Toxic [2gether]

Part 30

"Who are you?" Tine rasped, blinking owlishly, his gaze shifting over Sarawat's shoulder and then back to his boyfriend with an inquiry evident in his eyes. Sarawat blinked, alarms going off inside his head and making his hands tremble at his sides. Tine was probably just confused. Right?

"Oh, hi!" A female voice chirped behind Sarawat loudly, making him jerk in surprise and come out of his internal freak out. He had been so focused on Tine that he had not been aware of any other people around him. "I'm Yihwa," the woman continued loudly and tried to push past Sarawat into the room, using Tine's addressing of her presence as an invitation. Tine's eyes only grew rounder, mutedly observing the woman, pale hands fidgeting with the blanket on his lap.

Sarawat turned his head sharply, jaw clenched and glared menacingly at Yihwa. He braced a hand on the doorframe, efficiently cutting off her path further into the room. She pouted her full lips at him, lip gloss shining in the sterile lights of the hospital.

"What are you doing here?" He spat, recognizing Yihwa vaguely as one of the reporters to interview him. "This is a private room, please respect the rules," he reprimanded and pushed one hand against her slim shoulder to make the female reporter turn around and hopefully leave.

"I can help," she said hastily, staggering on high heels against Sarawat's shove, fighting against the push stubbornly. "I have everything recorded."

Sarawat furrowed at her, lips twisting sourly while his large eyes searched her face for signs of untruth. Some of these people would do anything to get an exclusive story. It was already suspicious that she had found her way to the hospital. Was she stalking Tine?

A muted sound caught his attention and Sarawat glanced at Tine. He was hunched over and clutching at the bandages around his head with trembling hands, eyes squeezed shut. Sarawat repressed the urge to rush over to his side, choosing to deal with the annoying reporter first. Yihwa was trying to peer curiously over his wide shoulder as well but Sarawat shielded his boyfriend away from her prying reporter eyes.

"Give me your business card," he ordered, thrusting a hand out, not leaving his boyfriend out of his line of sight. Tine was sitting all curled up, his chest heaving with measured breaths. "I'll contact you later," Sarawat added to hurry her the fuck up. Yihwa hummed, a furrow marring her forehead in doubt but there was no way around the finality ringing in Sarawat's voice. She rummaged in her Prada bag and brandished a sleek card. Sarawat snatched it and pushed her outside, closing the door in her face, all in one swift movement.

"You must call! It's an oral agreement," her muted voice rang out from the other side but it fell on deaf ears. The instant the door was closed, Sarawat pivoted on his heels and hurried over to Tine's bedside. His hands hovered around the hunched man, not knowing what to do or how to make it better. Sarawat's pulse quickened at seeing Tine so helpless, his usually pink lips now pale. Shit. It would have been easier if Sarawat had been injured instead. It was more aching to see a loved one in pain than to bear it all himself.

"Tine?" Sarawat inquired urgently, trying to get the other man's attention. "Tine, should I call for a doctor?"

The fair skinned man only shook his head minimally and turned his face slightly to the side, cheeks squished between his pale hands and peered at the other man through dark lashes.

"It'll be over soon, it comes and goes a little," he rasped while rubbing his temples, one clammy hand dropping back to the blanket and Sarawat clutched at it instantly, enveloping it in his warmth. "Thanks for getting her out, loud sounds are messing with my head right now."

Sarawat hesitantly put his other hand on Tine's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. Shit. He wanted to hug Tine, latch on to him for dear life and keep him close for an eternity but Sarawat did not dare to jostle him, not knowing the extent of his injury. Besides, Tine looked so unexpectedly fragile despite his wide frame that Sarawat suddenly did not know how to act around him.