him but when Techno didn't flinch away he ended up wrapping an arm around Techno’s shoulders in order to hug him against his side. “I'm sorry,” Ehn said once he seemed to be able to find his own voice again. “I don't really know what to say - I can't really… You shouldn't have had to go through that, but you know that already.”

Knowing what had happened, Ehn could understand why Type had been so… well, like he had been when Techno had first moved in. It made a lot of things make more sense. Ehn just wished that Techno hadn't had to go through what he did. He was glad that Techno had told him, but he still wished that there hadn't been anything to tell him in the first place. “This is okay, right?” Ehn asked after a few seconds passed and he realized that just because Techno hadn't pulled away didn't mean he was actually okay with being touched.

Techno was confused by the question at first but when he realized he nodded his head with a hum of agreement. As if to reaffirm his statement, Techno leaned into Ehn's side more and even rested his head on Ehn’s shoulder. While there was a part of him that really didn't want to be touched at all right then, there was a bigger part that found comfort in how it felt being close to Ehn. He felt… safe. And the fact that Ehn had even thought to ask somehow just made Techno relax all the more. “The other day, I went home to check in on Technic and Kengkla showed up. He's still been hanging out with Kengkla even after I told him what happened,” Techno told Ehn, then.

Ehn seemed angry for a moment, tensing even more than he already was, but then he relaxed with a heavy exhale when he heard Techno tell him that it was okay. “No it isn't,” Ehn replied. “He's your brother. He should have your back, not Kengkla’s. If something like this happened to my brother…” Ehn trailed off his  comment with a shake of his head. If he knew someone had hurt his brother like that, Ehn would have easily been just like Type was. Type’s anger toward the kid made a whole lot of sense, and honestly he couldn't blame him at all for hitting the guy. 

Techno nodded in understanding, knowing that honestly, if things were reversed, he would hate Kengkla more than he already did. Then again, Techno had always been known for being more angry for those he cared about being mistreated than himself. “I just want it all to be over.” He knew it didn't work like that, no matter how much he wanted it to stop bothering him.

“I’m sorry.” Ehn hugged Techno a little tighter for a moment before letting go enough to lean away and look at him. “I wish I knew what to say or how to help besides just being here.”

“That helps a lot. Really, I just...” Techno sighed a little, trying to figure out how to say what was on his mind. “You've helped me get out of my head and feel normal , like nothing happened.”

“You are normal. What happened is awful, but you're still you, yeah?” Ehn smiled a little when Techno looked up at him and he squeezed Techno gently again. The two of them sat there for a little while longer until Techno seemed to have calmed down.

“Thanks. For sitting here with me and listening to me,” he said with a nod.

“You don't have to thank me for that.” Techno smiled at Ehn but he didn't seem to fully agree with the statement. Techno just felt like it was something he needed to say. “Are you going to try to go back to sleep?”

“Mn. Here in a few minutes.” Techno looked at the clock up on the wall and swore when he saw what time it was. It was later then he had thought and he felt guilty for keeping Ehn up so late.

“Don't apologize,” Ehn insisted before he could get the words out. “If it was a problem, I wouldn't be sitting here.”

“If you're sure…”

Ehn nodded his head while reaching up to pet the top of Techno's head, smiling when Techno gave a complaint that he obviously didn't really mean. “You should try to get more sleep.”

Techno almost seemed reluctant to get up, but he got up as he told Ehn he would try to sleep, and that Ehn should head to bed as well. “I won't go until you do,” he told him, making Ehn chuckle but get up from the couch.

“Okay. I'm going,” said Ehn. He closed his laptop and gathered everything to take back to his room before looking to Techno with a smile. “See? I'm going.”

Techno nodded with a small smile of his own, then he hugged Ehn once more before heading back to his bedroom. Ehn wrapped his free arm around Techno as they hugged and mumbled a ‘good night’ once Techno had let go and started walking to his bedroom. Though Ehn did head to his own room, he stayed up much later attempting to process everything he had been told and calm the anger he felt toward the person who had hurt Techno. 

The following morning, Techno woke up and quietly got ready once he realized that Ehn was still asleep in his room. He didn't want to wake him up after having kept him up so late. Once he was ready, he made his way to Type and Tharn's place since he'd made plans to spend the day with Type. “I told Ehn - about Kengkla,” Techno told Type after Tharn had left to go do something else. Techno wasn't sure where he said he was going, but he'd been a bit too lost in his own thoughts. “I had a bad dream last night about it all and Ehn was still up and I told him.”

Type slowly sat down the cup he had been taking a drink from as he took in the information. “You trust him a lot,” he commented, watching Techno closely for several seconds. “I know you said you wanted to tell him. I wasn't sure you actually would.”

“I wasn't either.”

“It's good that you did.” Techno looked over at Type, who seemed as though it almost pained him to admit as much. “He's a good friend for you. You seem… happier around him.”

“I do?”

Techno's confusion made Type barely able to conceal a laugh. “Yeah. It's the first time I've ever seen you so…” Type gestured vaguely with his hands, trying to think of the right way to describe it. In the entirety of their friendship, he didn't think he had ever seen Techno legitimately interested in someone before, but the way he tended to look at Ehn reminded Type of the way Ae and Pete would look at one another. Type was sure that Techno didn't even know he was doing it either. “Just… It's good.” Type didn't want to say too much more because he felt like it was something that Techno needed to come to terms with on his own. “I think Tar was on a date yesterday.” Type felt like he needed to change topics before he ended up saying too much. 

“Wait, really?”

“Mn. I don't know if he knew it was a date, though.”  Which was fine so long as the guy realized that Tar hadn't thought of it as a date. Type hadn't gotten any real warning signals from the guy, and Tar seemed to really like the kid. He just wasn't entirely sure either one of them knew what was going on there. “Do you think he's ready to date?”

Techno was silent for several moments, playing with the tab on his canned soda before answering. “I think Tar is the only one who can answer that.”

“I know. I just don't want to see him get hurt by some guy wanting more than what Tar is ready to give.”

Techno could understand Type's worry, honestly, but ultimately, they were not Tar and could not make his decisions for him. “I think we need to let Tar figure it out on his own.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, Tharn?” Techno asked, making him look up from the book he was reading. Techno had come over to spend time with him and Type after Ehn had gone out to meet up with some friends. He’d offered to have Techno go too, but he hadn’t felt up to dealing with a lot of people or trying to make friends with people he didn’t know. Ehn had understood and said that he could join them another time, which Techno had agreed to. Type was out grabbing them food and drinks and a couple of other things that he and Tharn needed for the apartment. They had offered to go with him, but Type wanted to go alone, so they let him. Tharn and Techno talked off and on while Tharn read and Techno watched whatever it was that Type had left playing on the television. Techno was sitting on the floor next to the end of the coffee table and had his arms crossed on top of it so he could rest his chin on his arms. When he saw that Tharn had looked up from his book, Techno sat up straight. “After everything that Lhong did…” Techno paused when he watched the way that Tharn’s grip on his book tightened and his knuckles lightened to the point that they were nearly white from the strength of it. “Would you be upset by your brother forgiving him?”

Tharn’s hold on the book loosened and he sighed as he closed the book and set it aside. “It’s… not really the same,” Tharn told Techno. After all, Lhong did more harm to other people than Tharn directly. Not that his actions hadn’t hurt him as well, but still. He felt as though he was the one who received the least amount of damage from Lhong. His exes held some of the blame for believing Lhong over him, after all; but, then what he did to Tar was beyond excusable and Tharn didn’t think that anyone deserved forgiveness for that. Tharn wasn’t sure how he would feel, really. Or no, he did, but he didn’t like it because he felt guilty for holding that much hatred against someone. He could have forgiven Lhong if the only thing Lhong had done was to convince his exes to break up with him - but Tar? That was just… inexcusable and unforgivable. “But, yes. I would be upset if Thorn forgave him. Not for myself, but…”

Techno nodded his head in understanding. He was definitely in the same boat as Tharn in the sense that he could forgive wrongdoings done toward him; and, usually, he could. Something about the whole thing with Kengkla just changed all of it. He couldn’t let it go, even if he wanted to because ultimately, Technic was his brother. “I want to forgive Technic for what he did to assist the situation,” he finally told Tharn. “But I don’t think I can.” It hurt to admit it. He hated himself for having said it, but he couldn’t easily change how he felt. “Does that make me a bad person?” He knew that Ehn had told him he was justified in being upset by it, but the lingering upset was something else entirely. Or at least Techno thought so. Or maybe he was just trying to find ways to blame himself and make things more like how they had always been.

“Hell no,” answered Tharn almost immediately. The absolute certainty in his tone almost startled Techno as he watched Tharn move from the couch to come over and sit down next to him. “It makes you someone who trusted two people and was betrayed by them in different ways, someone whose trust was thrown back in his face.” Techno wasn’t sure that made it any better or easier, honestly. “Ai’No, you would be well within your rights if you didn’t trust or forgive either of them ever. You wouldn’t be the only one to do so, either. Technic’s betrayal might have been more idle and out of selfishness and ignorance, but that doesn’t make it any less harmful. And Kengkla? He’s… I think he doesn’t quite know what actually caring about someone means.” From what Tharn had heard about the situation, it sounded as though the kid actually thought that because he liked Techno it made everything okay. It seemed to him like someone needed to show the kid what loving someone really looked like - and it wasn’t stalking them or taking advantage of them.

“Of course he doesn’t,” they heard Type say from the doorway, turning to see him coming in with several bags carried in one hand and a drink in the second. Tharn got up from where he was sitting to help Type with the bags. He placed the ones with the food on the coffee table and then took the others over to sit on the bed for the time being. Type took the drink in his hand and placed it in front of Techno on the table - it didn’t come from the same place as the food did. “From Ehn. I ran into him downstairs.”

“Oh…” Techno said with a nod of his head. He then grabbed his cell phone to send a quick thank you to Ehn, smiling a little when he got an emoji smile in reply almost immediately before he set aside his phone.

“Why are we talking about Kengkla, anyway? Did he try something again?” Type almost seemed like he was ready to rush off and fight at the idea alone. It made Techno laugh a little.

“No. No, I just… I don’t know. Was talking with Tharn about how I can’t really forgive him - or Technic - for what happened. I want to. I want to just… move on from it all and forget it ever happened. But then there’s times I wonder if I’m ever going to be able to, that I might always be just… stuck.” Techno toyed with the straw in his cup as he sat there in silence for a few seconds before he looked at Type with a small frown. “I got asked out by some guy I barely even know, and I kind of freaked out? And I don’t know if that’s going to be a thing that keeps happening. How am I supposed to ever be with anyone if just being asked out makes me panic because of what might happen next? And then I wonder if forgiving them would help me to move past it all.”

Techno let out a slow, shaky breath as Type sat down next to him and gently squeezed his shoulder. “It might never fully go away, you know? There’s… There might be times where something happens and you’re reminded of it, but you’ll learn how to deal with it and keep going, to not let it make you completely fall apart.” Techno looked a little doubtful at that and Type laughed, short and almost bitter sounding. “It sounds a lot easier than it is,” he reminded Techno. “There’s still times that I get stuck in my head and I forget for a moment where I’m at or who I’m with.” Type looked up at Tharn and smiled smally as Tharn came over to sit down next to him. “Tharn helps talk me through it, reminds me where I’m at and who I’m with.” It didn’t happen a lot anymore, but sometimes when he was extra stressed about things or after a particularly rough conversation with Tar or Techno about their own situations it would happen. Tharn was always very understanding and respectful if Type needed a moment or just to stop whatever they were doing completely. There were times when the only thing Type was comfortable with was laying together, and that was never something Tharn made him feel bad for. He knew that some people struggled with partners who just… didn’t understand, and he was glad he wasn’t one of them. “Sometimes I can do it for myself, but I don’t have to.” He smiled a little at Tharn again before he focused on Techno. “Forgiving them won’t suddenly make it any easier.”

Techno sighed and pushed his drink out of the way in order to cross his arms on top of the table and rest his chin on his arms again. “It should, though.” He knew that Type was right and that it would take a lot longer to be fully over it, and even then he might not be over it , but to a point that it no longer hurt as much or bothered him to a point of dictating his thoughts and actions. Techno smiled a little when Type reached over and started to play with his hair. 

“Come on. Eat something,” he insisted. “Ehn will be mad if we send you home without having eaten.” Type ruffled up Techno’s hair then and reached over to grab the bag with the food as Techno sat up while complaining about his hair being messed up.

The mood in the apartment shifted after that, the topics remaining lighthearted and easy. There remained a hint of lingering unease, however, that none of them could really change. Type wanted to try to talk about it more, to try to help ease some of Techno’s concerns, but every time he tried, Techno would just change the subject abruptly. He gave up trying after a while. 

When they were done eating and had sat around for a while, Techno went back home, leaving the two of them alone. Type took some time to tidy up their apartment as Tharn took a shower, and he changed after he was finished cleaning. “One of my shirts again?” asked Tharn with a smile as he came up behind Type and hugged him tightly. He pressed a kiss to the side of Type’s head as Type leaned back against him with a hum of agreement. “Let’s go to bed.”

It would be quite a while after that before either one of them actually fell asleep, but much too soon for Type’s liking, it was morning and time to get up to get ready for the day. The two of them ate breakfast, and then Type took a shower, insisting that Tharn didn’t join him despite Tharn’s suggestion because otherwise neither one of them were going to be going anywhere that day. Type almost regretted not letting Tharn join him, especially when afterward, Tharn got in the shower and Type found himself sitting on the couch bored out of his mind. He didn’t expect the phone call that came through as he was playing and he swore out loud when he saw that it was his dad calling.

He hadn’t expected the call, but he answered it, anyway. His dad immediately started talking to him about graduation and how him and Type’s mother wanted to be there but they couldn’t get the time away - which Type already knew and he reminded his dad as much. He also reminded his dad that he was planning on coming home for a few days after graduation. “Yes, we’ll be there a couple of days after graduation,” Type told his dad, clarifying when the man had asked when he was showing up. He sighed as his dad made a big complaint about the use of the word ‘we’. “I’m not coming without Tharn so either we’ll both be there or neither of us will be.” There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line that Type mimicked. “Okay, then. We’ll see you soon.” Type ended the phone call before his dad could say anything else and he sat aside his cell phone.

Tharn returned to the room from the bathroom, then, and he came over to sit on the couch next to Type. “Rough phone call?” he asked. Just by looking at him, Tharn could tell that something was bothering him. Type nodded and sighed as he wrapped his arms around Tharn’s waist and rested his head on Tharn’s shoulder. Tharn wrapped his arms around Type and pulled him close. “He knows we’re both coming?”

“Mn. He’s not happy, but I don’t care.” Type gently squeezed Tharn as Tharn pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Do we have to go today? Can’t we just stay here?”

“You have the presentation later,” Tharn reminded him. He smiled when Type just swore about it and said that it was pointless. He could understand that feeling. That close to graduation, he no longer felt like doing anything, either. “You’re going to leave Techno to suffer alone if you don’t go.”

Type groaned and turned enough to hide his face against Tharn’s shoulder. They both knew he would get up and get ready and go with Tharn to campus. Even if neither one of them felt like it. “Is Ai’No meeting you on campus?” Tharn asked Type as they gathered their things to leave.

“Mn. He left earlier for some reason, I don’t know. He didn’t say. I think Ehn was with him, though,” Type answered. Techno’s text just said that “we” would already be on campus and Type assumed that Techno was talking about his roommate.

Type and Tharn stopped to get coffee along the way, but despite that it didn’t take them too long to get to campus. They then went together to see if they could find any of their friends since neither of them had to be in class for a little while still. They found Techno in the food court with Ae, Good, and Can talking with them about something. Can seemed to be hanging off of his every word while no one could really tell if Good was actually listening or not. They knew from experience, though, that even if it seemed like he wasn’t listening, he actually was. Ae just seemed tired, and annoyed by something but mostly just tired. “What’s up with you?” Type asked Ae as he and Tharn took seats at the table.

“That asshole Pond kept me awake all night,” Ae grumbled. “He was panicking about this test he’s got today I think. I don’t know. He was loud is all I know.” Ae sighed when Techno reached around Can and patted the top of his head.

Type nodded at the information and looked to Techno while nudging him under the table with his foot - or he assumed it was Techno anyway. “You were here early. What for?”

“Went for a run with Can,” he answered. Can nodded and smiled brightly before showing off the food he had in his hand that Type hadn’t noticed until then. “Oh, and got food.”

“You’re spoiled as hell.” Can shrugged at Type’s comment. It was true. “What are you going to do next term when Techno isn’t here?”

“Show up at your work, obviously,” Can teased. He was grinning even though they knew that he wouldn’t actually do such a thing. Well, maybe. He might occasionally but he wouldn’t make a habit of it. “That or I’ll just go bug Tin. He’ll buy me food.” Good nodded slowly next to him and Can smiled as he hugged his friend’s arm. “You know you’ll miss my face too much to complain.”

The group of them sat around talking nonsense until they had to separate and head to their own classes. It was an average day, nothing really happened but Techno found himself rather glad for it. He didn’t have enough of those days, in his own opinion. He didn’t spend any time stressed out or anxious or upset about a bad dream. He’d actually slept well the night before, which surprised him after the conversation that he’d had with Tharn and Type before he’d gone home. He had actually expected bad dreams, but they never came. Techno wasn’t naive enough to think that it would be permanent, he’d learned well enough that bad days could sneak up when he least expected them. Those were worries for another day, though.

“Want to go out for food?” Techno asked Ehn as he dropped down on the couch to sit next to him after they’d both gotten home that evening. He leaned back and to the side enough to use Ehn’s arm and shoulder as a resting spot. “Oh, how’d your practical go?” He knew that Ehn had been expected to present a self composed song to one of his instructors that day for the final exam of the class. 

Ehn laughed softly at the suddenly asked questions, but nodded as he answered, “Sure.” He honestly wasn’t too sure how the exam had gone. The instructor hadn’t provided any real feedback and done well to keep her expression neutral so that she didn’t give away however he was going to be scored. From what he understood, not even Tharn got an obvious reaction out of the instructor and he was everyone’s favorite in the department. “I don’t know. We’re supposed to find out before graduation, though.”

“What if you failed? Would they keep you from walking?” Ehn scoffed and pushed Techno away from him, making Techno laugh. “Not that I think it would happen, but what if someone else did?”

“I think they’d have to take the class over, but they wouldn’t stop them from walking. I don’t think? This is why graduation shouldn’t be so close to the end of classes. Why does our school do this?” Techno shrugged and Ehn groaned a little. “I don’t think it was too bad, though. Do you want to hear?”

“Can I?” Techno sat up fully and turned to look at Ehn while getting more comfortable on the couch.

“If you promise not to laugh.”

Techno shot Ehn a look that told him the request was pointless. “Have I ever?” He smiled when Ehn shook his head and got up to get his guitar from its spot in the corner.

Ehn sat down next to Techno once he had the guitar, but turned to sit so that he was facing Techno instead of in front of the couch. Techno sat quietly as Ehn got ready to play the song that he’d written for his assignment. Ehn didn’t really look at Techno as he started playing and he kept his focus off to one side as he started to sing. Techno didn’t really pay much attention to the lyrics as he was a little caught up in the way that Ehn’s voice sounded - it was soft but warm and comforting all at the same time. Techno really thought he didn’t sing nearly enough. The song sounded amazing and what bits of the lyrics that Techno did pick up on was good. The song was a little sad but with an air of hope and happiness to it, too. Techno was honestly impressed and he felt that it was a song that could honestly be played on the radio and loved by everyone if they heard it.

It was silent for several moments after Ehn finished playing and he laughed awkwardly as he looked at Techno. “That bad?” he asked.

“No! No, it was good. Really. There’s no way that your instructor didn’t like it,” Techno insisted. “You should record it. I think many people would love it. I do.”

“Well, that’s all that matters, then.” Ehn’s smile was small, almost shy as Techno seemed to not really know what to say in response to that. Techno gave him the same small smile as they sat there. Neither one of them seemed to be in a hurry to break the silence between them for several moments as something seemed to hang in the air - but Ehn broke it first when he set aside his guitar and cleared his throat. “Dinner. We were talking about getting food, right? Before we got distracted by the whole song thing.”

“Right. Right, yeah.” Techno nodded and stood up. “Let’s go, then.” Ehn mirrored the nod and stood up as well before grabbing his jacket off the chair that he’d dropped it onto earlier. “Where do you want to go?”

“Uh… that noodle place by the mall?”

“Okay, yeah. Sounds like a good plan. Maybe I should have someone take care of my hair while we’re over there.” Techno ran a hand through his hair as he talked about it, frowning at the idea. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to having to change his hair, but it was what it was. “You could shop around, or come home after we eat while I do that.”

“I don’t mind waiting,” answered Ehn as they made their way to the elevator. “Am I driving or you?” When Techno said that he didn’t care, Ehn said that he would drive them. That was fine with Techno. He wasn’t a huge fan of driving in the city, anyway. Plus it would give him some time to look for acceptable options for his hair online that he didn’t hate entirely while Ehn drove.

“Since you’re driving, I’m paying,” Techno informed Ehn once they had found a place to park the car near the noodle place and the mall that would be easy to get back to later. “You got me a drink yesterday, too.”

“You don’t have to pay me back for that,” said Ehn, nudging Techno gently with his elbow as they walked next to one another along the sidewalk. “I don’t… I don’t do nice things because I expect you to pay me back for them.”

Techno smiled softly. “I know. That’s…” Techno shook his head a little at that. “What I mean is, you’re always doing nice things for me. This time it’s my turn to do something nice for you.” Techno smiled again, a little more that time, and he took a hold of Ehn’s hand to lead him into the familiar restaurant they were heading to.

Chapter Text

Ehn played a game on his phone between chatting with his friends as he sat around waiting for Techno to finish getting his hair fixed so that it was suitable for graduation. Techno had told him it was okay if he went to go do something else or went back home, but Ehn waited there, anyway. He knew that Techno wasn’t looking forward to having to change his hair, after all. “What do you think?” Techno asked as he came over to where Ehn was sitting, making him look up from his phone.

His hair was shorter, something that was more acceptable per the uniform requirement for graduation, and it had been dyed back to a natural shade of brown instead of the bright red that Ehn had gotten used to. It didn’t quite feel like a look that fit Techno, but it seemed to be decent enough considering what little wiggle room there was with what was allowed. “Looks good,” Ehn answered with a smile as he put his phone away. “Not as colorful as before but still good.”

“Maybe I’ll dye it blue next time.”

“Yeah? I think that would look cool.” Ehn reached up to gently tug on some of the ends of his hair, chuckling when Techno knocked his hand away with a soft complaint. “You ready to head home?”

“Mn, let’s go.” Techno nodded his head in agreement before they left the shop. “Thanks for coming with me, but you didn’t need to just sit around, you know.”

“I know,” he replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “I didn’t feel like wandering around aimlessly and we came here together, so…”

Techno nodded again and fell into a companionable silence with Ehn as they headed back to where they’d parked the car. They’d make comments here and there about different things they could see in the shops they passed. They walked closely together, their arms brushing together as they walked - that was why Ehn felt Techno start to tense up next to him and they both stopped walking before he heard someone ahead of them say, “P’No!” Ehn looked at Techno before looking at who had spoken. It was the kid from before - Kengkla was there with some people that Ehn didn’t know. Ehn clenched his jaw and really it was all he could do to not walk over and punch the guy in the face. Kengkla had a smile on his face, as if there was nothing wrong and he had any right to look that happy to see Techno again. “Your hair looks great. More like you again. Can we ta-”

“We were leaving,” Ehn interrupted his attempt to ask Techno to talk - it made the smile fall from Kengkla’s face immediately when he looked at Ehn. He was sure that it wasn’t something that Techno wanted to do in the first place, but on top of that Ehn didn’t feel inclined to let Techno go off anywhere with the guy anyway. “Pretty sure that everyone’s told you to fuck off already, so maybe do that.”

“Ehn, let’s just go,” Techno said as he took a hold of Ehn’s hand and tugged on his arm gently to direct him away and around Kengkla and his friends in order to keep walking to the car.

“So, you won’t even talk to me?” asked Kengkla as Techno kept walking, leading Ehn away along with him. “P’No!”

“Stop calling me that!” Techno stopped walking and turned back to look at Kengkla. “Just- just stop it. I’ve already said everything I have to say to you. Leave me alone. Please.” Kengkla took a step toward them and Techno stepped away, leading Ehn away once again before Ehn could hit him like he very much wanted to do. “Let’s just go,” Techno insisted when he could feel Ehn’s hesitation to leave. Ehn gently squeezed Techno’s hand and caught up with him since he’d gotten a few steps ahead.

“I’m okay,” Techno insisted once they got to the car before Ehn could even ask. Neither one of them got into it yet and Techno leaned against the side. The anger that Techno had seen on Ehn’s face when talking with Kengkla had faded to a look of obvious concern as he watched Techno carefully. “Really, I’m okay. I think you’re more upset than I am.”

“Yeah, well…” Ehn glanced over toward where they had come from and then focused on Techno again. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Techno nodded his head again. It was only then that he realized he was still holding on to Ehn’s hand. “Sorry,” he said as he let go and stood up straight so that he could walk over to the passenger side.

Ehn gently took a hold of Techno’s wrist instead, stopping him from walking away. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he insisted.

“Mn.” Techno nodded with a small smile and stood there for a few seconds more before starting to walk around the car again, and Ehn let go of him so that he could. 

It was quiet in the car as Ehn drove them back to the complex. Neither one of them seemed to know what to say. The silence was almost tense, but it wasn’t overly uncomfortable or anything. It was just there. They were both lost in their thoughts about everything. “I really was okay seeing him,” Techno finally said once he was able to get his thoughts together. “I mean… I mean it sucked and I really don’t want anything to do with him but it’s not… I feel okay. Well, as okay as can be expected.”

“I’m glad,” Ehn replied with a nod of his head. “I… am not going to lie. I wanted to punch his face in. I understand why Type did already.” 

Techno tried not to laugh at that, really he did but he could not help it. “Sorry. I just... “ He wasn’t sure why he was laughing, honestly. It wasn’t that funny. Nothing about it was funny, but the fact that he’d been able to see Kengkla again and not feel like he was going to fall apart afterward - it was just such a relief and for the first time in a long while he felt like he could actually breathe again.

The next morning, Techno was still in a great mood as he dragged Ehn with him to join the others. Can had made himself comfortable sitting on Tin’s lap while Tin looked completely unbothered as he scrolled through his phone between talking with Pete, who was leaning against Ae’s side as Ae argued with Pond who was complaining about something that Techno couldn’t figure out. Type and Champ were talking about their last final that was coming up, while Tharn was talking with Champ’s boyfriend and Good listened quietly. “Ai’No, tell me you studied for this,” Type said with a sigh when he noticed him approaching the table. Type noticed their joined hands and trailed his eyes up to look at Ehn, who just shrugged as they sat down and Techno let go of Ehn’s hand.

“Of course I did,” Techno answered. Can leaned over and ruffled Techno’s hair while complaining about the boring color until Tin directed him to sit up straight again while Champ reminded him that everyone knew Techno would have to fix his hair before graduation. “Did a crash study course last night, even. Ehn helped.”

“Lucky you. Tharn slept all night while I studied.” Type rolled his eyes as Tharn reached over to pat the top of his head. “Hands off,” he insisted, though the tone in his voice made it obvious he didn’t mean it. Tharn had well learned the way that Type sounded when he legitimately didn’t want Tharn touching him.

Techno shook his head at the two of them and looked around the group with a small frown when he realized why he felt that something was missing. “Where’s Tar?”

“With Daw,” Tin answered with a roll of his eyes. He sighed when Pete scolded him softly. “What? I don’t like him.”

“Why not?” asked Type. He wasn’t sure if he liked the idea of Tar spending time with that Daw guy if Tin didn’t like him. Then again, Tin didn’t really like anyone and maybe Type was just using it as an excuse.

“P’Daw didn’t do anything,” Pete answered for Tin, cutting off Tin’s attempt at explaining. “He holds grudges but it’s P’Daw’s brother he should be mad at. I keep reminding him that he’s not his brother and that Tar is fine.” Tin was side-eying Pete the whole time that Pete was talking but he really couldn’t find anything to say to argue against Pete’s statements.

“He could be like his brother,” grumbled Tin even as Can pat the top of his head and told him to play nicely. “I am playing nice. I just don’t trust him.”

“You don’t even trust us, so that’s not saying a whole lot,” Pond reminded him with a grin when Tin glared at him in response.

“Who doesn’t trust who?” asked Tar as he came up to the table. He sat down next to Techno in the empty spot on that side.

“I thought you were with that friend of yours,” said Type instead of answering the question.

Tar shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Type. “I was. Then I thought I’d come see what you guys are up to.”

“Talking shit, as usual,” said Champ as he leaned across the table and patted Tar’s shoulder. “You didn’t miss much.”

“Mn.” Tar nodded his head as he toyed with the button on one of his sleeves. “Actually, I wanted to know if I could steal P’Type and P’No for a little while.”

“Of course you can,” Type answered almost immediately while Techno nodded his head. Type turned to Tharn and told him that he’d see him later as he stood up. Tharn nodded and pressed a quick kiss to Type’s forearm, earning a soft scoff in response, but Type ran his fingers through Tharn’s hair at the back of his head as he moved away from the table anyway.

Techno and Tar got up from the table, saying goodbyes to the others before the three of them walked to another part on campus. “What’s going on?” Type asked Tar once they’d sat down on one of the low lying walls that lined some of the walkways. There weren’t many people around at that moment.

Tar let out a heavy breath as he placed his bag at his feet. “Nothing is wrong really. I just…” Tar trailed off his statement, looking over at Type and then Techno, who were sitting on either side of him. “P’Daw asked me out - like on a date.”

“Didn’t you already go on a date with him?” Tar’s eyes widened a little as he quickly looked up at Type, making him laugh softly. “When he took you to that dog cafe.”

“That wasn’t a date. That was just- We were just hanging out. As friends.”

“Do you like him?” Techno asked, making Tar look to him and nod his head a little.

“But it’s complicated. I can’t… I don’t… What if we don’t want the same things?”

“Has he tried to pressure you into anything? Do I need to go kick his ass?” Type was up on and on his feet as he spoke before Tar or Techno could stop him.

Tar giggled and grabbed Type’s arm to tug him back down onto his seat. “No. He hasn’t done anything like that. He’s really sweet and he’s funny. I’m always smiling or laughing when I’m with him, and it’s nice. I never find myself second guessing anything or overthinking and it’s just… easy to be around him. But, I don’t know… I don’t know if I want a physical relationship with anyone ever. Like, I’m okay with the thought of hugging or holding hands or maybe even kissing.” He would have been lying if he said he’d never thought about it. It was always more of an idle thought, but it was there, anyway. “But anything more than that?” Tar shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. It had never really been something that he’d found himself dwelling on too much, not like his friends. When they all started to talk about sex and girls or boys, he just was never really interested. “I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted that, but what if he does or if he says that it’s okay and then later he changes his mind? I don’t want to lose someone who is becoming my best friend just because I’m broken.” 

“You’re not broken, Tar,” Techno insisted as he pulled Tar into a side hug. “There’s nothing wrong with not wanting a physical relationship. Anyone who tells you otherwise is the broken one, not you.”

“He’s right,” said Type with a nod of his head. He knew that Tar was going to continue to struggle with those thoughts and feelings - a simple reassurance from the two of them wouldn’t make it go away. He wanted to do what he could to help Tar become comfortable in his own skin. “We can’t really ease your worries for you, kid. You should be talking about this with Daw. But just know that if he hurts you…”

“Have you talked to Daw at all about any of this? Does he know what your idea of intimacy is?” asked Techno. He could sort of relate to Tar’s fears and concerns about it all, even if his own feelings were more fleeting than Tar’s lasting ones. Techno’s fears were more in line with being reminded of something that had happened with Kengkla than him not being interested in a sexual relationship with someone. It wasn’t the same and he wouldn’t pretend to know exactly what it was Tar was feeling but he could understand how those fears could keep Tar from even trying in the first place.

Tar shook his head at the questions. He smiled a little sheepishly as he started to toy with the button on his sleeve again. “I kind of ran away from him after he asked,” Tar told them. “He probably hates me now, anyway, doesn’t he?”

“Of course he doesn’t,” Type said with a scoff. “And if he does, then he wasn’t good enough for you anyway.” Tar tried not to look amused at Type’s words, attempting to send him a judgemental look; still there was a small upturn of his lips letting Type know that Tar wasn’t actually annoyed with him. “Look, we can’t tell you what to do. All we can do is support whatever decision you make. But I can tell you that you need to talk to him. It might be difficult, but you can’t figure out what’s okay and what isn’t if you don’t talk to him.”

“Learn from Type’s earlier mistakes,” Techno told Tar while gently squeezing him for a moment. “Not talking about things doesn’t make them better.”

“Ai’Asshole No.” Type swatted Techno upside the head, who just laughed and smiled at Type in response. “I mean, he’s right, but still. Tharn and I had some really rough moments throughout our relationship because I wouldn’t talk to him. I’d keep it to myself if something wasn’t okay until it hurt both of us. Look, no matter what you choose to do, you’ve got us; but, if you like him and you want to give it a try, then go talk to him.”

“Now?”

“Well, maybe not right this second. Don’t you have a test soon?” asked Techno as he looked at the time on his phone. He knew that he and Type needed to head to their class soon, but they had a few more minutes to spare if Tar did.

Tar grabbed Techno’s wrist to look at his phone and the time. “I’ve got a few minutes. Cute wallpaper.” Tar smiled softly as he tilted Techno’s hand to show Type the photo as well.

It was a picture of Techno and Ehn. Tar couldn’t tell where they were in the photo but both of them were obviously laughing and smiling. It looked like it was a photo taken by someone else that Techno had gotten sent. “Mn. It’s from a couple weeks ago. I went to his place when he went home for the weekend. His brother took the photo. I don’t remember what was so funny now. His brother sent it to me and I needed a new wallpaper, so...” Techno shrugged. His previous wallpaper had been of him and Technic and several of Technic’s friends (including Kengkla) at Technic’s birthday party. After everything that had happened, he had changed it to a generic wallpaper already installed in the phone, but he hadn’t liked that.

Tar almost asked Techno more questions about it but he saw Pete and Tin standing a distance away - close enough that they could be seen but far enough that they wouldn’t overhear the conversation. Pete raised his hand and wiggled his fingers in a wave when he saw that Tar had noticed them. “I should go,” Tar said with a sigh as he grabbed his backpack. “Thank you for talking to me, though. Both of you. It’s helped a lot.”

“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” asked Type as the three of them stood up

“Yes and no. I’m going to talk to him and…. We’ll see from there.” Tar smiled softly at both of them. “Good luck today.”

“Mn. Tell us how your talk goes.”

Tar nodded in agreement before he jogged over to the other two, slowing as he neared them so that they could walk together to their part of campus. “You want to go interrogate this Daw guy, don’t you?” Techno asked with a small smirk once the other three were gone.

“Oh my god, yes .” Type groaned as he quickly ran a hand through his hair, pushing the strands back from his face. 

“You shouldn’t.”

“I know.”

“We have a test to get to.”

“I know . You don’t have to remind me.” Type sighed as he threw his arm around Techno’s shoulders to lead him toward their shared lecture hall. “Let’s go get this over with.” Techno nodded his head and started to walk with him. “Ai’No, if you liked someone, you’d tell me right?”

“Sure.” Techno nodded again before laughing at the thought. “Though I don’t know the point of that.” He laughed again when Type asked him why that was. “Are you kidding? Can you even think of the last time someone was the slightest bit interested in me?”

The look that Type gave Techno was so incredulous and unamused that Techno almost pulled away from him. “You’re kidding, right? Yes, I can.”

“Yeah, back in high school when people were young and stupid.” Type rolled his eyes and shook his head. He tightened his arm around Techno’s shoulders so that he was practically dragging Techno into a headlock. He wanted to tell Techno exactly how he was wrong about that but he didn’t feel it was his place to actually tell Techno. Obviously Ehn hadn’t. “Ai’Type!”

“Come on. Let’s get this test over with.”

Chapter Text

It was a couple of days later that Pete, Tar, and Tin walked slowly from the part of the college where the Thai Program courses were held over to the International College. They had a final they were heading to take, though none of them seemed to really be thinking about the test. “You don't have to tell us,” Pete told Tar, “but we're here for you to talk to, too.”

Tar smiled softly at him. “I know,” he replied. “Tin might not be happy about what I've got to say.”

“Just tell us,” insisted Tin. He knew that Tar wouldn’t tell them if he really didn’t want to despite his words. While anyone who didn’t know him might have thought that he was simply being demanding, his friends were aware that he was never quite as harsh as he sounded. It was a work in progress. “I mean, if you want to.”

Tar smiled again with a nod of his head. He hadn’t needed Tin to correct himself but it was nice to hear, anyway. “P’Daw asked me out. If he doesn't hate me for running off without responding, and he doesn't have any complaints about what else I need to tell him, I'm going to agree.” 

“You could do better,” Tin said at the same time that Pete asked, “What else do you need to tell him?”

Tar honestly wasn’t sure which one of them to respond to first. Tin’s comment was honestly sweet and Tar hadn’t expected it. He smiled at both of them and moved to stand between the two of them. He hooked his arms through each one of theirs and sort of attempted to hug them like that. “P’Daw really is great, Tin,” he commented. “And I will tell you guys about it later. I want to talk to him first. I’ve already talked to too many people that aren’t him, I think.” He was really glad that he had friends who cared so much, but really Daw needed to be the next person he talked to about it all. Tin and Pete would be the next people he told. “Ai’Tin, what did he do to make you hate him so much? You’ve never told me.”

“Before Tin tries to mislead you, P’Daw didn’t do anything,” Pete said, interrupting Tin’s attempt at explaining. “His brother is one of the people who made Tin’s life hell before. Daw didn’t.”

“He stood by and did nothing when his brother was horrible to you,” Tin clarified. Yes, he did hold a grudge about his own mistreatment, but honestly the way that the guy had treated Pete had been more of Tin’s issue.

The admittance of it made Pete stop walking for a few seconds before sighing with a smile and a shake of his head as he resumed walking with them. “Either way. He’s got no more control over what his brother does than you do yours.” Tin couldn’t find an argument against that, honestly, and it just made him scowl without further comment. 

“You should give him a real chance,” said Tar. “He’s a good guy. I really like him. Now, just… Put positive thoughts out there that I didn’t already mess everything up.”

The three of them continued to their shared class, then, even if Tar wasn’t ready for the test they were due to take. Mostly it was due to the fact that he wasn’t able to focus on it like he wanted to. He was still sure he passed the exam, but not with as high of a grade as he would have liked to have had. He was honestly just glad that he finished it in the time allotted and that he hadn’t spaced out to the point that he didn’t answer a single question. Tar finished with a few minutes to spare and went to wait in the hallway for the other two. Tin came out a few minutes later - his tie was loosened and his hair was a mess from where he’d been running his fingers through it repeatedly throughout the test. Tar gave him a small, soft smile and went over to straighten up his tie for him. “You look about how I feel,” he teased. “I’m sure you did well, you know.”

“I think Pete will have the higher score this time,” replied Tin as he reached up to smooth out his hair. It didn’t look quite as pristine as it had when he’d gotten to the school that morning, but Tar reassured him that he looked put together enough. Tar had learned that Tin wasn’t a fan of looking anything short of put together in front of others. It gave them one less thing to judge him about. Though, honestly, it just made people judge him in a different way. Tar didn’t point that out to him, and neither did Pete.

Pete was one of the last students out of the classroom, using every second of the time slot to go back over the test and make sure he had answered everything correctly. He wasn’t sure about a few of the questions, but once he came out into the hallway, he took a deep breath and stopped walking. He couldn’t keep dwelling on it. “It’s done,” he stated unnecessarily. He was glad when neither Tar nor Tin pointed it out. “One more and then nothing else until next term.”

“I have a paper to finish, too,” stated Tar with a small pout. He was almost done with it and was planning on finishing it the next morning before the final in the afternoon. The very last one. He was nervous about it while trying not to seem like he was. Tar smiled hesitantly at the two of them. “I’m… going to go try to find P’Daw.”

“Everything’s going to be fine!” Pete nodded with a reassuring smile on his face. He reached out to grab one of Tar’s hands and squeeze it gently. “Message us later to tell us how it goes?”

“Mn.” Tar nodded his head and gave them a smile. He hoped it hid the nerves that he felt, but the gentle squeeze of Pete’s hand once more made it clear that he was failing at that attempt. He lifted his other hand and waved at the two of them before he started to make his way to where he knew Daw’s classes were. Tar was not exactly sure which class Daw had that day, and honestly he could only hope that he hadn’t missed Daw leaving for the day.

Tar wasn’t sure how long he’d stood in one of the main hallways that had a majority of the traffic for the students in Daw’s faculty before he heard someone behind him say, “Waiting for someone?” Tar quickly turned around and smiled shyly at Daw. Daw’s returning smile was visibly hesitant, but he smiled in the first place and Tar wanted to take that as a good sign.

“Yeah,” he replied with a nod of his head, smiling a little more honestly. “Are you done with classes for the day or do you have afternoon classes?” He couldn’t remember what Daw’s schedule looked like that close to the end of the semester. “I was hoping we could talk.”

“A good talk or a bad talk?”

Tar rocked back and forth on his feet, wringing his hands. “I’m not sure. Just… just a talk. If you still want to go on a date with me, anyway.”

“I’ve got my last final here in about an hour.” Tar nodded as he worried at his lower lip, but he stopped with a soft sigh when Daw reached forward and took a hold of his hand with a gentle squeeze. “We can talk after?”

“Mn.” Tar smiled, then, and he nodded his head. “I… I would rather we talk somewhere private. If that’s okay?”

“Of course it is.”

The two of them made plans to meet up at Tar’s place after Daw’s final was over, and said goodbye for the time being. Tar hung around campus for a little while longer, he went to go check on Type and Techno who gave him more encouragement before he left to go home. While he waited, Tar made a couple of batches of cupcakes with the intention of practicing his decorating skills. He had the baking part down - the decorating he was still learning. The last time he’d made cupcakes, Daw had been there with him. Tar smiled a little to himself at the memory as he worked. The sound of the doorbell startled Tar some time later and he jumped, smearing the frosting he had just put on the cupcake he was working on.Tar set it down and just stood there for a few seconds before he went to answer the door.

He smiled softly when he saw Daw through the glass and then let him in. “Hi, Phi,” he greeted as Daw came into the house. “Uhm. Kitchen? I’ve been…” He trailed off his explanation as he pointed toward the doorway that led to the other room. Daw honestly didn’t care where they talked, so he nodded before following Tar into the kitchen. “You can sit at the table or the island - or stand. I don’t-” Tar broke off and let out a sharp, short breath when Daw took a hold of his hand again and told him to breathe. “I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.”

“Unless you’re going to tell me that you never want to see me again, I can’t see any reason for you to be nervous,” Daw replied.  

Tar smiled and shook his head. His smile was a little sad, and it made Daw struggle to hide his obvious anxiety about what Tar might have to say. “I like you a lot, and I really like spending time with you, but if we’re going to actually make a thing of this, I just… I need us to be on the same page.” Daw nodded his head. He wanted to ask Tar what he was talking about, to get some clarification as to what he was thinking; but, he also worried that if he said something that Tar might not say whatever it was on his mind. “I’m really not sure how to say this.”

Tar wasn’t sure how much he was going to tell Daw. What happened before was important, something he needed to share sometime, but it didn’t really relate to what he knew he really needed to tell Daw before things got serious. “Okay,” he finally said after a few more seconds of thought. He picked up one of the cupcakes to keep working on decorating as he talked. “I don’t really care about sex, which I know a lot of people base relationships on and I can’t actually say if it’s something I’d ever want to do. I mean, I might maybe be okay with it? But it’s not something I’ve ever actively wanted.”

“Oh. Oh! That’s…” Daw said and he broke off with a laugh. “Sorry. I’m not laughing at you, really. I just- That’s not what I expected. I mean, I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that.” Tar nodded his head a little but didn’t stop working on decorating, at least not until Daw came over and took the cupcake from his hand and set it aside. Tar set aside the tool he had been using to frost the cupcake, too. “Tar, I don’t care. I mean, yes ok, I like sex but that’s not what a relationship is. I asked you out on a date because I like spending time with you. If at the end of the day all I can say is that I got to spend time with you and I made you smile then I’d consider that a win.” Tar’s smile was slow to form but once Daw’s words fully sank in, he could not stop himself from laughing softly. “Can I ask what you are comfortable with?”

Tar smiled softly and took a hold of one of Daw’s hands with a gentle squeeze. “This is good - great, even; and, hugs. I’ll never turn down a hug.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Maybe if our first date goes well,” Tar teased Daw gently. He laughed softly again, unable to keep his happiness out of his voice or off his face. He hadn’t really thought things would go horribly, but he could have been wrong, after all. 

“Okay.” Daw nodded his head and gently squeezed Tar’s hand. “We can figure this out as we go, but only if you promise me something.”  Tar told him to continue, not wanting to agree to anything until he knew what Daw wanted from him. “If we get to the point where we kiss, and I ever do something that makes you uncomfortable, let me know, yeah? I can’t… figure out how to navigate this on my own.” He would keep in mind what Tar had already told him, of course, but he also was aware that in a moment things could change and if he forgot himself - Well, he wanted Tar to feel comfortable enough to tell him so and not worry about upsetting him.

“Mn.” Tar nodded a few times with a soft smile. “Do you think we’ll get to that point?”

“I sure hope so.”

Tar laughed at the response and nudged Daw gently with his free hand before letting go of him. “Do you want to stay and help me with these?” Daw nodded with a smile before they both started working on decorating the cupcakes together and talking. Tar let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes for a few seconds and then he focused again. He felt a lot of his worries fade away to the point that he was able to focus just on spending time with Daw and if things would work out when they went on an actual date since he knew that at least for the moment, Daw wasn’t put off by the fact that sex might be off the table. It took a lot of weight off of him and he appreciated that they were fully hashing out details of that sort of thing just yet.

While the two of them stood around the kitchen talking and decorating the cupcakes (Daw’s were actually more neatly done than Tar’s and Tar could not keep himself from pouting at the fact), Ehn finished grabbing food to take back to the condo building for him, Techno, Type, and Tharn. The other three were at his and Techno’s place already, and Ehn had offered to pick up food for all of them since he was out running some errands already. He idly twisted the bag around his fingers as he carried it to his car, his other hand scrolling through the group chat he had with Techno and all his friends. Ehn typically kept it muted but would check on it every so often. Right then, Can was complaining because Tin hadn’t seen some movie he considered to be the best movie ever and he needed to fix it. Ehn didn’t expect to suddenly get stopped by someone he was passing on the sidewalk grabbing his arm. “What the fu- What do you want, kid?” Ehn sighed heavily after seeing that it was Kengkla that had stopped him and tugged his arm out of the guy’s grasp.

“You’re that guy P’No has been with lately,” he said. “I just want to talk to him, to figure out what’s going on because he sai-”

“He told you to fuck off. More than once. I was there one of the times he told you to go away.” Ehn’s expression was one that basically screamed that he thought Kengkla was a dumbass. “And I am the way wrong person to be asking to help you talk to him.”

“I don’t know what he’s told you, but he wanted to be with me. He said as much.”

Ehn put his phone into his pocket and seemed to almost physically hold himself back as he bunched his fist up at his side. “I am not talking about this with you here in the middle of a sidewalk.” Discussing what Techno may or may not have said that Kengkla was so desperately clinging to, likely on the night that everything had happened, was not something that Ehn wanted to do ever - let alone in a very public place where anyone could overhear and they had no rights to know any of it. “No, I’m not talking about it with you period. You need to take the hint and disappear, kid.”

“I’m not a kid.” Kengkla glared at Ehn, and it was really all Ehn could do not to laugh in his face. 

The absolute ridiculousness of the situation and the guy attempting to seem threatening or something was just - it was funny in an almost sarcastic sense of the word. “You sure as hell fooled me.”

“I lo-”

“It is taking all of my willpower not to punch you in your face because you’re a child who has done something unforgivable, but I swear to god I will forget all of that if you finish that statement.” Ehn didn’t want to hear Kengkla try to justify himself, to try to say he had feelings for Techno. He may have thought he had feelings, but it was clear that Kengkla honestly didn’t know what the word meant. “If you really cared about him, you wouldn’t have done what you did and you sure as hell wouldn’t have kept coming around when he told you to leave him alone.”

Ehn shook his head and almost rolled his eyes at himself. He was falling into the situation instead of walking away like he needed to do. Instead he pushed past Kengkla and continued walking to where he’d parked his car. “He kissed me! That means something, and he sai-” Kengkla shouted after Ehn, but he was cut off from continuing his statement when Ehn had turned back around, dropped the bag in his hand, and punched Kengkla with the intention of getting him to shut up - and to expel some of the anger that had built up since he’d been told what Kengkla had done in the first place.

Kengkla’s shout at being hit started to attract attention from people around them. Ehn took advantage of the fact that Kengkla had been caught off guard to grab him by the arm and pull him down to a nearby side street where there weren’t people milling about. He shoved Kengkla against the wall of the building. “Listen up because I’m only going to say this once - Techno was drunk. He had no idea who the hell you were. You could have been a complete stranger and he would have kissed you back. I don’t think you planned on any of it happening, but you took advantage of him when he couldn’t consent to what you were doing and that isn’t love. It sure as hell didn’t make him suddenly love you.”

Kengkla pushed himself away from the wall at that. He had no real idea how to fight but it didn’t stop him from throwing a punch and another and another - the first of which Ehn hadn’t been prepared for and hadn’t been able to block. Ehn was taller and broader, which worked in his favor as he fought back once the initial shock wore off. Still, Kengkla was angry to the point that he really didn’t care, and he managed to catch Ehn off guard by fighting back, which he was able to use to his advantage until they were being pulled apart by some guys who worked in the building that they were next to who had come out (most likely on a break, but neither Kengkla nor Ehn really cared). While Kengkla had managed to get several good punches in, he still fared worse off than Ehn did but better than Ehn’s phone which fell out of his pocket and hit the ground. It was likely going to have a cracked screen and could have been completely broken, but Ehn really did not pay it much mind. “Don’t come near him again,” Ehn told Kengkla as he shrugged off the guy that had pulled him away and was threatening to call the police if they didn’t break it up. “You fucked it up for yourself. Deal with it and go away.”

“You can’t stop me from trying to talk to him,” Kengkla seethed as Ehn started to walk away. “I need him to listen to me, then he’ll know that he’s the only one for me. He makes me feel…” Kengkla trailed off his comment, not wanting to repeat to Ehn what he’d told Technic about how Techno made him feel nothing short of love. “He’s just confused and people like you aren’t helping. Filling his head with bullshit.”

“You’re the one who is confusing him and hurting him. But you’re so wrapped up in yourself you can’t see how you’ve done nothing but hurt him. You’re harassing him, you’ve stalked him and you’ve taken advantage of him. You need help if you think those are ways to express your feelings.” Kengkla looked as though he was going to throw himself on Ehn and start fighting again until he realized that one of the guys that had broken up the fight was in the process of calling the police. He shoved the guy away from him and rushed off, then.

The guy put away his phone and asked if Ehn was okay. Ehn felt emotionally drained - the physical ache from being hit several times over didn’t register with him yet. Similarly, he didn’t really fully absorb the guy telling him that he hadn’t actually called the police but he’d thought it might help get Kengkla to leave after overhearing what the two of them were shouting at one another about. “I don’t really care who started it - if he really did those things to someone…” the guy said with a shake of his head. It was more of an automatic reaction that Ehn nodded and thanked the guy and his friend for helping. Not that he’d really needed it - but they’d kept him from going too far with fighting Kengkla which was good. “Can we call someone for you?”

Ehn shook his head and walked over to where his phone had ended up getting kicked aside. He winced as he bent over to pick it up. “Are you sure?” asked the other guy as he reached out to help steady Ehn when he seemed to stumble a little. The adrenaline that had been coursing through his system was fading faster than anticipated and he felt shaky to a point that driving would not have been smart. It was then that Ehn realized that Kengkla actually had fought better than he’d realized during the whole thing. He was going to be bruised and sore for several days. He wasn’t even sure when Kengkla had managed to hit him along the ribs but they felt like they were going to be bruised. Everything had happened far too fast for him to keep track of what actually happened during the fight. “You probably shouldn’t be driving anywhere. Is someone around?”

Ehn checked on his phone and found that it still seemed to work even if the glass was broken and would need to be replaced. “I can call…” Ehn started to say but then trailed off because he wasn’t sure who to call. He knew he could call Tharn or Type or Techno, but he wasn’t exactly in a hurry to tell Techno what had happened. “I can call someone. I’ll be fine.”

“You should come and at least sit inside,” one of the two workers insisted. Ehn started to decline the offer, not sure that their boss would appreciate it.  “I’m the owner, so I’m sure he’s not going to care.” Ehn hesitated for a few seconds but then he nodded and started to follow the two inside while attempting to push himself through the shakiness and exhaustion he felt.

Once he was sat down at a table in the building - a cafe that Ehn had never been before but passed by many times - Ehn called Tharn. It was slow in the cafe, only a couple of customers that Ehn could see, but they did not seem to pay him any mind as they were lost in their own conversations. “Tharn, don’t say anything, but I need you to come pick me up - or take a taxi here and drive my car back for me,” he said when Tharn answered the phone after several rings. He had almost hung up and called Type instead. “Don’t tell Ai’No or Type just yet. Just… just come here. I’ll send my location.”

“Uh, yeah,” replied Tharn. “Is everything okay?”

Ehn sighed and then winced as it made his side hurt. “Yeah. I’ll explain when you get here. Oh, and have Type order some food to be delivered or something.” Ehn thanked Tharn in advance before the phone call ended and he used his phone to find his location to send it to Tharn all while trying to think of just how to explain what happened to Techno when he got home. He knew that Techno didn’t want any of them fighting with Kengkla, but honestly, Ehn didn’t have a single regret right at that moment.

Chapter Text

“What the hell happened to you?” asked Tharn as he came into the shop and spotted Ehn sitting at one of the otherwise empty tables.

He had a small plastic cup of ice to the left side of his face where his cheek was bruised pretty badly. It was more so than the right, but there were bruises there, too. He could feel bruises forming along his side and his left shoulder felt achy. He hadn’t been able to check and see what the full extent of the damage was but he was silently cursing the fact that Kengkla had been able to fight back like he did. “I ran into Kengkla,” Ehn told him with a wince as he lowered the cup. “He started talking shit, and I-”

“You don’t have to explain.” Tharn couldn’t say that he wouldn’t have hit the guy just for breathing in his vicinity, after all. After seeing Ehn’s face, he couldn’t help but feel his anger at Kengkla build. Even if Ehn had started something, Tharn still didn’t like the idea of anyone hurting someone he considered a friend. Though he was sure that Ehn hadn’t hit Kengkla for no reason at all (if everyone ignored the fact that what he had done to Techno was reason enough). “You’ll have to explain it to Techno, anyway.”

Ehn winced at the reminder. “I’m… I can’t say that I’m sorry but I’m sure he’s not going to be happy about this.”

Tharn nodded his head and sighed. “Where’s your keys? I took a taxi,” he explained. Ehn got his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Tharn.

“I think I can drive now,” he said as Tharn started walking over toward the door. “Thanks for coming, though.” Ehn felt exhausted still, but he didn’t think he was too out of it to not be able to drive anymore. It just made him feel bad because he’d made Tharn come all the way out there for no reason.

“Shut up. Like I’m going to let you drive. I’d get my ass kicked for letting you if something happened.” Whether it was Type or Techno who would do so, Tharn wasn’t entirely sure. Either way, he was sure that one of them would make him regret it if something happened. Ehn looked unsteady on his feet as he got up to go thank someone behind the counter and throw away the plastic cup, but he was walking and he didn’t seem to have a concussion - Tharn was pretty sure they could get away with not stopping by the hospital if Ehn didn’t want to. Tharn offered to take him when they made it back to the car; but, Ehn said that it was fine. He honestly just wanted to get home.

“I can’t believe that Kengkla could fight well enough to mess up your face that bad,” Tharn commented after he had pulled out of the parking spot and started to drive back to their complex .

The statement startled out a laugh from Ehn, who closed his eyes as he rested his head back against the headrest. “I think I struck a nerve,” he told Tharn. “He wanted my help to get Techno to talk to him.”

Tharn snorted out a laugh at that. “Yeah, because that would happen.” Tharn shook his head in disbelief that Kengkla had somehow thought that Ehn was someone that would help him out. Even if Kengkla hadn’t realized the fact that Ehn liked Techno, it was pretty obvious that Ehn didn’t want to have Kengkla around from their previous interactions alone. If what Tharn had heard about that run in was anything to go by, anyway. “Does he think that you don’t know what he’s done?”

“That’s the thing. He doesn’t see anything wrong with what he’s done.” Ehn scowled as he thought back over everything Kengkla had said. “He tried to justify it and he said…” Ehn sighed inaudibly as he looked down at his hand, thoughtlessly flexing his fingers - he didn’t seem to have messed up his hand beyond the bruising there. Hitting someone hurt a lot more than the media made it seem. Ehn hadn’t fought with anyone since high school and had forgotten that fact.

“What did he say?”

Tharn’s question made Ehn look up and over at him. He’d forgotten that he’d stopped talking until he heard Tharn’s voice. “He insists that he only did what he did because Techno wanted him to, that he’d even kissed him back.”

“Bullshit.” Tharn had to visibly pause and take a deep breath in order to stop himself from changing directions and going to find Kengkla for himself. “Type told me that Ai’No was so out of it, he thought he was in his bedroom when he was in the entryway of the house. Even if Techno had said something that seemed like consent, Kengkla would have known that Techno didn’t really know what was going on.” He highly doubted Techno had even known who he was with. He had seen Techno really drunk before, after all. One time, he had thought Tharn was Type for a good while until Type had come into the room.

“I know. He told me and he’s told me what he remembers, which isn’t a whole lot.” Ehn didn’t really like discussing what had happened to Techno with someone else, but with what had happened, he couldn’t really not talk about it, either. “Kengkla’s going to try to get to No again. He said that I couldn’t keep him from talking to him.”

“Maybe not alone,” said Tharn. “But none of us are going to let that happen.”

Back at the condo building, Type thanked the delivery guy that brought the food Type had ordered after Tharn left. “Did Tharn say where he was going?” asked Techno after Type shut the door.

Type shook his head and carried the bags over to the coffee table to start sorting through the orders. “No, but I’m assuming he should be back soon,” Type answered. He didn’t like that Tharn had left without really explaining what was going on. But he hadn’t tried to force Tharn to tell him what was happening, either. He was trying to not jump to conclusions but he didn’t think anything good was going on since Tharn hadn’t told him what was going on besides the fact that Ehn wasn’t bringing food anymore. Type handed Techno his order and set aside his own before putting Ehn and Tharn’s orders over in the kitchenette. He wasn’t sure how long they were going to be but he assumed they would be back soon enough.

The two of them sat on the floor by the coffee table, leaning back against the front of the couch as they ate and watched a replay of a football game on the television. When the door opened, Type looked over at it with the intention of teasing Ehn and Tharn about the food going cold waiting on them but he set aside his own food when he saw Ehn’s face and said, “What the hell happened to you?” Tharn wasn’t with Ehn, but Type was too focused on Ehn to notice right away.

Techno sat up straighter and placed his own food on the table as he got up from his spot on the floor and Ehn insisted that he was fine. “I ran into Kengkla,” Ehn explained. Type moved where he was sitting, shifting further down so that Ehn could sit on the couch without having to walk too far. “I was leaving and he said some things he shouldn’t have so…” He gestured to his own face as the example of the result of the interaction.

“Tell me he at least looks worse than you,” said Type as Techno went into the other room.

Ehn looked for a few seconds like he was going to follow Techno but he sighed and shrugged before reaching up to rub his shoulder where it hurt. “I’d like to think so, at least.”

“What all did he say?” Type looked like he was debating on whether or not it was worth it to leave to go find Kengkla for himself. “Where’s Tharn?”

“He went back to your place. Said to tell you he’d see you when you got home.”

Ehn sat up a little straighter when Techno returned to the room with a first aid kit in his hand. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to Ehn before opening the box as Ehn answered Type’s earlier question. He didn’t go into detail about what Kengkla had said, but gave an overview as Techno silently used some antibiotic cream that was in the box for the cut on Ehn’s face that he hadn’t realized was there until Techno started to take care of it. Kengkla had probably been wearing a ring. It made Ehn feel a little smug to know that it meant Kengkla’s finger was probably hurt as well. Techno stayed quiet as Ehn told them about what had happened, focusing more on what he was doing than Ehn’s words. “Have you iced your hand?” Techno asked quietly as Type insisted that Kengkla was obviously dumb and he needed to just go away - a sentiment they all agreed with.

Ehn shook his head and Techno set aside the first aid kit as he stood up to go get some ice from the freezer. “When did you get a first aid kit?” Type asked Techno when he returned to the couch and placed the ice on top of Ehn’s bruised hand. 

“I’ve kept one for a while because of you,” answered Techno with a nod of his head in Type’s direction. Type just shrugged and reached over to pat Techno’s knee while stating that he was a good friend. Techno turned his attention back to Ehn after smiling a little at Type. “Are you okay?”

“Well, I don’t think anything’s broken so I’ll be fine. I know you didn’t want any of us fighting with him b-”

“I don’t care that you fought him, I didn’t want you fighting anyone at all,” Techno clarified. Him not wanting any of them to fight with Kengkla honestly had very little to do with him worrying about them hurting Kengkla and had everything to do with him not wanting any of them to be even a little bit hurt because of him. Ehn nodded his head a little but didn’t say anything right away.

Type cleared his throat a little and he stood up. “Well, I’ll leave you two to talk about this and take Tharn his food. Unless you guys need anything?” he said. 

When they told him that they were fine, Type nodded and gathered his and Tharn’s food - he placed Techno’s and Ehn’s into the fridge after asking if either one wanted theirs right then. Neither one of them did and said as much while Techno put everything back into the first aid kit. Type said his goodbye to them, but seemed almost hesitant to leave. After a few seconds, he decided he would just talk to Ehn later and he left them be for the moment. “You shouldn’t have fought with him,” Techno insisted once Type had left the apartment. “You’re still going to have these bruises at graduation. I can’t believe you did this.”

“I wasn’t going to just let him keep it up,” replied Ehn. “And, it’s not like I haven’t wanted to fight him since you told me. I know you don’t like that kind of thing, bu-”

“It’s not that I don’t want you fighting him . I don’t want you fighting anyone. I don’t care about him, I care about you. And I don’t want you to get hurt. Especially not because of me.” It wasn’t worth it, in his own opinion.

“I don’t regret it, so stop blaming yourself.” Techno nodded a little, and Ehn set aside the ice that he’d gotten in order to wrap his arm around Techno’s shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Techno was careful with wrapping his arms around Ehn in turn, but it still caused Ehn’s side to hurt and he tried to hide a wince. Techno apologized to him - he must not have hid it very well. “It’s fine. Just probably bruised. Don’t worry about it.”

“You don’t know me very well if you think that will happen,” Techno replied, making Ehn laugh softly before they sat there silently, watching the television without really seeing what was happening. 

“Ai’No?” Techno hummed to let Ehn know that he was listening. “He’s going to try to talk to you again.” Ehn wanted to go out and find Kengkla to make sure that didn’t happen when he felt Techno tense up beside him. He didn’t want Techno to have to deal with Kengkla ever again.

“I’ll be fine. Just don’t fight with him again, please.”

“I… can’t promise that.”

Techno sighed heavily and rested his head against Ehn’s shoulder. He was trying really hard not to laugh or smile at Ehn’s statement. He didn’t approve of the whole fighting thing, after all, but there was something nice about knowing that there was someone who would. “Are you tired?” Techno asked after they had sat there a while longer. It wasn’t very late, but after fighting with Kengkla, Techno was sure that Ehn was probably exhausted. He knew that he had been after the few physical fights he’d been in before.

“Mn. But I’m comfortable here.” He wanted to keep Techno hugged close to his side, but when he felt Techno start to pull away, he let him.

“You should get some rest. I’ll bring you some pain relievers if you want some.” Techno got up from the couch but he stopped when Ehn reached up to grab a hold of his hand. “Hm?”

“I don’t need any pain relievers.” Techno nodded at the statement and used their joined hands to help Ehn stand up. Ehn smiled a little, as much as he could without his face hurting more than the dull throbbing that he was starting to get used to already. “I’ll go rest, if you go with me.”

Techno seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, but then he nodded his head. He didn’t really think too much of the request. It wasn’t like he hadn’t shared a bed with Type, Can, or Champ in the past. It would be the first time that he and Ehn did something like that, but they were good friends by that point, so he didn’t see a problem with it. “Okay. Let me put up the first aid kit and change out of these jeans first.”

Ehn nodded and gently squeezed Techno’s hand before letting go so that Techno could go do what he’d said he would. He put the first aid kit up in his room and changed into some basketball shorts and a tee before heading over to Ehn’s room. “Are you sure you're okay?” Techno asked as he entered the room and found Ehn struggling to put on a different shirt. There were darkening bruises on Ehn's side and on the front of his shoulder, likely from Kengkla missing an attempt to hit his face either from Ehn protecting himself or Kengkla just not knowing what he was doing. Either way was just as likely. 

“Yeah. It’s just bruises. Promise,” Ehn answered, attempting to smile at Techno for a few seconds before giving up and just dropping aside his shirt while settling down onto the bed. 

“Your mom is going to kill me. It’s my fault you’re going to have bruises in your graduation photos.” Techno frowned but didn’t fight against it when Ehn reached out to grab his wrist and direct him to lay down on the bed as well.

“First of all, it isn’t your fault.” Ehn gave Techno a rather pointed look, hoping that he would get that through his head instead of lingering on the false belief he was to blame. “Secondly, I’m going to see those photos and remember that I look like a badass in them because I was able to defend somebody I care about. There’s no negative at all in that thought. Mom can have her copies of the photos touched up if they bother her that much.”

Techno laughed softly at that as he got comfortable laying down on his side facing Ehn while Ehn did the same next to him since he could lay on his uninjured side and face Techno. “Okay, okay. I’ll drop it. For now.”

Ehn nodded and leaned in closer to Techno while placing a hand on his shoulder. Before Techno could ask what Ehn was doing, Ehn was pressing a lingering kiss to his forehead. Techno paused for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and laughed softly with a small smile tugging on his lips. He rested a hand on Ehn’s wrist as Ehn pulled away enough to smile at him. Techno opened his eyes and returned the small smile with a nod of his head. “Good. Now, tell me about what you and Type got up to today.” Techno nodded again and started to tell Ehn about his day, getting sidetracked to complain about Can and his never-ending stomach and how Tin would have to take over that aspect and he hoped Tin was ready. When he ran out of things to say, he started talking about anything else that came to mind until he realized that Ehn had dozed off at some point while he’d been talking. It wasn’t too long after that when Techno fell asleep as well. He’d intended to get up and go to his own bed after Ehn fell asleep, but he never quite made it.

The next day, the bruising on Ehn’s face looked much worse than they had earlier - but he promised Techno that they didn’t hurt any more than they had already. Techno still didn’t like it and could not keep himself from frowning whenever he saw the bruises, even if Ehn seemed to be in a good mood. He talked with their friends and joked around as if nothing had happened. “Ai’No, I’m fine,” Ehn insisted after he caught Techno looking at him with that frown again. “Stop worrying about it. You promised.”

“I didn’t,” replied Techno. He said he would stop worrying about it for the time being. That was it. “It looks worse today.”

“Thanks.”

“No, that’s not-” Techno broke off with a laugh and a shake of his head when Ehn just smirked at him. “Go to your final.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go. Want to go get ice cream after? My treat. To celebrate us surviving the last day.” Techno nodded a little and Ehn smiled as he started to walk away so that he could head to his class. 

Techno’s last final was honestly the easiest one he had ever taken. He didn’t even have to worry about whether or not he would have to retake the class later. There was no way that he had failed the final. Because of that, he was in a great mood as he went to wait for Ehn outside the music faculty building. “Waiting for Ehn?” asked Type as he sat down on the low lying wall next to him. 

“Mn. He should be finishing his last final soon,” Techno answered with a nod of his head. “I take it you’re picking up Tharn, then?” Type told him that he was, but he wasn’t sure when Tharn would be finished with whatever it was he was doing. “Are you glad that the next time we come here, it’ll be graduation?”

“Yes, oh my god. I’m so ready.” Type groaned and he leaned over to rest his head against Techno’s shoulder. “I’m not ready to go home, though. Tharn and I are leaving the day after graduation. We’ll be back before I start work.”

Techno nodded his head a little and rested his head on top of Type’s. “Good luck with that. You’re going to need it.”

“It’s been three years since Tharn and I got together. You would think my dad would have accepted it by now.” Type sighed but then sat up with a smile when Techno gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “How’s Ehn?”

“The bruising looks worse today.” Techno frowned as he glanced over toward the building they were next to. “He insists that he’s fine, though. I can’t believe that he did that.”

“Really? I’m surprised it took him that long to hit Kengkla after what the guy did to you. I figured he would have the first time he got to meet Kengkla after you told him.” Techno shook his head and sighed inaudibly. He still really didn’t like the idea of Ehn getting hurt because of him. “He cares about you a lot, you know.”

“Of course. We’re friends.”

Type opened his mouth to say something about that but just sighed and shook his head. He patted Techno’s shoulder, ignoring Techno’s questions about what he was going to say in favor of looking over when he heard Ehn greeting the two of them. “So you survived. Is it your last day, too?” he asked.

“Mn. Ai’No and I were going to go out to celebrate surviving,” answered Ehn. “Do you want to join us?”

He seemed almost hesitant to ask, which made Type send him a knowing smile. He wanted to take Ehn up on the offer, just to watch him squirm a bit - but, he and Tharn already had plans. “I’d say yes, but we’ve already got plans. We’re supposed to be having dinner with his family.”

“Maybe another time, then.” Ehn gave Type a small smile, though he was glad that Type wouldn’t be able to continue to tease him. Even if the teasing was subtle and no one else really noticed it. “Tharn should be out here, soon. He was finishing up with one of our professors when I left.”

“We can wait with you if you want,” offered Techno.

“Nah.” Type shook his head and placed a hand on the back of Techno’s shoulder, pushing him until he was standing up. “You two go ahead. But, uh, graduation day? You two want to come and have breakfast at ours? We can prepare for having to deal with masses of people for hours afterward.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” Ehn nodded his head in agreement with Techno’s words, and they spent a few more minutes making their plans for that morning before Ehn and Techno left, leaving Type to continue to wait for Tharn to be ready to leave. Type watched the two of them walk off and the way that Techno thoughtlessly grabbed a hold of Ehn’s hand, and he shook his head at the two of them.

Chapter Text

“Ai’Ehn, no! That’s mine,” Techno insisted with a laugh as he tried to shield his ice cream from Ehn’s spoon. “You should have gotten this kind if you wanted it.”

“After I shared some of mine, this is the thanks I get?” said Ehn with a laugh.

“Not my fault you’re too nice for your own good.” Techno struggled to keep a straight face as he spoke.

It made Ehn smile and shake his head before eating a bit of his own ice cream. “So, when’s your first day of work?” Ehn asked him. He then mumbled a thank you when Techno wordlessly shifted over his small paper bowl of ice cream closer to Ehn to share. 

“About two weeks? I took a little time to just kinda…” Techno vaguely gestured with one hand. He’d taken the time so that he could spend some time just free of responsibilities before starting to work. His parents had been willing to support him however long he needed them to, but he didn’t like the idea of continuing to live on their assistance forever.  “What about you?”

“Technically I’ve already started.” He’d been working there since his internship during third year, which had transitioned into a very part time position so that he could put more focus on his classes. But he’d taken some time off for after graduation as well. “But I start full time in a little more than a week.” Techno nodded at the information and ate some more of his ice cream. “I was askin- P’Wai?” Ehn suddenly changed what he was saying when he saw someone Techno vaguely recognized come in the front door of the shop. Techno wasn’t sure why she looked familiar, but Ehn obviously knew her. “What are you doing here?”

“What happened to your face?” she asked instead of answering as she came over to the table and Ehn stood up. She grabbed his chin to inspect the bruising on it closer as he insisted that he was fine. “Mom will flip.”

Mom. Right. That was why she looked familiar. P’Wai was Ehn’s older sister. She must have come back home for his graduation. Techno had seen photos of her with her family at their place when he’d gone there. Techno tried not to feel guilty all over again at the mention of their mother and what she would think about the bruising that he still felt responsible about. “She already knows.”

“She does?” asked Techno, making Ehn look over at him with a small smile and a nod of his head.

He hadn’t told his mother exactly why he’d gotten into a fight with someone, but he’d made it clear that it was a thing that happened, he wouldn’t apologize, and that it would have to be accepted. “Oh. Who’s this?” asked Wai with a smile at Techno. She had gotten distracted by the bruising on her brother’s face and didn’t quite realize that he wasn’t alone until then. “Wait. Let me guess. The roommate, right? Techno?” Techno nodded with a small smile as she and Ehn sat back down at the table. Wai sent Ehn a very knowing look that Ehn ignored by focusing on his ice cream for a few seconds.

“How did you know I was here?” Ehn questioned.

“Ah, one of your friends said you were here. I went by campus to surprise you there, but they said you already left. Now I see why.” She smirked as she reached over and took Ehn’s spoon away from him, ignoring his protests. “I feel kind of bad for interrupting. I didn’t realize you were on a date.”

“How long are you in town for?” Ehn asked, ignoring her last statement. He tried not to read too much into it that Techno didn’t protest against her comment. If anything, he seemed thoughtful but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t move from where he was sitting pressed against Ehn’s side, either.

“A few days. I couldn’t miss your graduation and since I made the trip all the way out here, might as well enjoy a couple of days.” She handed the spoon back to Ehn, then. “Techno, you’re graduating, too, aren’t you? What did you study?”

“Mn. Physical science,” he answered.

Wai’s brow furrowed as she looked between the two of them. Ehn was studying music, and she knew he didn’t play football anymore. She wasn’t sure how he would have ties to someone in a different department entirely. “How did you two meet, then?”

“We have a mutual friend. My best friend is dating one of his friends from the music department.”

Wai nodded in understanding, then. She hadn’t heard much of anything besides the fact that Ehn had gotten a new roommate. She knew that her mother seemed to like the guy but that was the extent of it. “Well, congratulations on graduating.” She smiled at him and then reached up to poke at Ehn’s face just below one of his bruises. “I’ll see you later, kid. I’ve interrupted long enough.” She smiled when Techno said that she was not interrupting - she had traveled a long way specifically to see her brother, after all. “N’Techno, I hope we get a chance to talk more later. If you don’t have plans for after graduation, I know Mom is planning a big dinner to celebrate. You should join us.” Wai then got up from the table and waved at the two of them without really waiting for Techno’s response to the invitation.

“She is right,” Ehn said once it was just the two of them, again. “About dinner, I mean. I didn’t even know about it until this morning or I would’ve invited you already.”

“I don’t know,” he replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “I might… I might go see Technic.” Techno hadn’t entirely made up his mind yet. He was still upset with his brother about everything, but more than that, Nic was his brother, still.

“Mn. Well, the offer still stands.”

Techno smiled and nodded before gently nudging Ehn with his elbow. “Come on. Let’s finish our ice cream so we can go home.” Ehn nodded his head and agreed with Techno before stealing another spoonful of his ice cream, making Techno complain even though he had previously offered it to Ehn. Ehn just smirked at Techno before offering his bowl of ice cream in turn. “Hey, what were you saying before P’Wai came in, anyway?”

“Oh, right.” Ehn had gotten distracted by his sister showing up there, and he had almost forgotten that he’d started to say something in the first place. “Mom and Dad are giving me a vacation trip for a graduation present. It’s a couple of days, but I’m not sure where to. They didn’t say. I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me.”

“Me? You don’t have anyone else you’d want to go with? Maybe go with a bunch of your music friends?” Techno laughed a little with a slightly furrowed brow. Surely there was someone else Ehn would rather spend that time with. They lived together and he was sure that Ehn would have been tired of him and ready for a break.

But Ehn shook his head at the suggestions. “Why would I want to go and do that?”

“Oh. Well, then… okay, yeah. Would be fun to get away from here for a while before having to focus on adult things. Who knows when the next chance we’ll get will be.” Techno nodded with a small smile. 

The morning of graduation came sooner than any of them had thought it would. Techno and Ehn went over to Type and Tharn’s place to eat breakfast with them. They all seemed to talk about anything but graduation or Tharn and Type heading out of town the next day. Breakfast ended up being cut short, however, when both Tharn and Ehn were called off by their respective families to spend some time with them before the ceremony. Type’s parents weren’t able to make the trip, and nobody expected Techno’s parents to show up even before they’d made it known they wouldn’t make it. “Are you nervous about today?” Type asked Techno as they sat on the couch. 

“No,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “If I make a fool of myself there’s no one there to judge me too harshly.” He was honestly ready to just get it over with. He was proud of his accomplishments and he was glad for the day to celebrate what his friends had worked through. To him, the whole day was a reminder of how messed up his life had gotten. While he’d always known his parents wouldn’t show up - the fact that Nic probably wouldn’t be there was just a lot. “Do you think I should have asked him to come?”

“Who? Nic?” Type always had a good ability at somehow knowing where Techno’s mind had wandered whenever he seemed to change topics. Techno felt like it was a good sign of just how long they’d been friends. He nodded his head and helped Type throw away the trash from their breakfast. “Do you want to see him?”

“I think so.” Techno shrugged his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking of going to the house after everything is over to see him. Maybe. I mean… I’m still mad at him. It hurts that he’s done what he has, but…”

“He’s your brother.” Techno nodded in agreement of Type’s statement. “If you want to go see him, I’ll go with you.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Techno shook his head but Type just laughed softly.

“Please let me go with you. It’ll get me out of having to go to dinner with Tharn’s family.” Type liked Tharn’s family well enough, but he really wasn’t sure he would be able to deal with all of their family togetherness that evening. He knew that Tharn’s family liked him, but still. It was just a lot to try to deal with when he was facing having to deal with his own family and that wasn’t exactly a good time. He loved his parents but things with his dad were still just… not good. Type sighed and sank down low on the couch so that he could rest his head against Techno’s shoulder. “Do you think you could go home for me and talk sense into my dad?”

“I don’t think it’d do you any good to send me instead.” Techno laughed and patted the top of Type’s thigh. “He’ll come around. He loves you. He just- I don’t know.” Type sighed and nodded his head. “Besides, I’m not going to be here, anyway.”

“What? Why?” Type sat up fully to turn over and look at Techno.

“Ehn’s parents are paying for a vacation for his graduation present and he asked me to go with him.” Techno still wasn’t entirely sure where they were going but Ehn had mentioned a beach (“Probably on Koh Chang,” Ehn had told him, further explaining that his family used to take yearly trips out there up until about two years prior when they chose a different location).

“You’re going on vacation with him?” Type smirked a little as he watched Techno.

Techo just shrugged in response. “Yeah. He asked and it’s not like I’ve got anything better to do. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Ai’No. I need you to be serious for a moment.” Type grabbed Techo’s face by placing a hand on either side of his face and making Techno look at him. “And I need you to think about it really hard. Do you like Ehn?”

“Well, yeah. He’s m-”

“No. Ai’No.” Type could not stop himself from laughing as he interrupted Techno. “Do you like him?”

Techno didn’t answer him but grabbed Type’s wrists to gently pull his hands away while standing up from the couch. “I, uh, I think I need to go get ready. We’re going to be late.”

“Techno. Come on. Just talk to me. It’s me. I’m not going to judge you or anything. Not anymore.”

“That’s- that’s not… I’m… I’ve got to go.”

Techno didn’t wait for Type to say anything else before he left to head down the hall to his and Ehn’s place. He tried not to think about Type’s question too much, or why he’d sort of freaked out like he had. It wasn’t a bad question, and it wasn’t like he hadn’t already come to terms with the fact that he could like a guy. It was just… It was Ehn. Ehn had become one of his closest friends and Techno didn’t want to mess that up by muddling things with feelings or anything like that. Things were good as they were. But the question from Type made Techno start to question his own actions and feelings and the potential of what it could mean. It could change everything - most likely in a not so good way if those feelings did exist and they weren’t returned. Or maybe worse still if they were but then things went bad and he ended up losing someone he cared about. It was just a lot and Techno really didn’t want to think about it right then.

So he did what he did best when he didn’t know how to handle something. He didn’t. He ignored it and started to get ready for the graduation ceremony. Once he was ready, Techno left the apartment and made his way to the elevator. Type met up with him there as they waited for the elevator. “Ai’No are you okay?” Type asked as they waited. Techno nodded with a smile at him.

“Can we not? About earlier? I just… I want to get through today,” he told Type and he sighed as they stepped onto the elevator.

“Sure, but Ai’No, it really is okay if you like him, you know.” 

“Type.” Techno sighed heavily again and shook his head a little.

“Just listen to me. You don’t have to figure out what it means or even do anything about it today - or ever. But just know. It is okay to let yourself have feelings for someone. Especially someone who is good to you.” Type patted Techno’s shoulder with his hand that wasn’t carrying the garment bag with his graduation gown and cap in it, and the two of them exited the elevator as it opened up on the ground floor. “Do you want to go with me or are you driving yourself?”

Techno seemed to think about it for a few seconds before he smiled at Techno. “You drive. We’ll end up being late if I do it.”

Thankfully, they ended up not being late, though it was a very close call. Techno’s hat was crooked when he made it to his place in the lineup but thankfully one of his friends was next to him in line and helped him get it fixed before the ceremony officially started. It seemed to go faster and slower than anticipated all at the same time. In what felt like no time, it was over and everyone was leaving to gather with friends and family around the designated areas. Type was with Tharn and Tharn’s family and Techno had seen Ehn with his own family at some point as he weaved his way through the crowds of people. He smiled when he saw Champ being dragged off by his mother insisting they get photos over at a specific spot despite his protesting. “P’No!” Techno heard before he was nearly being barreled over by Can rushing at him and hugging him tightly. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks Can,” Techno chuckled as he patted Can’s back. Looking behind Can, Techno found Ae, Pete, Tin, and Tar standing there.

“My turn,” Tar insisted as he gently tugged on Can’s shoulder to make him let go. When he did, Tar pulled Techno into a tight hug that was easily returned. “Congratulations. I’m proud of you.” Tar smiled brightly as he stepped away from Techno, and let everyone else greet him as well. Tin even told him congratulations, though he didn’t join everyone else in hugging Techno. “I want pictures! We’ve already seen Champ. Where’s Type and Ehn?”

“Around. I’m not sure where exactly.” It was very crowded and busy with everyone milling about, congratulating the graduates and taking photos.

Tar nodded and had Ae take a few photos of him and Techno to start with. Eventually they found Ehn, Type, and Tharn and photos were taken with everyone. There were a lot of photos taken, some with all four of the graduates and the juniors, some with one or two. It was a mess but everyone was smiling and laughing. “I want one of just us three,” Tar told Techno and Type as he grabbed one arm from each of them. “Then just one of you two. Please?” Of course, neither one of them could deny Tar’s request and there were several photos taken of them and then just the two of them.

When Pete managed to force Tharn and Type to pose together so he could take photos of them (not that it was really a struggle as the two of them were obviously proud of one another and wanted to stand close together in the first place), Tar pushed Ehn and Techno together to get a couple photos of them before Ehn had to leave with his family. Before he walked off, Techno stopped him and took a couple of photos of the two of them on his own phone with a promise to send them to Ehn later. “You can still come by after a while, if you want,” Ehn told Techno. “I know my mom would love to be able to fuss over you and make sure you eat too much again.”

Techno laughed softly and nodded. “I’ll think about it, but I’ll see you later,” he replied. He waved before Ehn returned to his family to leave with them.

Tharn and Type eventually had to leave in order to make the dinner at Tharn’s place. Type gave Techno the keys to the car so that he could drive himself wherever he decided to go next. Techno lingered for a while with their younger friends. Then, he went to go find Champ and take some photos with him before they went their separate ways with promises of hanging out soon once they got settled in their new adult life routines.

Techno debated with himself for quite a while before he finally decided to go and visit Technic. He just hoped that his brother was home. Techno undid the tie he’d been wearing all day and let it hang loosely around his neck as he walked into the house. Technic came to the main hall already talking to him about having taken too long, obviously expecting someone else to be there. “P’No. Hi. I didn’t expect you to… Uh, congratulations. How was graduation?” he asked. “I thought about showing up, but then I… I didn’t know if you wanted me there and I didn’t want to mess up graduation for you. I’ve messed up enough.”

“It was fine,” answered Techno with a nod of his head. “And thank you.” Techno managed a weak smile at Technic as he crossed his arms over his chest. He rocked back and forth on his feet a couple of times before stilling himself with an inaudible sigh. “Did you get someone to move in with you?”

“Mn. I’ve got a couple of friends from school staying with me. We’re all going to the same school next year. I think… I think you’d like them.” Technic smiled smally at Techno, though it grew slightly when Techno nodded his head in response. “I haven’t seen Kengkla since the last time you were here. I mean, I saw him at school but we didn’t like… hang out or anything.”

“Mn.” Techno nodded his head again and sighed. “This is weird. Everything’s weird now.” Technic apologized and Techno reached out to pat the top of his shoulder. “It’s… I mean, what happened isn’t fine but… We’ll be ok, Nic.”

“Are you sure?”

Techno nodded again with a faint hum. He was sure that it would take time before he could fully trust Technic again, and spending time with him was just uncomfortable because he couldn’t help but remember the fact that Nic was the one that helped Kengkla stalk him. Nic was the one who continued to try to be Kengkla’s friend after everything. It all just made him very uncomfortable. But Nic was still his brother, and Techno was sure with time he would be able to move past it. “I’m going to go. I just… I wanted to see you, make sure that you’re okay.”

“I’m… I’m sorry. For all of it. I’m sorry I didn’t realize-”

“Don’t. Just… we’ll be okay. Later. Right now I still need space, but uh… I’ll check in on you from time to time.”

Technic nodded and smiled at that. It wasn’t the same as before, but it was more than Technic had anticipated all the same. He was just glad that he was going to have the opportunity to try to make up for the bad decisions he’d made. They stood around talking for only a few minutes longer before one of Technic’s roommates showed up. He was someone that Techno vaguely remembered from Nic’s circle of friends, but he seemed nice enough as Nic introduced the two of them. Techno didn’t hang around much longer after that. He said his good-bye for the time being and headed back to his own home.

He debated on whether or not he wanted to go to the dinner that Ehn’s family was having, but ultimately, Techno decided not to go. He wasn’t sure if he could keep up the whole bubbly friendly thing with a whole bunch of people. He was okay, really; but, he felt as though all his social ability had been drained at the ceremony that afternoon. The time alone would be good. It gave him a chance to relax and let go of some of the anxiousness that always seemed to build up whenever he had to visit his family home. It also gave him time to work on some laundry that he’d been avoiding so that he could have clothes to take when he and Ehn left.

Afterward, he lazed about the main room watching some movie on the television until Ehn came back home. It was earlier than Techno had expected him. “There’s only so many times I could take an aunt trying to pinch my cheeks and then complain because I had a valid excuse to tell them ‘no’,” Ehn told him. Techno tried not to laugh at him, really he did; but, he could not keep from doing so. “Mom said to tell you that you should come by for dinner again soon. Also-” Ehn held up a small box and tossed it at Techno for him to catch. It almost hit Techno in the face which made both of them laugh. “Are you sure you were captain of the football team?” he asked as Techno asked him what it was.

Techno looked at the box when Ehn told him to just see for himself and he found that it was a box of blue hair dye. “You got me blue hair dye?” he asked.

“Mn. You said after graduation you wanted to.” Ehn nodded as he sat down on the couch with a shrug of his shoulders. “Thought I could help you with that.”

Techno nodded his head slowly as he looked at the box for several seconds. He had forgotten that he’d made the comment of dying his hair blue when he could since he wasn’t happy with having had to go back to a natural color for graduation. It was just a small little thing, an off handed comment that hadn’t meant much, but Ehn had remembered. That made it feel like it was a huge thing. “Yeah.” Techno nodded his head again and smiled over at Ehn. “That sounds like fun.”

Chapter Text

“P’Tum?” said Tar quietly as he stood in the doorway and wrung his hands together. He waited until his brother told him to come into the room before he stepped into Tum’s bedroom. “I need some advice.”

“Yeah? With what?” he asked as he turned in his desk chair to actually look at Tar. “Are you ok? You look pale.” As he spoke, Tum got up and went to feel Tar’s forehead, checking for a fever.

It made Tar laugh and knock Tum’s hand away. “I'm fine. I'm just nervous.” Tar smiled sheepishly when Tum asked him what was going on. “I have a date.”

“What? Since when? With who?”

Tar smiled sheepishly again, and nodded his head. “Just a guy - P’Daw.”

“He's the one who came over before, right? That day you had the kitchen filled with cookies.” Tar nodded in answer to the question and Tum nodded as well. A part of him wanted to jump into older brother protective mode, but he had already seen how the guy treated Tar and he had nothing to complain about. Yet. That could always change. “Well… What do you need advice about?”

Tar let out a heavy breath. “I have no idea what to wear.” Tar was almost pouting as he spoke, which made Tum chuckle. 

“Where are you guys going?”

Tar continued wringing his hands together as he shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know. Daw is planning everything and he won't tell me.”

“Why not wear something a little casual and comfortable but still nice?” Tar nodded at the suggestion, even if he didn't think it really helped him out too much. Tum laughed, a short almost unamused laugh at himself, and shook his head. “I'm sorry. I'm not very helpful at that kind of thing. I mean, I always just go in jeans and a t-shirt.”

“Maybe this is why you haven't been on a second date,” Tar teased Tum, trying not to smile too much as he did so. 

“Okay - ouch. Who taught you to disrespect your older brother like that?” He half-heartedly tossed one of his pillows in Tar’s direction, which he easily dodged. “See if I help you again.”

“Aww, Phi, don't be mad. You'll find someone who doesn't mind that you still dress like a sixteen year old.”

Tar smiled innocently for all of five seconds before he broke out into a run as Tum jumped up out of his chair, chasing him through the house until he managed to catch Tar. He had his arm around Tar's neck while he used the other hand to mess up his hair, ignoring Tar’s protests. “Ah, okay, I give! Let me go,” Tar said, attempting not to laugh despite the outcome. “Now my hair looks awful.”

“Just tell him you were being a brat and I had to knock some sense into you,” Tum insisted, looking rather pleased with himself. Tar rolled his eyes at Tum and attempted to fix his hair so that it didn't look as messed up. “Hey, Tar?” He hummed a response to his brother but didn't look at him right away. “You would tell me if you were being pressured into this, right?” Tar quickly looked at him with a slightly horrified expression, and Tum spoke over his attempt to ask why he would ask such a thing. “The last we talked about this kind of stuff, you said that you were scared of falling in love and had no interest in dating.”

“Oh.” Tar nodded his head in understanding and smiled softly at Tum. He appreciated Tum’s concern for him. “I didn't. I mean… It's hard to explain.” Tar wasn't entirely sure where to begin. It was hard enough to justify his thoughts to himself, let alone voice them aloud. “I don't really… I mean… Okay.” Tar sighed and nodded his head once to himself. “I don't really think I want sex ever. Knowing that, I kind of didn't want to date at all, either. Who would want to go out with me if they knew they might never get laid?” Tar gave a short, disparaging laugh. “But, uhm. I really, really like Daw, and we talked about it already. He knows that sex might never be an option and he's okay with that.” For right then. Tar couldn't shake the fear that Daw might change his mind, but he decided that it was a worry for another time.  “So, I…”

“Want to try,” Tum offered as a continuation of Tar’s trailed off thought. He smiled a little when Tar nodded his agreement. “As long as you're sure it's what you want, then go for it. But if he ever tries to pressure you into anything…”

“I'll let you know.” Tar was pretty sure that wasn't a thing that would end up happening. Still, it was nice to know that he had someone in his corner should he need it. And he felt like it was a great sign of how he and Tum had managed to work things out and repair the damage that had been done to their relationship by Tar pushing him and everyone else away. 

Meanwhile, Type sighed inaudibly as he and Tharn stopped at the front door of his parents’ house. “Are you ready for this?” asked Tharn as he reached out to grab a hold of Type's hand.

“No,” he answered honestly, shaking his head little. “But I've got to be, so…” Type took a deep breath and gently squeezed Tharn’s hand before leading him into the house. “Mae?” Type’s question went unanswered, making him frown a little. His parents knew they were coming and about what time they were going to be there. Surely they hadn't gone out anywhere. “Let's take our stuff to the room.”

Tharn hummed out an agreement and he carried the bag to Type's room to place on the bed. Type did not let go of his other hand the entire way. Once it was set down, Type led Tharn back away from the bedroom and started to search the house. The sliding door that led out to the back patio was open, and they went to check it out. Type’s parents were there, his mother sitting at the patio table and his father was cooking something on the grill. “Oh, Type! I didn't hear you come in!” his mother exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat when she saw the two of them. “Tharn, it's great to see you again, dear.” She and Type both pointedly ignored his father's scoff at the statement, and she greeted both of them with tight hugs. “I'm so sorry we couldn't make it to your graduation. Congratulations to you both. I'm so proud.”

“Thank you, Mae,” Tharn said before she led the two of them over to the table.

“Pa,” Type spoke hesitantly as he went over to stand near his dad instead of sitting down. He received a hum in response, which Type took as better than nothing. He sighed and patted his dad's shoulder. “Can we talk after dinner?”

“Mn. Sit down,” he told Type. “Your mother made sure we had something without spice for your… Tharn.”

“Do you need any help with anything?”

With some reluctance on his dad's part, Type helped him get the side dishes that were inside still while Tharn talked quietly with his mother. Dinner honestly wasn't as bad as Type had thought it would be. His dad mostly ignored Tharn’s presence, but that was better than him picking on Tharn or anything of the like. After dinner, Tharn helped Type’s mother clean up and put things away while Type stayed outside with his dad on the patio. The sun was almost completely set but hadn't fully gone down yet. “I'm not staying more than a couple of days,” Type finally said after they sat around in silence for several minutes.

“You should. This is your home,” his dad insisted.

“My home is with Tharn.” His dad scoffed and Type sighed. “Pa, listen. This is the last time I'm going to say this. I'm not breaking up with Tharn. He is going to be in my life for the rest of it. I understand that you want what is best for me, but I need you to understand that Tharn is what's best for me. He's helped me become a better person.” Type smiled a little to himself and glanced up at the sky. “I've got a job waiting on me back in the city. In a few days, I'm going back with Tharn. We've been together over three years, now. I really hope this time you finally accept him.”

His dad didn't say anything else after that, and after several minutes of a tense silence, Type told his father goodnight and then went inside the house. He said goodnight to his mother as he passed her in the living room before going to his bedroom, where Tharn was. He was pulling out clothes to change into, but he stopped when Type walked over in order to hug him from behind. Type pressed a kiss to the back of Tharn’s shoulder before resting his cheek against it. “Thank you for coming here with me,” he told Tharn and he smiled softly when he felt Tharn gently squeeze his forearm. He closed his eyes and sighed when Tharn reminded him that he wouldn't let him come alone.

“How did your dad take the conversation?” Tharn asked Type as he pulled away only to wrap his arms around Type's middle and hug him close.

“I'm not sure. He didn't really say anything.” Type frowned as he thought about the lack of response, but he guessed he would try to get one in the morning. Right then he was exhausted from traveling and just the general anxiety of being there in the first place. If his dad had something to say right then, he would have said it, anyway. “You shower first. I'm going to check in with No. He and Ehn should be at the hotel by now.” Tharn seemed almost reluctant to agree, but he did as he figured that Type could use the moment to himself to sort through his feelings.

Techno didn't answer or even read any of the text messages that he sent once he lay down on the bed and got comfortable while Tharn showered. Frowning at the lack of response, Type texted Ehn instead - he at least viewed the messages even though he did not reply right away. “Type is complaining that you're ignoring him,” Ehn said to Techno with a slight laugh.

The two of them were relaxing on the beach outside of their room where there were lounge chairs scattered about. They weren't using any of the chairs, however. They'd ended up seated in the sand after Techno had made a beeline for it once they'd gone outside. They'd only arrived in time to watch the sunset as they sat there talking. “I left my phone back in the room,” Techno told Ehn, who nodded before he pointed his phone in Techno’s direction. “What are you doing?”

“Sending him a photo before he thinks I let you drown or something.” Ehn laughed when Techno rolled his eyes. It was a little difficult to see him in the photo due to the dim lighting dotting the area, but Ehn didn't feel like turning on the flash to his camera - which, Techno was thankful for. His eyes were adjusted to the darker atmosphere, after all. Ehn figured it would work well enough.

He sent the photo with a message to Type that they had made it and Techno's phone wasn't with him so he could stop worrying. Type sent back a smiley that was rolling its eyes, but Ehn was sure that he appreciated the response anyway. “You know, I don't think I've seen you this relaxed before,” Ehn commented as he put his phone into his pocket.

“Mn. Well. It reminds me of home,” Techno answered. He smiled at Ehn when he saw Ehn's brow furrowed in confusion. “Remember when I told you a bunch of us were taking a vacation to where Type and I went to high school and you couldn't join us?” He waited until he saw Ehn nod his head before continuing. “Well, it’s a beach town like this one - a little more residential but not without its own resorts. It was the place that felt most like home to me.” Maybe it was because that was where he associated with meeting Type and building his friendship with him. “Anyway, there's just something about places like this. The sand, the salt in the air, the breeze off the water… I don't know. It's just very calming.”

Ehn nodded at the explanation. He could sort of relate to it. He'd always held a fondness for the beach even though he had never lived there. “That just makes me even more glad you came with me.” 

“I'm glad, too. Thank you for inviting me. Of course, now I can't really say ‘no’ the next time your mom asks me to join you guys for dinner. I need to thank them, too.” Not that Techno really had plans to do such a thing, but he felt the need to make the joke anyway. 

“Mn. I think Mom is just glad I didn't come out here alone.”

Techno's brow furrowed slightly at that. “Would you have? If I hadn't come?”

Ehn didn't look directly at Techno as he tried to decide how to answer that question. “Mn. I didn't want to be here with anyone else.”

Techno nodded his head slowly at the answer. He felt like it said a lot, but nothing all at the same time. He almost wanted to make a joke out of it, but it didn't feel like the right time to do that. “Uhm, we should… We weren't going to be out here this long. Didn't we say just a few minutes and then we would go find food?” Techno stood up and brushed off the back of his shorts. That had been at least over an hour prior by that point, even though Techno wasn't exactly sure how long they had been there sitting around and talking before Type messaged Ehn. 

“Right, yeah.” Ehn got up as well and checked the ground to make sure neither of them were forgetting anything. Then they started to walk back to the room that had a sliding door leading out toward the beach. “There's a restaurant on site, or we could go someplace nearby.”

The two of them decided to go find something to eat nearby, using the time to see what else there was to do in the area. There were a lot of touristy locations, but that was to be expected, honestly. They ended up choosing a small restaurant to eat at that seemed busy enough but not overly crowded. The two of them talked the entire time, pointing out different things around them or talking about anything that came to mind. It always seemed to amaze Techno just how easy it was for him to have a conversation with Ehn about anything, and even when there were lulls in the conversation, it never felt awkward or tense. 

“Thank you for everything,” Techno said once they were walking back to the hotel. “I don't just mean this trip. I mean… This year. These past few months have been really difficult for me and you just - You really made things better.” Techno smiled softly over at Ehn as they walked. “Honestly, I don't know where I'd be if we hadn't become friends.”

“Probably still on Type and Tharn’s couch,” joked Ehn, making Techno laugh with a bright smile. “You don't have to thank me, though. It's not exactly a hardship to spend time with you.” 

“I can show you a list of people who would disagree.” Techno laughed again with a shake of his head.

“Good thing I don't care about anyone else's opinion.” Ehn’s response almost had Techno tripping over his own feet as they entered the hotel. Ehn acted as though he didn't notice and they continued to walk down the hall to their room. Techno was not sure why Ehn’s comment flustered him like it did. He told himself it was just because he hadn't expected such a casual counter to his self deprecating joke, even if a part of him was sure it was because he kept thinking back to his conversation with Type before the graduation ceremony. 

“You can shower first if you want,” Ehn offered as they entered the hotel room.

It was a large room with two large beds, a kitchen that was about three times the size of their kitchenette back home, a sitting area with the TV and couch, and a bathroom that was big enough they probably could have fit their whole main room in it. The best part of the room, though, was the fact that it opened up right onto the beach with a private covered patio right outside the sliding doors. It was clearly an expensive room and Techno had felt bad at first, but Ehn had gotten Techno to not dwell on it and remember that his parents wouldn't have made the trip happen if they were concerned about such things. 

Techno took Ehn up on the offer and took a shower, which honestly helped him feel a million times better than before. Having been stuck in the car for hours to get there wasn't exactly the highlight of the trip. He always felt gross after long car rides, but he'd been much too distracted when they got there to anything about it right away. When he was finished with his shower, he went back to the main room and found Ehn sitting on the far bed while playing his guitar, singing the song softly as he played. It was a song that Techno thought sounded familiar but he wasn't too sure why. Techno sat down next to Ehn on the bed silently. He listened as Ehn played while using the towel in his hand to dry out his hair more. The recently dyed blue looked better than Techno had thought it was going to, especially since he and Ehn hadn't really known what they were doing. 

“Are you going to shower?” Techno asked Ehn once he was finished playing.

“Mn. Here in moment,” he answered. “Do you want to play while I'm gone?” Ehn held the guitar out toward Techno as he spoke. “You could get some practice in if you want.”

Techno thought about it for a few seconds and then set aside his towel in order to grab the guitar from Ehn. He held it carefully as Ehn gathered some clothes to change into before heading into the bathroom. Techno idly played a couple of chords on the guitar but found himself thinking back to the conversation he had with Tharn and Type about how Ehn didn't let people touch his guitar. Yet there he was just casually handing it over to Techno as if it meant nothing to do so. Maybe Tharn really had been wrong. Though Techno also couldn't help himself but wonder what it said if Tharn was right.

He found himself more lost in thought than anything, but he slowly played one of the simple songs that he had learned as best he could from memory. Techno was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't realize when Ehn had finished his shower and returned to the room until he felt a hand on his, correcting the positioning of his fingers on the strings. “You've gotten better,” Ehn commented with a small smile on his face. “I didn't realize you had that much committed to memory.”

“To be honest, I didn't either,” replied Techno with a soft laugh as he handed the guitar back to Ehn instead of continuing to play.

After Ehn put away his guitar, the two of them got settled on the couch to watch a movie with the intention of watching it before heading to bed for the evening. Out of what Techno told himself was simply habit by that point in time, he ended up sitting with his head on Ehn’s shoulder as they watched the movie.

At the same moment, back in the city, Tar settled into his spot next to Daw as they sat on the ground of one of the parks back in the city. Daw had placed his jacket down on the ground so that Tar could sit on it instead of directly on the grass. They were on a hill that was in a secluded enough spot that it allowed them to see some of the stars in the sky. “It's pretty,” Tar commented as he looked up at the sky. 

“Mn,” agreed Daw, though he sounded almost distracted and when Tar looked at him he found that Daw was already looking back.

It made Tar look away while attempting not to smile too much and finding himself glad that the distant street lights left it dark enough where they were that his blush wasn't entirely visible. “Cheesy,” Tar insisted, making Daw laugh next to him before gently nudging him with his shoulder. It made Tar look back at him slowly - he used looking up at the stars an excuse to not look at him right away. “Tonight has been fun.”

“I'm glad you think so. I wasn't entirely sure what we should do. So I got a little help.” Daw hadn't ever really been nervous about a first date before. Usually he just went with the simple movie followed by pizza or other food date. He hadn't wanted to go for the same tired routine with Tar, but also hadn't wanted to do anything too over the top for their very first date - he didn't want Tar to feel any pressure in the date or overwhelmed since he knew the reasons behind Tar’s hesitation to agree to go out with him in the first place. It was why they ended up back at the dog cafe they had gone to a while back before going to one of Tar’s favorite used bookstores where he'd been able to pick up a few books in English that he loved. Then they'd gone to a small, local band’s show on the other side of the park before ending up on the hill they were at. (Tar had said the band was good but not as good as Tharn's band and that Daw should come see them play sometime.)

“Oh? From who?” He had the suspicion that someone had given Daw an idea once they'd gotten to the bookshop simply because he was pretty sure he hadn't mentioned it to Daw, yet. 

“Your friend. The one who always looks angry unless his loud boyfriend is around.” Daw knew Tin’s name, knew that the guy didn't like him - though Daw wasn't entirely sure why - but that was why he'd thought Tin was the best person to ask. He was serious in his intention of being a good person for Tar, and he thought trying to fix whatever it was that made Tin dislike him was one way of doing that. 

“Ai’Tin?” Tar could not help but raise his voice a little in surprise, which made Daw laugh with a nod of his head. That was honestly the last person that he had expected Daw to have talked to, but the fact that he had and that Tin had given good advice just… It made Tar smile. He was going to have to hug Tin later. “Well, thank you for tonight. I've really had a lot of fun.”

“Does this mean we can go out again sometime?” Tar gave a slow nod of his head as he gave Daw one of his honest but closed mouth smiles that had his eyes crinkling up in the corners before he laughed softly. “As much as I'd like to sit here all night with you, we should probably head back before your brother sends out a search party.”

“Yeah. You're probably right,” Tar agreed, though he too seemed reluctant to do so. Daw stood up then and held out his hand to Tar so that he could help Tar stand up. “Thank you, Phi.” Tar ducked down to grab Daw’s jacket off of the ground, but didn't let go of Daw’s hand even as they started to walk back to where he had parked the car. 

When they got back to Tar’s place, Daw walked him to the door and they were once again holding hands. Tar had the small plastic bag with his books in his free hand. There were some lights on inside the house as they stopped at the door, and Tar was sure that Tum was somewhere nearby waiting for him to come back home. “Again, thank you for tonight. This really was wonderful,” Tar told him.

“You're welcome,” Daw replied. “I'm glad you had fun.”

“Did you?”

Daw laughed softly at the question and he nodded his head with a gentle squeeze of his hand. “I did. I got to spend time with my favorite person.” Getting to see the way that Tar smiled and was just completely at ease around him made for the best first date, in his opinion.

“On our next date, can I choose where we go?” Tar smiled brightly when Daw agreed that he could. “Mn. Then I can't wait.”

The two of them stood there with matching small smiles for a moment until Daw reluctantly let go of Tar’s hand. “Well… goodnight.”

“Goodnight, P’Daw,” Tar said. He waved slightly with his free hand before opening the door while taking off his shoes so that he could head inside. Daw nodded his head and turned to walk away, but he stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. As he turned back to look at Tar and ask what he wanted, Tar leaned in to place a quick kiss against Daw’s cheek, making him momentarily freeze in place. “Goodnight,” Tar repeated himself before he actually went inside and closed the door after himself.

Daw stood there in silent shock for several moments more before he returned to his car, unable to control the smile on his face even though he tried. Once he got into his car, Daw pulled out his cell phone and typed out a quick message that he sent before starting the car and driving away.

Tar was finishing saying goodnight to Tum (who tried to make it seem like he hadn't been anxiously awaiting Tar's return home) when he felt his phone alert him to a new message but he didn't check it until after he'd changed and gotten into bed, still unable to keep the soft smile off of his face that only grew when he read the simple message that read “goodnight” from Daw. He replied with a quick sticker of what looked like a cartoon cat laying in a bed before he changed conversations and sent a message to Tin that he didn't read or reply to until the next morning.

‘ thank you!!!!!!!! ’

Chapter Text

“How’s the beach?” Tar asked as he twisted back and forth on the desk chair he was occupying. He had his laptop open on the desk in front of him and he was in a video call with Type and Techno. He had promised them that he would talk to them about his date with Daw, and they’d found that it was easier to just chat the three of them instead of him having two conversations.

Techno was sitting out on the couch that was on the patio outside his and Ehn’s room with his phone. He rested his elbow on his knee with his legs crossed underneath him as he held up his phone to see the video call. Type was in his bedroom with his laptop. He was sitting in the middle of the bed with the laptop open in front of him. Techno turned where he was sitting so that Tar could see the beach right behind him. “It’s bright and sunny and amazing, of course,” he answered. He looked over when Ehn approached the couch and smiled up at him before Ehn sat down on the couch next to him. Techno turned even more so that he was sitting across the length of the couch and he could lean back against Ehn’s side, holding his phone so that Ehn was in the frame too.

“Hi, P’Ehn,” Tar said, smiling when Ehn waved back in greeting.

“Haven’t made it to the beach here, yet,” Type answered, trying to keep a neutral expression on his face as he focused on the part of his laptop screen that showed Techno and Ehn. “Tharn got dragged out by my mother to do… something. I’m not sure, but I wasn’t allowed to go with them.”

“How’s things with your dad?” Techno asked with a slightly furrowed brow.

Type waved off the question. He would tell Techno more in person once they were both back home. “Never mind that,” he insisted. “N’Tar needs to tell us about his date.”

Tar was unable to keep the soft smile off of his face as he thought about it. He’d already talked to Daw that morning. Nothing felt weird or strained and it was just… it was amazing, for the lack of a better word. “We went back to the puppy cafe. Then we went to this bookstore where I was able to find a couple of books I wanted,” Tar explained. “We went to the park and listened to a band play there before sitting around under the stars for a little while.”

“Sounds like you had fun,” said Techno. He liked how happy Tar seemed as he nodded with a smile on his face. “Are you going to go out with him again?”

“Mn. Tuesday. I get to pick what we do this time.”

“Oh yeah? What’s your plan?” asked Type. He chuckled when Tar made a heavy sigh and tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling as he complained that he didn’t know. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

“What have you guys done for dates?”

“Uh.. Tharn and I go out for dinner a lot?” Type scrunched his face up a little as he thought about it. “Our situation is a bit different than yours since we live together and we didn’t really like… date before getting together. We have a lot of what you could consider stay at home dates, I guess.”

Tar hummed at the information with a nod of his head. “P’No, what about you?” 

“Me?” replied Techno with a laugh. He made a face a few times as he tried to think it over. “I… don’t think I’ve been on an actual date before.”

“What about that guy that you went to the movies with in third year? The one who hung around for a while before he decided to stop trying and started dating what’s her face instead?” asked Type, giving Techno the best incredulous look that he could muster through the camera.

“That was a date? Trying what?”

“Shit, Ai’No. You didn’t know that guy was trying to date you? He followed you around for months.”

Techno looked rather distraught as he sat up straight, brow furrowing as he thought back over the interactions he’d had with the guy that Type was talking about. “I thought we were just friends! Friends go to the movies together.” 

Tar hid his laughter behind one of his hands as he watched Type looking as though it was taking all his strength to not roll his eyes. “I mean, you could still consider that a date. Friends can go on dates. It doesn’t have to be romantic,” Tar said.

“Oh, don’t tell him that,” insisted Type with a heavy sigh. “You’ll only confuse him more.”

“Ai’Type!” Techno complained but Type just shrugged his shoulders as Tar seemed to be trying hard not to laugh again. Techno sighed and grumbled a little about dumb best friends as he relaxed and leaned back against Ehn’s side again.

“P’Ehn, what about you?” asked Tar, making Techno tilt his phone so that the camera showed Ehn more than him.

“Mmm… having dinner together is usually a good idea, whether out or at home. Ice cream parlors also make a good place to go,” Ehn answered.

Techno found that he was really glad that he wasn’t looking directly at Ehn and that he was out of frame of the camera so that none of them could see the way that the comment was making him struggle to keep from getting too wrapped up in his thoughts of everything. He was remembering back to him and Ehn going to get ice cream together and with everything else that was being said in the conversation. But that was reading too much into it. It had to be him reading too much into it. They were friends, and they lived together on top of that. Getting food together and hanging out didn’t mean anything. Except when it felt like it could. But it didn’t. Ehn hadn’t said it did so it… didn’t. “Mn,” Type agreed with a slow shake of his head. “And some people go the extra mile and take their date on v-”

“Tar, I’m sure anything that you choose to do will be great,” Ehn spoke over Type, ignoring the way that Type was just smirking at the camera all too proud of himself.

“Thanks, Phi,” said Tar. He glanced over to the door of his room when Tum came up and leaned against the frame. “I’m going to go. Tum and I are having lunch with our parents, and I don’t want to keep you guys any longer. Have fun! And good luck with your dad, P’Type.”

There was a mix of goodbyes from everyone before the three of them exited the video call. Techno and Ehn continued to sit there on the couch where they were for a few moments before Techno sat up fully and turned to sit correctly on the couch next to Ehn. He smiled softly at Ehn. “Sorry about them,” he said. “So, what’s the plan for today?”

“I don’t have one,” replied Ehn with a small shrug of his shoulders. “I figured we’d just kinda decide what to do as we go.”

Techno nodded with a smile and stood up before holding his hand out to Ehn while putting his phone into his pocket with the other hand. “Let’s go, then!” Ehn smiled with a nod of his own before taking Techno’s hand and letting him help him up. 

“Okay, okay. Let’s go.” Ehn laughed softly as Techno tugged on his arm to get him to start walking with him.

They didn’t really have a set destination in mind but there were a lot of things to do around the resort and the small community around where they were staying. It was mostly tourist traps and activities. They were also close to several hiking trails and there was a waterfall nearby that they could go do - but they decided to save any of that for the following day. Techno was glad that they stayed busy enough that he couldn’t dwell on anything that was said earlier and the thoughts that had been coming up more and more often since Type had to go and open his mouth before graduation. Techno almost wanted to swear at him all over again because he didn’t want to dwell on any of that. He and Ehn were there to have fun and relax, not to deal with Techno having a small breakdown because of something that might not even be a thing. “Ai’No?” Ehn asked, catching Techno’s attention and pulling him from his thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Mn. Sorry,” he replied. “I was just thinking.” Ehn nodded in response and Techno smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. After all, nothing was wrong - he just really didn’t feel like sharing his thoughts there in the middle of people he didn’t know. Though when they started walking again, it took Techno several steps before he realized that he had once again grabbed Ehn’s hand and it was all he could do not to say something. It hit him all at once. As simple as that.

Oh .

It was late afternoon when Techno made it back to the room. Ehn hadn’t been ready to return yet and had gone to do… something. Techno knew he’d told him but he didn’t remember anymore. He was too busy using the time alone to really think everything over before he said something and regretted it. He knew that he and Ehn had become close in the time they’d known one another. They spent most of their time together, and it was always by choice. If Techno had to choose between spending time with Ehn or some of his other friends, he would easily choose Ehn without hesitation. He was able to be open and honest with Ehn about things that he couldn’t talk to many people about. He trusted Ehn more than most everyone else. He knew all of those things. He knew them and he’d admit them to anybody.

He just hadn’t quite thought that maybe they were signs of his feelings for Ehn. They were friends . Friends did everything they did without it meaning anything. But… but , if he really thought about it, it all felt different than any of it did with his other friends. And he did react differently with Ehn than he did anyone else. Like the hand holding thing that he hadn’t realized he was doing. He did not really do things like that with his other friends. And when they would watch TV together he always ended up with his head on Ehn’s shoulder or on his leg while Ehn played with his hair. He hugged Ehn a lot more than he did any of his other friends. He…

He liked Ehn.

Techno sighed heavily as he lay down on his bed and pulled out his cell phone, immediately calling Type’s number. He wasn’t sure what Type was up to that day and he really hoped that he wasn’t interrupting, but he needed to talk to Type. He let out a sigh of relief when Type picked up the phone after a couple of rings. “I think I like Ehn,” he told Type before Type could say anything.

There was silence on the other end of the call for several seconds, and then Type started to laugh. Techno swore at him and Type attempted to muffle his laughter with his free hand. “It only took him taking you to an island on vacation for you to figure it out,” Type commented after he lowered his hand.

“Ai’Type!”

“Ai’No!” he mimicked Techno’s tone of voice before laughing a little again with a shake of his head. “So what was it? How’d you realize? Did he say something? Have you said something?”

Techno shook his head as he stared up at the ceiling of the room before he realized that Type couldn’t see him. “No. No, it wasn’t… I mean, nothing like… happened. I just…”

“Finally realized what everyone else has seen for ages now?” Type smiled to himself as Techno hummed his reply, and he sat down on the low laying wall along the edge of the patio behind his parents’ place. “Are you going to tell him?”

“Do you think I should?” He had come to the realization that he liked Ehn, but that still didn’t mean that the feelings were returned. Even if they were, Techno wasn’t sure about doing anything about it because… Well… he might trust Ehn but there was a chance that he might find himself unconsciously connecting certain things to what had happened with Kengkla and that wasn’t something Techno wanted to happen at all.

“Hey, No. Stop overthinking. Listen. Take a breath.” Type stopped speaking and listened for the sound of Techno doing so. “I think you need to figure out for yourself what you want to do. I do think that he could be a good person for you; but, if you just want to stay friends that’s… well, that’s up to you in the end.” Techno hummed again and nodded his head but didn’t say anything else right then. “Ai’No, I…” Type paused and he let out a heavy breath as he looked back toward the house where he could see Tharn talking and laughing with his mother while his dad sat off to the side with his arms crossed while looking he’d eaten something very sour through the windows. “I know it can be scary. After… after what happened. But-”

“Ehn wouldn’t hurt me. If he even fe-”

“Ai’No. Really?” Type could not keep himself from laughing a little despite everything. He tried not to because he knew it was a serious moment, but he still could not believe that Techno had not been able to figure out that Ehn liked him, too. “You’re right, though. Ehn wouldn’t hurt you, not on purpose. It doesn’t mean that you might never unconsciously associate what is happening with what has happened.” Type knew that much from experience, after all. As much as he would like to think there was never a moment that he associated Tharn with that man… it happened sometimes. “I think that you should talk with Ehn, even if it’s just to figure out that you should stay friends.”

Techno sighed softly but nodded his head as he sat up in the bed. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right. But, what if-”

“You can ask ‘what ifs’ until you are blue in the face but you’re never going to know until you try.” Techno mumbled an agreement with Type. He didn’t really like that he agreed with Type, but it was what it was. “Hey, No, I’m going to go unless you’ve got something else to say.”

“Yeah. Yeah, no that’s fine. I’m keeping you. Sorry.” Techno ran his free hand through his hair and nodded once to himself.

“Mn. Call me back later if you need me.”

Techno agreed with the request and the two of them said their goodbyes before hanging up the phone. He then set aside his phone and lay back down with a heavy sigh. He had… no idea what he was going to do. Techno lay there for a few minutes more before he looked out the doors that led to the patio and to the beach beyond that. Techno then got up from the bed and made his way outside. He shut the door behind himself and walked toward the beach to sit down in the sand where he could easily see the water and think everything through. He wasn’t sure how to talk to Ehn. He knew he needed to, but he just… didn’t know how to even start that conversation. “Have you gone in at all or just stared at the water?” Ehn asked Techno when he came up beside him, making Techno jump at his seemingly sudden appearance. “Sorry.”

Techno waved off the apology. “I’ve just been sitting here,” he answered as he smiled up at Ehn. “You weren’t gone very long.”

“It’s been a couple of hours,” replied Ehn with a laugh.

“What?” Techno looked completely surprised at that as he glanced around them, making Ehn laugh softly again as he pet the top of Techno’s head. “Wow. I didn’t realize I’d sat out here so long.” Techno looked up at Ehn when Ehn ducked down and grabbed his wrist. “What?”

“Come on.” Ehn tugged on Techno’s wrist gently, leading him to get up off the sand.

“What? Where are we going?”

Despite asking his question, he followed when Ehn started to lead him closer to the water. “You can’t come to the beach and just stare at the water all day.”

“Wait. No, I’m not wearing swim trunks,” Techno complained as he still let Ehn lead him toward the water. He fought back some, but not enough that Ehn actually felt the need to stop. “Ehn, no!” Techno was trying not to laugh when Ehn picked him up and carried him the rest of the way in order to throw him into the water. Techno grabbed a hold of Ehn’s arm as he fell, tugging Ehn to the ocean as well. “Asshole!” Techno complained after they both resurfaced. 

“Oh, calling me names now? I thought that was just for Type.” Ehn was smirking as Techno huffed out a breath and pushed his hair back from his face a few times because it wouldn’t stay out of his eyes.

“Well, you deserve it,” mumbled Techno, though his words held no real bite behind them, especially when Ehn reached out and helped him brush some of the strands of his hair sticking to his forehead back. “You can’t do that when this is your fault.” Ehn just agreed with a hum, but he didn’t pull his hand away and Techno didn’t make him. “Did you get something to eat while you were out?” Ehn shook his head in response and Techno nodded. “Well, let’s go dry off and get food.” Ehn agreed with him and then Techno pushed Ehn away from him, making Ehn fall back into the water. Techno walked away, back toward their room. He didn’t make it very far before he was being tugged backward by Ehn.

The two of them spent the next couple of minutes struggling with one another and trying to push each other under the water before they finally started walking back toward the room together. Ehn wrapped his arm around Techno’s shoulders and Techno wrapped his arm around Ehn’s waist as they walked together, stumbling some in the sand. “You should just be glad I didn’t have my phone on me, jerk,” Techno said, attempting to sound annoyed. He rested his head against Ehn’s shoulder as they walked anyway, smiling when Ehn tightened his hug a little more. 

“I saw it in the room,” explained Ehn. It was the only reason he didn’t hesitate to throw Techno into the water.

His own phone was sitting on the coffee table in the room next to what looked like bags of takeout, which Techno saw as they went inside. He shuddered a little as the air from the air conditioning unit hit him. Their clothes weren’t dripping wet by the time they’d reached the room, but the wet clothes and hair didn’t do well with the otherwise nice blast of cold air. “You brought food?”

“Mn. Go change first.” Ehn gently nudged Techno toward where Techno’s bag with his clothes were. “Can’t have you catching a cold. Type would show up just to kick my ass.”

“You’d deserve it. It’d be your fault,” Techno insisted as he walked over toward his bag. “You should change, too.”

“I will. After you do.” Ehn gestured for Techno to go on, ignoring his attempts at protesting and saying that he should go first.

Techno sighed and shook his head at Ehn’s refusal to go first before he took his clothes into the bathroom. He took a quick shower to wash off the salt and sand before changing into clean clothes. When he came out to the main room, Ehn had already set out the food that he’d brought to the room. “Shower’s free,” he said to Ehn, who was standing outside on the patio with his cell phone. He had left the door open and looked over when he heard Techno’s voice.

“Okay, thanks,” Ehn replied with a smile. He finished the text that he was sending before coming back into the room. He shut the door behind him. “You don’t have to wait to eat. Should still be warm.”

“Thanks, Ai’Ehn.” Techno went over to the small fridge in the room to grab the water he’d put in that morning as Ehn went to get his things to shower and change as well. Techno could not keep the small smile off of his face when he realized that Ehn had picked up his favorite. With a nod to himself and after taking a deep breath, Techno decided that he would talk to Ehn. Soon.

Chapter Text

“Ouch,” Techno mumbled his complaint with a wince as Ehn helped him put lotion with aloe in it on the back of his shoulders.

He had gotten a sunburn from his time out in the sun without putting on any sunblock the day before and had woken up with bright red skin. His face and the tops of his shoulders was the worst part, followed by the back of his shoulders where his shirt hadn't covered and the back of his neck. “Sorry,” replied Ehn as he tried not to laugh at Techno. “Should have thought about this before you spent that long  in the sun.”

“I didn't do it on purpose.” He hadn't intended to stay outside that long, which was why he hadn't put on sunblock or gotten a hat.

“It could be worse. You should have seen N'Jay the last time we came to the beach as a family. He was twice as red and more widespread after falling asleep in the sun while the rest of us went snorkeling.” Ehn smiled to himself with a shake of his head at the memory. His little brother had been miserable after that and had spent the rest of their vacation inside. Techno just winced in sympathy. “There. You're all done.”

“Thank you,” he replied as he took the bottle of lotion from Ehn and placed it on the table next to the bed they were sitting on. “Don't feel like you need to stay in the room all day just because I am. I'm sure you can find something more fun to do.”

“Mn. Maybe. I don't mind staying here, though. Doing nothing all day is one of the best parts of a vacation.” Ehn smiled at Techno and reached up to mess up his hair, which was still damp from the cool shower he'd taken to try to ease some of the pain from the sunburn. 

Techno huffed out a breath and ducked his head while pushing Ehn’s hand away to stop him from doing so. The two of them spent the rest of the morning lazing about the room. Techno lay on his stomach on the bed to keep his back and shoulders exposed to the cooler air from the air conditioning, resting his head on his arms crossed underneath it. Ehn sat on the patio outside the room with the door open as he messed around with his guitar. Techno lay here and silently debated with himself on whether or not he really wanted to say anything to Ehn. He knew that Type was right, he wouldn't know how things would work out unless he talked to Ehn about how he was feeling. He just had no idea how to do that. 

He had crushes on people before, but nothing had ever really come of them. He'd had a girlfriend there for a little while in his last year of high school, but they broke up after graduation. And, anyway, they'd gotten together because she had a friend ask Techno out for her. He had sort of had a boyfriend before that, but they weren't anything official. Techno hadn't been willing to publicly date a guy at that point, partially because of Type and partially because at that time he hadn't been willing to admit to himself that he could like guys, too. Still, there had never been any actual confession between him and that guy. It had just been more awkward glances and not quite holding hands at the movies together. Techno didn't have any experience in actually telling someone that he liked them. He would ask Type for help, but something told him that it wouldn't actually help too much.

When Ehn came back into the room a while later, Techno leaned up enough to rest his elbow on the top of the bed and use his hand to rest underneath his chin since his cheeks, nose, and forehead were sunburnt. He would have rested his fist against his temple but that sounded like it would hurt and he decided against it. “The last song you played, that was your final project song, want it?” asked Techno as he watched Ehn close the door and go to put up his guitar.

“Mn.” Ehn nodded with a smile over at Techno. “You remembered. I wasn't sure if you would since I only played it once.”

“I remember every song you've played.” Even if some of the songs he couldn't place outside of hearing Ehn playing them. He remembered what it sounded like when Ehn played them. He thought that that was more important than remembering what the songs were otherwise. “What?” he asked when he realized that Ehn had paused and was just staring at him with some expression on his face that Techno couldn't quite figure out.

Ehn shook his head a couple of times and smiled at him. “Nothing. You feel up for getting some food from the restaurant? Or I can bring something here?”

“Whichever you want to do.” Techno wouldn't mind getting lunch at the restaurant. It would get them out of the room but he wouldn't have to worry about going into the sun and further irritating the sunburn.

“What about the restaurant now? Then later I can grab something for dinner and we can eat outside after the sun’s gone down,” Ehn suggested. He thought it would be a good way to get to spend some time away from the room while keeping in mind about the sunburn. He didn't want to make it worse and have Techno be even more miserable. As it was, if he stayed out of the sun that day, he should be more able to enjoy time outside the next as long as it wasn't too much time. 

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” Techno nodded his head before getting up with a groan. He then went to his bag to see if he could find a shirt to wear that wasn't going to irritate his back or shoulders too much. He found a tank top that was going to be the best option. It sat almost exactly where the one he'd been wearing the day before did, which helped since most of the material only touched where it wasn't red and painful. 

While the two of them made their way to lunch, back at Type's parents’ place, Type sat with his dad in the living room. Tharn was with Khom, and Type didn't know where his mother had made herself scarce to. There was a tension to the air that Type hated. It almost made him want to rush into the room, gather his things, and just leave. His and Tharn’s tickets back weren't until the next day, however, and he wouldn't let himself be driven out until then. “Pa-” Type started to say, but he was interrupted by his father.

“You deserve better,” he insisted, making Type sigh heavily. “I do not doubt that he loves you.” He could not deny the fact that Tharn had proved his affections well. He wouldn't have still been with Type three years later if he didn't love him. Still, he knew his son deserved better. “He can't even actually marry you. He can't… He can't stop people from looking down on you, from judging you and making you have to work harder throughout your life.”

Type stared silently at his dad for several long seconds as he processed what he was being told. “Is that what all this is about?” He gave a short, almost disbelieving laugh. “I know, Pa. I know how many view us. I don't care. I don't need the world to be okay with who I choose to be with. I just need you to be.” Type smiled softly when his dad didn't say anything right away. “I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Tharn, whether or not we can actually get married. Nothing is going to change my mind, and you know once I set my mind to something…”

“You're almost as stubborn as I am,” his dad commented with a small, fond smile. “I can't promise to like him.”

“That's okay. Just respect him and what he means to me.” Type would like it if his father liked Tharn. It was something he considered to be a goal for one day. But right then, he would consider his dad's words to be a win and a step in the right direction.

His father seemed hesitant to agree, but eventually he did and Type could not keep the smile off of his face as he hugged his dad. He knew that his dad was struggling with everything, and the fact that it had taken him so long to get to the point he was at wasn't exactly great - but he could have never gotten to that point, so Type just felt a great sense of relief. Which was rather obvious to everyone else when several minutes later he met up with Tharn and Khom, he wasted no time in walking up and kissing Tharn without any concern for the fact they were in public. “Not that I'm complaining,” said Tharn once the kiss broke and he stood there with his hands on Type’s hips, “because I'm really, really not. But what was that for?”

“I take it that the talk with your dad went well today,” said Khom.

It made Type turn around to face him. He stood close to Tharn still and was all but leaning back against him as Tharn’s hands stayed on his waist. “Mn. Things are going to be better now,” he replied. Type smiled when he felt Tharn press a kiss to the side of his head. “Are we ready to go, then?”

They had made plans to go with Khom and his boyfriend to the hidden swimming hole and waterfall that they had gone to the last time they'd come to visit with Techno and the younger guys. Tharn and Khom had just been waiting for him since Khom’s boyfriend was already out there with some friends. “Let's go.”

They then spent the rest of the day out at the waterfall, having fun and enjoying the company of Khom and his friends. Type and Khom even made tentative plans for him to come visit them in the city at some point. Type may have cheated when he told Khom that Techno would love to see him again, too. But they had a great day, and Type was a little regretful when they said their goodbyes so that Tharn and Type could get back to Type’s parents’ place for dinner. The sun was setting and there was a nice breeze as they made their way back to the house. “Have you talked to Ai’No today?” Tharn asked as they walked hand-in-hand toward the house.

Type shook his head, pulling out his phone at the mention of Techno. “He's not responded to my message,” Type frowned as he spoke. “Should I call him?”

“I think he would let you know if something was wrong. He's probably just busy.” Tharn tried not to smile at Type’s obvious concern for his friend, something that he hadn't thought was possible when they had met in their first year. “Didn't you say that he finally realized his feelings for Ehn?”

“Mn. That's why I'm worried.” Type stared at his phone a few more seconds before deciding to call Techno as they walked, putting it on speakerphone as he did. It took until just before the voicemail picked up before Techno finally answered. “So you can pay attention to your phone.” Type could practically see Techno's eyeroll in response. “What's up?”

“Nothing,” answered Techno as he sat down on the couch on the patio outside the room. He had been sitting outside when his phone rang where he left it inside. He almost hadn't heard it, which was why he hadn't answered right away. “Ehn’s out grabbing food for us.”

“Have you talked to him? Tharn is here too, by the way.”

“I figured. Hi, Tharn.” Techno smiled softly when Tharn returned the greeting. “No, I haven't.”

“Why not?” Techno shrugged his shoulders, even though Type couldn't see him. The action caused the tightness of his sunburned skin to tug painfully and he hissed softly. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing. I got a bit of a sunburn. Stayed in today so that it didn't get worse.” Techno ran his free hand through his hair. “Haven't found the right time to bring it up. I mean, things are good. I don't want to mess with it.”

“Ai’No-”

“What Type is going to try to say,” Tharn cut Type off before he could say whatever it was that was on his mind while he made that furrowed brow expression, “is that if you keep waiting for the right time, there's never going to be a right time. You've got to just take that step, even if it might feel awkward to you.”

“Right. But surely there's a time where it won't feel like I'm just suddenly being all ‘hey, I like you as more than just a friend, I hope that doesn't make it awkward’,” Techno said as he thoughtlessly started to bounce his knee. He was already starting to feel anxious about all of it, and Ehn wasn't even there.

“Ai’No, stop freaking out. Take a breath,” Type instructed as he and Tharn stopped walking on the front porch of the house. Techno hesitated before he followed the instruction, but then he took a deep, slow breath. “You don't have to say anything if you really don't want to - but, I really think you should.”

“There are many reasons that that is a very bad idea.” 

Techno almost rolled his eyes as he heard the incredibly exasperated way that Type sighed in response to that. “But there are just as many reasons that it is a very good idea. You're already practically dating him.”

“I am not.” Techno hesitated when he realized that neither Type nor Tharn responded to his denial. There was a heavy feeling to their silence, like they were waiting for him to say something else. Only after a few seconds, he realized that they were waiting for him to realize just what he'd said and just what had been going on with him and Ehn. “Am I?”

Techno missed whatever Type's response was to his question because the door to the room opened and Techno looked over to see Ehn returning with the food he had promised to bring back when he'd left earlier. Techno had made Ehn take his card so that he could be the one to pay for it instead of Ehn. He wasn't sure that Ehn actually used it, though. “Ehn’s back,” Techno told Tharn and Type as Ehn made his way across the room and through the patio door Techno had left open. “Type and Tharn say ‘hi’,” he told Ehn once Ehn was outside. “Guys, I'm going to go. We'll talk later.” Techno didn't waste much time in ending the call. He was only maybe a little fearful that Type might say something he didn't want him to that Ehn could overhear if he didn't. “Did you find anything?”

Ehn had left a while ago with the intention of finding a souvenir to give to his mother once they got back before getting the food they'd talked about him getting earlier. The sun had still been up when he left, but was just about below the horizon by that point in time. The lights the hotel had strung up around the property had already been turned on. “Mn,” Ehn answered with a nod of his head. He'd dropped off what he picked up for his mother in the car so he wouldn't have to pack it with everything else when they left. “Type and Tharn enjoying their vacation?”

“Seem to be.” Techno shrugged his shoulders and winced, immediately regretting that decision. The sunburn wasn't as bad as it had been that morning, but it definitely was not pleasant still. “Don't laugh at me.”

“I'm not,” Ehn insisted, though he could not keep the amused smile off of his face. Ehn shut the door to the room behind him before going over to Techno and holding his free hand out to him. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” he asked. Even as he did, he took Ehn’s hand and got up from the couch while putting his phone into his pocket.

“Just come on.” Ehn gently tugged in Techno's hand to get him to start walking with him. Techno followed without any more hesitation.

They didn't walk very far before they ended up at an area with several seats and tables scattered around with lights strung around more than over by their room and closer to the water. It was a very picturesque spot and definitely had a better view than if they had just sat on the patio outside their room. They chose one of the tables to sit at and eat their dinner. After they finished eating, Techno threw away the remaining trash into the nearby bin before the two of them sat around talking for a while before they moved down the beach to sit on the sand somewhere that they could see the stars. They took turns pointing out the different stars they knew until they were both just making up names or stories about the different stars. They both ended up sitting there almost doubled in laughter before they stopped coming up with fake facts and the stars and ended up falling into a companionable silence. 

Techno leaned over to rest his head on Ehn's  shoulder, who shifted the arm he was using to prop himself up behind Techno more so that he wasn't quite hugging him but also wasn't not touching him so that he wasn't hurting Techno at all by accidentally touching the sunburn. “Ai’Ehn?” Techno said hesitantly after they had been sitting there for several minutes that felt more like hours to him.

“Yeah?” replied Ehn. He attempted to look at Techno without pulling away any but it did not work so well, and he focused on the ocean not far in front of them, instead. 

Techno couldn't bring himself to move because he found that it seemed like the best time to try talking to Ehn about everything, but he also could not handle looking at Ehn directly as he struggled with finding his words, either. “I like you. A lot.” Techno hoped it was a sign that he hadn't messed things up too much since Ehn didn't pull away from him just yet, though he was still expecting it to happen.

He was about ready to apologize or take it back when Ehn said, “I like you a lot, too,” making Techno’s words die before he could say them. Techno sat up fully and turned to look at Ehn directly. Ehn smiled softly at him and reached up to brush his hair out of his face for him. “I have for quite a while. But with everything… I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or anything.” Techno had moved into the place and felt safe, after all. He hadn't wanted to compromise that by putting him in any situation where he was not completely comfortable. “You’ve been dealing with a lot and I didn't want to add to it.”

Techno still seemed almost confused, which made Ehn chuckle before placing his hand on the back of Techno's head, directing him to bend down enough to press a kiss to the top of his head. Ehn would have kissed Techno’s forehead, but with the sunburn, he figured it wasn't a smart idea. “When we met, I thought you were the cutest guy I'd ever seen - but at the time, you seemed to just really need a friend,” Ehn explained. “Which is why I didn't say anything. I would have rather been able to be your friend than not be anything at all.”

“You've become my best friend,” Techno said with a small nod of his head. “And, I, uhm… I have no idea what I'm doing right now. I just like you a lot and don't want to mess anything up.” He almost wanted to just disappear, feeling incredibly awkward and unsure despite the relief that he wasn't being pushed away. How did one go from being just friends with someone to something more? Did it just kind of happen? Did they need to say anything? Did Ehn even want that? Techno felt incredibly lost still. 

“You're not messing anything up,” Ehn insisted. “I'm not going anywhere, unless you want me to.” Techno shook his head and Ehn smiled at him. “We can figure this out as we go. I don't really know what I'm doing either.” Ehn’s smile turned almost sheepish as he admitted as much to Techno. That alone was what helped Techno to relax and seem to release the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. 

“Does that mean… Is tonight a date?”

“Do you want it to be?” Techno slowly nodded his head in answer, smiling in response when he saw the smile that Ehn had on his face as the answer. “Then yes, it is.” Ehn then led Techno to rest against him again, making Techno laugh quietly as he leaned his head against Ehn’s shoulder. “What?”

“Nothing. It's just… I can't believe it's that simple.” Techno closed his eyes with an almost inaudible sigh when he felt Ehn press another kiss to the top of his head. The gentle action nearly caused Techno's heart to leap in his chest. “So… we're dating.”

“Yes.” Ehn smiled and rested his head on top of Techno's when he felt Techno settle in against his side more. 

“Would you be disappointed if I don't…? I mean, since Kengkla, I don't know if-”

“Ai’No. Whatever you're comfortable with, I'm comfortable with. And we don't need to figure that out right now. It's our first official date.  That can wait.”

“Official date?”

Techno lifted his head to look at Ehn again, who didn't vocalize an answer right away, though he did nod before speaking. “I don't know if you noticed, but I've been trying to date you for a while.”

Techno opened his mouth to respond to that but couldn't seem to find the words. So he just smiled at Ehn and nodded his head before resting against Ehn’s shoulder again. Which was where he stayed until they made their way back to the room a while later. It did not feel awkward or uncomfortable like Techno thought it might as they went into the room and each got ready for bed. Ehn showered and changed first that time, and after Techno showered, he helped Techno put more lotion on his sunburnt skin.

Nothing seemed to really change except the knowledge that they were dating stayed somewhere near the front of Techno's mind the entire time which somehow made everything feel so much more… just more . When Ehn started to get up after he finished helping Techno with the lotion, Techno stopped him from standing before he even realized what he was doing at first. “You can stay here, if you want,” Techno offered. It wouldn't be the first time they had shared a bed if Ehn agreed. Techno wasn't exactly sure what possessed him to suggest it but he wasn't going to take it back, either.

He knew he shouldn't have been, but he was still somehow surprised when Ehn agreed. Ehn still got up, but just so he could turn off the light in the room before he was getting into the bed next to Techno. They lay facing one another and Ehn had an arm draped casually over Techno's waist. He would have hugged Techno close to him, but not wanting to further aggravate his sunburn anymore led to them laying just like that instead of how Ehn would have preferred them to be. Despite that, laying just like they were, neither one of them found it difficult to fall asleep. 

Chapter Text

Traveling was never an easy experience. Everyone always considered traveling to be a great vacation - and it was. Type just always felt like the actual event of traveling from one place to another was far more taxing than it had the right to. Especially when traveling meant spending hours stuck in a car, or having to board a plane. It was why once he and Tharn left his parents’ house mid-morning, Type could not wait to actually be back home. It only took a few hours, but it felt like so much longer than that. Dealing with other travelers and everything was just… exhausting. Type didn’t understand how anyone could regularly travel a distance for work and he was really glad that his own work was less than a twenty minute drive from his apartment. 

Type sighed as he dropped his bag on the couch, walking past it to go collapse on his and Tharn’s bed sprawled out on his stomach. It had been a long day. Breakfast with his parents, promising to visit soon, stilted conversation with his dad (but at least he didn’t say anything horrible to Tharn), and then traveling back home. Type was glad to be home. He just was tired from traveling. Something about long distances like that was always so exhausting. Type was just glad that he had one more day of a break before he had to start going to work. The first several days would be more of an orientation thing where he could get used to the way the clinic ran. Techno was excused from those first few days due to having had his internship there and having already gone through the process. Type smiled to himself when he felt Tharn lay down next to him. He practically draped himself across Type’s back and rested his head on the back of Type’s shoulder. “Tired?” Tharn asked. He pressed a kiss to Type’s shoulder when he heard Type hum in response. “So your dad didn’t seem to hate me as much when we left.”

“Mn. Can’t say he won’t always hate you to some extent,” Type explained with a slight laugh. “But he’s promised to at least respect the fact that we’re together and that I’m not leaving you.”

“It’s a start.” It wasn’t perfect, but Tharn just felt relieved that he no longer needed to worry about Type’s dad coming after him with a machete again. “Do you want to nap and then we can do something for dinner?” Type hummed and nodded his head while settling into place more. Neither one of them said anything else after that, though Tharn moved so that he was laying next to Type instead of on top of him and he gathered Type up in his arms so that Type was on his side as well. His back was to Tharn’s chest and he could feel Tharn press a kiss to the back of his neck while simply holding him there. Type gave some sort of mumbled complaint at being moved around, but otherwise didn’t really complain. It didn’t take him long to doze off while Tharn simply lay there with him.

When Type and Tharn had been boarding their flight late that morning, Techno and Ehn paused their hike to rest against a boulder along the path they were on there on the island that they had been spending their vacation at. “Are you sure you put on enough sunscreen?” Ehn teased with a gentle nudge of his shoulder.

Techno huffed out a breath and stole Ehn’s bottle of water from him. “Yes, I’m sure,” he replied before taking a drink of the water. His sunburn had faded enough that it didn’t bother him to be outside that day, and as it was the last day he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to enjoy being there. He’d made sure to put on sunscreen that time. “You’re never going to let me live it down, are you?”

Ehn smirked as he shook his head and took back his water to take a drink, himself. “Why would I do that?” Ehn put the lid back on the water and put it into the backpack that they’d brought with them that he’d placed by his feet once they’d stopped walking. “You should just be glad I didn’t take a photo to show everyone later. Your face was so red yesterday.”

“You told me it wasn’t that bad!” Techno was trying not to laugh, honestly. It was his own stupidity that had led to him getting sunburned, after all. He couldn’t blame Ehn for teasing him, because he would’ve done the same if the roles were reversed.

“Mn. Compared to how bad it could’ve been, it wasn’t that bad. Just a bit pink today.” Ehn reached up to readjust the ballcap that Techno was wearing so that his face was protected more from the sun that filtered in through the trees around them. Techno glanced off to the side, trying to not let it show on his face that the concern in the action made him feel a little flustered. He was not one of those people. “Doesn’t hurt, does it?” Ehn had been a little hesitant to agree to go because he was worried about making the sunburn worse. It had faded, sure, but he knew that meant it would be easier for him to get a worse sunburn. The only positive was the fact that there were trees that helped keep some of the sunshine from being direct.

Techno shook his head with a soft laugh. “Stop worrying. I’m fine. Really. I’ve had worse. Like I said, I went to high school in an area like this one. Sunburns aren’t a new thing.” He could recall one sunburn he’d gotten when he was younger that left him physically ill for the next several days. He had no desire to repeat that experience. 

“Okay, okay,” replied Ehn with a laugh of his own. “Come on. I want to take a couple of photos, then we can go.” Techno agreed and Ehn pulled out his phone. He took a photo of Techno first, smiling when Techno pulled a face when he realized that the camera was on him in the first place. “Cute.”

“Take a picture of the scenery or something. You see my face all the time.”

Techno rolled his eyes when Ehn insisted that he wanted photos of them, instead. But he didn’t argue as Ehn draped an arm over his shoulders, using that arm to hold his phone out in front of them as he took a couple of photos. Despite his complaints, Techno smiled in the photos and even took the phone from Ehn so he could take a couple at a better angle. Ehn pressed a kiss to his cheek as he took the last photo, and Techno would just insist it was the sunburn as to why his face looked so red in the photo. “Was that okay?” Ehn asked as Techno handed him back the phone. He only realized afterward that he probably should have asked first, even though Techno hadn’t complained or told him not to when he’d kissed his forehead - but that had been before they had talked about dating.

“Mn.” Techno nodded his head a couple of times and stood up straight so that he was no longer leaning against the boulder they’d been resting against. “You should send me a copy of the last one.” Techno smiled when Ehn agreed, the slightly hesitant expression that had been on Ehn’s face fading to a smile of his own as he registered Techno’s words. Techno grabbed the strap of the backpack and picked it up off the ground before holding his other hand out toward Ehn. “Come on. We’ve still got a bit of a walk to go.”

“Hold on,” Ehn insisted. He took a moment to post a couple of the photos that had been taken to his Instagram before putting his phone into his pocket and standing up. He took a hold of Techno’s hand, linking their fingers together before they resumed walking along the trail they’d chosen. It was supposed to lead to a great spot for them to eat lunch at and spend time before returning and making it back to the hotel before dark.

They joked and laughed with one another as they walked, and at one point they ended up play fighting which somehow led to Ehn carrying Techno on his back. Neither one was quite sure how it happened, but Techno wasn’t going to complain. It allowed him to be lazy for a little while as he held on tightly so that he didn’t fall. “Having fun?” Ehn asked as he glanced over to look at Techno, who hummed in agreement. “Maybe you should carry me on the way back, then.”

“I mean I could,” Techno replied, “but I feel I’d be at a disadvantage since you’re tall as hell.” Not that Techno was too much shorter than Ehn, but he was a little, and of course he would focus on that instead of pointing out his own more lazy nature. He might’ve worked hard to become captain of the football team, but besides that he was a typically lazy person.

“Uh-huh. Sure. That’s it.” Ehn shook his head and tried not to smile. “I think we’re almost there.” Ehn ducked down enough to let Techno off of his back, standing up straight once he was sure that Techno had a decent footing. Techno still had a hold of the backpack, and Ehn grabbed his free hand.

A couple of minutes later, they came to the clearing with the spring they had been heading to. They found a decent spot to sit down and Ehn took the bag from Techno to pull out the drinks and food that had been packed before they left that morning. Their conversation as they ate wasn’t anything of note, just them talking about anything that came to mind. Mostly it was complaints about returning to the city and having to start work soon. After they finished eating, Techno moved to lay down next to Ehn with his head resting on Ehn’s leg. Ehn pulled off the cap that Techno was wearing and put it on himself before starting to run his fingers through Techno’s hair. “You should put more sunscreen on soon,” he commented. He knew that he needed to, too, but he was more concerned about Techno than himself.

“Mn. You, too,” he replied, making Ehn chuckle at the fact that he mirrored his thoughts. 

“Yeah.” He nodded his head and used his free hand to prop himself up as he relaxed back some. “You didn’t come all the way out here to take a nap on me, did you?”

“Shh.” Techno held a hand up to his lips as he hushed Ehn, making both of them laugh as Techno struggled to keep a straight face. He knew if Ehn didn’t keep talking to him, he might end up falling asleep for a little while, though. There was a slight breeze and they had found a spot in the semi-shade from the trees surrounding the spring and the sound of the water nearby was very soothing. Despite the ground underneath him being very uncomfortable, everything else added to what could be considered perfect napping conditions. “This is nice.”

“Yeah. Except for this rock digging into my leg and this heavy person on my ot-” Ehn broke off with a laugh when Techno reached up to poke at his side. “Your phone isn’t in your pocket is it?”

“Don’t even think about throwing me into the water again,” Techno insisted, opening his eyes back up to almost glare at Ehn. It wasn’t very effective as he wasn’t able to completely be rid of the fondness on his face.

It made Ehn smile warmly at him while stilling the hand in his hair. “Who me? I wouldn’t dare.” Techno’s expression twisted into one of disbelief at the words. “You look as though you don’t believe me.”

“Of course I don’t believe you.” Techno reached up and poked at Ehn’s cheek near the corner of his lips where he was trying not to smirk in amusement. “Your face gives you away.” Ehn shrugged his shoulders and Techno scoffed out a laugh with a shake of his head. “You should test out the water first, see how cold it is.”

Techno glanced over to the side when they heard the sounds of someone else approaching, watching as a small group of people took advantage of the spring from the other side, having come up a different trail. They had left when they had that morning in hopes of avoiding a lot of company from those who set out after lunch. They had been lucky so far, but with that group and the sounds of other voices not too far away Techno was pretty sure their time alone there had reached its end. “Do you want to head back?” Ehn asked, making Techno look back at him with a small smile and a shake of his head.

“We can in a little while. Unless you want to go now,” he replied. Ehn shook his head and Techno smiled as he reached up to take his hat back from off of Ehn’s head. He placed it on top of the backpack and then took his phone out of his pocket to place in the backpack as well before he sat up. “Come on. Let’s swim for a bit, then we can go.”

Ehn agreed and they both took off their shoes. Then, he got up from the ground before holding out a hand to help Techno stand as well. Then he took off his shirt and dropped it on top of the rest of their things. Techno hesitated for a moment and then ended up deciding to leave his shirt on as the two of them swam and played around in the water for a while. After a couple more groups of people showed up, Ehn and Techno decided to start the walk back to their hotel. They put their shoes back on and Ehn gave Techno his shirt to change into so he wasn’t wearing his soaked tank top as they walked. They paused to put on some more sunscreen and Techno put his hat back on before they left the clearing. Techno carried the backpack again, despite Ehn attempting to take it from him as they went - he did carry Techno’s shirt, though. They ended up walking side-by-side with Ehn’s arm wrapped around Techno’s waist, hugging him close.

When they made it back to the hotel, they both changed into clothes that weren’t damp and Techno started packing his things while Ehn played his guitar out on the patio with the door leading outside open for a while. Once Techno gathered everything that he needed to, he went outside to sit next to Ehn while scrolling through his Instagram feed. “You still haven’t sent me that photo,” Techno commented after he found Ehn’s post from earlier. He’d posted four different shots that had been taken, but none of them were the photo where Ehn had kissed his cheek.

“Right. I’ll do that,” Ehn replied with a nod of his head as he stopped playing the guitar. He leaned over to grab his phone out of his pocket before settling into place, careful with the guitar on his lap so that he didn’t drop it.

“Can I share it?”

Ehn looked over at Techno after he asked the tentative question and he smiled softly with a nod of his head. “Yeah. If you want to,” he agreed. Ehn set aside his phone and resumed playing his guitar.

Techno nodded and focused on his phone to post the photo with a minimal caption, but before he posted it, he decided to add a second one. The second photo was one he decided to take right then of him pressing a kiss to Ehn’s cheek. Doing so made Ehn stop playing the guitar again as he sat there silently for a few seconds only to smile when Techno rested his head on top of Ehn’s shoulder with a soft laugh and an apology. “Don’t apologize,” Ehn insisted with a shake of his head while gently nudging Techno’s side with his elbow. It made Techno lift his head and rest his chin on top of Ehn’s shoulder, so Ehn pressed a kiss to the bridge of his nose before focusing on his guitar again in an attempt to hide the smile that he couldn’t get rid of.

That was a thing he could do and he couldn’t quite believe it, honestly. He knew it would take time for them to figure everything out but Ehn was a very affectionate person and the fact that he could be, that he could figure out with Techno what worked and what didn’t was more than he’d anticipated to happen. Techno wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing so much as he was just… reacting based on what felt right. Ehn made him feel comfortable and safe and happy and he liked that he could be affectionate and it just felt natural.

They continued to sit there as Ehn played the guitar and Techno finished posting the pictures. He shifted enough that his head was resting against the side of Ehn’s shoulder so that he could see his phone easier without getting in Ehn’s way of playing. After he posted the photos, he went back to like the post of photos that Ehn had put up earlier that day. Then he went to close the app and set his phone aside but before he could he started getting notifications on his own post. He noticed the first was a comment from Tar that he couldn’t read all of. The second was another comment from Tar that was just him tagging Type - most likely to make sure he saw the post. It made Techno lock the screen of his phone and set it aside. “I really like this song,” Techno commented after he realized that Ehn was playing a song that he heard a lot on the radio. He maybe preferred when Ehn played his own songs, but the song was still a good one. “Do we really have to go back tomorrow?”

Ehn sighed with a hesitant nod of his head. He didn’t particularly like the idea, but they did have to get back to the city so that Ehn could start his job. Techno still had almost a week before his first day, at least, and he could pretend that he didn’t have to be an adult a little longer. “Mn. Even if I’d rather stay here, too,” he said. “Maybe we can come back sometime.”

Techno nodded with a soft smile as he sat up straight. “I’d like that. But for now, let’s go get dinner.” Ehn nodded his head and got up to go put his guitar up in the case. “And this time, actually let me pay for it.”

“We’ll see.” Ehn smiled brightly at Techno as he shut the guitar case and Techno closed the patio door. Techno just rolled his eyes and sighed with a shake of his head as they left the room and headed to the restaurant there in the hotel to get dinner.

Techno purposely left his cell phone on the bed to ignore the stream of messages from Type and Tar to his phone that he would deal with the next morning.

Chapter Text

“Yeah, we're back on the mainland,” Techno told Type on the phone as he leaned against the side of the car. He and Ehn had stopped for a break and so that they could get gas in the car as well as pick up a few snacks. Ehn was still inside the gas station, so Techno had answered his phone when he saw Type calling him. “Still going to be several hours before we're back. Early evening at the earliest.”

“So,” Type started and Techno idly adjusted the ball cap he was wearing as he waited for Type to continue. “Are you going to tell me yourself, or am I going to have to ask again? Also, why did you ignore me until now, asshole?”

“It's more fun this way.”

“Ai’No! I'm going to kick your-” 

Type’s threat was broken by the sound of someone taking the phone from him and a bit of a struggle before Tharn's voice came over the line. “What he means is-” Tharn started to say, only for Type to speak over him from the background. 

“I meant exactly what I said, Asshole Tharn!”

“He's in a mood today.”

Techno hummed in response and smirked as he heard Type complain about hating them both. “Tell him if it makes him feel better, then yes, I talked to Ehn. I kind of figured it was obvious,” he told Tharn, who relayed the message before Type took his phone back.

“I told you things would work out okay,” he insisted. “Is it weird at all?”

“No. Nothing has really changed. I mean it has, but it also hasn't.” Techno wasn't entirely sure he was making sense and he scrunched his face up slightly as he spoke. There were things that were quite obviously different - the lack of hesitation for casual physical affection being the most prominent - but for the most part it wasn't like much had changed. 

“That's because you were already kind of dating.” Type smirked to himself when Techno did not even try to argue with him that time. “Now you just both know you are.”

Techno hummed his agreement, glad that Type wasn’t there to see the small smile on his face. “I’ll talk to you later, Ai’Type. We’re going to leave again.” The two of them said their goodbyes and Techno hung up the phone as he stood up straight while Ehn walked over to the car. Ehn handed him a drink that he’d gotten for him while inside. “Thanks.”

“Mn. Want to drive for a bit?” Ehn replied. He knew that Techno didn’t like driving in the city, but they were still hours away yet. He figured that he’d at least offer because he knew that he grew bored just sitting in the passenger seat all day on long car drives.

“Are you sure you trust me enough?” Techno raised his brows slightly as he took a drink from the cup he’d been handed, trying not to smirk as Ehn made an exaggerated expression of suddenly doubting. Ehn handed him the key’s anyway and they got into the car. 

They spent the next couple of hours talking and singing along with the music Ehn played from his phone as Techno drove. They stopped once about half way there and switched spots so that Ehn was driving, and didn’t stop again until they reached the city to get something to eat that was more than just the snacks they’d grabbed that morning. He took a moment to send out a text to Tar, telling him to have fun on his date that night. Tar’s response was pretty quick - just a pleased looking smiley before a second message where Tar told Techno that they should talk soon because he wanted to hear more about Techno’s vacation. His words were a little jumbled but Techno was able to figure out what he was trying to say. “Tar’s nervous about his date,” Techno told Ehn as he set his phone aside.

“Did he ever decide what they were going to do?” Ehn asked with a small smile. He remembered that Tar had been nervous about it during the one phone call he had been included on after Tar’s first date. 

“I don’t know. He never said.” Techno shrugged his shoulders and reached over to steal a bite of Ehn’s food. 

“Rude. I never said I would share.” Ehn didn’t really seem annoyed despite his words. Instead he grabbed Techno’s plate and his own before switching them around. “Since you seem to want that one so much.”

“Well I don’t want it now.” Techno pulled the plate out of Ehn’s reach when he tried to take it back from him. “No, it’s mine now. You already switched it.” Ehn smiled with a laugh and shake of his head, not even attempting to try to hide the look of fondness on his face. 

As the two of them continued their dinner, across the city at one of the parks in town, Tar stood around off to the side of one of the walkways as he waited for Daw to show up. Tar played a game on his phone as he waited, using the thoughtless tapping on the phone as a way to try to get rid of the nervous energy he had. Tar wasn’t sure why he was nervous again - it wasn’t their first date, and the first one had gone really well. Because of that, he wasn’t sure why he felt nervous about the second date. He knew that nothing had changed, that Daw wouldn’t expect anything more than what had happened on their first date, but he still found himself nervous. Maybe it was the residual, underlying fear that Daw was going to change his mind and not want to spend time with him anymore.

Tar didn’t even care if they stopped dating so long as he didn’t lose Daw as a friend in the end. He found himself worried a lot that Daw would end up getting fed up with him and the situation and choose to not be with him, and that the resentment from it not working out would ruin their friendship. Maybe it had been a mistake to agree to try dating him. Tar sighed softly and lowered his phone. He was almost about to debate with himself on if he should just leave before Daw showed up, but then he saw Daw heading in his direction and Tar couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. “P’Daw, you’re here,” he greeted once Daw was close enough to hear him.

“Of course. Did you think I wouldn’t show?” he asked with a smile of his own once he reached Tar’s side. Tar shook his head twice and then froze in place for a few seconds when Daw pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You look good.”

“Thank you.” Tar ducked his head and put his phone into his pocket, using that as an excuse to hide the blush on his face at the compliment. “So, uhm…” Tar gestured off toward one of the paths as he lifted his head again. “I figured we could walk around for a while, maybe get something to eat. They’re going to be showing a movie on an outdoor screen here after the sun sets completely.” It was a movie in English, one that they had already discussed having enjoyed. He had been surprised when he’d seen that it was being shown and had thought that it would make for a fun experience for the two of them. “Unless you’d rather not. We can do something else. I j-”

“Tar,” Daw interrupted him with a laugh and a smile. He reached out and took a hold of Tar’s hand with a gentle squeeze. “I think it sounds great. Which direction should we head?”

Tar took a breath and nodded once, mostly to himself, before he started to lead Daw in the direction he figured they should start walking. As they walked, they caught up on what each of them had been doing over the previous few days. The nerves that Tar had felt earlier faded as they walked together and by the time they were sitting down in the lawn that the movie was being shown in, he had forgotten all about them having existed in the first place. The two of them talked quietly about the movie as they watched, but not loud enough to disturb the other people sitting throughout the area. 

Meanwhile, several blocks away at their own apartment, Techno and Ehn watched a movie in their living room. Ehn was sitting up with one arm on the back of the couch and he held that hand up to rest his head against. His other hand thoughtlessly played with Techno’s hair that was still damp from the shower he had taken when they’d gotten home while Techno’s head rested on his lap. Neither one of them was fully paying attention to the movie since it was one they had actually seen before.  “Have any plans for tomorrow?” Ehn asked Techno as he looked down at him.

Techno’s focus was more on his phone than the television as he played a game on it, but he lowered his phone slightly and looked up at Ehn when he started speaking. “I might go bug Ai’Type at the clinic tomorrow afternoon,” he answered. He already had permission from the manager to drop by whenever he wanted to, even though he wasn’t officially on the schedule for several days still. “Other than that, not really. Probably just going to be lazy and stay here until then. What time does your shift start tomorrow?”

“Nine, but I’ve got to go in a little early to get my new ID and everything.” Ehn wasn’t really looking forward to having to get up early, but he would rather have the first shift than the second. “It’s weird. No more classes or timetables - just… work.” Techno nodded in agreement to the statement. It was really strange to him that somehow a piece of paper signified the fact they were supposed to be adults. He didn’t feel like an adult. “N'Jay is right. We are getting old.”

“Your brother doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Techno said with a laugh. “He asked me to help him practice for tryouts.”

“Mn. He told me he was going to.” Ehn smiled softly and stilled his hand in Techno’s hair. “I think he likes you more than me.”

Techno shrugged his shoulders as he placed his phone on top of his chest. “Your brother is smart.”

“You know, I can’t even disagree.”

Techno fumbled over trying to think of what to say to that, but found himself unable to as Ehn just smiled at him in response. “You weren’t supposed to agree with me. Why are you like this?”

Ehn hummed as if he was thinking before he ruffled Techno’s hair with a smirk on his face when Techno complained. “You think I’m cute anyway.”

“Yeah, well, that isn’t the point.” Techno huffed and reached up to knock Ehn’s hand away from his hair which somehow ended up with his hand in Ehn’s instead while Techno seemed to be trying not to smile. Ehn’s smile was almost more of a smirk and it made Techno huff out a breath again. “Shut up and watch the movie.” Techno turned his head to focus on the television, though it was mostly to hide the small smile on his face.

After the movie was over, Techno got up to start unpacking his things while Ehn showered. Ehn was out of the shower by the time that Techno finished unpacking and had put the empty bag he’d used under his bed to keep it there. Techno then plugged in his phone to the charger on his bedside table before heading back out to the main room. Ehn was slowly moving into the room as he dried his hair with a towel but he stopped walking when Techno tugged on the towel to take it from him. “Go sit. I’ll help you with this,” Techno insisted. Ehn had helped him dry his hair earlier, after all. He may as well return the favor.

Ehn sat on the floor in front of the couch and Techno sat behind him. There was another show playing on the television, but neither one of them knew what it was or really watched as Techno focused drying off Ehn’s hair so that the strands weren’t dripping wet anymore. His hair wasn’t fully dry, but it was as good as could be done with just a towel. When he set aside the towel, Ehn grabbed his other hand and tugged it forward enough that he could press a kiss to the side of his wrist. It made Techno smile softly. He was just glad that Ehn wasn’t looking up at him to see how the action made him feel flustered at the same time. “Thank you,” Ehn said as he started to tilt his head back.

“Mn. Watch the movie,” Techno insisted as he pushed down on Ehn’s head to make him look at the TV instead of up at him, making Ehn chuckle softly. He didn’t let go of Techno’s hand, however, and Techno didn’t even try to pull away, either.

They sat there for a little while longer with Ehn’s head resting against Techno’s knee. “Should probably head to bed soon,” Ehn commented with a sigh. “It’s going to be difficult to get used to waking up early again.”

That was something that Techno could relate to a lot, and was why when he’d thought about it, he figured sleeping all day wouldn’t be a good idea because he needed to try to get a better sleep schedule going before starting work. He would probably end up getting up when Ehn did the next morning. He hadn’t fully decided on that, yet, though. “Come on,” Techno said as he pushed on the back of Ehn’s shoulder with his free hand. “Let’s go. Get up.”

Ehn grabbed the remote off of the coffee table to turn off the television, first. He returned it to the coffee table before standing up, leading Techno to stand with him because he hadn’t let go of Techno’s hand yet. “Are you coming with me or staying in your room tonight?” Ehn asked.

Techno hadn’t actually thought about it. He’d gotten kind of used to sleeping next to Ehn over the previous couple of days, but they hadn’t really talked about it with returning home since they weren’t sharing a room anymore. Ehn started to remind him that he didn’t have to, that it was just a question, but broke off mid-sentence when Techno let go of his hand to gently push him toward the door to his bedroom. “Mn. Let’s go to bed,” he said as he started to walk toward Ehn’s room with him.

The two of them got onto the bed and Ehn turned the light off before making sure his alarm was set on his phone and that it was plugged in to charge overnight. When he was finished with that, he moved to lay down on the bed next to Techno and get comfortable. Once he was, he reached over and grabbed Techno’s arm, tugging on it in order to get him to move closer. “What are you doing?” Techno asked with a laugh, though he followed Ehn’s wordless direction. 

They ended up with Techno laying next to Ehn on his side while his arm was draped over Ehn’s chest. It let Techno get comfortable on his side and allowed him to rest his head on Ehn’s shoulder. Techno closed his eyes with an inaudible sigh when he felt Ehn press a kiss to his forehead, and he kept his eyes closed as he felt Ehn’s arm wrap around his shoulders to keep him hugged close. “This is better,” Ehn finally answered after they were both settled into place. Techno couldn’t even bring himself to argue or complain, and he just hummed softly in agreement. It didn’t take either one of them too long to fall asleep.

The next morning, it wasn’t Ehn’s alarm that woke them up, but the sound of someone knocking incessantly on the door. Ehn groaned as he grabbed his phone and saw there were still ten minutes before he was planning on getting up. Techno started to get out of the bed but Ehn pulled him back down. “Stay here. I’ll get the door,” he insisted. Between them, he was the only one who needed to be awake, anyway. After turning off his alarm, he got up from the bed and went to answer the door. “What do you want?” His voice was a little sharp as he threw open the door with one hand and rubbed his eye with the other. Ehn’s brow furrowed as he lifted his hand from his eye to run through his hair and push the strands back from where it was in the way. “Ai’Type? It’s not even seven. What do you want?”

“I came to get Ai’No,” Type insisted. “Breakfast with N’Tar. I told him about it last night.” Techno hadn’t replied to the messages about it, but Type had assumed that Techno had gotten them.

Ehn stepped aside to let Type into the apartment. “He’s still asleep. He- no- Ai’Type…” Ehn tried to warn Type that Techno wasn’t in his own bedroom, but Type had gone into the room before Ehn could get the words out. Type returned to the main room a moment later. Ehn gave Type a look that was partially amusement and mostly just tiredness before he walked toward his own room and gestured for Type to follow once he got to the door. “Type’s here,” Ehn told Techno as he walked over to his dresser to start to pull out clothes to wear to work that day.

“Huh?” replied Techno with a furrowed brow. He looked at Ehn for a few seconds before sitting up and looking to where Type was standing in the doorway. The look on Type’s face was the one he used when he was trying not to let his thoughts show but was also curious about the situation all at the same time. “Ai’Type. It’s early. What do you want?”

“Tar wants to have breakfast,” Type answered him. “I messaged you about it last night to be ready by now.”

“What?” Techno got up from the bed, then, and made his way over to the other bedroom to grab his phone. Type followed him and went to lean against the desk along the side of the room. “Oh. I didn’t see it.” The message had been sent after he’d put his phone on the charger and had left the room for the night. “Left my phone in here last night.”

“I can see that,” replied Type with a nod of his head and an amused smirk. “So. Only been together a couple of days and you’re already in his bed, huh?”

“Stop that. Nothing happened. We just slept. Kinda got used to it from vacation.” Type looked a little doubtful, but in an obviously amused type of way. It made Techno roll his eyes. “Get out of here so I can change.”

Type raised his hands in surrender and he stood up straight. He then made his way back out to the main room and dropped down onto the couch. He wasn’t there very long before Ehn came out of the bathroom and went to the kitchenette to make some coffee for him to take with him. “So…” Type said, dragging the word out some in a way that made it clear he was fishing for something. Ehn didn’t respond, however, and it made Type sigh a little. “You guys finally talked.”

“Mn,” replied Ehn with a nod of his head. “We did. If you want to know anything more than that, you’ll have to talk to Ai’No.” While Ehn was not someone to hold back physical affection, he wasn’t one to actively talk about his relationship with other people he wasn’t really close to. While Type was a friend, he was still more of Techno’s friend than his. Plus, he wasn’t sure what Techno had shared or what he wanted to share with Type. So, he would leave that up to Techno.

“Fair enough.” Type would be asking Techno about it later, anyway, no matter what Ehn had said on the topic. The only thing that Type was actually concerned with was making sure that Techno was okay and that Ehn remembered that Type and others would make his life miserable if he hurt Techno at all. “Ehn-”

“Type, if this is another threat, save your breath.” Ehn leaned against the counter there in the kitchenette, crossing his arms over his chest. He understood and appreciated the fact that Type was concerned for his friend. “I haven’t forgotten.”

“Haven’t forgotten what?” asked Techno as he walked into the room and headed toward the bathroom so that he could finish getting ready. 

“Nothing. Finish getting ready or we’ll be late to meet the kid,” Type insisted. Techno rolled his eyes and then went into the bathroom to do just that. Type rolled his eyes as well before he looked over at Ehn. “Well. I’m glad that you two finally talked. It was getting rather frustrating, honestly.”

Ehn just shook his head and grabbed his cup before moving away from the counter. “Have fun at work,” Ehn told him before he walked over to the bathroom since Techno had left the door open. Techno was finishing brushing his teeth. “Hey, No, I’m going to head out. Have fun today.”

Techno nodded before spitting out the toothpaste in his mouth. “Good luck,” Techno said with a smile as he faced Ehn. “I’ll get us something for dinner tonight.”

Once Ehn agreed, they said goodbye and Ehn left the apartment, waving to Type as he went. Techno finished up in the bathroom before returning to the main room so that he and Type could head out as well. Something told Techno that it was going to end up being a very long day - and the way that Type draped an arm over his shoulders once they were out on the hallway, nearly tugging him into a headlock, told him that the thought was a very accurate one. “Ai’Asshole No, I hope you realize I expect you to tell me everything,” Type insisted as the two of them got onto the elevator, Type practically dragging Techno in with him.

Chapter Text

Type, Techno, and Tar sat around a table at a restaurant they met at only a couple of blocks away from the clinic. They had decided to meet up there because it would allow them the most time to talk before Type needed to be at the clinic. “So, your second date,” Type said as he reached over to poke at Tar’s cheek. “How did it go?”

Tar was unable to keep the smile off of his face as he recounted the evening. He told them about how they'd wandered the park before the movie, and then afterward had gotten food at a restaurant there at the edge of the park. He told them about how Daw had walked him to his car afterward and had given him a hug as they said goodbye. “He kissed my forehead before he left to go to his own car. He's very sweet,” Tar told them with a shy smile as he rested his chin in his hand and his elbow on top of the table. “I really, really like him.” Tar tried not to let that lingering doubt and worry creep in like it always did if the thought too long on everything. Things were good. There was no reason to let those fears ruin things.

Techno and Type exchanged glances, both of them easily able to read the look that Tar hadn't been able to completely keep off of his face. “What's the look for?” Techno asked, finding a reason to beat around the bush about it.

Tar shook his head with a small smile, trying to rid himself of the expression. “Nothing. It's nothing, really. Just… It kinda of all feels too good to be true.” Tar lowered his hand so that he could cross both arms on top of the table. “It's like… I feel like I keep holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop and to find out things aren't going to work out.”

That was a feeling that Techno could easily relate to - so could Type, even if he was more hesitant to admit it. “I know saying this is easier than doing it, but you've got to try to stop letting yourself focus on the negative what ifs. There are just as many positive ones,” Type told him. “What if things work out and you find yourself in a long term relationship? What if those things you fear only turn out to be unfounded fears?”

“Why weren’t you this intuitive when you and Tharn were figuring things out?” asked Techno as he picked up his glass to take a drink out of it with an amused smirk, while Type glared at him across the table. “Shit, ow! Ai’Type! That hurt.” Techno reached down to rub his shin where Type had kicked him under the table. “Asshole.”

“Enough about my date,” Tar insisted, drawing the attention of the other two. “P’No, you still haven’t told me about your vacation and those pictures.” Tar was grinning as he took a bite of his food.

Techno rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing to say that you haven’t figured out already,” he answered. 

“But it’s no fun just assuming.” Tar almost pouted but he could not keep himself from laughing when Techno rolled his eyes again. “I thought you went to go on vacation, not to get a boyfriend.”

“Let’s be real,” said Type as he stole some of Techno’s food from his plate. “They were already dating before they went.”

“I'm ignoring both of you now,” Techno insisted as he shook his head, purposely ignoring Tar’s attempt at asking more questions. 

It didn't take too long for them to give up questioning Techno and switch topics to how Type’s orientation at work was going or how Tar had already received his time schedule for his classes next term. They had gotten sent out early that time, and Tar was not looking forward to one of his classes that started fairly early in the morning. “It's a math class, too,” Tar sighed heavily. He really had no desires to have a math class so early in the day, but he would have to deal with it. “I actually get to cook in one of my classes next term, though!”

They continued to chat about classes and work until Type needed to leave in order to make his shift on time. Tar and Techno walked together away from the restaurant toward a park nearby for a few minutes until Tar left to go meet up with Pete and Tin. Techno then went to go meet up with Ae, Can, and Champ at that park where they were going to play football for a while - they had texted about it during breakfast. Good had been invited to join them, but he had not been able to make it. Champ lamented about his job and how being an adult was awful as they played. Techno teased him about how he had been able to have more days off and didn't have to be an adult yet. It ended up with Champ tackling him and sitting on his back for a few minutes while Ae and Can both laughed at him.

It was a great day, honestly, and Techno was glad that Type had dragged him out that morning instead of him staying home like he had originally planned. It was a beautiful day outside, and after everyone else had to go for various reasons, Techno hung around the park to enjoy the time outside. Eventually, Techno made his way back home. There were still a couple of hours before Ehn was due home, so Techno decided to wait until closer to that time to go and get them something for dinner. He figure out something to do with the rest of his time alone.

Techno opened the door to the apartment and before he could really figure out what was going on, someone was behind him, shoving him into the apartment. It made Techno stumble over his own feet until he could reach out and steady himself on the wall. “Wh-?” he started to ask as he turned to see who had shoved him. “Kengkla? What are you doing here?” Techno took several steps farther into the apartment, putting obvious distance between himself and Kengkla. “How… How did you know I was here?” As far as he had known, Kengkla had not been aware of where he moved to.

“Doesn't matter,” Kengkla replied, waving off the last question. “I wanted to see you, to talk to you. We need to talk.”

“I have nothing else to say to you.” Techno shook his head, taking another step back when Kengkla stepped forward.

Kengkla paused and the smile that had been on his face faded as he took in Techno’s words. “P’No, please. You and I-”

“Are never going to happen.” Techno almost sounded exasperated as he spoke. He was just… He was tired, and he was really tired of Kengkla somehow showing up and knocking him off course every time he felt he was getting his life back together. “It isn't. I don't like you. I'm dating someone else, and I'm not breaking up with Ehn for you.”

“Take it back!” Kengkla insisted as he rushed forward and grabbed Techno's arms before Techno could move out of his way. 

“I won't.” Techno attempted to push Kengkla away from him, but Kengkla didn't let go of his arms. It made both of them stumble and Kengkla ended up using the movement to turn them and pin Techno against the wall. He winced with a groan and Kengkla loosened his grip on Techno's arms just a little. Techno took a deep breath and gently pushed on Kengkla’s shoulders again. “Kengkla, you need to let me go. Now.”

“P’No-”

“No.” Techno's voice was firm and left no room for doubt. He was not wanting to let Kengkla think he had any doubts about it. “Kengkla, please. You need to leave.”

“I can- I can change your mind.” Kengkla surged forward, likely in an attempt to try to kiss him, but Techno turned his head and pushed back on Kengkla's shoulders at the same time.

“Stop.”

Techno pushed Kengkla back again and kicked at his ankle at the same time. It made Kengkla stumble back away from him and he lost his grip on Techno’s arms. Techno darted away from Kengkla, attempting to put distance between them again but Kengkla grabbed the back of his shirt and they started struggling with one another. Techno lost track of just what was going on but he was vaguely aware of the fact that the room ended up getting trashed in his continued attempts to get away from Kengkla, and they somehow ended up on the floor in the mess.

“Please stop,” Techno tried again as Kengkla managed to get a hand on Techno's side underneath his shirt.

At the sound of Techno’s voice shaking, Kengkla paused. Then, he slowly seemed to actually take in the fact that Techno looked scared of him and was flinching away from him. He wasn't just pushing him away but was actually scared and that seemed to strike something in Kengkla’s mind because he quickly scrambled back away from Techno. Techno's face was bruising and Kengkla could feel that his own lip had been split somehow. Techno had hit him. He'd hit him and looked terrified as he glanced over toward the bedrooms, contemplating if he'd be able to get to one of them and put a door between them. All Kengkla had wanted was for Techno to want him back, not to be scared of him. “I-I’m sorry,” Kengkla stumbled over his words in his rush to get them out. His intention was just to change Techno's mind, to make him want him too. Kengkla reached out toward Techno, to check on him or help him up or something, but when he noticed Techno flinch away from him, Kengkla quickly moved even farther away from Techno.

Kengkla took unsteady breaths as he looked at the disaster of a room around them. The coffee table was knocked over and anything that had been on top of it was scattered about. There was a laptop on the floor that looked broken as well as a glass that had probably been on top of it. The table that had been against the wall next to the knocked over guitar case had been yanked away so it stood crookedly from where it used to. There were papers on the floor that Kengkla didn't know the source of. Techno had some rapidly darkening bruises on his face and neck and what Kengkla could see of his shoulder from where his shirt had gotten ripped in the struggle. It was a striking moment of clarity in which Kengkla realized the extent of what he'd done and he felt as though he might be sick. “I'm sorry. P’No, I… I'm sorry. I don't…” Kengkla struggled trying to come up with something, anything to say. He could make it right. He could. He…

Techno moved farther away from him and seemed to be looking for something to protect himself with. There was no way he was going to make it right. The look on Techno's face was going to haunt him and he would have to live with his choices for the rest of his life. He couldn't fix it, but he knew what he had to do to keep Techno from looking at him like that again. He ran. He left the apartment and didn't look back.

After the door nearly slammed shut, Techno stayed where he was for several moments as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. It was all a blur but terribly clear at the same time. Everything hurt and he wasn't entirely sure he hadn't hit his head at some point. His knee felt as though he might have hurt it when he'd fallen over in the scuffle but he didn't want to look at it for himself. Techno debated with himself for what could have been hours but was actually only a few minutes before he carefully got himself up off the floor. The apartment seemed eerily quiet as he stood there taking in the damage - he should clean up. He almost started to. But he realized he also really should get his knee looked at since simply standing there hurt. He would go get that done quickly and then come back home to clean up the apartment before Ehn got back.

Without much thought to it, Techno slowly left the apartment. He thought about going to see if Tharn or Type were home yet, but he didn't want to bother them, either. They could have been busy. Ehn was still at work, and calling a taxi could take a while. So Techno decided that it would be best to take himself. It took longer than he anticipated because he had to stop a few times since the growing headache he had made it hard to focus and made him feel nauseous. 

Driving to the hospital was a bit of a blur, as was him explaining to an intake nurse that he'd hurt his knee once he got there. “And you drove yourself?” she asked, though the question seemed more scolding than anything.

Techno was pretty sure that he answered. He hadn't wanted to bother anyone and a taxi would have taken too long. He wasn't hurt enough for an ambulance. It was just his knee, after all. Or, well, he thought it was just his knee, anyway. It was all too easy to lose track of time there as Techno waited for a doctor to actually see him. When the doctor first arrived, Techno refused to say what exactly had happened to cause his injuries. 

As the doctor began to actually examine his knee, Techno forgot all about the mess in the apartment that he'd just walked away from. He did not know that at that moment, Ehn got to their apartment and slowly pushed open the front door with his guard already going up. Ehn already felt as though something was wrong because the door had been unlocked when he went to unlock it. Techno never left the door unlocked. “Ai’No?” he called as he stepped into the apartment. Panic rose higher in his chest as he took in the destroyed room in front of him. “No?” Ehn dropped his things and quickly went over to Techno’s bedroom.

It was empty and didn't look destroyed like the main room, a quick check of his room had Ehn realizing that Techno wasn't there. Ehn fumbled with his phone as he pulled it out of his pocket and he nearly dropped it once it was free of the pocket. Ehn quickly pulled up Techno's contact and called him while rushing out of the apartment (he wasn't fully sure he locked the door, either) while making a beeline to Type and Tharn’s apartment.

Techno didn't answer the phone and Ehn hung up with a swear under his breath as he knocked quickly on the door of the other couple’s apartment. Tharn answered the door with a glare on his face and looked as though he was going to start cussing at Ehn for having been annoying in how he knocked on the door, but Ehn cut off anything he might say with a frantic, “Please tell me No is here.”

“Huh? Why would he be here?” Tharn asked. Not that he had a problem with Techno coming by, he just wasn't there that day and as far as Tharn knew there was no plan for Techno to be over that day.

“Fuck. Look, the apartment is trashed and the door was unlocked and Techno didn't answer when I called him.” Ehn was trying very hard to keep from sounding as frantic as he felt. 

“Take a breath. I'm sure he's ok, that there is an explanation.” Tharn gave Ehn what he hoped was a reassuring smile before he agreed to go back to the apartment with Ehn. The smile was a little tight, though, as Tharn could not help but worry, himself. Something did not feel right with what Ehn told him. He used his own phone to try calling Techno, too, but Techno still did not answer. Tharn frowned as he hung up and glanced round the apartment since they had reached it. “Maybe we should get a hold of everyone else.”

The next several minutes were filled with phone calls to Type, Tar, Ae, Can, Champ, and Good - all of whom said they hadn't seen Techno since that morning (or graduation, in Good’s case). After that, they all went to different places they thought they Techno might be while periodically taking turns calling him in hopes that he might answer for one of them. They were beginning to question if they should call the police as they gathered back up at Ehn and Techno's apartment when none of them had any luck when Ae’s phone rang. Ae quickly answered the call and told everyone else to be quiet.

“N’Ae, why do I have so many missed calls from everyone? What's going on?” Techno asked him once the call connected. He had chosen to call Ae back simply because he had been the last one to try calling.

“That's what we want to know,” insisted Ae. “Where are you? We've all been looking for you.” As soon as he got the words out, he was practically tackled by Type, who was attempting to take his phone from him. Ae, who had had too many similar struggles with Pond all too easily moved his phone out of Type's reach and kept blocking his attempts to get the phone.

“Huh? Why? I- Neverm- I'm okay, but…”

Ae struggled to fully hear what Techno had to say, but he caught the important bits as he continued to ward off Type and ignore the way Type continued to insist on having the phone. As soon as Ae was sure he had the details he needed, he hung up the phone and handed it to Type, who almost immediately handed it back. He had no use for Ae’s phone if Techno wasn't still on the line. “Are you going to chill so I can tell you what I know, or should I leave you here and take P’Ehn with me?” he asked Type, fixing him with a level look that made Type glare before taking a deep breath. “If you interrupt me, I'll leave and not tell you anything.” Type opened his mouth to argue, but Tharn wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him in close and use the same hand to cover his mouth with. Type glared over at him, but Tharn ignored it. “P’No is hurt. I don't know how or to what extent but he's at the hospital. He says he's okay.”

“Well, what are we all standing around here for, then?” Champ asked. “Let's go.”

“Not everyone is going to be allowed in to see him,” Good reminded them in his slow voice as they made their way out of the apartment.

He had a point, but none of them really cared at that moment. They were more concerned with just getting there in the first place. They all followed Ae to the parking lot as they decided what cars to take and who was going to drive. Ehn honestly could not say what was decided or by who. All he was focused on was getting to where Techno was and seeing if he was okay or not for himself. Ehn held onto his phone throughout the whole drive (he was in a car with Champ driving) and debated on trying to call Techno again, but he decided against it. They would see Techno soon enough.

Chapter Text

“It's not as bad as it looks,” Techno insisted when he saw Ehn in the doorway. He sat up a little straighter on the bed that he was on while waiting for the results of the x-ray on his knee. Techno really just wanted to go home - he still needed to clean up the mess in the living room, and hospitals made him very uncomfortable. He hated waiting around.

“Really? Because I'm not going to lie. It looks bad,” replied Ehn as he walked over toward the bed. He reached out to gently grab Techno’s chin in order to turn his face so that he could see the damage more, but he hesitated for a second. When Techno didn't flinch or pull away he figured that it was okay. Ehn ducked down enough to press a kiss to Techno’s forehead. He lingered there for several seconds after feeling Techno grab onto the side of his shirt to keep him held in place. Then, Ehn carefully sat down on the bed next to Techno while facing him. Techno only let go of his shirt once Ehn was sitting. Ehn noticed then that there was a cut on Techno's arm that had gotten stitched up already and he frowned as he looked up at Techno's face again while Techno did not look directly at him. “Ai’No, what happened? Why didn't you call me?”

“You were at work and I didn't-”

“Techno,” Ehn interrupted, making Techno finally look at him directly again. He was trying not to let himself be too mad that Techno hadn't called, mostly because Techno was obviously hurt and he would rather be worried than angry. Well, he would have rather not had to do either, but it was what it was. “You are hurt. You're in the hospital for… I don't even know what all. I don't give a damn about work.”

Techno nodded his head but then winced as the action made his head hurt even more. “Right. I'm not supposed to do that. They said that I've got the, uh… head thing. I hit my head a couple of times.”

Ehn stilled as Techno explained, not liking at all what he was hearing. It made him want to once again ask what had actually happened for Techno to end up like he was. He settled for trying to figure out how exactly Techno was hurt. “A concussion?”

Techno almost nodded again but he stopped himself and hummed in agreement to the question. “There's some bruising, and my arm. I think - There might have been some glass?” It was said as a question because honestly, Techno couldn't remember. He hadn't even realized he had a cut on his forearm until he'd gotten to the hospital and they'd told him. “I'm still waiting to hear about my knee but the doctor thinks it's just sprained.”

“What happened? And I don't mean repeat what your injuries are.” Ehn gently took a hold of Techno’s hand, frowning all over again when he saw the bruises there, too.

“Can I tell you later?” Ehn looked back up at Techno as he spoke, who looked exhausted and like he might fall asleep sitting up like he was, and Techno gave him a faint smile. He didn’t want Ehn thinking that he was trying to hide anything, because that was not his intention at all. “I just… I really don't want to talk about it here.” 

“Mn,” Ehn agreed with a nod of his head. As much as he might have wanted to demand that Techno tell him right then and there, he didn't think it would do either of them any good. “Everyone's outside. They're all worried. Are you up to seeing everyone?” Techno didn't answer as he glanced toward the door and seemed to struggle with how to respond. “It's ok if you aren't. I can just tell everyone. They'll understand.”

“Ah. I… Don't think so.” Techno finally answered, though he hated to admit it. A part of him really wanted to see them, but his body was screaming at him and he felt like he could easily fall asleep at any moment. He wasn't exactly going to be very much fun to talk with and the thought of dealing with everyone made him feel anxious to the point of almost feeling sick. Or maybe that was just his head. It was really hard to tell.

After Ehn spent another few moments making sure that Techno was as well as he could be at the moment, he went back out to the waiting room where everyone was sitting around except Type. Type appeared to have been pacing back and forth as he bit at his thumbnail. “How is he?” Type asked as soon as he saw Ehn. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Ehn answered as the others stood up and they stood around off to the side away from others who were there in the waiting room. “He said he’d explain later. He’s got a concussion, his face is all bruised up and he needed stitches on his arm. Waiting for x-ray results on his knee right now.”

“Did he seem okay?” asked Tar as he glanced down the hallway toward where Ehn had come from. “I mean considering…”

“A little confused and obviously hurting but otherwise still himself.” Ehn would like to consider that to be a good sign, honestly. He definitely had been imagining much worse - not that it wasn’t bad enough as it was. “He didn’t call because I was at work and he didn’t want to interrupt or whatever.” 

“I’m going to hit him. What the hell,” grumbled Type as he crossed his arms over his chest. Techno would have been more concerned about somehow being a burden on someone else than himself. “Can I go see him?”

“Are you going to yell at him?”

Ehn gave Type a look while Type seemed to struggle with an answer. He really wanted to go in there and give Techno a piece of his mind, but something told him that Ehn was not going to let him do that just yet. “Maybe.”

“That can wait for when he doesn’t have a concussion, yeah?” Ehn wouldn’t actively stop Type from acting like… well, Type so long as it wasn’t going to actually harm Techno. Right then, being yelled at by someone was really the last thing that Techno needed. Type let out a heavy sigh. He knew Ehn was right but didn’t want to admit it. Ehn took Type's non-response to mean that he would let it go for the time being. “He’s not really feeling well enough to see everyone right now.”

Type looked for several seconds like he was going to argue with Ehn, but then he nodded with a hum. “That’s fine. We’ll just hang out here for a bit. Go back to him and keep us updated.” Ehn gave Type and the others a small smile, then, before he turned to go back to Techno’s room. Type then turned to look at Tharn, who had been standing behind him and a step to the right while Ehn was talking to them. “Can you do me a favor? Go back to their place and pick it up.”

“Are you sure we should do that?” Can asked with a furrowed brow as he looked between the two of them. “What if-?”

“They haven’t brought the police in to speak to him and there’s no police hanging around.” Type took that to assume that Techno had come to the hospital on his own, that he hadn’t called emergency services. “Whatever happened, Ai’No isn’t filing a report.” Type sighed when the others still did not seem convinced with his thoughts. “Look. We all saw the living room. That…” Type paused when a doctor walked past them and he stepped aside more, gesturing for the others to move closer. “That wasn’t just Techno being clumsy and knocking something over,” Type started speaking with an even quieter tone to make sure they weren’t overheard. He let the words hang heavily in the air for several seconds. Even without Techno confirming, it was pretty evident that something had happened. “What did everyone assume was going on when we first saw the room?”

“Kengkla,” Ae offered, keeping his voice as quiet as Type’s was.

Type pointed at him to indicate that he was correct. “Did anything seem to be missing from their apartment?” Everyone shook their heads at the question after thinking it back over. There were several expensive items around the main room of the apartment that hadn’t been touched, after all. So, it was easy to conclude that the mess was not from an attempted robbery. “It’s not like Ai’No has a line of people who would end up fighting with him. Logical conclusion-” Type stopped talking for a few seconds as a couple of nurses passed by close to where they were. “Logical conclusion is that something happened with that little shit again, and Techno isn’t going to file charges against him.” Type knew they could all try to convince him, but highly doubted any of them, even Ehn, would be able to do so. None of the others really seemed to have a valid argument against Type’s statements, even if it didn’t sit right with any of them. “The best thing we can do to help right this second is for someone to make sure that when they go home, that mess isn’t there.”

“Type might be right.” Ae seemed as though it almost pained him to have to admit it. None of them liked the idea of Kengkla getting away with it if something did happen with him - but, Type was also correct that Techno wasn’t likely to make an official case of it if anything did happen. Ae didn’t really like just sitting around hospitals and he knew there really wasn’t anything he could do at that moment besides sit there. So, he turned to look at Tharn - because, honestly, everyone knew Tharn would go simply because Type asked.  “I’ll go with you.”

Tharn hummed his agreement to Ae. “Let me go get the keys from Ehn,” Tharn said. He stepped in and quickly pressed a kiss to Type’s cheek before he could be pushed away and grinned at the scowl he received in response - Type was trying not to smile. Tharn then went into the room he’d seen Ehn disappear into earlier, and he found Ehn sitting in a chair next to the bed that Techno was in while Techno seemed to be resting. Ehn looked up when Tharn came up next to him, and Tharn quietly told him what he and Ae was going to do. He gave Tharn the keys and Tharn left the two of them alone again.

It was not too much later that Techno woke back up with a groan, unable to continue to sleep due to how much his head was hurting. Ehn offered to get someone to come give him something for it, but Techno convinced him to stay, instead. The doctor would be back soon enough. “He said there would only be a short wait for the x-ray,” Techno said as Ehn helped him sit up just before the doctor came into the room, looking at a file in his hands. Ehn stood up and said a quick greeting to the doctor.

“Oh, hello,” the doctor said. He hadn’t realized that Techno had anyone show up to see him. The last he’d seen, Techno was there alone. “I take it you finally reached out to someone, then?” He smiled with a nod of his head when Techno hummed his agreement. “Good, because you really shouldn’t be driving yourself for a while.”

“You drove yourself here?” Ehn quickly looked over at Techno, who gave a sheepish smile in response. “Ai’No yo-”

“Do you have the x-ray results?” asked Techno, cutting through what he was sure was about to be a scolding statement. Ehn sighed and reached up with one hand to rub the back of his neck. He placed his other hand on top of Techno’s shoulder with a gentle squeeze, and looked back to the doctor.

“Mn. I was right. There’s nothing broken. You’re lucky. Take a couple of weeks off of anything too strenuous. We’re going to get you a brace to wear, and the next couple of days try to stay off your leg as much as possible. We’ll get you some crutches to take home along with some pain medication that will help with your head as well.” The doctor smiled at them as he closed the file in his hand before using his freed hand to point at Ehn as he said, “Are you the one who is taking him home, then?” When Ehn said that he was, the doctor went over a few things about Techno’s injuries and things to watch out for as signs he would need to come back in. He would be allowed to go home as soon as they got him the knee brace.

It was late when they finally were allowed to leave, but the others were still in the waiting room sitting around. “P’No!” Tar was the first one to see them and he quickly got up from his seat to go over to where Ehn and Techno were. Techno had absolutely refused to use a wheelchair and had insisted on using the crutches he’d been given in order to walk out as best he could. He didn’t seem to mind the fact that Ehn kept a hand on his back to try to help keep him steady.

“Hey,” Techno replied with a sheepish smile. “Sorry you all wasted your time looking for me.”

“That’s what you’re sorry for?” scoffed Type as he crossed his arms. “You should be sorry for worrying us in the first place instead of calling one of us.” Techno gave another sheepish smile and Type huffed out a breath again with a shake of his head. He wanted to go into it more and make Techno realize how dumb his decision had been - but even Type was aware enough that in the middle of the hospital waiting room was not a place for that. “You’re okay, though, right?”

“Okay enough they’re letting me go home.” That was honestly the point that Techno wanted everyone to focus on, if only because he wasn’t sure he could handle everyone continuing to look at him like they were doing right then. Can, at least, seemed as though he was only barely holding himself back from throwing himself at him in a hug. That was normal. That Techno welcomed fully. “As much as this is a lot of fun, I really kind of just want to go home right now.”

There wasn’t much conversation after that as they all made their way outside. Type took Tar and Can to their homes while Champ went home by himself (only after making Techno promise to call him later, and Tar made plans to check on Techno later, and Can insisted that he would come by soon). Ehn helped Techno get into the passenger side of his car so that Ehn could drive them back to the apartment. “Tharn and Ae went to go pick up the apartment,” Ehn told Techno as he started driving.

“Oh. I was going to do that,” he replied. “Then I realized my knee really hurt and thought I should get it looked at.”

“You didn’t notice your head or arm?” Ehn glanced over at Techno quickly before focusing on the road. “Will you tell me what happened now?”

“I… am not sure that’s the best conversation to have while you’re driving.” Techno was sure that Ehn would be upset about what happened and he needed to be focused on driving. It would have to wait still. “I will later, I promise. I want to talk about it.” Sort of. He did but he didn’t at the same time. He wanted to because he wanted to try to make sense of some of it that just… didn’t make sense to him. At the same time, he never wanted to think about any of it again.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. Why don’t you try to rest? I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Techno hummed his agreement and did what he could to try to get comfortable in the seat so that he could at least try to get more sleep. He knew the doctor said that he should be resting as much as possible in intervals for the next day at the least. Techno did not actually anticipate falling asleep in the car, however. It was always incredibly uncomfortable and he was very rarely able to do so. He was surprised when he found himself being carefully woken up by Ehn after they’d gotten back to the condo building. Ehn had already gotten out of the car and grabbed the crutches out of the backseat before opening the passenger side door to make it easier for Techno to get out of the car. Neither one of them said anything as they went inside, taking it slowly so that Techno didn’t trip or hurt himself any more. By the time they got to the apartment and went inside using Techno’s key, Tharn and Ae had already left. Tharn had messaged Ehn during the drive home that he still had Ehn’s key and he could pick it up later.

If it weren’t for the obviously broken laptop and the fact that the papers that had been scattered on the floor weren’t piled neatly on top of the coffee table, it wouldn’t have looked like anything had ever happened there. Everything had been picked back up and put back into place. Techno paused several steps into the apartment as he looked over everything, unable to keep himself from thinking back on what he could remember about the fight with Kengkla. “Are you okay?” Ehn asked Techno, keeping his voice soft in hopes of not startling him or making his head hurt at all.

“Mn. I’m just… I’m just tired. And sore,” he answered. Then he looked over at Ehn with a small smile. “Is this what your face felt like during graduation?”

“You’re probably feeling worse than I did.” Ehn was not even referring to the other injuries with his comment. Techno’s face alone was more bruised than his own had been. It was almost the whole side of his face that was bruised and looked as though he’d slammed it into something. Maybe during when the table had gotten knocked over. “Come on. Let’s get you some clean clothes to wear and then you can try to sleep. I’m supposed to wake you up in a couple of hours.” He had been told by the doctor that sleep was the best course of action, but that at least for the next 24 hours, he needed to wake Techno up every couple of hours to make sure that he woke up normally. If he didn’t, they needed to go back to the hospital.

They went into Techno’s room and Ehn had Techno sit down on the bed while he grabbed Techno some clothes to change into. While Techno changed, Ehn went out to the other room to get him some water and one of the pain pills that the doctor had given him. When he went back into Techno’s room, he was finishing pulling his shirt on and had already changed into the sleep pants after removing the brace on his leg. He was not supposed to wear it when sleeping, just when he was up and moving around. “Thanks,” Techno said quietly when Ehn handed him the water and pain pill. After he took the medication, Ehn took the glass of water back from him. “Will you stay in here with me?”

Ehn nodded with a small smile as he reached out to brush Techno’s hair back from his face with his free hand. “Let me put this up and change into something I’ve not been wearing all day, and I’ll be back,” he answered. Ehn ducked down enough to press a kiss to Techno’s forehead before he almost reluctantly left to do what he said he was going to.

He didn’t take very long changing, but by the time he got back to Techno’s room, Techno had moved up the bed so that he could try to find a comfortable way to lay down on the bed. He hadn’t fallen asleep yet, though. Ehn mumbled an apology when he climbed into the bed and saw Techno wince, but Techno brushed off the apology. It wasn’t done on purpose, after all. He was going to be sore for a while, but it wasn’t Ehn’s fault. Ehn set an alarm on his phone and placed it on the table next to the bed before turning out the lights and laying down as well. They lay facing one another on the bed and Ehn loosely wrapped his arm around Techno’s waist. “I’m sorry I didn’t call,” Techno said after a few moments of silence had passed. “I just… I didn’t want to bother you and I thought-” Well, he had honestly thought that he wasn’t as hurt as he was. He hadn’t quite registered at the time just how bad it actually was or he would have called somebody. Maybe. “I didn’t think it was that bad, and I guess I’m kind of used to just… taking care of myself.” With his parents being as absent as they were, he’d grown up being more self-reliant when it came to being sick or hurt.

“Yeah, well. You don’t have to,” Ehn replied. “Even… even if you don’t call me you’ve got Type and Tar an- You had all of us worried, you know.” Techno mumbled another apology as he thoughtlessly shifted closer to Ehn to where his head was underneath Ehn’s chin while hugging him close as well. “Try to get some rest. We can talk more in the morning.” Ehn still wanted to talk about what had actually happened, to remind Techno again that he wasn’t alone and could always get a hold of him if something was wrong. It could wait until morning, though. Techno needed the rest, and Ehn needed the time to remind himself that Techno would be okay, that he was there and the panic he’d felt before that hadn’t fully faded away could dissipate.

Chapter Text

Being woken up every couple of hours was about as much fun as it sounded, in Techno’s opinion - which meant it was actually quite horrible and he was ready for that to stop being a thing. Of course it was partially because he felt guilty since it meant that Ehn was up every couple of hours as well. Techno had no idea what time it was when he woke up on his own. He could faintly hear Ehn talking in the other room. It sounded as though he was on the phone calling off of work and it made Techno have to fight back that feeling of guilt again. Ehn shouldn’t have to be missing work because of him. He knew that Ehn wouldn’t see it that way, but it didn’t stop the feeling from bothering Techno. With a sigh, Techno closed his eyes again and attempted to get into a more comfortable position on the bed, which wasn’t very easy. There didn’t seem to be a comfortable position and everything hurt again. Well, his head wasn’t hurting as much, at least.

With another sigh, Techno sat up and leaned back against the headboard while grabbing the bottle of painkillers they’d ended up leaving on the bedside table next to a glass of water instead of having Ehn get up to get one every time it was time for another dose. As he opened it, he checked the time on his clock, making sure that enough time had passed for him to take another. “Oh, you’re up,” Ehn said as he came back into the room once he was done on the phone. “Was just going to see if you wanted to try eating something.” The doctor had told him that Techno should keep his food choices light for the next day or so - just in case he started to feel nauseous. He knew that Techno wasn’t a fan of that fact and he chuckled as he sat down next to him while Techno pulled a face in response. “Tomorrow if you’re feeling up for it, we’ll get your favorite.” Ehn wrapped his arm around Techno’s shoulders when Techno leaned against his side and he smiled a little to himself as he pressed a kiss to the top of Techno’s head. “How are you feeling?”

“My head doesn’t hurt so bad,” Techno told him as he wrapped his arms around Ehn’s waist and made himself as comfortable as he could there where they were at. “Everything else does, though.”

Ehn could understand that and he wished that he could help but he knew there wasn’t much else he could do. “Have you taken more meds?” Techno nodded his head in response, finding relief in the fact that the movement did not make his head hurt like it had before and he smiled when he felt Ehn lift his hand in order to play with his hair as well as he could without moving his arm from where it was draped over his shoulders.  “You should try to rest more.”

“Not yet.” Techno replied with another, heavy sigh. He reluctantly let go of Ehn so that he could sit up straight and look at him. “I want to talk about what happened. If I don’t do it now, I’m going to keep putting it off and I’ll never talk about it. But you can’t… Don’t get mad until after I’m done.”

“I can’t promise that,” replied Ehn with a short laugh. “But, I will promise I won’t say anything until you’re finished.”

“Mn. That’s good enough.” Techno nodded and smiled faintly. He took a few moments to try to get his thoughts in order before he started to tell Ehn about what happened, starting with Kengkla pushing himself into the apartment. Ehn grew tense right away as Techno started talking, but true to his word he didn’t say anything. He did use the arm that wasn’t still draped across Techno’s shoulders to take a hold of his hand. “I still don’t know how he found out where I’ve been - not even Nic knows I moved here.” It was something that Techno wanted to know, but at the same time he kind of didn’t want to know how Kengkla had found out where he’d been living since he moved out. Techno continued talking, telling Ehn the things Kengkla had said and done that he could remember. Ehn clenched his jaw as Techno mentioned Kengkla trying to kiss him, saying that he was going to change Techno’s mind.

Despite the anger that he felt toward Kengkla and what he had done, a part of him was proud of Techno for having stood up for himself and making his thoughts clear to the guy. Techno could have gone along with it, after all, and not fought back. Ehn wouldn’t have held it against him if he hadn’t, but he was glad that Techno had. Techno told Ehn that he really didn’t remember a lot of the fight. He didn’t remember at all how he got cut by the glass or how he hit his head. He didn’t remember the table getting knocked over. All of it could have been tied into the same moment, but honestly he didn’t know. “I don’t- I don’t know what really happened next because suddenly Kengkla was just… backing off. He was apologizing. I don’t…” Techno let out a heavy breath as his brow furrowed. He couldn’t really say why Kengkla had backed off. He hadn’t been listening to Techno, and he’d been determined to get his hands on him. Then suddenly he was just backing off and looking horrified as he apologized. “Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know,” Ehn answered. “I wish I had an answer for you, but I really don’t know.” Kengkla backing off was a good thing, but he wasn’t sure the reason why or if it meant they had to worry about him coming around again. He didn’t like that idea. It almost made him want to leave and go seek out Kengkla in order to make sure he didn’t come to bother Techno again. He hated the thought that Techno was hurting and it was entirely Kengkla’s fault. Ehn really just… hated the whole situation and more of the fact that he couldn’t really do anything to make it better. He couldn’t fix it or make it so that it never happened. He hated that there was likely always going to be a part of Techno that was affected by everything that Kengkla had done. “I hate him. I don’t think I’ve actually hated anyone before, but I hate him for what he’s done. I hate that he keeps showing up and continues to just-”

It took Ehn several seconds to realize why he wasn’t able to talk anymore - Techno had grabbed his face with both hands and had pulled him in close enough to kiss him. He had not expected it, but was not complaining at all. They had already had the discussion about how Techno was the one setting the pace on the physical side of their relationship and he had permission to do such a thing. Ehn just… hadn’t expected it. Which was very clear by the almost confused expression on his face when Techno pulled away, still holding Ehn’s face in his hands. Ehn didn’t move much, but he did reach up to gently grab a hold of Techno’s wrist so that he didn’t let go just yet. A smile slowly formed on his face as he registered the fact that it had actually happened - Techno really had kissed him. “Is that a thing that is going to happen every time I start rambling on, now? Because if so…” Ehn teased after he got past the surprise enough to find the words to say.

“No,” replied Techno with a soft laugh. He lowered the arm that Ehn wasn’t holding on to while he lowered his head as he shook it a couple of times. He stopped, though, when he felt Ehn lean in so that he could press a kiss to his forehead again. “I just… really wanted to do that and if it could help you not get so angry then… It’s a win for everybody.” Techno had realized in the time that he’d had to think back over everything that it wasn’t only that he didn’t want Kengkla to kiss him, but it was more that he didn’t want Kengkla to kiss him because he wasn’t Ehn - Ehn was the person he wanted to kiss. He just wished it hadn’t taken him to that moment to realize that it was something he was comfortable with, something that he actually wanted. He hadn’t really thought much about it before, just sort of enjoyed things as they were.

“I don’t know if it really worked.” Ehn shook his head as well as he could with him still keeping Techno’s hand up to his face. “You should try again.”

“Really?”

“Mn.” Techno sighed heavily, as if it was a horrible thought, but the soft smile on his face that matched Ehn’s was evident enough that he didn’t really think so. The fact that Techno was the first one to lean in and kiss him again was another perfectly good example as to what Techno really thought. Ehn lifted his other hand to place gently against the side of Techno’s neck, curling around to cup the back of his head and keep him close. At least until Techno was ducking his head with a hiss when he shifted his leg and caused his knee to hurt even more. “Sorry. Sorry. We should be more careful.”

“Don’t apologize, Ai’Ehn,” Techno insisted with another short, soft laugh. “It’s my fault.” Techno lowered his hand from Ehn’s face, then, but didn’t pull it out of Ehn’s grasp. Ehn shifted his hold in order to link their fingers together instead. He then lifted their hands to press a kiss to the back of Techno’s hand. “Don’t be cheesy.”

Ehn just grinned at him and gently squeezed his hand. “Why don’t you try to get some more rest?”

Techno sighed heavily at that and he almost pouted. He still felt exhausted and sore and like he could probably sleep for days - but he was also incredibly bored of sleeping and sitting still. There was always something in being told to sit around and do nothing that almost immediately made him want to do anything else. “Okay.”

“I’ll sit in here with you if you want.”

“Mn.” Techno nodded his head before letting go of Ehn so that he could carefully lay back down on the bed and get comfortable. “Will you play your guitar for a while?”

“Will you actually sleep?”

“I’ll try.”

Ehn guessed that trying was really all he could ask of Techno, so he nodded and reached over to brush Techno’s hair back out of his face before he got up so that he could go get his guitar from the other room. Once Ehn was playing, it didn’t take too long for Techno to fall back asleep. 

When he woke back up, he wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep but Ehn was no longer in the room with him and it was dark due to the lights being turned out. It took him several moments to realize that the voice he heard in the main room of the apartment wasn’t Ehn’s. It was Type’s. Techno sighed and rubbed the side of his neck. He needed to get up and use the bathroom and attempt to shower, but dealing with Type was not something he was looking forward to. The only positive he could see in it was that his head no longer hurt at all. With another sigh Techno carefully got out of the bed. He tried not to move his leg too much, but it was impossible to do so without hurting himself at all. He didn’t want to put the brace on if he was just going to the bathroom.

Techno slowly made his way out of the bedroom with the crutches. He was just glad they’d left them close to the bed when they’d gotten home. “What are you doing?” Type asked as soon as he saw Techno in the doorway. “You should be resting still.”

“Yes, well. I do still have to use the bathroom occasionally and I kind of would like to shower. I feel gross,” he responded.

Type couldn’t really argue against either one of those comments, so he sighed and nodded his head before he wrapped up his phone call and hung up. The call had been why he heard Type talking. “Ehn ran out to grab some things from the store. He should be back in a while.”

Techno nodded his head as he continued to the bathroom. “Can you bring me a change of clothes in a minute? I forgot to grab some.”

“Yeah. Take a bath instead. Don’t try to stand on your leg. And don’t put that arm into the water.” Techno mumbled a thanks to Type as he knocked the door shut behind him. He had almost forgotten about the stitches he had on his arm, but he still planned on taking a shower anyway. He'd just be careful. Type then got up to go into Techno’s room to get the clothes for him. Once he had them, he took the clothes to the bathroom and knocked on the door before opening it and holding out the clothes for Techno to grab inside the bathroom. Once Techno grabbed the clothes, Type went back to the couch.

Type quietly sat around on the couch, playing a game on his phone as he waited, listening just in case he heard anything that made him realize that Techno needed help. As much as a part of him wanted to go in there anyway, he didn’t but he did get up from the couch to help Techno over to it when Techno came back out into the main room. “How are you feeling?” Type asked him as he settled down on the couch with an obvious wince. Type set the crutches aside but close to Techno so that he could get them when he needed them later.

“Better,” he answered with a nod of his head. “My knee still hurts a lot but it’s going to for a while.”

Type nodded his head and then sat down on the couch next to Techno. “Good. Because then I’m not going to feel bad for yelling at you. What the fuck were you thinking, Ai’No? You should have called one of us! Any of us! You could’ve called Good for all I give a shit, but you should have called someone!”

“I know.”

“Then why the fuck didn’t you? And if you say that you didn’t want to be a burden, I swear…” Type trailed off with a shake of his head and a glare on his face. Techno didn’t say anything in response and it made Type just glare a little harder. “You’re so stupid, Ai’No. Don’t you have any idea how much you worried everyone? Did you even think about what would happen when Ehn came home to you missing and the apartment a mess?”

“I thought I’d be back before he was,” Techno attempted to reason. Though it was obviously the wrong choice of action because it just made Type scoff at him.

“Stupid. And then… and then you drove yourself? What if you’d been more hurt than you were? You had a concussion. You shouldn’t have been driving at all!” Type got up from the couch then as he raked his fingers through his hair a few times. “What if you’d wrecked the car? You would’ve been hurt even more and none of them would have known where you were. The only reason we found out you weren’t lying in a ditch somewhere because of your stupid ass choices is because you finally checked your phone. You should’ve-”

“Ai’Type. I know,” interrupted Techno, ignoring the way that it made Type glare at him all over again. “I know and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry anyone.”

“Yes, well. You did. Everyone else was panicking.” Type huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking off to the side instead of at Techno directly.

Techno wasn’t sure whether to sigh or smile, honestly. While he really didn’t like being yelled at, he also knew Type was only doing so from a place of concern and fear that he didn’t know what else to do with. Techno had learned well enough that when Type didn’t know what to do with his emotions, he got angry. It was the one emotion he knew how to deal with. He had gotten better at not doing so over the years, but it was a learned habit that was hard to break. Techno knew it was only because Type cared, honestly. If he didn’t give a shit, he wouldn’t have been mad. “Did Ehn tell you what happened?”

“No. But I could guess.” Type didn’t need to know for sure. He was positive his assumption was right. He wouldn’t hate it if Techno decided to fill him in on the details, so that he could know exactly what had happened. But his thoughts were enough for him. Thinking of Kengkla made Type want to go find him and punch him in the face all over again. He was sure that Can and Ae would be up for it if he asked. “He’s not touching you again.”

“Ai’Type-”

“No. I mean it. I don’t care. He’s not. I can’t believe you’re not pressing charges.”

Techno shook his head a couple of times. Pressing charges would mean that everything would get brought up. Techno really didn’t want to have to deal with all of that. Especially considering… Well, he was sure that he was more likely to be laughed at than he was to be taken seriously. What had happened was all too often considered a joke, after all. Type must have somehow been able to follow Techno’s train of thought - that or he had no idea what Techno was thinking and just saw how his friend was getting all caught up in his head - because Type uncrossed his arms as he walked over and stood in front of Techno, placing his hands on either one of his shoulders. Techno looked up at Type as he said, “Hey. You’re here now and you’re okay. Well. Okay-ish. I’m still pissed at you, but that’s what’s important in the end. You’re here and you’ve got the rest of us. You need to remember that, okay?” Type gently squeezed Techno’s shoulders and then patted the top of his head after Techno nodded in response. Type then grabbed the towel that was draped around Techno’s neck and used it to help him dry his hair since it was still obviously wet to the point that it was practically dripping still. He maybe only slightly on purpose did it so that it messed up his hair more than it dried it off - but it made Techno laugh underneath the towel and Type smiled without being noticed. “Don’t be stupid like that again.”

“Yeah, yeah,” replied Techno as he peeked out from underneath the towel as Type stopped rubbing his hair. “I hear you.” Not that either one of them ever wanted another situation like this to occur. That was honestly just beside the point. 

“Are you really okay?” There was a weight to the question, one that dampened the playful atmosphere that had been there only moments before.

Techno cleared his throat as he lowered the towel so that it was draped around his neck again. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so. I mean… I mean I hate that he found me here and everything, but - You can see the extent of it. This is all that happened. He… tried to kiss me but never did. And he left. He- he apologized and kind of freaked out and left. I don’t know why so don’t ask.”

Type nodded in understanding as he sat down next to Techno again. “Maybe… you and Ehn should look into moving.”

“No.” Techno’s brow furrowed as he shook his head. He slowly reached up with the towel to finish actually drying off the ends of his hair. “No. He’s already managed to drive me out of my home once before. I won’t let him do it again. Not this time.”

There were several seconds of silence before Techno suddenly found himself being pulled into Type’s arms as his friend hugged him tightly. “Ai’Type!” he protested, but there was laughter to his words that ruined the effect and he somehow knew Type wasn’t going to be letting him go any time soon, anyway.

Chapter Text

“Are you su-”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Techno interrupted Ehn’s attempt at asking him if he was sure he was okay alone. Ehn had gotten asked to pick up a night shift at the station to cover for someone since he’d called out the day that Techno had returned home. He’d agreed to taking the shift only after Techno had told him it was alright, but Ehn was no longer sure if it was a good idea. Techno appreciated the concern, and he knew that it was partially his own fault considering the last time Ehn had left him alone he’d driven himself to the hospital instead of asking for help. “You should go. You can’t keep missing work just because I’m hurt.”

Ehn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew that Techno was right. He just didn’t like it. He’d feel better if Type or someone came to the apartment to stay with Techno - but he knew that Techno would wave off the suggestion. “I know,” he said, though it was obviously said reluctantly.

It made Techno smile softly. “Come here,” Techno insisted, waving Ehn over to him. He stood next to the couch, using one of the crutches he’d been given to hold himself up without putting weight on his knee. Ehn walked over to him and Techno rested his arm not using the crutch on Ehn’s shoulder. “If it makes you feel better, I promise I’ll call if I need anything.”

“Yeah, that does make me feel better,” Ehn replied with a laugh as he reached up and brushed Techno’s hair back from his face. “Take it easy, yeah?”

Techno nodded in response and he smiled. “I’ll probably just end up watching something on my laptop until I fall asleep. Nothing to worry about. Promise.” Techno felt guilty for the fact that he had made Ehn worry to the point he was. Ehn would likely still be worried even if Techno had called him when he’d gotten hurt, but it still didn’t change the lingering feeling of guilt he had about so many things related to what happened. He knew that most of that guilt was just his mind making a bigger deal out of things than it should, but it was hard to ignore. “You should go before you’re late.”

“Okay. Okay, I’ll see you later.” Ehn nodded his head before leaning in to kiss Techno goodbye. He’d intended for it to just be a quick kiss, but feeling Techno’s fingers slip into his hair at the back of his head didn’t exactly make him feel like pulling away in a hurry. “It’ll be your fault if I’m late, now.” Ehn mumbled the comment as he reluctantly broke the kiss, unable to keep himself from smiling. He still wasn’t quite over the thrill of the fact that he could do that, that Techno wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to. He would have been perfectly happy with their relationship if they never kissed, but that wasn’t something he needed to worry about really.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Techno replied as he lowered his arm to his side and took a careful step back from Ehn.

Ehn rolled his eyes and shook his head before he moved in and pressed a quick kiss to Techno’s forehead. Then he finally headed out of the apartment. Techno went over and made sure that the door was actually locked after Ehn left, and then he made his way back over to the couch. He moved slowly since he wasn’t using the crutch correctly - but he hadn’t wanted to grab the other one just to cross the room. With a groan, Techno dropped down onto the couch and set aside the crutch he’d been using in order to lay down on the couch with a wince. Techno looked at the TV to keep watching whatever it was that he’d had it on before - he’d forgotten already since he hadn’t really been watching in the first place. He’d been texting with Champ about hanging out soon, and with his boss about when he would be able to come into work.

At that point, they were planning on him starting a week after his initial start date to give him more time to heal and be ready to move around more. He would start physical therapy there at the clinic once the doctor cleared him to do so. He wasn’t looking forward to it. Physical therapy was not fun and hurt almost as much as his knee hurt right then. But, he was glad that he was able to get it done at the clinic. At least he knew and trusted the staff there instead of having to go to a bunch of strangers.

Techno wasn’t sure how long he lay there (and he might have fallen asleep) before there was sudden, rapid knocking on the door that caused him to jump and almost fall off of the couch. Thankfully he caught himself before he did and he carefully got up to go over and answer the door. He hesitated for a few seconds, almost unsure if he should answer, but in the end he opened the door slowly. Techno let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding when he saw that it was Tar standing there. As soon as Tar realized the door was open, he rushed forward and hugged Techno. It knocked them both off balance and Techno stumbled back into the wall. “Shit! I’m sorry!” Tar said as he pulled away quickly, looking rather horrified at himself because he’d managed to hurt Techno. He hadn’t remembered in that moment that Techno was healing from his confrontation with Kengkla and he’d thought it would be okay. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to!”

“It’s okay,” Techno insisted, though he winced as he pushed himself away from the wall with the hand that wasn’t still hanging on to one of the crutches. Tar tried to apologize again but Techno held up his free hand and covered Tar’s mouth to cut him off. “I said it’s okay. Shut the door and then tell me what’s wrong.”

Tar had obviously been crying recently. His face was blotchy and red, and there were obvious tear streaks on his face. Techno wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he was glad that Tar had thought to come to him about whatever it was. Tar nodded and shut the door before he helped Techno over to the couch. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Tar asked as he sat down next to Techno hesitantly.

“I’m very sure.” Techno was sore and his knee felt like it was throbbing from the sudden additional weight and moving backward - but he wasn’t going to tell Tar that. Not when it was clear that there was something else wrong. “Talk to me, kid. What’s going on?”

“Daw…” Tar took a deep breath and shook his head before moving to sit with his legs hugged tightly to his chest.

“Did he do anything? Do I need to call Type?”

Techno reached toward his phone, but Tar shook his head and Techno sat up straight again. “No. No it’s not… He didn’t do anything. I just…” Tar took another deep breath as he tried to calm down and get to a point where he could find the words he needed to say. “I-I… I told him about - about everything.” Techno nodded slowly in understanding, though he still wasn’t entirely sure what had upset Tar to the point of him running there. He understood that talking about everything was difficult, but he still didn’t see how it led to Tar being there like he was. “Daw was… He was so sweet and understanding and I just - I panicked. I don’t… I don’t even know what happened.”

Tar had been shaking as he told Daw what had happened, trying not to get sick as he had done after telling Type and Techno about it. He felt dirty and gross just bringing it up and he hated that even after all that time talking about it made him feel all over again like he was in that situation. Daw had taken the information about as well as could have been expected, honestly - he had been pissed off at Lhong and the others. He’d been sad for Tar. He had noticed how Tar had distanced himself and asked before hugging him. Then Tar just… He panicked in the middle of the hug and shoved Daw away, saying that he couldn’t be with him anymore, before he rushed off. At first he’d just driven around for a while but then he’d ended up there at the building and he’d come inside to see Techno.

He would have gone to Type, but he wasn’t sure if he could handle seeing Tharn right then. “I think I broke up with him,” Tar said quietly as he looked over at Techno. He didn’t even have an explanation or an excuse. He just - he’d told Daw that he couldn’t date him anymore and he’d run off. “I’m stupid. I don’t even - Why did I do that?” It had been in a moment of panic. He hadn’t been thinking clearly. He wanted to take it back but he wasn’t sure he could. He also maybe didn’t want to take it back because there was a part of him that continued to worry about what Daw must think of him after learning what he had.

Surely it wasn’t as easy as Daw hugging him and telling him that it was okay, that he didn’t have to worry about that happening again. It couldn’t be as easy as them just continuing as if nothing had changed. Daw knew what he’d done and- “Tar,” Techno’s voice finally cut through his internal monologue, making Tar realize that Techno had been trying to get his attention for several moments. 

“I don’t know what I’m doing. I never should have agreed to this. I never should have told him - why did I tell him? He’s going to hate me.”

“It doesn’t sound like he hates you to me,” Techno offered slowly, giving Tar a small smile when Tar finally looked over at him. “It sounds like he cares a lot about you. If he was being understanding.”

“That’s just because he doesn’t realize what I was saying.”

“Says who?” Tar’s brow furrowed and Techno sighed as he reached over and patted the top of Tar’s head. “I think you’re being too harsh on yourself, and on him. I understand that you’re scared and that talking about it makes you uncomfortable - but I’m sure he’ll understand that, too, if you just talk to him. Running from things never makes them better..”

Tar sighed as he reached up and ran his fingers through his hair several times. “I can’t face him again. I c-” Tar broke off and shook his head a couple of times. He looked over at Techno when he felt Techno put a hand on his shoulder. “I really messed this up, didn’t I?”

Techno laughed at the question and quickly apologized. “I’m not laughing at you, I swear. It’s just… I’m not really that good at giving advice about these things. I don’t even take my own advice when I have advice to give.” Techno shrugged his shoulders a little and squeezed Tar’s shoulder gently. “I can’t tell you what to do. If you really don’t want to be with Daw, that’s up to you. But from what I’ve seen, he makes you happy. Don’t end things just because you’re scared.”

Tar nodded a couple of times and ran his fingers through his hair. “I feel stupid. I freaked out over nothing. I jus- I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not.” Techno wrapped an arm around Tar’s shoulders and pulled him in close for a tight hug. “You maybe didn’t react the best, but it doesn’t mean you’re stupid. It means you reacted to something that scared you.” Tar nodded again and rested his head on Techno’s shoulder. “You should at least text him, let him know that you’re okay. I’m sure he’s worried about you.”

“I really should talk to him, shouldn’t I?” Techno nodded his head and Tar sighed softly as he hugged Techno tightly. “Can I just sit here a minute? Then I’ll call him.”

“Take as long as you need, kid.”

It was quite a while later that Tar ended up calling Dew. With Techno’s permission, he agreed to come there and pick Tar up so that they could talk some more since Tar had taken a taxi there in the first place. “At least he doesn’t hate me,” Tar said with a faint smile at Techno after he ended the phone call with Daw. 

“I told you that he wouldn’t.” Techno smirked as Tar rolled his eyes and told him not to be so smug. “I have a right to be. I was right.”

Tar sighed and shook his head, gently pushing Techno away from him, making him laugh. “P’No, stop spending so much time with Type. He’s a horrible influence on you. Don’t tell him I said that.” They both laughed at Tar’s teasing comments and Tar hugged Techno again, clinging to him tightly in silent thanks for being there and giving him someone to talk to. “I’m sorry I bothered you over something so silly.”

“It’s not silly and it’s not a bother.” Techno ruffled Tar’s hair and smiled at him when Tar pulled away and complained. “You’re welcome to come by whenever, you know.”

Tar hummed an agreement and nodded as he reached up and attempted to fix his hair. “Wouldn’t want to interrupt you and Ehn. Where is P’Ehn, anyway?” Tar’s brow furrowed slightly as he glanced around. He only then noticed that it seemed like Ehn wasn’t home. Ehn wasn’t in the room with them and both bedroom doors were open but the rooms didn’t have lights on. The sun was starting to set so they were dark enough that lights were needed. 

“He’s at work. He got asked to pick up a night shift since he missed yesterday. Technically he missed today, too, because he’s typically on the day shift.” Techno still felt guilty about causing Ehn to miss work. It was why he was glad that Ehn took the shift that he’d been asked to cover. It wasn’t like Ehn could really say ‘no’, anyway, considering he’d only just started and already needed two shifts covered. “He should be back home around midnight.”

“And you’re okay here alone until then?”

Techno huffed out a breath at that. “Now you sound like Ehn. Yes, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. You fix things with your boyfriend.”

“You’ve given all of us every reason to worry.” Techno started to reply to that, but there was a knock on the door that interrupted. “Must be P’Daw. I guess he was closer than I thought.” He hadn’t been sure where Daw was when he called earlier. It hadn’t sounded like Daw was at home, but he had no way of knowing for sure. The fact that it hadn’t taken him too long to get there told Tar that Daw had been out somewhere. Tar couldn’t help but worry that Daw had been out trying to find him since he’d ran off like he had. “I’ll talk to you later, P’No?”

Techno nodded and waved Tar off, promising they’d talk late. Tar nodded as well and hugged Techno once more before he got up and went to answer the door. Daw stood there looking confused and like he’d probably been crying. Before Tar could say anything, Daw pulled him into a hug. It made Tar cling to him tightly and hide his face in the top of Daw’s shoulder for several moments as they stood there in the hallway. “I’m sorry,” Tar told him when he finally let go enough to look at him. “I know I already apologized but I’m sorry. I just… I have no excuse. I’m sorry.”

“Why don’t we go talk about this somewhere that isn’t your friend’s doorway?” Daw suggested, waving at Techno over Tar’s shoulder, who waved back at him as Tar glanced over to see before he looked back to Daw.

The two of them left hand-in-hand, shutting the door after them. After several long seconds of silence passed, Techno sighed and tilted his head backward to rest on top of the back of the couch. He closed his eyes and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. That was definitely not how he’d expected to spend his evening.

What he didn’t realize was at that moment across town in a neighborhood that was unfamiliar to them, Type got out of the car that he parked along with Ae and Can. They stood there on the sidewalk as they looked at the house that was in front of them. There were a few lights on inside, but only one car in the driveway. “Should we make sure his parents aren’t home first?” asked Can as he looked around, lifting onto his toes to try to see over a fence though it didn’t exactly help him see any better.

“I don’t really care if they are or not,” Type answered. “You can wait here if you want.” He didn’t wait for a response from either one of them before he started walking up toward the house. Type had gotten the address from Technic, who had no issues handing it over to him after Type threatened him and then told him about what happened with Techno. Apparently if he’d only said that at first, he never would have had to threaten Technic for the information. It was too late to take it back, however.

Type knocked on the door because he was the first one to reach it, and a few moments later, Kengkla answered it. “Shi-” Kengkla attempted to back away when he saw who was standing in front of him, but Type stepped forward and punched him before he could. He then shoved Kengkla back into the house more, making him stumble backward. Can and Ae were soon at Type’s sides and none of them held back from hitting Kengkla - he couldn’t even say who did what. All he knew was that by the time it had stopped, he was nearly doubled over and everything hurt. He was pretty sure that his nose had been broken and that there was a cut on his face somehow. He couldn’t take a moment to go look, however, because he was then led into the other room.

“Didn’t we tell you to leave Techno alone? What the fuck makes you think seeking him out like that was okay?” Type asked as he grabbed Kengkla by the shirt and used it to bodily move him from the entry hall to the living room of the house. “How did you even find him?”

“I ju- I needed to talk to him,” Kengkla insisted as he tried to pull himself free of Type’s grip. He remained unsuccessful as he looked between Type and the other two while seeming incredibly panicked. He held his side with one hand and tried to tug his shirt out of Type’s hold with the other. “Look, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-”

“You didn’t mean to… what? Stalk him? Assault him? Bust his knee?” Ae questioned, cutting through Kengkla’s attempts to apologize.

Kengkla seemed surprised at the last question. He didn’t appear to have known the extent of the damage that had been done during his visit. “I’m not going back,” he told them. “I know. I know you probably don’t believe me.”

“You’re damn right,” replied Can as he pushed past Type and shoved at Kengkla’s shoulders, making him stumble back and finally fall free of Type’s hold on his shirt. “You weren’t supposed to go near him again.

“Ai’Can,” Ae warned, trying to keep Can from getting any more worked up and upset. They really didn’t need to get caught doing more than they had already done, and they weren’t fully sure that Kengkla was actually there alone. However, the fact that no one had come out from any of the other rooms with all the noise led Ae to believe that Kengkla was there alone. Can looked as though Ae’s comment was the only thing keeping him from reaching out and wringing Kengkla’s neck. He did take a step back from Kengkla, but then he stepped forward and threw a punch that had Kengla doubling over and clutching his nose as he cried out - it was definitely broken. “Do you even know what you’ve done?”

“Yes,” Kengkla choked out the response, as he straightened up while continuing to hold his nose gingerly. “I know. I get it. I’m sorry, okay? I nev- I didn’t want to hurt him.”

“You hurt him many times.” Kengkla glanced at Ae, whose glare was enough to rival Type’s honestly - and Kengkla used to think that Type was the only one of Techno’s friends that he feared. “You’re going to keep hurting him if you keep coming around. He doesn’t want you.”

“I know.” Kengkla spoke as he put distance between himself and the other three. He hated admitting as much to them but honestly he was just hoping that by being honest with them, he’d be able to stop them from trying to hit him again. “I know I messed up. He- I never wanted him to be scared of me.” Type scoffed and rolled his eyes at that, making Kengkla frown. “You don’t have to believe me, but it’s the truth. I just wanted him to love me like I love him.”

“You don’t love him,” Type insisted, taking a step closer to Kengkla, who quickly shuffled backward until his back hit the wall. “You don’t love him and you need to stay away from him.”

“I’m going to.” Kengkla pointed to the suitcase that was standing over near the doorway that led to the main hall. “I’m going to college elsewhere. He- I- He doesn’t have to worry. I won’t be here.”

Type narrowed his eyes as he looked from the bag back to Kengkla and then over to the other two. He wasn’t sure if they should believe what Kengkla was telling them, but the suitcase did make it a bit difficult to argue with him. “Don’t try messaging him anymore,” said Type. Kengkla shook his head and insisted that he wasn’t going to. “You can’t come around and try to see him. You can’t call. Nothing. No contact. Ever.”

“I understand.”

“Do you? Because the next time I see your face, I’m going to make sure that you never walk again.” Kengkla swallowed thickly and nodded his head. Type seriously considered following through on the threat already. After all, Techno was the one sitting at home with a fucked up knee that could make it so he never was able to play football again - which was one of Techno’s favorite things to do and his way to escape from his stresses for a time.

“You do- I’m not going to bother him anymore.” Kengkla had been making plans since he got home the other day. He would leave the city and study elsewhere, putting distance between himself and Techno because he didn’t trust himself to not try something again if he was allowed the opportunity to. Techno’s terrified expression was one he had seen in his dreams over and over again since the altercation, and Kengkla just wanted it to go away. He didn’t want to be the reason that Techno looked like that ever again. “I’m sorry. Can you tell him I’m sorry?”

“I’m not telling him anything for you, you little shit.” Type huffed out a breath. “Just stay the fuck away from him.”

With that, Type gestured for Ae and Can to follow him out of the house and back to where the car was waiting. They rushed to the car and sped away, in case Kengkla had decided to try to turn them in for attacking him. They highly doubted that he would, but it was better to be on the safe side. Neither one of them said anything as Type drove them back to the condo building where Pete was waiting in his car for Pete and Can so that he could take them home. Not until they were almost to the parking lot, anyway. “Do you think that he’s really going to stay away?” Can asked from the backseat, making Type glance up at him through the rearview mirror.

Type let out a heavy sigh as he turned into the parking lot with a shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t know, but he will if he has any sense of self preservation.”

“Are we going to tell Techno about this?” asked Ae. The question hung heavily in the air. None of them particularly liked the idea of lying, but none of them really wanted to tell Techno, either. They knew how he felt about violence in reaction to things.

“No,” Type finally answered as he pulled the car to a stop in a parking space near the building. “We’re not. I’ll tell Ehn about it later, but Ai’No… Ai’No is better off not knowing.”

The other two nodded in agreement with Type’s decision. “Well, whether or not we tell him,” Can said just before they all started to get out of the car, “it still felt damn good to give him a taste of what he deserves.”

Chapter Text

Tar had yet to visit Daw’s place, but they decided to head there that day. It would allow them someplace quiet to talk without having to worry about Tar’s family overhearing. “Your roommate isn’t going to mind?” Tar had asked when Daw first suggested it. Tar hadn’t realized at the time that Daw didn’t have a roommate. He lived in a single room by himself. Tar thought it was rather telling about how comfortable and safe he felt around Daw that the idea of going to his place didn’t make him nervous at all. The idea of continuing the talk they’d started earlier, though. That did make him nervous and fidgety. He was sure that he was never going to get to a point where it got any easier to talk about - but, he hoped that after telling Daw, he would have no reason to need to tell anyone else.

“Make yourself at home,” Daw instructed as they walked into the apartment, turning on the overhead light. 

Daw shut the door after them and Tar slowly moved around the room, looking at the things that Daw left out on the tables or were up for decoration on the walls. He paused when he noticed a familiar book on Daw’s desk at the front of the room. It was one of Tar’s favorite English stories that they’d talked about back when they’d first started talking. The bookmark poking out of the top of the book told him that Daw was about half way through the book. Daw smiled a little when he saw what had caught Tar’s attention. “You mentioned it a lot,” he explained. “I wanted to read it so that we could talk about it.” Daw’s smile was a little sheepish as he stood there, trying to read Tar’s expression.

Tar idly ran his fingers over the pages of the book along the side. It was such a tiny thing, something that he couldn’t believe Daw remembered. The fact that Daw had, and he’d gotten the book simply because he loved it. It made Tar’s heart clench in his chest. He’d never felt so… cared about. Daw was going out of his way to connect with him over something he enjoyed, with no expectations of anything in return. Tar almost felt like crying; he was so overwhelmed with his affection for Daw. After a few seconds and a quick deep breath, Tar crossed the room to where Daw was standing. As he got close enough, Tar reached up to place his hand on the back of Daw’s neck and he pulled Daw close enough to lean in and kiss him. Daw seemed to freeze in place at first but slowly he lifted his hands to rest on Tar’s sides as the kiss continued.

When Tar broke the kiss he lingered close with a shaky exhale and his eyes stayed closed even as Daw looked at him. Tar then pressed a kiss to Daw’s cheek and wrapped both arms around his neck to hold him close. Daw removed his hands from Tar’s sides only to wrap his arms around Tar’s waist in order to return the hug. Daw held on tightly to Tar, moving side to side slightly as they hugged which made Tar giggle softly as he hid his face against the side of Daw’s neck. He then pulled away enough to look at Daw, removing one of his arms from around Daw’s neck in order to play with his hair at the back of his neck instead. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Tar said not for the first time. “I didn’t mean it. Before, when I said that-”

Tar’s words cut off with a sharp inhale through his nose when Daw kissed the bridge of his nose. Then he kissed Tar’s cheek on one side of his nose, and then the other, making Tar giggle softly again as he scrunched up his face. “Tar, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“But I need to say it. I need you to hear it, P’Daw. Please.” Daw nodded his head slowly in understanding and Tar gave him a small smile. He took a deep breath and stilled his hand so that it gently rested against the back of Daw’s neck. “I do want to be with you and I’m sorry I ran off like that.”

“Good. Because I want to be with you, too.”

The sincerity in Daw’s voice almost made Tar want to hide away again, but he couldn’t even do that much because for several seconds it felt as though he had forgotten how to breathe. “Even- Even though…” Tar couldn’t voice his thoughts, to mention the things he’d brought up to Daw earlier.

Daw removed both arms from around Tar’s waist only to reach up and gently take a hold of his face in both hands. Tar closed his eyes as Daw directed him to tilt his face just enough to make it so that Daw could brush a kiss above one eye, then the other. He then pressed a kiss to the middle of Tar’s forehead and lingered there for several moments. When he pulled away, Tar left his eyes closed a few seconds longer before he opened them to look at Daw again. “I don’t care. No. That’s not right. I care because that never should have happened to you, and I absolutely hate that you ever had to go through that. It does not change how I feel about you. It does not change that you’re still the person I want to spend every day with and sit around talking about books or music or movies, or listen to you talk about your friends and your family. Or go on long walks with your hand in mine or listen to music with your head on my shoulder.”

Tar once again felt his heart skip a beat as he listened to Daw talk and he fought against the urge to smile, but it was impossible not to. Daw was wonderful, and Tar wasn’t sure how he’d managed to luck out and have him in his life. Tar wrapped his other arm around Daw’s neck again in order to hug him as tightly as he could. He laughed when Daw’s arms wrapped around his waist once again and he felt Daw practically lift him up off of the floor in the hug. “Don’t let go,” Tar mumbled, though it was so quiet that he wasn’t even sure Daw heard. He wasn’t sure he intended Daw to hear, either. If he heard, Daw didn’t say anything. He just continued to hold Tar tightly and pressed a kiss to the top of his shoulder before leaving his head ducked down as they held onto one another.

Eventually, the two of them separated and Daw asked Tar to stay - he didn’t expect Tar to agree, but he wanted to ask, wanted Tar to know that he was wanted there. Tar smiled softly, and didn’t hesitate as he nodded his head. “Okay,” he said with another nod of his head. He was honestly a little surprised at himself that he didn’t hesitate. But he felt safe with Daw and he knew that if he left, he would only end up regretting it later. “Let me just let P’Tum know I’m actually not coming back.” He had told his brother earlier in the day that he’d see him that evening, after all. He knew that Tum didn’t need to know where he was all the time - but he thought it was only courteous since they did share a home and he had originally said he would be home.

Daw nodded in understanding and Tar smiled softly at him before pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and moving across the room so that he could call his brother and let him know about the change in plans. Tum didn’t answer the call, so Tar left him a voicemail before ending the call and setting aside his phone. While he’d been on the phone, Daw had pulled out some comfortable clothes for him. He handed the clothes to Tar and pointed out the bathroom so that he could change and shower if he wanted to. Tar took him up on the offer but didn’t take too long showering.

When he went back out into the room, Daw was sitting at the desk reading - he was reading the book and Tar found himself completely overwhelmed by his affection for Daw all over again. “Feel a little better?” Daw asked him when he realized Tar was standing there, and he placed his bookmark into the book. Tar nodded with a soft hum. “Good. You can watch TV or whatever. I want to shower now.” Tar nodded again as Daw got up from the desk to grab a change of clothes for himself.

After Daw went into the bathroom to shower and change, Tar turned the TV onto a random channel just to have some noise fill up the silence of the room since he was alone. He then sat down on the bed that was situated in front of the dresser the television was placed on. He slowly ended up moving up the bed in order to lay down and get comfortable, and Tar fell asleep before he even knew what was happening. The warm shower, comfortable clothes, and pure exhaustion he suddenly felt after the wide range of emotions he felt that day were enough to make him fall asleep. He was so deeply asleep that he didn’t react to Daw turning off the lights or television, or even to him climbing into the bed. He woke up some when he felt Daw’s arm drape over his middle, but not to the point that he was really aware of it as Daw snuggled in close to his side. It was the best he’d slept in a very long time.

It was later that Ehn finally got off of work and was able to head home. He checked the messages from Type he’d gotten earlier and ignored once he’d realized there was nothing urgent in them once he got into his car. It didn’t surprise him at all that Type had gone with Ae and Can to confront Kengkla. It did surprise him to read the message that told him Kengkla was planning on leaving the city. His brow furrowed as he reread the message several times. It was almost a relief to read, but a part of him could not help but fear that it was too soon to be at ease with the idea. After all, Kengkla had pushed his way into the apartment. And it wasn’t like it had been at Techno’s family home - Kengkla wasn’t even supposed to know where the apartment was. Ehn was hoping he was just being paranoid, but he wasn’t going to believe what Type told him until it was obvious that it was the truth. Ehn sent a simple thanks for the update message to Type before setting aside his phone so that he could actually start the drive home.

He was really regretting having agreed to take the shift with how late it was and how much later it would be when he finally got home. The only saving grace was that the next day was a scheduled day off. Then he’d be back to his regular daytime shifts. Ehn honestly was just hoping that Techno was asleep by the time he got home. The drive back seemed to take far longer than the drive to work, but eventually Ehn made it back to the building and he parked the car in an empty spot on the lot before going inside. He opened the front door as quietly as he could in hopes of not waking up Techno if he had fallen asleep. The main room of the apartment was dark and still - but there was a slight glow of light from his own bedroom, which made Ehn’s brow furrow slightly as he made his way to the room. 

Techno was asleep on the bed with his laptop open on the bedside table playing a movie that was near the credits - Ehn had seen it before many times with Techno. It was a go to movie that was used just to fill time and silence, honestly. Ehn smiled to himself as he carefully set aside his things and quietly slipped out of his jeans so that he was just in his t-shirt and boxers. Ehn then climbed into the bed behind Techno. He reached over to shut the laptop, and then wrapped his arms around his boyfriend in order to hug him close. Techno finally stirred in his sleep when he felt Ehn press a kiss to the top of his shoulder. “How was work?” Techno asked tiredly as he placed his hand on top of Ehn’s arm that was wrapped around his waist.

“Boring,” answered Ehn. He held Techno a little tighter for several seconds before relaxing his grip. “I would have rather been here with you.”

“Gross. Stop talking with Tharn. You’re all sappy.” There was a smile to Techno’s voice despite the words, and Ehn almost wished he hadn’t closed the laptop so that he could see Techno’s smile. He hadn’t seen enough of it over the past several days, and it was one of the things that had attracted him to Techno in the first place. Honestly, Techno was glad that it was dark and that Ehn couldn’t see how his face had gotten all red. He never quite knew how to react when Ehn would say sweet things like that. They always caught him off guard and he just… He didn’t know what to do with it. 

He wasn’t used to anyone regarding him with such care. He wasn’t anybody’s first pick in anything - but then Ehn would look at him with this look that Techno couldn’t quite explain but would make his breath catch from the gentle intensity of it. And for a moment Techno could not stop himself from wondering if Ehn would find someone better, because surely there was someone better. Before Techno could really register what was happening, Ehn had removed his arm from Techno’s waist and gently turned his head. Ehn leaned over and carefully searched for his mouth in the dark, brushing his lips against Techno’s cheek until Techno finished tilting his head just enough for the angle to be right for their mouths to slot together gently. “You’re thinking very loudly,” Ehn commented when he finally pulled away, settling back into place while moving his arm back to where it had been around Techno’s waist.

“Sorry,” Techno replied as he settled back into place facing where the laptop was closed on the table next to the bed. He smiled a little to himself when he felt Ehn hook his chin over his shoulder and hold him closer once again. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Techno shook his head a couple of times but he placed his hand on top of Ehn’s where it was resting on his middle, and he linked their fingers together with a gentle squeeze. He could feel Ehn press a small smile against the side of his neck, which made him smile as well. “Let’s just sleep. I didn’t even do anything today, really, and I’m tired. I warned you I was lazy.”

Ehn laughed softly, and he wanted to argue that just because Techno hadn’t done much that day didn’t mean he had no right to be tired. Especially not after everything. But he didn’t feel the need in bringing it up. They both knew it was still affecting Techno. It was like a cloud that always loomed in the distance. “Okay. Good night, Ai’No.” Techno could feel a gentle kiss be pressed against the side of his neck. It made him turn his face to hide in the pillow, even though Ehn couldn’t see the way that his face flushed or that he was unable to contain the smile on his face. It was a ridiculous reaction. Techno knew it but it was what it was.

The next morning, Techno and Ehn got up and ate breakfast before lazing about in the living room. Ehn had a small, amused smile on his lips as he looked down at Techno shifting in place for the fourth time in the past two minutes. Techno’s head was on his lap and Ehn thoughtlessly ran his fingers through Techno’s hair. Ehn was trying really hard not to seem too amused at Techno’s distress. It wasn’t even noon yet and it was clear that Techno was struggling with the fact that he wasn’t supposed to be up and moving around yet. They’d talked about it that morning already, coming up with a plan for the day since Ehn didn’t have to work. “I thought you were lazy,” Ehn commented, teasing Techno when he sighed and seemed disinterested in the show that was playing on the television.

“I am,” Techno insisted. “I’m just… restless.” Ehn could understand, honestly. He was sure he would be the same if he was told he was not supposed to be up and moving around. He didn’t like that Techno was miserable, but watching him pout about it was rather amusing. “Stop laughing at me.”

Ehn hadn’t actually laughed at Techno until that moment - between the comment and the way he was pouting, Ehn couldn’t help it. “Sorry. I’m sorry,” Ehn replied, even as he was laughing again. He smiled at Techno and stilled the hand in his hair. “You’re cute when you start pouting.” Ehn laughed yet again as Techno reached up to pinch his side, flinching away from it. “It’s true. Don’t be mean.” Techno huffed out a breath in response, but Ehn could see the way that he was trying not to smile. “Sit up.” Techno’s brow furrowed in silent question, but Ehn just smiled and repeated himself before he helped Techno sit up. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Ehn pressed a kiss to Techno’s forehead, making Techno close his eyes for a few seconds with a soft smile on his face, before he got up and went into his bedroom.

Techno waited in the living room, not really focused on the television enough to take in just what he was watching. “What are you doing?” he asked when Ehn placed a bag on the floor outside his room while heading over to Techno’s room. Ehn didn’t answer before he had gone into Techno’s room, once again leaving Techno to sit there very confused to what was happening.

It was a few moments later that Ehn came out of the room with the knee brace that he didn’t use around the apartment. “Put this on,” Ehn instructed. When Techno asked him why, Ehn just shrugged and repeated that Techno should put it on. Techno hesitated only a couple of seconds more before he put the knee brace on. He really hated it, but he knew that it was good to wear still. It had only been a couple of days, after all, and if he was going to be moving around much he needed to limit how his knee moved or he’d do worse damage to it than was done already.

While Techno got the knee brace in place, Ehn grabbed Techno’s tennis shoes from near the front door where they were left. He then helped Techno get them on before grabbing the crutches that were left next to the couch so that Techno could get up. Ehn placed a hand on Techno’s back to help steady him, but otherwise let Techno get up on his own because he already knew Techno would insist on it. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to go anywhere,” Techno commented with a small raise of his eyebrows.

“You’re not supposed to walk around a lot,” agreed Ehn with a nod of his head. “Let’s go.” Ehn directed Techno to start walking toward the door, and he stopped to grab the bag he’d placed on the floor earlier. After picking it up, he walked with Techno out the door and to the elevator. They took it slowly so that Techno didn’t have to worry about tripping or anything. They didn’t need him hurting his knee any worse. Ehn made Techno sit in the lobby of the building as he pulled his car up to the front door so that he could help Techno into the passenger seat without making him walk across the entire parking lot. “Pick something to listen to,” Ehn told Techno after he connected his phone to the speakers and then handed Techno the phone.

“What are we doing?” Techno asked again as Ehn started to drive and he scrolled through Ehn’s music player on his phone to find something to listen to that they both liked. 

“The doctor said you shouldn’t walk around a lot, right?” Techno nodded at Ehn’s question and Ehn shrugged a little as he pulled the car out of the apartment’s lot. “But the doctor never said you had to sit inside the apartment. You’re still sitting, aren’t you?”

Techno stared over at Ehn for several seconds before he nodded a couple of times with a slow smile forming on his face. “You’re so…” He broke off with a soft laugh and a shake of his head before he leaned over to press a kiss to Ehn’s cheek. “Thank you.”

It might have been a false sense of getting out and doing something, but it was still better than sitting at home in the apartment all day. Techno honestly couldn’t even begin to express how much it meant to him that Ehn had come up with the idea to do that. He didn’t even care if they drove around for an hour and came back. It was something different, a change in scenery. Having Ehn in the car with him, so they could talk about anything and everything in-between singing along with songs that they particularly liked, made it a much better day than he’d anticipated and made it a better day than the one before where he’d spent half of it alone. After a while, Techno rested his head against Ehn’s shoulder as they talked, watching as the city gave way to trees and open spaces when they passed the city limits. 

Chapter Text

Type never thought there would be a moment in his life where he missed early morning lectures or classes he thought were unnecessary or papers that made him want to pull out his hair. Yet he found himself missing those terribly as he set at the front desk in the clinic. He didn’t hate his job. He liked the people he worked with. There was just something already incredibly daunting about the idea of having to get up every day and be there for so long only to do it the next day and the next… Then there was that underlying realization that he was an adult - an official adult with a full time job and everything - that was expected to well… be an adult. It was strange and surreal. True he’d been considered an adult already, but there was always something different about a student in peoples’ eyes. He wasn’t a student anymore and somehow was supposed to have all the answers.

He knew absolutely nothing.

Except that it was almost time for him to take his break and he was already planning on spending it harassing Tharn and Techno with an endless amount of messages.  When one of the other assistants came over to take his place at the desk, Type went back to the break room where he pulled his phone out of his pocket and immediately started messaging Tharn and Techno like he had planned. He didn’t expect Tharn to respond since he knew that Tharn was at work. However, the fact that Techno didn’t even read his message when he checked it a short while later made Type scowl at his phone. Techno shouldn’t have had a reason to not read the message. Unless he was asleep - Type could understand that being a reason. He highly doubted Techno would be asleep right then, though. He considered calling Techno after a couple of minutes passed with Techno still not reading the messages, but then one of his coworkers came into the break room to grab some coffee and tell him that someone was waiting for him in the lobby.

With a slightly furrowed brow, he got up from the table in the break room and made his way out to see who it was - he slowed his steps as he saw Tharn standing there, taking a moment to rather obviously give him a once over as he approached. He hadn’t seen what Tharn was wearing that day because he had left before Tharn had finished his shower so that he wasn’t late for his own shift. Which was yet another reason he was seriously regretting the whole being an adult and having a job thing. He would have much rather spent his morning in the shower with Tharn. “Do you dress up like this every day?” Type questioned when Tharn looked at him, realizing he was walking over. He was wearing a white button down shirt and had the sleeves rolled up past his elbows with some nice slacks.

Tharn smiled in that charming way of his that almost made Type want to knock the smile off his face. “Of course,” he responded. “I’m the face of the shop - I have to look my best.” Since he gave music lessons at the shop he tended to dress nicer than others who worked there, wanting to keep a professional appearance so that people took him seriously. When he didn’t have lessons, though, he definitely preferred casual clothes. “Is that a problem?” Tharn leaned in closer to Type as he asked the question, smirking as he did so.

Type rolled his eyes in response. “What are you doing here, anyway? Trying to show off in front of my co-workers?” Type nodded his head slightly in the direction of the assistant who was sitting at the front desk while trying hard not to stare.

“Why would I do that when you’re here?” Type pulled a face at the flirty comment and attempted to shrug off the arm Tharn wrapped around his shoulders - if attempted meant simply rolling his shoulder once and dealing with it when Tharn didn’t move. He let Tharn start to lead him toward the front door of the clinic. “I’m taking you out for lunch. Let’s go.” Type raised his brows with a small, questioning smirk. Tharn wasn’t even asking if Type was on break, and he still hadn’t read Type’s messages. “I checked with your manager when your break was. I’ll have you back in time to finish your shift.”

Type scoffed softly but let Tharn lead him outside anyway. “Who says I want to go with you?”

“You do,” replied Tharn with an easy smile as he directed Type to lean in closer so he could press a kiss to Type’s temple. “You’re walking with me.” Type huffed out a breath, though he couldn’t argue against Tharn’s comment and he was fighting against a smile the entire time as he tilted his head down to look at the ground as they walked.

Meanwhile at Daw’s apartment, he and Tar were standing near the door as they found excuses to keep talking despite having said goodbye twice already. Tar could not keep the smile off of his face as he toyed with the string in the hood of the hoodie he was wearing - it was Daw’s, as was the rest of the clothes he was wearing since he’d stayed over unplanned. There was something inexplicably nice about wearing the clothes that belonged to Daw. He was sure it would sound strange to anyone if he tried, and made him glad that no one was able to read his thoughts. “I promised I would help Tum. We’re supposed to be having an early dinner because our parents are home today,” Tar explained with an almost sad smile. He didn’t really want to leave, but he also knew he couldn’t stay there forever. He had other commitments to follow through with. 

“You should probably go, then,” said Daw with a small smile and a nod of his head. “Wouldn’t want you to be late.” As much as Daw would have preferred having more time with Tar, he understood and he was not going to try to stop him. “We’ll talk later.” It was an easy promise to make, but it made Tar with a slow nod of his head.

Daw opened the door for Tar so that he could finally actually leave, and Tar pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before turning to leave. Tar waved smally and started to head out the door but he stopped in the doorway and turned back to look at Daw. “Actually, uhm…” Tar tapped his fingers against the frame of the door before letting out a short breath as he dropped his hand to his side. “P’Daw, do you want to come with me? You can meet them… and Tum, officially?”

“Do you want me to?” Daw was surprised at the suggestion, but he was unable to keep the smile off of his face at the same time. Tar nodded his head with a smile that was big enough to make his eyes small. It was the cutest smile, in Daw’s opinion. “Can I change first? I don’t really like the idea of meeting your parents in sweatpants and an old tee.”

Tar giggled out a laugh as he moved back into the apartment and Daw shut the door. “Yeah. I think we have enough time for that.” Daw stepped in close to Tar and pressed a kiss to Tar’s forehead, making Tar close his eyes until Daw stepped away again. Tar went over to sit down as Daw grabbed different clothes to take into the bathroom so that he could change into something a little nicer. “You don’t have to dress up or anything, P’Daw.”

“I’d at least like to be wearing something that didn’t almost have holes in it,” Daw countered, gesturing to the old shirt he was wearing. It was one of his favorites. It was comfortable and soft, but not really anything he’d consider wearing anywhere outside of his apartment. Daw was a little nervous as he changed. He hadn’t actually met the parents of anyone he dated before. He wanted Tar’s family to like him; but, ultimately, he guessed that their opinions did not matter much, so long as Tar still liked him at the end of the night. Once he finished changing, he returned to the main room. Tar stood up and Daw held out his arms to show the clothes he’d put on. “What do you think?”

“Maybe just a little better than an old tee and sweatpants. Definitely parent friendly,” Tar agreed with a smile as he walked over to where Daw was. He smoothed out a wrinkle in the shoulder of Daw’s shirt before pulling him into a hug that Daw immediately returned. “I prefer the tee and sweatpants, though. It’s my favorite look.” Tar liked the fact that Daw felt comfortable enough around him to just… be comfortable. 

“Well, I guess that just means you’ll have to come back sometime so you can see it again.”

“Mn.” Tar smiled brightly at Daw, gently squeezing him in the hug before letting go in order to take a hold of his hand. “Are you ready, then?”

Daw let out a slow breath, but he hummed out an agreement with a soft smile. “If you’re sure your brother isn’t going to be sending me glares all night.”

Tar shook his head with a laugh as he led Daw toward the door. “P’Tum is not like that. Besides, he already likes you from before.” He gently squeezed Daw’s hand as they walked out into the hall, pausing so that Daw could make sure the door was locked. It would still be several hours before Tar’s parents were home, but with the drive there and having to get everything ready, it would take time. And honestly, having Daw sit around talking with him and Tum as they cooked and waited sounded like a great day to him.

At the same time several hours away, Techno carefully got out of the car after Ehn had come over to his side to help. Once he was standing, Ehn held the backpack from before out toward him. “Take this,” Ehn insisted. Techno did so with a small raise of his brows, but he didn't ask anything. Ehn smiled at him and gently grabbed his face with both hands before leaning in to kiss him. It caught Techno by surprise and he seemed almost dazed when Ehn pulled away with a smile. Using his momentary distraction, Ehn picked Techno up, cradling him in his arms even as Techno complained once he realized what was happening. “Shut the door.”

Though he sent Ehn what could not even actually pass as a glare - but there was an attempt - Techno held the backpack to his chest with one arm and used the other one to shut the car door that had been left open as he'd stood there. Ehn then carried Techno from the car to the beach they had come to. They were a couple of hours away from the city, but not far enough away that they wouldn't be able to make it home that night so that Ehn could go to work the next day. Once they were at a decent spot, Ehn placed Techno on his feet before holding his hand so that he could sit down. Then Ehn sat down on the sand next to him. “The beach. Really?” Techno asked - though not unkindly. It was more a question of complete amazement and surprise. 

“Mn. I thought we both could use a little break from the apartment,” he replied. He then reached over to grab the backpack that Techno had set down. Ehn had grabbed Techno’s painkillers just in case they were needed, a couple bottles of water that he'd grabbed when they stopped for food along the way, and a few other items from the apartment. One of which was a ball cap he pulled out and placed on Techno’s head with an amused smirk at the complaint that Techno gave in response. When Techno gave him a look, Ehn just pulled out the spray bottle of sunscreen he'd also brought with them. “Can't have you getting a sunburn again.”

“Ugh. You're really never going to let that go, are you?” Techno grabbed a handful of sand and tossed out at Ehn, making him flinch away, though he was still smiling as he shook his head. 

“Not a chance.” Techno grabbed the sunscreen from Ehn and sprayed it on Ehn’s arm, making him flinch again. “Ai’No! It's cold. Give a guy some warning.”

“Where's the fun in that?” Techno just smiled at Ehn before they took turns using the sunscreen. Once they were finished with it, Ehn returned it to the bag. He then placed it aside and wrapped his arm around Techno’s shoulders. Techno smiled softly and leaned into his side, resting his head back against Ehn’s shoulder while looking out over the water in the distance. He closed his eyes for a few seconds when Ehn turned his head and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

It had been a spur of the moment decision on Ehn’s part. After seeing how miserable Techno was back at the apartment and remembering what he'd said on their vacation about how the beach always made him feel more at ease, he figured they could make a day trip out of it. “Mn. You don't have to thank me.”

Being there was good for both of them. Some of the tension that Techno had been holding on his shoulders started to ease the longer they sat there talking. He still looked tired and his bruises hadn't fully faded, but the dullness that had seemed to take over his eyes had faded and he looked more like himself. Ehn knew it wasn't a magic cure-all and that Techno was likely to struggle for a long while. But, it was a start - which was all he was hoping for.

The two of them sat around talking about anything that came to mind - Ehn’s family, Techno’s plans with his friends and starting work along with physical therapy soon, and anything else that came to mind. Techno once again found himself almost startled at how easy it was to just sit around and talk with Ehn. It wasn’t just awkward laughs and stilted conversation, either. They just talked and it was easy. Techno was not sure it was something he would ever stop finding amazement in. He never expected to find that sort of connection with someone. Eventually, their conversation circled around to Type and Techno’s other friends again, which made Ehn remember the messages he’d gotten from Type the night before. Ehn felt like he needed to tell Techno about what Type had said, but he didn’t want to mess up the calm, relaxed atmosphere with something that could cause Techno to start to feel horrible. Ehn hadn’t realized he had sort of spaced out until he felt Techno nudge him with his shoulder gently. “You’re thinking very loudly,” said Techno, making Ehn chuckle softly at the mirroring of Ehn’s own words earlier. “Want to talk about it?”

Ehn let out a heavy breath as he thoughtlessly ran one of his hands over the sand, drawing a random pattern in it before brushing his hand off against his shorts. He really wasn’t sure it was a good idea to bring it up, but he also didn’t like the idea of keeping things from Techno. Not something important, anyway, and he felt like what Type had found out was pretty important. “Type went to confront Kengkla.”

Techno sighed and shook his head. “I figured he would. He’s… I mean, you know him.” Ehn nodded in understanding. Type was a very passionate person and anger was an emotion he did well. If there was one thing he was very good at, it was defending his friends. “Is he okay?”

“Seems to be. He didn’t really say much about himself. Just, uh… apparently Kengkla is leaving the city.” Techno stopped fiddling with  the small shell he’d found in the sand to look at Ehn, numerous questions easily read on his face. “I don’t know anything more than that. The message just said that he’s planning on leaving.”

Techno nodded his head as he looked back out over the water in front of him. “I’m… not sure how I’m supposed to feel about that.” Maybe he was supposed to feel a sense of relief - but there wasn’t any. Techno simply didn’t care. He didn’t want Kengkla in his life. He wanted nothing to do with him, but he’d reached a point that he just… didn’t care. Whether or not Kengkla stayed in the city, there would be days that what happened made him feel off balance and like he wasn’t sure how to breathe. Him staying in the city wouldn’t change that, him leaving wouldn’t change that. He wouldn’t have to worry about Kengkla trying anything, which was a relief. At the same time, he’d found out for himself that he could handle himself if he needed to. He didn’t want to but that was beside the point.

“I can’t tell you how you’re supposed to feel about that.” Ehn would feel relieved whenever he got confirmation that Kengkla was gone. He never wanted to have to see Techno hurt again, especially not because of that kid. Ehn had come to the realization, though, that Techno didn’t seem to worry about himself as much as everyone else did. Techno was far too busy being concerned about his friends to worry about himself.

Techno let out a heavy, slow breath and looked up toward the sky. He scrunched his face up as he did so because of the sun before looking down toward the water in the short distance again. “I think I’m relieved. No. I mean, I am in a way but I was also just… okay with forgetting he existed. It’s a big city.” Techno wasn’t sure if it made sense, but he also wasn’t sure how else to explain it. “I think everyone else is more relieved about this than I am.”

“Yeah…” Ehn agreed as he shifted closer to Techno and wrapped both arms around him. It pinned Techno’s arms to his sides but Techno just leaned back into his hold. “I’m one of them.” 

“I know. I’m sorry.” Techno still felt bad for having worried everyone. He felt worse about having worried Ehn, though. It hadn’t been his intention at all. He knew that Ehn was aware of that and didn’t hold any resentment, but Techno still felt bad.

“Stop apologizing.” He gently squeezed Techno before letting him go in order to sit up fully again. “Well, now that I totally ruined the calm atmosphere…”

“You didn’t,” insisted Techno as he reached over to grab Ehn’s hand with a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad you told me.” Techno still wasn’t entirely sure what he felt about any of it, of all of it. He was okay overall, but it felt flimsy at best. He’d gotten almost used to that, though. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not, but either way, he was at least aware that there would be days where things were more difficult to deal with than others. Right then, at that moment, he felt okay. He was in a place where Kengkla, the negative feelings wrapped up in what happened, and how he felt about himself because of all of it seemed like it couldn’t touch him anymore. “Tell me about the new song you’ve been working on.”

Ehn was slightly taken aback by the sudden change in topic, but after the moment of surprise passed he laughed softly and nodded before he started talking about it and some of the other things he’d been working on with a couple of the people he worked with at the radio station. It served as a good segway back into lighter topics - there was plenty of time to talk about heavier things when they were back home.

“We should probably start back,” Ehn said a while later, looking every bit as remorseful to say it as he sounded. 

“Mn,” Techno agreed with a small nod of his head as he looked around them. It really was a great day outside, nowhere near as hot as it could have been. It was almost uncomfortable, but not enough for it to make them want to leave early. However there was still a couple of hours drive back to the city and Ehn did need to be at work in the morning, so Techno didn’t want to linger too much longer. “Can we take a picture first?”

“Really?” Ehn’s jaw almost dropped at the suggestion - it was never Techno’s idea for any photos to be taken unless he was solely behind the camera instead of in front of the lens. Ehn was almost always the one to suggest it. Techno rolled his eyes and Ehn laughed as he leaned over enough to drape his arm over Techno’s shoulder, holding his phone out in front of them as he leaned in close to take a photo of the two of them.

Half of Techno’s face wasn’t visible due to his hat, but his smile was visible. It easily made it one of Ehn’s favorite photos. He took another photo as he ducked his head enough to press a kiss to Techno’s cheek. Techno’s smile took on a slightly more shy nature but didn’t fade even as he reached out to take Ehn’s phone from him. “Rude,” Ehn teased with a click of his tongue against his teeth. But he lowered his chin to rest on Techno’s shoulder as a sign that he didn’t mind. He watched as Techno sent the photos to himself before Techno was holding the phone back out to him. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Techno’s brow furrowed as he  moved enough to turn and look at Ehn as he sat up straight. “I should be the one thanking you. You’re always taking care of me and you n-” Techno huffed out a breath through his nose when Ehn pressed a finger to his lips to silence him and he pulled a slight face at the feeling of sand against his lips - it made Ehn laugh softly with an amused smirk before he carefully brushed away the granules.

“For letting me try to take care of you-” He put an emphasis on try because they were both aware of Techno’s tendency to not give anyone the opportunity to actually help him. “-and not pushing me away. For giving this a chance.”

That time it was Techno clicking his tongue against his teeth and he reached up to poke at Ehn’s cheek. “You’re being sappy again.”

“I’m on a date with a cute boy. I think I’m allowed to be sappy.” Ehn smirked again as Techno seemed to stumble over a response to that. The shadows from the cap he wore wasn’t enough to stop the blush on his face from being visible, though he seemed to be fighting hard against any sort of reaction to that.

Techno pushed at Ehn’s shoulder gently, almost making him tip over. “Let’s get out of here before you keep spouting nonsense.” 

“Truth. Not nonsense,” Ehn insisted, though he stood up and brushed off the back of his shorts. He smirked in amusement again as Techno shook his head before he helped Techno stand up.

Once Techno was up on his feet, Ehn grabbed the backpack and handed it to Techno. He then ducked down enough to make it easier for him to pick Techno up and carry him on his back. He’d almost dropped Techno a couple of times the first time and he wanted to avoid that on the way back. He figured carrying Techno that way was a little more steady and made him less likely to drop him or trip over something. Techno ducked his head and hid his smile against the top of Ehn’s shoulder. It had honestly been a great day, and Techno was glad that they had gone there. Techno felt a lot better just from their short time there on the beach with Ehn. It made it so that he felt more able to face the bad days that would undoubtedly happen. He knew there would be bad days, but he had his friends and he had Ehn and he felt more centered than he had before. 

Ehn carefully placed him back on the ground once they had reached the car, turning around when he could to help make sure that Techno was steady on his feet. Techno tossed the backpack into the backseat before he got into the car with minimal help from Ehn, and once he was in the passenger seat, Ehn went around to the driver’s side. He sat down and put his seatbelt on, missing the way that Techno leaned over to his side of the car until Techno was kissing him. They sat there trading gentle kisses for several minutes before Techno pulled away with a smile that Ehn slowly returned. “Are you ready to go home?” Ehn asked after a moment, once he finally found his voice again. 

He still had a smile on his face as he watched Techno settle into the passenger seat more with a nod of his head. “Mn,” he agreed as he nodded his head once again. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

.: FOUR YEARS LATER :.

“Ai’Ehn, what are you doing?” Techno asked as he walked into the room. “We’re going to be late. Ae will murder us.”

“It's not even his wedding,” replied Ehn with a laugh. He waved Techno over to him while setting aside his guitar. When Techno was close enough, Ehn pulled him down into his lap. “We won't be late.”

“Uhhuh.” The look on Techno's face was doubtful as he reached up to brush Ehn’s hair back off his forehead. “Do you have the envelope?”

“Mn. With my keys so it won't get left.” Ehn tightened his arms around Techno's waist, hugging him a little closer. “You look good.”

“I should. ChaAim picked out my clothes,” replied Techno. He smiled softly as Ehn pressed a kiss to his cheek with a mumbled response that it wasn't the clothes. “Stop being cute- Ai’Ehn, are you live right now?” Techno just realized then that Ehn had his YouTube account up on the computer that sat on the desk. The screen looked like he'd started a live video while he'd been sitting there - probably showing off the new song he'd written. 

“Oops. I forgot to tell you.” Ehn smiled cheekily as Techno just rolled his eyes. It was very rare that Ehn managed to convince Techno to sit in on one of his videos, whether live or recorded. It didn’t mean he ever stopped trying. “And, okay, maybe I wanted to show off how good you look. Gives us an idea of how amazing you’ll look on our w-”

“You can’t just say things like that,” Techno cut him off once he realized what Ehn was about to say, speaking over him and nudging him with an elbow. “We haven’t even talked about that, yet - and we’re not going to today.” Techno added on the second thought when he caught sight of Ehn’s smirk. He shook his head with a small, amused smile of his own when Ehn just told him they’d come back to the topic later. “You’re ridiculous. Come on, say good-bye to your friends.”

Ehn then addressed the camera, telling those that were watching that he would post another song cover later in the week. He then ended the stream so that they could leave. “Are we ready then? We’re going to be late.”

Techno rolled his eyes yet again, and unwrapped Ehn’s arms from around his waist before standing up. “Now you’re worried about being late.”

“I’m not worried. Do I seem worried?” Ehn made a show of gesturing to himself as they walked toward the front door. Techno pointedly ignored the fact that Ehn seemed as calm as ever, even though they really were probably going to end up being late.

Traffic was thankfully on their side, and they were only a little late. “You’re late,” Type pointed out the obvious as Techno and Ehn walked over to where he stood with Tharn at his side. “You’re fine. Ae and Pond still aren’t here yet. Traffic is horrible from their location. They should be here soon, though.”

“See, I told you we were going to be late,” Techno told Ehn with a slight huff as Ehn draped an arm over his shoulders.

“Yes, but, we still beat the groom here, so I think we win,” replied Ehn as he flashed a smile at Techno. 

There was light and easy conversation as everyone milled about, waiting for the last two members of their party to arrive. When Pond and Ae finally arrived, there were cheers from everyone and the nerves that had been visible on ChaAim’s face seemed to fade away. Any doubts or fears she might have had about Pond not making it or changing his mind disappeared as he walked over to her with an easy grin, rather loudly reminding her that he’d promised to be there looking picture perfect. ChaAim shook her head at him with a soft smile as she smoothed out some of the wrinkles in his suit jacket. They had decided on a non-traditional event with their friends and extended family, saving the traditional aspects for another day with their immediate family. That day was really more just a celebration of the fact that they were getting married, a chance for all kinds of photos, and to give the couple the envelopes from the guests. 

After all the photos were taken, everyone went into the garden area where they held a small Western style ceremony before dinner and drinks. There were all kinds of overlapping conversations, music playing in the background, and the couple slowly going around to talk to everyone. There was a small dance floor for the guests to use and have fun - ChaAim managed to drag Pond out to dance with her a couple of times as well. “I don’t know what’s more surprising,” Techno commented after watching ChaAim lead Pond onto the dance floor again, looking back to the others at the table, “the fact that Pond of all people is getting married, or the fact that ChaAim agreed to marry him.” It was a light hearted comment, one that he made more out of remembering the way that Pond had been when they met and the comments throughout the beginning of the relationship that no one could believe they were together. He and everyone else at the table knew how the two of them felt about one another. Still, the thought of Pond getting married seemed almost surreal.

“I still can’t believe Pond was the first one of us to get married,” said Tar as he sat back down at the table in his seat located between Techno and Daw, having left to go get himself something to drink. “I thought it was going to Pete and Ae who got married first.”

“Really?” Techno replied. He picked up his glass to take a small sip out of it. “I figured it would’ve been Tharn and Type since they’ve basically been engaged since our first year.”

“Ai’Asshole No!” Type gave a half-hearted complaint to Techno’s teasing comment, narrowing his eyes when Techno just grinned at him from across the table. 

“You can complain all you want, I’m not wrong.” Techno just smiled again when Type rolled his eyes but offered no argument to his words.

Tharn heaved a heavy sigh and rested his chin in his hand as he said, “We would have been already if Type would just ask already. He insists on being the one to.”

“Tharn, shut up,” Type hissed as he looked anywhere but at Tharn, who just continued to smile at him. “If you’re that impatient, you ask.” There was a split second of silence when Tharn sat up straight and Type quickly reached over to put a hand over his mouth. Type would deny to everyone that he was red in the face and avoided looking at anyone in favor of taking another drink out of his glass. “Not here or I will kick your ass.”

“What did we miss?” asked Ae as he and Pete returned to their seats, having been dancing since Pete had asked and Ae was still not one to tell him ‘no’. “We were only gone a couple of minutes and Type’s already threatening to kick someone’s ass.”

Before Tharn could try to explain what had caused that reaction from Type, he noticed Pond and ChaAim approaching their table. “Finally work your way over to our corner of the party, huh?” he asked.

“I did not realize how many people we actually invited,” said ChaAim as she glanced around the garden while reaching up to tuck a strand of her hair behind an ear. “But I’m really glad you could all make it. I’m sorry we haven’t been able to hang out much.”

“Some best friend Ae is,” Pond huffed, ignoring the way that Ae rolled his eyes in response. “Leaving me to deal with all these aunts and cousins I didn’t even know I had on my own.”

“Your wife is literally standing right next to you,” replied Ae.

ChaAim laughed softly and shook her head with a deceptively sweet looking smile as she said, “Oh, no. He’s right. I let him deal with them on his own.” She wrapped both of her arms around his, hugging it close. “My strong knight can surely handle a bunch of little old ladies.”

Pond sighed heavily and warily glanced over to one of the tables filled with family that he wasn’t sure how they’d gotten invited in the first place. Probably his mother, honestly. “I think we’ve got to continue our rounds. There’s still people we’ve not talked to,” Pond said remorsefully, though he grabbed Can’s cup from off the table and ignored his complaints in response while stepping away. Pond raised the cup to them before he and ChaAim continued to the next table to talk to the guests there. “Thanks for coming, guys.”

“Is he really just going to walk off with my drink?” asked Can, all but whining at the thought. The pout on his face was quickly replaced with a smile when Tin placed his cup in front of Can instead.

“After everything tonight and the ceremonies still to come, I think he’s more than earned that drink,” Ae commented. “I can’t believe he’s gotten this far completely sober, honestly.” It wasn’t that he thought Pond doubted his decision to marry ChaAim or his commitment to their relationship - but there was just a lot to getting married, and Ae wasn’t sure he’d be able to do such a thing without a drink or two to calm his nerves.

“Should we make sure to bring a lot of alcohol to your wedding to Pete, then?” asked Type with a smirk that only grew when the question caused Ae to almost choke on the drink he’d taken. Both he and Pete grew red in the face and exchanged a side glance with one another. Pete had a small, shy smile on his face as he turned his attention to his other side, where Tin was sitting.

“Type, be nice to the kids,” Techno insisted, though the comment held no validity due to him struggling to not laugh through the words.

“Okay, okay. I won’t tease them anymore. For now.” Type gave a sweet looking smile that no one at the table bought for a moment. Well, Tharn could not keep his fondness off of his face as he looked at his boyfriend - but that was a normal occurrence. 

The conversation that continued there at the table was familiar and light-hearted. Everyone seemed glad for the relaxing evening and the chance to catch up. They were all busy with work and their personal lives, and continuing education for a couple of them that had decided to go on for a Master’s degree. Type, Tharn, Techno, and Ehn no longer lived in the same condo building - though they did live only a few minutes apart. Everyone tried to stay in touch as much as possible, but it was difficult some days. Getting a moment like that one, where they had every reason to just relax and enjoy the evening, wasn’t one that any of them were going to pass on. Techno could not keep the small smile off of his face as he glanced around the table, at the people who had become some of the most important individuals in his life.

Nothing was perfect - he still had bad days, but he had the friends all around him and that made even the worst days easier to handle. He hadn’t thought about Kengkla in a very long time, and he’d started talking to Technic a little more. Things were still strained, and Techno wasn’t sure they’d ever get back the bond they had before. But he had Ehn, and he had his friends. Techno was happy with his life, and the family he’d made for himself along the way.