Ties that bind, part 1

A/N:

This short story has three parts.

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"Where's your better half, Tin?" Phun asked. Tin, Phun, Noh, and Rain were at EspressYo'Self, having dinner and it was unusual these days to see Tin without his fiancé, Can.

"He's at football practise, but he was actually supposed to be here by now." Just then Tin's phone pinged. 

"Finally," Tin muttered, then frowned at the unknown number showing up, but his finger had already clicked on the message. He cried out and shot out of his chair, his handsome face distressed.

"Tin, what is it? Tin?!" Rain asked.

"A photo... It's Can, naked on a bed, with some guy's hand on his ass," Tin said, his voice thready.

Their jaws dropped open.

"Can would never!" Noh said.

"No, he wouldn't. He's not into men. Except me. Someone is doing this to him. Hurting him..." Tin's voice shook with rage and fear.

"Where is he? Can we find him?" Rain asked.

"Yes!" Tin cried out suddenly, and tapped on his phone, grabbing it hard enough to almost break it, his hand shaking as it tapped. "The Great Bangkok hotel. It's not far, come on!" He had enabled the Find My Phone function on Can's phone in the early days of their relationship, but he hardly checked it now. Blessing his possessive nature for once, Tin started running.

Everyone set off after him at a flat run, fearful of Can, and worried what Tin might do to the guy if he caught him. Not long after, they burst into the hotel, startling the young woman behind the counter.

"My fiancé is here, held against his will. What room is he in?"

"His will...? Aahh, how do you know, sir?" the flustered receptionist asked.

"He was supposed to meet me... Someone sent me a photo of him, forced to do something he wouldn't do of his own will."

"I can't give you information about hotel guests..." the receptionist said, wringing her hands.

"Look, that's me and my Can," Tin said, hastily bringing out photo after photo of the two of them, looking happy and in love. "Have you seen him?"

The receptionists' eyes widened. "Yes... he came here with another man. He was rather out of it. The other man said 'his friend' had drank too much, he was half carrying him."

Tin made a sound of distress, and Phun put his arm around him. "He's fine, I'm sure he'll be fine," he chanted, but his eyes were wide and worried. That photo could have been taken hours ago, and who knows what had happened after it.

"I didn't think... Here. It's the keycard. They're in room 203, on the second floor." The receptionist saw the real worry on their faces, and felt her duty was clear.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Tin cried, and they headed up, too frantic to take the elevator.

They found the door, and Tin slammed the card on the card reader. They burst into the room. Later, Noh could only remember glimpses of what followed. Can, still lying face down on the bed, now half covered with a bed sheet. A tall, handsome man, on the phone, turning to look at them, shocked at the sudden entry. Tin's scream of rage. The guy thrown to the wall, and slumping down in a heap. Phun pulling Tin off him after the first punch.

"Tin... Tin...!" Phun said, shaking him by the shoulder. "Check on Can. We'll talk to the asshole in the meanwhile." It was the mention of Can that shook Tin out of his rage. He looked towards the bed and stood there, looking at Can, trying to get himself in control.

"I can't watch this," Rain said, worried what Tin might discover. He imagined it was his Kit that was in the same position, and his heart clenched. He pulled the bastard up roughly by his collar and dragged him to the bathroom. The other two followed, and they closed the door. Rain was furious. He grasped the front of the bastard's shirt, and slapped him hard with the other hand. "What did you do to him!"

In the bedroom, Tin had come to a halt next to the bed. He was making small whimpers, and had to take deep breaths to calm himself enough to approach Can.

"Can... baby..." Tin shook Can gently, but Can was still out of it. Breathing hard to control his fear, Tin pulled the bed sheet from his body, and saw... Can's naked body, lying exactly in the same position as in the photo. No sign of struggle, or violence that he could see. Tin's gaze fell on his ass. He had to know. Gently, Tin used his hands to spread his cheeks, and slumped with relief when he saw no sign of force, or injury.

Can was stirring, and Tin pulled the cover over him as he moved to sit beside him. Tin shook him again, and Can whirled around, his yes still closed, his head lolling.

"Nooo...! Get your hands off me! I'm Tin's! Don't touch me!" Can screamed and punched Tin in the face.

Tin grabbed his hand gently, his eyes leaking, and he had to laugh. His ferocious boy was fighting back! "Can... Cantaloupe... It's me. It's Tin, I'm here..." he repeated, his other hand stroking Can's hair.

"Tin...?" Can groaned and cracked his eyes open.

"It's me, I'm here, you're safe," Tin repeated and Can flung himself in his arms.

"He drugged me! I didn't do anything, I swear!" Can clasped Tin hard, his face pressed against Tin's chest.

"Shhhh, baby, I know... I know... It's alright," Tin crooned, hugging Can equally hard, kissing his head gently. That's how Noh found them when he came from the bathroom. He coughed and turned around, even though Can was fully tucked into the bed sheet. "We talked to the guy. He said he didn't do anything. He only posed the photo he sent you, Tin."

"I remember that a little," Can said. "I was almost out of it, I head butted him when he undressed me, and I couldn't move after that. I don't think he hurt me, Tin."

Just then Phun came out of the bathroom and handed Tin a cheap phone. "This is his. It's a burner phone, he said. He says there's video that shows he didn't do anything but pose for that shot."

"Did you watch it?" Tin's voice was hard.

"Of course not, but I thought you should see. The video is only 10 minutes long. He texted the photo to you, and  made a call a few minutes later. He was still on the call when we burst in. He was talking to your brother, Tin. I'm sorry."

Can's face hardened, and Tin looked murderous. Tul. Again. When would that bastard stop trying to ruin him? This time he had gone too far, going after his Can.

"What do you want to do, Tin, Can? Do you want me to call the police?" Noh asked.

Can's eyes widened and he shook his head forcefully. Tin's arms tightened around him. "No," they said at the same time.

"I think Can's gone through enough," Tin added. "I will deal with Tul later. Now I want to take Can home."

"Yes," Can said. "I don't want anyone to find out about this. I want to go home."

"Can you guys wait in the bathroom while Can gets dressed?" Tin asked. "And get that guy's details, then throw him out. I don't want to see him. I might accidentally on purpose kill him."

Phun and Noh nodded and went back to the bathroom, where the guy was staring at Rain's murderous expression and he sank with relief when the other two came in.

"Here's what's going to happen..." Phun began.

"I want to see the video," Can said. He looked worried, but determined.

"Get dressed first," Tin said, and looked around until he saw Can's clothes on the chair by the small table in the corner. When Can was dressed, Tin pulled him to his arms and together they watched the video. Tin would rather have spared Can, but he had the right to know what had been done to him.

They were almost done when they heard the bathroom door open, and Phun's voice telling the guy to never show his face again. When he had the audacity to ask for the phone back, Rain said they were keeping it for evidence. "If you ever show your face again, or approach Tin or Can in any way, we will ruin you." The guy fled as soon as they opened the door, and none of them ever saw him again.

"Okay to come over?" Noh asked.

"Yes, we're almost done," Tin said. They waited in silence until Tin turned the phone off with a sigh of relief. Seeing a strange man undressing Can had been hard, and watching him put his hand on Can's ass had been devastating to Tin. Can was less impacted, just muttering angry curses, but Tin stared at the screen with wide, hard eyes. He dared touch my Can! 

Tin had made the right decision, letting the guy go before they watched the video. If he had still been there, Tin wasn't sure if he could have stopped beating him until he was dead. Still, that guy had only been a cat's paw, and he hadn't hurt his Can. Tin's heart turned black. Tul. He would pay.

"He was telling the truth, he didn't hurt me," Can was saying to their friends, and Tin turned to them just in time to see the relief on their faces. "I remember more of it now, and he only touched my ass briefly. I didn't know why, then. I couldn't move, and passed out soon after, but I don't think he likes gay people much. He was telling me I was disgusting and that he was only touching me because Tul made him."

"There's that silver lining to homophobia I've been looking for..." Noh muttered.

"My baby fought him like a tiger, even though he was drugged. You even punched me just now, when you thought I was him," Tin said and chuckled, kissing Can tenderly.

"I punched you?" Can gasped and noticed only then the bruise forming on his cheek. "I did that?! I'm so sorry, Tin!" Can cried and scattered apologetic kisses on his face.

Tin cupped Can's face. "I will smile every time I see the bruise, baby. You were fighting off a stranger, you thought. I'm so proud of you." Tin stroked Can's face and leaned in to kiss him, and stopped, hesitating. Can grabbed his head and smashed his lips on Tin's hard, and the other guys turned around again when the two sank into the kiss eagerly, with love and relief.

"Geez... get a room," Noh muttered, and the others snickered, relieved nothing worse had happened.

Tin gave Can a final kiss, and took a deep breath. "Thank you, guys."

"Anytime," Rain said, his eyes still hard.

"What are you going to do about your brother?" Phun couldn't help but ask.

"Tul is not my brother," Tin said harshly. "You guys are. He was just born of the same father. I'll make sure he will never bother us again."

"Can we go home now? I'm hungry," Can said.

Tin's face split in a tender smile. "Of course. I'll cook your favorite tonight."

When they left, Phun went around to the receptionist. She was looking at Tin and Can walking out, with their arms around each other, Can talking non stop, practically bouncing with happiness and relief. Tin threw a grateful look behind his shoulder, and Noh just waved them off, all of them understanding their need to be alone.

"Thank you," Phun said, and looked at the receptionist's name tag. "Plum," he added. "My friends will come and thank you in person later, but now they just want to go home."

"I'm just glad it all turned out well. I hope your friend is okay."

"He is now, thanks to you."

"Thanks for staying at Bangkok Hotel," she said automatically when Phun turned around. She could only shrug apologetically when he raised an eyebrow at her. "Force of habit."

Tin flagged down a taxi, wondering how he could help Can get past this. Fortunately nothing bad had happened, but to have been that helpless with drugs, and at the mercy of someone whose intentions you didn't know? Can would need all his love to recover from that. Then Tin thought about their bondage games, and had a sudden feeling of loss. 

Would Can ever want to be tied up again?

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A/n:

1000 views! Amazing! Thank you all! Because you've been so good, I will publish the second part to this story later today. Stay tuned!