Enemies with Benefits

Part Seven

Everyone sat in Pran's living room with baited breath waiting for Pat, Pran, and Mrs. Dissaya to finish speaking privately. It was Pa who spoke first to break the stiflingly uncomfortable silence.

"When did they—"

Korn and Wai shook their heads, "Somewhere before the beach trip we think,"

Ink rounded on the two of them, "So when did you,"

"Somewhere before the beach trip," Korn replied.

Wai nodded, "it's a long story."

—Pran's Bedroom—

Getting Pat to calm down had been much harder that Dissaya thought. Her own son was not prone to displays of emotion very often, which had honestly always surprised her and sometimes even worried her a bit. But, realizing what was happening to him emotionally now forced her to consider that perhaps she was the reason Pran was not demonstrative with his emotions. If he felt that he had to hide them just to feel safe, it made sense that he would remain so stoic.

"I knew I liked Pat when I was in the seventh grade," Pran began. "He was lounging on his balcony in the sun, shirtless, and I just couldn't stop looking. I pulled the sheer curtains closed and sat at my desk for close to an hour just imagining what it would be like to touch him."

Pat sniffled and watched Pran from under his eyelashes. He had never heard this story before, honestly they hadn't really talked about their relationship that far back.

Dissaya nodded and let her son keep talking.

"I knew I loved him by the end of ninth grade," Pran continued, "We were both home alone one weekend, and I couldn't sleep so Pat climbed over from his balcony and crawled onto my bed. We were watching this really scary movie I borrowed from Chai—"

"I remember that," Pat whispered. "Yeesh, what were you thinking borrowing a movie from that psycho."

Slapping his arm, Pran nodded before continuing his explanation.

"I was really scared and Pat just wrapped his arms around me and told me it was okay to be scared. Pat promised me that I didn't have to act brave for him because he was my best friend and he would never leave me," Pran's voice broke, "He kept his promise to me, but I broke mine." Tears welled up in Pran's eyes and he looked directly into Pat's reaching out his hand and tangling his fingers in his lover's shirt, "I'm sorry I went away, I never wanted to leave you behind. I'm so sorry."

Reaching for him, Pat squeezing his boyfriend's knee affectionately. "I know you didn't. I saw your face that day, when I went to the office to try and stop you. You looked so sad." Pran threw himself into Pat's arms and hugged him desperately as he sniffled.

Guilt wracked Dissaya Parakul's body. She watched her son clinging shamelessly to Pat and knew that the pain both boys were experiencing was her own fault.

"The day you came to school," Pat murmured from over Pran's shoulder, "When you made Pran go away, it was the worst day of my life."

Moments passed into minutes and the only sounds in the room were Pat's steady breaths and Pran's hiccoughing whimpers. Finally, when he felt that he could continue on, Pran released his hold on Pat and sat up once more to face his mother.

"I wrote that song, mom," Pran explained, "Do you remember? The one I was playing on stage with Pat, I wrote it for him."

"Oi, Pran," Pat whined, "I helped, my name was on that sheet too."

Pran smiled and shook his head before addressing his mother once more, "You were so angry with me, and I was trying my hardest to tell the boy I loved how I felt. I was so happy that day. Pat and I practiced for weeks and I had finally worked up enough nerve that if we won, I would have told Pat how me was more than just my friend."

Dissaya sighed, "I'm so sorry sweetheart. I'm so sorry I didn't think about how my hurt was hurting you or Pat."

Pran looked at his mother carefully through red-rimmed eyes over tear stained cheeks. "Does that mean I don't have to go away this time?"

Nodding her head sadly, "No, baby, you don't have to go away. You're an adult now, and you can love whoever you want. I won't stand in your way."

Pat was the first to move, he dropped down in front of Pran and pressed his face into his lover's stomach wrapping his arms around Pran's middle. "I love you, please don't ever leave me again."

Dissaya Parakul pressed a kiss to her son's cheek first and then bent and pressed a kiss to the top of Pat's head, "take care of my Pran."

Well, I guess I have two sons now, she thought.

"I'm going home," she said a few moments later, "Pat, please come have dinner with us this weekend, if you're going to be a part of the Parakul family you have to try my Tom Yum soup, it is my family's secret recipe."

—the living room—

Pa was not willing to let the conversation with Korn and Wai fizzle out without some of the juicier details so she pressed on.

"Tell me," Pa began in her most innocent voice, "Who made the first move?"

Ink nodded, "now that I would like to know."

It was Korn's turn to blush for the night, "Well, you see—I may have had a thing for him the first time he took a swing at me—"

"Oh really," Pa scooted to the edge of her seat. "Tell me more."

"Well, we both had a few too many and ended up making out in the parking garage one night, and—well—one thing led to another and a few days later we were banging like rabbits every chance we could get," Wai told her.

"Yeah, and then Pat and Pran walked in on us right after Wai got back from that beach trip."

Ink cackled in glee, "Are you telling me that Romeo and Juliet in there caught you in flagrante delicto?"

"If that means, did Pat ruin our afterglow," Korn grouses, "then, yes--yes, he absolutely fucking did."

"So are y'all a thing now, or is it just sex?" Pa pressed.

Korn and Wai looked at each other, looked at the girls, and back at each other once more.

"We're definitely a thing." Wai declares before snuggling as close to Korn as he can get and pressing a kiss to his lover's neck. "Definitely a thing."