At this moment, Tharn hated himself. There must be something so unlovable about him that everyone left him. All of his relationships had ended badly. He would hurt and then he would move on. Maybe he'd always hated himself and that's why he never questioned why they left.

And they would leave. It seemed inevitable. Like a destiny that he could never escape. Except none of them had ever made him hurt like this. He didn't think that he could get over Type. Type...Just thinking his name hurt. It felt like someone was burning his skin with acid. As if someone was hammering a nail into his heart while stabbing him in the lungs at the same time.

Tharn could hardly breathe from the pain. He stumbled home and the tears fell down unchecked. He didn't dare stay in their home. Everything reminded him of Type. The couch where he would fall asleep, the bed where they slept, the shower where they made love in the morning before school.

He looked through the glass doors of the side of the house and stumbled through them and into Thorn's arms.

"Tharn! Are you okay?" Thorn exclaimed in concern. Tharn held onto his arms and buried his face in his older brother's stomach. No one had ever crushed him to his knees this way.

"P', I've been dumped again," Tharn cried with the little breath he had left. His sobs wracked his body until he wished for death. Only death could relieve the pain of losing his love. It'd been only days ago he was planning their future. Planning on being together forever and then Type said he couldn't take it anymore.

"It's okay," Thorn comforted him, but Tharn was inconsolable.

"What did I do wrong? Why did Type leave me?" Tharn held onto Thorn tightly as he cried. His eyes were tightly shut and tears streamed down his face endlessly. Why couldn't he stay? What is it about me?

"You didn't do anything wrong" Thorn soothed. His heart was breaking for his brother and he frowned as he tried to think. Wasn't everything just fine a few weeks ago?

Tharn had no shame as he confessed his feelings. "I love him so much, P'Thorn. Why did he have to leave me? I love him. I want to be with him," Tharn cried.

Thorn rubbed Tharn's back as he kept telling him everything was okay, but he knew it wasn't. His brother had never been like this. This grief was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Tharn shook against him and Thorn cried with him. His pain was his pain and it had always been. Thorn would have to step in. Type would have to answer to him.

After crying for what seemed like hours, Thorn put Tharn to sleep in his darkened room. Even as he slept, his hands touched fervently the other side of the bed as if seeking someone and his head moved from side to side as his pain followed him into his dreams.

The next day

Thorn stared at Tharn dipping his feet in the pool. Then saw as Tharn suddenly threw his phone in the pool and his shoulders started to shake and he knew he was crying again. He sat beside him once again to comfort him and rub his back. On the one hand he was glad his younger brother was clinging to him again, but on the other hand he didn't want it to happen like this.

Thorn left Tharn sleeping again and left the house. He drove to Type's school and went up to a young handsome freshman.

"Hey, do you know where Type is?" Thorn asked him.

The freshman looked him up and down with an eyebrow raised. Yeah, I know I'm handsome, but can you go get Type? Thorn asked in his head even as he rolled his eyes.

The freshman jogged away from him. A few moments later Type came down the steps and Thorn watched him look around for a while before walking behind him.

"Type," he said. Type turned around and Thorn felt that things were not as they seemed. This didn't look like a guy who was happy to have broken up. Type had bags under his red-rimmed eyes as if he hadn't slept for days and he seemed to have lost weight as well.

"P'Thorn," Type said softly. His eyes had fear in them, but Thorn couldn't ascertain why.

"I need to talk to you. Let's go sit over there," Thorn nodded towards the Starbucks. Type nodded and followed after him.

Thorn sat across from Type in silence for a while as he thought of what to say to convince Type to talk to him. After telling him about Tharn crying and seeing the concern in his eyes, Thorn was further confused.

"Why did you break up with him if you still love him?" Thorn asked in anger. They were both suffering for no reason, it seemed.

"Everything I do, I do it for him," Type said cryptically.

Thorn frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Type gave up. In reality, he still dreamed of a future with Tharn after all of this was over and he didn't want his brother to think he was an asshole who made his brother suffer.

"If I tell you, promise me you won't tell Tharn," Type said.

Thorn crossed his fingers behind his back. His loyalty would always be to his baby brother. "I promise."

So Type told him the story of how Tharn had lost all of his boyfriends. How Lhong had sent men to rape his ex-boyfriend Tar and had forced their breakup.

Thorn was troubled. Part of him felt bad for Lhong, but he knew he would suffer when he saw Tharn and Type together again. And they would be together again because he was going straight to Tharn with this.

Thorn hurried home and by that time it was late afternoon. Tharn was still in bed. His body felt heavy and sluggish and he hadn't eaten in two days. His drumsticks were discarded on the floor as he didn't even feel like listening to music. Nothing gave him joy anymore. His eyes snapped from the ceiling as his brother burst in the door.

"Tharn, I know why Type broke up with you," Thorn said out of breath.

Tharn swung his legs out of bed to sit up. "Why, P'?"

"I know this may be hard for you, but you need to hear it. Type may be in danger."

Tharn got up and shook his P' "What is it?"

"Type broke up with you because of Lhong. He made Tar send you that message."

Tharn stumbled back. It seemed as if the pain would never end. "Lhong? Why?"

"Because Lhong is in love with you. He had Tar gang raped to get him away from you and now has blackmailed him to come between you and Tar. Type is confronting him tonight."

Tharn's knees got weak and he plopped down on the bed. There was a buzzing sound in his ears and even though his brother kept talking it was as if he was hearing him from a distance. His heart was racing and his palms were sweaty. His heart hurt even more as he thought of all of his past relationships.

All this time he had thought it was his fault. That he was unlovable, that he was untrustworthy. That he was weak or clingy and no one wanted to be with him, but none of it was true. He had given himself freely before, but never had he put his whole being into someone's hands like with Type.

Tharn felt hope surge as he got to his feet and quickly left the house leaving his brother in mid-sentence. He was going to find Type and Lhong.

When he parked, he walked toward's the music building. Lhong should have left practice by now and Type must have known that. His lover was smart and ferocious and it was finally in his favor. As he approached he saw Type in the distance talking to Lhong and then suddenly Lhong swung.

Tharn's hand tightened into fists as he ran forward only to see Techno and Champ taping the whole thing. What the hell are they doing? Don't they see Type is getting hit?

As he approached Techno he finally overheard what they were doing. "We can't help Type. We have to wait until Lhong confesses everything. Oh, what do we do?" Techno was saying desperately.

Tharn stepped up behind Techno and covered his mouth when he saw he was about to scream. "What the hell are you guys doing?" Tharn asked as he glared at them.

"Tharn! What are you doing here? How did you know that we were here? Who said...hmmm..." Techno's muffled words filled the night after Tharn covered it and shook his head.

"Let me listen, Techno."

"Tharn will never love you," Type was hissing out. His face was filled with bruises from Lhong's punches and it made Tharn's heart break, but he wanted to hear. Part of him couldn't believe his best friend would do this to him.

"This is your fault!" Lhong screamed. His face was twisted into an ugly expression and his eyes darted back and forth in an insane way that Tharn had never witnessed before. His best friend with the playful smile had been the mask and underneath was this ugly monster hurting his love. Tharn went to go forward, but Techno held him back and shook his head at him.

"It's your fault! You have to die!" Lhong was screaming. As if in slow motion Tharn saw him pick up the rock and hold it up over his head. He felt his body lurch forward before he was aware of it and he grabbed Lhong by his arms and pushed him away from Type.

Type looked up at him in surprise and Tharn crouched down to caress his cheek. His hands touched him all over checking for other injuries. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. How are you here?" Type said with his customary frown and Tharn wanted to die from the pleasure. It had been days since he heard his voice. Every cell in his body was singing hallelujah as his senses were filled with Type. He wanted to throw him over his shoulder and fuck him until they were both dead, but Lhong was waiting behind him to be dealt with.

"Techno, take care of Type for me."

Tharn moved Champ aside. Type's friend was ready to send Lhong to hell and part of Tharn felt sad that he didn't have a friend like that but most of him was glad that Type had loyal friends by his side.

He approached Lhong slowly with murderous intent. He'd never had a good poker face. When he loved someone he would go to the ends of the earth for them, but when he hated someone he could stab someone a thousand times with just one expression. His eyes screamed anger and disappointment and Lhong couldn't take it.

"Don't look at me like that," Lhong sobbed as he backed up.

Tharn couldn't take another word and swung to punch. When Lhong got back up his lip was bleeding and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"What the fuck have you done?!" Tharn screamed. He waited and waited for Lhong to explain this was a nightmare. To rise from this dream because he couldn't believe it. His head was crammed with their memories and now everything was tainted by Lhong's psychotic lies.

Lhong kept talking even as Tharn took comfort in Type's arms. Even as Techno pulled him away while Type fought for him. Tharn was exhausted. He just wanted to be with Type and forget everything and everyone.

Type took Tharn's arm and they walked to his car. Tharn drove in silence and tears silently streamed down. Type held his hand tightly to comfort him.

They went inside their place and Type turned on the light. He looked around and saw abandoned cans of beer on the floor. Probably from the same day he left.

Tharn pulled him down to the floor next to their bed. He went to get something and came back. Type saw the first aid kit in his hand and let him rub the alcohol and put the ointment on his bruises.

"Be gentle," Type said. He hissed in a breath. "It hurts."

"Almost finished," Tharn said softly. His face had a worried expression that gave Type hope. He honestly thought that Tharn would go back to Tar after this, but Tharn's expressions were telling him otherwise. His care proved that and Type just had to say the right words to make it right again.

"I'm sorry," Type started.

Tharn was just grateful that he could hold Type's hand, but the apology was a bonus. "You... won't say that word to me again, right?" Tharn asked as his heart raced. It felt like he was fighting for the best thing in his life.

Type looked down ashamed. He never wanted to see the hurt in Tharn's eyes again. His sensitive drummer would always be protected by him. Type held both of his hands and looked at him with soft eyes.

"Not anymore," he said softly. "I've said enough. You're not the only one who was sad. I...almost went crazy from the sorrow when I broke up with you." Type pleaded with his eyes and Tharn was in seventh heaven as the love of his life confessed before his very eyes even as he tried to calm himself down.

Tharn's sad eyes broke Type's heart for both of them and all the time they had been apart. Type took Tharn's hand and placed it on his heart. "I'm hurting too. I'm sorry for always doing whatever I want."

Tharn looked at him suspiciously. He would never believe Type wouldn't do what he wanted. It was something he both loved and disliked about him. "I just wanted to open your eyes and didn't want to wait until he broke us up. I'm sorry."

Despite how happy he now was, Tharn wanted Type to know how it had felt these past couple of days. " You drove me crazy," he said.

"I'm sorry," Type said sincerely.

"My family was very worried."

"I'm sorry."

"You should pay for what you did," Tharn said.

"What do you want? Should I get down on my knees and apologize?"

Tharn outwardly still held a pouty expression even as he thought You should get down on your knees alright...

Tharn leaned forward and said his demands, "You must get back with me and stay with me forever," his eyes glistened with tears as he waited on baited breath for Type's response. Even now he was insecure. He wanted Type to know he was serious about them and had always been.

Type smiled in relief and raised a hand to bury his fingers in Tharn's hair. He used the hand to pull Tharn's towards him and kissed him on the forehead.

"Hmmm..." Type agreed. "Let's be together. Let's be together for the rest of our lives." Type's smile made Tharn smile and finally it felt like the sun broke through the clouds.

"...And when I said I didn't want to get in deeper, it wasn't because I wanted to break up with you, but because I was afraid my love for you would ruin the plan"

"Huh?" Tharn said with wide eyes. His eyes searched Type's face for the truth and he felt his ears deceived him. " What did you say?"

"Why do you ask?" Type asked with a frown as he pulled back.

"Because you said you love me" Tharn said with wonder. A smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he felt like leaping for joy.

Type looked around with a frown. "I never said I loved you?" Honestly, he felt he had been very obvious or maybe he'd said it to Tharn's cock a few times.

"Hmm, you never did" Tharn persisted.

"Then consider I already said it," Type teased. In my head, I've said it a million times.

Immediately, Tharn became a little boy. "Oy, Type. Come on, don't cheat. Say it again, na na na?" Tharn begged.

Type looked at him for a few moments and couldn't resist. "Listen carefully because I won't repeat it." Type held Tharn's head between his hands gently and pressed their foreheads together. His sweet breath blew over Tharn's face softly as he finally said the long awaited words.

"I love you, you asshole Tharn". Tharn laughed and then started to cry. His heart was full to bursting. He dragged Type to him and buried his fingers in his silky black hair as he sobbed tears of joy against him.

Type made fun of him but his hands held him and caressed him gently. I love you, Tharn. I'll protect you and fight anyone for you forever, my crybaby.

After, Tharn took a bath and then waited for Type to come out. He looked at the cup full of ice and smiled wickedly. Honestly, he brought it with the intention to put it on his bruises, but it had other uses too.

Tharn smiled as Type came out with shorts and a tank top. His long tanned legs were on full display and they made Tharn's mouth water. Tharn tapped the space beside him on the bed. "Come here."

Type obediently sat next to him and let him press some ice against his face. "Ah, it hurts" he hissed.

"Don't you usually love the pain?" Tharn teased. His head was full of memories of Type letting him pummel him into the bed without even lube sometimes. The pain aroused him just as much as Tharn's gentle hand did. His lover liked it rough and Tharn loved him for it.

As Tharn rubbed the ice on Type's face he thought of Lhong and all the little clues that he'd missed and his heart hurt for all of them. He wanted to forget in Type's arms and he wanted to be happy. He could never make it up to Tar and he had loved him, but his future would always be Type. He could only hope that Tar would have the courage to be with someone he loved in the future.

Tharn told Type of Lhong and his loneliness and how they met, but Type didn't want to hear it. "You have to make it up to me now," Type said and Tharn looked on as he took a piece of ice and put it in his mouth.

Tharn forgot everything but Type as he chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"With this," Type said around the melting ice in his mouth. Tharn leaned forward and swept his tongue inside his mouth. They moaned in unison. It felt like a lifetime since they'd kissed. Type walked up his fingers from Tharn's waist to his shoulder. His fingertips absorbed his warmth comforting them both.

Tharn licked every corner of Type's mouth as Type pushed the ice into his own. They slurped up the water without separating their lips as if ravenous for each other. After the ice melted, Tharn pulled back.

"Do you want more?" He teased.

Type's eyes twinkled as he said, "Don't even ask." Tharn picked a big piece and put it in his mouth and then challenged Type with his eyes as if saying "come and get it".

Type leaned forward and held onto Tharn's broad shoulders as he pressed his lips against Tharn's. His lips parted and his tongue swept inside to get the ice. Water ran down their chins as their heads move this way and that way as their tongues dueled with the ice between them. The ice melted and then it was only Tharn's taste in his mouth. Type moaned as he held onto Tharn tightly and dragged him down on top of him.

Tharn rolled up Type's tank top and threw it behind him. His lips brushed Type's neck and then his left and right nipple. There he stopped to suck and then he bit hard. Type arched and moaned. His legs widened to cradle Tharn between them. He ground his cock up against Tharn's hardening member.

Tharn bit down again and Type's finger nails bit into his back as his hips thrust up again as if in reflex. "Are you going to leave me again?" Tharn asked as he gripped Type's cock in his hand. He bit down on his nipple again and then soothed it with his tongue until it was hard against his lips. "Are you?" Tharn demanded.

Type's hand reached down to hold Tharn's around his dick and he shook his head. His eyes were in a daze as Tharn licked, bit and sucked at his nipples asking him the same question. "No....I won't.. Thaaarnnnn!" Type screamed as Tharn used his other hand to insert two fingers into his hole. His channel clenched around the twisting fingers.

Tharn took them out and sucked them into his mouth. His right hand began a twisting motion on Type's shaft. He inserted the two fingers back inside and hooked them in deep. Type squirmed against him and attempted to get closer. Tharn took his cock in his mouth and moaned as he felt Type's pre-cum drip down onto his tongue.