Preface

that's the way it is
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/56586352.

Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Category:
Gen
Fandom:
แค่เพื่อนครับเพื่อน | Bad Buddy: the Series (TV)
Relationships:
Ink & Pran Parakul Siridechawat, Ink/Pa Jindapat, Pat Napat Jindapat/Pran Parakul Siridechawat
Characters:
Ink (Bad Buddy: the Series), Pran Parakul Siridechawat, Pa Jindapat, Pat Napat Jindapat
Additional Tags:
Friendship, Secret Relationship, Post-Episode 11, wai and korn also exist, POV Outsider
Language:
English
Collections:
Bad Buddy Gift Exchange 2024
Stats:
Published: 2024-06-17 Words: 4,523 Chapters: 1/1

that's the way it is

Summary

Ink finds out about Pran and Pat's breakup.

Notes

Prompt: 3 - Missing scenes from the series
I'd love some frienship moments between Ink and Pran during the canon timeline. Pran could know or not about her feelings for Paa (we already know that Ink knew about Pran's feeling for Pat). Or it could be during fake PatPran break up era, planning double dates / outings with Pa and Paa, or even trying to meddle to get Korn and Wai together.

Any rating is fine.
Since we're staying in canon, please stick to the happy ending of the series (you can go AU if you decide to write Korn and Wai getting together though).

There's no Wai/Korn in this story, but they do make an appearance.

The title is from that Spice Girls song. You know the one.

Cynthia, I hope you enjoy!

that's the way it is

"Did you hear?" says a boy who might be one of Pran's friends. "Pat and Pran broke up."

Ink blinks. "What?"

"Yeah." The boy—who might be named Louis, now that Ink is scouring her memory—huffs, hands on his hips. "Wonder what Pat did. That bastard."

"Hey," Ink says defensively. "Pat's my friend." Besides, Pa had waxed poetic to her about how Pat and Pran had a connection that no one else understood, not even her, ever since they were able to walk and talk. Not like brothers, Pa had clarified, but like soulmates. Ink hadn't thought that far when she had been making their matching bracelets; she'd just thought they were cute.

Still, maybe-Louis crinkles his nose. "Well, Pran told us that they broke up," he says to Ink. "So one of them must've done something."

"Sometimes people just break up," Ink says, but pulls out her phone anyway.

Pat and Pran broke up?

):)

Pa texts her back after her class: WHAT??? 😭 who else will put up with my brother like this 😭

Ink laughs as she heads toward the motorbike stand outside of the Faculty of Communication Arts campus. Today's one of her half days, in terms of class work. She'd usually have the photography club today too, but Au had called out due to a prior engagement and two of their freshmen are saddled with homework, so the club meeting had been canceled today. Typically Ink would set up a last minute shoot for Jam's newest line or wander around campus for interesting shots to take, but now with a girlfriend she wonders if she should prepare a hot bath and text Pa until she gets home.

The fantasy gets interrupted when she gets a phone call—not from her girlfriend in question, but Pran.

Ink answers. "Hello?"

"Hey," says Pran. He doesn't sound heartbroken at all. "Are you busy?"

"Not really," says Ink, pausing by the motorbike she was about to mount. "Why?"

"Can you come over?" In the background, Ink can hear another voice. "It's fine, go to class," Pran says to someone else on the other end, before, "I mean, to my dorm. You know where Tinidee is, right?"

"Yes, I've been to Pat and Pa's a bunch," Ink says with a laugh.

"Oh, right," says Pran. "Well, do you want to—we can hang out?"

"Sure," says Ink. Her conversation with maybe-Louis floats through her brain again: Pat and Pran broke up. Somehow, a part of her doesn't believe that that's the full story.

"Awesome," says Pran. "I'm dorm 439. You can use the stairs if the elevator doesn't work."

To Ink's luck, the elevator does work when she arrives at Pran's apartment building. It doesn't take long for her to find Pran's dorm—right across from Pat and Pa's, which Pran had mentioned before, way back when his relationship with Pat had first become public. Ink hadn't forgotten, but it's another thing to come to the same part of the hallway to knock on a different apartment door, and be greeted by Pran's cautious smile when he opens it up.

"Hey," he says. "That was fast."

"I was on my way home anyway." Ink cheerfully puts her bag on Pran's kitchen counter and glances around. Two cups and two plates on the sink; a black leather bag that doesn't seem to be Pran's style hanging from a stand. The bedroom door is closed, and several stacks of engineering textbooks are on Pran's desk.

Closing the door behind them, Pran fidgets. "Make yourself at home," he says.

Ink does, sitting herself on the sofa and smiling up at Pran. "So what's up?" she asks.

She hadn't seen Pran since before break, when he and Pat supposedly ran away together. Pa had called her in a panic and Ink had calmed her down then; later, Pat had texted Pa letting her know that he and Pran were gone for a bit, but okay. Ink had thought something happened, but certainly not a break up.

Pran fidgets again. Then he sits on the couch next to Ink.

"When Pat and I were born," he starts.

"Is this about your breakup?"

"What? No." Pran looks alarmed. Then, realizing what he said, "Yes. Wait, no. Well, it's—I mean—when we were born—"

"Yes, yes, you're star-crossed lovers and all," says Ink, waving a hand. "Your parents hate each other, your friends hate each other, you can't stay away from each other. Pa's already told me all that."

"Oh." Pran looks embarrassed. "Really?"

Ink gives him a look. "I'm dating her, aren't I?"

"Right," says Pran. "Well, Pat and I—our parents don't approve of us. Right now. So we're broken up."

Ink waits.

"But," Pran continues. "Not really. It's just what we told most of our friends, and our families, so they'd get off our backs. We're still, you know." He bites his lip like he's trying not to smile. "Dating."

Ink had seen it in his eyes when they were in high school, a quiet sort of longing that she wrote her own stories about in her head. It was why she had made those bracelets, after all. Yet, seeing Pran's affections fruition in real time in front of her eyes is another experience entirely, one she knows for herself even now, when she feels a string of buzzes from her phone inside her pocket, surely full of emojis and punctuation marks.

"So," says Ink. "How can I help?"

):)

When she gets back to the dorm across the hallway—crossing paths with Pat as well, who smirks at her before calling loudly into the apartment behind her, "Where's my good afternoon kiss?"—Pa enters only a few minutes later, both grumpy and relieved when she sees Ink lounging on her bed. "My brother bet that he'd get back before me, but I didn't even want to race," she says, dropping her bag and immediately joining Ink on the bed. "At least he doesn't come here anymore."

"I was wondering where he's been the past few nights," Ink says thoughtfully, stroking Pa's hair.

Pa looks guiltily up at her. "Pran told you?"

"Yes." Ink tugs on her hair a little, then kisses the top of her head. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"It wasn't my secret to tell! Plus, it's only been a few days," says Pa.

Ink goes back to running her fingers through the long dark strands on Pa's shoulders. "Who else knows?" she asks.

"Korn and Wai."

Ink raises her eyebrows. "And?"

"There's no one else," says Pa. "Hia told me as soon as he and Pran had come back. I don't know if they told their friends yet. I didn't know if they wanted to tell you, but I promise I won't keep any secrets anymore!" She sticks her lower lip out.

Ink can't resist leaning in to kiss that lower lip. "It's fine, I understand," she says. "And I have a feeling they told their friends already."

Pa cuddles close to her. "I'm glad we don't have to hide our relationship," she says. "And that they're still dating."

"Oh?" says Ink, pretending not to noticing Pa resting more of her weight on her. "Why?"

Pa flutters her eyelashes at her. "So we can have this dorm to ourselves," she says, and turns so she's straddling Ink's lap, and then they're not doing much talking anymore.

):)

It all clicks in Ink's brain a few mornings later when Pat is running back and forth between dorms to make sure he has everything for a class presentation. "We're going to breakfast," Pa announces from the doorway, as Pat digging under his bed for something.

He glances at their joint hands—only for a second—but says, "Have fun," to them before returning back under his bed.

It's been a while since he and Pran had left together like that, Ink realizes.

Pran smiles at them in the hallway. "Bye," he says, as Ink and Pa leave, but he seems contemplative too.

Later, Ink finds him skulking right outside the Communication Arts campus—though it's not too much of a surprise, as it's right beside the Architecture buildings. "Hey," says Ink, coming up to him.

Pran looks shocked, but Ink says, "Don't pretend, I know you were waiting for me."

Pran deflates. "How could you tell?" he asks.

"A woman's intuition," Ink replies. When Pran scoffs, she adds, "Also, I've been paying attention to you since high school. If you haven't noticed."

"Really? Why? Do you have a crush on me or something?" Pran teases.

Ink elbows him and laughs. "No, but I know who you have a crush on," she says, grinning. "I've known for a while."

Doubt crosses Pran's face. "Is it that obvious?"

"Well," says Ink, linking her arm with Pran's. Pran lets her, though there's a tangible stiffness in the way he holds himself around her. "Only if you have an eye for these things. Which I do." She gestures to her camera around her neck. "I notice everything."

Pran rolls his eyes, but relaxes at that. "Sure," he says.

"So what brings you here?" says Ink. "Aren't you afraid of people seeing you with me, Pat's friend?"

"You're my friend too, right?" says Pran.

Ink pretends to be flattered. "I am?"

Pran laughs at her. "Stop," he says, though with his arm still linked with hers, he tugs her closer. "No, I mean, you are. But I am here to," he pauses, "ask for a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

Pran considers for a moment. "Pat doesn't like keeping secrets," he says finally. "Especially about our relationship. He's a lot better about it now, but I know if he had the choice..."

Ink remembers the few weeks before break, after the Architecture play, over hotpot and hospital beds and apparent public confessions. She nods. "That makes sense," she says.

"He misses it," says Pran, except the wistfulness of his tone sounds like he's saying, we miss it. "I was wondering if, you know. You had any ideas."

It's a pretty weird ask, but conveniently being a communication arts student comes with some perks, including access and reservations to rooms that would be perfect date spots. "You guys wanna go out, huh?" she asks.

Pran doesn't even try to deny it. "Stay at home dates are nice and all," he says, "but there's only so much we can do before it gets boring. Other people don't have to see us."

"But you don't want to be trapped at home together forever," Ink finishes.

Pran nods.

Ink straightens her back. Her and Pran's arms are still looped, and she brings him in tighter.

"Well," she says. "Good thing you came to this side of campus, because there's a little movie theater I want to show you."

):)

It takes perhaps a bit of heavy lifting and light bribery, but all things considered, it's not that much effort for Ink to reserve the entire Communication Arts theater building for one evening, including the concession booths and the control booth. Her wallet will cry a bit for the dinner she buys for the staff next weekend, but at least she gets an excuse to spend more time with her girlfriend.

Pran and Pat pick out a movie Ink finds in the film archives, and stroll in together like they're at a real movie theater. "Two tickets, please," Pat says, hand entwined with Pran's.

Korn looks up from the table. "That'll be 400 baht," he says.

Pat frowns. "Korn, you can't possibly expect me to—"

"400 baht," says Wai from next to him.

"Are you guys even going to give the money to the film club?" asks Ink.

Both Korn and Wai look at her. "No," they say at the same time.

Pat gives Ink a pleading look, but she shrugs. Then he turns to Pran, who's badly disguising the smile on his face and nods to their friends. "You heard them," he says. "400 baht."

"I didn't mean it when I said I'd pay," Pat complains, but digs out his wallet anyway and hands Korn his money. "I thought this was for free—"

"You can get something else for free later," Pran says, as they walk off to the theater.

Once they're gone, Korn gets up from the table. "I'm gonna go steal some snacks, " he says.

"No, you're not," says Ink. "You pay for whatever you eat."

Korn pouts. "Do I look like I'm made of money?"

"You look like you're made of idiot," Wai chimes in.

"That doesn't make sense!" says Korn.

"You don't make sense," Wai says. "Come on, let's go get a drink."

"Thanks for helping, you guys," Ink says sarcastically, and Wai just gives her a salute before dragging Korn out.

Ink nabs some juice and drinks from the concession stand (more for her wallet to cry about later) before going into the control room where Pa's already loaded up the movie. "My brother's disgusting when he's in love," she says, gesturing down below the booth where two figures are visibly sitting so close together that it's hard to make out two heads from one.

"And you're not?" says Ink, setting the food down before wrapping an arm around her. "Let's see, did you do this correctly?"

"It's different when it's us! And yes, I did," Pa says proudly. "The movie's playing already."

Ink hums and double checks, but Pa's telling the truth—she did put the film in exactly how Ink had shown her earlier. "What do you know, you did," she says, and Pa preens at the praise. "My little student is all grown up now."

Pa laughs. "Oh, so that's how you think of me?" she says. "As your student?"

"Yes," says Ink, crowding her close. "My very cute student."

"I don't think that's appropriate, teacher," says Pa, though makes no move to push her away even as Ink's hand reaches around to touch her behind. "Neither is that, I think."

"Hmm," says Ink, and kisses Pa's nose, then her mouth. "What about this?"

"Definitely not," Pa mumbles, before her noises get lost in the darkness of the booth.

):)

As it turns out, hiding your friends' relationship is not the hardest thing in the world, especially when you have three people hiding it with you. Even moreso when most of hiding their relationship is just coordinating schedules and coming up with fabrications as to why Pran's friends can't go to a noodle shop while Pat and Pran are on a lunch date there, or how come Pat can't go home during Songkran, in case anyone asks.

Pa takes Ink home to visit her family, though, during the New Year, while Pat is conveniently ill and Pran has such a big project that he can't go home at the same time, at least not for the entire holiday. Ink has met Pa's family in passing before, but not like this—"Mom, Dad, this is my," says Pa, trying not to look nervous. "My girlfriend."

Ink bows at them. "It's nice to meet you," she says politely.

"Oh, stop, you can call me Ma," says Pa's mother, dragging her in for a hug. "If you want. Is this why you've barely called us at all, Pa?" she asks her daughter. "Because you're so busy with your new girlfriend?"

"Ma," Pa whines, in a way that's always made Ink's heart flutter.

Her father is more formal, looking over Ink critically. Ink knows that this is the father who'd always been obsessive over Pat's life, up until recently, as Pa had told her. With Ink, though, he nods approvingly and says, "You were Pat's classmate in high school, weren't you?"

"Yes," says Ink, surprised. "I didn't know you'd remember me."

"I remember you were a good student," says Pa's father. "I thought—" and then he stops, like he suddenly realized what he was about to say.

Ink doesn't ask, and their Songkran dinner goes well, a massive table of dishes for only four people. "I wish hia was here, he could eat so much of this," Pa says, halfway through her fish.

"You'd just complain about him eating too much," Ink points out.

Pa's parents laugh while Pa whines at her until Ink kisses the top of her head. Her parents glance at each other at the mention of Pat, but say nothing; Ink feels much closer to him than before now. She and Pa know something about him that their parents don't. Ink wonders if Pat and Pa had talked together about whether to tell her at all.

Ink's stay at her girlfriend's house for the holiday gets more complicated when Pran visits his family the next day and the three of them steal away to the ice cream shop at the end of the block late morning. "How's Pat?" Ink asks him, while Pa orders at the counter. "Is he still 'sick'?"

Pran rolls his eyes, but something's still thoughtful about his gaze. "He really doesn't want to see his father," he tells Ink. "Not just because of us."

Though Ink's curiosity is piqued, she doesn't press. "That's understandable," she says. "I'm glad you're still on good terms with your parents."

"Yeah, well." Pran lifts a shoulder, drops it. "It's not as easy for me to be otherwise."

"It's probably not easy for Pat, either."

Pran exhales through his nose. "Yeah," he agrees.

With their ice creams, they stand outside the shop and Pran and Pa try not to look too friendly with each other, with Ink standing in between them. "Our parents suck," says Pa, taking a lick of her ice cream. (Ink tries not to stare.) "We should be going on double dates together. You make my brother more fun, Pran."

"Really?" Pran says, with a little laugh. "I think I make him more insufferable."

"Yeah, but you're the only one who really has to put up with it," says Pa, and Ink hides a laugh behind her vanilla ice cream. "Plus, wouldn't it be fun?"

"It would," Pran agrees. "Our parents do suck."

"Hey," says Ink. "It's not that impossible, is it?"

Pa and Pran turn to her. "Our parents don't even want us to hang out," Pa reminds her, gesturing at herself and Pran. "So yeah, it's impossible."

"And you haven't met my mom," says Pran.

A thought occurs to Ink. "She hasn't met me," she points out to Pran. "Your friend. Who also happens to be dating your secret boyfriend's sister." She gestures to Pa.

Pa and Pran make quick work to hush her. "Shh, someone could hear!" says Pa, while Pran glances around suspiciously.

Ink resists the urge to roll her eyes. "Okay, fine. I'm your friend, who also has a girlfriend," she says. "Who has a brother." She raises her eyebrows pointedly.

A look of understanding flashes across Pran's face. "That might not be enough though," he says, as Pa seems to still be thinking it over. "I mean, just because we're friends doesn't mean we can just hang out like that. All of us, I mean."

Ink sighs. "Do you want to go on public dates with your boyfriend that look like double dates or not?"

"Oh!" says Pa, finally understanding. "If people just think you're out with your girlfriend," she gestures to herself, "and your friend," to Pran.

"And my other friend," says Ink.

"Who's my brother," adds Pa.

"You don't have to make it sound so convoluted," says Pran.

Ink turns to him. "Well, what will you tell your mom when she asks?"

"Why would she ask?"

"Because you want to go on double dates," says Pa, in a way that sounds like, I want to go on double dates. "Plus, she's gonna see Ink sooner or later—she could walk down the street right now."

"Oh," says Pran, furrowing his eyebrows for a moment. Then he meets Ink's eyes. "Fine. Then you should meet my mom. Today."

"Fine," Ink echoes.

"Now?" Pa asks skeptically.

Pran finishes off his ice cream—he'd eaten it relatively quickly, with Ink and Pa still halfway done. "For lunch," he says.

"I'll have you know that parents love me," Ink says, her chin raised.

"Pran's mom is scary," Pa warns her. "She yelled at me once when my bike crossed the line between our houses. I was eight."

"Well, you're not exactly an obedient girl, are you?" Ink says, cuffing her head and smiling. "Don't worry about me, moms like me especially."

So for lunch, after Pran texts her, I told my parents so they'll make enough food for you, and then, You can come any time after noon, Ink arrives at 12:05 on the dot, not even pretending that she’s not walking over from next door. Pran opens the door, and Ink spots his wary smile for a brief moment before his mother appears, with an apron and a look of delight on her face.

"Oh, you must be Pran's friend!" she says. "It's been a while since Pran invited any new friends over, we're so glad to have you for Songkran!"

"Thank you for your hospitality," Ink says with a bright smile, bowing. "Oh, it smells delicious inside. Is that gaeng hung lay?"

"I like your friend already," Pran's mother declares. "What's your name again?"

"Ink," says Ink. Much like Pa's mother, instead of bowing or shaking her hand, Pran's mom drags her in for an enthusiastic hug. "Pran and I used to be classmates in high school, and now we're classmates in college."

"Perfect. You can call me Dissaya," says Pran's mother. "Pran, you should've told me you had a friend who knew northern dishes, I would've made more."

"I didn't know," says Pran, mildly bewildered. He looks pleased though, and Ink smirks at him when Dissaya isn't looking.

"Don't you remember?" Ink says. "I'm from up north, of course I know all the dishes from there."

"Of course, of course," says Dissaya, ushering her in. "Well, we have plenty of food for you. And you can meet my husband. Honey!"

Lunch with Pran's family is as easy as dinner was with Pat and Pa's, with Ink making easy conversation with Pran and his parents. Pran doesn't seem entirely happy though, which Ink resolves to ask him about later; she doubts it has anything to do with her, with the few times she caught Pran lost in thought. Luckily his parents don't seem to notice, and Ink compliments everything on the table until it looks like Dissaya is going to burst with pride.

Then she mentions, very casually, "If my girlfriend was here, she wouldn't be able to handle this much spice."

She pretends not to notice Dissaya and her husband's double take at this. "Oh? Your girlfriend?" Dissaya asks.

Ink nods. "I think you know her? She lives right next door."

Realization dawns on Dissaya's face. "You," she says, then stops and turns to her son. "Pran?"

Pran shrugs half-heartedly. "I didn't know," he says.

Ink watches as Pran's parents glance at each other, then back to Ink. Then to each other again.

Then Dissaya takes a deep breath and smiles. "I'm glad to hear you have a girlfriend," she says. Out of the corner of Ink's eye, she sees the relief wash over Pran's face, if only for a moment. "Our poor Pran just went through a breakup recently, so I'm glad he has a friend like you around."

She pauses like there's something else she wants to say, but doesn't continue. Ink almost wants to dare her to say something about Pa.

"I heard," Ink says after a moment. "I'm glad, too. I think Pran just wants to be with someone he chooses to be with, don't you?"

Dissaya smiles, but instead of answering, asks, "Do you want more rice?"

Ink goes back to Pa's house afterward. Shortly after dinner, Pran texts her.

My parents wanted me to ask if you had other friends you could introduce me to. 

Ink laughs, as Pa pokes her to ask for her opinion on an internship she's looking at on her laptop. Ink texts back, Why, is there a certain friend you want to meet?

We could always go for hot pot, Pran suggests.

):)

They do, with Ink on a date with her girlfriend and her friend and her girlfriend's brother, a few weeks afterward once they’ve figured out their real schedules together, not just their fake ones. When they tell Wai and Korn, Korn asks, "Why can't it be a triple date?"

"With who?" says Wai. "Us?"

"Duh."

"We're not dating!"

Ink's not really complaining about the lack of Wai and Korn when the four of them get in the booth though, Pat and Pran on one side, and Ink taking the window as Pa slides in next to her. "It's fine," Ink says, as both Pran and even Pat glance around surreptitiously every once in a while. "No one's paying attention."

"Yeah," says Pa. "And even if they did, you guys aren't really on a date."

"But we are," says Pat, and after looking around again, sneaking a kiss on Pran's neck. Pran yelps and smacks him off. "And so are you two."

"We're all on a friend date," Ink says diplomatically. "Except for me and Pa."

"That's right," Pat says to Pran again. "Friend."

Pran pushes at his face. "Don't get it twisted, we're hardly friends," he says to Pat, though there's an undeniable smile in his voice. "I'm just spending time with my good friend Ink."

They all laugh. Pat picks up a well-cooked piece of beef and feeds it to Pran, who accepts; Ink does the same to Pa, with a piece of shrimp. "Normal friend behavior, I see," Pa says through chewing her shrimp, watching Pat, who’s trying to bite the piece of meat out from Pran's mouth.

"Definitely normal," says Ink. She pecks Pa's mouth when she's done. "Mm, shrimp."

"You know," Pran says to Pat, several minutes into their meal. "Wai and Korn are thinking of opening up a bar together. Do you think they'll need our help?"

Pat's eyebrows flicker at this. "Both of ours?"

Pran glances at Ink and Pa. "All of ours," he says. "It sure would suck if we had to spend more time together, wouldn't it?"

Pa says, "It would if I have to spend more time with you guys! Sheesh."

Ink giggles. "Aren't you the one who wanted to go on double dates with your brother?" she asks.

Pat perks up and puts his chin on his hand. "Oh? Do I really have such a sentimental sister?"

"Shut up," Pa grumbles, but doesn't protest when Ink ruffles her hair in affection, and opens up her mouth expectantly when Ink plucks out another piece of shrimp. "Why do I do anything for you," she says to Pat, who's still grinning at her over the table.

"Because you love me," Pat answers without hesitation.

Ink glances at Pran, and Pran looks back at her. They don't say anything, but smile; and Ink knows that he feels the same.

Afterword

End Notes

Thank you to my beta, as always <3

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