~December 2020~

A/N:

I like long chapter. Few long chapters are always better for me than too much short chapters.

So... like I said. This is short story. It will have less than 10 chapters of >2000 words each.

PS: something missing in Tae's left back: a half wing tattoo. LOL.

*

RRRIIINNNGGG...!

Phana takes his phone and answers sleepily. He is sleeping after one long 'round' he had after dinner. He frowns seeing Forth's name flashed on his phone screen.

"Sup, Forth...?"

"I know Beam's dorm, but I didn't know his room. Which floor, which room?" Forth asks. "I asked him but he just laughs at my face and then didn't answer me anymore because he said he'll be 'busy'."

"I thought he went drinking with you...?" Phana asks.

"Yes. He went home early and Lam went home to his place, long story short, he has Lam in his bed and unless you tell me his room, Park would blow every room in that dorm!" Forth says.

Phana makes a wow with his lips' movement. He doesn't know how Beam courts Forth but takes Lam in his bed instead. But he knows for sure Park would do what Forth said he would. So... "Second floor, room 14."

(it's Valentine, baby! Beam is love!)

Forth cuts the call and hurriedly goes to Beam's dorm with Park.

Phana's phone got thrown away from his hand to the couch a little far from the bed by a hand from behind him.

"Eh...." Phana is startled but then he doesn't have time to ask because angry kisses silences him.

"If you still have energy, better to serve me than take a phonecall." Ming hisses.

"But that's... ahnn...."

*

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!

"Open up or you are not going to have a door anymore!" Park bangs and yells in front of Beam's dorm.

Forth holds Park not to destroy the door. Well, at least Park was willing to give warn first instead if kicking it down.

CLICK.

Beam opens the door. He wears short and T-shirt. He smirks. "Owh, you're here...? I thought you were busy with the girl in the dance floor."

Park pushed Beam away from the door and storms inside his room.

Beam chuckled. He looks at Forth who stands there.

Forth blinks. "Did you... uhm...."

"Did I what, wolfie?" Beam asks teasingly.

Forth coughs nervously. He gulps. "Uhm...."

Inside Beam's room, Park finds Lam sleeps in Beam's bed with everything on him, even the socks and jacket are on. Park takes Lam's shoes, put it on him and then takes him on his back. He glares at Beam with Lam in his back.

"This is not funny!" Park yells at Beam.

Beam shrugs. "Of course it's not." He plays with Lam's bang—Lam's head in on Park's left shoulder.

Park makes a distance. "Don't you dare touch him." He hisses and then walks away, taking Lam with him.

Forth turns to Beam. He really wants to know if....

Beam can't hold his chuckle, seeing Forth looked lost. "Lam came with a crate of strong beer. He said he wants to forget what he saw." He pauses. "He said Park was close to get a girl in the dance floor."

Forth shakes his head. "N-no. He was just... enjoying the view. I guess. Besides, why Lam would want to forget? He saw it time to time."

Beam blinks. He pinches hard on Forth's nose. "Grow your heart soon, wolfie. If you didn't, not even your brain could save you."

"Ouch ouch ouch! It's hurt." Forth holds his nose with both hands.

Beam laughs. "Night-night, wolfie." He says, making a kissing movement with his lips and then close the door from inside.

***

Park holds Lam's hand and pulls him away from the table when he saw Beam sits with Forth during Monday lunch break.

"Eeeh...?" Lam is startled. "What...."

"You are going to queue with me to get the food and drink." Park says. "Don't come near Beam without me. He's dangerous."

Beam chuckled.

Forth looks at Beam un-amused. "Look what you've done...."

"What?" Beam grins. "I didn't do anything. If I did, Lam wouldn't be able to walk." he winks at Forth.

Forth chocked on Beam with his arms around in Beam's neck.

Beam laughs. "You guys can't take jokes.... Geeezzzz...."

Forth releases Beam. He clicks his tongue.

"Pha gave me lecture this morning." Beam says. "You called him and cost him an ass and a phone."

Forth raises his eyebrows. "Why is that?"

"First, he lectured about making up my mind, you or Lam. How come I court you but I take Lam to ky bed. He said Lam is better than you, by the way." Beam says.

Forth shrugs. Yeah. He can't retort that. Even his mom would agree.

"Second, you called him after he asked—no, begged Ming to let him sleep because he need to rest. So Ming was angry... you know what happened after he threw Phana's phone away?" Beam asks.

Forth grins. "A job well done." He comments proudly like an older brother would.

"That's not an achievement. Pha barely walk this morning." Beam hits Forth's shoulder a little hard.

Forth laughs.

Just then, Park and Lam sit across them. Unlike usually, this time Park sits across Beam, not Lam. Lam is sitting across Forth.

Park glares at Beam.

Beam grins.

Forth nudges Beam on his ribs. "Stop teasing him. Park could kill you and I wouldn't be able to stop him."

Beam makes a 'peace sign' with his fingers. "Peace, Park. I wont touch him again." He then turns to Lam. "Next time I won't take a picture."

Lam chuckled.

Park kicks Beam under the table.

Beam cringes. "Ouch."

Forth smacks on Park's head. "Stop it, Park."

"You said you won't stop me!" Park is angry to Forth too.

Forth glares at Park.

***

Because Beam did that when Lam dropped by to his dorm after a boring night at the bar, Forth and Park don't want to go to the bar anymore on Friday night. They choose to have a game night at Lam's house with the boys who want to play the game too.

Beam drops by again. He doesn't bring his assignments this time. He already worked it during weekday.

He sits beside Forth and tries not to touch or distract him.

Forth turns to Beam. "Do you want to try playing?" he offers.

"No, he can't." Park answers for Beam. He is still bitter for what Beam did.

Beam smiled. He shakes his head. "I can't play it. It will weight your team—I can feel their deadly stares now."

Forth looks around.

The boys who glared at Beam already look at their laptop screen.

Forth shakes his head—the boys, sigh, really. He turns to Beam.

Beam smiled. "I could watch your play." He says. "Maybe I will practice first and will join your next game some time."

Forth smiled. "Okay."

Beam sits beside Forth. Sometimes he left to get warm drink and snacks and share it to Forth. He doesn't mind the smoke from the cigarette the boys have too.

It's fun to see how these bad boys having fun.

Contrary to popular believe, this bad boys are nerd kids inside.

They fight like a Spartan, having brain like Athens and childish like babies.

Beam chuckled.

Tattoos, books and games, huh?

No wonder Forth said that he doesn't have the time for relationship. They have their life full of fun and happiness already being in the brotherhood.

***

"Not even casual sex? Come on, I'm so 'full' down there." Beam teases Forth during another lunch break.

Forth laughs. "What? You need your sex intake?" He teases.

Beam smirks. He leans closer to Forth. "Yeah. Interested? The casual sex is on the table too, not just the boyfriend thing."

Forth's eyes drop to Beam's lips. He then trails his eyes back up. "No." He shakes his head.

"Tsk. Persistent." Beam clicks his tongue. "You don't know what you missed."

Forth grins.

"P'Forth." A junior stands beside Forth. "This is the PCB board that you ordered. You ordered three, right, phi?"

Forth nods. He takes it and put it on the table. "I bought for you two too. See? What a great Forth I am." He says to Park and Lam.

Park shows a thumb up.

Lam claps his hands. He opens the plastic bag. "Why the pink wrap tho?" he asks.

The junior boy blushed instantly. "Ah. I thought it was just P'Forth...." He is shy.

"Hahaha. That's cute tho." Forth laughs at the junior.

He says it casually. Just like that.

Beam feels a little pang in his left chest instantly. He looks down while smiling in disbelief and shakes his head. How stupid he is. Should have known that Forth reaaally didn't see him this way....

Beam takes a long sigh, he looks back up and then gets up. "I think I'm not going to have lunch here." he says.

Forth turns to Beam. He just sits down but Beam already got up. "Owh? Why?"

Beam shrugs. "I miss fresh air in my foodcourt."

"But I didn't smoke... yet." Forth says in guilt.

Beam laughs. He waves his hand and then walk away. He stops after three steps. He turns back around. "Can you get me tomyum tomorrow? It was always jammed when I got here. I haven't taste it yet. And pinkmilk, please."

"I thought you don't want what's best in here." Forth says.

Beam smiled thinly. He shrugs. "The closing should be perfect."

"What closing?" Forth asks.

Beam winks at Forth. "You'll see."

Forth nearly says something again but the junior calls him again. "So, P'Forth... can I join you here?"

Forth turns to the kid. "Ah. No. Sorry. Members or spouse only."

Beam smiled thinly. He wipes the tear that breaks in the corner of his eyes.

Park shows a thumb up to Forth for that clear statement.

Lam turns to the direction where Beam is leaving. He looks at Beam's back which looked very lonely.

***

TAP.

Beam sits beside Forth the next day during lunch break. He has a paper bag with him. He smiled widely because Forth remembers to get him tomyum and pinkmilk.

"I brought the water bottle too, just in case you didn't like the pinkmilk." Forth says.

"Hm." Beam nods, smiling. "Thank you. You're very thoughtful."

They eat like they usually do, together.

They chat and joke like they usually do, four of them.

And then Beam put the paper bag on the table. "Here." He says to Forth.

"What's this?" Forth asks.

"Your jacket." Beam says. He didn't give Forth's leather jacket from when they had road trip. He likes it even Forth didn't want to give it to Beam.

"Do you return it?" Forth asks Beam. "I thought you want it to be yours because you like it too much. You even ignored my objection." He opens the paper bag to check whether it was really his leather jacket.

"Well, you can't always get whatever you like." Beam says softly. Repeating of what Forth ever said about the jacket.

(I am not talking about the jacket literally... can you read between my lines?)

"Hm?" Forth turns to Beam and looks at him in his eyes.

Beam blinks. He smiled tenderly to Forth. "Anyway... it's been almost a month since I said that I am courting you. Have you changed your mind?" He asks.

Forth shakes his head.

Beam chuckled. He bites his lower lip and then smiled again. "Is that so? Hmm...." He sighs. "Okay. Maybe it's best that I stop, huh?"

"Yeah. Things will be getting awkward if you don't." Forth agrees.

Beam looks at Forth softly. He still has his tender smile on his lips. "Hmm." He hums lightly. "So... I am officially stop courting you." He says almost in whispers. He can't use louder voice than that because his voice is almost cracking.

Forth nods. "It's for the best."

Park covers his mouth with both his hands. Noo... Forth didn't just say that.... Beam is not his favorite, but... but....

Lam blinks. He can't move a muscle.

Beam scoffs. He gets up and takes the water bottle.

"... got to go, wolfie." Beam says, again in a low voice.

Beam smiled decently to Park and Lam. He leans down to peck on Forth's hair and even chuckled when Forth blows a breath to shush him.

Forth grins. "See you tomorrow."

Beam just smiled. He left after taps Forth on his shoulder with a half empty water bottle in his hand.

***

The next day, there's no Beam in the usual table.

Forth looks around. Usually Beam would be here before them with two portion of food, for him and himself.

Maybe Beam is still queuing? Maybe on the tomyum stall. It was always jammed. Maybe he likes it so much and want it again?

But Beam is not in the tomyum stall.

Forth looks around. Beam is not in any stalls.

Forth blinks. Was Beam on the minimart to get his water? He walks to the minimart. He walks around to find him.

Beam is not here too.

Forth blinks. Where's Beam?

Forth calls Beam.

"Sup, Forth?" Beam answers in the other side on the phone call.

Forth frowns. Huh? Forth?

(you asked him to call him Forth, because it's your name, remember?)

"Where are you?" Forth asks.

"At Med." Beam answers.

"Are you late? Do you want me to get your lunch? What do you want?" Forth asks as he takes a water bottle from the rack to give to Beam later.

Beam chuckled. "No, thanks. I have lunch with Pha and Kit."

Forth blinks. "Huh?" He is frozen in front of the cashier.

"At Med." Beam adds.

"Is this all, Sir?" The cashier asks.

Forth nods. He pays for the water. "Why...?" He asks Beam. He is confused.

Beam chuckled again. "Because I'm a Med student...?" He answers with a rethorical question.

Forth blinks. He has a water bottle in his hand. He walks out the minimart and stands there. He asks Beam again. "Don't you have lunch here, at Engineering?"

Again, Beam chuckled. "No, Forth. I won't have lunch there, at Engineering." He paused for a second. "Not anymore."

Forth blinks. He is frozen.

He is still frozen in front of the minimart with a water bottle in his hand when his other hand hold the phone and hear Beam says softly,

"Bye, Forth."

... and closed the phone call.

***

A/N:

He officially stops courting you, wolfie, remember?

See? I am serious this time. Beam is courting Forth with everything he has.

Every hardwork, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

All we have to do is keep going and moving on.