Chapter Text
“S-So you’re saying that Pete… Pete chose me?”
Contrary to his appearance when he walked into his Uncle Korn’s office – sharp eyes with a hidden, murderous thought – Vegas is now looking at his uncle with a hint of hope.
Uncle Korn nodded.
“Then where is he?”
When he woke up in the hospital, he hoped for Pete to visit although he already made up his mind that if Pete won’t choose to be with him, then he’s okay with that. He got nothing left, and Pete has all the rights to leave him too.
There were no visits from Pete but now, his uncle says the guy resigned from the main family to be with him. Then where is he?
“Where is he?” He repeated
“This is why we are having this talk. You need to know that—that he can’t be with you yet.” Korn thinks of the right words to use. “It’s not a good time for him. He was in a bit of a shock after the—the family war.”
Family war. It made him flinch a bit but he brushed it off.
“Then let me see him!” he urged. “I want to take care of him.”
“We have a situation. It was unexpected.” Korn sighed, paused to think how he would unravel the news. “He already chose you, that’s true but Vegas, Pete has no memory of you now. It’ll confuse him if we give him up to you.”
“N-No memory of me?!” That’s bullshit!
Korn slowly nodded. “Systematized amnesia, although he was delusional and untrusting when he woke up, it’s just because he was disoriented. However, he remembered everyone after two days. His memories are in tact… except for his memories with you. He doesn’t even recall a person named Vegas.”
“No way. Why would I believe this bullshit?! Where’s Pete? Let me see him!”
Chan, Korn's bodyguard got alarmed when Vegas rose up from his seat and started to get restless.
“Vegas…” Korn raised a hand. “Calm down. You have to believe me, okay? This is for Pete.”
He furiously shook a head. “How can he remember all of you and forget me?”
‘Maybe because you were the one who hurt him the most?’ His brain whispered. Well it can be the reason but even so, it makes Vegas jealous. It hurts him. They should all be honored that his Pete remembers them!
“Systematized amnesia, it’s a type of dissociative amnesia but it may only involve forgetting a particular person. This may have been triggered when he—when he saw you getting shot. He blacked out and after waking up from that, he can’t remember you anymore.” His uncle further explained.
Was that it? He brought Pete harm, all beatings, the electrocution, the force he exerted just to torture him… but Pete—he could still smile after that. He survived the pain he inflicted, he still put on a strong face. He still went on.
Yet not that. Not the thought of Vegas dying. Not the thought of losing him. Pete was too scared for Vegas’ life that he couldn’t grasp the reality that he could die in that moment and so, his mind, to protect him made him forget.
“I realized one thing after this.” Korn speaks again. “Pete is strong, mentally, physically, emotionally. He can very well control himself yet his weakness is love.”
“So what will we do? Just let him forget me?” Just by thinking of that, Vegas wanted to break things. He has the strongest urge to get the little glass dolphin displayed atop his uncle’s desk and throw it at the window.
But what if this happened for the better? Because he doesn’t deserve him?
“I want to see him…” He almost sounded begging.
“And you will.” Korn assured. “It’ll happen but we can’t rush things, there’s a process for everything. We will expose you to him, gradually.”
“Then introduce me to him now…”
“Pete’s not here. He needed space, so we allowed him to visit his hometown. He’s accompanied by Porsche.”
Vegas massage his temple. He’s itching to see him!
“Also, if you’re thinking of following him on the island, I have to warn you that Tankhun will be there too. He’s gonna leave this afternoon. He won’t let you near him easily as he’d think you’re stealing Pete from him. You have to understand, Pete is his favorite.”
Fuck that dingdong! Vegas wanted to argue. However, they do have a point. When it comes to Pete, he can’t just decide in haste. He needed that vacation to clear his mind and to catch up with his grandparents.
It’ll not do Pete any good if Vegas follows them and all he’ll hear is Tankhun and him fighting non-stop. It’ll confuse him and what if that confusion affects his brain activity and will further ruin his chance to remember?
As Vegas leaves the main house, he’s in deep thoughts. Maybe it was the difference between his dad and Uncle Korn, the latter treats even their bodyguards as family. He’s even the one who talked to him about this.
Yet even with his righteous ways and kind demeanor, Vegas’ intuition tells him that there’s something hidden beneath the fatherly smiles of his uncle. Sometimes, he can see it in his eyes… as if he looks at people like they’re just pawns, he knew because it’s the kind of eyes his dad had… the kind of eyes he also possessed.
Uncle Korn is well-respected and everyone thinks highly of him, while his dad? Everyone thinks Gun Theerapanyakul is the cold-blooded brother, even Vegas hates him but sometimes he thinks that maybe, there’s a truth in some accusations his dad threw at Uncle Korn. If his father is really the worst kind of person, then why was he the one who got killed?
His father could’ve easily killed Uncle Korn but he didn’t. He didn’t pull that trigger when he had the chance. In the end, the one who killed a brother is Uncle Korn, not his dad. Was it just an act of self-defense? He wanted to save himself before it gets too late? Or is he hiding something?
Vegas shook a head. They do have a messed up family.
When he already reached the gates, he spotted Tankhun by the pond doing some stupid antics with his bodyguards. They are feeding the fishes while his crazy cousin sings some alien language.
Because of Pete, he learned to acknowledge even Tankhun. His cousin is truly annoying but he actually cares for the people around him. He will never forget that when he attended Pete’s funeral held by Tankhun, the idiot was crying himself to death while being assisted by Dr. Top.
Subconsciously, Vegas laughed at the thought—
“Son of a bitch!
—And unfortunately, the laugh was heard by the three idiots by the pond.
“Son of a bitch! I will kill you!” Tankhun repeated as he runs to him with Arm & Pol trying their best to stop their crazy boss.
“I’m here to see Pete.” He answered calmly. Unfortunately he’s not here.
“Huh! As if I will let you see him again! If you were just smart enough to dodge the bullets, Pete wouldn’t have to experience that trauma!” Tankhun pointed at him. “All you do is give him trauma, you’re not yet even forgiven for abducting him before!”
“Khun… Khun, you have to calm down.” Pol begged, it’s only morning yet he feels exhausted already.
“No!” Tankhun yanked his arms from his bodyguards.
“Everyone must have forgotten it but I did not! We must know what he did to Pete when he abducted him!” The dingdong glared at him. “Since being held captive, my bodyguard returned fatter than usual, he doesn't even run fast anymore as he gets tired easily. Motherfucker can't even burn a cholesterol even if he tries. And he's not even trying! The bastard used to wake up at 5 AM, now he wakes up even later than me. What is he even waiting for? Breakfast in bed?! That lazy ass acts like a pregnant woman now."
Vegas fought off a smile. Tankhun's vulgar words made his perverted mind take off somewhere else.
'Pregnant, huh?' He thought.
"Ehhh!" But Tankhun's howl cut off his thoughts.
The nutjob is now faking a sob, while dramatically clutching his chest. "Aii my poor Pete, what if he's really pregnant?! Damn you, Vegas—" Tankhun seized the nearest item he could get a hold of, which is a vase and gestured it to him but Arm and Pol immediately stopped him from throwing it.
"Ayeee! How—How can you do this?! I will kill you! What did you do to my poor Pete, you sly bastard!"
"Khun... Khun..." Arm was trying to calm him down. "Please listen, what you're saying is impossible. Pete is a man."
"No I swear!" Tankhun started again, pointing at his cousin. "That bewitching rascal Vegas can make anything pregnant with his lewdness! That psychopath is something else. It's not impossible, he's a devil reincarnate!"
Tankhun’s face droop in exaggeration, his mouth, askew. “When he escaped from this bastard’s cage, on his sleep, Pete kept rambling about how he doesn’t want sausage and eggs anymore! Damn you! What kind of sausage and egg are you giving him?” he spat at Vegas.
“Khun, I’m sure he’s dreaming about food.” Pol butts in.
“Well we can’t be too sure, can we? When it comes to this fucker, everything seems perverse! I’m telling you he can make Pete pregnant that son of the devil.”
“But even so, Khun, the doctors would’ve seen it when we rushed him to the hospital, right? Right Pol?” Arm pinched his friend’s arm to agree.
“Y-Yeah… he’s right. Pete is not pregnant, Khun.”
Vegas shook a head. “You’re getting crazier.”
Tankhun growled. "Just leave! I don't want to bask in your stinky presence! You will have to die first before your soul can even get inside this house."
Vegas laughed mockingly. “Well, maybe I’m already dead. I was actually just inside the house a moment ago.”
“Who the fuck allowed you inside?”
“Uncle Korn.” He answered with a wicked grin.
With this, the crease on Tankhun’s forehead gone deeper, his lips went poutier. “I swear Pa, will get it from me!” the dingdong shouted and walked to the house while stomping his foot so hard against the tiled floor.
Vegas wanted to laugh. Fcking weirdo! If he has to deal with that annoying asshole just to get to Pete, then he'll muster up all his patience just to do that.