Pete woke up in the next morning feeling drowsy. It took him a while to remembered where he was. He looked around to find Vegas but there was no sign of him anywhere in the room. He assumed that Vegas must have been bored being locked in the room so he might have gone out for some fresh air. 

He is not a kid, he's capable of protecting himself, Pete shouldn't care for him. Despite this, Pete still stumbled out of bed and went out after morning hygiene routine. 

"Auntie, have you seen my friend anywhere?"

Pete asked the inn keeper, who was chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

"Ah, your husband? I saw him leave the house and head toward the dock."

Pete massaged his temples. Husband my ass. Auntie you didn't know what kind of person Vegas was, if you knew you wouldn't have said that. I wouldn't even dare to talk to him, let alone be in love affair with him.

"Ah auntie, we are not a couple, I mean it!"

Auntie May got that usual hospitality of villagers, but sometimes they were too friendly to the point of obstinacy. Since the day two of them were brought here, auntie has insist that they were a miserable Alpha - Beta couple that had run away from parents' disapproval. That they planned to commit suicide by jumping into the ocean to prove their internal love to each other, that God didn't let them die to give them a 2nd chance, many scenarios were created to gossip about their life tragedy.

Altough Pete has insisted many times that two of them were not lovers, not even close, he also couldn't tell auntie May that he was an Omega. That would just complicate things and many heartbreaking stories would appear. 

"Fear nothing, my child. Love is the most beautiful thing in this awful world, you don't need to be afraid. Son, don't let anything prevent you from getting the love of your life."

"Auntie May, I..."

"She's right, don't deny it. We even sleep in the same room, Pete don't need to be shy, na?"

Out of nowhere, Vegas interrupted Pete's sentence and casually enter the ongoing conversation. Pete unconsciously felt like he was being hugged when he felt Vegas's hand on his shoulder. He moved to step aside because it was a bit awkward. 

"Stop being silly."

It was true that they shared a bed the previous night, but after all, it was because he indulged Vegas since he had a high fever. Nothing happened between them.

"Alright, don't get mad. I won't joke anymore, don't get upset." (T/N: Author used the pronounce as "nong" in Thai here. Vegas called Pete "nong".)

Pete dumbly looked at a grinning Vegas with a strange feeling in his heart. He wasn't gloomy like yesterday, wasn't that whiny and stubborn. He seemed to return to be the Vegas he saw at the Main Family house, politely smiling and gentle with everyone. Vegas used to successfully put up his perfect mask. But for some reason, Pete thought that his smile today was very different from before. 

A heart-felt smile.

Although Vegas and Pete rarely interacted before, Pete had always perceived him as unpredictable. Vegas was always smiling, but his eyes were cold. He never let anyone to enter and see his soul, never showed any genuine emotions. That was the only flaw of the perfect mask he put on for everyone.

But since Vegas woke up, Pete has witnessed a completely different Vegas. Gloomy, hot-tempered, stubborn and even childish Vegas. All in a day.

A Vegas that has his own emotions. 

Turns out this is the real Vegas. 

"Pete, I want to buy souvenirs here."

To the innkeeper's amusement, Vegas went from hugging his shoulder to grabbing Pete's hand, yanking him out of the inn.

"We don't have much money." Pete sighed, but still let Vegas pull him away nonetheless. 

The money they (or he) has been spending these days are Vegas's money. Pete was a bodyguard, he wouldn't typically carry a wallet unless he was on a mission alone. Fortunately, Pete found their "source of life" for the two of them in Vegas's wallet when he was cleaning his clothes. He secretly thanked heaven for not washing away their pants in the sea.

He returned the wallet to Vegas yesterday, but he nonchalantly told him to keep it. Pete just followed his order and kept the money.

It was better this way, Pete didn't have to think of ways to borrow money from Vegas. 

"I asked for the price, it's not expensive here."

"But we still need to be frugal. We have to stay here for half a month."

"I know I know. Have you always been this nagging to Tankhun like this?"

Pete simply snorted to end the argument with Vegas. This guy must be hit in the head, he was getting weirder and weirder.

They stopped in front of a stall selling bracelets among many souvenir stalls near the beach.

"You... want to buy this?"

Pete asked hesitantly. Someone like Vegas wanted to buy something like this?

Vegas nodded, his eyes wandered to decide which one to buy.

"Are you here on vacation?"

"Yes sir." - Pete didn't want to deliver a lengthy explanation, so he just went with whatever the salesman said.

"Then you probably don't know about this bracelet."

"What about it?" Pete couldn't hide his curiosity. He worked as a bodyguard, which consumed most of his time and he rarely got a chance to go out. He was curious about the world and everything going on around him.

"The red string used to make this bracelet was taken to the temple to make merit and be enchanted, the stones were picked at the Prayer Spring, then made into bracelets. People in the village claimed that if you take the bracelet, go with your lover to the Prayer Spring and pray sincerely, blessings will come to you."

Pete, a firm believer in such things listened to the salesman attentively, without even ware of being deceived. 

"So, if I don't have a lover, can I still go to pray for blessings?" - Pete asked. 

"Yes can. Because I saw you two together, I assumed you are dating."

"No..."

"Let's buy these two." Vegas walked to Pete and showed him two identical bracelets he had picked out. It was a simple bracelet, with red strings tied in particular pattern and a grinded round stone. One was light blue, another one was red.

Vegas put the bracelet with light blue stone on Pete's wrist and he himself wore the red stone one. He looked at their hands contently. 

It was like water and fire.

Your warm water has put out the hellish fire in me. 

After paying, Pete was eager to head to the Prayer Spring. They asked for directions and headed there immediately. 

But Pete didn't notice that, two people wearing similar type of clothes, choosing bracelets for each other, talking and laughing, really look like a couple to passerbys.

When they arrived, there were already a few people there. It seemed that they were aware of this magic Spring's mighty blessings as well. 

Pete and Vegas also found a place, both clasped their hands and silently pray.

'May everyone around me be safe'

'May Pete only loves Vegas'

Vegas couldn't help looking at Pete, who was genuinely praying with his eye closed. This must be the silliest thing Vegas has ever done, but no matter how absurd, he was still willing to give it a shot. 

A person like him, once he tasted the luscious fruit, he would never let go. Call him selfish, or greedy, he didn't mind. Only those have lived too long in the dark can understand his longing to see the light.

Pete was like the sun. Even a tiny bit of care from Pete was enough to warm up the icy monster inside him.

Perhaps no one would fall in love with a another person with just trivial actions and caring questions in a couple of days. But for Vegas, things that seem to be trivial or unimportant like that, no one has ever done that for him before. 

Except Pete. 

Pete obviously knew he wasn't a decent person, he still decided to save him. When Vegas was sick, Pete took care of him despite his fright of Vegas, and coaxed him to comfort even despite how exhausted he was. 

Last night, when Pete stopped moving when he accidentally hurt him, Vegas truly understood. Pete did everything not for the benefits he would gain, he was just an amiable softie. He finally realized, in this word, there was still a person who would not scold him for being mean, would not avoid him for being annoying, would not mock him for being useless. 

A person who didn't give a fuck about benefits. Only one person can be such almighty. 

Among horrid souls in the world, there was still one beautiful soul like that. 

No one can understand why he fell in love with Pete so quickly, and he didn't need anyone to. 

They just need to know, Vegas loved Pete, and he would never let him go. 

End #5. 

Translator note: You can visit Light11071303's original story and vote up there as well :)