Lion had a problem, and it mainly involved Inn’s smiles. They were quite rare but when they happened they were radiant. Far brighter than the sun and much more interesting than anything occurring around them.

This was how Lion kept walking into inanimate objects at the water park. They had just passed a statue of a kinaree, a mythological creature, half woman, half bird. Lion had asked Inn if he had ever met one and this had led to Inn letting out a loud guffaw before grinning at some half forgotten memory.

“Watch it!” a group of young guys in their twenties chided as Lion managed to bump into them whilst still staring at Inn.

“Careful,” Inn growled, although Lion wasn’t sure who he was addressing it to, as all he could focus on were Inn’s large, hot hands on either side of his waist, steadying him.

“Cotton candy!” Lion exclaimed, pointing to the small booth opposite them. “Let’s get some.”

Lion had already convinced Inn to try roti sai mai back in the mall. Green and blue threads of dragon’s beard spun sugar that was wrapped in a crepe. But this booth was serving colossal pink clouds on bamboo sticks, just like in the movies.

Lion hopped excitedly on his feet as Inn held over his wristband to be scanned. He had probably eaten more food in the last week with Inn than in the whole of the previous month on his own.

“Do you think I’m going to get a belly?” Lion frowned, glancing down at his abdomen.

“Hmm,” Inn cocked his head thoughtfully as the vendor began to whisk up their candied treat. The larger boy reached out and held his palm flat against Lion’s skin. Lion tried to mute his responding gasp, Inn’s long fingers were splayed out across his middle, the pinky dipping down and just grazing the hair below Lion’s navel.

“Still feels flat,” Inn commented in voice that suggested he was far less embarrassingly affected than Lion was.

Lion forced himself not to take a surprised step backwards as Inn’s hand moved, gliding slightly lower. The other boy’s touch was like burning and as Inn finally drew away to collect the candy, Lion glanced down half expecting to see a handprint scorched into him like a brand.

“We um, we should think about making a move soon if we don’t want to get back too late,” Lion said, sucking on his teeth to clean them of the cotton candy he had just devoured. Inn had taken a small pinch of the pink fluff before grimacing. Lion was starting to learn that the other boy preferred the sour side of his palette rather than sweet foods.

“Okay,” Inn replied, reaching out to draw Lion to a stop.

“What is – oh,” Lion murmured as Inn rubbed some stray candy from the side of Lion’s mouth before bringing the finger up to his mouth and licking. Lion swallowed thickly, his eyes darting round to try and regain his focus.

“Messy human,” Inn frowned but he was smiling softly.

Lion’s heart thudded in his chest. The last thing he needed was to develop an actual crush on the summoned monkey warrior. It was bad enough that he had spent most of his adolescence fantasizing about Hanuman but now he was here in human form, Lion felt like he was drowning.

“We…” Lion coughed. “We should go get a taxi to the bus stop now,” Lion began to walk purposefully towards the park’s exit, flicking the bamboo stick from the cotton candy in a nearby trashcan.

“Little Lion?” Inn’s voice sounded amused as he called out behind Lion. Lion turned round, the sun was bright and illuminating Inn’s glistening, bronze skin that was still dappled with water. Inn’s face looked relaxed and open with a crooked smile. “I think the taxi might prefer it if we changed into clothes first,” Inn continued.

“Oh!” Lion exclaimed, looking down and realizing they were still in their swim shorts, their belongings back over in the changing rooms. “Yeah,” Lion bit his lip, “yeah of course, I just wasn’t thinking.”

“You look red,” Inn frowned, walking over and placing his hand across Lion’s sweaty forehead. Lion couldn’t remember ever having been touched this much, perhaps before his parents died. “Are you dehydrated?”

“No,” Lion shook his head, “I mean, maybe. I’ll get a drink at the bus station.”

Inn narrowed his eyes before striding off to the gift shop, returning a few minutes later with a bag full of different chilled energy drinks.

“Right,” Lion laughed weakly, standing back up from the bench he had stationed himself on, “thank you.”

They walked into the changing rooms which weren’t as crowded as they had been in the morning. Nevertheless, Lion still scooped up his clothes pile and scurried off to the nearest changing cubicle, ignoring Inn’s curious look.

+++

It was dark on the bus ride back, luckily Inn had stumped up the extra cash to go on the bus with AC. This meant the windows could be closed on the freeway and the cabin was cool and quiet.

“You made me drink too much,” Lion squirmed in his seat. His bladder felt uncomfortably full and heavy. Inn hadn’t let Lion board the bus until he had finished two bottles of drink and his face had returned to a less ruddy shade.

“Use the bathroom,” Inn replied nonchalantly, he was flicking through photos on his phone that he had taken of their trip. Ever since the aquarium, Inn had become obsessed with taking photographs. He had even ordered a load of empty plastic key ring frames to put them in once he had decided which ones to print.

Lion giggled at the thought of Inn walking down the school hallway covered in different photo key chains, some hanging off his phone, others his bag and even one from the loops of his pants.

“There’s a bathroom on this bus?” Lion jerked his head round in shock. He had never been on a coach with AC before, let alone a toilet.

“In the stairwell,” Inn nodded, gesturing vaguely in front of them.

Lion clambered up and made his way down the aisle before clocking the small paneled door down the steps, sitting in the belly of the bus. He smiled to himself, relieved that he wasn’t going to have to hold it in all the way back to Bangkok.

The toilet was clean enough, albeit cramped, but that was to be expected. The only problem was the door handle wouldn’t seem to click in place in order to lock it. Lion groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck. Now he could physically see a toilet, his need to pee was even more urgent. His body didn’t seem to understand what the hold up was.

Lion took a deep breath before managing to strike a flexible dancer’s pose, jamming one hand back against the door and thrusting his pelvis forwards enough to be able to aim. It probably looked ridiculous but thankfully no one was there to witness his shame.

Lion shimmied down his shorts and boxers and let out a long sigh of relief. Once he had finished he instinctively reached forwards to press the flush button. A split second later, Lion realised with horror that in doing so he had just let go of the door, which now swung fully open with an ominous creak, revealing the entirety of his bare ass to the bus.

“Lion!”

Lion squeaked as he heard Inn growl, before the other boy lunged forwards and yanked the door firmly shut again.

“Oh my god,” Lion whimpered, quickly tugging up his pants and leaning back against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He couldn’t believe he had just mooned the great Lord Hanuman…again.

Lion shuffled forwards miserably, tugging the door to exit and face his shame. Only he was met with resistance. Lion realised that Inn must be holding the door shut from the outside. Lion winced in embarrassment before knocking on the door, waiting for it to fall loose and open a moment later.

“Uh, hi,” Lion said sheepishly, trying not to make eye contact with Inn. “How come you’re down here?”

“I decided I would use the bathroom after you,” Inn replied, his voice sounding slightly strained. Lion guessed the other boy was feeling just as uncomfortable as him.

Lion sighed, “Okay, well thank you, for you know…the door.”

“You are welcome,” Inn replied, “I assume the lock is broken?”

“Yeah,” Lion replied, “I’ll hold it shut for you whilst you’re in there if you like?”

Inn nodded before entering the bathroom, pausing a moment and tilting his head back with a smirk, “It really does look like a bunny rabbit you know.”

Lion swore angrily, slamming the door shut so as to drown out Inn’s subsequent laughter. Lion groaned, rubbing at his face as he sunk down onto the floor, still grasping the handle to hold the door shut. Although he was in half a mind now just to let the damn thing swing open.

Then again, Lion had already seen Inn’s body and it wasn’t exactly a source of embarrassment. Lion figured if he had Inn’s physique he would probably wear as few clothes as possible on a regular basis.

Lion looked to his left and caught himself smiling like an idiot in the window’s reflection. He shook his head and groaned again.