Chapter 30: Icy Kiss

Gemini handed his boyfriend his favorite mango ice-cream as he bought himself a mint-chocolate cone.

Fourth scrunched his nose at the choice. "That tastes like toothpaste."

"No it doesn't." Gemini protested immediately as they began walking around Siam, the place buzzing with activity as some celebrity performed on the stage set up below. It was both a boon and a pain.

A boon because it meant that the food court was empty, but a pain because the entire hallway was crowded with screaming women going crazy over their idol.

"Wan neung na, you'll be the one up there on stage, and girls will be going crazy over you just like this." Gemini told Fourth almost absentmindedly as they came to a stand near a tiny empty spot on the railing and looked down as Krist Perawat performing his song.

 "Oh ho!" Fourth smiled at his faen. "You have so much confidence in me? Will you come to my performance then, if I was here, on that stage?"

"Dai dee." Gemini nodded with confidence. "I'll be right at the front, shouting the loudest, holding up a sign that says 'my boyfriend is the coolest'!"

"Coolest? Not the hottest?" Fourth teased, shoving Gemini lightly on his shoulders with his.

"Coolest, because only I can be the hottest." Gemini grinned, leaning in quickly to sniff kiss Fourth's cheek before he ran away from the crowd giggling, cradling his ice-cream in his hands.

Momentarily stunned, Fourth took a minute to process what had just happened, until he felt the cool remains of Gemini's lips on his cheek and a wide smile spread across his lips, before he too, turned and ran after Gemini with his ice-cream.

"Wait a minute, where are you running to, khun faen?" Fourth called out laughing as he chased Gemini. "Let me show you just how cool I am with a real kiss?"

The hallways were deserted as they ran past empty stores and corridors. Gemini ran away from Fourth giggling, even though they both knew it was a game.

"Catch me if you can!" Gemini called out behind him before he sprinted down yet another deserted hallway, both of them trying their best to avoid the crowded areas.

"Oye! Nong, nong! Stop running in the hallways!"

The sudden voice of a guard stopped Gemini in his tracks as he skidded to a halt in the middle of the hallway, which allowed Fourth to easily catch onto his faen as he wrapped an arm around Gemini's waist and hugged him from behind.

"Got you!"

"Ai Fourth! Not now!"

"Why? Are you shy?"

The guard who had stopped them, turned beet red as he quickly turned away, muttering something along the lines of 'teenagers' and 'young love' under his breath as he hurried away, his mission having been accomplished.

Now that the place was finally empty, Fourth took the opportunity to try and kiss Gemini, but he still evaded.

"What's the matter? Are you shy, ha?" Fourth kept on teasing him, tickling his chin as Gemini slipped away from his grasp. "Shy, huh?"

"I'm not shy." Gemini puffed his cheeks, turning to face Fourth.

"Then prove it," Fourth challenged cleverly. "Kiss me."

"Ai Fourth…what if someone comes this way?"

"Ohhh…you're shy and scared?" Fourth laughed.

Finally, Gemini frowned, seemingly having had enough of his boyfriend's teasing. And then he brought his ice-cream cone to his lips and pressed the cold concoction to his lips for a few seconds.

"What are you doing?" Fourth looked at Gemini with his eyes wide.

"You wanted a 'cool' kiss, didn't you?"Gemini said once he removed the cone and licked his lips clean. "I'll give you an icy one."

Before Fourth could protest, Gemini wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him flush against his body, before his lips descended upon his in a cool, icy kiss that soon turned heated and passionate.

Fourth's free hand went to Gemini's hair, tangling at his nape as he pulled them closer even further. Their lips moved in sync, heating up slowing as the ice melted away to be replaced by a searing heat that left them both breathless.

When they both pulled back for air, their foreheads resting against one another as they filled their lungs with oxygen, Fourth licked his lips, his hand still on Gemini's nape.

"Still tastes like toothpaste." He said suddenly, making Gemini look at him in confusion. "But I think I might get addicted to the taste."

When his words finally registered, Gemini couldn't help but smile as they let go of each other, before hold hands as they walked towards the exit to Siam, their half-melted ice-creams still in their hands.

*

*

Joong entered the club in a hurry, and beelined straight for the bar where he could see P'Luke trying to stop Dunk from drinking another glass of what appeared to be whiskey.

There were several other empty glasses scattered on the table and some liquor dripping down the sides, which just may have been caused by a spill. However, none of those were his primary concerns as he found Dunk literally fighting P'Luke for the glass in his hands and P'Luke trying to reason with what looked like a very drunk Dunk.

But just then, Dunk grabbed onto the glass as well and a tug-of-war ensued that caused Joong to rush to their side, trying to break off the mess that was about to be-

"Shia!"

Oops…too late.

P'Luke let go of the glass as he blinked several times, wiping the alcohol off his face before he looked down at his expensive suit that was now soaked in alcohol.

Completely unbothered by the situation, Dunk tilted back whatever was inside the near-empty glass before he slammed it on the table with so much force that it rattled the other glasses, before he held up his hand and demanded, "more".

"That's it!" P'Luke looked all but two seconds away from possible manslaughter. "N'Joong, if you don't take him away from here right this instant, I will throw him out myself!"

P'Plan, the bartender who was serving Dunk all this time, looked around confused if he should continue to serve or ask for the bill, but they all knew that Dunk was in no shape to do the later, so he just looked at Joong helplessly.

"P'Plan, no more drinks for him, please." Joong came to the rescues once he was able to unfreeze himself from his stupor. And then he turned to P'Luke apologetically.

"Phi…I'm really sorry about my friend. But please, he isn't in the right mind to get back home the way he is now." Joong pleaded. "I'll talk to him. He isn't usually like this…I don't know what happened but it must be something big."

"People come to a bar to get away from their shitty lives, N'Joong; it's a no-brainer." Luke sighed, wiping at his face once again as he felt the sting of the alcohol in his eyes. Mentally making a note to take a shower right away, he turned to his fiancé's cousin/half-brother. "But I don't like people causing a ruckus in my bar and that too at three in the afternoon!"

"Jai yen na phi." Joong tried his best to calm Luke down. "Why don't you get a shower and change while I take care of him. I promise, once you come out, we'll be long gone. And I'll take care of his bill for him."

"Are you sure about that?" Luke asked skeptically, looking from Joong to Dunk.

"I'm sure." Joong assured him. "I'll take care of everything."

"Alright." Luke sighed, straightening up as he got ready to leave. "I'll go shower and change, but he better be gone by the time I come out."

"Promise."

As Luke turned and left the room, Joong sighed in relief before his gaze turned to Dunk, who was humming some off-key tune while his head rested on the counter.

"Now…what the hell do I do with you?" He sighed, already getting a headache now that he had learned the real reason why P'Luke had called him over.

Dunk looked peaceful, almost like he was asleep…but that was before he opened his mouth…and barfed loudly.

"Goodness!" Joong scrunched up his nose, looking at the boy who he thought he had feelings for. "Where do we even start with you?"

"Why don't you start by paying the bill?" P'Plan interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.