Detoxified

Chapter 11: Episode 8

A/N: I'll have to leave a ***WARNING*** for portrayals of panic attacks and implied mentions of statutory abuse in this one.

Tharn stared down at his phone, scanning over the caller ID again and again just to see if his eyes were fooling him--he hoped that they were. But the longer he stared, and the ID didn't change, the more the dread welled-up inside him. He knew he had to take the call, otherwise San wouldn't stop trying to get ahold of him until he finally answered the phone.

"What's up with you?" Type asked.

Tharn flinched, having momentarily forgotten that he was currently out on a dinner-date with his boyfriend. A dinner-date which had been going perfectly well until just a few seconds ago.

San really had a knack for invading Tharn's life at the least convenient times. More accurately, San really just had a knack for invading Tharn's life. Period.

"Oh, nothing," Tharn replied hastily. "I just have to take this call really quick."

Type nodded, then added, "hurry back, though. I want to force-feed you some of this sashimi," as Tharn rose up from his seat.

Tharn managed a small chuckle of amusement, then sarcastically muttered, "can't wait."

He actually really could wait; it wasn't that he couldn't eat sashimi or sushi, and it honestly didn't even taste that bad to him--he just couldn't get past the texture. But Type insisted on 'expanding his palate.' Even called Tharn's tastes in cuisine childish and bland.

Tharn sighed as he found a secluded corner to take the call in--he would a hundred-percent rather be having his boyfriend force-feed him raw food right now than having to talk to San.

He answered the call and lifted his phone to his ear. "Hello, P'San."

"Wow, could you possibly sound any less excited?"

"Why would I be excited? I'm kind of busy at the moment; what do you want?" Normally Tharn didn't speak to his seniors quite this bluntly, but when it came to San... He made an exception.

"Didn't Thorn tell you I'm coming back for your birthday?"

Tharn's body instinctively stiffened. Yes, his brother did tell him so, and he'd been trying to forget about it since. It had been close to four years without having to see San, and those four years had been pure, calm bliss from that particular standpoint.

When San had gone off to university at some international school in Europe, Tharn had actively felt an overwhelming sense of relief that he wouldn't have to deal with him for a long time. Of course, every now and again, San would come back to Thailand to visit Thorn and the rest of the family, but Tharn had gotten good at making 'sudden plans' with friends or his bandmates to avoid having to see him.

But Tharn couldn't do that this time around. San was coming back for his birthday, and Tharn wasn't allowed to have any plans outside of spending time with the family in order to celebrate--his mother's golden rule. That meant that he wouldn't be able to avoid San this time. And the thought kind of nauseated him.

He already knew his birthday was going to be nothing short of intolerable.

"He did," Tharn finally answered. "But that doesn't answer my question: what do you want?"

"Actually, that's what I've been meaning to ask you," San replied. "What do you want for your birthday?"

For you to not be there... "Nothing," Tharn said. "I wouldn't want to burden you."