Chapter 18

Just as Tiwa wishes, he is not witnessing another brutal fight. Before any destruction happens, Faisol appears and breaks up the fight between the two alphas. It's not the end; it's just another chapter in their story. There are still many things waiting in line for them.

Thinking about it, Tiwa feels anxious. They have a week before they start touring, and he and Jaran have planned to vacate their home during those days. So it's one of the last rehearsals before their first tour starts. Spoiled by the earlier incident, none of them are getting along.

For some reason, they are all ornery and irritable, spending more time arguing than getting anything done. Their manager is on the verge of killing them. When they try to play a song, nothing sounds right, and they all end up blaming each other. The only one who stays out of it and is unusually quiet is Tiwa.

He is strangely quiet and does nothing about the arguments that are occurring. He doesn't join in, but he doesn't try to stop them either. Because he's not good at it. Usually, it's all handled by his brother, but now he locks himself in the other room and tries to relieve his anger alone.

Tiwa rubs his face with the back of his hand. He feels a lot like crying. Everything hurts, and he wants to sit down and not have to think for a while. He sits by Kiat's drum set with a guitar on his lap, watching his bandmates. Their eyes are on him as he finally snaps and goes to take a break outside.

Sitting on the curb, he faces the door he exited through, leaving it slightly ajar so he won't get locked out. He tries to clear his mind and wonders why they aren't getting along today of all days. If they can't get along before their tour starts, they will be doomed.

Decha steps out and looks for Tiwa. His makeup is a little smudged, and the silver glitter on his wrists is flaking off, but he isn't focused on anything. With a loud sigh, he sits next to Tiwa and eyes him. They sit in silence for a few minutes until he nudges and pokes an elbow into Tiwa's waist.

"What?" Tiwa asks, snapping out of his thoughts and glaring irritably.

"Hi," Decha says softly.

"Hi." Tiwa grits his teeth, trying to understand the situation. Despite feeling irritated by what is happening inside, he reminds himself that he's not in the rehearsal room anymore, and Decha has nothing to do with it.

"What is your past behind my imagination?" Decha asks, resting his hand on Tiwa and squeezing it gently.

"Um." Tiwa hesitates. His brain is progressing as he nibbles on his lower lip, a nervous habit, before breathing out slowly. "Nothing," he says, attempting not to let on how upset he is, although it's clear. In their short time of knowing each other, Decha has become somewhat of a whisperer, always seeming to know how Tiwa feels and what his mood is like without saying a word.

"That's not true. You, Pravat, and Jaran have been at each other's throats all morning. Something is going on," Decha says, his eyes glued to Tiwa's face, trying to read the expression. "No worries if you don't want to share. Are you okay?" He speaks not in a tone of false concern but with genuine care.

Tiwa, who is not familiar with such affection from others, is surprised. He admits, "I'm just stressed." The pressure is overwhelming, but he continues to push himself to the limit, feeling like he's on the verge of breaking down.

Decha nods. "I get it. I'm stressed too, but I tend to show it in less confrontational ways." He smiles, and for some reason, Tiwa wants to smile too. "If you're stressed, try not to stress so much," he continues. "I know that sounds dumb, but we're friends. I mean, Jaran is your brother, and Kay and Kiat are your cousins, but we're all together as friends, right?"

"Yeah. We're friends." Tiwa admits. He feels warmth in his chest at the acknowledgment, but he tries to ignore it. Having Decha beside him and hearing what he has said makes him feel a little better. "It works. Thanks," he says, rolling the idea around in his head.

"No problem," Decha responds, and they return to a peaceful, serene silence.

Tiwa zones out for a few minutes, but he snaps back to reality when he feels someone burying their face in his neck and inhaling his scent. He attempts to move, but they grip his elbow tightly. A wave of panic washes over him, as he doesn't want anyone invading his personal space. Pushing them away, he finds himself locked in with the dark brown eyes that are staring at him.

"Pravat!!" He swallows hard, wanting to punch the lights out of the alpha's shit-eating grin.

Pravat runs his tongue over his lips slowly, the movement drawing Tiwa's attention and holding it effortlessly like the world is their fucking oyster, and Pravat has stars in his eyes. They find themselves getting lost in each other's eyes as Pravat's hand gravitates toward Tiwa, causing him to jump ever so slightly at his natural warmth.

"Baby deer," Pravat grins and pinches Tiwa's cheek, chuckling. "I've smelled you."

Tiwa stares in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish out of water.

With a nudge on the shoulder, Pravat throws Tiwa an amused smile until the omega recovers and catches up with him. If Tiwa is honest with himself, he has already smelled Pravat, but he can't risk saying it out loud. He's scared that if people know who he is, he will lose everything.

Suddenly, Pravat pulls himself to his feet without a word and smiles slightly at the almost glazed expression on Tiwa's features. Tiwa wants to ask what is going on, but he doesn't say anything, and his traitorous body doesn't feel uncomfortable in the slightest. Pravat walks backward, almost tripping, when Tiwa holds his hand out unconsciously and gestures for him to be careful.

***

Jaran gets off his anger and uses his casual mode to drive himself to join the rehearsal. However, before that, he wants to talk to Tiwa and help him get back on track if he's not thinking straight. They must have been there for each other in times like this. It's what brothers are for.

As he turns around to look for Tiwa, he notices a figure through the crack that the door has left. Curiously, he reaches the door and sees Pravat walking backward with his eyes fixed on Tiwa. What has happened in his absence?

Looking up at Pravat and into his stormy brown eyes, Jaran realizes something unexpected. Pure fire burns below the surface, bubbling and boiling, waiting for a chance to spring forth. There is something else dancing in those eyes. What's that? Victory…

Clenching his fists at his sides, Jaran glares and points a finger at Pravat, who isn't surprised by his presence and grins at him. It seems he missed a long part. He turns his gaze to Tiwa and moves to sit with him on the curb. His eyes read the confusion in Tiwa's mind.

"Hey, what's going on?" He asks calmly, but Tiwa doesn't seem to realize his presence. "Tiwa?" He touches the younger one's arm, causing him to startle. He's sure his intuition is right. "Sorry," he apologizes as he wraps his arm around Tiwa, sensing the tension in his body. "What's wrong?" He inquires, concerned.

"Nothing," Tiwa says, looking away.

"Come on, Tiwa. I know something is bothering you." Jaran says, bringing his hands to Tiwa's face and forcing him to look in the eyes. "Tell me whatever you're hiding. Please."

Tiwa breaks eye contact again, shrugging his shoulders. "There's nothing new, brother. Let's get into the rehearsal." He stands up and walks inside.

Jaran trails behind, though he has suspicions that something unlikable is going on. The warmth in the room has considerably dimmed with his mood and the storms of thoughts within him. He stares at Tiwa's back.

Everything is the same as always. The kid who has grown up with him stands by him and is there for him. It's a reassurance of his pride and ego. But no, something tells him that it's not the same anymore. He tenses, and suddenly Tiwa seems very far away, even though they aren't more than a foot apart.