On Arm’s four year work anniversary, he and Pol wake up to a knock on the door. Pol is the one to get up to open it. His alarm had been about to go off anyway, while Arm has the day off. Not that he really utilizes his days off. He normally just wakes up a bit later and works on some things in the tech room for a few hours, then explores new restaurants and picks up enough meals and appetizers for a group of people so Tankhun can experience food outside of what’s made at the compound. Then, they’ll usually sit outside by the fountain and eat together. Kinn sometimes joins and would pick off his brother’s plate until Arm pointed out that there was enough for him to have his own meal, which led to Kinn genuinely thanking him. Arm doesn’t know if that exchange has anything to do with the large bonus he received his last paycheck, but when he asked Tankhun about it, he hinted that it likely had been.
So that’s what Arm had planned to do today: sleep in until 9 or 10, tinker around with some new ideas he’d like to try building into a reality, work out in the gym, take a shower, and request a car to pick up food at a Spanish restaurant he thinks Tankhun might enjoy.
But one phone call ends up throwing him off.
“Arm?” Pol says hesitantly, coming back into the room to sit at the foot of his bed. Arm opens his eyes just enough to squint at him. With the room still being dim and his vision being terrible for as long as he can remember, it’s hard to feel around for his glasses until Pol jumps to his feet and hands them to him.
“What is it?” Arm asks, sitting up and putting his glasses on his face, only to frown when Pol sits back down.
“Uh, Lek came by,” Pol says slowly, looking down at his lap, “He had some news. He thought it might be better to hear it from someone you are closer to than him or the person on the phone-”
“What is it?” Arm interrupts, feeling sick already. All he can think is ‘Hansa finally managed to kill herself’ or ‘All of your sisters died in a house fire’ or ‘Nalin’s heart condition got the best of her even though the doctors said she’d live a normal life' or-
“Your mother passed away,” Pol says quietly, lifting his hand like he wants to comfort him but doesn’t know how, “I uh…I guess they called because she arranged for you to get everything. She was sick and did that just a few weeks before she passed. But she also left you as the executor of her estate and I guess her lawyer knew one of Khun Korn’s lawyers. They contacted him to see if they could track you down and obviously knew you were here-”
“I don’t care,” Arm says, then lies back down and closes his eyes.
Pol lets out a sigh, “Arm. You do care. Don’t lie to yourself like that. I was in the foster system too. I know how it feels.”
“You got put into the actual foster system,” Arm mutters, opening his eyes, “My parents left me at a place that pretended it was a children’s home. It wasn’t. They didn’t care where I would actually end up because they got drug money out of it.”
Pol bites his lip, then pats Arm’s leg, “I don’t know much else. Just what Lek told me. I wrote down the number of the lawyer in case you want to call and check what she might have left you. Lek also said Khun Korn wanted to offer his condolences and pay for any legal advice and services if you need it. I uh…I need to get ready for my shift. Will you be okay here? If you want to come hang out, I know Khun Nu would be happy to see you-”
“I’m fine. Go ahead,” Arm says. Despite the reassurance he just gave Pol, he has to tell Pol that he’s fine three more times before he takes the hint and leaves.
The thing is, he’s not fine. He doesn’t know what he feels, but it certainly isn’t fine.
He tries to go back to sleep for the next two hours, but it never comes. Despite that, he can’t bring himself to get out of bed to try to get his mind off things. The dark tech security room seems too lonely, even with Beta in there. Working out in the gym seems a little better, but also like too much effort. Maybe he should have gone to Tankhun’s suite. But what is he supposed to do, bring the whole room down with emotions he can’t even identify?
YOU ARE READING
5, 3, 1, and On
Fanfiction"Khun Nu doesn't get therapy. He isn't in his right mind and used to be the heir until he was seventeen, so he knows things. He can't be trusted not to say them. That's why Khun Korn set up this training. It's a compromise and having his guards trai...
