“I really thought they were a pair?” Tin murmured. Can looked up and followed Tin’s eyes to P’Type and P’No. His seniors stood at the pool table and pickered about a move P’No had made. “They are not?”, Pete asked and smiled when Ae pulled him back in his embrace.
Can exchanged a puzzled look with Ae.
“No, they are just best friends I guess,” Ae said.
Tin mhmed and crossed his arms and stared at Type and Techno as if he had a puzzle to solve.
“They argue a lot,” Can said. That was a sign for non-dating, right?
The bar was packed with the football team of the university after their first win of the season. Can felt loose and happy, because he had been allowed to play and Tin had been there to cheer him on. And Ae and Tin made an effort to be civil with each other which meant a lot of silence from both of them but nobody was throwing punches so… success!
“He is cleary checking him out,” Tin said and drank from his glass. He had promised Can to drive him home, so it was only cola.
“Who?”, Can asked, because he already had three shots and he had thought about dragging Tin to the toilets to celebrate his win with a heavy make-out session in one of the stalls.
“The taller one is P’Type, right?”
Can nodded.
“Then he is the one checking your P’No out.”
Pete moved forward so fast he almost slid off the couch. Ae looked like he wanted to say: “See, that happens when I let go of you for a second.”
Pete knew that he was supposed to have a gay-dar but he wasn’t sure how to activate it. The whole football team were tactil people; Pete had never seen boys so eager to hug each other all the time, so he wasn’t entirely sure what the signs were.
But the moment P’Techno leaned forward to play, P’Type’s eyes didn’t follow the billiard cue but P’Technos body-line, especially his butt. Pete blushed on behalf of P’Techno and looked at Ae, who stared at something on his waist. Pete looked down and sighed. His shirt exposed part of his skin and Pete knew the second Ae opened his mouth that he would make the suggestion to head home to Pete’s apartment.
“I don’t care!”, Can yelled suddenly and both Ae and Pete flinched, “I need to go to the toilet.” Pete had no idea why he grabbed Tin and dragged him with him, but he had no time to think further about it, because Ae’s fingers found their way to the patch of skin on his waist and Ae was more interesting than anything else.
It irked Tin just how smug Can’s senior’s face (Can had called him P’Type) was despite Tin’s best glare.
It was a good glare.
“So you think you can come to the soccer field, glare at me, and I’ll leave Can alone?” Type laughed. “Wow, you have got it bad.”
“Listen, I’ll be taking him out for lunch every day for here on out. Waste your time on your other juniors.”
Type shrugged. “Wouldn’t it be unfair of me to not extend the invitation to N’Can?” Type leaned in, a glint in his eye that Tin hated. “Wouldn’t Can be upset that he isn’t being treated right by his seniors? Do you want to be the one to isolate him?”
Tin huffed. “Act like a proper senior then. What kind of “senior” gets so touchy feely with their juniors?”
Type made another expression Tin didn’t like. One of mocking agreement. “I see, so that’s how it is.”
“Listen you-”
“Ai Tin!” Tin was momentarily blindsided as Can charged into him like a bull and nearly knocked him over. Tin glared some more as Type laughed into his fist, disguising it as a cough. “You came to see me! Let’s have lunch! I want noodles today!” Can finally noticed Type attempting to make a dignified face once Tin agreed. “Oh P’Type. P’Techno said he’s looking for you. He said to tell you, ‘If I’m supposed to be your hubby, then let’s go before I want a divorce.’“
Type shrugged. “Have fun with your IC boy then. Tell him to check those eyes of his. They aren’t seeing properly.”
“Huh? Not seeing properly?” Can pulled Tin down to peer into his eyes, barely noticing the soft expression on his face. “Na Ai Tin, are your eyes focusing okay? I don’t see anything wrong.”
“How could you see anything wrong? You only ever see food.”
“Oi! Now you should treat me to noodles with fish balls!”
“How about noodles with fish balls and shrimp?”
“DEAL!” Can ran off towards Tin’s car in the parking lot. Tin sighed. He’d deal with Type another day.
“Did you just hiss at me?” Techno asks, incredulous. He’s hovering by his locker, towel wrapped around his waist, stopped in his tracks by the noise Type made.
“Are you judging me?” Type asks, gesturing at Techno’s whole body as if he were really asking ’Are you blaming me for appreciating the view?’
Techno turns away, securing his hold on the towel just in case it loosens. Type stays where he is, waiting for Techno to glance back at him.
“Are you going to be like this all the time?” Techno asks, facing his locker. Though Type can’t see his face, he knows Techno is blushing furiously: it’s spreading on his neck and ears.
“Am I not allowed to show my admiration for my boyfriend?” Type counters, and saying it out loud (boyfriend!) still thrills him as much as the first time they voiced this link between them.
When Techno doesn’t answer, Type goes to him, enclosing him in a tight embrace from behind. He kisses Techno’s neck, right on the spot that always makes him go all pliant underneath his touch. It doesn’t fail this time either.
“I’ll stop if you’re too embarassed,” Type says in Techno’s ear.
“It’s – it’s alright,” Techno says shyly.
“Good,” Type says, resuming his kissing of his boyfriend’s neck, and ear, and jaw, until Techno turns around and claims his mouth.
The Last Good Bar 