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Can groaned out loud and stomped his feet in annoyance. Never in a million years did the football player thought he would be stuck in this situation.
Pining over a boy, his traitorous mind supplied.
Can let Tin walk away and his singular decision was still haunting him weeks later. Tin had said no to his friendship and left him with all these…feelings. Can didn’t know what to do with them. He didn’t know what to do with himself.
“Something on your mind, Can?”
Can looked up against the bright sunlight shining on the sports field and saw Ae’s face staring at him worriedly. “Tin’s on my mind.” He said quietly, pouting.
Ae sat down next to him on the bench, uncapping the cold bottle of water in his hands. “I thought you didn’t like that asshole.”
Can frowned at Ae’s statement. “He’s not an asshole.”
Ae raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to continue.
“Okay, maybe he’s an asshole.” Can grumbled. “But he’s got his heart in the right place. I think.”
“I highly doubt that if he wasn’t even willing to be your friend.”
Can scuffed the heel of his shoe on the ground. He was silent for a few minutes.
“I think I broke his heart, Ae.”
“Oh, Can.”
Ae sighed and wrapped an arm around Can’s shoulder. Can hastily wiped his tears away with one hand and slumped in his seat, mind filled with thoughts of one boy.
When Can tried to look for the international program student at his building, Tin was nowhere to be found. His car wasn’t in the parking lot either. After a week of stalking the entrance, Can realized that Tin was gone. He was worried. What if Tul did something to him again? He wouldn’t put it past Tin’s brother to cook up another scheme to get Tin in trouble.
Can couldn’t ask Pete; the other boy was still a little pissed at him after his fall out with Tin, and to be honest? Can was scared of a pissy Pete. So he asked Ae instead. Pete told Ae that Tin was going on an overseas trip for the school’s student exchange program.
Can wandered aimlessly, the sun setting as he walked the long route home. His heart stuttered in his chest as he saw a white car drive past him.
“Tin?”
Can spun around quickly, eyes tracking the car and looking at the license plate. He didn’t recognize it.
“Not Tin.” Can muttered to himself, turning back around and continuing his walk home. He pulled out his phone to check the time. It was almost 7 PM and it was already pretty dark. He sent Ley a text saying he was almost home; he was just a few blocks away from the house.
Can clutched the phone tightly in one hand and walked faster.
“Hey, nong.”
Can stopped and looked around, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Suddenly his arm was pulled harshly and he went sprawling into a dimly lit side alley. He heard his phone clatter on the ground.
“What the heck? Who’s there?” Can yelled, hoping someone would hear him. He scrambled to his feet and tried to feel the ground for his phone.
“Give me your phone and bag and you won’t get hurt,” the voice came from a masked man standing by the entrance to the alley. His eyes were glinting dangerously.
“No way!” Tin gave me that phone!
Can felt a rough kick to his abdomen and he crashed into a bunch of abandoned furniture left by the wall. He felt a sharp pain on the side of his face and neck as the jagged edges of the mirror he fell into sliced into his skin.
Fuck, that hurts! Can tried to blink away the spots dancing around his line of sight as he tried to stand.
“Don’t be stubborn.”
“Leave me alone!” Can shouted. “Somebody help me, please!”
The man rushed towards him and punched him in the side. Can fell back to the ground, head cracking loudly against the pavement. He felt another kick to his abdomen before Can passed out.
Can was found by Ley and his mom who got worried when he didn’t make it home after texting them he was nearby. He had a nasty cut that ran from his left temple his to just above his collarbone, a fractured rib and elbow, and a ruptured spleen. It was a good thing they found when they did, or else… well. Can didn’t want to think about what ifs anymore.
That was six months ago.
Can was in the hospital for three months and rehab for the next three. He was mostly fine, all things considered. His elbow was still a little painful and stiff but nothing a few more months of therapy couldn’t fix. He had also twisted his ankle and nothing was broken, but he still walked a little funny after the incident.
That meant no football for the time being while he healed. So water boy he was.
Can pulled a trolley filled with cold water bottles to the field with his good hand as he shouted at the team for a water break. “P’No! Water’s here!”
Techno stopped running and blew his whistle. “Water break, boys!”
The members cheered as they ran towards Can, sweaty and tired from the suicide drills Techno and Type had them running.
“Thanks, Can,” Type said, taking a bottle of water and ruffling his junior’s hair with the other.
“P’Type!” Can complained, flattening his hair with a pout.
Techno shook his head in amusement and gave Type a hard poke in the side.
“Hey!”
“No roughhousing the junior,” Techno warned, “I need him in his best shape if he’s going to make first string next season.”
Can snorted. “I don’t think I’ll be playing anytime soon, P’No. Next year, maybe.”
Techno and Type gave each other sad looks.
“Oh come on. Don’t make those faces!” Can said, reaching over and slipping his arms through his seniors’. “You can buy me dinner after practice if you want to make me feel better about not being able to play for a while.”
“Your stomach is still an endless pit, Can.” Techno commented dryly, not saying no.
“I’ll get Tharn to give us a ride. Hotpot okay, you glutton?”
Can grinned happily.
“I’m stuffed!” Can declared, rubbing his belly. It was good meal. And it was free, so Can really wasn’t in any position to complain.
Techno smiled at Can. “Don’t get used to it. When you’re back in shape, you’ll be paying for all this with endless practices.”
Type nodded seriously. “All the drills.”
Can stuck his tongue out at his captain and vice-captain. “Yeah, yeah.”
Tharn approached the trio after paying at the cashier and smiled warmly at Can. “I’ll take you home, Can.”
“It’s fine! I need to drop by the drugstore to buy ointment for my ankle. I asked my mom to pick me up.” That last part was a lie but Can didn’t want to bother his seniors anymore than he did. He was really thankful for all their support but he didn’t want to burden anyone.
“You sure?” Techno asked, slipping his arm through Tharn’s, “It’s no problem. Tharn can drive you home since your house is on the way back to our apartment.”
Can blinked. Our apartment? “Your apartment? You three live together?”
Techno’s mouth snapped shut. He and Type shared a worried glance. Tharn’s face was unreadable.
Weird.
“Yeah… we do.” Tharn said quietly, arm coming up around Type’s waist.
Can nodded, still looking at three seniors suspiciously. “Cool.” He gave them a grin and wave. “I’ll be off then. Thanks again, you three!”
They waved back and Can walked backwards and out of the restaurant.
Type pinched Techno’s arm when Can was out of sight. “You idiot! I thought you didn’t want anyone to know yet!”
Techno raised his arms in surrender. “Sorry, sorry! It was a slip of the tongue!”
Tharn shook his head fondly at the bickering duo. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Can was walking out of the mall, looking through the bag of medicine he had bought when he noticed he left the tube of analgesic ointment on the counter.
“Crap!” Can cursed. Of all the things to leave behind! He spun around and went crashing to the ground as he bumped into someone, his hurt ankle twisting further as he broke his fall with his good arm.
“Sorry!” Can waied without looking up, trying to position his ankle as not to aggravate it further. Just his luck.
A familiar cold voice sent chills down Can’s spine. “Watch where you’re going next---” The voice stopped.
It can’t be… Can looked up slowly and saw Tin’s cool expression staring back at him.
“…time.” Tin finished weakly, though his expression didn’t waver.
“Tin?”
Tin didn’t reply. Can sighed and tried to stand up, wobbling on one foot dangerously. He felt Tin grab his elbow and gently tug him to his feet.
“Are you okay?” Tin’s fingers touched the raised scar on Can’s elbow. He didn’t have that six months ago. Did he get injured when I was away?
“It’s just my stupid ankle.” Can mumbled, rotating it and seeing if it was broken. “Probably sprained it again.”
“Again?”
Can hummed noncommittally. He looked up at Tin. “I’m sorry for asking this. I know I don’t deserve anything from you, but I can’t really walk on this,” he lifted his ankle pointedly, “So could you, like, help me to that bench over there. I’ll call my mom and get her to pick me up.”
“Fine.” Tin said after a few seconds, helping Can hop to the bench and grabbing his phone – the very same phone Tin had given him – from the ground. He offered it to Can who took with a grim smile.
“Thank you.” Can said quietly. “You can leave, I guess.”
Tin lifted his head in acknowledgment and walked away.
Tin lingered in the back as Can called his mom. He couldn’t hear the conversation but he saw Can’s shoulders slump and a resigned expression appeared on his face. Can slipped the phone back into his bag with a sigh. He sat there for a few minutes before glaring at his ankle and hobbling back inside the mall.
Where’s he going? Tin thought. Keeping a close distance behind Can, who was walking slowly, trying not to put too much pressure on his ankle.
The sports science student went inside the drugstore and after a short discussion with the pharmacist, he was handed a small paper bag. Can opened it and gave a grateful wai to the girl at the counter. Can limped out of the store and pulled out his phone again, frowning. He pressed the screen and brought the phone up to ear.
Tin came closer, staying just out of Can’s radar.
“Hi Ley. Are you home? Can you pick me up at the mall? Mom was supposed to but she has to do overtime at work.” Can pursed his lips. “You’re not home either. Okay. Alright. Thanks anyway. I’ll take a taxi home. Bye.”
Tin sighed. He could never really resist Can. Not even when the shorter boy stomped all over his heart with one statement.
Can we be friends instead?
Hurting, Tin had said no and ran away, like he always did. But after six months away Tin realized how selfish he was being. He couldn’t force Can into a relationship he wasn’t ready for, especially since he had basically bullied the other boy into kissing and going on dates with him.
In end, Can just wasn’t ready yet. Tin knew he couldn’t hold that over his head forever. You can’t force feelings on someone. It would have only hurt both of them.
With a sigh, Tin strode forward. “Can.”
Can turned around slowly. “Tin. You’re back.”
“I’ll take you home.” He offered his hand.
Can stared at Tin before giving in. “Okay.”
He took Tin’s hand.
Because Can had horrible luck, the traffic was insane on the way back to his house. Can had managed to busy himself by reading all the labels on the medicine he purchased and by the time he was done, Tin was already parking his car in front of the gate.
“Wait there,” Tin ordered. He opened his door and went around the car, Can watching him from the passenger seat.
What’s he doing now?
Tin opened Can’s door and leaned down, wrapping an arm around Can’s waist and helping him up and out of the car. Can tried to wriggle from Tin’s grip of steel. “I can do it myself, Tin!”
“No, you can’t. Stop struggling.”
Can could never win against Tin either. Not when they were dating (?) and not when Can absolutely has zero chance of winning a fight against the other boy, as injured as he was. The two slowly made their way inside the house, Can successfully unlocking the door and Tin helping him sit on the couch.
“Finally!” Can said happily, lifting up his sore ankle on the coffee table and pulling off his shoes and socks. He gave his ankle a prod and was satisfied that there was just a little swelling. Without warning, Tin came back with a cold compress and placed it on his leg.
Can didn’t have time to wonder how Tin knew where everything was as he saw that Tin was staring at the scar on his face. Can squirmed under the intense scrutiny of Tin’s gaze.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Can joked nervously.
“What happened to you?” Tin asked. “Why do have a scar on your face and elbow?”
Oh. He noticed my elbow too. Can thought to himself.
“I got mugged.”
Tin sighed and sat down beside Can, eyes not leaving his face. “Let me guess, you didn’t hand over your stuff.”
Can frowned and looked away.
“You should be more careful.”
“I know.”
Can flinched when he felt Tin’s face trace the slightly raised scar tissue on his face.
“I think it makes me look cool,” Can said lightly, “The scar.”
Tin’s hands were following the lines of the scar down his neck. “Does it hurt?” he whispered.
“No. It’s practically gone anyway. The medicine has been helping.”
Tin dropped his hand and faced forward.
“So,” Can started, voice trailing off.
“You still hate silence.” Tin commented, looking around the room. Do you hate me?
“I don’t hate you.”
Tin’s head snapped toward Can, wondering if he had said that last thought out loud. Can was looking at him in a strange way --- like he wanted to say something to Tin and couldn’t find the right words. Can always had words. Maybe Tin was the exception?
Tin took a breath and mustered up every ounce of courage he had collected over the past six months.
“I love you.”
Can didn’t seem surprised. He held Tin’s gaze. “I know.”
“…don’t you love me?”
“Loving you was never the problem.” Can reached up and touched Tin’s cheek. “It was everything else.”
Tin closed his eyes. Maybe this was the closure both of them needed. An honest, clean break. Maybe they can be friends now.
Who am I kidding? Tine thought sadly, opening his eyes and looking at the one boy who made him fall in love. “I can’t be friends with you.”
“I can’t be friends with you.” Can echoed.
Tin leaned forward, drawn to Can the way he always has been and probably always be.
“We can’t be friends.” Tin muttered, so close to Can their lips touch when they talk.
“We can’t.”
“We can be more.”
A pause.
“We can.”
Can took a deep breath and a leap of faith. He pressed his lips against Tin’s. Tin smiled against Can’s lips, his hands finding themselves on Can’s waist, fingers drifting under his shirt and over the jut of his hipbones. Can tilted his head and wrapped his arms around Tin’s neck, lips moving softly against Tin’s.
When they pulled away, Can had a small smile on his face.
“I don’t love you yet.”
“I know.”
“But I think I will.”
“I’ll take it.”