Mr. Blue (Complete ✅)

Keen Senses

Tay's first impression of New: A boy in a man's body. He is obnoxious and loud and just generally infuriating. He interrupts their lessons with his silly jokes. None of which Tay finds hilarious. This man has no classroom etiquette! And Tay does not appreciate his response when he called him out on his loutish behavior.

"Tay Tawan, is it? Live a little. There's more to life than French braids."

He hates it even more that everyone giggled a little at that. A joke at his expense! Not everyone can live a little! People have responsibilities! They can't all be fun uncles who wear tight shirts and have crazy eyebrow and nose rings. They can't all be notorious flirts. Tay has overheard him flirting with all of the dads. All except him.

He does not care about that. He really doesn't. He finds it strange though. Perhaps New has sensed that he is out of his league. He is a respectable Lawyer and New is—whatever he is.

Tay cannot stand the man.

So why is it that he cannot stop seeking him out? What is it about his blue hair and nose piercing that commands his gaze every other second? What is it about his silly jokes that make Tay lean towards the sound of his voice a little? Why does the sound of his laugh send his heart beating?

"Hey, class president."

Oh, there he is. The man who invades his waking thoughts and occasionally, his dreams. Tay takes a deep breath. Counts to three. Then looks at him. His blue hair is held up in two little pigtails. Like always, he has flouted the rules.

"You aren't supposed to do that," Tay says.

One pierced eyebrow goes up. Tay wonders if it hurts. "Do what?"

"You're supposed to do that on her head."

"Oh this," he fingers one pigtail like he forgot it was there. "Primily thought it'd look cuter on me." He smiles down at the little human by his side. "Didn't you, baby girl?"

Tay is almost embarrassed. Almost. For not noticing the little girl. She's quite hard to overlook too. Pink frilly gown and a huge pinkier bow atop her head. 

"Yeth," Primily smiles. Her eyes disappear like her uncle's. "Uncle New isth prethy." She says through her two missing front teeth.

New grins. Tay rolls his eyes. "What do you want?"

"You heard Namtan. We need partners for the next lesson. I'm here to secure a partner since I'm already done." He points to the mess on his head.

Tay glances at his daughter, Tu. She's already looking at the odd pair with delighted eyes. Perhaps it is a Vihokratana curse. Better to break it before it festers.

"I'm sorry, we already have a partner."

The grin on New's face slowly disappears. He moves back. It is not a big move. It wouldn't even amount to an inch but Tay notices. He has amazing senses.

The ring on one eyebrow almost touches the other when he frowns. "What is your problem with us, Tay?"

He has a long list. He shrugs. "I don't have a problem with you. We have acquired a partner, we won't be needing you." He looks at Primily. Her lower lip is jutting out and her eyes are pooling.

Great! Like uncle, like niece. Attention seekers!

"Sorry." Tay apologizes and turns away. His responsibility is to his daughter.

New's huff is probably strong enough to blow down the first little pig's straw house. "May I speak to you outside?"

Tay does not look at him. "You mayn't."

"I want to speak to you outside." This isn't a request. His tone is hard to ignore. Tay turns to him again.

"We can talk here."

"Not in front of the kids."

He rises after a brief stare-off with the man. Leans down and strokes his daughter's hair. "Honey, I'm going to have a word with Mr. Blue for a second, okay? You can play with—Primily." Tu's face brightens with a smile. She reaches for Primily's hand even before Tay walks away.

"Mr. Blue?" New turns on him in the corridor.

"That's what she calls you. I don't know your name." It is a lie. He knows all of his names.

"I have done nothing to you, yet you despise me."

"I don't despise you. I don't even know you."

New snorts. "We see each other every Saturday and Sunday for three months now. It is a class of 10 dads. Everyone knows everyone."

Tay crosses his arms over his chest. His heart is pounding. Why? He cannot tell. Perhaps it is because he has never been this close to New before. Of course, his body would react terribly to his proximity. "What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me why you hate me."

Tay has had a long week at work. His weekends are supposed to be stress-free. And they were until this man. He does not want to do this but — "You irritate me." He blurts. New flinches. He asked for it. "You walk around like you own the world. You're too loud. You think rules are just for decoration. I don't know what or who you think you are but you aren't special."

"Nobody follows the rules, Tay." He seems agitated. His voice is a harsh whisper. "You let everyone get away with anything but throw me dirty looks if I breathe too loudly. Look at them." He points to the transparent windows.

Inside, he can see Tu trying on Primily's big head bow. Lee Thanat is chasing his daughter around the room. She giggles when she evades him again. Joss Wayar has abandoned his daughter and is arm-wrestling Luke Plowden. Arm Weerayut's son, Frank, is terrorizing the class with his singing. He likes to wear his hair as pretty as the girls, his father had said. Namtan observes the commotion with a smile on her face.

"It is the same all the time but you single me out. Ju—Just to find more reasons to despise me!"

It appears Tay's senses are not as amazing as he thought. They are just attuned to everything New Thitipoom Techaapaikhun does. This is a terrifying discovery. He feels his eyes go wide. He stumbles a couple of steps backwards. And then scampers away from the blue-haired man.

On his way to his seat, he stops a breathless Lee Thanat and asks him to be his partner.

A/N: WEAVE A WEE COMMENT AND A LIKE FOR ME PWEASE 💕💙💕💙