Taking The Plunge (The Puppy Honey Series)

Perfect Together

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Rome asks again when the field comes into view. "Don't get me wrong, P'. I'm glad that you want to introduce me to your friends, but if P'Tham's going to be there-"

"All the better then. Because I'm going to show that fucker what he's missing out on."

He's been pissed since their encounter with Tham yesterday and what better way to let off some steam with a game of soccer? Rome lags behind uncertainly the nearer they get to the field, as if ready to bolt the moment he sees an opportunity and Pick pulls him forward by the neck of his shirt.

"I had to sit through Yihwa's taunts and sarcasm yesterday, so this makes us even." He reminds his boyfriend, internally shuddering at the mere mention of that lady.

If Emma is a force to be reckoned with, Yihwa is five times that.

There's a small group of guys kicking the ball around and another handful hanging around the bench. Rome sticks close to Pick, because as self-confident as he is at times, he wants to give off a good impression to his boyfriend's friends.

"Hey, Ai'Pick! You made it!" Rome withers a bit under their curious gaze, but politely greets them with a wai considering that they're all older than he is. "Cool, you finally brought your boyfriend along. You're the one in Ai'Pick's Instagram right?"

"Ai'Ming is a social media freak." Pick offers as an explanation.

"We've been asking Pick to bring you along for months. To be honest, we were starting to think that he made the whole thing up." Another one chimes in, contributing to more laughter.

Pick aims his foot at his friend's butt, "Shut it, Ai'Forth."

"But damn, you really got lucky, Ai'Pick."

"I know, right?" Rome slips in smoothly. "P'Pick's lucky to even be breathing the same air as me."

There's a loud chorus of "ooooooooh" and Rome's grinning so widely that his feels like his cheeks might split. Pick raises both his middle finger at his friends, cursing them out for teasing him.

"Anyway, Ai'Ming's the annoying one." Ming poses with his typical annoying "V" sign and Forth blatantly rolls his eyes. "The one in green is Ai'Forth." Pick continues to point out the rest of his friends and by the time he's done, Rome has more or less forgotten their names already.

"Oh shit." Rome curses under his breath when he spots the last person that he wants to set eyes on on this Earth.

Pick turns slightly and sees Tham just arriving, surprise etched on his face at seeing Rome there. The younger male fidgets uncomfortably and Pick gently touches the tip of his fingers to his boyfriend's wrist, "Trust me."

"Pick." Tham sets his duffel bag down on the ground. "Rome, I had no idea you played too."

"Nah, he doesn't. He's here to watch me play." Pick answers casually.

"Oh?" Tham's forehead creases slightly. "You two...?" He trails off uncertainly. "Are you two together?"

Pick takes satisfaction in Tham's inability to maintain his expression and he further fuels the situation by loosely wrapping his arm around Rome's shoulders, "Yeah. We're dating."

"Wow. That's...great. Congratulations." Tham stumbles a little over his words. "I'm surprised. I didn't think that-"

"-that I'm into guys?" It's something which Pick's heard countless of times. "Guess I have to thank Rome for that."

Rome curls his own arm around his boyfriend's waist and smiles up sunnily at Pick. While he's uncomfortable about facing his ex-boyfriend again, he's also glad that he gets to show Tham that he's found someone much better.