Love Between You & Me

Do Over

Kongpob glares at his partner who is drumming his fingers nervously at the steering wheel. It has been an hour since he has all but pushed Andrew in his car,demanding to drive . Following the directions GPS providing, they have reached on the outskirts of the city ,far away from human population and city noise. In the suburbs , there are only few houses and that too have a long distance between them . They are currently outside Blaze's house which looks like it has been abandoned years ago . There was not a sign of breathing human there.

"Have you gotten deaf ? I asked if we are at right place .", Kongpob vented out in frustration. The whole drive, he   tried to initiate a conversation with him but it was like he was talking to a wall. Andrew didn't uttered a single word to him ,keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. When Andrew ignored him and stepped out of the car, it was breaking point for him.

"FUCK YOU !!! Why are you being a jerk again ??" , Kongpob lashed out at him. He grabbed at Andrew's shoulder only to be pinned against the car by him. His eyes widen when he finds it hard to breath. Andrew has his hands wrapped around his throat, choking him ,increasing the pressure each second . He looks up and met with a blank stare and cold face. It is the not the person with whom he has been working for last 2 months. It seemed that Andrew was not even there.

" An..drew..le..let ..me go" , he tries to convey but in vain. In last resort to save himself ,Kongpob beats his hand against the sturdy chest to loosen the grip but the hold tightens.  Tears leaked through his eyes as he finds the dark clouding his vision. Throwbacks of his life plays in a loop, when he first met his foster parents, first day at school, his first music recital, Anurak's goofy face , meeting with P'Arthit, his heartbreak then the goodbye .

Kongpob closes his eyes as he recollects the memory of a dimpled smile ..." P...P'Ar...Arthit"

Like a trance has broken, Andrew looks around himself outside of Blaze's house and sees Kongpob coughing violently ,lying on the ground holding his throat.

Worried, he crouched to his partner who scurried away from him like a terrified prey. Andrew didn't liked the fear in Kongpob's eyes..is he...is he afraid of me???..Did I...Did I...Oh God!!! not again..

He gently lifts Kongpob despite his protests and made him sit on car's hood. Rushing inside, he pulls out the bottled water , offering it to Kongpob who looks warily at him but takes the bottle. After gulping half the bottle down,  he puts it aside and tilted his head meeting with anxious eyes.

" Better??" Kongpob nods at the question. It was the second time Andrew has tried to harm him if we count the first meeting .

" It is ..a defence mechanism . I had been in a mission with the guys but got captured alongwith Damon. Missed a bullet to head by inches and was in sleep for an entire month.", Andrew turns away from him and continues. He didn't want to see pity in Kongpob eyes.

"... It first happened with Phoenix and then Prem. I have nearly killed Bright if it was not for Damon. When consulted with doctor, they said it is a sort of my brain's way to protect me from danger ...some PTSD . I visited shrinks or in your words pshychologists to overcome it and also thankfully recovered . It is the first episode after that. I don't know what triggered it. I am really sorry Kong . I didn't want to hurt you ,please believe me." Andrew pleads .

They both were silent for few minutes. Kongpob has his hand thrown backwards, his palms flat against the car roof.

Kongpob still has his eyes still closed. He is overwhelmed after hearing his partner. He realised that he really don't know anything about the person he lives with. It is the first when Andrew has shared something personal to him. Indeed ,he also hasn't told him anything about himself but after their disastrous meeting, he was not in mood to have any chit chat . He is surprised that Phoenix and others have not told him about Andrew's condition. Even there was no mention of anything about it, in the files he has studied for their cover.