The F5 (Fraternal Five)

Agents

"Here he is, here he is ...." Krist teases as Gun enters Tay-New's dorm room. "After three desperate invites, finally Khun Atthaphan graces us with his presence."

Gun chuckles sitting down beside New on the bed. "Ai Kit. Do you want me to cancel you that much?"

"Ouch. You start to sound like a certain P'Off." Krist sighs dramatically. "Bring back my sweet P'Gun, please!"

"It's because we're not that close yet for me to cuss you." Gun sneers as New snakes his hand across Gun's shoulders hugging the latter. He stops halfway as he looks up from Tay's ipad and for the first time taking in the state Gun's in.

"Whoa! You look... blinding." New remarks, deep in thought as to why his little friend could very well be making the sun jealous. "Sia, Nong Gun!" He curses as his mind finally connects the dots.

"Hehe."

"What, what?" Krist doesn't want to miss out.

"You, cheeky brat! You popped the cherry?!"

"WTF, already did with my ex, thank you very much!"

"Oh, right. I mean, you made it past third base with Off?!"

"Bingo!" Gun claps cheerfully.

"At last huh?" Krist chuckles. "Good for P'Off I guess. After months of being a monk. So how was he?"

"Not telling. Let's just say 'hard work' never betrays you." Gun winks cheekily.

"Ew, come on! Right in front of my literal salad??" Mix protests loudly from Tay's desk where he's having his lunch.

New just throws Mix an evil grin and carries on, "So who's better? Off or your ex?"

"Uh ...." Gun frowns, actually considering answering the question. "I mean, I haven't really thought about it, but I think—"

"I think that's a bit TMI, okay? So what triggered you, P'Gun?" Mix cuts in sparing himself the details.

"Huh? Must there be something to trigger me?"

"Honestly? Yeah."

"You're a coward Nong Gun." New snickers agreeing with Mix. "When it comes to Off. It's way past being careful, I'm telling you."

Gun shrugs. "I have high hopes for him."

"I can see. You even thought about having kids together."

"No, it's me."

"No, it doesn't matter. So what triggered you? Actually, I'm also curious."

"Hehe. Sharp eyes, guys. Are we a cult or agents?"

"Less stalling, more spilling P'Gun." Mix smirks.

"Brat! So it was really uneventful, I was just sexually frustrated coming home from a work trip to an empty house and a very hawt boyfriend. Hehe." Gun chuckles ignoring everyone's curses. "Anyway, something still didn't sit right with me so he made me meet my girls to get some closure."

"Your infamous party squad? Why?"

"Yeah, well we got stood up."

"The audacity!" Krist snaps jokingly. "How dare they made the great Gun Atthaphan wait for nothing!"

"Their loss." New shrugs calmly.

"Actually ... it's kinda my fault because back when Papii was still playing around, I used to tell them to stay away from him and stop treating him like a trophy." Gun sighs. "So yeah, we kinda fell out of friendship since I went completely back on my words and started dating him myself."

"Jesus, P'Gun did you fall first??!" Krist practically shouts out of excitement.

"IDK, Kit, I just kinda pitied him back then. IDK if I can call it 'falling'."

"Debatable." Mix voices out his thought. New nods his agreement.

"So anyway I ended up clearing things up over text. That instead of dissing him, I was actually feeling sorry for the man. For a reason, that to this day I still haven't figured out yet. I mean, it's not like he didn't enjoy it."

New scoffs. "He was a jerk alright."

"But I also knew I couldn't make them forgive me. No matter the reason, I went behind their back, this much is true. So I said my thanks and prepared to leave.

"Just then Jingjing replied, telling me to wait. She eventually arrived after two hours of waiting."

"Jingjing?"

"She's this particular girl that unlike the others, never went for Papii cause she's always been taken." Gun sports a sincere smile. "So in the middle of months-worth of catching up, she abruptly remarked, this is the first time you look genuinely happy, Phi." Gun smiles reminiscing. "I do? I asked. No, I mean P'Off. And that was all it took for my walls to break down."

"Nong Gun, what??"

"I'm sorry but what walls?" Mix stares at Gun confused.

Gun holds out his hand. "Before you complain, let me just say it first. You're right, I'm gay. It's not like it's my first time or anything. And though he's straight, Papii never failed to remind me that he wouldn't get turned off having sex with a man. And I trust his words for that, I really do. It's just ...." He sighs. "The truth is, Mix's words have been getting to my head."

"So all this time, you've been doubting Off?? But what about the hashtag, you defending him on interview, the solo job date, you texting him nonstop while you're in Phuket? Were those only for show??" Gun opens his mouth and New holds out his hand. "Before you complain, you're right. Off told Te and Te talks to me about everything—except for things that actually matter." He rolls his eyes.

"All those times you weren't convincing others, you're convincing yourself ...." Mix blurts out as the realization hits him.

"Yes. Yes I was." Gun shoots Mix a grateful smile.

New looks majorly taken aback. "Even Off's confession?"

Gun nods. "Don't get me wrong, P'New. I'm not saying it's a mere ploy like Mix said. I'm just scared that he's only in for the thrill of chase. That he somehow mistakes it as love. I'm scared that after we're having sex, something would change. And I'm just really, really happy where I was that I ended up avoiding that change."

"Well P'Gun, I'd say for one who claims he's avoiding changes you've been through a lot of them. From strangers to lovers, casual dating to him catching feelings to lowkey thinking about your future together. And you found your balance every time, no? Didn't you say, it's normal to be afraid as we level up?"

Gun's eyes instantly light up at Krist's words. "Kit!! Damn right I did!! Geez, we can be very oblivious when it comes to ourselves huh!"

"Now that's the P'Gun I know!"

Gun looks around the room smiling. "Sorry I didn't come to you guys sooner. But we're okay now, I swear. I'm okay now."

"It's okay, you were going through something. Understandable, Nong Gun." New smiles patting Gun's head. "Like your Win kid. He's been absent three times in a row. Hmm, I might start charging him for that ...."

"You know what? You really should!" Krist giggles.

"To be fair, can he really be counted as a part of us?" Mix wonders. "He's not Bai's anything."

"B-but Win luk ...!" Gun pouts.

"Ai Mix, be honest with us. Did he say something to you?" New turns to Mix.

"Nooo ... just, I feel bad forcing him to come. It's a bit like forcing him to be Bai's something." Mix frowns. "I don't wanna be the one to make that decision for him."

"Then, don't worry. He can and he will be a part of us, with or without Bai in the picture." Krist declares boldly, smiling comfortingly at Gun.

"Dramatical as always, Kit." New chuckles, eyes darting back to Tay's ipad where he downloaded his ebook to read from and signing off from the rest of the conversation.