hooked | brightwin

four

bright is wrong. or at least that's what he'd like to think. it's been three days and in those days win has never tried to talk to him even if bright insists. it's either win always ends the call by saying "i'm busy" or "i have lots to do" or the worst, he doesn't answer at all. that's why today, he goes to win's house which is just adjacent to his. 

he presses the door bell four times, and stops when he sees win's mother smiling at him. bright has always been fond of win's mother because when his parents aren't at home she always asks him to spend the night with them or play with win when they were kids. time has passed, and every time he goes to win's house it feels like it's his own home too. 

"sawasdee khap, auntie. is win here?" bright asks after pressing his palms together and bowing. he steps backward so she can open the gate. 

when he steps inside, his eyes immediately sets on win's windows which hasn't been opened since yesterday and that's unusual for win who tends to open the curtains every morning to greet the sunlight. bright thinks it's cute how win does that every day. that's why when he didn't get to see his windows opens from his own room, bright felt anxious. 

"hello, bright! he's in his room. how's your internship going?" 

"it's really tiring, auntie. but ma and pa always tell me i have to endure or else i won't graduate."

she guides him toward the door, and the wafting smell of omelette and rice greets him. 

"that's pretty typical for your parents. they've always been like that. anyway, win's upstairs. i'll go call you later when i'm done. we'll have breakfast together."

bright nods before heading toward win's room. he opens the door and win is lying on his bed wearing his headphones with the ipad on his lap. 

"hey," bright says but win is too focused on what he's watching that he couldn't hear him. bright walks beside win's bed and just when he leans to see what win has been doing he sees the ipad billow in the air, landing on the floor. he sure hopes the ipad's fine. 

"hey, why are you here?" win asks, his voice breathy and shaky. bright arches his brow, feeling this weird aura all over his best friend.

"what have you been up to these days that i can't even call you?"

win gets off the bed to reach for his ipad which fortunately didn't suffer much. 

"just...things. yeah, i've been busy with things lately."

"something's stressing you out."

"what? no, nothing's stressing me out."

bright chuckles, "stupid. i was stating a fact, not asking you."

"oh, thought you were asking."

bright sighs, completely bothered by win's actions.

"sit here," bright taps the floor using his foot. at first, win doesn't do anything but immediately follows when he figures out that he can't keep brushing him off.

"what're you going to do?"

bright doesn't reply. instead he sits on the bed and places his hands on win's head before massaging it. win couldn't say anything. if only bright's hands aren't that good at this, he would have complained.

"i should have brought some oil," brights mumbles under his breath. 

win gets choked by his own saliva, and coughs. he's starting to hate his own thoughts. just when he starts feeling better, he feels bright's hands rubbing his nape. sensitivity rushes over him and he tries to scoot away, but bright is fast. he cages him using his feet, and now win's waist is trapped between bright's legs.  

"why are you avoiding me?" bright places his chin on top of win's head and whispers before hugging him. 

"what's with you being so touchy?" win asks back, his heart beating so fast. he can feel bright's fingers playing with his hair.

"what's with you answering my question with another question?" bright stops playing with win's hair and leans back without letting go of him.

"just answer me." 

bright bunches strands of his hair out of frustration, "fine. because i've always been touchy, win. ever since. how come you've only asked that now?"

win bites his lower lip and starts tapping the floor using his feet. 

"because i haven't realized it until now," he says, giving an answer to what he's been thinking the past days.