Just Pretend

Chapter 1

A/N: Here it is! Chapter one of my new multichapter KongArthit fic! So obviously this is slightly AU. To give you some context, almost everything from Season 1 is the same, except Kongpob never confessed to Arthit and they kept their sort of love/hate frienemy relationship for the duration of their time in university. I hope you enjoy!

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Arthit rubbed his temples, sighing heavily as he leaned back in his chair. It was his third long day in the office in a row trying to solve a supplier's error that had put them behind in production by almost a week. If he wasn't able to fix the error by the end of the week it would result in a major loss for the company and he would be letting down not only his department, but the entire production department as well.

"Arthit? Are you okay?"

P'Earth's voice pulled Arthit out of his exhausted stupor and he smiled at his coworker.

"I'm okay. I think I've just been staring at this screen for too long."

"Do you need a back rub, N'Arthit?" came the shrill voice of P'Som-O, the flirtatious secretary who was always asking Arthit if he'd found a girlfriend yet. Arthit smiled politely, trying to hide his grimace.

"No, thank you. I should actually go talk to P'Yong about this issue, so please excuse me."

With that Arthit rushed out of the office, signing in relief at having escaped Som-O's inevitable grilling and attempts to set him up with her friends. Arthit walked slowly through the building to the production department, enjoying the small break from work before he arrived at P'Yong's office. He knocked on the door but the senior production manager wasn't at his desk. Confused, Arthit turned and scanned the production room, but P'Yong was nowhere to be found. He did find, however, the absolute bane of his existence.

Kongpob was Arthit's junior at SSU in the industrial engineering major and the two had immediately gotten off on the wrong foot. It seemed like Kongpob was intent to do everything in his power to piss off Arthit, and more often than not he succeeded. When Kongpob got hired to Arthit's coveted spot in the production department, right out of university no less, that had been the final straw. Arthit had waited two years to transfer to the production department and that betrayal officially labeled Kongpob as Arthit's number one enemy.

"Hello, P'Arthit," Kongpob greeted him with a wai. "Can I help you with something?"

Arhtit gritted his teeth but returned the wai and maintained a civil toned as he responded. "I'm looking for P'Yong. I need to discuss the supplier issue I've been assigned to solve."

"Oh, is it the solar cell supplier?"

Arthit nodded and Kongpob smiled, holding up the file in his hand.

"I was just assigned to this case as well. P'Yong told me you might be down here soon. Have you eaten yet? Let's discuss the files over lunch."

Before Arthit even had a chance to argue Kongpob was striding away in the direction of the canteen, giving Artit no choice but to follow him. When they had settled down at a table with their food, Kongpob opened the file and began outlining key points for Arthit to focus on when finding a new supplier.

Arthit was so impressed with how quickly Kongpob had adjusted to his duties that he'd almost forgotten to hate the man, until Som-O approached them and Arthit was reminded exactly why he hated the smug, trouble causing junior.

"N'Arthit! I'm glad you're here! This is my friend from accounting that I told you about, Khun Apple. You know, the one that just broke up with her boyfriend?" Som-O winked suggestively and Arthit forced a smile at the woman.

"It's nice to meet you," he said politely, hoping his tone didn't sound too interested and they would both get the hint and leave.

"It's good to finally meet you too, Arthit. P'Som-O has told me a lot about you!"

Damn, she sounded persistent. Instead of responding, Arthit just smiled and nodded, refusing to meet anyone's eye.

"Well, would you like to go to dinner sometime and get to know each other?" Arthit could hardly believe her boldness, asking him on a date in front of the entire canteen. He tried to think of a reason to turn her down but floundered, opening his mouth and closing it uselessly. Suddenly he felt a hand covering his own and he snapped his attention to the owner of the offending hand.

Kongpob was smiling up at Apple innocently yet apologetically. "Sorry," he said "But he's already taken."

Arthit pulled his hand away as if it had been burned, glaring at Kongpob as the junior's hand chased his, gripping it tightly.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed, trying and failing to wrestle his hand out of Kongpob's grip. Kongpob shot him a stern look that made Arthit stop in his tracks.

"Seriously, P'Arthit. P'Som-O is a friend, you shouldn't be afraid to tell her." Kongpob held Arthit's glare as he spoke, warning Arthit to play along with a look that Arthit could only describe as fiercely playful.

"You...and he... you're both..." Som-O paused to process the scene in front of her before launching into an apology. "I'm really sorry, I didn't know. I must have been making you so uncomfortable all along. I'm really sorry N'Arthit, N'Kongpob."

"It's okay, P'Som-O. We haven't really told anybody yet," Kongpob answered easily. "But, we would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else about this."

"Of course, N'Kongpob. Please accept my apology again. N'Apple and I will leave, then. Enjoy your meal."

With that Som-O and Apple scurried off, leaving P'Arthit and Kongpob alone once again. Arthit jerked his hand away from Kongpob's, glaring at the junior hard enough he was almost sure he would set the younger man on fire.

'What the hell, Kongpob?" Arthit demanded. "What did you just do?"

"Helped you," Kongpob answered simply, sighing at Arthit's confused glare. "Look, P'Arthit, I've noticed a lot of women hitting on you and you always turn them down. It's obvious you don't want to date any of them, and it's your own business why, but I'm in a similar situation as well. If we pretend to date, people will leave us alone."

Arthit contemplated this. It wasn't that he didn't want to date at all, it was just that his preferences tended to fall on the opposite spectrum from the dozens of women that had approached Arthit thus far. Though he'd never fully admit it outloud, Arthit wasn't an idiot. He knew he was attracted to men, he'd just never bothered to entertain the thought. But was this really the way he wanted to come out to the entire company? By pretending to date his greatest enemy? But did Kongpob even intend to make it public? He had told Som-O not to tell anyone, afterall.

"But, if the intention is for people to know, why did you tell Som-O not to tell anyone?"

Kongpob chuckled, smirking slightly. "You know P'Som-O, she can't help herself. I bet half the company already knows by now."

The thought made a lump of panic rise in Arthit's throat, and he knew Kongpob was right. Som-O was the biggest gossip in the entire company, besides maybe P'Durian. There was no turning back now and Arthit was stuck somewhere between feeling relieved and panicked at the same time. As if he could sense the turmoil taking place in Arthit's head, Kongpob placed a reassuring hand on top of Arthit's stilling it from the nervous twitch Arthit hadn't even noticed he'd developed.

"Relax," Kongpob said quietly, his voice surprisingly soothing as he locked eyes with Arthit and smiled at him. "Let's continue our discussion. We should aim to try to find a supplier by the end of the day tomorrow."

And with that they easily slipped back into their work, Arthit's anxiety calmed...for the moment at least.