BCJ 19 • stranded

a/n: hi! for those of you who are confused as to whose POV it is, just to clarify, Chapters 1-15 is Kao's. Right after those chapters are Pete's including all the flashbacks. ^_~

***

"Pete!" Kao squealed as Pete scooped him up before jumping into the pool. "I don't know how to swim!"

Pete laughed as Kao clung unto him as if his entire life depended on Pete's shoulders. "Seriously? At your age?"

Kao immediately smacked Pete on the arm, making the latter laughed even more.

"Thank you for this trip, Pete."

"Well, I gotta thank you for saying yes to this trip," Pete responded before waddling into the shallow part of the pool. He initially planned to spend the weekend with Kao at his unit but he figured Kao might like to celebrate their graduation so he booked tickets to an island resort.

"Words won't suffice though," Pete grinned as a naughty thought crept into his mind.

"Pete, I don't like the kind of smile you're giving me."

Kao attempted to move away from Pete but Pete just effortlessly trapped him against the pool wall.

"Well, we could you know, make out," Pete whispered as he snaked his arm around Kao's waist and pulled him closer.

"Are you crazy?! In the broad daylight?!"

"Well, this is an exclusive villa. No one's gonna see us," Pete said calmly but he could already feel his cheeks burning as his body made contact with Kao's.

And before Kao could even utter a word, he closed the gap between them and placed a quick kiss on Kao's lips.

"Are you sure no one's gonna see us here?" Kao whispered back, his ears and cheeks bright red as he scanned the whole place.

"And why would I let others see you in this state? No one's allowed to see you this way, Kao. No one," Pete replied as he grabbed Kao's cheek and pulled him even closer. "So are we good?"

Kao hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded.

***

Pete forehead creased as he watched Kao pace back and forth in the lobby of the airport where they had an emergency landing. One of the engines of the plane had some problems so they had to land on the nearest airport. Luckily, everything was under control and no one got hurt.

Kao's terrified face as he firmly grabbed Pete's hand was still vivid in his mind.

"Kao, will you please sit down?" he snapped at Kao as he could sense him getting even more anxious as time went by.

Kao just scowled at him but headed his words and took a seat just an arm's distance from Pete.

"What are you so worried about? We're gonna be home in no time, okay?"

"Be home?!" Kao snapped at him. "Our aircraft got into some problems and we don't even know if they're gonna fix that in no time."

Pete stayed silent as he could since how irritated Kao was.

"Let's just wait for the announcement. They might transfer us to another plane."

Kao just scowled at him before slacking on his seat.

Pete just decided not to disturb Kao and waited for the announcement which then later on came but to Kao's dismay, they had to stay on the island for the night as they couldn't be transferred to another plane and a storm was approaching.

Pete decided to settle in a nearby hotel instead of getting the accommodation provided by the airline.

He could sense Kao following him but he just ignored him, wondering what he'd do later on.

"Thank you, Miss," he said as the receptionist handed him the keys to the room.

He initially thought Kao would get his own but Kao continued to tail him as he got into the elevator.

He didn't say a word and just stole glances at the guy pouting just behind him.

"Do you want me to accompany you to your room?" he then asked as Kao stood still behind him as he was unlocking his room.

But Kao just stared at him before pushing the door open, "This is all your fault so I'm staying here with you."

That left Pete stunned for a moment.

"What do you mean you're staying with me?"

"Why? Do you have a problem with that?" Kao raised a brow before dropping his things on the only bed inside the room.

"Where are you sleeping then?" Pete tried to challenge Kao.

Not that he wanted Kao to leave but Kao's bratty attitude amused him. He had never seen that side of Kao before. It was always him who was demanding, stubborn and seeing Kao act that way tickled something in him.

"On the bed."

"Huh? You wanna sleep beside me?"

"No, mister. You're sleeping there," Kao replied while flicking a finger towards the couch.

***

Pete didn't know why he agreed to sleep in the most uncomfortable couch he'd ever been on considering that he was the one who paid for the room.

He glanced at Kao, who was...snoring.

Or shall he say, fake snoring.

He had slept with Kao countless times to the point that he knew how his breathing sounds when he is fast asleep.

But that night, he was sure Kao couldn't sleep as well.

He immediately stood up and made his way to the bed where an already startled Kao was gawking at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kao hissed as Pete got on the bed.

"Sleeping?"

"The bed's too small, Pete!"

"This bed is good for two, Kao," Pete insisted before completely lying beside Kao.

"Urgh! Can you just go there and sleep on the couch?" Kao persisted as he tried pushing Pete off the bed but failed.

"We've slept together countless times, Kao. And besides, it was you who followed me around. If you don't wanna sleep with me, you can avail that hotel accommodation the airline offered."

Despite the dim lights in the room, Pete could clearly see how Kao rolled his eyes.

"I don't wanna be alone in an unfamiliar place," Kao mumbled before turning his back on Pete.

A long stretch of silence consumed the room. Pete could hear Kao's heavy breathing. It sounded familiar yet distant.

"Where have you been, Kao?" Pete couldn't help but whisper. He was not expecting for Kao to hear it but Kao's gasp was a confirmation.

When Kao didn't say a word, Pete turned his back and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would close the gap between them, a gap he completely felt despite how close they were in that bed.

But as Pete was dozing off, he felt a warm hand on his back and soft whisper, "Good night, Pete."

***

Pete was startled by a loud yelp in the middle of the night. He immediately scrambled to look for Kao but later on discovered that he was alone in bed.

It was pitch black and he could hear the strong winds smashing on the windows outside. It seemed that the storm had been raging while he was asleep. He must have been so tired that the storm didn't even wake him up.

"Kao?! Where the hell are you?" he called out as he fumbled for his phone.

He didn't get any reply, which worried him even more.

Kao had always been afraid of the total darkness, making him even more worried.

"Kao??" he called out again as he turned on his phone's flashlight and searched the room.

He immediately let out a sigh of relief as he spotted Kao in the corner near the restroom.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked as he approached Kao and held his arm.

Kao didn't say a thing and just grabbed him in for a hug. "I was just about to go to the restroom when the lights suddenly went all out."

"It's okay. I'm here. You don't have to be afraid now," Pete calmly whispered as he held Kao even tighter.

***

Pete and Kao laughed as they both run for shelter under the rain.

It was past midnight when they decided to run to the nearest open convenience store to grab something to eat.

"Geez! What's with the sudden rain?" Kao exclaimed as he ran a hand through his hair.

Pete just chuckled as it was his idea to get midnight snacks. The convenience store was still approximately three meters away so they opted to walk instead of taking the car.

"Do you want me to go and get the car?" Pete asked as he helped Kao remove the traces of rain on the latter's face.

"Nah, let's just wait for it stop," Kao grinned as he cupped Pete's face and removed the traces of rain on his face.

Pete flashed a smile and playfully tussled Kao's hair. "Tss. You just want to spend more time with me, don't you?"

Kao didn't say a thing but giggled.

A long stretch of silence dominated the air as they waited for the rain to stop, but unfortunately it continued to pour heavily.

Pete thought of running back to get the car since there were no signs that the rain would stop but before he could tell Kao of his plans, everything went dark.

He heard a short scream beside him followed by a scared, shaky voice, "Pete! Pete! Where are you??"

He immediately searched the dark for Kao's hands. "I'm here."

The moment he got a hold of Kao's cold hand, he felt a tight hug, "I'm scared. Please don't leave me."

"I won't. Promise, I won't..." he murmured before grabbing Kao closer.

***