Sarit
I sighed, knowing my self-imposed vacation was coming to an end. Instead, hauling my body up from the bed and trying to get in a real, actual shower.
Perhaps due to my siren nature or my physiology, I wasn't too tired, really. In fact, I felt refreshed from the time we had. True, maybe a bit animalistic, but we're all animals at the end of the day anyway; this sort of thing was perfectly suited to my nature — even if I didn't want to admit it.
"Up already?" a slightly pouty voice that belonged to the man who'd spent the last number of days trying to claim every part of me said.
"Mm, I need to get ready. It is going to rain soon."
"You would grow fins by getting caught in the rain, right?" he asked me with a small tinge of concern to his teasing.
"Nope, not at all. It only takes a bit more focus if you've been away from the water too long," I said calmly while patting on some skincare to my face in the mirror, done with my shower.
"You've not been in the water for a while though, isn't that going to be a problem?" he said, stepping closer. "Maybe cancel your work for one more day and stay in the sea?"
"Nah, I've used up basically all my off days I can for a while. I'll be fine. I had a different kind of sustenance to keep me going," I said, eyeing him a bit, looking him up and down.
My sense of reason had returned to me; okay, to be frank with myself it was never gone. Only that I wanted to pretend I was out of my mind to go that far, that much, with him. However, I had to admit... I liked it. Whatever this whole feeling was, I liked it.
I wouldn't admit such a thing to him, though.
He just leaned over me at the counter, grabbing my hands and kissing them, kissing my shoulder. He wasn't really trying to start anything inappropriate, just being affectionate. I tried to nudge him off in a fake pouting, claiming he was getting in the way of my skincare, but a smile twitched at the corner of my mouth.
Now he seemed to have fewer reservations or caution regarding touching me; it was like he could read through me and know what I liked. Whatever boundaries we had were all but gone now.
"You smell so nice," he said, whispering into my shoulder as he kept kissing.
I liked it—too much, actually. I felt the urge to just run away, secretly disappear and try to avoid seeing him ever again. Maybe then I could outrun my feelings.
I knew, just like the BLs I was watching, I would probably secretly hope, deep down in some part I wouldn't want to admit, that he would follow me and find me.
Might as well make a man work for it, no?
He opened the door for me to let me get in the car shortly after, treating me like a prince. I felt a bit happy with that feeling, but again, I tried to pretend otherwise.
He dropped me off but didn't give me any goodbye kiss, no hug, no pulling on me; he just let me leave the car. That annoyed me. I stood there for a minute, wondering what was wrong with him and why I was even annoyed.
I huffed, already feeling the emptiness in the air he had briefly been.
Walking now toward the building just as the rain began to fall, dripping onto my hand, I shrugged, paying no mind to it. Thailand always rains.
Instead of looking for Abyss, I walked around, but he wasn't in any of the usual work or practice rooms. I looked around, confused—where was my own manager?
Someone I vaguely remembered as Rung came up to me. "You're looking for Abyss? He told me to let you know you can go ahead to the practice center, he is in a private meeting with the boss," she said after confirming I was his talent he manages.
I nodded to her and felt myself smirk, saying aloud as I walked, "Private meeting, huh?"
That was amusing. I could only deduce what they might be doing all alone in a room. In recent times, Abyss hadn't said much since he told me he was having second thoughts. I knew my friend, though. He wasn't the best liar, or the best assassin. That was something I did. He, however, was an amazing fighter, but his emotions were always on his sleeve. They were loud and obvious. He'd only learned how to do such things out of necessity after the accident, and even then, he wasn't a killer.
Him having second thoughts didn't surprise me, more so the fact that he was obviously developing feelings for khun Onyx. I would never find myself in such a position, I told myself.
Emotions are futile and weak. I couldn't deny that we had largely become distracted from our goals while here on land, though.
I was ushered from my practice room I had only just arrived in to some sort of meeting room. I was told to be on my best behavior.
I steeled myself for the excess socializing.
The moment I entered the room I found myself greeted by a familiar face. "Kuak!" the boy smiled at me, his hair back to a shoulder-length, edgy, elegant look. He resembled how Abyss did more right now.
With him were his other brothers. They were an array of aesthetics and looks, but all with petite, sassy builds I could only describe as fellow divas.
We exchanged greetings. "Where is Abyss?" the sweet one I knew as the youngest named River asked.
"Ah, he was held up by some things. I think he is coming soon."
As if on cue, he opened the doors, trailed by Khun Onyx. There was a slight blush to his usually stony cheeks. I smirked, clearly something had happened in their "private meeting," but I wouldn't comment on it here.
I gestured to Abyss to come over to the six of us who were gathered like we spotted some delicious tea to gossip about.
The tables turned on me quite fast, though, as Abyss smirked and let out a small cackle while pointing right at my neck. He then even moved to pointing at my wrist where remnants of marks remained.
"I see you had a lot of fun. More than usual? You let him mark you, didn't you?" he snickered while the group of his cousins turned to examine me.
"Mark me? What is with your phrasing. I haven't lost any pearls, mind you," I scoffed.
"You sure? None? None at all? I think you lost something if I had to venture a guess."
I blushed bright red at what he was suggesting. Well, he wasn't completely wrong and it was pointless to refute at this point. Kuak looked at me, surprised. "Whoa, is Sarit finally getting a mate?" the whole group clambering around me just waiting to tease, blocking out whatever else was going on in that room.
"Oh, you bet he is," said Abyss, nodding in my direction. I scowled at him but said nothing.
"It is that guy I saw you with at the mall, isn't it? That handsome man," Kuak said with a flirtatious smirk. My skin prickled a bit at him calling my man handsome, I shook the thought loose. I must be losing it to call him my man. I spent too long with him, that's all.
Ruen, MaliKwan, and Violin all laughed in my direction. "I can't believe the legendary feisty Sarit let someone cover him head to toe like this. I want to meet the man who managed this."
They turned to Abyss to ask him what Chada was like since I definitely wouldn't tell them, Abyss laughing as he said, "Heck, these days Sarit even smells like his products."
He kept nudging me with his elbow. I was thinking—some best friend I chose. Exposing me like that. I covered my ears from their gossip and teasing, instead focusing on the business at hand. The meeting went pretty well with the investors, they liked my aesthetic and were planning on a collaboration with their artists and this company, hence why Abyss's cousins had come. Apparently it was all their suggestion in the first place so they can hang out with us for a while.
"We can be of support to you," they said as we leisurely walked out from the meeting room. "After all, you two haven't been on land years like we have."
I took this as my opportunity. "Well, I don't think Abyss needs help anymore. He is all cozy up with the company CEO."
Their eyes swiveled like eager piranhas for new prey to gossip about. "That intense-looking guy you came with earlier?" MaliKwan asked.
Abyss nodded sheepishly. I jumped on the chance and asked, "So what was the meeting about, huh? You couldn't find other work while I was out so you went to keep your boyfriend company?"
"He- he's not my boyfriend yet," the word "yet" instantly replayed in the six of our minds at his admission. We all glanced at each other. "Besides... it was nothing. I was just bored and you weren't around. What was I supposed to do? I wanted to alleviate his work a bit."
We smirked. "Have you kissed him yet?" I asked. He shook his head in response. "Wow, you are so behind," I said while patting his head, letting him know I didn't mean it.
"Not everyone is as fast as you, Sarit," he said, trying to tease again. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked off, letting them catch up without me.
The rain did not let up the entire day. I made my way out from one of the Songkran events. Apparently it was Songkran soon, a type of celebration which was basically a giant water fight.
Chada picked me up and took me to a temple to make merit and offerings beforehand as part of tradition. I didn't know how, so he taught me everything bit by bit.
Finally, once we were done on the temple grounds, he told me, "I poured water holding your hand. I hope that means we meet in the next life." He said briefly, explaining that certain things can make souls reincarnate and meet again.
I looked at him, thinking he was saying a load of nonsense, really, but as long as he was happy. I shrugged my shoulders.
He smiled at me. "Will you go to Songkran with me?"
I looked at him with awe at how beautiful he looked right now with the rain dripping through his clothes. We locked eyes; I hadn't even known the meaning of what he just asked me...