Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The ground was hard and cold and Chay was beginning to shiver. He wanted to move to a spot in the room that might have some shelter from the almost insistent dripping of the pipe above him. At this point it had already soaked through his jacket and was working it’s way through his t-shirt. His arms were handcuffed behind his back though, and tied to the pole behind him, so movement was very limited. It didn’t help that as soon as he tried to squirm away from either the pipe above or the cold air coming from the obviously unmaintained building, that one of the other men in the room would turn to glare at him, threatening knock him out again if he tried anything. Chay didn’t know if he had been sat here, in this half darkness for hours or days, he couldn’t recall.

All he could remember was walking aimlessly around the streets of Bangkok as he had been for the past few weeks, his mind full of his new reality, and not able to make sense of any of it. Of the fact that his mother was still alive…...of the fact that his Hia had in fact been working for the mafia all this time, had fallen in love with Kinn, a mafia heir, had placed himself in so much danger on a daily basis……...and yet had lied to him about all of it……..had treated Chay like a child! No even worse that, had treated Chay like he wasn’t worth telling, almost as if in Porsche’s new world, Chay didn’t warrant a place.

Then their was Kim……….or should he say Kimhan Theerapanyakul! What the hell was he supposed to do with that information? First Kim was WIK, his idol, then he was just a normal guy he had fallen in love with, albeit a hot one with communication issues, and then he had turned out to be a mafia prince! Not only that, but Kim seemed determined to send Chay insane……..first with lying to him about who he was, then coldly rejecting outside his apartment, then looking almost manic with anger as he followed Chay to the club to stop him taking drugs before walking off and not explaining anything at all, and finally that damn song!

That song that Kim had put out on his official WIK page 3 weeks ago and dedicated to Chay, in what could only be a declaration of love.

Chay had snapped that day. He had had enough of the mafia and their stupid games, had enough of his Hia and his lies., had enough of being told to love the mother he couldn’t remember and clearly didn’t remember him! He wanted his old life back…….as shitty as it was, it was still better than this. He had begun idly wondering the streets all day, just to get out the house, away from everything. Making Porsche angrier and angrier each time he managed to duck into some alleyway or shop and shake off the bodyguard his brother had been determined to send with him.

Well Chay had been just as determined that he wanted to spend some time alone……...to think about what the hell had happened to his life!

That’s what had happened a few hours before he was captured. He had shaken off his bodyguard that day and spent a few blissful hours wondering around the streets and shops in the knowledge and no one knew or cared who he was. It was just like old times and he felt like he could breathe. Then, when he was walking around a corner from one shop to the next, he had felt something on the back of his neck……...and the world had gone black.

He had woken up here…….wherever here was…...an unknown amount of time ago. His phone and wallet gone, and tied to the same pole he was now. No one was telling him anything, all he knew was from the bits he managed to overhear from their conversations, that was that they were using him as bait to get someone else……….someone they had been trying to capture for a very long time.

As time ticked by Chay became more and more uncomfortable, feeling the need to shift his legs and move his hands, gaining him both the attention and annoyance of one of the men in the room. He flinched as the large man moved over to him, kicking him in the side and warning him to stop. The first time Chay was able to, but the uncomfortable feeling was soon back and couldn’t prevent himself moving again. The man had just gotten up from the small table he had been sat on, his figure almost looming over Chay’s shivering form, when a voice arrived from the doorway.

‘Leave the boy alone……………..he’s here!’

The large man huffed out an unsatisfied noise but turned away from Chay, moving instead to stand by his side. Chay didn’t miss the threatening stance, or the gun at the man’s hip. Chay wished with all his might that his Hia wouldn’t walk through that door…….at least not alone. For the first time since he had known about the mafia works he was glad that Porsche was in it. Porsche would have the backing of many well trained guards to help him, and for once in his life he wouldn’t have to face these kidnappers on his own and risk getting hurt. That knowledge didn’t mean that his heart wasn’t hammering inside his chest, trying to escape, that his throat wasn’t suddenly parched at the thought of his only brother walking into something which was so obviously a trap. Chay tried to wiggle again but the large man placed his heavy hand on his shoulder, pinning him in place.

The door opened, and two figures appeared. Chay could only see the outlines from where he was sat but none of them seemed the right size or shape to be his Hia, and he let out the breath he didn’t realise he had been holding. Porsche was still safe, ok he was still stuck here, but Porsche was safe and that’s what mattered.

‘Jacket!’ the same voice which had prevented the large man from kicking him, instructed someone.

There was a shuffling sound and then………

‘I will want that back!’

The voice sounded so laid back……...so relaxed……...so, so…...Chay’s breathing stopped! He knew that voice, would know that voice from anywhere. He would know it when it was saying loving words or cold harsh ones…………...but what the hell was HE doing here?

‘K….Kim!’ Chay stuttered, sure he had finally passed out from the cold or was having hallucinations.

‘It’s me Chay. Everything is gonna be alright I promise!’ Came Kim’s voice from one of the outlines.

Chay started struggling again……..panic filling him……….Kim shouldn't be here. If Kim was the one they had always wanted to capture then why was he here?………..he needed to run……...he needed to get away…….Chay knew enough about the man to know he was perfectly capable of that……...why was he here?

His mind was swimming.

The large man who stood guard by Chay’s side lifted his hand as if to smack him round the head, or maybe kick him again, anything to stop the struggling boy moving. Only to find his wrist caught in a vice like grip and a pair of eyes staring into his own which promised a painful death that would make the lord of hell himself proud, if he moved so much as a muscle.

‘Don’t touch him!’ Kim warned, the relaxed young man from moments before completely replaced by a deadly apex predator…….a Theerapanyakal heir on the warpath!

The man lowered his eyes, and automatic response to someone whose aura was that dangerous. The man those had been giving instructions up until then though spoke up.

‘Really Toh……..I told you to watch the boy, not touch him. Get back over there, you useless shit. Dino, you watch the kid instead.’

Kim backed off as the tall man, Toh, moved away and another man took his place by Chay’s side. Chay could feel the rising panic again as he looked up at Kim’s harsh, cold face……….wanting to know what was going on and why the other man was there. Kim crouched down, seemingly uncaring of what and who was around them, touching Chay’s cheek with a finger to give the younger man some much needed reassurance.

‘They won’t touch you I promise…...and I will explain everything later. But for now I need you to be good and stay quiet ok?’ Kim asked, the soft, coaxing tone returning to his voice.

Chay nodded, uncertain what else to do.

With that, Kim stood back up and leisurely walked back over to the smaller man who seemed to be in charge. Holding his hands out to the sides, Kim stood there, unmoving as the other man ran his hands over his body, presumably to check for weapons, phones and other devices. As soon as he was happy Kim was bug, phone and weapon free the man in charge went to open his mouth, only for Kim to interrupt with a voice full of command, as if he was the person truly in charge of the situation.

‘We don’t go anywhere until he gets a change of clothes……..’ Kim instructed pointing at Chay. ‘Those are soaked through and you don’t want him dying from a chill do you? Also I want my jacket back!’

The three men in the room looked at each other, almost as if wondering if Kim had some kind of mental problem which prevented him from understanding he wasn’t in charge. Chay felt the overwhelming urge to giggle at the stupidity of the situation. Yes Kim did have a problem which meant he always thought he was in charge….but from Chay had seen, all the men in Kim’s family had it as well so it was obviously a genetic defect! Eventually deciding it was easier to go along with Kim’s demands than fight him, the man in charge of the small group sent someone scurrying off while the grumpy large man tossed Kim his jacket with a growl. Kim, being Kim, simply answered that growl with a smug smirk.

A few moments later the man returned with both arms full of clothes. Chay couldn’t help smiling about the fact he might now soon be warm, but Kim stopped the man from going any further by lifting each item of clothing off the pile, shaking it out and sniffing it before either draping it over his arm or tossing on the floor. The smaller man in charge was looking at Kim with a mix of annoyance and awe at the natural aura of command coming of him……..but eventually managed to find his voice and say.

‘Ok everyone else out the room while young Master Kimhan changes his boys clothes……...I don’t want to waste any more time. Dino you stay here and watch they don’t try and escape. And you……..’ he pointed at Kim. ‘………..you get two minutes’

With that the man walked out the room, followed by the other two, closing the door behind him. Kim simply stared at the man now known as Dino for a few seconds until he tossed Kim a set of keys and turned around, giving the two a sense of privacy. Kim wasted no time in crouching down again and uncuffing Chay, who was staring up at him as if he was seeing an alien.

‘Kim…...I’ Chay started stammering as he rubbed his wrists.

‘I know we need to talk…...but not now……….get changed……..’ Kim instructed standing and turning his back politely for Chay to change in peace. As Chay stood, wobbly at first but thankfully finding enough strength in his legs to peel off his t-shirt and jeans pretty quickly, feeling a sense of relief when the cold, wet material left his body, Kim carried on talking. ‘……..what you need to know right now Chay is that this group is run by a guy we only know as Black, he runs the largest underworld fighting group in Thailand. Not the type of fighting your brother was part of either, Black’s is famous for having no rules and making him massive profits. But my family has been trying to put him out of business for years, forcing him to begin moving around. It seems Black believes that having a Theerpanyakul in his arena will help the dwindling interest, I guess we will soon see about that.’

‘They took me to corner you into coming?’ Chay asked quietly.

Kim turned around, just in time to see Chay sliding the dry t-shirt over his head and covering that beautiful body Kim had been  having wet dreams about the past few months. He took a deep breath and walked towards Chay, unsure of the others feelings but knowing full well what his own were. It seems putting that song out had been a stupid thing to do. Not only had it not bought Chay back to him but it had given his enemies a guide right to Chay’s door.

‘That’s right’ Kim said with certainty he didn't feel, as Chay looked up at him confused. ‘And right now I don’t give a shit what I have to do to keep you safe and alive!’

Chay opened his mouth to say something, but before he could the door opened and the leader stepped in.

‘Ok times up…….this way Lord Therrapanykaul!’ he sneered.

Kim grabbed hold of Chay’s wrist, refusing to let go even more a moment as the two men were blindfolded and led out into the unknown. Kim made sure he kept hold of Chay’s wrist even as the two were roughly shoved into the back of some kind of truck or large van. If these guys thought that he was letting go then they were sadly mistaken, and if they thought that something as simple as a blindfold would disorient him then they were even dumber than they looked. Chay on the other hand was nearly bumping into him, tripping over his own feet, as he got shoved by their captors, and it took every ounce of self restraint Kim had not to snarl at the idiots. Kim had been too careless, he had thought that distancing himself from Chay would protect the younger man. Would allow him to go on and live his life after a period of adjustment, but it hadn’t turned out that way. Not only had Chay seemed incapable of moving forward but Kim himself had been incapable of making the adjustment, constantly asking for updates on his boy, even to the point of almost stalking him in person. Even without the song he had plastered out there for the world to see, someone would have picked up on his interest in Chay sooner or later. Well if they had come to the conclusion that Chay was his weakness, Kim was determined to dissuade them of that notion very quickly. Chay had been the one person who actually made him feel like a person, like he was needed, trusted, and not just an object to be used and then dis-guarded at will. Soon they would learn that far from being Kim’s weakness, Chay had actually become his strength, giving him something to fight for for the first time in many years.

The rumble of the motors started up and Kim kept a firm grip on Chay with one hand, while moving the other to try and soothe the trembling younger man. Chay wasn’t saying anything, but Kim could hear his laboured breathing. Telling Chay to calm down right now wouldn’t accomplish anything, so he simply moved his hand upwards until he found Chay’s hair, then ruffled his fingers through it in that way he had seen Porsche do in the photos he noticed back in their house. The effect seemed miraculous as Chay’s breathing settled, his head titling to the side where it rested on Kim’s shoulder.

Kim blinked steadily in the darkness of the hood. He just hoped that his message to Kinn had gotten though and that help wasn’t too far away. The idiots had said not to tell anyone he was coming, they hadn’t said anything about saying where Chay was and who he was with. If the morons wanted to play with the First Family then they needed to close the gaping holes in their demands. These guys were bastards, and thought nothing of using the Therrapanykul name for their own devices. If Kim was right then this ‘Black’ would move them to a place where he would use Chay to make him fight as soon as possible. He didn’t really care about that, he had lost all desire to do anything the day he had pushed Chay away, but now at least he had a purpose again. Kim’s job was to keep Chay safe. Kinn’s job was to find Kim’s message and come find them before Kim lost a fight and Chay was left unprotected.

Chay had finally began to calm his breathing when the hood was pulled off his head, making him blink at the light of the single lightbulb overhead. He didn’t even have time to get his eyes to adjust though before he felt himself being pulled, almost tripping on the uneven stones under his feet as he tried to keep up with the man dragging him by the arms. Kim! Where was Kim? Chay hadn’t realised he was actually shouting Kim’s name until the man shoved him up against what could only be a stone surface by the way bits where digging in his back. The hallways, or whatever they were in was still only lit by the occasional single bulb, but that suited Chay just fine, as after an unknown time in the dark room, then an unknown time with a black hood on, his eyes were taking time to adjust.

‘You want your cocky lord, then I suggest you shut your mouth and come with me!’ The man instructed, making Chay almost want to gag at the man’s bad breath.

He had thought that it was a movie thing, giving villains shitty hygiene practices, well apparently not, at least when it came down to this man anyway.

Nodding his head, not daring to open his mouth just in case he did throw up, Chay felt himself once again dragged down the hallway. Bright lights at one end nearly blinded him and his eyes screwed themselves closed in self protection for a few seconds before he could slowly reopen them. Before him was a metal fence, too high for him to see the top from this angle. All he could see the other side though was a large expanse of space, a few strange poles, some weapons racks and a whole load of shitty seating. This place looked like a dump. The seats where full of people though, all talking to each other in various volumes and pointing to the central space. Chay had no idea what was going on. Then, the man who had been in charge during his kidnapping and Kim’s arrival stepped into view. He was dressed very differently though, gone were the jeans and shirt, now he wore an overly flamboyant suit which looked like something he could have raided directly from Khun’s wardrobe. The man stood directly in the centre of the space, a smile on his face as he addressed the crowd.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen. I apologise for the delay in bringing you tonight's entertainment, but I promise you will all forgive me when you find out what we have in store for you. Not only do we have our reigning champion here to perform for you……….10 fights he has won! But also we have someone special……..someone most of you would have heard of……..the youngest son of the bastard of Bangkok, who thinks his money means he can lord it over us all without karma catching up with him. Well karma has, at least in this arena! We have for you today the youngest Therrapankul brother………..Kimhan himself! Lets see how long he lasts in this arena with no bodyguards to protect him shall we?’

There was a huge roar of appreciation, agreement and even some laughter at the man’s words. Chay just shook. He had known Kim had enemies, that all of his family did. But he hadn’t realised that so many people in the underworld they claimed to rule hated them quite so much. There was a large clang to one side and Chay found himself looking over, the almost suffocating feeling of the guard close behind him still very much there. A large, muscled man, wearing only a pair of half shredded jeans and bad attitude, walked out into the space next to the announcer. The crowd erupted, cries of encouragement coming from nearly all directions. Then from the other end of the space Kim emerged, he was the opposite of the man who had just appeared. Kim walked with the cocky assurance of someone who knew they could win, even stopping to take off and fold his jacket at one side of the entrance before moving father in. The crowds reaction was instantaneous, changing from cheers to jeers and from encouragement to cackles about how Kim was going to get his ass kicked. Chay closed his eyes for a second, unbelieving in what was happening in-front of him.

‘Kim’ Chay shouted, causing Kim to turn slightly and give him one of those self assured, cocky smiles, Chay really wished he could thump him for.

‘Be careful’ Chay whispered under his breath, almost as a prayer.

The man behind him though must have heard, pulling Chay’s head upwards, forcing him to look out the mesh and into the area beyond.

‘You best hope your little lord is as good a fighter as they say he is…...Rock isn’t known for going lightly on boys when he’s wound up!’ The man almost hissed in his ear.

Chay stood shocked for a second, eventually managing to turn his head enough to look the other man in the eye. The man must have seen his confusion, as he dropped Chay’s head and began laughing for a moment, causing Chay to contemplate running. But he had no idea where to go, and Kim was the other side of a huge fence, Chay wasn’t going anywhere without Kim.

‘You really don’t know do you?’ The man asked once he had gotten control of himself and was staring at Chay once again. ‘Your little lord didn’t tell you. Fine, I will. Black’s fights are all to the death, so if your guy doesn’t win, he dies, and if he dies then out champion Rock over there gets to have his fun tonight. As Black will have no need of you if the Therrpanyakul shit dies then…………’ The unsaid threat was left to hang in the open and Chay felt sick. After a moment the man spoke up again……. ‘Just hope he wins!’

‘He will!’ Chay replied, not quite sure where the certainty came from.

Inside the space, the fight had already begun and Chay no longer needed anyone’s hand gripping his hair to make him watch, he couldn’t tear his head away. The other fighter…….Rock…..was much larger than Kim, but Kim was obviously more skilled at had the advantage of manoeuvrability. It also became obvious what the strange poles where for and why there was no fence keeping the fighters in a set space, the first time Kim sent Rock flying and he howled in pain as he touched what was obviously a laser barrier. In the end though the fight only lasted about 5 minutes before Kim had his opponent unconscious on the ground. The crowd where booing, obviously upset at having their favourite fighter defeated. Kim stood, his breathing heavy but otherwise looking unharmed.

‘Only one leaves the ring alive!’……..the announcer reminded him with a sneer. ‘…...but you're a Theerpanyakul so you should be used to killing right? It shouldn't be a problem for you!’

Chay wanted to scream, but instead found himself locking eyes with the older man. The message was clear, and Chay closed his eyes, pulling his hands from where his guard was holding them to lock them over his ears.

Chay heard and saw nothing! But he wasn’t sure how he felt about being so protected even in such a place as this. Kim was killing to keep him safe, and yet he couldn’t even bring himself to look. A hand grabbed his, pulling it off his ear and making his eyes snap open in reaction. The guard stood looking at him, his eyes filled for a moment with the same sympathy you would have for a child who was scared of the dark, then they shuttered over once more.

‘It seems your lord was lucky today………..come on’ The man muttered, before once again dragging Chay down the hallway, this time away from the makeshift arena.

He stumbled and nearly fell over when the guard pushed him into a small room, banging the door closed behind him before he could stagger to his feet. Chay looked around. The room was tiny, barely big enough for him to take 5 steps in either direction. It had no windows, just one of those bare lightbulbs indented in the high ceiling providing the pitiful amount of light available. There was nothing on the floor, not even a rug to protect him from the cold of the concrete so he just stood there, wrapping his arms around himself and trying not to think about what had just happened, what he had just seen…...and more importantly what he hadn’t!

The door creaked open again causing Chay to whip his head around and back into the heavily shadowed corner of the small room. Kim walked in, his long strides making him look as if he was walking into a royal reception hall rather than a tiny, dark and dingy cell. The door clanked closed again and Chay almost leapt into Kim’s arms, filled with relief and thanking any gods out there that Kim was in front of him. Kim must have seen Chay hiding because he showed no surprise in the flying boy coming towards him, catching Chay easily and with a smile. Chay wrapped his arms around Kim’s neck, burying his face in the small space between the collar of his jacket and his skin, while Kim wrapped his arms around Chay’s waist pulling the younger man close.

‘You scared me!’ Chay mumbled into Kim’s neck.

‘I promised to keep you safe didn’t I?’ Kim said with a smile.

Chay forced himself to lean back slightly, just far enough so he could see Kim properly.

‘They told me you might die…...that you had to kill someone……….that if you didn’t kill that guy then he would……..he would…….’

‘Shhh kitten’ Kim soothed, removing one hand from Chay’s waist in order to run his fingers through Chay’s hair. ‘I’m still here……….they don’t have anyone who can kill me, I promise you.’

‘You can’t say that!’ Chay grumbled, trying to look into Kim’s eyes in the dim light.

‘I can promise you that I will keep you safe long enough to get you out of here Chay!’ Kim said, both of them hearing the seriousness of the pledge hanging between them.

‘I don’t want that if it means you killing yourself!’ Chay almost shouted, pushing away from Kim, who either allowed him to go, or was astonished at his outburst, and sagged against the wall before slowly falling to the floor. ‘Even after everything…….after all you said…...I would never want you to die!’ Chay muttered to the ground, feeling the tears starting to well up in his eyes.

Kim’s arms were back around him, the older man crouched down in front of him, that shadowed outline somehow being strong and gentle all at the same time.

‘Chay!’ came Kim’s soft voice. ‘I’m not doing this to try and gain your forgiveness…….I don’t deserve it. I just want you to be safe. If you are safe then that’s enough for me. Please Chay, let me prove that I can keep at least one promise to you in my life!’

‘Kim!’ Chay said…...the tears slipping from his eyes freely now, his lips trembling as he spoke.

Kim’s silhouette dropped down on the floor next to Chay, pulling the younger man close to him. Chay sniffled continued sniffling into Kim’s jacket as the other manoeuvred them both in the small room so that Chay’s head rested on his shoulder. Luckily Kim had chosen a thick jumper for Chay from the pile bought in by man in the room hours earlier, so Chay wasn’t too cold under Kim’s hands. The younger man was simply over-whelmed by all that had gone on since he had been taken. Helped by the heat of Kim’s shoulder and the reassurance provided by having someone he knew around him, Chay’s breath steadily slowed enough to let Kim know the younger was at last asleep. He didn’t know how long they would have until they were moved again, so Chay getting some rest now would be good for him in what would be possibly days of uncertainty ahead. Kim just stared into the darkness of the room……..if he had never been determined to do anything else in his pathetic life, he was determined to protect Chay from these people, even if that meant he didn’t walk away this time.

He owed Chay that much.

Chapter Text

To say the day had been hard was a serious understatement. Normal days were hard........ days where he was dealing with Triads wanting to kill him, brothers trying to bully him into watching tv shows for the 70^th time, various different gangs not getting along and it somehow becoming his responsibility to solve the issue……...those where things which made a day hard!

No, today had been nearly impossible!

Kinn had spent the last 7 hours jumping backwards and forwards between needing to be a sensible brother, a loving and supportive boyfriend and the unyielding leader of the family. He was seriously getting whiplash from the speed of the changes he needed to perform. It had come to their attention early that morning that late the previous evening, Chay had once again managed to slip the bodyguard which had been placed on him. This wasn’t new, Chay was turning out to be much like Kim, and not in a good way! When the boy didn’t want anyone watching him, he had many different ways of dropping his bodyguards. Unfortunately, unlike Kim, Chay had no self-defence skills or knowledge of the underworld, and those two things would make him an easy target for anyone wanting to get to Porsche, and through Porsche to Kinn! Making Chay see that hadn’t been easy though, all the teenager had seen was his whole life being uprooted by the same kind of people who had always made it miserable in the past, and his only relation in his brother, lying to him for months. Although Kinn could see how Chay could feel betrayed and upset, that didn’t help the issue of security, certainly not when the boy seemed determined not to have any.

They had all gotten into a semi routine with Chay though over the past few weeks of this happening. The teenager would find a way to drop his bodyguard, go off the radar for a few hours and then either contact Porsche or simply turn up back at home with no explanation of where he had been. Anytime Porsche, or anyone else tried either to control Chay or make him see sense, had simply been met with more resistance and Porsche had reluctantly agreed that nothing could be achieved until Chay had been given time to process everything. Last night though, Chay had not followed his normal pattern and returned home, neither had he appeared this morning. Porsche had been happily wrapped around Kinn in their bed when Arm had knocked on the door to give them the bad news. Porsche had almost immediately panicked, sending the whole household to defcon 1, as they ran around the city looking for the missing teen. Kinn had been busy trying to not only control the chaos so that it became a more organised approach with more potential for success, but had also had the stressful job of trying to prevent Porsche himself from running out into the city with no clue of where he was going. With two nearly impossible jobs already filling his day, it had turned even more insane with the arrival of Khun, who had somehow gained word of Chay’s disappearance.

After 7 hours of fruitless searching, Kinn had finally managed to get Porsche to rest, promising he would tell his partner as soon as any news came, and to send Khun to his own rooms with the same promises in place. Kinn could only basically flop into his leather couch bonelessly, as he glanced over to the bedroom door where he hoped Porsche slept, and sipped his drink. They had to find Chay somehow, it would destroy his boyfriend if they didn’t. Finally deciding to flip on his phone, he winced at the number of missed calls and messages he had received while being MIA for just one day. Kinn knew that his bodyguard’s would have let him know if any calls had come in which where vitally important, but other than that he had ordered that he not be disturbed. Most of the messages where from acquaintances he had no wish to speak to right now, and would be easily dealt with in future, so they were quickly deleted.

Then his thumb paused on a message which had come in around 5 hours ago.

A message from Kim.

Kim never sent messages. If he had anything he needed to speak about he would either call directly or leave a message with one of Kinn’s staff that he would drop by. A text message was far too easily missed in the chaos of communication that was Kinn’s life. Confused as to what the message could contain, Kim clicked it open, only to come face to face with a group of nonsensical numbers.

He was far too tired for any nonsense Kim was sending, and momentarily wondered if his youngest brother had been drunk when sending the message. Just before he clicked the message closed though, Kinn noticed a group of 3 numbers on their own at the bottom of the message and paused. A memory struggled to the surface, a memory of Kim as an 8-year-old. Kim had come up with his own code in order to communicate with his brothers, one he only ever explained to Kinn and Khun, refusing to even explain to their father or the most trusted bodyguards. Korn had shrugged it off as playfulness on the part of his youngest son, but even back then Kinn could tell his father was very unhappy at his sons having an avenue of communication that he couldn’t understand. More than that though……..Korn and his code breakers had never been able to work out the code Kim used to speak with his brothers and Kinn could tell this made his father wary of his youngest son. Over the years, as Kim distanced himself from the family almost completely, the code had become forgotten.

Or had it?

Kinn wracked his brain, trying to remember how the code had worked back then. Only managing to remember parts of it. Eventually giving up, he pulled on a robe and slippers and made his way up to Khun’s floor, hoping his elder brother would still be awake. Unsurprisingly he was, and even less surprisingly, upon knowing the reason for Kinn’s visit, Khun became extremely serious. When it came to his brothers safety Khun was one of the most serious people Kinn knew, and if Kim was using a decade old code to communicate in then there was only one reason……….he had no other choice!

It turned out Khun remembered much more of the code than Kinn himself did, and between them they managed to decipher the text in the message. The two looked at each other for a few fleeting seconds, before almost simultaneously bolting for the door and down to Kinn’s suite, followed by 3 very confused bodyguards. Unable to shake off his brother, Kinn didn’t manage to shut the door before Khun barrelled in behind him, both of them panting with the exertion of racing around the compound like madmen in the middle of the night. Instead Kinn whirled on his brother the exasperation plain in both his look and tone.

‘Khun thanks for your help, but I need to let Porsche know what we just found!’

‘I’m not stopping you!’ Khun responded in an overly reasonable tone…… ‘I’m just waiting to see if he tries to strangle you, shoot you, or stab you when he finds out you have been sat on the answer for the past 5 hours!’

Khun shot Kinn a wicked smile and for a moment Kinn felt like shooting his brother himself.

‘Khun please……….let me tell him and……..’

‘Tell me what?’ Porsche’s voice interrupted the pair as it echoed through the room.

Kinn stilled, and Khun looked from his brother to his brother-in-law with ill-concealed glee, like he would soon be watching a play. Porsche was still wearing his trousers but had slipped out of his shirt in order to rest, but the stress bags under his eyes and mess which had become of his hair showed he had been mildly successful at best. 

‘Well?’ Porsche asked, stepping further into the room, his dark eyes fixed on both brothers. The tiredness of his features did nothing to make Kinn feel any less stupid about himself.

‘We think we found Chay……..or at least where he was this morning!’ Kinn said as clearly as he could, not wanting to see that disappointment in his partners eyes when he found out the truth.

Porsche’s eyes shone bright with hope for a moment, before dulling again as Kinn’s word settled in.

‘Where he was this morning? What do you mean?’ Porsche asked, his voice heavy with expectation.

Kinn sighed but decided the best way of getting past the next part of the conversation was just to be as honest as possible, and hoping Porsche would forgive his oversight.

‘Kim sent me a message earlier, but I had my phone on silent and didn’t check them until you had just gone to bed. The message was using an old code the three of us used when we were kids so I knew it contained something important………..’ Kinn handed his phone over to Porsche who just stared at it blankly for a second before looking once again at Kinn, those eyes now far too assessing for comfort. ‘The message says ‘Chay captured, Black, me called, co-ordinates below’’ Kinn explained.

Porsche’s face went white.

‘You mean we have had the answer all day? We could have gone after Chay hours ago but instead we have been chasing our asses for nothing? And what the hell does 'Black' mean?’ He nearly shouted.

‘Calm down Porsche…….’ Kinn tried to speak soothingly, seeing how upset his partner had become. ‘At least we know he isn’t alone; Kim is with him and Kim will protect him, I promise you.’

‘And why the hell is your brother with Chay in the first place Kinn?…….’ Porsche did shout this time, obviously a hairs breath from finally exploding from the stress. ‘Why did these kidnappers call him and not me? What else are you not telling me?’

‘Ohh come on, surely neither of you are so stupid or blind that you haven’t noticed how my little brothers stony heart has begun to beat since little Chay has come into the picture……’ Khun piped up from where he had been lounging on the sofa watching the show ‘…..that ice cold face of his even cracks a smile once in a while. Aww it’s sooo romantic…………the frozen ice prince who is allergic to any kind of human touch, gets completely enamoured with the pretty maiden and soon his head is full of nothing but thoughts of him………..so much so, that as soon as his maiden is in any kind of distress, our ice prince throws on his badly styled leather jacket,  jumps on his overpriced motor bike, and races off to slay the metaphorical dragon………it’s a fairy-tale romance, we just haven't the happily ever after yet……..and I want those two to have a happily ever after do you hear me!’ Khun pointed to both Kinn and Porsche accusingly as he stood and started wondering out of the room, once again lost in his own little world…….’Ohh what about the babies, a happily ever after always has babies, a boy and a girl who are the…….’  Gladly the door shut on Khun’s little speech and both men took a deep breath.

Kinn looked at his partner who looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to be astonished or murderous.

‘You!’ Porsche pointed his own accusing finger at Kinn, who sensibly didn’t react. ‘First we find my brother……..and then we talk!’

Kinn nodded dumbly as Porsche charged back into the bedroom to collect his shirt, and Kinn had a feeling that Kim’s behaviour doubled with what state Chay was when they found him would have a direct impact on what kind of ‘talk’ wanted to have with him.

Chay felt hands on the side of his face, but he wasn’t ready to wake up yet. The dream he was having was too good, and he didn’t want to wake back up into the shit his life had become. In the dream he had been captured by a gang, and it was Kim of all people who had come to save him. Kim who had risked his life to help Chay, Kim who had voluntarily stepped into the hellhole beside him because he hadn’t been able to forget his love, no matter what he had said. It was Kim who had leant Chay his strength and warmth while Chay was frightened, and no matter how scared Chay got in his dream, he didn’t want to leave because Kim was with him here, loved him here, protected him here………….unlike in reality where Kim just crushed his heart and wanted nothing to do with him.  The cold hands touched him again and Chay swatted them off……….his Hia would have to wait, he was comfortable.

‘Are you going to wake up, or do I have to carry you?’

The amused voice broke through Chay’s foggy mind, and his eyes snapped open. Kim was sat there, soft eyes on Chay’s face as if they were in a private room of a 5-star hotel rather than sat on the cold floor of a tiny cell. Chay blinked. That hadn’t been a dream…...he really had been captured and Kim really had risked his own life to save Chay’s. The fighting, Kim killing, Kim telling him that he knew he didn’t deserve his forgiveness……….it had all been real! Kim was in the process of standing, a little stiffly, off the floor and offered a hand to Chay who looked at it stupidly.

‘We need to go……..they are moving us’ Kim explained.

Ohh yeah…...that made a sick kind of sense. No one with half a braincell would want to keep someone like Kim in one place for too long!

As soon as Kim helped Chay up, two men appeared and proceeded to try and bind Kim’s hands behind his back. When Kim protested this, with a knee to one man’s groin and a left hook to the other’s face. Causing both men to fall in a heap on the floor within 30 seconds. The leader of the group and same man who had been the announcer, showed up at the door, tutting at his men who were rolling around in agony. The man stared at Kim, who was pushing Chay behind him with one arm, his body physically protecting the younger.

‘I thought you had agreed to behave yourself, little lord!’ The man nearly spat in their direction.

‘I behave as long as no one touches Chay…….’ Kim spoke…….his aura of command firmly back in place, speaking as someone expecting to be obeyed. ‘….That doesn’t include tying my hands and covering my head so I can’t tell what your dogs are trying to do to him. And before you ask…….no I don’t trust them……..or you! So you either leave both our hands free, or you tie my hands to his…….I'm giving you no other option!’

The organiser sighed, rolled his eyes and then returned his gaze to Kim.

‘You Therrpanyakul’s and your melodrama. Fine, hold your boy’s hand if that will make you behave yourself. But I’m warning you little lord, not to piss off too many of my men with high and mighty attitude of yours, because as soon as you lose in that arena, that boy of yours will be the one paying for your pride!’ The obvious threat was left hanging and Chay found himself clinging to Kim’s hand even harder as the organiser turned and walked out the door, giving instructions to some unseen people who must have been waiting.

‘Get them in the van……...we are already running late!’

‘Kim!’ Chay speaks up when the engines of the vehicles start up, signalling they are moving and providing a little privacy for conversation. Chay isn’t sure what he wants to say, but feels that he needs to fill the silence with something otherwise he will explode.

‘You will be fine Chay……...ignore those assholes!’ Kim spoke up, as if talking about idiots dropping litter on the street and not armed captures.

‘You didn’t have to be here……...I mean…...I’ Chay sputtered.

‘They caught you in order to get to me……of course I had to come.’ Kim spoke up as if explaining why 1+1 equalled 2. ‘What kind of person would I be if I let someone else take responsibility for my error? I didn’t shield our relationship well, and you got pulled in……it’s up to me to make sure I get you out!’

Chay felt his face fall, for once glad of the shadows in the enclosed truck and the rumbling of the engine as he took a deep steadying breath. Responsibility….Promises…….that’s all that Kim was here for! Chay was silly to have thought even for a moment that Kim might still feel something for him, that Kim might have come here because he was special to the man in some way. Kim was just here because he wanted to prove to Chay he could keep a promise, and to fulfil a responsibility. Chay turned his head away from Kim, staring at the small halo of light which managed to leak in around the back door of the vehicle. Almost mocking him in the way it was showing Chay that there was still an outside, away from this uncomfortable situation he had found himself in.

‘Chay?’ Kim asked from behind him. Obviously picking up on the rapid change in atmosphere between the two of them. Kim’s hand rested on Chay’s shoulder, and it was all Chay could do not to shrug it off. Even if Kim was only here because of some misplaced responsibility, he was still here, and he was still risking his life to keep him safe. Chay couldn’t find it in himself to refuse Kim this slight touch, it simply seemed too cruel when the other man was doing so much for him, no matter what his feelings were. ‘Chay?’ Kim’s concerned voice came again.

‘Nothing Kim. I’m just worried, and I’m sure you watched over me when I dropped to sleep and didn’t sleep yourself. We don’t know how long this drive will be, or how many fights you will have when we get to where we are going. You need to rest……….please!’ Chay found himself babbling. It was partly true. So much was unknown and Chay had no clue the last time Kim ate, drank or slept. The idea of Kim being in bed but not sleeping because he had company suddenly entered his head and shoved it down……..those thoughts were really not helpful right now. Kim did need to rest while they had the time, but that wasn’t the main reason for Chay’s sudden change. Chay needed Kim asleep so he could change his stupid, naive and childish expectations of Kim’s arrival into something more realistic. It was only by doing that, that Chay had a chance of helping Kim survive, and through that help himself.

Chay could tell by the hand squeezing his shoulder that Kim didn’t believe what he was saying, at least not all of it, but after a minute or two Kim’s voice echoed again.

‘Yeah, you’re right. I think I will take a nap. Wake me up though if anything goes wrong, ok?’

Chay gave a more noise of agreement, before Kim dropped his hand from Chay’s shoulder, instead resting it on the younger man’s thigh in order to keep some contact between the two of them. Kim rested his head back on the metal side of the vehicle, feeling the vibrations through his head. It wouldn’t be the most uncomfortable place he had slept, not by a long shot. Something he had said had turned their conversation from relaxed to stiff in a second, and Chay had become highly uncomfortable. Whatever it was, Chay wasn’t ready to tell him, and Kim knew he had lost the right to the lovable boy’s internal musings. If Chay wanted to pretend that he was only worried about Kim needing sleep, then Kim would go along with that. For now, at least!

But at some point, Kim already knew they would be forced to speak about what was haunting them both.

After all, in their current tiny living conditions, there was no room for Kim, Chay………and the proverbial elephant!

Chapter Text

Chay didn’t know how long they drove. Time was all relative in the back of a small van with, who was once the love of your life curled up beside you, his head flopped on your shoulder, like a cuddly koala rather that the deadly predator he actually was. In fact, who was Chay kidding! Kim still was the love of Chay’s life, probably always would be………..the problem was that Chay wasn’t the love of Kim’s, had never even gained entrance to his heart! In the dim light of the van Chay could see the outline of Kim’s face, how peaceful he looked sleeping, and his heart impossibly broke even more. Kim sleeping like this reminded Chay of that morning he had woken up in Kim’s arms on the sofa in his family home, back when he had felt like the luckiest human alive to have such a boyfriend. Back before everything in his life had turned to hell!

Chay didn’t know if he dozed off, or simply sent himself into a daze by allowing his mind to wonder so far into hurtful thoughts, but he nearly jumped when the van came to a halt, the engine sound beginning to wind down in the background. Wherever they were going it looked like they were there. Chay reached up to touch Kim’s cheek, hesitating for a second as he debated if he should wake the other or not. In the end Chay decided that him waking Kim was better than one of the men outside storming in and grabbing a still groggy Kim, who would most likely attack if not fully aware of his surroundings, and get himself in even more trouble than he already was.

‘Kim!’ Chay spoke gently, trying to wake Kim up slowly, again remembering how easily Kim had woken the one and only time they had spent the night together.

Kim simply snuggled closer, rolling his head so that his nose and mouth was almost fully enveloped by Chay’s overlarge jumper. Chay wanted to chuckle, Kim looked so cute like this, Chay wanted to pat that soft long hair that Kim always kept so carefully styled, but knowing it wouldn’t be welcome.

‘Kim!’ Chay said a little louder, as he heard the doors at the front of the van open, knowing the men would be coming for them soon. This time there was a cutely muffled ‘mmmm’ from Chay’s neck and Chay had to stop himself from automatically tensing at the feeling of Kim’s lips vibrating so close to his skin. ‘Kim…..we stopped!’ Chay managed to choke out over the butterflies suddenly doing summersaults through his body at the strange sensation.

Kim’s eyes shot open, his head lifted and his back straightened. Gone was the cuddly Kim from seconds ago, and in its place was the Kim Chay hadn’t seen for the longest time. The Kim that was the mafia heir, the Kim that fought, the Kim that killed! For some reason though, even though this Kim was staring at the back of the van with eyes hard enough to cut through steel, Chay felt no fear whatsoever towards him. Annoyance, yes, but fear no! Kim was his protector, the man might lie to him in order to try and protect him, but he would never harm him on purpose.

Wow when had that realisation hit home?

Chay wasn’t quite ready to think about any repercussions of his newfound awareness, there were far too many pressing things on his mind right now. One of them was the way Kim shot to his feet, only his heightened awareness skills preventing him from smacking his head on the roof of the van as van as he pushed Chay, almost roughly, behind him. Chay nearly grumbled to himself about over reaction, but made sure it was all under his breath, after all he didn’t want Kim to think he hurt him. Seconds later the doors swung open and the face of the man Chay recognised as Toh appeared in the small gap.

‘Lord Theerpanyakul, if you please!’ He said mockingly, even presenting a half assed attempt at a bow, which made Chay want to grab hold of Kim tightly before he did anything stupid.

Amazingly though, Kim acted as if the other man didn’t exist, he simply held his hand out to Chay as if the two were going to walk into a ballroom or something. When Chay took it, Kim led them both down the step and onto some small, pothole filled, lane. Kim whirled around when he felt, rather than heard, Chay squeak and jump closer to him. Toh was stood directly behind Chay, and with the smug look on the bastards face it didn’t take much brain power to work out what he had been doing. Without thinking Kim’s left hook connected with the man’s nose, sending a small fountain of blood across his jacket as the man crumpled to the floor once more. As if on cue the announcer chose this moment to scurry from the front of the vehicle, and upon seeing Toh once again on the floor, gave Kim a glare.

Kim had long ago become immune from glares from such idiotic nobodies who thought they could challenge him!

‘Do you even understand that you are supposed to be a prisoner right now?’ The man asked in obvious annoyed astonishment.

‘Do you understand that I could knock all your men out in 30 seconds flat and be out of here, if you didn’t have Chay? So, I suggest you remind your dogs that this agreement ends the next time anyone lays so much as finger on him!’ Kim replied, his voice seeming all the more deadly for how composed it was.

The announcer took one look at Chay, who was now gripping Kim’s hand for dear life while trying to hide behind his back as much as possible, then took a deep breath before walking over to Toh. Instead of helping the man up, or even asking about the state of his obviously broken nose, the announcer simply smacked the injured man around the head.

‘What have I told you? Don’t touch the boy! From now on Dino is in charge of the boy and you can deal with the little lord here. If you want the boy so damn bad you can wait until he loses like everyone else.’ The announcer turned back to Kim, walking back so he was close enough that his greater size was apparent. Kim had never been overly tall, even Chay was getting larger than him now, but Kim’s aura, his simple presence in a room, had always made up for his physical stature. If the announcer had been meaning to use his height as a way to try and intimidate Kim, then he had miscalculated, as he now found himself nearly craning his neck downwards in order to meet the eyes of the shorter man who steadfastly refused to look up! ‘You will lose at some point little lord; I will make sure of that! But when you do, maybe I won’t get your opponent to kill you right away. Maybe it will be worth it to let you see just how much fun my men have with your boy because of your failure, before we end your privileged, entitled, pathetic, life!’

Chay could feel the atmosphere getting more and more heated, more and more dangerous by the second. He could only hold on to Kim’s arm, trying to keep the man grounded, as he tried not to shake at the implications of the words coming out of the announcer’s mouth.

‘Kim…..breathe’ Chay said as strongly as he could make himself manage under the circumstances.

Kim turned, the hard eyes which looked like they consisted of sharp shards of granite, suddenly softening once again to the soft ones Chay was used to.

‘It’s alright. Their shit relies on one erroneous assumption.’ Kim said gently before turning back to the announcer, his voice suddenly filled with the lethalness of finality. ‘I won’t lose!’

The announcer visibly swallowed before collecting himself and instructing the two men, Dino and Toh, to escort Kim and Chay inside a small building off to one side. Kim had to give these assholes credit, they had obviously planned this, and had been working under the nose of his family for a long time. All these hideaways were small, but still large enough to do business. They were all fitted with the bare minimum equipment and staff for purpose, but at the same time had enough security and state of the art technology not to allow the fighters in the ring to disobey the organisers. If the crowd wanted a fight to the death, they would get one, and the fighters wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it. It was a smart set up!

When they got to the end of a small, downward, tunnel, Kim found himself pushed to one side while Chay was escorted to the other. That had been exactly what had happened the first time, and as the asshole pervert was with him, Kim didn’t feel too worried about what would happen to Chay in the short time they would be apart.

As last time there was a small gate in front of him leading to a large space, empty except for a weapons rack and the perimeter rods. It hadn’t taken much thought of Kim’s part to figure out what the rods had been last time either. When you had two fighters who were there by force, and a live audience merely a few feet away, then any idiot knew you needed to keep the fighters contained. If you couldn’t do that with a physical fence then you did it with an immaterial one, in other words something electronic that was easily put up and dismantled but would hurt like hell if anyone touched it. There was one slight problem with that type of fencing though, although Kim had to bide his time and figure out when to put his knowledge into practice. He couldn’t do so until his brother found him, and he was no longer the only person keeping Chay safe.

When that happened………well, when that happened this band of idiots would see just how well he could fight.

Until then he would play the game.

The leader of the gang, the man who played the announcer on these things, dressed just like he was the first time, in a god-awful outfit that even Khun would have balked at wearing. After a few minutes of talking shit about Kim and the whole Theerpanyakul family, the man almost ran from the area like a coward, seconds before a flicker of light became the only clue that the fence had been turned on. The gate in front of him opened, it seemed it his turn to be introduced first. He could play with that! Kim walked into the open space, eying up the weapons on the rack, all substandard quality, but they would do the job they were designed for. The flooring was basic sand under his boots, nothing special there. Instead of walking straight into the middle of the arena like he was sure he was supposed to, Kim instead wondered over to where one of the poles stood. As he got closer, he could almost feel the pulse being emitted from the thing, the energy got more intense once he closed his eyes, almost strumming through his veins like music did. Kim took another step forward, pausing to embed the feeling into his memory before taking another, then another. He stopped, opening his eyes just in front of the pole, within a finger’s breadth of it, but not quite touching. Giving the crowd, who were watching him with a mix of hatred and awe, his signature smirk, Kim wondered over to where the announcer was huddled safely on the other side of the fence.

Again, barely stopping before reaching the deadly probe, Kim carried on smiling as he leisurely removed his jacket and folded it before placing it just in front, but tauntingly out of reach of the other man.

‘Look after that for me, will you? I will need it back in a few minutes.’ Kim said as if he was just having a regular conversation with a friend, before slowly meandering back into the centre of the arena.

These people used physical threat without thinking. It was obviously their natural way of accomplishing things, and for most people it worked, most people would be swayed by the high-handed bullying tactics they displayed, and Kim would be a hypocrite if he said they didn’t have their place and that he had never used then himself. But Kim preferred the mental, the psychological form of doing things. That way people hardly ever knew you were coming for them until it was already too late.

The gate opposite opened, and Kim looked at his unfortunate opponent. He could already tell that this man was more capable than the last. This one knew how to hold himself, wasn’t playing up to the audience like the last one. This one was only keeping his eyes on Kim……..sensing Kim’s abilities and not underestimating him because of his size. For a second Kim thought he would be sorry to kill someone who really looked at him as a capable opponent.

But only for a second!

The announcer signalled for the battle to begin and Kim’s senses about the man soon came true. The man was smart enough to not try and take him head on while empty handed, but rather ran straight for the weapons rack, retrieving a nasty looking sword which would give him longer range. It soon became obvious that the man was also quite adept at using the weapon, as Kim needed to use all his flexibility to dodge blows which could have done some serious damage to his arms. Only managing to avoid one particularly vicious swipe, by knocking out the fighter’s legs from underneath him and sending him sprawling to the floor. With his weapon gone, and Kim not feeling like allowing him to regain it, the fight became more of the fist fight which suited Kim’s style. Unlike the last fight though this man was smaller and lithe, a little like Kim himself and the two fighters were more evenly matched in that respect. However, after a while it soon became clear that Kim’s knowledge and skill were superior, and he was gaining the ascendancy.

Kim could see in his opponents eyes the moment they both knew the fight was finished, but the man didn’t quit, didn’t stop fighting despite the end being a forgone conclusion. When Kim dodged the man’s punch and took advantage of him being off balance to deliver a roundhouse kick straight to the man’s jaw, he felt a slight hint of anger. The man had been brave, unlike the cowards watching. With the opponent unconscious, Kim knelt almost reverently behind him, lifting his head to his knee and placing his arms either side of the man’s neck. The noise of the audience flooded back to Kim’s senses as he clenched his teeth against the fury. He had been taught to kill………but only those who deserved it and certainly not for the enjoyment of spineless cowards. The man beneath his hands slowly stopped breathing, all life slipping away as the crowd cheered.

Kim pointedly ignored them as he walked away. He needed to get back to wherever they were keeping Chay, not only to make sure his boy was safe but in order to remind himself what all this was for.

No not his boy…….he reminded himself……….his own stupidity had robbed him of any chance he had to call Chay that!

Chay bolted upright in the cage he had been placed in. Even smaller than the room last time, this one was open at one side and enclosed by some kind of tarpaulin on the other three and the top. Chay had squashed himself in the corner farthest away from the door. For some reason a cage with one whole open wall didn’t seem as safe as the suffocating closeness as the windowless room. Chay knew neither of them were safe, well without Kim with him anyway. He had spent the time alone, when he assumed everyone else was at the fights………the same fights Kim would be taking part in………trying to get his head to follow instructions and actually focus on the realisation he had gained earlier.

The fact that Kim might lie to him in order to protect him, but never hurt him on purpose!

Is that what Kim had been doing all this time? Some twisted way of trying to protect him? And if so from what? It’s not like Chay’s life could magically return to normal if Kim wasn’t in it! His Hia sharing body fluids with Kim’s had put pay to that! So what could Kim possibly be worried about? Unless, Chay was wrong………unless Kim hadn’t lied to him, what if Kim really didn’t feel anything for him at all, had only seen him as a way to get information on his brother! In which case what was with acting jealous that night at the bar, and the public love song dedicated to him. Chay had been trying to avoid such thoughts ever since that song got released, trying to stop himself thinking around in circles, which is exactly what he found himself doing! Unable to find anything that made any sense concerning Kim’s actions. One thing had changed though! At the time Chay had been determined that he would never see Kim again, that he would grow up and move on until one day he looked back and saw Kim as his first crush. Now he was literally stuck in close quarters with the man who still haunted his dreams, and not only that but Kim was risking his life to keep him safe!

The whole damn thing was giving him a migraine! Why couldn’t he have come to this conclusion once he was out of here and safely away from the cause of all this stress?

The cage door opened and Chay barely bit down on a groan. Talk about causes of stress, here he came now, but Kim didn’t deserve to have Chay moan at him, not when he had just been through another fight. This time, as soon as Kim was inside and the cage door closed, Chay looked over at Kim who had the distinct signs of sweat on his brow. The fight was obviously harder than the last one.

‘Are you ok?’ Chay found himself asking with honest concern.

He might still be confused as to what the hell was going on inside his own head, let alone Kim’s, but that didn’t mean he wanted Kim hurt.

‘Fine.’ Shrugged a little too nonchalantly for Chay’s liking.

Without realising what he was doing, Chay was already reaching for Kim’s jacket, and had half pulled it down off his shoulders, baring the skin beneath the sleeves of his t-shirt, before an amused laugh snapped both their heads back towards the door.

‘It seems your boy really does like to please you, Theerpanyakul. How about I cover the cage completely so you can have your fun in peace? Huh?’ an unknown man spoke as he leered down.

Kim, who by the sheer size of the cage was already huddled close to Chay’s side, simply looked up at the man with a glare.

‘I’m sure you didn’t come by to see if I was enjoying myself! What do you want?’

The idiot stuttered and Chay hid his face in face in Kim’s jacket to hide the grin. Kim might be forced to fight in life and death matches, booed by an audience and locked in a cage………..but he still had that natural aura that made everyone else shut the hell up! A clank and then a wiff of something made Chay lift his eyes up again. The idiot had obviously bought some food before leaving, the problem was that, looking at the amount in the bowl. It was only enough for one person. Chay’s stomach began grumbling at the smell of food, he couldn’t remember when he had last eaten. The only thing they had given him since he was captured was enough water to make sure he didn’t die of dehydration. Kim simply smiled and held up a spoonful of what seemed like rice and egg, which Chay cheerfully devoured. Kim held up a second spoonful, and a third, each time Chay feeling like at last the aching chasm was beginning to fill up inside him. Then Kim held up the fourth spoonful and Chay managed to stop himself just before taking it in his mouth.

‘You have it!’ Chay said, trying to hide his reluctance.

‘Chay you are acting like you have been starved……….you need it.’ Kim responded, nearly shoving the spoon in Chay’s mouth.

Pushing it backwards, gently, as to not spill of the contents, Chay shook his head determinedly.

‘I’m just sitting around Kim, you are the one fighting, you are the one using your energy……..you need it more than I do……..’

‘I made you a promise I would look after you!’ Kim tried, but sensibly dropped the spoon back in the bowl rather than risk it in the game of push and shove they were having.

‘I know…….’ Chay sighed before catching himself…… ‘You made your promise because you feel responsible for getting me in this mess. But you can’t help me if you faint now, can you?’

Kim looked at Chay, confusion painted clearly on his face. Once again Chay’s temper had completely shifted as soon as Kim had mentioned his promise. Kim had thought that Chay seeing him wanting to keep a promise would be a good thing……….but maybe it simply reminded the younger man of all the promises Kim had already broken. Kim felt his stomach drop, it seemed like he had really fucked up too much with Chay to ever be forgiven his past transgressions. Picking up the spoon, he piled the chicken and rice combo onto it before placing it in his mouth. It tasted like ash against his tongue, but it would keep him alert for as long as he needed. After a second spoonful he again offered the spoon to Chay who looked at him sideways.

‘One for me and one for you……….deal!’ Kim said with a smug smile.

Chay just smacked him on the arm, and glared for a moment, before opening his mouth and letting Kim feed him. Well, if nothing else came out being in this hellhole, at least he got to spend time with Chay again.

Chapter Text

Despite the fact the two men technically being in a cage, with no tangible walls to protect them from what was happening outside, it didn’t take Chay long to drop to sleep after eating. Kim couldn’t help looking down at the once bright eyed, bubbly boy and cringing at the idea that even with that dire amount of food was enough to sate him enough to send him to sleep. Chay shouldn’t be living like this……Chay shouldn’t have been pulled into this shit………Kim should have done better in protecting him. Idly Kim found himself running his fingers gently through Chay’s tangled hair. They were both a mess, neither of them had showered in two days, nor changed clothes or even been given access to a brush. Kim was used to such circumstances, and had been through much worse even as a child with his training, something he was sure his captors hadn’t factored into their calculations. Chay on the other hand!  Chay had gone through hardships in his life, that couldn’t be denied, but to lock Chay up in a cage like an animal…….that made Kim’s blood boil. For a moment he wondered where Kinn was, he had expected his brother to catch up with them by now. Yes, these people were better at keeping hidden than he had expected, they had been doing it for long enough by now, but he had left his brother the original coordinates. That original point of contact should have given Kinn and all the brainiacs they employed all the clues they needed to find them.

Kim stared out the open side of the cage, the sun was going down and it was getting chilly. He was glad he had chosen the thickest clothes for Chay to wear before all this began. At least he was as warm as Kim could make him. Kim began humming, it wasn't any particular song, more of a set of notes linked together however they came into his head, but Chay had always liked his singing voice and if it enabled Chay to get a little more sleep, feel a bit more comfortable, then he would do it.........anything for his boy! Chay’s eyes fluttered in his sleep, his head nearly falling off of Kim’s shoulder as he moved in his dreams, Kim only just managing to catch it before it rolled off.

‘Kim………’ Chay murmured, obviously to a Kim he was dreaming about, but it was enough to get the real Kim’s attention.

Did Chay still dream about him too?

‘Kim…..’ Chay murmured, this time banging Kim on the chest with a flat palm.  ‘Nasty…….you’re nasty………I thought you saved me because you loved me………but it was all because of your pride!..... What it is with you? Everything hurts because of You!......’ Chay slapped Kim’s chest again, this time much harder, and it momentarily ran through Kim’s mind of the irony that Chay was injuring him more in his sleep, than either of the two death matches had done so far. After a few more harsh slaps, which Kim was sure would make Chay’s palm sting, the younger boy began speaking again. ‘Responsibility……..I hate that word!.....I love you, and you just see me as a duty……….why am I still stupid enough to love you?...........why?’

Chay trailed off, his hand clutched tightly in Kim’s jacket and his eyes wet with tears. Kim sighed, torn between wanting to wake Chay up and letting the boy sleep.   Had Chay really thought that he was here because he was some kind of duty Kim couldn’t escape? Yes, Kim did have a responsibility to Chay, but the responsibility wasn’t just the fact that he’d fucked up keeping their relationship secret and put Chay in danger, it wasn’t even the fact that he had the responsibility to look after Chay as Kinn’s brother. It had taken him a long time to admit it to himself, but Kim had a responsibility to his heart to look after Chay, to make sure he was happy and taken care of, even if it wasn’t with him. Chay had misunderstood him, but after all that had gone on Kim hardly blamed him.

Stroking his fingers through Chay’s hair once more he swore to himself that when they next got sometime alone, he would clarify things with Chay, and make his own feelings clear.

The ’alone time’ didn’t arrive as quickly as Kim thought it might. Even though they were bundled into the back of a van again as seemed these idiots MO, unlike before they were not alone. Chay had basically huddled against Kim in the back of the van, unsure about the stranger now sharing the space with them as they travelled. He was large enough to take up more than his share of space, as well as being unchained. Kim had no idea where the man had come from, or why they suddenly had company, nor did he care. He was just annoyed that the stranger had arrived now, when he wanted some time to clear things up with Chay……….which he certainly wasn’t doing when they had an audience! As if that wasn’t bad enough, the stranger seemed to enjoy staring at Chay and making him more and more uncomfortable, which in turn got Kim more and more on edge. About an hour or so into the drive, when Chay had at last stopped trembling against his side. The stranger spoke up.

‘So you are the high and mighty Theerapanyakul are you?…….that must mean the one next to you is the boy everyone is talking about.’ The man simply stared at Chay with a smile.

‘I suggest you turn your head away from him, before I snap it off!’ Kim almost growled, fed up of the moron already.

‘Clam down!’ The man said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. ‘But you do know that whoever beats you, gets him, don’t you?’

‘So, I’ve been told!’ Kim said tiredly. But at least it seemed like this guy wasn’t one of those people who seemed to be crowing over him being defeated. ‘What are you doing in here anyway?’ Kim asked with a little more force than necessary, his temper beginning to get the best of him.

‘Grey has decided that from now on someone will be accompanying you two as we travel. I guess he thinks that if your boy is as nervous as he looks right now, you wont sleep. It makes the fights more fun!’

‘Grey?’ Chay asked from behind Kim’s shoulder, just as Kim wanted to say his own, more colourful words.

‘Yeah, Black’s second in command, the one who has been announcing all the fights.’ The man said simply.

Chay giggled nervously.

‘They sound like stupid names.’

Kim sighed.

‘They are codenames Chay, you probably didn’t realise because our family doesn’t use them………….cowards use them just in case they ever get caught by the real Mafia!’

‘Hey, my mentor is not a ………’ the man caught himself and closed his mouth before shrinking back into the shadows at the other side of the van.

The rest of the trip was made in silence, with Kim trying to entice Chay into sleeping some more, but him himself unwilling to even close his eyes for a second with the third man in their space. When they got to their destination, Kim found himself swiftly separated from Chay and placed behind another crudely made metal fence, facing another open arena.

Kim sighed.

It seemed he would just have to kill whoever he was facing today as soon as possible, so he could get back to Chay and talk before they moved them again.

Chay was uncomfortable, and for a moment would have swapped with Kim in a second. At least Kim got to move around and exercise his body, the most Chay got to do was move a few steps from one cell to a van, and a van to a cell. His body felt so sore from being cramped up, it wasn’t funny. Almost giving himself a mental smack for being so foolish as to think Kim might have the better end of the deal, Chay just leant back against the stone wall behind him and groaned. He was back inside a solid, dark, stone cell this time. The metal door had clanged behind him and Chay had paced the 2 paces he could backwards and forwards until he got dizzy, just for something to do! There was a bowl on the floor, some more rice and egg, with the spoon balanced on top. Chay guessed that it had been given to him while Kim was still fighting in the hope that Chay would eat it all and therefore leave Kim not only with no food, which would make the two fall out. Chay guessed that was a plan that might work on some people, but he wasn’t stupid. Kim was the only thing between Chay getting raped before they killed him, and the food was the only thing which would keep Kim going now that the announcer……no he had a name now……….Grey, had decided to put someone in the van with them to prevent Kim resting. Chay wasn’t about to eat anymore of that food than Kim physically shoved down his throat.

Sooner than he imagined, the door to the cell opened and Kim’s outline was shoved through the lit entrance. Even in that few seconds of bright light Chay could see a large bruise outlining Kim’s cheek and couldn’t help but wince. The door slammed shut, leaving the two with only the dull light of the single bulb in the ceiling again. Chay wrapped his arms around Kim, breathing in the smell of dirt and sweat but just happy Kim was alive. Kim pulled himself back, Chay not needing to see his face as he tried to pull off Kim’s jacket, feeling over the other man’s arms and torso in a panic for any wet spots which would indicate injuries. Kim placed his hands over Chays, stalling his movements, when they happened to be pressed against the older’s abdomen, the muscles underneath the now slightly torn t-shirt twitching, as Chay felt the Kim's leather belt firmly under the lower few fingers. 

‘I’m fine Chay……..the bastard got a lucky punch in that’s all!’

With the information of Kim being OK, Chay froze, as if finally realising what he was doing and where his hands were. Chay was glad for the extremely dim lighting because his face wet from its normal colour to beetroot red in a millisecond………..had he seriously been searching for wounds this close to Kim’s…….? Chay lifted his hand’s away as if scalded and turned to head to the other side of the cell, cursing under his breath that it wasn’t big enough to get him out of Kim’s grabbing range.

‘There is food on the floor by the door………eat it before they move us!’ Chay tried to instruct, wincing when it came out more of a strangled wheeze.

‘Chay!’ Kim said gently, doing exactly what Chay had feared and grabbing his arm to stop him.

Not that he could actually go anywhere.

‘Kim, if you are going to argue with me over food, then neither of us are eating it!’ Chay grumbled. At least about the food subject he knew where he stood.

‘That’s not it!’ Kim spoke up a little more surely. ‘It about something you said before, about me seeing you as a duty!’

‘Kim….we are stuck in a tiny room, with barely any light or food! Do you really want to have that argument now?’ Chay turned around disbelievingly.

‘No……..but I do want to clear something up. I never expected you to forgive me for being an ass before, and hurting you. When Black’s men called me up and said you were captured, I agreed to do this so I could prove I was someone who wasn’t just that asshole who lied to you all the time……..that I was someone worth believing in………that……..that not everything I had said or done had been a lie. That I had, and still do love you………even if I ruined my chance with you!’

His speech said, Kim dropped his arm back to his side and Chay simply stared at him.

The silence stretched on, Kim started fiddling with his fingers, wondering what was going on inside Chay’s head. Chay’s eventual answer was not exactly what he expected.

‘Eat the food, they won’t let us take it with us.’

‘Chay I……….’

‘Kim…..I need to think…..and you need to stop talking………..so eat the damn food…….please!’

Obediently Kim picked up the bowl and spoon and began eating, while keeping his eyes on a very still Chay in the corner. After eating all but the last few spoonsful and Chay seemingly had turned into a statue, Kim decided to stand-up and break the ice. Placing a hand on Chay’s shoulder, and trying not to wince at the way Chay jumped under the touch. Kim held up his small offering.

‘I ate most off it, but you still need something in your stomach.’ He tried.

Chay said nothing as he took the bowl and spoon, eating the few bits left. Kim took the bowl back, placing it on the floor before looking back at Chay, trying to work out what Chay was thinking.

‘Kim…..I….’ Chay began.

Just as the door swung open and they were both dragged out and marched out to the van. If it had been the same person as the last time, Kim might have been encouraged to ask Chay to finish his sentence, or Chay might have been brave enough to finish it on his own. But it was someone new, someone a lot more antagonising to Kim, who was already annoyed from his captors preventing Chay from finishing what he was going to say. So, the trip was tense and neither Kim nor Chay slept or spoke the entire time. If the idea between keeping Kim awake, low on food and not allowing him to speak freely to Chay was supposed to sap his morale, they didn’t know him as well as they thought they did.

The next fight Kim finished in record time, even if it did take up more of his energy to complete.

Back in the cell, Chay literally launched himself into Kim’s arms once the door was closed, wrapping himself around Kim’s body like a cute and cuddly boa constrictor. Kim couldn’t help laughing as he hugged Chay closer.

‘I take it that this means I won’t get a punch to the gut if I kiss you?’ he joked.

Chay leaned back a little, his arms still securely wrapped around Kim’s neck.

‘You damn well better, if you meant what you said before!’ Chay said with a beaming smile. ‘Unless……….’

Kim didn’t let Chay anymore words out……..didn’t let his boy have anymore doubts about him. One of his hands had found its way between Chay’s shoulder blades in a flash, pulling Chay close as he pressed his lips to the younger man’s, relishing in the feeling he had only had in his dreams. Soft, warm, giving…….Chay was everything he had imagined. Chay’s body seemed to melt underneath his hands and Kim couldn’t help himself pressing harder with both his mouth and hands, wanting more. He paused, astonished, as Chay’s lips opened, allowing his tongue access to the deepest recesses of his mouth and throat.   The hand, not on between Chay’s shoulders, strayed downwards until it was stroking firmly over the pert ass, causing Chay to move his hips forwards against him. Right now Kim hated the fact that they weren’t in his own apartment, in his own bedroom………..but was thankful for it at the same time. With Chay behaving like this under his hands, Kim knew for certain that if they had been alone and in private, Kim wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from divesting Chay of his clothing……and probably other things…….right now. It had simply been too long, and too many wet dreams about the boy wiggling in his arms, for him to have that level of self-control.

Only later, when they were again in the van travelling to the next destination, did Kim realise that they either hadn’t been given any food or had forgotten about it in their need to eat each other. The first man was back in the van with them, he hadn’t said a word and Chay was nestled close to him although wide awake. Kim needed to sleep, it must have been 3 days at this point since he had rested, and the constant fighting was draining him. He just couldn’t trust anyone he didn’t know around Chay……..and as such he couldn’t trust himself to close his eyes.

Kinn and Porsche rolled up to another destination Arm had found for them. It didn’t take long to realise this one had already been used. Rubbish littered the makeshift stands and the dead body lay forgotten in what could have only been the arena. The body looked like it had been mauled by some type of animal and neither man could tell if that had been Kim or if an actual animal had entered after everyone had left. If it was Kim, they were getting closer……….if it was an animal then enough time had passed for wildlife to feel comfortable entering what was once a human domain.

All they could do was turn around and head for the next place on Arm’s list, hoping to have better luck there.

Chay was beginning to freak out. Kim was trying to cover it up, but there was no hiding the fact that the was deteriorating. It seemed like after their talk and kiss……….yes Chay still had to pinch himself to remind himself that that was actually real……..that anything resembling rest had gone out the window. Chay might not know what day it was, but he knew enough to know that when you were at one place and the sun was rising, one place when the sun was setting, a place between and yet another in the middle of the night……..no one was giving Kim anywhere near enough time to rest and recover. Also the fights were lasting longer, and Chay had no idea if that was down to Kim’s fatigue or the skill of his opponents, or both……….but the last one had lasted a scarily long time. After the last one, Kim had been shoved into the cells, blood seeping from a wound to his side which made him hunch over, and his face a patchwork of different colour bruises. Kim hadn’t been able to close his hand properly since the previous fight either, and even though Kim shrugged it off, Chay couldn’t help be worried.

Chay was beginning to feel ill at the lack of food, water and rest they had both been subjected to. On top of that Kim had fighting at regular intervals, plus his stupidly overprotective boyfriend refused to even close his eyes in the van now that there was always someone in there with them. Chay was amazed Kim could still stand!

Boyfriend……..Kim was his boyfriend!.......They had sorted their mess out and actually figured out that they still both loved each other………they were together again.

Chay shook his head……..Kim was slowly dying in front of him………this was so not the time.

With Kim’s arm over his shoulder, Chay staggered himself as he helped Kim to the van once again……this time determined to make the other man get some sleep. After a few tries he managed to get them both inside, and the doors closed. Chay looked around, nothing……….he looked around again………they were alone! Why were they alone? Chay waited for the 3^rd person to join them, instead the engines began, and the van moved away. Had they forgotten to put a third person in the van? Or did they simply not have the people available this time? Either way Chay didn’t care.

‘Kim!’ He said gently, resting Kim’s head against his shoulder.

Kim looked up at him, that smile on his face that was no longer fooling Chay.

‘Kim, no one is here with us……….we are alone……..get some sleep I promise I will wake you if anything goes wrong!’

It showed how drained and exhausted Kim was that he simply nodded and obediently closed his eyes.

‘Hia where are you?’ Chay found himself whispering for the first time since Kim’s arrival in the warehouse. If Kim had come into that place knowing what might happen to him……then Chay could only hope that someone found them before anything more serious happened to Kim.

Kim opened his eyes, his head felt comfortable on Chay’s shoulders, and his body felt heavy. He was beyond exhausted, and his little sleep had only awakened his mind enough to realise how tired his body was. The bastard’s idea of lack of food, sleep, water and keeping him running around like a circus performer, was a good one, he had to admit that much. But no matter how close his body was to breaking down, his resolve to keep Chay safe was as unshakable as ever, maybe even more so now that they had finally cleared up their feelings for each other. The inside of the van was still dark, the humming of the engine showing they were still moving.

‘Go back to sleep, we haven’t stopped yet.’ Chay muttered from just above him.

Kim wasn’t foolish, he knew Chay had been worried about him after the last few fights. He had tried to hide any injuries, but Chay was a lot more observant than he remembered. His side hurt like hell, that hidden knife hadn’t been cleaned in what looked like an age and Kim was sure he had an infection from the damned thing. After the first few fights, Kim’s opponents had not only been getting more and more skilled but also been having more and more advantages at the start, the last one had appeared unarmed but had actually had a wide variety of hidden weaponry under his clothes. Being a master at hidden weaponry Kim had managed to see the telltale quirks of fingers or hands, just before something was drawn, and managed to avoid most of the weapons. But his body was much slower than his opponents now due to lack of energy and one knife had managed to slice him along the ribs. It wasn’t a lethal cut, but it hurt like hell.

‘Don’t worry about me Chay………I will be fine……we will both make it out of this I promise!’ Kim said quietly enough for Chay to hear.

Chay stayed quiet for a moment before responding.

‘I hope you’re right……I don’t want to find you again just to lose you like this……..but please don’t make me promises you know you can’t keep…..I can’t deal with that……OK?’ Chay mumbled.

Kim kissed Chay’s shoulder, gently but meaningfully through the thick jumper, nipping gently with his teeth.

‘I won’t let you down again!’ Kim swore, more to himself than Chay.

‘I know……’ Chay responded this time with a smile on his face. ‘But you really do need some sleep.’

Taking Chay’s advice, partly because he needed it and partly because it would soothe Chay to be helpful. Kim closed his eyes and drifted off again.

Kim opened his eyes for a second time and didn’t hear the engine noise, but hear the sound of people talking. Wherever they were going, they had arrived. His head hurt and his legs felt like they were made of lead, but he forced himself to stand unaided, smiling in an attempt to ease the worry on Chay’s face. Chay clamoured out the van first, helping Kim down second. Kim didn’t really need the help but letting Chay do these little things allowed Chay to feel helpful, so he put up with them. Kim’s legs shook a little as he stretched them out, putting weight on them for the first time in a while, but then they stood strong as he began walking, Chay watching him like a hawk by his side. The two walked up a few flights of steps, flanked by Toh and Dino, until they split apart as they always had done. Chay would be taken to a cage or cell to await Kim’s return after his fight.

‘I hope you spent the time Grey was nice enough to give you with your boy, having him on his knees lord Theerpanyakul! Because in a few minutes that boy will be giving it to whoever wants him!’ Toh sneered.

Kim had heard the bullshit from Toh nearly every time the man was walking with him, but something about the certainty with which the idiot spoke made him turn around.

‘What do you mean?’ Kim asked seriously.

‘You will find out!’ Toh said with a wide smirk on his face.

Kim had had enough, he was tired, and he was grumpy, not a good combination. Without warning he grabbed Toh’s head and smashed it into the uneven wall next to them, not even giving the other man a chance to do anything but murmur. After two more bashes of the idiot’s skull into the wall, Kim was happy that he wasn’t getting up anytime soon, and would cease to be a hazard to society. It was messy, and Kim was covered in fresh blood to go along with the old stuff that made him stink. He normally didn’t do messy, that was Vegas’s thing, but hey, when the needs must and all that.

The metal gate opened, and Kim half walked, half staggard into the arena, ignoring the door closing behind him. This time the arena seemed made of grass and there was no weapons rack to be seen. A fight with fists then……he could still do that with his eyes closed. Then the opposing gate got opened and Kim began to realise why Toh had seemed so certain of his failure this time. The opposing fighter walked out, decked in a helmet which was firmly strapped around his chin, full arm and shin guards, leather trousers and what looked like soft armour for his torso………and also………what was worrying from Kim’s point of view, a gun belt with two revolvers attached to it. Kim stood there in nothing but his torn leather jacket and jeans.

He knew that this was now………..this fight was never supposed to be a fight………..it was supposed to be an execution.

Kim closed his eyes and took a breath.

‘I’m sorry Chay’ he whispered to himself.

It looked like he might be letting Chay down after all.

He just hoped he could hold on long enough for his brother to find them and get Chay out.

Chapter Text

The announcer, Grey, had fled from the arena before they had lifted the gate to allow Kim entrance into the space. It seemed that even those fools realised that by backing him into a corner they were just making him unpredictable!

Kim had made a deal with them that he behaved, he didn’t try and escape or attack anyone unprovoked, in return for Chay’s safety. Well, if they planned on killing him right now, then Chay’s safety wouldn’t be assured anymore……….and any deal which meant he needed to behave was off the table as far as Kim was concerned. He now had free reign to do whatever the hell he wanted!

Kim looked over to where the brightly dressed Grey, was flouncing around in front of the audience, seemingly at ease with the assumed safety of being behind the electric fence. Kim couldn’t help but grin to himself as Grey droned on about how the Theerpanykul’s had destroyed lives, business’s, etc, and now at least one of them was going to pay. Whipping the audience up into a killing frenzy, all focused in on him. Kim didn’t care, all his mind was doing was methodically focusing on different parts of what was happening, as his eyes scanned the space he was in.

Error 1: Grey wearing an outfit which made him stand out like he had a damn neon sign above his head saying ‘I’m here, come and kill me’.

Error 2: Grey and the audience assuming that they were safe behind that electronic fence………..just because no one had figured it out before, didn’t mean no one could. Kim had done it within the first 5 minutes he had seen the thing.

Error 3: Assuming that 2 pistols would be enough to take him down. Normally Kim would have scoffed at such a notion, but with his current state and the fact he didn’t know just how good a shot the other man was, it was perfectly possible that if the other man was good enough, the 2 pistols might be enough to incapacitate him, so he was unable to defend himself further.

Error 4: Assuming that he was afraid of death. Kim had never been afraid of dying, that had been beaten out of him by his ‘ohh so loving’ father when he was a teenager. You couldn’t be an effective weapon if you were scared  of dying, and Kim sure as hell wasn’t scared of dying if it meant keeping Chay alive. If he was going to die though, he intended on taking as many of these bastards down with him as possible………

………which led on to the final, and possibly the most important and stupid error these guys had made so far.

Error 5: Using Chay against him!........ He intended on making sure that no-one did that and survived!

With Grey still droning on………….he could drone on as much as he liked as far as Kim was concerned. The longer the windbag talked, the more time his brother had to catch up with them. Kim closed his eyes………felt the wind on his face, the mutterings of the words he was trying to tune out. Then he felt it, the buzz of the fence to his right. Taking a small step towards it, the buzz got stronger, already making his too tired system seem to vibrate. Another step and the buzz seemed to be strangely energising. Kim knew that he was close to one of the poles, and stepping even a short distance would cause pain that he didn’t want or need right now………..but if he was right, he could use the information later.

Opening his eyes, Kim saw the gaze of the audience on him……..some looking confused while others just looked at him with death in their eyes………..yeah, Kim thought idly, there certainly would be death here today………but how much………and for who……depended on how much energy he could pull from his drained body. Shrugging off his filthy leather jacket, a move the organisers were so used to by now that they paid no attention to, Kim waited for Grey to finish speaking and the execution to commence.

He didn’t have to wait long!

Grey’s tirade against the family finally came to a stop, signalling it was time for the execution to begin. Well, Kim thought to himself, if they thought he was going to just stand there and let himself get shot, they were in for a shock! His opponent looked confident, but Kim could sense some uncertainty coming from the man. Either he hadn’t been asked to execute someone before and felt sorry for Kim, or he was nervous about Kim’s abilities……...either way, the simple fraction of a second hesitation was enough.

Kim ran sideways, towards the audience, completely wrong footing both his opponent and those watching. By the time the man had drawn his weapon, Kim was already close to the fence, his back to those observing. If his opponent fired and missed, he risked harming or even injuring one of those watching. The electric fence might stop humans from escaping, but it would do nothing against wayward bullets. Still not sure about his opponents shooting abilities, Kim kept moving, only this time slower. He had very little energy and had to preserve himself for as long as possible. The other man in the arena looked confused under his helmet, obviously unsure as to what Kim would do next……...but that was the whole point……..Kim wanted the man unsure, on the back foot…...that was one of the few cards he had in his favour. Kim kept his movements, slow but erratic, his eyes firmly fixed on his opponent who had his pistol firmly aimed at his chest and yet still hesitated to pull the trigger. As good as this was to drag out time, Kim needed to create chaos before his adrenaline and energy ran out completely.

‘Two guns, helmet, armour, and you are still scared of fighting me!’ Kim taunted, a manic grin on his face as he faced the man in front of him.

Kim didn’t even bother with what was going on behind him, not only were the audience all bark and no bite, but the fence was effective and keeping people out as well as in, and no one would dare switch it off now he was free in the arena. The pistol began to waver in the other man’s hand as Kim  allowed himself to laugh…….a half crazed sound, but enough to finally see his opponents eyes change from reserve and caution to determination and aggression. This is what he had wanted.

The gun went off…..

The first time Kim managed to dodge, through a mix of sheer willpower and being able to read the other man's intentions through his body language. For someone as well trained as him, the shooter may as well have been shouting through a Tannoy as to where he was aiming. Waving his unmarked hands, Kim ignored the screaming erupting behind him and instead focused on his opponent. The man looked furious as raised the pistol again and shot twice. 

Kim dodged, but his sluggish reactions where not quite quick enough to get completely out the way, as he felt stinging in his right arm. He didn’t even glance down to see how badly he was injured, as almost in the same second he heard a frightened yell from the stands and a chorus of people shouting into the arena. Kim’s opponent glanced automatically at the racket going on outside, as Grey was heard yelling. 

'Shoot him you stupid idiot! Not the paying customers!' 

The gunman stalled, unsure what to do as he stared over at Grey who kept scolding him..........

Then Kim ran.

His opponent flicked his eyes by to the charging Kim, aiming his weapon once again, but Kim simply tossed his jacket in the man’s direction, distracting him for the seconds he needed to get close. By the time his opponent had focused back in on him, Kim had already launched himself on him, the pistol clattering on the floor in the mess of arms and legs. Kim was a master at close quarter fighting, but he was also close to exhaustion and aware he wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long……..not that he was planning to. Scrabbling around with one hand, while the other reached beneath the man’s helmet for his throat, Kim finally managed to find what he was searching for.

The second pistol.

Safety off

Aim

Fire

No hesitation, no regrets, no second thoughts…….just a simple grimace of disgust as the man’s brain exploded next to his face, the bullet making short work of the under protected chin.

Kim managed to roll off the body, his lungs heaving as they tried to get in air, his legs suddenly too tired to even think about standing. The other pistol was just out of his arm reach, but it might have been on a different planet for all he could move at the moment. He needed a moment, he needed to take a breath……..but he couldn’t…….Kim knew that if he stopped he would collapse, and if he collapsed there would be no way he could protect Chay.

Forcing himself to crawl…...something so degrading that he would never even think of doing such a thing under normal circumstances, but knowing he neither had the strength or balance to stand right now……….Kim slowly made his way over to the second pistol. His fingers had just touched the cool metal when he heard the gate open at the far end of the arena, and a second man stepped out. He was dressed almost identically to the first, down to the two pistol holders at his sides.

Kim hissed under his breath.

He knew it wouldn’t have been that easy!

Chay had been placed in a small cell, nothing new about that, and it was worrying how used to confined spaces he was getting over the past few days. The only difference with this one is that it either didn’t have a bulb in it at all, or the thing was broken. This meant that as soon as the door was closed, the cell turned completely black, with Chay almost unable to see his own hand when he waved it in-front of his eyes. It reminded him a little of being blindfolded in that warehouse when Tawan had captured him. Both Kim and his Hia had come to save him that day, and Kim was already here protecting him. Chay wasn’t scared about anything with Kim around.

Call him stupid, but he trusted Kim……..no matter what.

A noise broke through the silence in the cell and Chay listened. It sounded like a group of people yelling something. He couldn’t make out the words but he could make out that they seemed happy about something. Running his hand along the wall, Chay found the place where the noise was loudest and leant his ear against the cold stone to listen. He had never been able to hear what had gone on with the fights before, but it seemed this cell was closer to them than the others. There was a bit more of a silence and then……………..what the hell…….had that just been a gun shot? Kim had never mentioned there were guns involved in these fights. A loud cacophony of sounds started up and Chay couldn’t make head nor tails of what was going on. Had someone won? Were they leaving? Has something gone wrong?

There was a click of the heavy metal door, and Chay whirled his head around panic and hope rising in him in equal measure.

‘Kim!’ Chay shouted as a shadowed figure appeared, backed by the light.

‘The bastard will be dead by now!’ taunted a voice Chay didn’t know.

Chay tried to back away, but found himself already backed as far into the small cell as possible.

‘He’s not that easy to kill!’ Chay tried to find the power in his voice…….but his mind kept going back to that gunshot……….Kim! Had that really been Kim?

Chay found himself grabbed, yanked halfway out the door and almost into the arms of the man who had been taunting him. The man was tall, and wearing decent clothes. Chay guessed he worked at the venue, rather than a guest.

‘He’s human…...a bullet can kill him just as easy as anyone else!’ The man continued to taunt. Chay looked around, squinting at the brightness now he was outside. It seems the man wasn’t alone, there was a group of 4 or 5 stood around watching. ‘Now…...you kept the Therpanyakul happy so I’m told, are you going to keep us happy too?’ The man leered, leaning closer to Chay.

For once Chay was happy he had eaten very little in the past few days, it meant he didn’t have anything to throw up in the man’s face!

Without saying anything, certainly nothing that would tip the man off, Chay shifted. Kim might have not have had time to teach him any self-defence moves in the time they had known each other, but his Hia certainly had. It was a must in their life before all the mafia shit. With one powerful knee to the man’s groin, Chay ran. He dodged in between the observers, taking advantage of their shock, and sprinting as fast as he could around the corner. They weren't far behind and Chay had no idea where the hell he was going. Plus he didn’t want to leave here without knowing if Kim was alive or dead.

The place was like a maze and Chay had lost count of the amount of turns he had made by the time he heard his pursuers closing in, he wouldn’t be able to lose them or out run them it seemed.

‘KIM!’ Chay shouted, knowing that even if Kim heard him, he would be in the middle of a fight and unable to help. Still, it helped Chay just to shout.

After a few more steps Chay started to hear more footsteps, more people running, only this time towards him. Great he was going to be penned in from all sides before he even got to see Kim again. Rounding another corner, Chay stopped, gobsmacked. However, he didn’t have time to be stunned before the worn out and dirty figure was yanking him by the arm into the respective safety provided by being behind him. It was in that second that Chay’s pursuers caught up with him, and came face to face with Chay’s rescuers.

‘Close your eyes and put your hands over your ears’ Came the instruction.

Chay knew what that meant, and followed it immediately not wanting to see or hear what would happen next. Even with his hands over his ears though he heard the gunshots and following moans of agony. He didn’t think he would ever forget that sound. Chay’s eyes snapped open, wide with panic as he looked at the older and taller man in-front of him, ignoring the still moving bodies on the ground.

There were things more important right now!

‘P’Kinn I heard a gun shot they told me that Kim got hurt we have to go find him!’ Chay blurted out all at once.

Kinn rested a gentle hand on the overloaded boy’s shoulder and whispered soothingly.

‘Don’t worry……..I already sent him help!’

Kim raised his pistol, hands already shaking for the effort. He would probably have one shot against this guy. He needed to make it count.

But first! 

Kim moved his aim, shooting two quick shots straight into each of Grey's kneecaps, before nearly collapsing to the floor again. 

God damn he was tired! 

Kim looked back at this new opponent who except from looking shocked, showed none of the hesitation the first had, although Kim thought he hardly came across like his normal powerful self right now, dirty, stinking and hardly able to raise the gun let alone hold it steady. He wouldn’t have been afraid of him either, he looked pathetic. Kim had used his last bit of energy on incapacitating Grey, and both men knew it.

A Theerpanykul on his knees was one who didn’t deserve to be remembered, if his father found out he died this way then Kim’s name would be disgraced and wiped from the family history forever. Kim sighed loudly. He had just about enough energy to either take the shot and hope he hit the guy, OR stand up and die on his feet like a proper Theerapanyakul. Kim shifted a little on the ground making his base a little steadier, then bought his injured arm up to join the other on the weapon. The blood leaking from the wound was making his grip slippery, but it was better than it being so wobbly he couldn’t shoot straight.

Fuck dying like a proper Theerapanykul! He had never wanted to be in the damn family history anyway……..all he had ever wanted was his freedom……..and Chay!

Both gunshots echoed almost simultaneously and Kim grunted. The shooters bullet had struck home by his hip, luckily his position on the floor had prevented it from sticking any vital organs, but he would still die without medical care. It would just take longer, and be more painful. Kim glanced over at the gunman in front of him. Kim’s bullet had managed to effectively find its way through the man’s dominant arm, taking it out of action.

The man simply growled in pain.

Then switched hands.

Damn!

Kim forced himself not to close his eyes as the man raised the gun once again…

….he had done what he could do!

‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you’ Came a deep, cocky voice from somewhere behind where the gunman stood. Kim recognised that voice……..not the one he had been expecting……..but hell, he would accept it!

The gunman froze…...lowering his weapon, as Grey almost spat in agitation from the side, which was a skill to say to say the man was laying on the floor bleeding out.

‘Who the hell are you, and why do you think you can interrupt one of my fights?’

Porsche stepped sideways out of the gunman’s shadow and Kim could see straight away why the man had lowered his weapon. Porsche’s own gun was pressed against his neck. If the gunman shot Kim, he had the chance of missing, Porsche had no such chance.

‘Pole. Shoot the pole’ Kim managed to grate out, his throat feeling like he had run a marathon through a desert.

Without thinking Porsche pulled a second gun from a holster, shot two of the poles Kim had indicated and then sheathed it again. The audience where looking distinctly nervous now, first from the wayward bullets earlier, then from Kim killing his own executioner and now from Porsche’s appearance. If Kim had had the energy he would have laughed.

‘Before anyone moves anywhere. This place is now surrounded by Theerapanykul bodyguards who have the order to shoot first and ask questions later, so I would think twice.’ Porsche said conversationally to the stirring audience, before glancing back at Grey. ‘As for who I am…….I'm the elder brother of one of the boys you captured for your sick little game, and at some point will be the brother in law of the other. So you can see how letting the brat here get injured any further, would put me in the doghouse by both my boyfriend and my brother!’ Porsche answered, somehow managing to answer the question without saying anything at all.

This time Kim couldn’t stop himself laughing, even though it did come out as more of a wheeze, his lungs unable to handle the the deep inhalation required for something like laughter. Coughing loudly, trying to get his breathing back in order, while at the same time clutching his side against the pain produced by his spasming lungs, wasn’t exactly the nicest feeling in the world, but he had gone through worse.

A gunshot went off and the man in front of him slumped to the floor, for a moment Kim was impressed at Porsche’s decisive attitude, something he would have never thought about the man when they first met. Kim’s sights was starting to get blurry, his head spinning, as a strong hand came down around his shoulder.

‘You look like shit!’ Porsche said warmly.

Kim wanted to return the remark, would have done if he could get his lungs and tongue to work properly, but for now he settled for the most important question.

‘Chay?’ he ground out.

‘Kinn has him. I was sent to get you, after all I spent my own amount of time in a underworld fight ring, so I have more experience than your brother.

‘Bast…..’ Kim grinned before he collapsed, his eyes closing to the world as his body finally gave way under him.

Porsche quickly checked the younger man’s pulse, it was erratic as would be expected from someone who had gone through what he had, but it was there and still amazingly strong. Porsche couldn’t help a momentary grins at how god damn stubborn all the brothers were. By now the bodyguards had emerged from their hiding spots surrounding the audience. Pointing their weapons at any audience member who threatened to even flinch.

‘KIM!’ came a screech from just outside the arena, as Chay barrelled in, Kinn close behind the younger man’s heels.

Porsche grunted as Chay almost slammed into him, pushing him out the way whilst gathering the unconscious Kim into his arms. His younger brother was definitely unaware of what, and who, was around him as he sobbed into the youngest mafia brothers shoulder, running his hand through Kim’s hair as if it would soothe some kind of ache. What really made Porsche’s heart ache though were the broken sounding words Chay almost pleading into Kim’s ripped t-shirt in between sobs.

‘You promised…….you promised me you wouldn’t leave again……..you promised me Kim……...why are you always breaking your promises?……...even if you never keep your word about anything else, ever, please…..please…...keep your promise and don’t leave!’

Porsche turned his eyes, and his ire, towards the man obviously in charge of everything. His clothing, if nothing else made it obvious. Kinn, also looked murderous.

‘Kinn. We need him alive!’ Porsche tried to calm his partner, while feeling nothing but anger himself.

After a moment, Kinn nodded, turning away shouting orders at an almost ear-splitting volume, for someone to come and help Kim to the car so they could get him to the nearest hospital. Porsche himself stood, aimed his weapon and shot off 4 rounds.

Grey rolled on the ground, his noises of agony filling the air.

‘You said…….’ He panted.

‘I said we needed you alive……..I never said you needed to be able to move!’ Porsche cut in harshly, feeling more anger than he had done in a long time.

Instructing some of the bodyguards to take Grey to the car, while instructing others to go fetch anyone alive in the building and, along with the audience, return the fence to its original strength to detain them all until it was decided what to do with them. Porsche returned to his weeping brother, just in time for Kinn to return with help.

It had been an impossible task to extricate Kim from Chay’s arms on the way to the hospital. Kim was still unconscious and Chay was in shock, his arms wrapped around his partner so tightly that everyone was worried Chay might accidentally suffocate Kim himself. Porsche had tried speaking to his brother to no avail, Kinn had tried, but nothing was getting through. Chay simply cradled Kim’s head and shoulders, muttering about broken promises as if on a crazy loop. In the end they had been forced to physically pick up BOTH Kim and Chay, carrying them to the car, where Porsche sat in the back with them as they raced down the back lanes towards the nearest suitable hospital.

Porsche had never seen his brother so upset before……….devastated was more the term for it…….Chay had always been strong, even when he was getting beaten up by loan sharks his brother had always remained defiant. Now here Chay was, a mere shell of himself, clinging onto the unconscious form of Kim. It seemed Khun had been right about the two of them, and Porsche didn’t know how the hell he had missed it when it was still manageable. At this stage though…...Chay being this upset…...Porsche could imagine himself behaving the same way if it had been Kinn in that arena.

Chay was well and truly caught in the lure of a Theerapanyakul brother, and there was no way out for him now!

At the hospital, it took both Kinn and Porsche to physically pull Chay away from Kim long enough for the doctors to get to work. Kinn stalled, looking over at Porsche for a moment as the two shared a glance, they both knew they had a job to do, and despite their best efforts it might not have a good outcome. Kinn followed the doctors, to sign the paperwork required to send Kim into the emergency OR, the doctors not having high hopes for his survival due to the heavy loss of blood. Porsche sat by his unresponsive brother’s side, Chay staring into the distance, not even blinking, as the time ticked by.

Kinn came to sit back down as they waited, the red sign signalling the OR was still in use seemingly a sign of failure rather than hope. The two gripped hands, needing the physical closeness and strength drawn from their partner.

‘Do you want me to make the call?’ Porsche offered, knowing exactly who Kinn had to deal with next, and that he wasn’t up to dealing with histrionics right at that moment.

‘No!’ Kinn said quietly, but with determination.

Kinn pulled his phone out of his pocket, paused, and then looked around at the empty waiting room before pressing the button and putting the phone on speaker. Barely two rings elapsed before the call connected.

‘WELL!!!’ came the screech

‘Kim’s in the OR, they aren’t hopeful for his survival……’ Kinn started explaining, only to be interrupted.

‘Pfft...well what do they know…..that kid will live a long life, if for no other reason than the king of hell himself is scared of him!’ Khun interrupted, his voice for once sounding like that of an older brother and not a male banshee. ‘What about little Chay?’ Khun asked.

‘When I got there he was running from a group of men…...an idiot could work out that they were taking Kim’s absence to try something. He was fine though until he saw Kim injured, now he’s just……..unresponsive!’ Kinn answered blandly.

‘I told you those two loved each other didn’t I?’ Khun almost crowed before letting the serious tone slip back into his tone. ‘Where are all the people?’

‘Porsche glanced over at Kinn, who seemed to understand exactly what his brother was asking.

‘Still at the building we found everyone in…...Arm is watching them!’

‘Good……….burn it!’ Khun spoke levelly.

‘Khun, we can’t until we have a way of securely moving everyone to the compound to…...’Porsche began to speak up.

‘Did I say anything about moving the people Porsche?’ Khun’s voice had dropped to a deadly, almost whisper…..and Porsche shivered at the tone of command it held in its depths. ‘Make sure no one can get out……..and burn that thing to the ground do you understand? Or I have to call Arm myself?’

‘Khun …….I’ Porsche tried again to speak, only to be spoken over this time by Kinn, who had a pained look on his face.

‘We need to find out why they did this Khun!’

Kinn almost sounded like he was pleading!

‘There is nothing you need to know from animals!…….Now you may be the heir, but I am the elder brother and I am telling you to burn it Kinn!’

There was a heavy silence, Porsche could feel the tense atmosphere even without the two brothers in the room.

‘Understood!’ Kinn responded eventually cutting off the call.

‘Kinn what the hell!’ Porsche exploded, just about stopping himself as Kinn let his head fall into his hands.

‘Porsche……..Kim nearly got killed, and if I hadn’t arrived when I did god knows what they would have done to Chay.......' Kinn's voice shifted, almost as if he what he was saying was being pulled out of him against his will '……..in fact one person knows, because he lived it! He went through a kidnapping where we didn’t get there in time…….and that was Khun! So yeah he wants these animals wiped out, because what has just happened is way to close to comfort. I can't make him relive that Porsche, I already failed him once...... failed them both once.........and I refuse to do it again!’

Porsche sighed…..Kinn was right. Khun had gone through an awful ordeal and this was just bringing up his own past trauma. Porsche held Kinn’s hand once again as Kinn shakily pressed the button on the phone to make another call. Although this time Kinn hadn’t placed it on speaker, Porsche heard Kinn’s order of ‘burn it’ and muffled confirmation……...before Kinn closed the line and just began to sob.

Holding his sobbing partner in his arms and looking at his unresponsive brother over his shoulder. Porsche prayed to any being that was listening, that Kim survived this. It would completely destroy his family, both old and new, if the boy didn’t!

He remembered feeling pain……..heat…….an aching sensation….then a different type of pain. He couldn’t figure out where it was coming from as it seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. He had tried to open his eyes, tried to get some response from the outside world and yet, he couldn’t. His body didn’t work. He couldn’t get his arms, legs, even his ears or eyes to do what his mind wanted.

Was this being dead? Was this what it was to be stood on the edge of the life and death precipice? Your mind still aware but your body already given up? He had no clue……...no one had ever been good enough to push him this far before.

Chay…….where was Chay?…...He couldn’t remember seeing him before he passed out, although he was sure he recalled Chay’s voice calling to him…...Chay’s voice had been trembling the entire time as if he couldn’t get enough breath, as if something was wrong with him………….what had happened to Chay?

Everything was quiet……..far too quiet and he felt himself begin struggling towards the surface, although unsure quite where the surface was. It was like struggling in thick mud which both hands tied behind his back, and his chest ached already, or would have done if he was even sure his lungs where working. But he had to find a way out of the sterile, silent, darkness in order to find Chay………...find out why his boy was so upset.

The machines hooked up to Kim’s unconscious form began bleeping at a different speed that than the now almost hypnotic rhythm they had been doing for the last few days. Kim first felt his fingers twitch, the first sign he was finally regaining some control over his physical body. Then his eyelids managed to force themselves open. He felt like he had been hit by a truck……..his body hurt like hell and pain lanced through his head in opposition to even thinking about moving. He lay there, staring at the bland white ceiling, nothing special about it, certainly nothing that would be seen in either his home or the compound……...so where was he? Concentrating on moving his fingers he found that his left arm was harder to move than his right, which made no sense as, if he remembered correctly it was his right arm which had been injured. Biting down tightly against the spike of pain and roiling of his stomach, Kim managed to turn his head slightly.

An overwhelming feeling of both relief and sadness washed over him.

There lay Chay…...curled up with his head on one of his arms, while the other clung to Kim’s left hand as if life depended on it. Kim had no idea how long Chay had been sleeping in such a position, but it didn’t look comfortable.

‘Chay!’ He tried to say, but it just came out as a rough croak. Obviously, his throat would need some tlc before he would get his normal voice back.

Chay didn’t respond, so Kim tried once again to move his fingers, hoping to get some response from his partner. Nothing happened for a few seconds and then, as if by magic, Chay lifted his head and stared straight into his eyes. Chay looked tired, filthy and emotionally and physically worn out………..but he was here…….and he was alive!

‘KIM!’ Chay whispered, almost as if saying the word aloud would make him disappear.

Kim simply nodded, not trusting his voice……..lifting his free arm up slightly in an offer for Chay to get closer. Chay didn’t need any more than that…..he nearly leapt forwards, hugging Kim tightly and although Chay had made sure to avoid all Kim’s injuries, Kim couldn’t help bite his lip to hide the groan of pain the younger man was accidentally giving him.

Chay was here…….safe……..who cared about a little pain.

Just as Kim had wrapped his, now free, left hand around Chay’s lower back, the door opened and in came a group of doctors, followed by both Kinn and Porsche. Both older men looked over tired and a lot more ragged than their normal selves, not that either Kim nor Chay were really paying attention at that moment. Upon seeing Kim’s eyes open, Kinn’s face lit up, almost as if a mountain had been lifted off his shoulders. Porsche was no better at seeing Chay snuggling up to Kim, seeing his own younger brother, moving and making a noise after nearly a week of doll like silence.

The doctors approached the bed, delicately asking Chay to stand for a few minutes while they checked Kim’s injuries. When the only response they got from either man was for Chay to bury his head deeper in Kim’s shoulder and Kim to tighten his hand around Chay’s back, the doctors looked helplessly at the two older brothers. Porsche was the first to step forwards, explaining that the doctors were just going to look at Kim for a few minutes and while they did why didn’t Chay go take a shower and let Kinn watch over his brother. Chay had been so out of it since their return that they had barely been able to get him to go to the bathroom, let alone shower and change. Chay was still in the clothes he had been rescued in.

Chay looked at his Hia, then over to Kinn, before exchanging nods with Kim, who reluctantly let him go. Porsche ushered Chay into the nearby bathroom to clean up and change as the doctors began their examinations. Kinn wondered over to the place near the bed by Kim’s head.

‘What happened?’ Kim asked quietly

‘They are gone……..Khun overruled me!’ Kinn said, knowing that these were not family doctors and he had to be very careful in how much got said. Kim though, seemed to catch on quickly and slightly nodded his head in understanding. ‘When I got there you had already passed out, from blood loss, fatigue, lack of foot and water, take your pick…...but Porsche was dealing with everything.’

Kim nodded again, before asking the question Kinn really hadn’t wanting to deal with.

‘And Chay?’

Kinn took a breath before deciding honesty was the best policy in this situation. Kim would probably find out anyway.

‘That boy must really love you! When he found you passed out he almost went catatonic…..I haven't seen anything like it since……..’ Khun, was the unspoken word both of them understood. ‘Walking into the room just now was the first time Chay has moved and talked on his own for the past week……….Porsche was about to lose his mind with worry.’

‘Week? I have been out a week!’ Kim exclaimed confused.

‘You are lucky to be alive in the first place!’ One of the doctors spoke up, his tone obviously unimpressed with the conversation the two were having in the middle of his examination. ‘You are young, and were healthy before all this happened, but you must have a large amount of luck on your side as well. Most people who survived such a procedure would be in a coma for months, you came out of it in a week. Do not over tax yourself, nor try and do more than you are able though, otherwise even with your miraculous recovery so far, you will need further operations.’

‘Don’t worry, I will make sure he doesn’t!’ Came Chay’s serious tone from the bathroom door.

Kim almost laughed. Chay must have showered in record time to have heard the doctor, and was still towel drying his hair as he spoke, but Kim couldn’t deny that Chay with damp hair and an oversized t-shirt which showed off his damp collarbones, was a good look on him.

The doctor nodded to Chay, glanced over at Kinn and then walked out the room. Kinn patted Kim gently on the shoulder before following the doctor out, with Porsche glancing at his own brother before following his partner into the hall. Chay wasted no time in resuming his spot in Kim’s arms on the bed, glad that the VIP suite Kim had been put in had slightly wider beds than most and he wasn’t dangling over the edge.

‘I made you worry!’ Kim said, running his hand through Chay’s hair as he snuggled close.

‘You nearly died Kim……...that wasn’t making me worry…….that was completely freaking me out!’ Chay mumbled.

Kim smiled, pressing the pads if his finger tips a little firmer to Chay’s skull.

‘Ok I freaked you out……..but Chay……..I can’t promise that I won’t do that again…...when it comes down to your safety or mine……...I will always choose yours.’

Chay sighed but stayed still for a moment before looking up, sheer earnestness in his eyes.

‘I understand……...so would I!’ Chay swore.

Kim jerked in momentary panic, groaning and stilling as the pain surged through him.

‘Stay still will you……..you have only just woken up!’ Chay admonished.

‘Chay, I don’t want you ever getting hurt because of me……..never again……..promise me!’ Kim said firmly, the feeling of what he himself had done to Chay still raw.

Chay must have seen something of what Kim was feeling, because rather than argue the point he simply stared, took Kim’s hand in his own and then spoke quietly.

‘I will, but only if you promise me that you will do everything and anything you can not to get into trouble in future…….and if you do, not to get hurt……...because Kim I don’t want you to get hurt……..I love you!’

Kim’s heart hammered in his chest. The time they had been together before, Chay had said he loved him, but he thought he had damaged Chay so much that even if he got his trust back he would never regain that love.

‘I love you too’ He croaked out, and this time it wasn’t just his dry throat making it so he couldn’t speak.

Once Kinn and Porsche had finished speaking with the doctors about Kim’s treatment going forwards, they had given their two younger brothers a little time alone by going to get some drinks and food from a nearby café. Both of the elder brothers now felt more awake than they had in days. Chay was back functioning, and Kim was awake……..it was like a new day had finally dawned.

Upon returning to the room though, they both stopped!

Both Kim and Chay were asleep, Chay’s mouth very close to Kim’s bare neck and his arm draped over Kim’s lower abdomen. Kim’s arm was possessively wrapped around Chay’s lower back, with the t-shirt Chay was wearing hitched up to expose the skin Kim’s palm was lying on, and on Chay’s neck was a dark red patch just above where the t-shirt was able to cover.

Porsche went beetroot red and walked out the door faster than he came into it. Kinn grinned a little before following his partner out the door and closing it gently on the sleeping couple.

Porsche sighed before mumbling to no one in particular.

‘That best be the only mark he has on him!’

Kinn laughed under his breath.

‘Porsche, Kim has literally only just woken up after serious surgery, what do you think he would do?’

Porsche simply huffed, but this time there was definitely humour in it.

‘Yeah right……….like that would stop anyone with your DNA!’ He grumbled.

Kinn smiled, reaching out to Porsche who danced away. This got repeated over and over again, until the two were laughing like children and playing tag halfway down the corridor.

Inside the room Kim and Chay automatically snuggled closer as they slept soundly, protected by their family for the first time since it had all began.

Chapter Text

Kim shuffled around in bed, happy it was his own bed and he was out of the damned hospital, but at least a little annoyed that he was still stuck in the compound rather than his actual OWN bed in his OWN home! But there was one good thing about being stuck in the family compound, and it certainly wasn’t the fact that Kinn would just walk through the door without even knocking, or that Khun had spent the last few days sprawled out on his bed next to him talking about some drama as if Kim was even remotely interested! No….the only reason Kim was still keeping his sanity in this house was the owner of the noise going on in the kitchen. Trying not to groan as the bandage pulled over the gunshot wound on his abdomen, Kim shifted again as he pulled himself upright.

‘Kim! Resting means staying still! Not moving around!’ Chay admonished from the doorway, his hands holding a tray full of obviously hot and beautiful smelling food.

Kim had to bite his lip to stop his mouth watering……..and it wasn’t all because of the food. Chay looked so cute with his hair a mess , his shirt showing a few stains from where some ingredients had made it down the front of the apron, and the childish grin on the younger man’s face despite the fact he was trying to tell him off. Kim had reminded Chay numerous times since retuning to the compound that Chay didn’t need to cook anything himself, that he could just order it from the kitchens, but his little kitten was determined to cook healthy meals for him with his own hands. It was cute, and it was arousing at the same time…….Kim had never even known that combination could exist before Chay arrived in his life.

‘I’m not moving around. I am simply trying to sit up!’ Kim grouched playfully. Shifting again and biting back another grimace as his abdomen pulled again.

‘Let me help you!’ Chay almost tutted, putting the tray down on the side table before reaching out to Kim, only to stall just before touching him.

Kim couldn’t help laughing. They had been doing this for days and still Chay got nervous and blushed every time he needed to touch Kim’s bare skin. Of course Kim could easily wear a light t-shirt, his wounds weren’t that painful. But he had seen the innocent blushes Chay had given him the first day when he had stripped off his shirt to get into bed, and ever since then the urge to playfully tease his boy had been too overwhelming. So for the past few days Kim had worn nothing on his top half but the bandages around his stomach and right bicep. If Kim had his way he would soon see Chay will a lot less clothing on than this……..but his nervous little kitten would need to be eased into the idea. Still Kim couldn’t help the thought that if Chay blushed so much about even touching him this much then he couldn’t have done anything with anyone before, which meant he…...Kim…..would be Chay’s first, and if he had anything to say about, also last, exploration into certain areas of adult relationships.

The thought made him dizzy.

Chay’s hands closed around his shoulders, his eyes on his as they filled with concern.

‘Kim are you OK? I told you not to move around so much…….you are lucky I’m here and you didn’t faint and fall out of bed or something!’

Kim just smiled, ruffling Chay’s hair with his arm. He wasn’t stupid enough to tell Chay exactly what he had been thinking about so he changed the simply changed the subject.

‘I’m just a little hungry, and what you made smells so delicious……..’ Chay brightened at the praise, until Kim lowered his voice to that rich tone he knew always worked to coax people. . ‘…….feed me some!’

‘Kim…….if your arm works well enough for you to sit up, then you can hold a spoon!’ Chay chuckled.

‘But you said yourself that I nearly fainted and fell out of bed……..I need to retain my energy!’ Kim tried, inwardly having a great time at acting like a child for once.

‘What a baby!’ Chay laughed louder but scooped a mountain of rice and egg onto the spoon anyway and offered it up to Kim’s mouth.

Kim had great fun making noises which clearly had a double entendre and made Chay blush even brighter as he ate, occasionally winding his tongue around the spoon in suggestive ways or even just holding Chay’s gaze has he swallowed. Chay was so easy to tease! When the meal was eventually eaten, Kim lay back on the pillows trying really hard not to smile as Chay returned the bowl to the kitchen. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this content, this happy with his life and the world in general. He didn’t think he ever had if he was honest with himself.

Chay returned a few moments later with a bowl and sponge…….another little routine Kim had enjoyed teasing Chay with over the last few days. Sometimes Kim would sponge himself down, always with a subtle undertone of suggestion while Chay practically vibrated with embarrassment, and sometimes he would ask Chay to help, while Chay did a great impression of a tomato! Of course Kim was perfectly capable of getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom to have a shower…..he wasn’t that injured! If he had been seen by the doctors in the compound they would have released him as soon as the problem of the blood loss had been resolved, but with outside doctors involved it had been a little more complicated. Chay however had taken the doctors instructions to heart, a little accident which was giving Kim a great deal of fun as he played the injured patient.

Chay put the bowl down on the side table and sat back on the side of the bed, looking over at Kim…...Kim knew exactly what the younger man was waiting for and simply looked back.

Chay continued to stare at Kim

Kim continued to stare at Chay

Chay continued to stare at Kim

Kim continued to stare at Chay

Chay cracked first…….huffing out a breath of air reaching for the bed covers, pulling them back just enough to have all of Kim’s bare torso on display but none of his clothed lower half. The bed covers folding neatly just below Kim’s navel. Chay’s hands were a little more steady than they had been the first time he had done this. The first time more water had gone on the bed than on Kim, his hands had been shaking that much! But to go from a small peck on the cheek by your boyfriend to wiping the same man down while he was half naked in bed, would be a big jump for anyone to make. Chay thought he would never get used to the feeling of Kim’s skin, of the muscles that jumped under his touch, even through the cloth, and how although Kim didn’t look ‘muscly’ in the traditional sense, Chay could still tell he was strong and powerful. He had wanted to touch Kim for the longest time, to see him as he truly was…….but he couldn’t seem to make his fingers move somehow the skin was available to him……..maybe because Chay was well aware what those bandages meant, and why Kim had gotten them.

‘Where’s your head at?’ Kim’s soft voice broke through Chay’s mind haze.

‘Nothing!’ Chay said a little too fast as he removed the cloth, got up from the bed and returned to the kitchen feeling flustered.

‘Chay!’ Kim called only to get no response. So he tried something else. ‘Chay either you come back in here and tell me what’s going on…...or I get up and come find you!’

As expected the threat worked!

‘I’m coming……..don’t get up, just give me a minute!’ Chay responded.

A few moments later Chay walked back into the room looking like he had either been crying or was on the verge of doing so. Knowing that getting up from the bed would just make matters worse, Kim instead shifted a little make space and offered his arm.

‘Come lie with me a bit!’ He almost ordered.

Chay paused for a second before nodding, kicking off his slippers and sliding carefully on top of the covers and creeping into Kim’s waiting arm. Once Chay had stopped moving, Kim pulled him a little closer so that Chay could rest his head on Kim’s chest if he wished to, or simply on his shoulder. Chay chose Kim's shoulder and stayed silent for a moment, deeply in thought.

‘Are you ready to tell me?’ Kim prodded.

Again there was silence for a moment before, Kim felt Chay’s fingers touching the bandage at his waist, almost with a whisper touch, before Chay almost mumbled.

‘You got hurt protecting me. You nearly died protecting me……….and yet I……..I………’ Chay stalled, but Kim knew enough to stay silent and let him find the words to continue. ‘…….why do you like me Kim…….i’m so useless……...all I do is get everyone hurt……...first my brother……...now you! Everyone around me risks their lives for mine……..and I don’t think I’m worth it!’

Kim moved his hand a little to run it through Chay’s hair. His arm still hurt but it was manageable, and definitely not as bad as Chay’s heart right now.

‘Chay! Kitten!…….look at me!’ Kim ordered gently, waiting for Chay to lift his chin and make eye contact. The pain and doubt in those eyes made Kim’s insides hurt more than any bullet could. ‘Both your brother, and I, fought to protect you BECAUSE you are worth it. I can’t speak for Porsche, but I can tell you that for me…..before you came along I was existing, but I wasn’t living. WIK was a shell who did a good job of fooling everyone he was happy, Kim didn’t care about anything……..and Kimhan was simply a murderer……….you made me want to actually live, and gave me something to live for. How can I not fight for that? But if it makes you feel better, when I recover I will teach you how to defend yourself a bit better ok?’

Chay’s eyes took on a contemplative look as Kim paused, his fingers still running through the dark locks of Chay’s hair.

‘You have never been a murderer Kim……….a killer yes………..but not a murderer!’ Chay said with certainty.

OK talk about change of subject! But at least Chay wasn’t thinking he was worthless any more……..Kim could go with it.

‘There is a difference to you?’ Kim asked, not really wanting to talk about the differences between killers and murderers but taking the chance to change the topic.

Chay nodded. Moving his head from Kim’s shoulder to his chest, which Kim assumed was a good sign.

‘Murderers enjoy killing……...they do it because they like it. Killers kill to save themselves, or their families. Hia has nearly killed to protect me before, I know he has killed to protect P’Kinn. You have only killed to protect yourself, your family and now me……...I don’t believe for a second you are the type of person who enjoys doing it though!’

Kim had never thought about it that way……….but part of him was glad Chay had, and that Chay didn’t blame him for anything he had done in his past. Still this conversation was hitting a little to close to home. It was time for another change of topic.

‘Chay…...come under the cover it’s cold’ Kim mentioned knowing full well Chay would shake his head, which Chay almost immediately did. ‘I’m injured and can barely sit up on my own……..do you really think I would do anything to you?’ Kim laughed.

Chay just laughed, snuggling closer.

‘No you wouldn’t do anything…..I trust you……..it’s just its odd. We just got back together, we haven't even kissed properly outside of a life and death situation, and now here we are both in your bed, and you half naked under there. It wouldn’t be right for me to come under as well.’

Kim wanted to say, ‘to hell with right and wrong’ and just pull Chay under with him. But he could see how the past few weeks, the break up, getting back together, fighting, kidnapping, would be a lot for someone like Chay. The younger man needed space to sort out his thoughts. But for all the doors Chay had closed with his small speech, at least for now, there was one that Kim noticed he had accidentally left open.

Chay squealed in surprise as Kim pulled Chay close, rolling them over. The bed sheets and their clothing still acting as a barrier between the two bodies, but that wasn’t what Kim was aiming for. His lips touched Chay’s, gently at first waiting for a response, giving Chay chance to accept or refuse his advance. Chay’s lips softened as his mouth opened to allow Kim entrance. Kim took the invitation with glee, allowing his tongue to roam freely inside the warm cavern of Chay’s mouth. Kim couldn’t help but groan, not only at how right the kiss felt, but that Chay was unconsciously softening beneath him as well. Any tenseness in the younger man’s bearing was leaching away as the kiss intensified, leaving Chay a pliable body underneath him. Part of Kim just wanted to rip away the damn covers and clothes…...to make Chay scream his name over and over again so that the whole compound could hear who Chay belonged to now. No, actually, he would keep those pretty moans to himself……….Chay was all his, and he didn’t want to share.

The two broke apart for air and Chay looked up from his cocoon of sheets, looking a little drunk from what had just happened. Kim simply smiled down at him.

‘You said you wouldn’t do anything to me!’ Chay said in a wobbly voice…...but it held no fear…...more a mix of arousal and uncertainty.

‘Chay there are so many things I WANT to do to you…...but I won’t until you are ready. You had said that we never kissed outside a life and death situation…….I simply corrected that!’ Kim said with a grin.

‘Corrected?’ Chay asked….sounding like he didn’t have all his brain cells back up and firing quite yet.

‘mmmhm’ Kim smiled…….’ Do you want me to show you again?’

Chay blushed but gave a small nod. This time Kim had hardly touched Chay’s lips when Chay opened his mouth in welcome and invite causing Kim to allow himself to let the leash slip on his arousal a little. The kiss became deeper, more filled with want and need. His arm throbbed from where it was holding up his weight and pain lanced through his stomach and back every time he moved even so much as an inch…...but he didn’t care. Chay was here, mumbling his name between the clash of lips and teeth.

He had his Chay back………

That was the only thing in his life he had ever cared about

And it was back here with him.

Kim was never going to let him go anywhere again!