Forget Me Not

Beyond Words

Seeing Mil so happy and excited at work, Tine couldn't find the right moment to tell him that he was no longer single. He was stuck with the decision until his next date with Sarawat, his boyfriend. It was meant to be a confession—to tell Sarawat that he had accidentally agreed to a family dinner with Mil out of pity for what happened the last time they went out. But they ended up at a paintball field, and once again, Tine found himself silenced as they suited up for the game.

He watched closely as Sarawat loaded multiple weapons, looking like he was preparing for a mission. Tine, curious, followed his lead. "Have you ever done this before?" Sarawat asked, impressed by how quickly Tine learned.

"No, but it sounds fun," Tine grinned, temporarily forgetting his earlier worries.

"Yeah, it's fun, but it's also good preparation," Sarawat explained. "It shows how people handle themselves in a real-life situation. In this day and age, you need to be ready." He cocked his gun, making Tine look at him in awe. "Just stay with me, I'll keep you safe."

Sarawat winked, and Tine sniggered, following him. They started firing alongside two other players. Tine tried to keep up, but there was something about the way Sarawat moved that made Tine think this wasn't his first time doing something like this in real life. Sarawat moved with precision, taking out a team of players. He shot until his ammo ran out, then tossed his guns, jumped out of the bushes, and surprised a teenager, nailing him easily. The teenager started to cry, and Tine mouthed, "I'm so sorry..."

With Sarawat's skill and Tine learning quickly, every team turned their attention to them. Soon, they found themselves cornered behind a tree trunk with Sarawat out of ammo. He seemed serious, while Tine was just having fun.

"I'm out," Sarawat said.

Tine shrugged, smirking. "Well, that's what happens when you shoot everyone."

"Not everyone. And it's not over yet," Sarawat reasoned. "Do you think I'm going to let you go home covered in paint? Nope, that's just not me."

Tine sniggered again while Sarawat used a spy mirror to check the area. There were players everywhere. He noticed Tine's gun still had two shots left.

From the other side, two players charged toward them. Alerting Tine, Sarawat directed him to shoot, and Tine did. It was a bull's eye! He hit both players square between the eyes, and they went down, paint splattering their goggles. Sarawat dived, grabbed their guns and remaining ammo, and started taking out the remaining players.

They fired at him, but like a superhero, he walked through the fray without fear, shooting left and right as paintballs whizzed by. Tine watched in amazement as the scene unfolded. It felt like a real battle. From the right, Tine saw a group of players heading toward Sarawat.

"Wat, three o'clock!"

Sarawat quickly grabbed an overweight accountant and used him as a human shield. All the kids, teenagers, and adults shot at the accountant. When they were through, Sarawat emptied his paint clips into the group, and they all went down like toy soldiers. Sarawat and Tine ended up as the last pair standing.

It probably took a few moments, but Tine walked up to Sarawat past all the paint-covered players, scratching his head, feeling both foolish and frightened. If this had been a real battle, all this paint would be blood and gore.

"So, wanna get lunch?" Sarawat turned to him.

Tine looked at him, nodded, and was speechless.

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After cleaning up, the pair walked to the car in the deserted parking lot. Tine was still amazed by Sarawat's skills, fumbling with his seatbelt in his daze.