Captured Effortlessly (Ain't Nobody)

Chapter 7 - Then You Put Your Charms around Me

Nearly a week after the night Tin had spent at Planets, they had finally found an opportunity to meet for an extensive lunch, without either of their jobs demanding their attention.

Somewhat to Tin's surprise, Can hadn't just given short, professional answers to the messages he had sent to him about potential times and locations for their lunch meeting – they had quickly started to text each other about silly day-to-day life stuff, too.

Tin didn't usually talk to people about his life. In fact, it had already been an immense show of trust towards Can to tell him who he was when he wasn't recognised, and the real reason why he had left the Medthanan family and name behind.

Even better, this feeling seemed to be mutual.

Can's messages became less and less marred in the detached professionalism he had shown at the club from the beginning, and the positively silly person he was underneath came out more.

When Tin arrived at the restaurant he had reserved a table at – he would pay for the meal, he had insisted – he could see Can in a colourful track suit already sitting there by the window over the river, waving enthusiastically at him as soon as he saw him.

"Woah, you could have told me you were inviting me to a fancy place, I'm feeling completely underdressed... and didn't you say you're afraid of losing all the money you invested in your company?"

Tin shook his head, smiling.

This was gold.

"Hi to you, too, Can!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, of course, hi, Tin! And... you know, why here?"

Tin shrugged.

"I like the view and the food is good. And... just because I stress over my company doesn't mean I'm poor or close to bankruptcy. I have to be mindful of long term sustainability, that's all."

"Commendable," Can answered – and for a moment, Tin didn't know if he was mocking him or not.

Even from just the first minutes of their meeting, Tin could already see that it had been the right decision to invite him.

Nobody who casually crossed the restaurant could have guessed that the cheerful, talkative person in front of Tin was the magnificent Master Kirakorn. Not while he was excitedly telling him all about his dog – named Gucci, apparently – whom he had to leave behind at his parents' place when he moved into the club... and his favourite football teams. And food.

So much food.

But Tin could have listened to him talk like that, about this and that, without care, just as attentively as when he had been talking about BDSM at the club, easing Tin into their first encounter together.

"How can you be so... controlled and present at the club, and so carefree outside?"

The question visibly caught Can off guard, and Tin almost regretted asking it.

"Oh, I... I'm getting chatty when I'm excited, I'm sorry, I should have warned you. I... why don't you tell me about yourself and I stay quiet for a while?"

"No, no, that's not what I wanted to imply. I like listening to you... I'm just curious. You seem so different."

Can shrugged.

"I think that's one of the things I love about the lifestyle at the club. There are roles, rituals, methods... whenever I put these specific sets of clothes on, whenever I enter certain rooms, or step onto the catwalk, it's like switching into another gear. And while I have so much difficulties focussing outside of it – when I'm there, when I'm being Master Kirakorn, I'm just... there. Everything else doesn't matter, I'm focussed, I'm tuned in. It feels really good. But it also feels good slipping out of it again, you know... I guess that's why I don't want... why the lifestyle that Techno and Kengkla practice, for example, wouldn't be for me."