#pete phongsakorn the king

[scrollll]

My friend just informed me that as of today she has a hedgehog.

When I ask what his name is, she said that she does not have a name for him yet and so far only calls "little buddy".

I can't explain to her why I didn't react like a normal mortal to this news.

[babebabiebabes]

Starring in his first movie!

I present you, Porsche in the Nutcracker!

Meet The Cast:

Porsche Pachara Kittisawasd as Barbie/Clara

Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakul as The Nutcracker/Prince Eric

Gun Theerapanyakul as The Mouse King

Macau Theerapanyakul as Pimm (the Bat)

Chan as Major Mint

Time as Capitain Candy (due to unexpected conflict with the creative director, Time was selected for this role but I did not want him.)

Porchay Pichaya Kittisawasd as Kelly/Peppermint Girl (Boy)

Khun Tankhun Theerapanyakul as Aunt Elizabeth Drosselmayer/Owl

Arthee Kittisawasd as Grandfather Drosselmayer

Kim Kimhan Theerapanyakul as Tommy/Gingerbread Boy

Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakul as The Rats (15)*

Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham as The (cute little) Sceptre*

* Due to budget cuts (it's the creative director's fault) some characters had to be either cut from the whole entire production, or cast as collective characters (Pete is an object, but that's canon). In this movie, Vegas uses they/them, and so does Chay. Please be respectful of our actors.

For contact:

Producer: me

Creative director: @heyguysgalsandenbypals

Look out for the edits!

[agustsvga]

♤ 𝒻𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝓉𝒾𝑒𝓈 aesthetic ♧

➻ minor family edition

❛ vegas kornwit theerapanyakun ♔ bible wichapas sumettikul

☀ brilliant, diamond amongst men, daring, grand, king of kings, mindful, motivated.

❛ pete phongsakorn saengtham ♕ build jakapan puttha

☀ benevolent, heart of gold, compassionate, inteligent, open-minded, worthy, young-at-heart.

❛ venice thinnakorn theerapanyakun ♘ boss chaikamon sermsongwittaya

☁ driven, witty, prince of hearts, bold, apple of papa and pa's eye, creative, eager, stubborn, fearless.

[wiccawrites]

Blooming Oleander - Chapter 15: Pawn

Story Summary: One does not become the only omega among the heirs of the Thai underworld without knowing how to take what he wants.

Chapter Summary: 

noun. one of the chessmen of least value having the power to move only forward ordinarily one square at a time, to capture only diagonally forward, and to be promoted to any piece except a king upon reaching the eighth rank

verb. to deposit in pledge or as security, especially in exchange for money

Relationships: Porsche Pachara Kittisawat/Kinn Anakinn, Theerapanyakun, Porsché Pichaya Kittisawat & Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakun, Porsche Pachara Kittisawat & Porsché Pichaya Kittisawat, Porsché Pichaya Kittisawat/Kim Khimhant Theerapanyakun, Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham/Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakun, implied VegasPete but idk if I'm feeling up to fleshing it out

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Porsche, Omega Kinn, Trope Inversion, Organized Crime, Morally Ambiguous Characters, Blood and Violence, power struggles between factions, at least one (1) hostile takeover, Scent Marking, Scent Kink, Switching, References to Drugs, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Torture, Waterboarding, Murder, very brief mention of suicide, Sparring, Blow Jobs, Kinn and Porsche’s canonical horniness for each other, Fluff, no beta we die like Big and Ken, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Intersex Characters, mentions of mpreg, Knotting, Breeding Kink, Cunnilingus, Vibrators, Anal Sex, Vaginal Sex, Multiple Orgasms, Naked Cuddling, Consent is Sexy, Enthusiastic Consent, Getting Together, Developing Relationship, none of the sexy tags apply to kimchay pls chay is a bb, Hand Feeding, Barebacking, Semi-Public Sex, Anal Plug, Comeplay, light frottage, Courting Rituals, Hurt/Comfort, Dirty Talk, Phone Sex, Body Worship, Rimming, Come Sharing, Collars, Porsche in a collar and a diamond encrusted body chain bc he deserves nothing less

[qlventingspace]

I posted 2,030 times in 2022

That's 2,030 more posts than 2021!

128 posts created (6%)

1,902 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@vegasandhishedgehog

@magicaldreamfox1

@gouinetteparletrop

@fanfictionroxs

@shanhe-tongbei

I tagged 852 of my posts in 2022

#vegaspete - 261 posts

#kinnporsche the series - 135 posts

#the eclipse - 91 posts

#build jakapan - 81 posts

#build my beloved - 74 posts

#pete phongsakorn - 73 posts

#kinnporsche - 70 posts

#biblebuild - 62 posts

#vegas theerapanyakul - 52 posts

#bible wichapas - 50 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#give me emotional turmoil of characters dipped in a hefty amount of interesting plot and wrap it in friends with benefits and i'm gonna eat

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Korn and the mystery chess game

(rant ahead)

One of the things that left me completely 'gaping-like-a-fish surprised, confused, whatthefuck, idonttrust anyone' about the last ep was the brilliancy of Korn vs. Karn/Kan/Gun/Vegas dad.

For my part, until Korn woke from dead and Karn told the mom story from his pov...I totally trusted whatever Korn said (in czech you can say sežrala jsem mu to i s navijákem=i ate everything he gave me, even the fishing rod xD).

In the second reenactment of Nampheungs "death", I didn't believe Karn at all. It felt so out of the character to see Karn so distraught and soft and desperate. P'Ex did amazing job though, because even though I didn't believe Karn's overacting, it did start a seed of doubt in me.

With all the abusive shit he put Vegas through, I was 200% ready to kill him and not trust a single word he says. And yet...

Korn's actions seem dubious at best. And while he compels me to trust him with all the talk about protecting Porsche, Chay and mom, his speech has many, MANY, holes in it.

Starting with: "I wanted to protect my nephews."

Are you sure? Really? REALLY?

You did shitty job with Porsche and even shittier job with Vegas. And offering Vegas his 'love' after shooting Karn? Did he really think Vegas would accept his 'fatherly help' (Korn would gain another chess piece, but would he leave the power in his hands? Vegas is to unpredictable for his taste) OR did he expected and wanted Vegas not to accept so his bodyguards could shoot him and Korn would neatly get rid of the competition?

I don't think he predicted Pete though. (I need to rewatch it to confirm but I think Pete's hesitation was a surprise for him)

I like to think that Korn knows Pete good enough to recognize, that even though he was loyal to major family till now, his loyalties have shifted completely towards Vegas. And even though Pete says he'll be always loyal to major family, I think Korn knows it not to be true. I think the moment anyone would move to actually shoot Vegas, Pete would have shot them AND Korn for putting the order. To support my opinion about this, just look at the scene where Vegas is really shot. Pete didn't even hesitate. He Exploded with rage.

So Pete has become another unpredictable volatile person Korn needs to eliminate from the game. But he's still playing, because even though king is defeated, the queen still stands. So he plays the part of a kind boss who looks after his people (remember Pete's 'khun korn is not cruel, give up to him') and ends it with 'look after Vegas'. Maintaining the facade and ensuring, that if it would come to it, Pete would have at least a sliver of doubt in him (same as Kinn) to sway Vegas not to go against him.

The whole ordeal with Porsche's mom...*sigh*

I really don't know what to even think. What is the truth? Where is the truth? What actually happened?

She trully might be in a shock and not remember anything, not responding to anything, but really Porsche, honey, my dumb naive idiot, doesn't it look too weird and suspicious to you?

The not responding part especially freaks me out.

The whole ep ended somewhat happy. Seemingly everyone got happy ending. So why does it leave a disturbing unsettling feelings in me?

As much as I'm gratefull and 'I'll kiss you on the mouth with tongue' ecstatic about the end VegasPeteMacau scene, I wonder if it wasn't there just to lead our minds away from the mistrust and questions from the Actual last scene - the very suspicious Korn's line and most importantly the empty look from Nampheung.

History is indeed written by victors.

Korn has now two chess pieces he can move how he wants and both of them stand on his side now. Kinn is emotionally attached to his father and Porsche is attached to Kinn. He can manipulate the minor family how he wants.

But. But...

See the full post

69 notes - Posted July 10, 2022

#4

So I've calmed a bit since Saturday and now I bring you my most favourite scenes from the last episode of KP:

Porsche hiding in the cupboard to remember what happened

Erika being a BAMF (!!!)

Arm and Tankhun kicking ass Home alone style

Chan smoking a cigarette before death

Kim casually kicking ass

PorscheKinn vs Gun in the garage

"I'm hungry"

"If I'm gonna die, can it be you who kills me?" (then proceeds trying to do it himself, dumbass)

VegasPeteMacau family supremacy (!!!)

that one bodyguard who politely stepped out of the way, when Tankhun's toycar arrived to blow them up (you will be remembered, sir)

75 notes - Posted July 12, 2022

#3

You know, after all is said and done, give me soft VegasPete.

Give me touchstarved Vegas looking for comfort.

Give me tight hugs.

Give me heads on eo shoulders and eo chests.

Give me hand holding.

Give me pats on the back and hands gently ruffling hair.

Give me quiet content moments of reading books.

Give me confident Pete sharing his goofy side.

Give me sharing space doing different hobbies.

Give me absentminded kisses.

Give me laughter, give me longing looks, give me content smiles, give me domesticity.

86 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

#2

Akk is not his true self in school and even though he's more relaxed with his parents, he's still not 100% himself at home either.

Ayan saw Akk in his safe space: among friends, in a space he's comfortable in, and is confused when this version of Akk doesn't continue to make appearance in school.

"Are you avoiding me?"

He got so quickly used to seeing Akk smile and joke with his friends, hug his parents, make fun of his school, letting down his guard in their private moments, that he forgot, that prefect Akk doesn't have the privilege to be like this.

Prefect Akk belongs to school, to rules, (to Chadok, brrr), to the mask Akk has to wear to reach a life where he can finally be himself, free.

Prefect Akk makes one wrong move and the real Akk can never be free again. Everything, most importantly his future, depends on how well can Akk hide his real self, how well can he play the role of the curse. Yes he has moral dilemmas, but a person desperate to get rid of his shackles is willing to do almost anything, even if that means stepping on heads of others.

(And yes, I have indeed lost my train of thought)

100 notes - Posted October 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Pete really said "You're a psycho...I like it"

124 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ao3feed-badbuddy]

Taking requests!!

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/1bN2Qwh by AlmostNormalYeah Prompt requests open for One-shots and short stories Words: 198, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of V's Diary Fandoms: บรรยากาศรัก เดอะซีรีส์ | Love in the Air (TV 2022), KinnPorsche: The Series (TV), แค่เพื่อนครับเพื่อน | Bad Buddy: the Series (TV), พิษเบ๊บ | Pit Babe (TV), นิ่งเฮียก็หาว่าซื่อ | Cutie Pie Series (TV), อย่าเล่นกับอนล | Bed Friend (TV 2022), รักซินโดรม | Love Syndrome (TV), ด้ายแดงซีรีส์ | Until We Meet Again The Series (TV), ทฤษฎีจีบเธอ | Theory of Love (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M, Multi, Other Relationships: Phayu/Rain (Love in the Air TV 2022), Prapai/Sky (Love in the Air TV 2022), Rain & Sky (Love in the Air TV 2022), Prapai & Rain (Love in the Air TV 2022), Porsche Pachara Kittisawat/Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakun, Porchay Pichaya Kittisawat/Kim Khimhant Theerapanyakun, Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham/Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakun, Pat Napat Jindapat/Pran Parakul Siridechawat, Babe/Charlie (Pit Babe), Kuea Keerati/Lian Kilen Wang, Yi Phayak Chatdecha Chen/Kon Diao Thacha Wongtheerawit, Uea Anon Nanthaphiwat/King Kunakorn Suthikul, Itt Itthiphol Jaroennararat/Day Rawiphol Tharaniwat, Dean Ratthanon Chatpokin/Pharm Triwinij, Team Teerayu Siriyothin/Win Phawin Wanichakarnjonkul, Khai/Third (Theory of Love) Additional Tags: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, Crack, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/1bN2Qwh

[hurlumerlu]

... je peux en savoir plus sur le trans Peter ?

Oh ! I don't know how much this will interest you, but sure ? So trans Pete, and my tags on this post, refers to a fic I wrote about Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham - a.k.a Pete, a character from the show Kinnporsche.

(I've been somewhat obsessed with him and the way his role in the story bounces from "loyal soldier" to "best friend in a college romcom" to "goon number 3" to "silly guy" to "thriller protagonist" to "romantic lead" to "highlighter of themes and motives", wildly and not necessarily in that order.)

He ins't trans in the show, but I think his character is fun to examine through the lense of transidentity so I... actually didn't examine shit, but I did write a fic where he is a trans man. It's simply the re-writing of a scene that happens in the show, where Pete is captured and tortured by Vegas, our for now main antagonist, and his future love interest. Though the specifics change, the basis stay the same : Vegas's been hurting Pete for a while now, and though Pete isn't exactly chipper he's not fully breaking down either, so Vegas switches tactics until he finds something that could work. At which point Vegas's dad barges into the torture basement, berates his son for failing to follow orders and hits him, eliciting this interesting facial response from Pete. He then orders Vegas to clean up his mess (an expression that here means shoot Pete dead) and leave. Pete, seeing the end of the line... kinda laughs.

In my fic however, Pete doesn't just laugh - he speaks. The line is "by the way, interesting bruise you got on your face", referencing the way Vegas tried to taunt him earlier *and* the beating Pete just witnessed. And here is where we finally get to the point, because show!Pete would absolutely, 100%, not fucking say that.

Pete is a compassionate guy. Of course he can and will turn it off for work - he's a professional - but he is good at putting himself in other people's shoes. He is also not cruel (though I'm sure he could be if work demanded it) and we never see him pour salt on a wound even when he would have ample cause to do so. Crucially, Pete was also abused by his father, and this commonality is something he always uses to connect and sympathize with Vegas. But Pete is also cis. Naturally, you could write trans!Pete exactly like he is in the show. But when I was toying with the idea of Pete as a trans man, imagining him growing and rising up in a violent, hyper-masculine world, I thought "this guy's position was even worse than his show counterpart, he must at the very least have brushed off more insults, the pills he's had to swallow must have been just sliiiightly more bitter". So my Pete is a bit meaner, a bit less patient, a bit more judgemental (not that show!Pete isn't judgemental, lol. king of eye-rolls), and a bit more ready to use a weakness when he smells it. But even with all this, I still think my Pete wouldn't normally go there. Except he's had - to put it mildly - a shit day, and he wants to get it over with, so he does something out of character. He pours salt on the wound. And boy have I struggled with this single fucking line ! It wasn't in my first draft, and after that I kept adding it and putting it back in and removing it and putting it back in and just generally giving myself a full headache over it. Was it too out of character or just enough ? Well, I still don't know. I put it back at the last minute, for multiple reasons - not all pertinent on a writing level (for example, seeing a bit too many "sweet angel" characterization of the guy might have tipped the balance a bit. so did my wife saying she'd personally keep the line). I'm happy with that decision. At the same time, if I were to write a follow-up to this fic (which I am actually doing but I'm so fucking slow it will probably never see the light of day, moving on) I would probably scrap the line, because I'm pretty sure this sentence would destroy the chances of a relationship between them far more than any night of torture ever could. So, good for a short fic, not for a long one (or at least not one where they fall in love). Still : in the end, going ooc was the point, even if i'm not entirely sure about the results.

[fanfictionroxs]

VegasPete Ep10 - Pete's torture and Vegas' undoing.

Yes, it's torture, not bdsm as I'm seeing a lot of people calling it. My friends, bdsm is consensual play. What Vegas is doing right now is plain and simple torture.

Now let's talk about Pete. My darling feral sweetheart. Vegas comes in and Pete feels victorious because he ruined that bastard's plans. He's smiling, oh he's smiling so bad because Vegas failed. And then it begins.

Pete is NOT enjoying this. He's laughing at the face of Vegas because he won (take that you ass) and he's laughing to cover his fear because no one wants to die, but Pete anticipates he will.

And Pete's good at that. He's good at the fake smiles which hide him and protect him, but here the smile isn't that fake anymore. The fact that he may enjoy pain to certain levels is a weapon in his arsenal because it helps him twist this situation, turn it over its head, it helps him ruin Vegas further and Vegas being frustrated and losing it brings Pete unhinged levels joy.

Vegas' undoing is here people.

[extrovertedineedofhelp]

Pete, wakes up in the middle of the night to see Porsche an inch from his face:

Porsche: So we had this id-, stop screaming-, we had this idea.

Pete: Who the hell is we?

Pol, directly beside his face: We had this idea.

Pete: Dear God, there's two of them.

Arm, sliding out from under the bed: Three actually. I helped them to get in and get you, I'd feel safer to whatever they want to do if you're with us.

Vegas, who was asleep: What the hell is happening?

Tankhun, entering in the room: We're stealing your husband.

Vegas, hugging Pete: Fuck no.

[whitethesuperspy]

Pete: Did it hurt when you fell?

Porsche: From heaven? No, I'm no-

Pete: No from the stairs. I watched you fall and just kinda lay there on the floor for 10 minutes

Porsche:

Arm: We both saw that

[imsmolbandtrash]

Pete: If Kinn, Porsche, and I were drowning, who would you save?

Tankhun: Y'all can't even swim?

Porsche: It's a hypothetical question.

Pete: So who would you save?

Tankhun: My time and effort.

[thefreeblog]

Vegas told Pete to let it all out and my man Pete proceeded to drag Vegas into an absolute sensational kiss and then did nothing,nada,zilch.

He didn't even try to touch Vegas once throughout the best ever dicking of his life, while bringing Vegas to his knees literally and metaphorically.

You do you Pete! Don't give anything.

I am in awe.

[nothing2good]

BIBLE WICHAPAS AND BUILD JAKAPAN

You guys made it into a fact that no one can ever play vegaspete other than you guys

ALL HAILS KINGS 👑

[crystallinemoonlight]

okay but the curve of Pete’s back >>>

[chupenguin]

Welcome to my brain, today I offer you: Xie´er (shl) x Tay (kinnporsche)

Black and white aesthetic

They both deserve better

Maffia guy x Assassain guy

[chapitre7]

dreamcatcher

รักโคตรร้ายสุดท้ายโคตรรัก | KinnPorsche: The Series fanfiction

Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham/Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakun

A post-end interlude

Rated M for canon typical violence

Read on AO3

Pete doesn’t know how the man got past the guards. Pete had picked them out himself, with the approval of the magnanimous Khun Korn. I’ll take care of them, Khun Korn had said, and Pete had as many reasons to believe him as he had to think the words held no meaning at all. Still, Khun Korn had let him pick the guards to the safe house, and Pete had picked the best he could. Not as smart as Arm is or swift as Big had been, but the best he could without taking from under the wings of Kinn or Tankhun.

In the spaces where the guards fail, Pete fills in.

The man must think he makes no noise. He must think he’s hiding in blind spots of the CCTV, or that he casts no shadow under the moonlight. Pete can hear him clearly. Footsteps as loud as old tree branches swaying in the evening breeze. Maybe the man thinks he has an advantage, since this house is unfamiliar to its occupants. A temporary house without soul, personality or hidden doors leading to an armory big enough to slay a king’s army. When Pete corners him, hiding in a spot perceptible only to someone who had memorized the house’s every corner, Vegas’ gun in his hand — maybe then the man finds out that the house doesn’t matter, as long as Pete is in it.

Pete shoots without asking questions — once, twice, in the man’s shoulder, his knee. The sounds are barely heard. Silencers can’t cancel noise, but Pete only needs them to be muffled, so the occupants of the house aren’t disturbed. He doesn’t kill the invader. He has one of his ties wrapped around his hands, and he uses it to silence the man in a makeshift gag. When the man starts thrashing against his hold, Pete hits him against the head with Vegas’ gun, knocking him out cold. He won’t be dying tonight. Dying is a mercy he has to earn.

Pete drags the unconscious man to the guards. They’re alarmed, nervous and agitated that the man got past them. Pete forces them to focus, to search the perimeter. He goes with them, not the image of a bodyguard, no suit or pin or image to merge with theirs. He wears one of Vegas’ shirts — the first he had seen and taken, when he had gotten up — and sweatpants. He leads, despite it all. Signals where the men should go, where to look, and when they find no one else, switches the guard assigned to the CCTV. They listen to his every word and obey his every command without complaint. And the intruder — that one goes to the basement. Pete and Vegas can talk to him once the sun is up, make him bleed his confessions.

 It’s a cold night. Cold outside, cold inside. The chill in the air seems to catch in Vegas’ shirt, too light a fabric. Pete safekeeps Vegas’ gun in the waistband of his pants, runs his hands up and down his arms. Now, outside, there are only the sounds of the night — the wind and the birds and the song of the trees. He looks out one of the windows that take up a whole wall and gazes at the stars. In this place, so far, so isolated, so serene — he can almost hear the stars, too. Twinkling little sounds of the future, telling secrets to those who can decipher them. He thinks Vegas must have a book like that, somewhere. If not, he can buy it for him.

Pete climbs the stairs, not sluggish with sleep, but firm and attentive, and checks on Macau first. The creaking sound of the door doesn’t wake the boy. Pete sighs at his sleeping form, walks into his room, and slowly removes the headphones that Macau fell asleep wearing. He doesn’t wake when Pete adjusts his form on the bed, careful with the boy’s neck, lest he get sore and whiny in the morning. Pete pulls the covers up to Macau’s chin, pats them down. He checks the shadows of the room to see if they’re just shadows, and not monsters with murder intent, and then he goes. Macau snores softly and only moves when Pete is about to close the door. Just a sleepy reflex, pulling the covers down, releasing his arms. Pete smiles and leaves, the door closing with a click.

There is a guard outside his and Vegas’ room. Pete dismisses him with a nod and a smile. For a brief moment, he had considered leaving him there, but it’s only brief. Pete had been a light sleeper ever since they left the minor family house, and he would not be caught off-guard.

That, and he didn’t want anyone to listen in to his and Vegas’ nightly conversations.

  He walks into their bedroom. There, his eyes don’t linger on shadows or think about threats. There, he is always drawn to Vegas. He walks to him, footsteps silent on the carpeted floor. He peels the satin shirt off, the smell of Vegas rising to his nose like a fragrant flower. He takes Vegas’ gun from his waistband and sets it under his own pillow. In the morning, it will be Vegas’ again. While the darkness of the night is still thick, Pete keeps it on his own side. To fight Vegas’ monsters for him.

Vegas has been prone to restless nights, since his father died. Some nights, he doesn’t sleep at all. Pete stays up with him, or tries his best to. Watches him frantically pace, talks to him, listens to him. They talk about stories of times half-remembered, sweet stories and bloodstained stories alike. They both have ghosts to talk about, to exorcise when the clock signals 3:45am. Vegas takes more and more shape, the shape of the man Pete falls in love with. When did it all begin, where were they going? The clock moves yet forward, even on those endless nights. Pete holds his hand, draws constellations against Vegas’ skin with his fingertips. The sounds of Vegas — Pete doesn’t want anyone to hear them. They’re for Pete to breathe in, to swallow, and to give back in return. Nights of discovery, always under the orange light of Vegas’ bedside lamp.

Some nights, Vegas sleeps profoundly. Like tonight. Pete tilts his head and watches him, watches the rise and fall of Vegas’ naked chest. He sleeps all night in the same position, exhausted from all the worrying and the grieving and the coping. Exhausted from being born again, into a man that doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. The bedside lamp is always on, as if to ward off ghosts. But on that night, the moonlight peeks through the curtains, pallid and clean, and shines down on their bed. The glass windows on this safe house are clear, no color to filter through and immerse the world in vibrant shades. Under the moonlight, Vegas looks almost peaceful.

When Pete sits down on the bed, Vegas stirs. Pete hushes him kindly. “Shh, don’t get up,” he says, getting under the covers, opening his arms to accommodate Vegas. Not once does Vegas open his eyes, does he speak. They face each other on the pillow, and Pete can’t make out Vegas’ expression anymore, they’re too close. He smiles anyway — a smile that no one can see, a smile that exists only for him, like it once did, such a long time ago now, when he first faced Vegas like this, surrendered. He touches Vegas’ hair, combing the strands away from Vegas’ face. He should be sleepy. He should be tired. But he feels wide awake, thinking about the man in the basement.

Pete kisses Vegas’ forehead, breathes Vegas in, and closes his eyes. It’s almost 4am now. There are no stories to be told. Holding Vegas closer to him, in Pete there is only a promise now. Safe. I’ll keep you safe. I won’t lose you again.

Wide awake, he opens his eyes. He watches the shadows of the branches of the tree outside, drawing patterns on the wall. The branches are like fingers, like arms, like all the ones that want to take Vegas and Macau out. Stretching closer, then away. Closer, then away.

He waits in the silence. Waits for his heartbeats to match Vegas’, for their breathing to fall in harmony; him breathing in the air that Vegas lets out. When every part of him, all the possible parts, are touching Vegas, when his skin becomes Vegas’ skin, maybe then, only maybe, he can fall asleep.

Pete keeps Vegas’ gun under his pillow, and waits for the breaking dawn.