#kimlock

   chay had just come to sit down at the pool and gaze at his reflection before kim suddenly appeared at his back,   and he had to admit that before he said anything,   the youngest kittisawasd thought he might be dreaming again   -   maybe he would have rathered been dreaming.   he was silent for a while after kim spoke,   the comment feeling more like a slap to the face than the other likely intended for it to be.   physically,   he was more than okay.   he hadn’t retained hardly any injuries from the incident the other day,   and now he didn’t have to worry about anything since he lived within the walls of the theerapanyakul manor;   however,   emotionally,   he wouldn’t say he’d recovered quite yet.   he almost always had a guard or two trailing him,   but since kim was around and they were still inside,   said guards were now hanging back by the door of the gym.   slowly,   chay stood up and moved away from the edge of the pool,   now standing in front of the other.   “   you don’t get to ask me that,   ai’kim.   ”   in his rage,   he had dropped the respectful honorific he’d been using previously,   his gaze now piercing into kim’s.   “   do you know how selfish that is to ask after what you did?   ”

   a scoff escaped the elder of the pair,   his hand coming up to lightly smack the back of his youngest brother’s head   -   never hard enough to really hurt him,     but simply to remind him to use the brain he’d be given.   “   you can’t afford to be reckless like this anymore,   kimhan.   not every wound heals.   ”   kinn was rarely ever confrontational with kim,   but when the kid put himself and the family at risk,   he had to remind him that while he was allowed to do as he pleased,   he had to keep in mind that not everyone had good feelings towards their family.   “   you’re not a little kid anymore,   and this isn’t a game.   ”

   since the day of their mother’s death,   kinn hadn’t felt much of anything.   he’d been numb,   simply going through the motions because that was what he had to do.   it had been a few hours now since the funeral ceremony had come to a close after nearly two long weeks,   the scent of lotus flowers and incenses still thick in the air despite no longer being present in the home.   kinn was beginning to grow sick of the sickly sweet smell,   but he couldn’t be bothered enough right now to complain.   the room was so silent that kinn almost forgot his younger brother was sitting beside him until he spoke,   his gaze slowly shifting over to kim.   he didn’t know how to respond,   or if he even really wanted to.   seconds passed and the silence returned,   but eventually kinn sighed and wrapped his arm around kim’s shoulders.   “   i wish it wasn’t.   ”   for once,   he had no reassuring words   -   no strength to lie and hide his sorrow. 

   porchay thought he was being subtle with his attempts to flirt,   but evidently he’d been very wrong.   the youngest kittisawasd sibling allowed a bit of nervous laughter to escape him,   his head beginning to shake as if his life depended on it.   “   just you.   ”   he mumbled,   offering the other a sheepish smile.   before kim came along,   chay had never had what he could consider a real crush,   so he hadn’t had very much practice before meeting the other.   “   is it bad?   ”   his nose scrunched up for just a moment,   but the smile on his face never seemed to fade   -   he didn’t care if his flirting was bad,   as long as he got to see kim smile.

   the buzzing of his phone against his hand was initially what woke him,   the sound of kim’s voice on the other end of the line rousing him the rest of the way.   his eyes snapped open,   wide optics wandering around the room to gather his bearings.   he’d been slumped over his desk,   passed out from a long day of attempting to write yet another song.   “   i was going to,   i just,   ”   he trailed off for a moment,   “   fell asleep.   ”   he blurted out after a few moments passed,   his tone still yet to shake the exhaustion.   chay brought his hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes,   a lazy grin tugging at the corner of his mouth due to the fact that kim had cared enough about him to call.   “   was there a reason you wanted me to call?   ”

   kinn quirked a brow,   his hand coming up to rest upon his hip in an almost comical manner as he stared down his youngest sibling.   he wasn’t accustom to kim behaving in such a considerate manner,   so naturally he was immediately suspicious   -   of what he had little clue,   but he knew his brother had seemingly changed recently.   “   why do you say that?   he seemed fine earlier.   ”   kinn offered a response,   but truthfully he hadn’t been paying very much attention to big as of late since porsche’s arrival.   then after his injury,   he’d been reassigned to watch over kim,   so he wouldn’t be surprised if he missed something.

   porchay had gotten a bit too excited over an advertisement that he’d spotted on an overhead billboard,   nearly tripping over his own feet and falling smack dab on his face in the middle of the street.   he very well would have done that,   too   -   had it not been for the hand now gripping the back of his collar.   his face would immediately flush,   now scrambling to fix his posture.   his gaze fixated on his own feet,   the stupidest little grin on his face over the very brief contact.   “   sorry,   i wasn’t paying attention.   thank you for not letting me fall.   ”   because that would have been infinitely more embarrassing. 

   as soon as kim spoke,   porchay pulled his attention away from the broken tune he was strumming.   with furrowed brows,   he placed the guitar down beside him,   carefully leaning it against the bench he was sitting on.   "   i promise to try my best,   ”   he nodded his head once,   though his body was already betraying his words.   whether it be his nerves over what kim might have to say,   or simply general excitement from being in his presence,   porchay had already started bouncing his knees with anticipation.   “   you can tell me now.   i’m ready.   ”