BURNING PLEASURE ☆ EARTHMIX AU

♤45♤ free

"Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you."

- Jean-Paul Sartre

"Mix, it's finally nice to meet you," Earth's mother smiled, there was some kind of recognition behind that smile and the way she was looking at Mix, set Earth's mind on fire.

What does this mean?

"I — how do you know me?" Mix asked confused, seeing that Earth was as lost as he was.

"You look just like your mother," Earth's mother said and stood up. "Can I hug you?"

My mother? Even more confusion fogged Mix's mind. He looked at Earth's mother's opened arms and her patiently kind eyes, "I umm yes yes of course."

It was a short hug but even that made Mix feel like she knew him for a very long time.

"Mom, how do you know Mix?" The urgency and hunger for answers in Earth's voice were enough for Earth's mother to finally look properly at both of them and start talking, "it's a long story. Now that you know about your father there's no need for me to hide anything. Including Wongratch's connection to our family."

Earth shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, "mom, you are saying this but you've been talking vaguely about everything since we arrived." Earth squatted in front of his mother and took her hands in his, "just please tell us everything clearly without lying, without keeping anything to yourself. Just say it all."

"Wait," Mix put a hand on Earth's shoulder, "I don't think that this is a place for such a conversation. I think we should leave this place first."

"But I can't," Earth's mother looked up at Mix, her eyes turning sad almost desperate right in front of Mix.

Earth shook his head and smiled, standing up he made his mother stand up too, "actually, mom, we want to take you back home...if...if you want to of course."

"H-home?" Earth's mother choked out, "can - can you really take me home?"

Earth nodded, "yes, mom. If you want to we can leave the moment you'll have all your things packed."

"I," the first tear rolled down her cheek, "I don't have many things. I'll be done in five minutes."

"Can we help you with anything?" Mix asked.

"No no, it's okay, thank you," Earth's mother smiled, genuinely smiled, "I'll be out of here, really?"

"Yes, yes you will, mom, and you'll never see this place again. I promise," Earth said and stepped aside to stand next to Mix as his mother started walking all over the small room and packing those few things she was allowed to have.

"How does your mom know me, Earth?" Mix whispered, watching as Earth's mother quickly got a travel bag from under her bed and started to pack her things. The book she was reading when they arrived went first.

"I have no idea, doll. It all doesn't make any sense. I think she doesn't know only you but also your mother. Maybe," Earth sighed, "maybe our parents know each other for a long time."

Mix immediately shook his head, "nonsense! Why would your father hurt my mom multiple times and be so strict about the money if they knew each other for a long time?"

Earth turned fully towards Mix and wrapped his arms around Mix's shoulders, "look, doll...I have no idea, okay? All I know is that my mom will explain everything to us the moment we'll get to our hotel. Then we'll see what we'll do. But I'm telling you, I'm so tired of this...this needs to end soon even if I have to walk right to the police the moment we step foot back in Thailand."

Mix gave Earth a small reassuring smile and pecked his cheek, "I didn't want to make you more nervous. You are right, let's just take your mom out of here and see what she has to tell us."

.....

"Go take her to the car, I'll be there in a minute," Mix said to Earth and nodded for him to go.

"What do you want to do?" Earth asked, taking the bag from his mother's hand.

"Not much, I'll just make sure that they won't get the crazy idea to call your father now."

Earth nodded, "make it quick."

"Sure," Mix waved for them to go out and turned to the reception where the young nurse was looking at him with resignation while the older nurse, that was always the bigger problem, was glaring at him with cold almost murderous eyes.

Mix shrugged and approached the reception, "thank you for your cooperation, ladies. It's greatly appreciated."

"Don't act like a gentleman, now!" The older nurse scoffed.

Mix cocked an eyebrow, "when wasn't I?"

"Gentleman wouldn't blackmail us to release a patient."

"No," Mix chuckled, "I never forced you. You had a choice and you made one. Don't worry, Mr Watthanasetsiri won't bother you anymore. We'll deal with him. And," Mix took out an envelope full of money from his jacket, "so you wouldn't say that we are that bad. Maybe you should use it to make this place less... horror-like."

.....

Mix got back in the car and looked at Earth's mother sitting in the backseat, "uhm, didn't you want to sit in front?"

Earth's mother slightly shook her head, "no, it's okay. I need some time to realize that I'm actually free."

Mix nodded and without more words, he turned back to the front and buckled up his seatbelt.

He put his hand on Earth's thigh as Earth started the engine and drove away from the clinic, "how do you feel?"

Earth glanced at him and smiled, "happy," his smile wavered a little, "but also nervous; I don't know what will mom tell us and whatever it is...I'm not sure if we'll like it."

.....

"You know, my uncle died and I still have no idea for whom he worked all those years. Something..." Sing groaned and hugged Janhae's waist tighter, nuzzling his head even more into her lap. "Something is telling me that his job has something to do with his death. He looked up at Janhae, "I don't think it was an overdose, Jan."

Janhae nodded, biting her lips she was playing with Sing's hair, soothing both of them.

"I was thinking, your uncle was a bodyguard, right?"

"Yeah."

"Couldn't he work for Earth's family?"

Sing frowned, he sat up, "no, no I don't think so. I mean, there are a lot of other people who need bodyguards not just Earth's father. That would be..." he started shaking his head, "no."

"You are right but it's Earth's father that is currently making problems everywhere...it wouldn't be the first death around him, remember?"

"I don't know, Jan. Mix would tell me, wouldn't he?"

To be continued...

P.S. MOM IS SAVED 🥳 now she needs to spill everything she knows!