Feel Something (BounPrem FF)

Chapter 11: Opposites Attract

Chan sat next to his senior as usual the next day, and every day after that. They often got together for the project, and were accompanied by Dee and Sook. By the time two weeks had passed, Sinn was still quiet and strict, but less bitter towards Chan. The boy saw this as improvement.
   
Sinn didn’t have to be overly affectionate for Chan to feel the difference. Just being nice was enough. If they went out, Chan would take the vegetables off Sinn's plate and give him some of the meat from his own plate.
   
“You should eat more protein,” the boy would say as an excuse.
    
Chan was intensely optimistic and liked to take care of his senior all the time. Sinn was starting to get used to having the boy beside him, as much as he’d hate to admit it. The senior stopped getting onto Chan as much, and let him do as he pleased.
   
Chan tried taking care of his senior as much as possible. It was the little things Chan did that made Sinn realize what was happening. The boy would pull out a chair for him, open the doors for him, fix his hair if it looked messy, and was so casual about it all.
   
Chan used any and every excuse to get close to Sinn. He would see how uncomfortable his senior was in large crowds, and put himself in front, even though he was shorter. Sinn would let this happen, because it felt nice. He hadn’t received so much attention in so long that he wanted to take it in as much as possible. Sometimes Chan would hold Sinn's hand, just to pull him somewhere, and let go. To Sinn, those short moments felt like a dream.
   
Sinn often caught himself admiring the boy, letting his eyes linger over Chan's body while he was at practice, or when he got too close to him. Chan did the same, however, and it became a game of trying to catch each other.
   
For them, there weren’t any meaningful words spoken, only touches and stares. It was as if they looked into each others souls without realizing it. Neither was willing to look away, because they both wanted the intimacy so badly. But things weren’t that simple for them as it should be.
   
Sinn didn’t want to get into something he knew probably wouldn’t last, and Chan simply didn’t know his own feelings, let alone Sinn's. Chan felt like when the project was over, that Sinn would treat him the same as before. The boy thought that being close to Sinn all the time was the only way to keep the senior's attention.
 

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The day before their presentation they all had dinner together, as usual. They liked trying different things, but this time they ordered out and brought it back to Sinn's apartment.
   
They all ate at the table, in the same order they were always in, with Dee and Sook sitting on one side and Chan next to Sinn on the other. Before Chan was fully seated, Sinn was moving his vegetables to Chan's plate.
   
Chan's heart fluttered at the simple action as he was seated. Since when was his senior so comfortable with him? He couldn't think of a time Sinn had done that before. In return, Chan moved some chicken to Sinn's plate with a smile.
   
Sinn's ears grew red at Chan's smile. He couldn’t get over the way Chan's eyes smiled, too. He had to take a gulp of water before starting to eat, as he didn’t want to choke immediately.
   
Dee was oblivious to what was unfolding in front of him, but Sook paid close attention to his cousin and their senior. He only smiled at the thought of Chan falling for someone. After Sook had told Chan about love, was he finally experiencing something?
   
After dinner, Dee showed Sook a new game while Chan went over their presentation with Sinn one last time. “P’Sinn, I can do this half and you can do the other.”
   
“Okay.” Chan looked at his senior sitting next to him in shock. Sinn just agreed without a complaint or resistance.
   
“Okay?”
   
Sinn looked at the boy in return, and they froze together.
   
Their bodies were close, as they sat next to each other at the counter. Chan had his hand resting on the bar stool, leaning into it. It was the only thing holding him from bumping into Sinn.
   
“Yes, that’s fine.” Sinn usually didn’t like being in close proximity with Chan, but he wanted to be that day.
   
Chan's hand slipped due to his sweaty palm, making his left side fall towards Sinn, and his senior caught him without hesitation. The boy would’ve been embarrassed, but he couldn’t even think straight because Sinn's hands were on him.
   
Typically, Sinn would’ve said something like “watch it” or “get off” but this time he didn’t. “Are you okay?”
   
Chan blinked rapidly, looking up at his senior. “Yea…”
   
Sinn's hands were on Chan's biceps, holding him up, so Chan was going to push off Sinn with his own hands. The boy was too close on Sinn's thigh, though. Once his senior felt the grip of the hand, he pushed Chan off quickly and startled the boy.
   
“I'm sorry,” Sinn mumbled. It was the first apology Chan had ever heard from the senior. Was he hearing correctly?
   
“Its okay.”

*He’s disgusted with me.* Chan thought.
   
Sinn didn’t know how to respond after that. He couldn’t tell Chan the truth, but he didn’t want to seem like a jerk. It was better to him to be the jerk, though. He had to remind himself that he couldn’t hang onto Chan anymore.
   
“You have to kill them, not me!” Dee laughed as he helped Sook play the new game.
   
“Oi, how was I supposed to know. I need directions,” Sook whined.
   
Dee put down his own controller and wrapped his hands around Sook's on the other controller. His hands moved Sook's fingers and pressed the correct buttons. “Here. Like this.”
   
Sook wasn’t paying attention to the game at that point. What could he do when Dee's hands felt so nice on his own?
   
“You got it?”
   
Sook snapped out of it quickly, as Dee removed his hands. “Yea…”
   
“You look red, are you alright?” Dee felt Sook's cheeks with the back of his hands, making the skin grow even hotter. “Shia! You’re burning up!”
   
“Chan! I think we should go home!”
   
Chan looked back at his cousin, who was in the hands of Dee. “What?”
   
Dee let one of his hands fall. “Sook is burning up.”
   
Chan noticed Sook giving him a strained face, and was unclear of what his cousin was trying to say.
   
“We have medicine if you need some?” Sinn offered, which surprised Chan.
   
“That's alright, I have some back in my dorm. We should go.” Sook was giving every reason not to stay.
   
Chan gathered his things and waved at the brothers before Sook dragged him out of the apartment.
   
“Oi, Sook! I’m not an animal, don’t pull so hard!” Chan yanked his backpack strap from his cousin.
   
“Sorry! I just…had to get out of there.”
   
“Why? Are you really sick? Or were you hot for someone…,” Chan teased.
   
Sook pouted and nudged Chan with his side. “Stop…I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Sook ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head.
   
“Why does something have to be wrong?”
   
“Because it’s…Dee…”
   
“What’s wrong with Dee?”
   
“He's…loud and outspoken.”
   
“Hey, what’s wrong with that?” Chan was offended, as he was usually the loud and outspoken one in grade school.
   
“Nothing…it's just really different from me…”
   
“Opposites attract. Haven’t you watched enough dramas to realize that?” Chan laughed as Sook shot him an annoyed look. “I'm just saying. Maybe Dee would be good for you. Maybe your heart knows, but your mind needs to catch up.”
   
“Oh yea? Since when did you become so wise?”
   
“Pho taught me.”
   
Sook looked ahead as they walked back to campus. Maybe Dee was just what Sook needed. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad person to have. He blushed at the thought of Dee's hands on his face, and touched his cheeks, trying to recreate the feeling.