BURNING PLEASURE ☆ EARTHMIX AU

♤44♤ meeting, trust, and recognition

"You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough."

- Frank Crane

When the nurse opened the door it was as if Earth had entered a whole new world. He had imagined cold white walls, a spotless white floor, one simple bed and a table, but what he got to see were walls covered in paintings and drawings. There was a face on many of those drawings that he knew more than well — his own face when he was younger, even when he was a child. There were some paintings of nature, especially flowers and the universe; two of his mom's favourite things.

His mom, his mom was laying on the bed, reading a book, and her light brown hair in waves was slightly falling into her eyes. She looked beautiful. She looked just the way she did when he saw her for the first time as if she didn't age even a day as if time stopped for her the moment she was taken away.

She was there. She was there right in front of Earth.

"Mrs Watthanasetsiri," the nurse said as all three of them got inside, "you have a visit."

"But my husband just—" Earth's mother didn't finish her sentence as she looked up from her book and her eyes landed on her son. The book dropped from her hands, she stood on her legs in less than a second, lips quivering. "M-my son...Pirapat..."

"Mom," Earth couldn't really hear how his voice sounded at the moment but he could bet that it was filled with overwhelming emotions. He cut the distance between himself and his mother and wrapped her into a bone-crushing hug just like he used to, just like when he was still a child. He buried his head into her hair, taking in that familiar scent he thought he would never get to smell again. His mother always had this faint smell of sweet baking and expensive perfume. How was it possible that even after all those years being locked up here her scent was still the same Earth didn't know, and frankly, at the moment he didn't care; he didn't care about anything. At least for a couple of moments he just wanted to be a child in his mother's arms.

Mix leaned toward the nurse and said quietly, "can we step outside?"

The nurse shrugged and casually walked out, looking almost bored, "you can't be here longer than one hour so use your time wisely."

Leaning on the wall, Mix folded his hands on his chest, "we are most likely going to take her with us today."

The nurse's eyes widened and she resolutely shook her head, "you can't do that! Mr Watthanasetsiri didn't allow that."

Mix smirked, "what a coincidence, we have one Mr Watthanasetsiri here and he wants to take his mother with him."

The nurse shook her head again, "no, that's impossible!"

"It's not impossible because it's gonna happen," Mix rolled his eyes. "Come on, you are already breaking the rules of that old guy by allowing us here it's no big deal to push it a little more."

"How would we explain that to Mr Watthanasetsiri? No, I'm sorry, no!"

"You don't have to explain anything to him; we'll deal with him. Don't worry."

The nurse frowned and shifted her weight from one leg to the other, "look, it's not that easy. Her doctor...her doctor has to make sure that she is stable enough to leave this place. She is sick!"

Mix shook his head, biting his tongue to not say something rude, "Earth's mother is not sick. She never was. Don't pretend you have no idea why she is really here."

The nurse's frown got even deeper, "fine, I don't want to have anything to do with this. If you want to take her...take her but if Mr Watthanasetisiri will come here asking questions I won't stay silent."

Mix nodded, "deal."

.....

"Mom..."

"Darling...my little baby," Earth's mother choked out and cupped his cheeks.

"Not so little anymore," Earth chuckled. "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not coming earlier but I didn't know. I had no idea that you are here. If I knew—"

Earth's mother shook her head and took Earth's hands in hers, "come, come here, sit down."

They sat down on the bed. Earth's mother took a deep breath, "there's probably a lot of questions you have."

"I do, but it's more complicated than that, mom. The first thing I need to know is...are you alright? Did they do something to you here?"

Earth's mother lifted one of the corners of her lips into a small smile, "I'm...I'm good. As good as I can be locked up in here." Suddenly she squeezed Earth's hands tighter and scooted a little closer to him, "I want you to know that I'm not crazy. I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me like that. You have to believe—"

Earth nodded, stopping her rambling, "I know mom. I know that you are fine and I also know why father sent you here."

It was as if Earth's mother froze in place, for a couple of seconds she didn't say a word nor she moved a muscle... "what do you mean you know?"

Earth sighed, "I know about father's business. The casinos, the kids and the single mothers that he is employing there. How he is capable of killing like it's nothing to be thought about twice. He ordered to kill one of our bodyguards only a couple of days ago because he knew more than he should about his business."

"How did you — does —"

"No, father has no idea I know something. A lot happened recently. It started with someone sending a bunch of guys to kill me."

Earth's mother gasped, "who? Do you know who?"

"I do. Someone, you apparently know," Earth looked right into his mother's eyes, "do you know Boss, mom?"

She frantically shook her head, "no no Boss, Boss wouldn't hurt you. He knows that you are my son...he wouldn't."

"How do you know him, mom? How does he know who I am? Why are you so sure that he wouldn't hurt me?" Earth pushed a little more with his questions. He finally needs some answers.

"Boss is my friend from...from way before I met your father."

"Friend?" Earth repeated.

"Yes, we grew up in the same neighbourhood. I trust him more than anyone else."

Earth can't believe this. A friend? That psycho? 

"Trust him? That man killed my friend right in front of my eyes just because he felt like it. He threatened not only me but my boyfriend too! You can't be a serious mom."

"Boss...he gets a little bit too intense sometimes," Earth's mother said calmly.

"A little bit intense? Mom!" Earth groaned.

"But...you said that you have a boyfriend? Is he here with you?"

"Yes," Earth sighed, "yes, he is. You know what, yeah. It is better if we talk while he is here too. He is in this whole mess too anyway." Earth stood up and crossed the room to open the door.

"Mix?" he called outside.

Mix's worried face appeared in front of him, "what is it? Is something wrong?"

Earth smiled, "don't worry. Just my mom wants to meet you."

"Oh," Mix breathed out and nodded.

Earth took his hand and pulled him inside, turning back towards his mother, "mom, this is my boyfriend—"

"Mix," Earth's mother said.

To be continued...

P.S. How does Earth's mother know Mix? 🧐