Habit steers Techno through the motions of a shower while his thoughts reel themselves into a new order, into a new logic in his mind. But it's not long before he's distracted by the hum of the overhead fan and the spray of water across his back.

Nothing has changed really. Techno tells himself that, repeats it while he steps out of the shower. He's never actually answered Kengkla's question, never agreed to be boyfriends. Kengkla didn't even say anything when he came home. If anything, Techno was the one acting weird.

Even with the incident earlier today, his cheeks flush at the thought, and the situation last week, there's no reason they can't continue on as they have been: a normal junior and senior relationship. But when he slips on comfortable clothes and towel dries his hair, his cheeks won't cool. Even when he lies down on his bed, directly in front of the fan, he can't stop over analyzing everything.

Pressing his hands into his eyes, Techno lets out an annoyed noise and turns over on his stomach, pressing his face into the sheets. He's ready to throw something at the wall in frustration, but it sounds like someone beat him to it. Picking himself up off the bed, he glances around the room, but there's nothing out of the ordinary. Then it hits him. He's not the only one home.

It's only been a half hour. There's no way Kengkla and Technic could have destroyed the house in that time, right? They're typically trustworthy, or at least, his parents seem to think so.

A cold chill of fear runs through Techno, and he jumps off the bed, running toward the door. When he jerks it open, the hallway is silent, and there's no suspicious noises coming from the first floor. For a moment, he wonders if he heard it at all before shaking his head and shuffling down the stairs.

There's no one on the coach when he enters the living room, but the television is still playing a movie at a low volume. Kengkla's bag remains on the floor, but the food from earlier was cleared from the table. If it there wasn't a crash earlier, Techno would assume they went up to Technic's room, but he continues his search, walking toward the kitchen to find the cause.

If it weren't for the light above the stove, illuminating the dark room, Techno never would've seen Kengkla on the floor, knees pressed into the tile and legs folded underneath him. Techno's attention flickers away from the other, slides down to the broken plate on the floor, shattered into pieces, and Kengkla is picking up the pieces, tossing them into a plastic bag next to him, and Techno lets out a sigh of relief.

Kengkla's attention flickers from the floor gaze catching Techno's, and he's frowning, shoulders slumped in shame. "I'm sorry, P'No," He says immediately.

Techno huffs a laugh. "It's fine, Ai' Kla," He chuckles, stepping forward to kneel down in front of the other to help clean up. But Kengkla turns away, looking down so his expression is hidden by his hair. He begins to pick up the remaining pieces on the floor while Kengkla grabs the smaller ones, tossing the glass into the sack, as he tried not to laugh at the situation. When he first heard the crash, Techno was so frightened that he practically tripped on his jeans down the stairs, but it turned out to be something so harmless. It was almost comical.

"What happened anyway?" Techno asks, curiosity getting the best of him, and when he glances up, Kengkla's staring at him, his face a closer than Techno remembered.

"P'No, I'm sorry," Kengkla says sincerely, lips trembling for a moment before tensing into a frown. "I felt bad you gave me your food, so I wanted to do something. Technic took my car to grab you food. Then I saw the dirty dishes and I just thought— I don't know."

"Technic took your car?" Techno repeats with a chuckle. He isn't even sure if his brother has a license yet. "Never mind, it's okay. It's okay."

Kengkla's starts to smile, the curve of his mouth threatening a grin, and Techno can feel his cheeks heat under the other's stare. His attention flickers down to the floor, heart pounding while he tries not to think about anything other than this moment.

It's when they both try to pick up the same piece that Kengkla's fingers brush against his, and at first, Techno's shoulders stiffen in response at the contact. Another reminder. Then he sees the red on Kengkla's sleeve and the blood trickling down his wrist.

"You're bleeding," Techno blurts, voice louder than he expected. His breath catches, and he's lifting his hand without thinking, grabbing Kengkla by his injured wrist. He turns the other's wrist over and examines the inside of his palm. There's a cut between his index finger and his thumb, and though it's not deep enough for stitches, it's enough to warrant slight panic.

When Techno glances up to meet Kengkla's gaze, there's no flicker of fear in the other's expression. He's still smiling, looking utterly at ease. Techno is blinking in confusion when Kengkla suddenly winces, smile fading to a frown. He looks younger than he usually does with this expression like he might actually be the high schooler he is.

His fingers tense in Techno's hold, but he doesn't pull away. "P'No, it hurts," Kengkla hisses, sounding closer to what is expected of someone with an injury.

Techno can feel laughter threatening in his chest at Kengkla's tone. "Don't cry, Ai' Kla. It's just a cut," He says and pushes himself to his feet, letting Kengkla's wrist go to grab the other's arm instead. His fingers come away stained with red, and it stains the other's beige sweater, sending guilt down Techno's spine.

Kengkla yelps a sound of surprise and reaches out to grab him, but Techno pulls the other up off the floor toward the counter. When he's up on his feet, Kengkla holds out his injured wrist to Techno and stares at him with pleading eyes. "It's still bleeding."

Techno doesn't answer but nods while reaching for a clean dish towel. The hand on Kengkla's arm slides down to his injured wrist again, turning it over to look at the cut. With the towel in his hand, he presses it hard against the wound, and he's not surprised when Kengkla jumps at the contact. "Keep this pressed here and go wait on the couch," He orders.

He doesn't say anything for a moment, meeting Techno's stare for a heartbeat of time, but then Kengkla says, "Okay, P'No," and walks toward the living room.

For a moment, all Techno does is stare down at his hands. Kengkla's blood is under his fingernails and it makes his stomach sick. Kengkla broke a dish and cut himself up because Techno is a coward and an idiot, or at least that's what he tells himself.

He's not sure how long he's standing there until he finally takes a breath and turns around to the kitchen cupboards, opening one up to grab a first aid kit. When he enters the living room with the plastic box in hand, he musters a smile, and Kengkla is staring up at him with curious eyes.

He keeps his mouth shut, doesn't trust himself to speak as he strides across the room. Techno's gaze sweeps over the coach before he decides to sit next to Kengkla. Ignoring the other staring at him, Techno sits the first aid kit on the table before opening it up to take out gauze and ointment. He's done this many times for juniors when they get hurt during games, but his hands won't stop shaking now.

His heart is pounding, but he holds his free hand out for Kengkla, still avoiding the other's gaze. It takes a few seconds before Kengkla places his injured hand into Techno's grip, sparking electricity through Techno's veins from the weight of the other's hand.

Finally, Techno straightens and lifts the rag off to reveal the cut, resting Kengkla's hand on his leg. A wave of relief rushes over him. "It stopped bleeding," He mumbles, but it's more for himself than anyone.

Kengkla doesn't comment, but Techno can hear him breathing heavily, even over the TV in the background. He wonders if the other is in pain or afraid, but he doesn't address it, uncapping the ointment. Before he can back out, Techno dabs the liquid onto the cut and begins to rub it in with a soft touch.

There's a hiss from Kengkla at the contact, and Techno whispers a sorry but still doesn't look up. With intent focus, he tosses the ointment into the box and grabs the bandage, wrapping it around the other's hand carefully.

"You're good at this, P'No," Kengkla says as if he's genuinely impressed. It makes Techno chuckle softly while he stares down, making sure to completely covered the wound. He opens his mouth to reply, but Kengkla beats him to it. "Do you do this for your teammates?" He adds slowly.

Tecnno glances up at Kengkla, just for a moment, and sees the set of his jaw. "Uh, yeah." He searches for words before laughing to break the tension. "I'm the captain after all. Those juniors barely survive without me."

Kengkla lets out a sigh as Techno finishes the wrap on his hand, tying it into a firm knot before letting go. There's strange tension in the air, and he tries to break it. "This junior—hyper kid named Ai' Can— got hit in the head by a ball the other day. It was so damn funny," He begins, chuckling at the memory while he puts the gauze and ointment back on the table. "I tried to help him. But that little monkey, he just kept complaining about something else. I don't know what do with him."

When he finishes the story and looks up, he sees Kengkla watching him with narrow eyes. Techno can feel his shoulders stiffen in response to the other's unusually dark expression. Despite his heated stare, Kengkla sounds calm when he asks, "Is P'Can the one you go drinking with?"

Techno shrugs like it doesn't matter. "Sometimes Ai' Can, sometimes Ai' Type. Usually with the team," He answers with a forced smile. The question is a reminder of their current situation, and despite how much he knows they should discuss a related topic, Techno tries to ease the conversation somewhere else. "Do you know when Ai' Nic is getting back?"

Kengkla's lips tug to a smile, and he leans in closer, pressing his uninjured hand against Techno's leg. Techno jumps at the contact but doesn't move away, struggling with the unsettling feeling that knocks into him.

Kengkla inhales deeply, and Techno can feel the exhale against his cheek with the other so close. "You smell good, P'. Did you take a shower?" He asks, ignoring Techno's question.

Techno struggles for a reply, so it sounds like question when he manages to cough it free. "Yes, I did?"

"I liked how you smelt earlier too," Kengkla says, perfectly calm and then he's shoving at Techno's legs, pushing them sideways. Techno nearly topples off e before he throws a hand out to steady himself on the coffee table. Kengkla has a knee on the couch, leaning over him, and Techno leans back in retreat.

The dark expression is back, eyes narrow, but his smile doesn't suggest anger. "P'No, why didn't you go drinking tonight?" He asks, and Techno stares up at him, mouth open and heart beating fast in his chest. Kengkla's injured hand is braced against the back of the couch for support.

Techno can't speak, can't blink, but Kengkla isn't waiting for an answer. "Don't you usually go out with your team?" He asks

His uninjured hand moves to Techno's face, fingers brushing softly against his skin. "You always talk about them so affectionately. I just want to—" He cuts himself off, mouth forming into a frown. His hand is still against Techno's face, and Techno feels like he can't breathe.

"Haven't I been a lovely boyfriend, P'?" Kengkla asks. "I went to watch your game." His mouth catches into a smile, and Techno's sucks in an inhale. "You did so well." Techno thinks they should've talked about this when he had the chance, now he's frozen now.

Kengkla's gaze drops to Techno's mouth and lingers. "I like you a lot, P'No," He shifts his hand up, fingers catching on Techno's hair then leans in closer until Techno can feel the other exhale against his face. There's only a few seconds before Kengkla's kissing him with the soft of his mouth, fingers gripping Techno's hair.

....

A/N: Thank you for 1.7k hits! Updating early cause of all the love I've received!

Tell me what you think! And yes, Kengkla lies a few times in this chapter...Can you spot when?