Love In The Air

Chapter 9

In a state of confusion Rain continued to take in his surroundings. “God damn it” he cursed himself as he slammed his head into the steering wheel. He didn’t dare get out of the car. How could I be so stupid? He continued to scold himself. The events of the day had him angry with himself for most of it, wishing he could go back in time. At some point the anger turned to numbness. He didn’t want to shout and scream, he didn’t even feel the need to cry. Talking it out with anyone was out the question as well.

KNOCK

KNOCK

“Phi Payu?” He questioned excitedly, but as soon as Rain turned to the window the person he hoped and prayed was going to be there wasn’t. He was surprised to see Payu’s eyes staring back at him, but that was the only thing on this man that Rain recognised. How could someone look so familiar and so unfamiliar all at the same time? He questioned. The man standing had short hair, with a moustache and stubble all over his face unlike Payu who was always clean shaven. Rain rolled down the window quickly.

“You’re Rain right?” The man asked him. “One of the mechanics inside told me you were here.”

“Yes” Rain replied.

“Hi I’m Saifah” The man answered Rain. “Payu’s brother” Realisation hit Rain and he immediately understood why he felt he recognised the man that stood in front of him. “One of the guys in the garage told me this was your car” Rain couldn’t help but think that the man was not as handsome as Payu, which caused him to smile a little. “So, I thought I would come and say hello, when I saw that you hadn’t gone down to the house yet.”

As soon as Saifah saw Rain he knew this was the boy that Payu kept thinking about. He was talking about him too, but Saifah had never gotten to see him. Every time Rain spent time at the house Saifah was elsewhere, so they had never actually met before tonight. He could tell there was something wrong with Rain, he didn’t look happy. “The face is so much alike” Rain commented.

“HAHAHA!” Saifah couldn’t hold the laugh that slipped out. “Don’t be like that; even though we are twins I do know that Payu is the better looking twin.” He joked. Rain didn’t smile. Rain couldn’t help but think that if he was in a better mood that he would have been more friendly and interested in Saifah. Saifah’s smile gradually faded away to be replaced by a look concern.

“But Phi I can’t...” Rain started to explain.

“Didn’t you come to see Payu?” He interrupted not wanting Rain to feel awkward or that he had to explain anything to him. Rain fell silent as he saw the sincerity behind Saifah’s eyes. He knew he was just trying to help him. Rain followed Saifah with his assignment clutched in his hands as if it was his last possession. As they walked through the garage one of the mechanics recognised him.

“OH Nong!” he shouted. “Are you here to see Phi Saifah too?” Rain‘s head turned with rage in his eyes. He didn’t like jokes like that being made and he didn’t appreciate it, but he didn’t want or have the energy to argue as he had a bad enough day as it was. However, someone started to chastise the mechanic in his place.

“Something’s you know” Saifah exclaimed with anger permeating his voice. “Are not meant to be joked about so lightly.” A coldness that emanated from Saifah. It caused the whole team to fall silent. Among the twins Payu was the strict and serious one and Saifah was the brighter and easier going twin. They were all stunned. Saifah led him up the stairs to the second floor where he recognised the door that they were approaching immediately. Saifah opened the door and popped his head around the corner to ensure the room was tidy. “You can wait for Payu in here until he comes back” He turned to Rain, the warmth had returned to his voice and his eyes. “Why don’t you have a nap, and I will tell Payu you are here.”

“Thank you, Phi,” Rain responded as he was nodding in agreement. Saifah didn’t hang around, something Rain was grateful for. He watched as Saifah left the room and watched the door close behind him before he jolted back to reality. He wandered over to the bed that he remembers sharing with Payu not that long ago and lay down. He wasn’t sleepy but the words of disappointment kept running through his mind.

“I’m such an irresponsible person.”

On the other side of the city Payu was getting more and more impatient every minute he couldn’t leave the office. Ever since he got the phone call from Saifah he just wanted to leave, but he had a meeting with an important client that he could not get out of even if he wanted to.

The meeting finished and it was already late,so he packed up his stuff in a hurry and left without telling anyone. He climbed into the car and sped out of the parking garage. He was sure he was breaking several speed limits to get there.

“Nong looked like he was about to cry” Saifah told him as Payu called him to try and find out what happened. Payu struggled not to snap at his brother. He knew he liked looking at Rain’s adorable doe like eyes when they were filled with tears and his cheeks were rose red matching his lips that drove Payu insane especially when they were swollen from kissing him. What he was hearing from Saifah is not what he wanted to hear, and it was definitely not the tears he liked. Something was wrong and he was determined to find out what happened.

CRACK

BOOM

The sky started to rumble, and the rain had begun to crash against the ground heavily. Payu was worried about Rain, and he had spent most of the car journey trying to figure out what could be wrong because the happy-go-lucky boy was fine yesterday when he saw him. How did he turn into a gloomy person over night? It hurt Payu when he thought about it and more than he expected it to. He pulled into the workshop at speed and the tyres of his car screeched as he pulled to a stop, Payu climbed out of the car and darted inside like he was running the hundred meter sprint. “Where is he?” Payu’s tone was dangerous and dark. Saifah knew his brother would kill for this boy.

“Upstairs” He replied. Payu nodded and rushed to the second floor where he found Rain sitting with his face tucked into his knees. “Rain?” Payu questioned. He looked up with a pale face that scared Payu. He had never seen Rain look so delicate. His nose was red, his eyes were filled with tears that hadn’t fallen and as soon as he saw Payu his lip started to tremble. His clothing was dishevelled, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“Phi Payu” Rain answered gently through the tears and crying that had started the minute Rain laid his eyes on Payu. Rain calling Payu so desperately was all he needed, and he rushed and enveloped him in a hug that reminded Rain of the way his father gripped him.

“Okay” Payu told him as he hugged him. “It’s Okay, I am here now.” Rain didn’t expect the flood of emotion that ran through him and the tears that Rain was letting fall slowly all came rushing out of him. Rain didn’t expect this reaction to listening to Payu’s comfort. Rain hugged Payu tighter, he felt he never wanted to let go in that moment. “Ssssshhhhh” The deep voice whispered into his ears. “It is okay just cry it out.” The tears kept falling down Rain’s cheeks he couldn’t help but bury his face into Payu’s chest.

Rain kept mumbling Payu’s name as he spent all of the emotions that he had held inside all day.

“Do you feel better?” Payu asked gently.

“Mmmm” Rain nodded while sniffling. Payu looked at him, eyes red from crying and his nose still running. He was trying to sniff everything back into his face, but it wasn’t working. Payu reached for the tissues from the drawer.

“I can do it myself.” Rain told Payu softly.

“Shut up” Payu joked, trying to make Rain feel better. “If your snot stains my shirt, I will throw you out in the rain.” Rain knew exactly what Payu was trying to do but he just sat stiffly next to Payu while he wiped his nose and face.

“So, what happened?” Payu asked Rain a little while after he had finished crying and was feeling better. Rain looked at him not wanting to disappoint him; he looked down to the floor. Payu asked him again.

“Nothing happened” Rain told him.

“I am not an i***t” Payu snapped. Unknownly, Rain had turned his eyes to his assignment that had fallen to the floor. Payu noticed and went to retrieve the paperwork.

“No!” Rain protested. “No please don’t look.”

“Isn’t this the assignment you were doing yesterday?” Rain had his head bowed so far that his chin was touching his chest. Payu sighed and grasped the situation fairly quickly. “Did you fail the assignment or was it a delayed submission?” Payu had been a student. He knew the life of a student and had seen countless students crying about the failure of an assignment. He had even had some friends scolded to the point of depression or some trying to run away because they were unable to manage the pressure. And finally, there was the students who failed to submit on time. The fifth year was hell on earth. The work starts to pile up between assignments, presentations and model making. It sucks the life and soul of you, considering Rain was still in his first year they were still at the basics. He wondered what had made Rain cry so hard. Payu made him tell him everything and he just stared at him while he narrated it, and Payu made sure that he included everything including arriving late home and the all-nighter he pulled to finish the assignment. “Okay” Payu told him. “I get it.” Rain finished talking and silence fell between them. If he expected Payu to cheer him up he was going to be sadly mistaken. “I am not going to sit here and comfort you. Every word the professor said is true.” Payu watched as Rain raised his head not being able to speak.

“I know I am in the wrong” Rain told him.

“It’s good you know that” Payu responded. “You should accept it and move on quickly.” Rain looked up and met Payu’s eyes and saw that he wasn’t joking. “I am not going to repeat the same words that the professor told you because what is done is done. I am going to tell you that if you intend to continue with architecture, you should get ready to face pressures, criticisms and failures. You have lived a sheltered life and its time you live in reality.” Payu knew he was being slightly mean, but he had to be to protect Rain. “In real life we face harder struggles when we haveto face clients.When you get there, you may wish you were back in your professor’s office. You have to make yourself stronger for what is to come.” Payu knew he may have to talk to Rain about this at some point but didn’t expect it to be so soon.

“I know” Rain told him softly.

“It’s better to get a grip of it now” Payu told him. Rain didn’t argue or speak he just nodded and kept his head lowered. “I know how you feel; I had to go through the same thing whenever I face clients.”

“You too?” Rain’s head snapped up in shock. “But you are called the genius?” He asked with shock seeping through his voice. Payu raised an eyebrow at the young guy who looked at him with such disbelief. Payu shook his head lightly with a small smile on his face.

“Yes” Payu confirmed for Rain. “Phi Payu who is sitting in front of you.” Payu pushed Rain’s head making him fall on to the pillow behind him.

“Owwie” Rain complained. “It hurts Phi.”

“I won’t talk to silly kids anymore.”

“Yes” Rain started to reprimand himself. “The ridiculous and irresponsible one to.” Payu couldn’t help but smile and stifle a laugh. Just a few minutes before he was howling like a baby but now, he thinks how silly he must have looked. He walked over to flip the paper that was on the table. “I did it myself,” he told Payu.

“I think you did a good job.” Payu told him as he walked over to his closet and pulled out a pair of pyjamas and handed them to Rain. “Go take a shower, you look like a drowned rat.” Rain gasped remembering he hadn’t showered in the morning and had hastily brushed his teeth. He slapped his hand to his mouth. Payu watched in amusement as he watched Rain frantically thinking about multiple things at once.

“Don’t worry” Payu reassured him. “I don’t like kissing anyone covered in snot.”

“Who wants to be kissed?” Rain argued covering his cheeks that were slowly turning pink.

“Go take a shower” Payu instructed. “I will find you something to eat.”

Rain did what he was told, but the words of his professor were still whirling around in his head. He was feeling better though, he couldn’t help but hope that the professor didn’t think he was an irresponsible student with an attitude problem. He felt a set of warm hands on his head, and he presumed it was the person who told him he wouldn’t kiss a snotty kid. “Don’t think of what happened.” Payu told him. “It can’t be undone, just keep working and get the next one, okay?” Payu’s voice ushered to a whisper as he pulled Rain to rest his head on his wide and strong shoulder. Rain was shocked as he felt the warmth and gentleness of Payu, who had just told him he wouldn’t comfort him, made him feel like he was home. He felt Payu stroke his face by his temple, the nerves drifting away with every stroke of Payu’s hand.

“The professor won’t hate me, right?”

“He won’t” Payu reassured him. “You are just like any other student, who couldn’t get his assignment in on time. He has seen so many students in his life.” Payu loosened his grip with Rain looking at him like a lost puppy. His eyes seeking more words of encouragement. Payu’s heart started to swell, and he couldn’t contain the smile, but he broke the mood quickly. “Go take a shower. Your head stinks.”

“Phi Payu!!!” Rain exclaimed. There isn’t a single day that goes by without Rain calling Phi Payu’s name in some form. Rain raised his fist to punch him in the shoulder but again Payu knew what he was trying to do and caught his hands firmly. Rain felt his confidence waiver. As Rain felt the grip around his wrist loosen, he took the opportunity to escape to the bathroom with the pyjamas in his hands.

So, what if I can’t attack Phi Payu, Rain told himself as he showered, the best thing to do in this situation is to run away. As he dressed in Payu’s clothes he couldn’t help but laugh at how baggy they were on him. He came out the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hair, when the smell struck him. He looked around for what smelled delicious. When he caught sight of the fried rice and water that had been placed on the table his eyes widened with excitement. Payu had also changed into something more casual. “Want to eat?” When Rain answered although he meant to talk to Payu he ended up crying out the answer. Payu who was now in bed couldn’t hide the laugh that rose through him. He pointed to the table “Then come here and eat.” Rain made his way and sat on the floor in between the bed and the table with his back towards Payu, who suddenly swung his leg over Rain’s head so that Rain was now sitting in between his legs. “Eat up, while I dry your hair.” Payu told Rain. Payu pulled the towel that was wrapped around Rain’s head and started to rub his water filled hair. Rain couldn’t help but relive memories of the past of when he first was in Payu’s house. If anyone would have asked him if he wanted to repeat the same experience back then he would have screamed No! But here he was sitting between the same person’s legs, leaning against him and being comfortable with it. Payu laughed from above him.

“What are you laughing at?” Rain asked with a mouth full of food that you could barely understand what he was saying.

“I am just thinking of the person who ran away from me” Payu started to explain. “That was only a few days ago.”

“HEY!” Rain exclaimed. “That was because of you” He almost choked on his food as he turned to try and defend himself, but he just saw the evil smile that Payu had smeared across his face. He watched as Payu moved his hands. “Phi Payu!” He gasped as the fingers brushed against his n*****s over the shirt he was wearing. Rain felt his whole body tingle and goose bumps travel from his head to his toes.

“I am trying to revive certain memories.” Payu teased him.

“No Phi Payu” Rain protested. “I am not going to play. I am hungry so let me finish eating.” Payu’s hands moved lower. “NO no no” Rain started to demand. “Don’t touch my waist” Rain was struggling not to burst out into fits of giggles as he was sensitive and ticklish. “No no let go, it tickles, Ahhhh” Rain squirmed to try and get free from the devil fingers, but Payu just slid from the bed to the floor pinning Rain underneath him and continued to tickle him. Rain pushed the table away from them scared the food would be spilled everywhere. He tried his best to fight Payu off and defend himself but when the person on top of you is way stronger than you could ever be, you are fighting a losing battle. “Ahhh no no stop” Rain started to beg. “Please stop Phi, I can’t breathe anymore.” Rain gasped trying to get his breath back, his cheeks were the rose red that Payu loved to see and his doe like eyes started to sparkle with tears but this time it was happy tears. Rain was unaware that in the struggle with Payu his shirt had ridden up baring his creamy mid drift. Payu couldn’t help but think that the sight was mesmerising. Rain climbed into the bed exhausted from everything. Payu watched as the baggy shirt Rain was wearing was showing a lot more than he realised and it was driving Payu insane with the desire he had already been struggling with.

Rain looked towards Payu who was now stood at the window staring out of it. “Phi Payu, help me up?” Rain stretched out his hands waiting for Payu to help him. “Phi Payu?” The tall strong man walked over while not breaking eye contact and climbed into the bed and straddled Rain. “What are you doing?” Rain’s voice was reduced to be a whisper. He placed his hands on Payu’s broad chest to stop him from going any further; the gaze between them was filled with so many emotions it felt like they were both piercing each other’s souls. There was an air of seduction travelling around the two, you could have heard a pin drop if the rain was not falling outside.

Payu leaned forward making Rain slam his eyes shut without him knowing why. Payu’s warm minty breath brushed against Rain’s side, there were knots in Rains stomach, the wave of desire was burning inside of him like he had never felt before. “Rain....”

“Mmmm” Rain hummed, unable to process any words his eyes still closed, living in the euphoria that he was getting lost in.

“Rain” Payu repeated. “It’s better if you don’t come here anymore!"