Pravat feels restless; buzzing energy fills his bones and threatens to seep from his pores. He scratches his neck and bounces on his toes, looking from left to right as he searches for Tiwa. It's not out of love for him; it's out of hate for him. He needs to know how Tiwa is doing after their little game last night. He got hurt a little by his attempt, but it didn't matter if Tiwa's emotions blew up.
Glancing at his watch, Pravat curses silently as he waits for the omega to show up for rehearsal, not just keeping him waiting but also his bandmates. He wonders what Tiwa could be doing. Perhaps he is locked away somewhere, reflecting on the events of yesterday and experiencing emotions that he has never been taught how to handle.
Pravat's lips curl into a smirk as he imagines it. He sways and tosses his arms around until Tiwa comes into his view and makes a half-hearted attempt to talk to Decha. Frustration dances on Pravat's face as he sees him chatting as if nothing has happened. How is it possible?
He is standing to the side for a while, just listening and watching Tiwa, who looks calm in a black cap and a faded band t-shirt of 'The Prides of Music'. The clothes somehow make him look tinier than he is. Even though Tiwa is six feet tall, he is barely 62 kg, making him scrawny and thin. Does it matter? Of course, everything that belongs to Tiwa is significant to Pravat.
Decha, who absorbs the daily motions of life, is curious about Pravat's continuous glances at Tiwa, so he tries his luck to know what is going on. He lifts his gaze, giving the most convincing look. "Hey, Tiwa. Can I ask you something?"
Tiwa releases a steady sigh. "What is it?"
Decha nods. "Why does Pravat keep glancing at you? Have you known each other before? I mean, before he joined our band."
Tiwa is lost for words. He feels his temper rising but manages to suppress his annoyance. "You're imagining things!"
"Maybe. Some imaginations have past." Decha insists on that way of his, never letting anything drop.
Tiwa narrows his eyes, and before he can even ask what Decha is up to, Pravat stands right in front of him. The surprise might have shown in his face because Pravat's grin grows bigger. Some imaginations have pasts, but they are unsaid. If they need to be said, two hearts must pick them apart from each other.
Pravat, who senses annoyance in Tiwa, agrees that he has another opportunity to get under the omega's skin because he's not blind. Since the day he entered Tiwa's life again, he's noticed the way Tiwa looks at him. The longing is still there, along with fear. The beats of Tiwa's heart are a frantic melody whenever they are near.
Both can sense the electricity between them, and it affects them as intensely as they feel. Wanting to probe it higher, Pravat approaches Tiwa, but Tiwa lets out a tired breath and grabs Decha's hand for support as he walks forward. It infuriates Pravat, who keeps clenching and unclenching his fists.
With a swift move, he grabs Tiwa's arm and pulls him to his side to make eye contact. "You're pretending you are not my baby deer, and you will never be." He laughs and tightens his grip. "You have a lot of fucking nerve, showing up and thinking you're better than I have thought. You're not only an excellent singer but try to be an actor. Bravo!"
"Let me go," Tiwa says, looking around in fear. Fear of getting caught and explaining unnecessary questions.
"Not until you stop pretending," Pravat says, staring at Tiwa deeply, leaning into his space like he means to count each of his dark lashes or share the same breath as him. The proximity makes a flutter under Tiwa's skin, so he is in a daze, swallowing hard.
Feeling satisfied with the reaction, Pravat lets go of Tiwa's arm and raises his eyebrow, silently challenging him to say something or do something. But Tiwa doesn't, so Pravat purses his lips in a sort of smirk and backs off, watching Tiwa all the while. It's a game they've played since childhood!
Tiwa stares at Pravat, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "You're wrong. It's nothing. I have nothing to do with you, not after what happened between us." He shares a message through his eyes before slowly turning his attention back to Decha.
"It's your thought, not mine! You're mine, baby deer!" Pravat yells as he walks backward in the hallway with complete amusement. He turns the corner without looking back, only to run into something that's definitely not the wall. Nope, it's Jaran Buathong. He knocks him on the ass, causing him to fall.
"Watch where you're going," Jaran snaps, a bit of an edge in his tone.
It surprises Pravat, making him wonder if Jaran uses his mouth instead of his hands because of his bandmates. He likes to provoke Jaran when something seems to be holding him back. "I loved to, but my eyes were glued to my baby deer, so I lost it. Sorry, Jaran," he says mockingly.
Jaran climbs to his feet and narrows his eyes suspiciously.
"I didn't know the dust was going to touch your ego and ruin your mood." Pravat grins.
Jaran scowls, gritting his teeth as he tries to control his anger, while Tiwa silently communicates through his eyes to be cautious about the surroundings. He stares at Pravat, clenching his jaw. "Watch your mouth!" He shoves him away and walks past him to approach Tiwa.
"What? Does he avoid me?" Pravat can't be happier as he gets ignored. If there's one thing he likes to do, it's getting under people's skin. He can tell from the tone of Jaran's voice that he's definitely getting under his skin. "Or what will happen?" He asks, imitating the other's irritated tone and only deepening the scowl.
Jaran stops in his tracks and turns to look back with a chuckle. "You will never be alive to talk anymore." He manages to keep his anger in check, as his tone now is more cocky and bold than irritated, if anything.
"Huh?" Pravat's grin from earlier reappears. There is no warmth in it; it's just pure mockery. He wants to dig deep under Jaran's skin and see if he can break that cocky façade. It will take time, but he knows he can do it.
"You've got confidence and an ego the size of a watermelon, just because you think you have everything." His eyes shift toward Tiwa and point at him. In Jaran's dictionary, everything resembles his little brother and sister. He doesn't want his sister, but he wants his little brother, who is Jaran's pride and ego!
Jaran's eyes widen as he realizes what Pravat is implying. He steps closer and invades Pravat's personal space, locking eyes with him. "If you attempt something foolish again, I won't let you off like last time." He growls before being pulled back by Tiwa, who grasps his hand in an attempt to defuse the situation.
Pravat laughs humorlessly, shaking his head. "Oh, Jaran." He bounces up and down a little, wanting to antagonize him further. "I don't even need to try. It'll be just like taking candy from a baby, right? Distract the baby so he won't even know his candy's gone."
Jaran growls and grabs Pravat by the jacket forcefully, trying to attack him. The atmosphere becomes tense as they are both vaguely aware of their bandmates putting a hand on each of their chests, trying to separate them, not wanting a fight. But Pravat is more concerned about bothering Jaran, and Jaran is more concerned about not letting Pravat's annoyances get to him.