Love Case Vol. 1

Atikom and Anupap reached the garage around six-thirty, only to find it already closed. Earlier, Anupap had protested that they shouldn't waste time driving to the garage since they wouldn't make it in time anyway, but Atikom had insisted they rush to get there. So Anupap had to endure another wild ride with the young police officer. Atikom drove swiftly, weaving in and out of traffic until Anupap felt dizzy and couldn't help but complain that he still wanted to live because there were many things he hadn't done yet.

They arrived at the garage exactly at 6 PM.

"I told you so," Anupap frowned.

"I... uh," Atikom stammered.

The officer fell silent for a moment, then blurted out, "Huh? Why did the garage close earlier than usual today?" His voice carried a note of confusion, still trying to muddy the waters, before softening as he turned to Anupap. "Khun Nu, I'd like to..."

"Don't apologize to me. I don't want to hear it. The Captain didn't do anything wrong, and you don't need to take responsibility," Anupap said flatly, unable to resist the sarcasm.

"But I want to take responsibility for you..." he said with a smile. "Right now I need to take responsibility for your dinner. I think we should go find something to eat. An army marches on its stomach... ah, ah, don't you dare say you're not hungry."

"I'm hungry. Very hungry. I've been hungry ever since I told you that we wouldn't make it to the garage in time anyway, because we were too busy chasing thieves. And I'm not being sarcastic when I say that."

"And you didn't say so from the beginning," Atikom smiled good-naturedly, muttering softly to himself, "Sulky."

Anupap had no choice but to have dinner with Atikom because he didn't see any way to wiggle out of it. One way or another, Atikom was going to make him have dinner together. Besides, he was too hungry to think about arguing anymore.

Passing the 7-Eleven where they'd had their first dinner together, the captain couldn't resist teasing.

"Let's eat somewhere fancy today. Consider it my treat as an apology for messing things up. Unless you want noodles without vegetables," he grinned widely, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Captain Atikom's idea of a "fancy restaurant" turned out to be a roadside local restaurant by the canal. Seasoned bamboo tables and chairs dotted the space while servers in red and white floral shirts bustled about. The place buzzed with customers—a sure sign the food would be good.

"I don't know if you can handle it, Khun Nu. The food here is delicious, really flavorful, but if it's too much, you can just order fried egg with minced pork and clear soup," Atikom asked with concern, though Anupap thought he was teasing.

"I'm not saying you're bland," the captain quickly clarified. "I'm just worried."

"I can eat what you eat." Anupap shrugged.

The crime-fighting officer ordered enough food to fill the entire table. Anupap's eyes widened. "Can we even finish all this?"

"I'm starving. I could eat a whole person," Atikom made puppy dog eyes.

Anupap turned away, pretending to enjoy the view outside the restaurant.

"I don't want to eat an elephant..." Anupap didn't turn to look at the flirtatious captain's face, but he could picture exactly what expression Atikom would be making.

He kept his head down, slowly eating his stir-fried vegetables and glass noodle salad, occasionally answering when Atikom tried to make conversation. Atikom behaved himself—no pestering, no teasing. 

The two men chatted about trivial things. Atikom was a good conversationalist, explaining investigation procedures while Anupap described advertising work. When Atikom wasn't teasing or mocking him, Anupap could talk with him at unusual length.

Atikom watched the young man across from him explaining special effects in advertising. Anupap described how computer graphics could make women's figures shrink and expand at will. Some commercials had huge budgets, hundreds of actors, weeks of filming, only to be edited down to forty seconds.

Atikom stared at Anupap, entranced. Though he only understood parts of what was said, his gaze was fixed on the young man's face, on his mouth when he spoke and smiled. Atikom found he could never tire of watching him."

When Anupap talked about things he loved and excelled at, he naturally became cheerful and bright. His eyes sparkled the way Tongrob had described... but this wide, radiant smile—he hadn't seen it clearly before.

I should probably sneak a peek when Anupap is chatting happily among his friends.

Friends... Atikom thought of Sombat, Pojanee, the tall and lean man named Mark, and the fair complexion young man who'd shown unfriendly behavior toward him—Atid.

He noticed that Anupap was quite guarded when with him in front of others. Atikom preferred these one-on-one moments much more. He thought it would be nice to sit close together on soft chairs, bodies touching, instead of sitting across from each other like this.

Atikom let his mind drift... this meal tasted especially delicious.

On the way back, Anupap told him about filming a pickup truck commercial, mentioning Pojanee and Mark, gossiping about Sombat getting hit on by male models during a commercial shoot in Japan. But he didn't mention Atid at all.

The young captain smiled happily. Today was different from other days when Anupap rode with him, usually just sitting in silence looking out the window... Atikom began to see a glimmer of hope. His heart swelled. He told himself that what he'd once considered casual flirting would have to change...

Anupap made him feel something he'd never felt before!

"I'll have the garage deliver your car to your office tomorrow morning," Captain Atikom told Anupap before saying goodnight. The younger man smiled his thanks to Atikom. Tonight he hadn't been annoying or irritating. Anupap couldn't help thinking that when Atikom acted polite and gentle, he could actually be quite decent.

Atikom drove slowly back to his residence deep in the alley. He smiled with relief. At first he'd been afraid Anupap would be angry about his chasing criminals and missing the garage pickup, but Anupap had been reasonable and didn't make a fuss as he'd feared. Even better, his 'passenger' had talked with him more than the usual 'question and answer' routine.

He'd learned something—Anupap was intelligent, brilliantly creative, liked doing things that broke conventional molds, and had unique ideas that weren't repetitive or boring. But at the same time, he still did certain things conventionally. It was like having two personalities in one person.

Atikom parked in front of the condo, whistling as he walked up to his room with an easy mind. He felt like he was floating on soft clouds...

Good grief, when a person's heart swells like this, they really do seem to float around strangely... He felt as giddy as a teenager all over again.

Tonight I'm going to lie awake thinking about Khun Nu all night. Atikom smiled at his reflection in the elevator mirror.

Just please don't let me open the door to find that meddlesome Tongrob barging in to interfere.

Whatever karma Atikom couldn't escape, the 'troublemaker' was sprawled on the sofa in the living room, staring at the TV without blinking, oblivious to the actual apartment owner walking in.

"Hey Tong, don't you have your own place?" Atikom stood blocking the TV.

Tongrob wore only sweatpants, his upper body bare, popping grapes into his mouth while craning his neck to see around Atikom.

"Hey, move! I'm watching Nong Mac." [Note: In Thai, we usually call a younger person Nong and older person Phi or P'.

A clean-faced, cute young man in his early twenties was being interviewed on a talk show.

"I'm out chasing criminals while you're lounging on my sofa, watching my TV, eating my grapes, using my electricity and air conditioning without a care."

"It's not my case," Tongrob grinned cheekily.

"And you're not out prowling tonight with one of your boys?" Atikom jabbed, knowing Tongrob had plenty of young men under his wing.

"I'm tired tonight. Exhausted. Just want to rest."

"Someone like you needs rest?" Atikom unbuttoned his shirt, stripping off his uniform and tossing it toward the corner basket.

"Kom, go change somewhere out of my sight," Tongrob waved his hand, stretching his neck to see the TV. Atikom shook his head slowly, walking to the refrigerator to grab a water bottle and tip it to his mouth.

"Aren't your boys waiting for you to visit?" Atikom noticed a phone note... Call back Asanai? Which Asanai?...

"Today my boy isn't free. Nong Aat is filming."

"So you're here drooling over Nong Mac on TV in my apartment."

"Cute, right? This is Nong Mac that I'm investigating. About to close the case... As for Nong Aat, closed that case days ago. You know Nong Aat? The new singer who just won Idle Star."

"Idol Star," Atikom corrected.

"Oh, you know him too... Hah! Cheating on Khun Nu already," Tongrob said during the commercial break, getting up and swaying over to the bar counter by the refrigerator where Atikom was sitting.

"Oh, there was a phone call. Someone named Asanai, nice voice. I'd like to hit on him too, but he seems young, so I didn't dare mess around. Afraid of getting punched."

"I don't have any boys anywhere."

"Oh right, I forgot. You've become a one-guy man now," Tongrob made mocking eyes.

"Your Nong Aat gave me his number too. Yesterday... when I went to Avec Company to talk to Khun Chatchai about the teenage singers under suspicion of buying drugs from that Chinese Dragon gang."

"How'd that happen? That's my boy!" Tongrob's eyes went wide in protest.

"This kid's no lightweight," Atikom stood up, smiling. "If he can give me his number, he can give it to others. You're not his only one, just like he's not your only one."

"I don't mind," Tongrob shrugged. "What kind of smooth moves did you pull for Nong Aat to give you his number?"

"I didn't do anything. He came to me, said he saw my photo when I went to test for that commercial at Khun Nu's company."

"And he just walked up and hit on you?"

"Can't help being this handsome," Atikom shrugged.

"Yeah, so handsome that you're chasing after Khun Nu... and getting nowhere," Tongrob teased.

"Hey! Khun Nu is true love, hoping to marry," Atikom said seriously.

"So you're serious? Not planning to flirt, score, and dump like usual?" Tongrob didn't quite believe it.

"Mm," Atikom made a soft sound in his throat, his expression thoughtful. "At first I was just going to flirt around, but over time..."

"No wonder you agreed to that trade-off," Tongrob referred to the commercial work. "Are you serious about this commercial thing?" His voice turned serious.

"Already agreed to it. What else can I do? Thinking about it again, getting into the industry might give us leads on ecstasy and cocaine too."

"I don't think so. We don't need to be models—we two already mingle with celebrities, singers, and models. Like me, your network. Any model or singer you want investigated, I can do it," Tongrob volunteered.

"You could probably investigate, observe things. But seeing any handsome young guys, you go blind and can't see anything but their asses," Atikom pursed his lips, not trusting his partner's expression.

Atikom walked away to the bedroom to prepare for his shower.

Tongrob laughed with satisfaction.

"Hey, when do you start rehearsals for filming? I want to come watch," Tongrob followed, pestering, stopping at the doorway.

"Dream on," Atikom unbuttoned his shirt, bending down to remove his pants.

"Turn around! Absolutely no looking at my butt," Atikom joked.

"Mm, you're not bad yourself…so round and firm," Tongrob pretended to make his voice husky.

He stood watching Atikom—broad back in a V-shape, firm rounded buttocks, muscular thighs and calves—but felt no arousal whatsoever. He and Atikom had seen each other naked countless times from high school through police academy to working as cops together. Their close friendship and being 'the same type, strictly a top' meant neither felt shy around the other.

Tongrob liked fair, slender, cute-faced 'pretty boys' like the ones he pursued. But for a moment he thought of a sharp-featured young man with cool, quiet, distinctly Thai handsomeness... Anupap... that face floated up in his thoughts.

"Crazy bastard, get out. I'm showering and going to bed," Atikom wrapped a towel around his lower body and walked into the bathroom.

"My type... has to be cute, lean and young," Tongrob laughed good-naturedly, walking back to the living room.

Atikom turned on the shower, letting cold water pour over his head. "Cute, lean, and young... mm... Atid is cute and young too. A bit muscular but still Tongrob's type."

The mischievous cop had a 'creative' idea pop up suddenly—kill two birds with one stone.

Get rid of Atid... and keep Tongrob from pestering Anupap.

***