Flashback
Nobody's Pov

16 year old Liam Santiago sat on the ground with his back against the tree, his hand was bandaged after Jack cleaned his wounds.

He had gotten into a fight with some random guy but Jack had dragged him away before he could land more hits on the guy.

Jack sighed as he closed the first aid kid and put it back in his bag.

He sat on the ground, crossing his legs, before locking eyes with his best friend.

"You're an idiot, you know that right" Jack spoke.

"I'm aware" Liam calmly spoke.

"You are lucky that I got there and dragged you away before any teachers arrived" Jack said.

Liam simply rolled his eyes as he looked down at his bandaged hand.

He didn't care if the teachers caught him. He was alright with getting detention or suspended.

He wasn't about to let that asshole get away with what he did. He deserved what he got.

"That piece of shit deserved it" Liam rolled his eyes.

"Believe me, he did. But punching him wasn't enough that you had to start kicking his stomach, and his head" Jack raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes" Liam shrugged, clearly unbothered.

Jack sighed and shook his head in exasperation.

He loves Liam, he's his best friend and brother in all but blood, but he is tired of always having to get him out of trouble.

It wasn't as bad when the boys parents was still alive.

But, now that they're going, Liam just likes getting himself into any type of trouble.

"Liam, you have to stop getting into trouble. And you have to stop picking fights with people. I understand that that dude deserved it after what he said, but you could've handled the situation a little differently" Jack explained.

"I don't care. The second their names escaped his lips, he was dead" Liam scoffed.

Jack sighed in exasperation, knowing that no matter what he said, his best friend wouldn't listen.

Jack just shook his head and wrapped his arms around Liam's shoulders, bringing him closer to his side.

Liam sighed softly and rested his head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent.

"Please just try and control yourself next time. A few punches and then you walk away, deal?" Jack asked.

"Sure thing" Liam nodded.

The two best friends sat in comfortable silence, just enjoying each others presence.

Flashback Ends
Liam's Pov

I remember that day clearly.

I had gotten into a fight with some stupid kid after he made fun of me for not having any parents.

He downright mocked my parents death and I decided to teach him a lesson.

It was a good thing that he was weak. He was crying the entire time I punched and slapped him, begging me to stop.

He should've known better than to mention my parents or mock their death.

Back when I was still in highschool, everyone knew how much I loved my parents and how protective I was over them.

That stupid kid didn't and because of that, he suffered the consequences.

Not that I cared, obviously.

Unfortunately, Jack had pulled me off the kid and dragged me outside and pulled out his first aid kit to take care of my hand.

I would never admit it out loud, but my hand did hurt after all those punches and slaps.

I'm just glad that Jack helped and comforted me that day.

Sure, he was upset and scolded me, but he still helped.

I'll always be grateful for that. 

I'll always be grateful for everything that he has done for me.

I snapped out of my thoughts when the car stopped, indicating that we've reached our destination.

The last thing I wanted to do was go out, but Tankhun suggested we all go out to have fun.

And, well, I couldn't really say no to him.

Everyone got out of the car while Tankhun and I popped out of the hood of the car.

Tankhun grinned and covered my eyes with his hand, causing me to blush.

I was still confused, especially after what happened yesterday when he visited me in the infirmary.

Tankhun has never acted that way towards anyone, let alone his brothers or his father, yet he did with me.

It wasn't just yesterday. It's the last few days, it started when Porsche and I became Kinn's new bodyguards.

Tankhun surprises me with how he acts whenever we're together.

And I honestly don't know how to feel about it.

"Guess where I'm bringing you and your brother to celebrate?" Tankhun excitedly asked.

"Yok's bar, Mr. Tankhun" Porsche and I said in unison.

Tankhun let out a dramatic gasp and uncovered my eyes.

"How could you guys know that?" Tankhun asked.

"Well, do you know any other bar? We were the ones that brought you here" Porsche rolled his eyes.

Tankhun glared at him before gripping onto my arm.

"I'm going home. Come on, Liam" Tankhun said.

Just as he was about to pull us down, I quickly stopped him.

The last thing I wanted was to go back to the compound, I need a break from that place.

And because Chay said he would be in his room the entire night, talking with Macau over the phone.

"Mr. Tankhun, we're not going anywhere. Besides, we're here for a reason and that's to have fun. We're going to make that happen" I grinned.

"Yeah. That's the spirit" Tankhun grinned.

The others all grinned and nodded, looking excited.

Especially Pete since last time he wasn't with us.

All of a sudden another car parked near ours and we turned around, just in time to see Kinn exiting.

Not just him. But Tae and Time were with him as well.

I had nothing against Kinn and Tae being here, it's Time that's the problem.

Pravat, Pete, Pol and Arm looked surprise while Porsche just rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Oh, Kinn. Why did you follow me?" Tankhun asked in annoyance.

To be around Porsche.

"If you're taking me home, I'm just gonna say I won't" Tankhun huffed.

"Porsche said it's so much fun here. So I want to know if it's true" Kinn said.

That's a good excuse.

Too bad I'm the only one that knows why he really came here.

"Khun, why didn't you invite me?" Tae asked, pouting.

"As if you party at this kind of bar. If Kinn didn't ask us to come, you wouldn't come" Time smirked.

I rolled my eyes and looked down at the car.

"Nobody asked for your input" I angrily muttered.

Tankhun heard me, considering he was the only one close to me, and snorted into his hand.

The others looked at him weirdly while I smiled faintly.

However, I grinned brightly when Tae glared at Time and nudged him harshly in the stomach.

"Come on, don't fight. The more the merrier" Tankhun waved his hand.

Although, I would've liked it if Time kept his ass at home.

"I agree. But know this, partying with Tankhun, don't lower your energy. Ok?" Tankhun ordered.

Everyone simply nodded at his words.

"Well, well, now that Mr. Kinn and his friends are here..." Porsche trailed off.

"Tonight, Porsche and I, will give you the damn blast that you'll never forget" I finished, grinning.

"Very well" Tankhun nodded.

"Right?" I nodded.

Tankhun and I high-fived each other, the others simply watched with amused smiles.

Tankhun and I exited the car, making sure to close the hood, before walking over to the others.

However, we didn't make it inside the bar just yet.

"Liam!"

My eyes widened slightly and I turned around and smiled when I saw Dan crossing the street.

His hand was holding a white bag and he was using his other hand to wave at me, a smile on his face.

"Dan!" I yelled.

I pushed past the others, ignoring Porsche and Tankhun yells of protest, and ran over to meet Dan.

Dan jogged over to me and when we met in the middle we embraced each other in a tight hug.

"Oh, I've missed you" I chuckled.

"We saw each other not so long ago" Dan chuckled.

"Still, it feels like we've been apart for months" I sighed.

He let out another chuckle before we both pulled away from the hug.

"What's with the bag?" I asked.

"Oh, Ram is sick so I went to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine to give to him so he'll feel better" Dan explained.

I frowned at that and nodded in understanding. I hope he gets better.

I heard a throat being cleared and turned around, only to see Porsche behind me.

Tankhun and the others followed behind him and now were stood near me too.

Oh, shit, I forgot everyone else was still here.

"Liam, who's this?" Porsche asked.

I cleared my throat and looked at Dan, who was staring at everyone with narrowed eyes.

"Uh, Porsche, this is Dan. He's my friend and one of my workers from my second job" I said.

"Oh. Well, it's very nice to meet you, Dan. I'm Liam's hia" Porsche introduced himself.

He extended his hand for him to shake and Dan did so, smiling at him.

When they pulled away I saw Dan's eyes linger on everyone else and he simply nodded at them.

However, I watched with furrowed eyebrows when I saw his eyes land and stop on Tae's.

He was staring at him, discreetly checking him up and down while biting his lip.

Uh...what is he doing...?

Tae didn't seem to mind the attention he got from Dan and sent him a wink, causing Dan's cheeks to heat up.

Luckily, Dan snapped out of his staring when Tankhun, who was standing at my other side, spoke up.

"So, you and Liam are friends, huh?" Tankhun asked.

"Yeah, we are" Dan nodded.

"Close friends, I assume?" Tankhun asked.

I looked at him in confusion, especially when he spoke in annoyance.

Kinn also looked at his older brother with confused eyes, wondering why he sounded annoyed towards Dan.

"I mean, yeah, I guess" Dan shrugged awkwardly.

Tankhun opened his mouth to say something but, luckily, Porsche spoke first.

"Well, since you're here, why don't you join us for a fun night at hum's bar?" Porsche suggested.

"Oh, I would like to stay, but I can't. I have something important to attend back home" Dan softly shook his head.

"Oh, well that's-" Porsche started but was cut off.

"What? You think you're too cool to hang out with us?" Tankhun asked, scoffing.

Dan's eyes widened in shock and his cheeks flushed slightly.

Everyone looked at Tankhun either with wide eyes or confused eyes.

"Mr. Tankhun" I gritted my teeth, sending him a warning look.

"What? Does your supposed friend think he's too cool to hang out with us? Does he think he's better than us?" Tankhun asked.

What the fuck...?

Does he even realize what he's saying?

I opened my mouth to defend my friend but he kept on going.

"Like, come on. I doubt he has anything better to do, someone like him probably is going back home to do absolutely nothing. I bet he's just making up an excuse to get away from you. Some friend he is" Tankhun scoffed.

Silence.

Absolute silence took over us.

Everyone, Kinn included, couldn't believe what Tankhun just said.

Yes, he's known for having a big mouth and everything but for him to say all of that is a huge no.

"Tankhun!" Kinn yelled, sending his older brother a look of disbelief.

I heard a legit growl and turned around and saw Dan glaring at Tankhun with absolute anger.

"You piece of shit!" Dan yelled.

He tried lunging at him but I was quick to grab him and hold him back.

Tankhun shrieked in fear as Arm and Pol ran in front of him, who had their hands behind their backs.

Dan shoved me away from him but he didn't move to attack Tankhun.

He simply continued glaring at him with his fist clenched at his side.

"For your information, I'm not acting like I'm better than Liam or any of you for that matter. I'm going home to take care of my sick best friend. I don't fancy partying when my best friend is sick. His health means more to me than partying at some stupid bar!" Dan angrily yelled.

Tankhun's eyes widened slightly and his cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

Good! He should be embarrassed!

What the hell was he thinking? Does he seriously not think before he speaks?

Dan glared at him one last time before spinning around, getting ready to leave.

"Dan, I-" I started but he cut me off.

"Liam, please don't say anything. I'll see you later" he didn't even look at me as he spoke.

I watched with sad eyes as Dan walked away from us, not once looking back.

I let out a sigh and buried my face into my hands, wanting nothing more than to scream into them.

I picked my head up just as I heard footsteps and a hesitant hand was placed on my shoulder.

I turned around, only to glare at the person that just so happened to be Tankhun.

"Liam, I-" Tankhun started but I cut him off.

"With all due respect, if you so much as try and justify yourself, I will personally shut you up with a punch to the face" I threatened.

I watched as his eyes widened in shock and I could see hurt flashing through his eyes.

He has no right to be hurt after what he said to Dan.

I rolled my eyes and shoved his hand off my shoulder and made my way inside the bar, ignoring Porsche yelling for me to stop.

I don't fancy drinking, but I could go for a beer right now.

A Few Hours Later

I ignored Tankhun as best as I could. I really didn't want to talk to him nor be near him.

Kinn tried to apologize on his behalf but I've also been ignoring him.

If he had stepped in and stopped Tankhun from saying anything else, maybe I wouldn't be as mad.

Although, I did laugh when Pravat told me that Porsche yelled at Tankhun after I entered the bar.

The entire night everyone, literally everyone, had gotten drunk and started dancing like crazy.

I'm serious. Everyone chugged on any type of alcoholic beverage they could get and that's where they got their energy from.

Even Yok got drunk and joined in on the dancing.

I didn't drink anything other than one bottle of beer.

I wasn't in any mood to get drunk and I wanted to at least be sober so I could take care of the others.

That was going to be absolute hell.

Tem and Jom had joined in on the fun as Porsche introduced them to everyone.

I asked Tem if he had my phone with me and he said yes. He gave it to me with no problem and I thanked him by patting his shoulder before sitting back down at the bar. 

I'm going to keep my phone with me but I'll make sure to hide it whenever I'm at the compound. To avoid it getting taken away.

I kept a close eye on everyone from where I sat and took sips from my water.

I jumped when Tankhun let out a loud scream and ran towards me, a giddy smile on his face.

"Liam, come join us!" Tankhun yelled.

I glared at him and turned my head away from him.

"No thanks" I shook my head.

"Oh, come on! Don't be a party popper, you're here to have fun" Tankhun whined.

I looked back at him and stared at him in disbelief.

He does realize that I'm still mad at him for what he said to Dan, right?

He does realize that I'm not in any mood to talk to him let alone dance with him, right?

"I know, but I'm just not in the mood to dance. I really just want to sit here" I sighed.

Everything so far has just been so tiring and I just want rest.

Sometimes, I really do kick myself for not taking a day off after dealing with the assassin.

Tankhun frowned but when he saw the look on my face he let out a defeated sigh and nodded before walking back to the dance floor.

I sighed in relief. Thank god he didn't push it any further.

I'm serious when I say I probably would've yelled at him and said something terrible.

As the hours went by everyone slowly started getting tired, their energy was slowly being drained.

Finally, the time had come where everyone had passed out and now resting on the huge couch.

Porsche and Kinn weren't anywhere in sight, which meant that Porsche had dragged Kinn to the dock.

I won't ruin their moment. Not a chance.

I sighed and sat up from my chair and decided I would get some fresh air myself and walked outside.

I didn't go far, I just walked over to the cars and got on top of the one Tankhun and I rode in.

Letting out a soft and content sigh, I looked up at the sky and smiled at the beautiful stars that were in sight.

I always loved looking up at the stars.

The stars always remind me of my mom.

Whenever dad was on business trips mom would take me up to the roof and we would lay on the ground together and stare up at the stars.

Everytime we saw a star mom and I would smile and laugh, admiring the beauty of each star.

Mom always told me that I sparkle like the stars because I always kept a positive attitude. That I would always help her feel better whenever she was upset.

It was moments like those that I would always cherish. 

It was moments like those that are bittersweet.

"Liam" a soft voice broke me out of my thoughts.

I looked down and I was completely surprised when I saw Tankhun standing by the car, swaying slightly.

"Mr. Tankhun, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" I asked.

How is he still standing? How was he able to walk?

He was chugging down so many alcoholic beverages and dancing like crazy that he should be sleeping until the afternoon.

"I woke up and saw that you weren't around. I got worried so I came out here to check" Tankhun explained.

"Well, thank you for being concerned about my whereabouts, but I think it's better you head back inside and get some rest" I explained.

"Pfft, I don't need rest. I'm perfectly fine" Tankhun scoffed.

I jumped when he literally threw himself to the side of the car, trying to climb to the top.

"Help me up, would you?" Tankhun demanded.

I sighed and refrained myself from rolling my eyes.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the ground so he could get on top of the car.

He crawled towards me, almost falling in the process, before sitting at my side as he hugged his knees to his chest.

Neither of us said anything.

We simply sat on top of the car in silence.

It was a mixture of awkward and comfortable silence.

I forgot that I'm still mad at him for what he said to Dan and the fact that he didn't even apologize.

It's not even me he should be apologizing to. It's Dan.

But, right about now I think Dan wants to be as far away from him as possible.

And I can't really blame him.

"I'm sorry" Tankhun broke the silence.

I turned my head around and made eye contact with him, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What?" I asked.

Tankhun sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes as he did so.

"I said I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened between your friend, Dan. I had no right to say what I did" Tankhun said.

"Mr. Tankhun-" I started but he cut me off.

"Tankhun" he said.

"Huh?" I asked, looking confused.

"Just call me Tankhun. I don't really like the Mr in my name. So, just call me Tankhun" he replied.

I furrowed my eyebrows together but just nodded.

I don't know why, but getting permission to call him by his name makes me all giddy.

"Alright. Tankhun, I'm happy you apologized but if I'm being honest, you have to apologize to Dan. Not me" I reminded him.

"I know. I hope that we cross paths again so I can apologize to him in person, but I don't think that's possible" Tankhun sighed.

"That's true. He kind of hates you" I frowned.

"I don't blame him. I was an ass" Tankhun shrugged.

I chuckled at that and watched in satisfaction as he let out a chuckle himself.

When we calmed down I let out a sigh and crossed my legs.

"Tankhun, why would you say those mean things to him? Why were you even mean to him in the first place?" I asked.

Tankhun sighed as he shrugged his shoulders, again, and unhugged his knees.

"It's stupid. Really stupid" Tankhun said.

"Oh come on, I'm sure it's not-" I started but he cut me off.

"I was jealous" he admitted.

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped slightly as I looked at him in surprise.

I'm sorry, but did he just say that he's jealous...?

I was expecting multiple other responses as to why he acted the way he did, but I certainly wasn't expecting that.

"Come again?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I said I was jealous. When I saw you running to him and hugging him I got jealous. You two seem close, too close" Tankhun explained.

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I got jealous because I assumed you like him, that you might have a crush on him" he muttered.

I can tell he was trying to be quiet, but given how it was just the two of us, he was anything but quiet.

I couldn't help myself and let out a laugh and continued laughing for a bit.

Tankhun glared at me because of my laughter but I simply waved him off, telling him to give me a minute.

Finally, when I calmed down, I turned to look back at the oldest Theerapanyakun.

"Tankhun, I can assure you that you have no reason to be jealous. Dan and I are just friends, I could never really see myself getting in a relationship with him or anything romantic" I explained.

Dan is my friend and I just don't feel anything for him.

The same goes for Ram, Champ and Arak.

Arak especially because he's straight and something tells me he's got a thing for Emma.

Tankhun visibly relaxed at my words and let out a sigh as he nodded his head.

"That's good. That's really good" Tankhun said.

"But, do you mind if I ask you something?" I asked.

"Go ahead. I mean it is only fair" Tankhun shrugged.

"Thank you. Now, please explain to me why you were jealous of Dan?" I asked.

"Pardon...?" Tankhun asked, almost as if he were trying to avoid the question.

"Why were you jealous of Dan?" I asked.

I need an answer.

I need to know why he was jealous of Dan.

Why did he react the way he did? Why was he so mean to him?

Tankhun swallowed a lump in his throat and looked down, finding his hands more interesting.

I heard him, and could see his lips moving, muttering something under his breath but I couldn't exactly make out what he was saying.

"Tankhun, can you please speak up?" I softly asked.

He let out an annoyed sigh as he turned his head, making eye contact with me.

"I said I was jealous because there might be a small possibility that...that..." Tankhun trailed off.

He bit his lip and I could see him having a debate inside his head.

"That..." I encouraged him to continue.

He let out a frustrated sigh and let out a quiet 'what the heck' before turning his body around.

What he did was completely unexpected.

My eyes widened when he wrapped both his arms around my waist and pulled my body closer to his, that way our clothed chests were pressed together.

On instinct, I placed my hands on his shoulder and looked up at him.

The tiniest smile appeared on his face and he leaned down to press his forehead onto mine.

"Because there's a small possibility that I might have grown to like you. More than a bodyguard and a friend" Tankhun explained.

My eyes widened more and a blush slowly appeared on my cheeks.

Is he saying what I think he's saying...?

I gulped when he gently placed his fingers under my chin, pulling my face closer to his.

"I might have grown feelings for you, Liam" Tankhun whispered.

Oh my god...

He let out a hum and leaned in, trying to press his lips onto mine.

I snapped out of the shocked state I was in and put pressure on his shoulders, pushing him back.

He frowned at the action and tried leaning more, trying to stop me from pushing him back, but I continued with what I did.

"Tankhun, Tankhun, stop. Please, you have to stop" I begged.

I sighed in relief when he finally stopped trying to kiss me.

However, guilt filled my stomach when I saw him staring at me with sadness in his eyes.

"Why? Don't you like me? Don't you want this?" Tankhun asked.

I blushed and felt my heart flutter as I shook my head.

"Tankhun, I-I won't lie when I say that you're an amazing person. You're a unique person and that's why I like you. But...but you have to understand that I don't know how to feel about all of this, all of this is so sudden and I'm just confused" I explained.

Just so we're clear, I'm not confused about my sexuality.

I'm gay and I'm proud to admit that.

However, I'm confused because I don't know if I feel the same way towards him or not.

"And, Tankhun, you have to understand that you're not sober. You're still drunk after the crazy night today. I don't want you kissing me like this. You're not in the right mind state and I just don't want to take advantage of you" I explained.

Tankhun frowned and pressed his body closer to mine, deepening my blush.

"You're not taking advantage of me when I really want it" Tankhun admitted.

I frowned and shook my head.

"Tankhun, you have to understand that you're not sober, you're drunk and you're just saying things that any drunk person would say. I don't want to kiss you, not like this. I refuse to kiss you when you're in this state. A kiss should be done the right way. And I can never forgive myself for taking advantage of you, especially stealing your first kiss like this" I explained.

One thing my parents, especially my dad, have told me is that consent is always important.

Dad told me that he would always ask for mom's consent before going any further.

Even when they were married he would always ask for her consent whenever they would get intimate with each other.

He respects mom and he always told me that when I find my special someone, I should respect them the same way.

That's why I refuse to let Tankhun kiss me when he's in this state.

I fucking refuse.

Oh and speaking of Tankhun...

He let out a cough and he swayed slightly, almost as if he were ready to pass out.

And I was correct.

His eyelids dropped and he fell forward, I caught and held onto him and gently brought his head to my shoulder.

I let out a sigh and gently rubbed his back up and down, chuckling softly when he started snoring softly.

I slowly brought my hand to my face and I could feel that my cheeks were still red, the blush never left.

It also didn't help that my heart was still fluttering at the fact that I was hugging Tankhun.

Oh my god...

Oh my god...don't tell me...

Am I gaining feelings for Tankhun Theerapanyakun...?