Archive of Our Own ^beta

Something was wrong.

Q had been thinking about this throughout the entire period he was forced to stay at the university because, unfortunately, his professor thought it would be a good idea to do a surprise review of the assignments. But his thoughts were not just some silly, baseless intuition. He had plenty of very good reasons. And all of them involved his boyfriend Toey, who was, in fact, the reason behind his worried state of mind.

First: Toey had refused his ride to the university, saying he was going with Matt.

Ok, fine, that was acceptable.

Second: Toey hadn’t come to see him once the whole day, when the boy always found some excuse to meet him.

It was strange, but he didn’t think much of it.

Third: when Q texted him, inviting him for ice cream at the park, he simply said he wasn’t in the mood.

It was as if a fire truck siren and a police siren had gone off in his head at the same time. SINCE WHEN DOES TOEY REJECT ICE CREAM? HIS TOEY WOULD NEVER DO THAT.

Toey would throw a whole tantrum if he found out Q had ice cream without him, that he went to an ice cream shop without him, that he went to the park without him to have ice cream. That’s why Q was convinced something was wrong, very wrong. That’s why he was now standing in front of his boyfriend’s dorm door.

He knocked at least five times, but there was no sign. When he knocked the sixth time, he took out the spare keys Toey had given him last month, but just as he was about to put them in the door, it opened.

— P’Q...

Q’s eyebrows furrowed and his face twisted. He quickly stepped inside, and Toey instinctively stepped back, making it so that now both were inside the apartment.

— What happened to your face? — the question came out loud and direct, Q’s hands touching the purple bruise under Toey’s eye.

— P’Q...

— Toey, I’ll ask one more time: what happened to your face?

Toey’s eyes widened, looking scared and shocked.

Q would have felt guilty for making his beloved boyfriend wear such an expression, but at the moment he was far too angry to beg for Toey’s forgiveness or to act calmly.

— P’Q... calm down. — Toey said slowly, taking Q’s hand that was on his face and holding it. — Promise you won’t get mad?

It was hard to promise something like that when he was already so terribly furious he could commit madness. But Toey was looking at him with that look. That needy, whiny puppy look he always used when he wanted something from Q. And of course, he always got it, because Q, no matter what, couldn’t go against Toey.

But he also couldn’t lie to Toey and say he wouldn’t get mad, when it was obvious he already was. So he’d do what he could at that moment.

— I’ll try... but I can’t promise, Toey.

Toey lowered his gaze slightly, like a puppy pulling its ears back after being scolded by its owner. And Q felt bad about it, but again: he couldn’t not be angry. HIS BOYFRIEND HAD A PURPLE BRUISE ON HIS FACE! DAMN IT!

That was too much. Unacceptable.

And when he felt his hand being tugged by Toey, he realized his boyfriend understood at least a little of that. Toey walked ahead, leading him to the living room, and sat them side by side on the couch, facing each other.

They stayed in silence. Q waiting for an explanation. It could be quick at first, and then he’d ask for more details, until he finally had the whole story.

Another three minutes passed until Toey pulled air into his lungs and began to speak:

— Yesterday, when I left the university, I ran into three old high school classmates.

Right. That already set off alarms in his head. Because Q clearly remembered hearing Phum and Fang mention that back in school Toey had often been bullied.

— Toey, by any chance...

— You said you’d try not to get mad. — Toey immediately interrupted.

But he was already MAD! Trembling with rage, to be exact.

Even so, Q tried to take a deep breath.

— Okay. — for Toey, he thought. — What happened next?

Another long pause before a voice came again.

— Well... they ended up surrounding me and greeting me. I got a little nervous because I wasn’t expecting to see them, but I greeted them too, and then I wanted to leave right away, but they didn’t let me. — Q didn’t like what he was hearing at all. — They kept talking about high school and how much fun they had picking on me. I ended up getting too nervous and tried to leave in a hurry, but one of them grabbed my bag and started throwing it to his friends.

Winny had to take a deep breath not to explode with anger right there, and show Toey how impossible it was to keep a promise like “don’t get mad” when he was hearing that a bunch of idiots had messed with him.

Not even if he were the Buddha himself could he stay calm. They were talking about his beloved boyfriend!

But Winny knew he had to hold back. At least for now.

— I tried to grab the bag back, but... — Toey paused, and Winny narrowed his eyes.

— What?

— P’Q, it wasn’t entirely their fault...

— Toey, what happened? — Winny pressed, unable to hide it anymore.

Toey sighed before answering.

— I managed to hold the bag and asked them to let go, but one of them kept pulling at it and wanted me to release it... — another pause. — Then he suddenly let go of the bag, and I ended up falling backward. My face hit the ground hard, and that’s why it bruised.

His blood was running hot in his veins. Winny clenched his teeth and got up from the couch with his hands on his waist.

— Bastards.

— You promised you wouldn’t get mad, P’Q.

Toey reminded him, and Q felt even more suffocated hearing that.

— How can you ask me that when idiots left your face like this, Toey?

— It was an accident.

— No, it wasn’t. Those idiots wanted to mess with you, and I bet they didn’t even look back when they walked away. — Toey fell silent. — Where’s your bag?

The younger one stayed silent, but lowered his head slightly, fidgeting with his fingers.

Q stepped forward.

— Toey, your bag?

— Q...

— Toey.

— They threw it in the street, and a car ran over it.

His fists clenched as if he were about to punch the first one to appear.

— I’m going to kill those idiots! — Q turned to the door as if ready to hunt them down, but when he took the first step, Toey grabbed his hand.

— P’Q, please... don’t do anything.

— But Toey...

The words got stuck in his throat when he saw a tear roll down his boyfriend’s cheeks. Toey was crying, and that would break anyone’s heart, especially his.

Q couldn’t hold back, forgot his anger — at least for now — and sat back down next to his boyfriend. His arms wrapped around him, hugging him as tightly as he could.

— I’m sorry, Toey. I’m sorry. Please, don’t cry.

— I didn’t want to cause trouble. — the tears kept streaming down, and Q felt like the worst boyfriend. — I’m sorry, P’Q...

— This wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.

— I just didn’t want P’Q to feel bad.

In that moment, Q wished he had the power to make all those idiots vanish from the face of the earth. His boyfriend was suffering for nothing, because of people who would never understand the sin they were committing by making someone as good as Toey cry.

And Q also blamed himself. If he had been a more attentive, better boyfriend, this never would have happened.

Q broke the hug and pulled back just enough to look at Toey.

— You’re not a problem. You’re my boyfriend, and my boyfriend would never do me any harm. — his eyes didn’t waver as he confessed. — So never hide anything from me, okay?

— Okay.

P’Q smiled and, with all the gentleness he could give Toey, slowly brushed his fingers across his wet face and then leaned in just enough to touch his lips. Q kissed him softly, trying to show with that act how much he cared and loved Toey.

No matter the situation, he wanted to always be by his side. To laugh and to cry with him.

When he finally let go of the soft lips, Q stared into the eyes he adored so much.

— Promise me you won’t hide anything from me again?

— I promise. — Toey nodded. — And P’Q, promise me you won’t do anything bad.

Q knew exactly what his boyfriend was referring to, and he didn’t like it one bit.

— Toey...

— Please.

Q sighed. Fighting was useless.

— I promise. — Toey smiled, satisfied with the answer, but Q didn’t feel the same. — Now go take a shower, and I’ll take care of your face myself.

— Okay, P’Q. I’ll be right back.

Toey stood up with a smile on his face and disappeared into the bedroom in seconds. Then Q’s smile also vanished.

Q took his phone out of his pocket and created a group with his friends, with Toey being the only one not included.

Q: I need help.

Peem: what happened now?

Pun: I bet it’s about Toey. Only that would make Q ask for help.

Fang: Toey’s birthday is still five months away.

Peem: don’t tell me Toey is mad at you and now you need help to make him forgive you.

Q just rolled his eyes at each stupid provocation and went straight to the point.

Q: They hurt Toey.

There was a pause until finally he got a reply.

Phum: I’ll be there in two minutes.

Fang: I’m already on my way.

Peem: we’re all coming.

Tan: I hope you’ve got the names of each one who did this.

Q closed the chat, satisfied.

He knew he had promised Toey, but making a bunch of idiots learn they couldn’t hurt his boyfriend wasn’t doing anything bad.