Work Text:
Rome blinks many, many times at his older brother, waiting for him to surrender and Kian knows his brother is not going to let this go. He’s too stubborn for that. Also, they grew up together. He knows him by heart now, even if Rome likes to pretend he can still surprise his big brother and that he’s not “that predictable”.
“Come on, P’Kian, it’s just one night,” Rome insists yet again and Kian finally looks up at him.
Not only the younger man is bothering him, but he thought coming to his workplace would be the best place to do that. Once he arrived, Mok swiftly made himself scarce, letting the brothers talk and Kian quickly accepted his fate. Now, though, he wishes he’d immediately turned his brother down.
“And you expect me to what? Stay put the entire night while you go to your date?” Kian replies.
“It’s not like you go out much, anyway,” Rome shrugs, earning a darker stare from his brother. “You can ask P’Peach to spend the night at the house, this way, you’ll have no reason to go out.”
Rome sends a brilliant smile to his brother, proud of himself for offering a great solution, and Kian answers with a deep sigh.
“What do you even need him for?” he eventually asks.
“I have a dinner with an old friend and I think Mok is the best suited to accompany me,” Rome states simply.
Kian levels him with an annoyed look and tilts his head to the side.
“You have a dinner date with a friend, and out of all the very competent men we have on our roaster, you want to take my head of security and assistant with you?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly it,” Rome confirms. “See? I knew you’d get it,” he adds with a beaming smile.
Kian sighs, shaking his head and leans back into this chair. A part of him wants to mess with his baby brother, but he also knows Mok would be disappointed to have not been given the chance to give his opinion on this. Even if Kian were to command him to do it (or not), he knew better than to get between the two of them and whatever is going on between them.
“You know what, let’s call him in and have him decide,” Kian suggests as he goes to push the button to call his assistant.
Rome immediately loses his smile and reaches out to take Kian’s hand in his.
“Can’t you just tell him to do it? You know he’d listen to you, no questions asked.”
“Is that really what you want, though?” Kian asks, tilting his head again. “Wouldn’t you like him to chose to accompany you?”
Rome clenches his jaw, not sure what to tell his brother. Of course, he’d love Mok to happily agree to spend the evening with him but… A small part of him also knows there’s a possibility he might refuse, out of loyalty or self-preservation, it truly depends. Rome is not sure he’d be able to take another rejection but, he also knows better than to go against his brother’s words. He eventually lets go of his hand and gestures for him to go on. Kian pushes the button on his phone and Mok immediately answers.
“Yes, Boss?” his voice comes in through the com.
“Come in, I have something to ask you,” Kian simply states.
“Yes, Boss,” Mok agrees.
Kian looks up at his younger brother, who seems more nervous than he has in a long time in front of Kian. The elder can’t remember the last time he saw Rome not entirely in control of a situation. Granted, they keep bickering and fighting back and forth but Rome always seems to be at ease and to handle each situation better than Kian.
Now, however, he finally looks his age and Kian is reminded, yet again, that this is his baby brother and he, too, has to protect him. Mok comes into the room, as quietly as he usually does, and come to stand on Kian’s right, at the side of the desk.
“What can I do for you, Khun Thee?” he asks, his voice as steady as it can be while around Rome.
Kian keeps his eyes on Rome, who’s now staring at something on Kian’s desk, refusing to look at either men in the room.
“My brother would like to have you as his bodyguard,” Kian states, making his bodyguard’s head snap quickly at him.
“I beg your pardon, Khun Thee?”
Kian has never, ever, entertained the idea that Mok would go work for Rome, not even for a second. No matter how many times his brother asked, so Mok is definitely confused when he hears the words.
“Don’t worry, it would only be for one night,” he adds with a dazzling smile, which grows bigger when he sees relief on Mok’s face. “He has a dinner date and he’d like you to accompany him. Is that something you’d be comfortable with?”
“I’d be comfortable with whatever task you trust upon me, Khun,” Mok answers with a nod.
Rome scoffs, getting his brother’s attention, but he keeps his eyes on Mok.
“Oh, so I’m a task, now?” he asks.
“Khun,” Mok simply replies.
Rome shakes his head, much to his brother’s amusement, but doesn’t comment any further.
“You can take him,” Kian finally accepts. “I trust Mok to take care of you, but I also trust you not to get him into any unnecessary danger. You go to your dinner, have fun with your friend and then come straight home to the mansion. Is that clear?”
“Yes, P’Kian,” Rome answers with a grin.
“Mok?”
“Of course, Boss,” Mok answers, with a nod.
“Great, and make sure not to interrupt my date with Peach, or I’ll make both your lives a living hell,” he concludes with a grin of his own.
~~~~~
Rome turns his head when someone knocks at his bedroom’s door and allows them to come in, as he gets out of his walk-in back into his room. He gets in at the same time as Mok enters the room and they both stop on their tracks, though Mok is quicker to come back to his senses.
Rome is blown away by the way Mok is dressed. He’d seen him in many, many outfits over the years, but his heart skips a beat once he realises Mok dressed up for him, this time. He made sure to look good, for him. Because he didn’t want to embarrass Rome in front of his friend. He’s in a full black attire: shirt and pants, but the shirt has floral broderies on his chest in soft, pastel colours that fit him so well, with a few buttons undone. Dark enough not to get noticed but with a small touch of colours to stand out a bit. His shoes are a dark maroon and shiny, he’s wearing a thin gold necklace, that shines just enough underneath the lights, his usual thin-framed glasses and a watch… The watch Rome gifted him a few years back. He immediately looks up at Mok’s eyes and smiles when he sees the light blush on his cheeks.
“I hope this outfit will blend in correctly,” Mok states.
“It definitely will,” Rome assures him. “Though people might look at you a bit too much.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Mok tells him, as he gestures to his outfit.
Rome does a spin, flaunting his outfit. He’s wearing a burgundy suit, with a white shirt and a few undone buttons as well. He decided to take it easy tonight, not wanting to stand out too much, but he kinda wishes he did now, seeing as Mok tried to step up his own game.
“I hope I won’t embarrass you,” Rome teases him.
“I assure you, that could never happen, Khun Krit,” Mok says softly.
Rome sends him one of his adoring smile and steps closer to him. It still hasn’t completely set in that he’s going to have him all to himself, all night, with no other obligations whatsoever occupying his mind.
“Is everything okay on-site?” he asks, before walking out of the room, Mok following him.
“Yes, everything has been prepared as requested. I set up the settings in cooperation with Khun Porsche’s team as well. There shouldn’t be any surprises tonight,” Mok tells him, as they walk down the stairs.
Rome stops at the bottom of the stairs, turning around to face Mok who stops at the last step of the stairs, making Rome look up at him.
“No surprises? None at all?” Rome teases, as his gaze go back and forth between Mok’s eyes and lips.
Mok blushes again, a bit more than earlier, and Rome takes a deep breath to settle himself and not do something stupid like kiss him, for example.
“Shall we?” Rome suggests.
“Yes, I’ll bring the car around,” Mok agrees before quickly walking outside.
Rome goes to follow him but stops in his steps when he hears his brother’s voice.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Kian warns from the top of the stairs.
Rome turns to level him with a defying stare and crosses his arms.
“Don’t worry, even if I offer him a better salary, you know he won’t leave you.”
“Yeah, but if you confess, he might,” Kian teases him.
Rome immediately loses his smile, and lets his arms fall at his sides. They never talk about it. Some words should never be spoken out loud and whatever feelings exist between Rome and Mok should stay between them, inside their own heart and never put into the universe. They should never allow themselves to it, or it would cause their doom.
“Have fun with P’Peach,” Rome tells him and turns around immediately, not wanting to hear whatever his brother has to add.
“Are you okay, Khun Krit?” Mok asks, when Rome approaches him.
“Yeah, let’s just go,” he says, before getting into the car.
He just has to get through this car trip, then he’d be free to simply enjoy his night out. Thankfully, Mok knows him better than anyone so he doesn’t try to pry any information out of him when he settles behind the wheel, and simply starts the car to lead them to their destination.
~~~~~
“Well, hello there,” Porsche greets Rome when the young man enters the room. “Pleasure to see you again, Khun Rome.”
Rome chuckles as he walks closer to the older man, who stood up to hug him. Mok greets the man’s bodyguard with a nod, giving the two men a minute of privacy. They were settled in a private corner of the restaurant. It was a pretty full room tonight, but the staff had been briefed, not to let anyone approach the zone and to have the best waiter or waitress serve them. Things should go smoothly and Mok would make sure Rome enjoyed his night.
“Come on, P’Porsche, I though we were past this,” Rome chastises him as he claps his back.
“Well I don’t know, are we here for business or pleasure?” Porsche teases him.
Rome lets go of him and sends him with an annoyed smile.
“I thought you wanted to talk about your relationship issues?” he teases back, before sitting down the table.
Porsche chuckles, sitting down in front of his younger friend.
“I wouldn’t say ‘relationship issues’, I just need advice from someone who doesn’t know Kinn,” he explains. “I know not to ask for relationship advice from you, considering…” he trails off, quickly glancing at Mok.
The bodyguard keeps his eyes moving around the room, but he can sense the man eyes’s boring into him. It’s not his first time meeting Khun Porsche, but the man intimidates him every time.
“But you can give me your opinions from an unbiased third party,” he adds with a grin.
Rome chuckles, amused by the man’s antics and nods.
“Alright, but I will need good wine for that,” Rome says, making Porsche chuckle before nodding.
They start talking about everything going on between the mafia bosses. Rome enjoys listening to Porsche’s stories, admiring how he manages his deeply committed relationship while they’re running one of the biggest mafia mob of the country. It truly amazes him every time, he could only hope to have one like theirs some day. Food come in, more drinks, they chat, laugh out loud and Rome feels happy. Truly happy, and relaxed, like he hasn’t in a long time.
“So, tell me,” Porsche starts, clearing his throat. “How is it going?”
Rome looks down at his drink, biting his bottom lip. He know what his Phi is asking and he can’t bring himself to answer. He doesn’t really want to, because it would make the situation realer.
“I simply go by, I guess,” he answers, with a contrite smile.
“You still don’t want to cross that line?” Porsche asks, his eyes softening.
Rome shakes his head, still looking at the bottom of his glass. Porsche reaches out, taking Rome’s free hand in his. He sees Mok flinch in the corner of his eye, but he knows the man won’t do anything.
“You know you’re allowed to want, right?” Porsche tells him.
“Not this, I can’t,” Rome refuses, shaking his head.
Porsche tightens his hold, before letting go of his hand, and covers him with a protective look.
“When you feel ready, let me know, yeah?”
Rome shoots him an annoyed glare, but he can’t hold the small smile blooming on his face.
“Just because it worked between you and P’Kinn when you were his bodyguard, doesn’t mean it can work for everyone,” Rome replies.
“I know, but at least it gives you hope,” Porsche answers with a wink.
Rome barely has time to laugh that Mok is immediately at his side, hovering over him. He sees Porsche’s bodyguard get close to him to whisper something to his ear and Porsche immediately tenses up.
“Khun Kritdanai, we need to leave. Now,” Mok tells him in a voice that leaves no room for debate.
He stands up without a thought and lets himself be guided by Mok, right after he sees Porsche go the other way with his own bodyguard. Of course, they have to spilt up in order not to be a fixed target but he’s sad he doesn’t have time to thank his Phi before leaving. Mok stays close to him. He’s speaking into his in-ear com, asking for the car to be brought to the entrance right away, as they approach the exit, passing by different people. They’re close to it, only a few more steps and they’re out but before any of them can think, Mok suddenly flinches and falls onto Rome.
The younger man catches him, horrified and confused as to why the man cannot stand anymore before he feels a warm liquid on his hand. Blood. Coming from Mok’s abdomen.
“Knife…” he murmurs against Rome’s shoulder. “Keep walking, we need to get out.”
Rome holds the man close to him and drags him to the entrance, under the confused looks of the staff. Thankfully, the lights are so dim, no one can truly understand what is happening, but Rome is furious that someone managed to hurt Mok so close to him, without being able to stop them.
He gets the car key from the employee and helps Mok settle in the car.
“I can drive you, Khun…” Mok tells him.
“Shut up and keep applying pressure to your wound,” Rome orders him. “I’ll call the mansion to have the team ready to treat you.”
“Khun…” he tries again but Rome places his hand on his mouth to stop him from speaking anymore.
“I’m trying really hard not to lose it right now, so please cooperate, before I go back into the restaurant and do something stupid,” he says in a cold voice Mok had not heard in a long time.
He simply nods and applies more pressure to his wound, before Rome closes his door.
~~~~~
The rest of the bodyguard team is already waiting at the entrance when Rome rolls in. They open the car’s door and immediately grab Mok. Rome gets out of the car and follows them as they bring the bodyguard back inside.
“Are the medics ready?” he asks.
“Yes, Khun. They’re waiting for Khun Mok in his room,” one of them answers.
Rome nods and lets them bring the man to his room. Once he’s alone in the lobby, he lets out a deep breath and leans to rest his hands on his knees. He’s used to this. He’s used to the danger. He’s used to always be on his guard and expect the worst but… But the worst isn’t supposed to mean Mok has to get hurt while he’s out with a friend. It’s not supposed to happen this way.
“Rome.”
The young man flinches when he hears the dark voice of his older brother. He stands up straight, trying to contain the tears that threaten to leave his eyes and he turns around to look at Kian, getting down the stairs, followed closely by Peach. Kian looks down at the red on his brother’s hands, before looking up at his eyes.
“What happened?” he asks, and his tone lets Rome understand that he does not have time for his antics.
“I was talking with P’Porsche, when Mok approached me and told me we had to leave the restaurant, immediately. We got on our way and, when we approached the way out, someone… passed by Mok and stabbed him,” he tells him, trying not to let the emotion take over the rest.
“Did you see who it was?”
“No,” he answers, shaking his head. “Mok was standing close behind me and suddenly, he fell on me. When I grabbed him, I felt the blood on my hands and he told me he got stabbed. We quickly got into the car and drove away.”
Kian steps closer to his brother, inspecting his face, as if he was trying to see through the story Rome just told him. And then…
“Are you hurt?” he asks, softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Rome bites his bottom lip and shakes his head. Kian sends him a small smile and brings him into his arms. Rome stills for a second, before wrapping his arms around his big brother and he lets all the emotions flow out. Tears come out, without him even realising it and, soon after, Peach comes to hold him from his back and Rome feels safe, for the first time since Mok got hurt. He lets himself be coddle by his big brothers and gather his thoughts again.
Deep down, he knows it’s Mok’s job to protect him and make sure he’s safe but… He can’t stand seeing Mok hurt. He refuses to let it happen. And that is a conversation they both need to have.
“I can’t believe I let you borrow him for one night and you let him get stabbed,” Kian tries to joke but Rome immediately gasps while Peach shoots him with a hard stare.
“P’Kian, be nice to your brother,” Peach chastises him.
“I’m cuddling him, isn’t that enough?” Kian replies back with a grin.
Peach shakes his head, while Rome looks more offended.
“You’re the worst,” Rome deadpans.
“Yet, you’d be lost without me,” Kian claps back with an even bigger grin.
Rome lets out a chuckle, grateful for his brother’s antics and shakes his head.
“Do not worry too much,” he eventually tells him. “Mok is strong and he’s in good hands, I’m sure he’ll heal quickly.”
Rome nods, appreciating his brother’s attempt at comfort and takes a step to the side to detangle himself from the both of them.
“I’m going to get cleaned up. Can you come get me when it’s okay to go see him?”
“Of course,” Peach assures him.
~~~~~~
Rome breathes out deeply, holding onto the bathroom sink as he lets his thoughts and emotions settle. He knows this was an attack, he knows he’ll have to sit with his brother and the security team in order to find out what happened, but right now, all he can think about is that Mok got hurt because of him. It shouldn’t have happened, he doesn’t deserve that and it’s not fair to him.
He runs a hand through his hair and walks back to his room when someone knocks. The door quickly opens and Peach appears before him.
“He’s awake and asking for you,” he tells him softly.
Rome breathes deeply again and follows him outside. He doesn’t really understand why he suddenly feels nervous about seeing Mok again, but he feels an unpleasant tingle creep at his back. Maybe Mok will be mad at him? Maybe he’ll blame Rome for what happened to him? He shakes his head, no. That will not happen because Mok is nothing if not professional, he’d never blame any of the family members for something like that, least of all Rome. He tries to shake the nervousness out of his system when Peach stops a few steps from Mok’s room.
“You’re not coming in?” Rome asks.
“No,” Peach says with a shake of his head. “You deserve to spend time just the two of you, after what happened.”
“Thank you, P’Peach,” Rome whispers. Peach ruffles his hair and leaves him alone.
Rome takes a deep breath and enters Mok’s room, slowly. The light is pretty dim, but bright enough for him to see Mok laying on his bed. He’s wearing a black shirt, his hair soft against his forehead and no glasses on his face. His eyes open when he feels the bed dip under Rome’s weight and a small smile blooms on his face when he sees him. Rome sends him a small smile back, as he tries yet again to contain his tears.
“How are you feeling?” he asks quietly.
“I’m okay, Khun Krit,” Mok says softly.
Rome bites his bottom lip, trying to hold his tears.
“You got hurt,” Rome adds, through his a lump in his throat.
Mok slowly shakes his head at his words.
“But you didn’t, that’s all that matters,” he tells him.
“Your safety should matter more,” Rome insists.
“My duty is to protect you, Khun Krit.”
“Stop. Just… stop, please,” Rome whispers.
He grabs his hand in between his. He’s not sure how to share his feelings, not really understanding all of them at the moment but he knows one thing for sure: he can never lose Mok.
“I got so… scared. When you fell onto me, and I fell your blood on my hands, I just… I was so close to losing it, Mok. I can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt because of me.”
Mok tightens his hold on Rome’s hand and tilts his head to the side, his gaze softening even more.
“It’s my job, Khun Kritdanai,” he tries to say firmily. “My instinct will always be to put myself between you and danger, you know that.”
“And how do I survive without you, Mok?” Rome whispers, with a little crack in his voice.
Mok breathes out and tries to sit up but Rome clicks his tongue. He helps Mok sit, with his back against the wall. He fixes the comforter around him and goes to sit back at the end of the bed but Mok grabs him by the arms.
“Sit next to me, please.”
Rome looks at him, trying to see if there’s any sign of discomfort on his face or if he’s lying to make Rome happy but he can only see softness and tenderness in his eyes. He sits on the other side of Mok, away from his injury and leans against the wall, not looking at Mok.
He jumps a little when he feels fingers link with his own and looks down at his hand. Mok is holding his hand. Willingly. Without Rome having ask for it or even teasing him for it… He did it because, he… wanted to?
“What are you doing?” Rome asks, full of confusion.
“Reassuring you, because it seems you forgot how much you mean to me,” Mok answers without hesitation.
“What…”
“I love you, Rome,” Mok lets out, cutting him off.
“Mok,” Rome tries to stop him.
“I’m in love with you and I will always protect you, no questions asked. Even if I didn’t work for you, I would protect you without a second thought because you’re sacred to me and I will die before I let something happen to you,” Mok states very seriously, keeping a soft edge around his words.
“Please, don’t talk about dying when you’ve just been hurt,” Rome whispers, closing his eyes, not entirely understanding nor believing the words he’s just heard.
Mok chuckles lightly and tightens his fingers around Rome’s.
“We knew this wasn’t going to be a smooth ride but, I like to think that you don’t mind me being a bodyguard.”
Rome is shaking his head even before Mok has finished his sentence.
“I love that about you. I love how loyal you are and how I know I can always trust you to have my back, no matter what situation I find myself in. I love you too, Mok, so much, gosh…”
He slowly leans in and when their lips meet, it’s not like anything he imagined. He always thought it’d feel electrifying and that he’d feel a tingle run through from his head to his toes, but this feels… settling. The buzzing in his head stops, all his thoughts jump out of his brain and he just feels at peace. With himself and with the situation he’s in. He turns a bit, running his free hand up Mok’s nape before grabbing his hair. He leans in a bit more, feeling Mok smile through the kiss before he hisses and leans back.
“Hurts,” he groans.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”
“It’s okay, Khun Rome, I got too excited,” Mok chuckles.
“Please, we just kissed, don’t call me Khun,” he groans.
Mok snickers lightly and levels him with a teasing look.
“Sorry, you’re right Nong Rome.”
Rome immediately blushes and sits up a bit straighter. They never did that. Not seriously. Actually, Rome called Mok ‘Phi’ a few times to annoy him but Mok never called him anything else than Khun Krit. The easy way with which he just said that, Rome needs to hear more of it.
“Say it again,” he commands.
“Nong Rome,” Mok says with a teasing smile.
“Again.”
“Nong Rome,” he whispers.
“One more time.”
“Nong Rome,” he says in the deep voice he knows Rome loves.
Rome doesn’t waste a minute and dives in for another kiss, trying to be as gentle as he can with his hands, but putting all his passion and desire through the kiss. He waited years for this. Years for Mok to be comfortable with him and admits his feelings too. He doesn’t know how to handle them, but he knows he can show his too.
“I love you, Phi,” he whispers between them.
“Hmm, I might get addicted to you calling me that,” Mok chuckles.
“As you should. That’ll make two of us,” Rome says proudly.
“I love you, too, by the way.”
“Good, because I’m not letting you get away now,” Rome teases.
Mok shakes his head, amused, but soon clears his throat, preparing himself for something more serious.
“And about what happened?” he asks quietly.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll deal with it, with P’Kian and we’ll make sure it’s handled correctly,” Rome reassures him.
“Just don’t do anything stupid,” Mok warns him.
“I won’t. But I’ll make sure they understand to never mess with what’s mine again,” Rome answers with a wink.
Mok has a lot of things to say about this. He wants to talk Rome’s ear off and warn him about the danger of doing something reckless, how it’s not necessary for him to declare war to anyone because of what happened but… His mind stays focused on one word.
“Yours?”
“Yes. You’re mine and I’m yours,” Rome says confidently. “I’ve been yours for as long as I can remember and I’ll continue to be for however long you’ll have me.”
“Then I hope you’re ready to spend a lifetime with me,” Mok whispers.
“I couldn’t ask for more.”
Mok leans in to kiss him again and Rome is quick to deepen the kiss, once again. They truly cant’t get enough of each other.
“Hmm, actually, maybe I’ll ask for a few other lifetimes. We have to make up for time lost,” Rome states and Mok agrees immediately.
He’d chose him in every lifetime, if possible.
~~~~~
“So you finally decided to confess?” Kian asks, looking at his baby brother.
Rome is still sitting on Mok’s bed, but the injured man is now asleep. They made sure to find him the perfect position so he wouldn’t get hurt but that still allowed him to stay as close as possible to Rome. So he’s sleeping against him, his head resting on his chest and Rome makes sure that his hand doesn’t go below his shoulder so he doesn’t risk hurting him.
“I did, yeah. We both did actually,” Rome answers, a loving smile on his face.
“I’m happy for you, baby brother. You both deserve to be happy and I know you’ll make each other happy.”
“Thank you, P’Kian.”
“And about his attacker, how do you want to handle it?” he asks in a more serious tone.
“How would you handle it if they went for P’Peach?” Rome asks back.
Kian stands up a bit straighter, and nods his head, understanding.
“I’ll see through it and make sure they understand never to mess with our family ever again.”
“Thank you, P’Kian,” Rome says once again.
Kian turns to leave the room but turns around at the last minute.
“Also, just so we’re clear, if you mess with him, you’ll have to answer to me,” he warms Rome who immediately gasps, offended.
“Shouldn’t you be telling him that?”
“Nah, I prefer him over you, so don’t break his heart,” Kian teases him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of his heart,” Rome swears before he leans in to kiss Mok’s head.