The thin line [Complete]

Chapter 20

Kong's POV

Deer caught in headlights. Actually, two headlights. As it seemed like both cars were right about ready to come crashing into me. Or each other. I was struck completely speechless cause my brain couldn't figure out which issue I should address first. My first instinct was to vehemently deny to P'Arthit what he just saw was not remotely what it looked like. Except I had no freaking idea what was going on in the first place. And before I could gather my bearings enough to give Mike his second shiner of his life and demand an explanation, P'Arthit gave me an irritated snort before turning his entire attention towards Mike.

"Who the fuck cares if you are ok with kissing him. I am pretty sure Kongpob isn't ok with you trying to shove your tongue down his throat."

"P'Arthit? What are you doing here."

"The more important question is what were you doing."

"This is between me and Kong. You don't know what's going on."

"And it seems neither does Kongpob. And since you do, we are all ears."

"Kong is gay."

"That is not breaking news."

"Don't you get it, Kong is gay."

"Yes, I know. All of us here know. Somehow you seem to think that is explanation enough to play tonsil hockey with him."

"What is so difficult to understand? Kong is gay. And I know it was difficult for me to accept it for a long time. I struggled with it for years. But I finally have. I am ok with it now. We can be finally be together."

"Slow down now, Romeo. Your logic took one gigantic leap. What does him being gay and you finally accepting it have anything to do with you two being together. From what I know Kongpob hasn't once had an ounce of a romantic notion directed towards you. Or do you have some lovey dovey history I am unaware of?"

He finally looked my way, his face awash with irritation. And it took me less than a split second to vigorously shake my head no. although my traitorous tongue still wouldn't do its job as it sat thick and heavy in my mouth, unable to form words while Mike and P'Arthit railed against each other over my gayness.

"Good. So explain to me again how Kongpob being gay automatically leads to you assuming both of you are together?"

"Well, I mean, it's obvious right. There is no way I am letting Kong get fucked by another man. He has to be with me. There is no other option."

"Wow! That....is some new level of condescension. No other option? Let me get this straight. What you are trying to say is he is allowed to be gay but only if he is with you? And everything is Ok now cause you have stopped being a massive douche and are ready to accept him. Mighty magnanimous of you isn't it?"

"That's....that isn't what this is like. You are just twisting my words. Kong wants this too. He wants to be with me too."

One again P'Arthit turned towards me and cocked one eyebrow, clearly more invested in this fight with Mike than I would have ever imagined possible. And once again without missing a beat I shook my head to indicate my reply. Although, at some point I really wish my vocal cords would wake up from their deep nap, and spring into action.

"There you go. He doesn't."

"Then why hasn't he dated anyone since his ex? Why hasn't he been with anyone since our fight four years ago?"

"I have next to no idea about his dating history but I can almost guarantee that has nothing to do with you."

Throughout the back and forth Mike had progressively deepened his frown, apparently getting more confused regarding his warped logic. I have a feeling when I do get around to having my conversation with Mike, it not going to be only 'slightly' uncomfortable, cause it seems we have some fairly serious issues to deal with. Mike eventually realized he was having a non-winnable argument with a person wholly involved with the situation.

"Why are you even here? Whatever it is, it's between me and Kong. Why are you interfering?"

"I am intervening. Since you are clearly harassing my subordinate."

"This isn't work hours. And we are outside the office. Right now Kong is more my friend than your anything."

"As his boss and the man with the right to command him to do anything for the next three months, he is mine whenever I say he is. And right now I say he is coming with me to work. Any problems with that?"

The last question was directed towards me, and like a monkey trained to do only one trick I shook my head again before I finally jumped into action and unlocked my door to dump my bags in my apartment. Ready to run away from this situation with light speed. I stepped back out of my apartment and towards P'Arthit to indicate I was going to be more than compliant at his ordering me around right now, when Mike once again grabbed my arm.

"Kong wait. Don't go. Let me explain. I....we...need to talk."

"Later. Let's talk later."

Was I running away from an uncomfortable situation right now? You bet your ass I was. But I have a feeling addressing P'Arthit's mood right now sort of trumps all the baggage Mike plans to dump on me eventually. Cause in all my many, many interaction with P'Arthit, some that were even downright hostile, I have never seen him this angry before.

There was close to deafening silence around us as we wordlessly got in the elevator, leaving a stunned Mike behind, climbed in his car as he drove us towards the office. He had yet to say a word to me by the time we made our way to our tables but it wasn't hard to guess his mood as the tightly clenched jaw told me pretty much all I needed to know.

It was close to an hour since he had begun working on a new prototype using his machine, standing less than 5 ft away from me, stoically ignoring my presence, while I began working on my desk, intensely aware of the anger radiating out from him. With only the soft whirring of the machine, interspersed my the regular clicks from my keyboard filling the room, every passing second heightened the tension around us. And after a point I could simply not take it anymore so I whirled my chair about and faced him directly.

"Aren't you going to say 'I told you so'?"

Apparently not the smartest way to begin the conversation, cause he looked up from the machine directly at me. His jaw clenching harder than it already had been, which honestly should have been nearly impossible to achieve. His nostrils flaring with suppressed anger before he banged his fist down on the table, giving me a jump scare. Turned around and simply left the room.

Fuck!

In order to do some damage control I sprung up from my chair to follow him before he got too far and immediately got my foot caught in one of the stray computer cables, tripping over to his machine and falling right over the prototype he was working on, dislodging it from its original position.

Two years. That is how long P'Arthit has continuously railed to me and anyone who would listen about his annoying machine. For months now, he has bullied me everytime I mistakenly entered the forbidden area of his machine. That yellow tape has caused me more headache than everything else combined.

But my streak of stupidity for the day continues as I temporarily forgot all his multiple warnings about never touching his precious machine, and I reached out to adjust the dislodged prototype when a long, sharp, pointy blade suddenly made an unexpected appearance. And before I knew what I should have been careful about, it pierced right through my flesh.