Chapter Text
Chapter 5
It’s been a week since Beam, Phana, Forth agreed that they will get some information on the families around Aberdale and some Forth’s contractors to get a list. Wayo even helped to get some friends to meet with Beam. It’s a week of full disaster. Beam met with some of the respectable ladies around Aberdale but he can always come up with something wrong about them.
“Beam, you’ve rejected all of my list! They are my friends, you know!” Phana scowled at Beam. The Vongviphan heir just rolled his eyes at his best friend.
“Your so called friends are either too chatty or too bratty! Heck! They can’t even impress me, how much more if I will present them to my father? They will be eaten alive in a second!” Beam defended. The ladies were too clingy, Beam felt like he was a prey on shackles and ready to be devoured alive. He shuddered thinking about it.
“Must you turn them down rudely? You made Lady Celia cry, Beam.” Kit said as he entered the room. They were in Kit’s townhouse in Aberdale. They were having afternoon tea in the drawing room where his best friends nagged him about being rude and picky.
They couldn't get a hold of Kit last week because he was with his family in Caros, a provincial part of Aberdale where the Intochar House resides. They are one of the few houses that are under the House of Vongviphan. It would take two days to send a messenger to Caros so Beam decided that he'd just talk to Kit when he came back to the main City. When Kit came back, he scolded Beam so much but grumpily agreed to help Beam.
“Not only that! You even insulted Sir Rayleigh of House Kenton!” Kit snapped at him and sipped his tea to calm down. Yes, Beam even met with some awful Lords that were too enthusiastic to be his husband. Being a Vongviphan will make them powerful and greedy. Beam was also sure that his father wouldn’t approve of their ways.
“Hey, he was so obnoxious! Even making some crude comments! And I just speak the truth, it’s on him that he got offended.” Beam again defended himself. They have been through their list and all of them were not even worth his presence. Phana shaked his head in disbelief.
“He was Forth’s client! You are lucky that Forth was there and placate the situation.” Beam frowned at that and took a bite of his biscuit. True, he was grateful that Forth was there whenever he met with someone on their list. Forth’s handsome face can charm all of them and bear no ill will at Beam at the end of the conversations. The engineer is such a people pleaser that annoyed Beam to an extent.
“Where is he by the way? I’ve sent a messenger to him like hours ago.” Beam asked them. He pesters Forth to stay on the Vongviphan Manor for about a week too. Whenever Beam asks Forth about it, the man will just smile and find some kind of excuse to take care of his business. Forth did break his promise that he would go to the Vongviphan Manor that afternoon when he promised Beam that he would show up. Beam sulked that evening but Phana showed up with an apology basket of sweet biscuits from Forth and forgave him that easily. Forth knows him too well.
“You know that Forth is busy. He takes care of his business after accompanying you for a week to meet with the candidates.” Phana answered him. Beam winced at that. He felt guilty about it and wants to apologize to Forth.
“Yeah, Beam. Have a little consideration. I am amazed that Forth is still your friend after all of this.” Kit commented.
“Hey! Forth is a supportive friend, unlike you two!” Beam stuck his tongue out to them childishly. Kit smacked his head in return.
“Ouch, Kitty!” Beam complained. “I feel sorry for Mingkwan that he will marry you! He will be a battered husband for sure!”
Kit is already engaged to the second son of Daichapanya House. As a rising house, the Intochar patriarch promised his children to different houses for alliances. Initially, Beam was supposed to be his fiance but Rose, Wayo’s mother, strongly disapproved of it. Kit’s father honored it because Intochar House became prominent under the direction of House Vongviphan. They’ve owed the Vongviphan House so much that he would not dare to lose connections with them.
Kit’s father found another house and it was the Daichapanya House. House Daichapanya is a close House of the Royal Crown Name, House Jamornhum. They were a house of soldiers, military and rumor has it, they were also assassins that served under the crown. Being tied to that house is a good deal so Kit's father forged an alliance through an engagement of his son, Kit and the second born Mingkwan Daichapanya. They’ve never met but they exchanged letters. Beam always teased Kit about the letters because it was so full of cringy romantic nonsense and Kit’s face would always turn red.
“Shut up, Beam!” Kit smacked his head harder this time and continued smacking him wherever Kit’s hand could reach from his seat.
“Ow, ow, Ouch, Kitty! Pha! Help!” Phana, the traitor just ignored him and just continued to drink his tea.
“What is it, this time?” They all look to the voice from the door. Forth stands there with a slight smirk, clearly amused with Beam and Kit’s shenanigans.
“Forttttthh!! Helpppppp!!” Beam sprinted towards Forth and hid behind his back. Forth laughed and Kit drew a long suffering sigh. Phana rolled his eyes at Beam’s antics.
“Yeah, yeah. Your knight in shining armor is here. Won’t bother you anymore.” Kit raised both his hands in surrender. Forth chuckled and dragged Beam with him to sit on the chair. Beam was clinging on Forth's arm, still wary of Kit’s smacks. Forth sat at the chair available and Beam sat beside him away from Kit.
“‘So what’s the plan now?” Forth asked after pouring himself a tea.
“Well, We don’t have a plan since Beam ruined it all.” Phana mocked Beam. Kit nodded fast at Phana’s answer while Beam squirmed in his seat.
“Is everything alright with your business with Sir Rayleigh of House Kenton? We can send Beam to apologize if it didn’t.” Kit asked Forth. Beam is pouting just eating the biscuits again. He knows he is guilty and he can’t do that to Forth, Rayleigh is one of his big contractors.
“I’ll apologize if you want Forth, he was your client after all. Even if he was so crude.” Beam muttered in disdain. He’ll do it for Forth’s sake.
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ve already talked to him.” Forth smiled at Beam. “He will never say anything inappropriate to you ever again.” He ruffled Beam’s hair and handed Beam another sweet biscuit. Phana was intently looking at Forth like he knew something and Forth just shrugged at him. Beam cannot shake the amiss feeling he has in Forth’s last sentence but he did not delve in it and happily accepted the biscuit that he offered.
“So, we don’t have another plan?” Kit asked them.
“We can gather another list, Let’s go beyond Aberdale this time. I can send messages for my contractors all over Ceres.” Forth suggested to them.
“That’s a good idea. What do you say Beam?” Kit asked Beam. Beam was still contemplating about it. It is indeed a good idea if they search beyond Aberdale but Beam is also sure it would be a great headache. After a very stressful week, he cannot go through it again abruptly into the next week. Not to mention that he is burdening Forth accompanying him. He just wanted to rest for a little bit and clear his head for the next step.
“Yeah, we can do that.” Beam nodded at them and whined. “But can we rest for the next week? This week drained me.”
“Sure, take it easy Beam. We still have time. Your father did not even ask for a timeline, so we can relax for a little bit.” Forth, forever his saint, agreed with him. Phana and Kit grumbled but nodded anyway.
“Speaking of taking it easy, Forth, you need to sleep. You look like you haven’t slept a wink.” Phana stared pointedly at Forth. Beam snapped his gaze to Forth. Despite the cool aura that Forth gives off, Beam noticed that there’s a thin line of stress in his eyes. He looks overworked but his charming smile mostly hides it.
“It’s all Beammie’s fault.” Kit commented offhandedly.
“Yeah, it is.” Phana nodded along with Kit.
“I’m sure it’s Pha’s uncomfortable sofa’s fault!” Beam hissed at Phana.
“Hey! Do not bring my nice, comfortable sofa in this!” Phana countered Beam. Kit facepalmed while Forth laughed wholeheartedly.
“Sorry to burst your bubble Pha, but your sofa is horrible. But yeah it’s my fault.” Beam looked at Forth. “I’m so sorry Forth. I dragged you into this. You lose sleep because of it. I’m a horrible friend.”
Kit and Pha look surprised at Beam’s apology to Forth. Beam never did that, he will apologize but it takes time before he’ll admit his mistakes. Beam is difficult like that but Forth clearly an exemption.
“Beam, it’s fine, I’m fine.” Forth narrowed his eyes at Phana and glanced at Beam again.
“But-” Beam started to protest but Forth cut him off.
“How about I take your offer to stay at the Vongviphan Manor to take a few days off of work. The offer still stands, right?” Beam’s face lights up at that.
“Really?”
“I can come tonight. I just need to get my stuff from Phana’s tenement.” Forth reassured him.
“Yay! We can hang out with Wayo, too. I’m sure he missed you. You’ve been here a week and you did not try to visit him. He will be sulking at you.” Forth flashed his gorgeous smile at Beam that temporarily blinded him.
“I’ll come prepared. You both love sweet biscuits, Wayo would forgive me in an instant.” Forth smirked at Beam.
“I want to hang out with Wayo, too!” Phana whined at them.
“Hmp! You’re not invited Phana!” They start bickering with each other as they regularly do and Kit will attempt to make them stop but will get wind up to the bickering too. Forth will just look at them amused and stay out of the way until they’ll yell out his name and make him choose a side.
Beam missed this. It’s been a while since they have been like this. It’s comfortable and reassuring. Despite the problems he is facing right now, he is glad that he has friends like them.