Love In The Air

Chapter 7

Rain wasn’t an early riser. On the weekends or holidays, if he could, he would sleep until the afternoon. If it wasn’t for hunger, he doubted he would have woken up at all. He looked at the clock at the side of the bed that showed 7am. He sat up with his messy bed hair and dark circles under his eyes; he knew he looked as if he had no sleep rather than having a good night’s sleep. Rain had back to back classes on the day of the race. He couldn’t help but remember the determination he felt to find Payu and blackmail him; little did he know that everything would back fire on him. His eyes were still stinging from crying and the exhaustion still plagued him, the scenario was still running over and over his head, haunting him. “I will make you fall in love with me so that you won’t dare call me stupid again” The way he yelled at Payu replayed over in his head. He threw himself head first onto the pillow.

KNOCK KNOCK!

Rain sprang back up in the bed, coming back down to reality with a huge thump. “Are you awake?” He heard through the door. Rain pulled the blanket over his head as Payu walked in with a set of clothes in his hand. Rain couldn’t help but feel the embarrassment rise through him, turning his face to a blushing colour. He scolded himself as he steadied himself to face the man he was going to pursue. He fixed his face and tried to act in a nonchalant manner.

“What’s going on?” Rain asked. Payu couldn’t help but notice that Rain was avoiding making eye contact with him. As Payu watched Rain trying to straighten himself in the bed, it caused him to lick his lips in wanton. If only Rain knew how sexy he was.

Rain caught a glimpse of Payu licking his lips and, as much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t. It was damn sexy, and it was a signal that was received between Rain’s legs. “Are you going to explode???” Payu joked while looking at how red Rain had become.

“Who is going to explode?” Rain fought back, but before he knew what had happened, the blanket was thrown from him. He saw Payu smiling over him.

“I thought you had given up!” Payu teased. A lot had happened to Rain last night, but he had never been in a situation where he questioned his own dignity. He didn’t like it either. He would have pretended that last night, but the bastard was stood in front of him smiling like a Cheshire cat refusing to let him forget.

“I won’t give up on you!” Rain shouted!

“Are you sure?” Payu smirked, hoping that he wouldn’t.

“Yes” Rain protested.

“Really?”

“You just wait and see.” Rain declared to Payu. “I will make you fall in love with me!” Once again, Rain fell into the pit which had partially been dug by himself but mostly had been dug by Payu for Rain to fall into.

“Fine” Payu replied. He placed the clothes at the foot of the bed and started to stare into Rain’s eyes. He was challenging him, but when Rain’s cheeks started to turn red again, he knew he had won this round. He knew Rain was embarrassed. “Freshen up and come down for breakfast.” Payu headed back toward the door and Rain heaved a sigh of relief that he was leaving. “Oh, I went ahead and told my brother to get some clothes” Payu turned back to face Rain. “I am not sure if they will fit or not but judging from what I managed to feel....” Payu paused looking Rain up and down. “Hmmmmm, I think it will be right” He turned and made his way downstairs leaving Rain confused.

“What is he talking about?” Rain questioned. “Size? What is the shirt size?” Rain crawled down the bed and pulled the clothes closer to him to inspect them and try to figure out what Payu was talking about. He unfolded them to look at everything, the t-shirt was right and the pants were a large. He was definitely going to need to fold the trousers up to fit him, but that is when he saw it. “No... No... No way!” Rain objected. The cloth was in sight now and he picked them up and cried out while throwing them towards the wall. There was not enough fabric to cover anything. “Ahhhh PAYU!” How did he know the right size? Rain questioned. The little piece of clothing was a small size. “Who is crazy enough to pull this kind of joke?” Rain asked. “No matter how much you pay me to wear these!” Rain shouted towards the door hoping Payu could hear him. “I am never going to!” Payu’s words replayed in Rain’s head. “Just by touch Phi Payu knew my size?”

While Rain was freaking out Payu was still smiling like the cat that got the cream. He knew Rain probably had to use the gift; it was a well laid trap that Payu knew Rain would fall for easily. Payu had all the strings and Rain was dancing like the puppet he wanted him to be.

Rain didn’t like to take long baths, but to avoid the snaky senior, he spent an hour in the shower. After he had dressed, he started to take a look around the house for the first time. It had a modernised touch with an earthy warm glow that gave it a very cosy and comfortable feel. All of the furniture was minimalist and matched the architecture of the house. He had known that Payu had created this space. Payu was an example of motivation and appreciation used by teachers all too often. Rain couldn’t help but admit that Payu was talented inside and out. He thought back to the blueprints that he had submitted to the professors, who had immediately told him that they were disappointed by them. He promised to redo them but was getting frustrated and, to add insult to injury, the person who this all came naturally to made him cry. “I thought you slipped and hit your head.” Rain cursed to himself as Payu scared him.

“I like taking long baths.” Rain answered in a low voice, avoiding Payu’s gaze. He stood by the doorway as Payu sat at the dining table sipping his coffee; he was interested in something on his phone.

“I would like to see how long your shower will last when you are a sophomore.” Payu teased. “Architects are normally very busy, they hardly have time to sleep and some don’t even have time to shower.” Rain stopped as he realised that his shower had only lasted 5 minutes, where the other 55 minutes had been spent on contemplation on the very small set of underwear that would not cover anything. Should he wear them or not? “Was the size correct?” Payu asked. Rain was hoping that he wouldn’t ask the question, but before his butt had even hit the chair, Payu had asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Does that mean you didn’t use them?” Payu asked with a smirk on his face. Rain raised his head to try and fight back, but as soon as he saw the roaming eyes which were locked onto his hip he looked away in embarrassment. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

Payu raised an eyebrow, knowing that the pretty guy sitting in front of him had given away the answer when he turned away with the shyness he loved seeing from Rain very rarely. Rain refused to talk to him. Payu didn’t want to provoke him anymore than he had last night as he thought last night’s dose of aggravation was enough. He struggled to control the attraction he felt for Rain last night and was not sure he could do it again. He looked Rain up and down, looking at the clothes that were given to him. The shirt was baggy and Payu noticed that he had to fold the pants to prevent them from sliding down his hips. He looked like he was wearing his dad’s clothes, but Payu couldn’t help but think that he looked adorable, so adorable that he didn’t want to let him leave. Payu got up and placed a plate full of sausage, eggs and toast in front of Rain. “Eat it” Payu told him. “So that you will have the energy to answer my questions.” Rain looked at him suspiciously but was too hungry to question anything. The excitement of attending the race and the subsequent confrontation with Payu had drained Rain of his energy. All the crying had made him even more exhausted.

“What does Phi Payu want to ask?” Rain asked himself as he dug into the plate in front of him. He didn’t dare look at the man sitting across from him when his gaze fell on documentation that he saw Payu looking through minutes earlier. “What is that, Phi Payu?” Rain asked.

“The project plan I have sent to one of my clients” Payu told him.

“Can I look at it?” Rain asked with a twinkle beaming from his eyes. Rain knew that Payu was a genius and wanted to look at the work he created. He stood to look at the documentation and was amazed by what he saw. Rain knew he wasn’t the greatest judge of things, but looking at the drawings and details, he could see that Payu had created a masterpiece. Everything about the drawing was detailed and modernised. He knew why everyone called him a genius.

“Finish your food first and then you can look at it”, Payu suggested. He had never seen Rain’s eyes so bright and clear. He watched as Rain withdrew and sat back down on the chair but his eyes glued to the documents. “Have you designed any models this semester?”

“I submitted one last week, but my professor hated it” Rain told him. “So, I have to redo it.”

“Allocate your timing well” Payu told him. “So that you won’t be late to submit it”. Payu’s voice had softened now. Rain nodded, unsure of how to react, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He reached out to look at them again, seemingly more relaxed than before.

“So, the sizes were correct,” Payu told him.

“PHI PAYU!” Rain screeched. Rain almost dropped his food all over the paperwork. He could feel Payu standing directly behind him. It caused Rain to shiver. Payu placed a hand on Rain’s hip and started to rub it. Rain almost died of embarrassment but he could feel the electricity of Payu touching him. He turned to the big guy and glared up at him.

“How can you make me fall in love with you”, Payu started to ask. “When are you embarrassed with things like this?”

“I am not ashamed!” Rain yelled. Payu couldn’t hide the smirk and went to sit back down in his seat while touching the coffee mug to his lips. He watched as Rain gritted his teeth and rubbed his hips where Payu’s hands had just been. He watched as Rain tried to continue eating.

“I wonder what made you shy?” Payu asked, amused by Rain’s reactions to him. Rain wanted nothing more than to hide under the table and forget about the last two days.

“I am not going to talk to you anymore” Rain told Payu in his head and continued to ignore him. He thought about how he was going to make Payu fall in love with him. For the foreseeable future, the inner turmoil of Rain was going to be intense, and he knew it.

Rain thought being under the same roof as Payu would make it easier for him to fall in love with Rain, but the bully kept staring at his hips with a threatening stare. The hawk-like eyes were watching his every move and it irritated Rain. Even Payu’s laugh made Rain annoyed. Rain had never been made to feel like an innocent teenager before and the more time he spent with Payu the more tense he was becoming about it. Unable to bear the pressure of being in the same room as Payu, he decided he was going home.

As both men sat inside of the car which was now parked in front of Rain’s empty house, the s****l tension was thick and both men felt how thick the atmosphere became. “Are your parents' home?” Payu asked Rain, trying to cut the silence.

“Why are you asking?” Rain replied, confused. He watched as Payu unbuckled his seatbelt and turned towards him.

“I want to greet them” Payu started. “And ask them for their forgiveness as I brought their son into my bed all night.”

“Heyyyyy!” Rain replied in shock. “But we were in separate rooms.”

“I never mentioned sleeping together” Rain fell silent as he turned to look at Payu, who had raised an eyebrow while looking at him. Rain was confused again. Did he say something wrong?

BLINK! BLINK!

Rain's eyes widened as the penny dropped. Sleeping in the same bed meant doing more than just sleeping. “Stop thinking such nonsense”, Rain’s inner monologue chastised. How could he forgive himself for thinking that? Phi Payu would just want to come and greet his parents and pay respects. He told himself naively. WAKE UP! He screamed in his head.

“What happened?” Phi Payu asked.

“No” Rain told him. “My parents are not at home. They have gone on a European tour and will be back in a few days.” He looked at Payu who was smiling. “HEY!” Rain shouted now. “You were teasing me!”

“Why do you make such a funny face?” Payu teased further.

“Phi Payu!” The embarrassed young man raised a fist to him, but his hands were caught by the rough, big, mechanic hands. He couldn’t even fight against the person who had been a professional racer for years. Oh, and to top it off, he was built like a bull. Rainhad never been in a relationship before, he hadn’t even had his first kiss, until yesterday. Rain decided to do the only other thing he could do and raised the other fist, but he wasn’t quick enough as he was caught in Payu’s free hand and now both hands were captured.

“Oh, is this the strength you have?” Payu asked in a low sexy tone.

“Let go of my hands” Rain argued. “I will show you how strong I can be!” He wasn’t even able to pull his hand back; Payu was too strong. He had no choice but to shriek. His heart was pounding but not in fear or anger, this was something else. Why were the hands that held his causing his whole body to tingle?

“Okay fine” Payu agreed. “I shall let go of your hands, but I’m going to do something else. More than just hold your hands”, Payu teased. He leaned over Rain’s small body, his fore arm resting on the backrest of the passenger seat. Rain froze again, but not in fear. He realised it and tried to resist what he was feeling.

“Phi Payu???” Rain stuttered. “What are you doing?” He asked, trembling, with his lips quivering hoping that the distance between their faces was reduced. The person who waged the war to conquer Payu’s heart was trying to avoid eye contact again, but the hawk-like eyes had him captivated. Payu’s perfume was intoxicating as it filled his nose, causing his cheeks to turn a rose pink. His wish was coming true. The lips that he had tasted the night before were just a few centimetres away and he couldn’t help but wonder if he could taste them again. Rain was the one who had set the challenge, but when the morning sun rose his courage had dissipated.

“What do you think I am doing?” Rain felt a lump in his throat, which was hard to swallow. Payu moved even closer, reducing the distance between them until their lips were almost touching on their own. Rain raised his hand and pushed against Payu’s chest, but the size difference was evident. He couldn’t move him even an inch. Rain could only close his eyes tightly, as if closing them could make the situation any better. He felt a warm breath blowing against his cheek, the goose bumps rose all over his body. Rain’s brain started to imagine weird things. It made his nerves even more unsettled. He could feel Payu looking at his lips.

“Ugh if you want to kiss me” Rain shouted inside his head. “Just KISS ME!”

CLICK

“Hahahahaha!” As soon as he heard the sound of laughter, Rain’s eyes snapped open. He saw Payu sitting upright and smiling down on him. Surprise surged through Rain. He hadn’t noticed that Payu had taken off his seat belt or let go of his hands.

“Did you think I was going to kiss you?” Payu asked.

“No!” A very red-faced Rain told Payu. He didn’t know if he should be angry or embarrassed, he knew he should be angry at himself for over thinking the situation. “I....” Rain began trying to control his stuttering. “I knew you wouldn’t kiss me....” Rain tried to control his emotions. “I am not your choice.” Rain hastily opened the door and jumped out of the car. He didn’t know what would happen if he spent any more time with the devil. He wanted to go and cool down.

“Are you hurt because of it?” Payu asked him.

“Who is hurt?” Rain replied. “Think for yourself!” Rain didn’t know why he was so angry because of that question. He rubbed his hands where Payu had hold of them, as if they were scalded. He refused to turn and look at the man that loved to tease him.

“Do you know that second year is way tougher than your freshman year?” Payu asked him. Why the sudden change of subject, Rain asked himself, confused. Why on earth was he talking about academics? He turned to look at Phi Payu. “In the second year, you have more to study”, Payu started to explain. “You will have more designs to work on, projects and seminars. It will be stressful; you will be to busy to even lift your head to think about anything else.” Payu’s voice was soft and comforting now.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Rain asked him.

“I am enlightening you about it” he explained. “If you do want to flirt with me you have to do it before you begin your second year, there is not much time left.” Rain realised what he was talking about and gasped. Rain had his finals in 2 months and then he had summer break. He would then be a second year. He was determined to accomplish everything he had to within the time period given.

“Wait and see”, Rain told Payu in protest. “I will flirt with you within the month!” Payu wasn’t surprised because he knew Rain would have taken the bait.

Rain slipped away from Payu, his face as pale as a sheet, quivering and his eyes barrelling down towards the ground. What did you even say, Rain???? His inner monologue was telling him off as if he was a toddler. You spoke again without thinking!

“I will be waiting then, and don’t you want to go inside?” Payu shouted from the car. “One month Rain.” The big car left his drive and Rain stood with his mouth wide open.

“What????” Rain asked himself. “What did I do?” He was struggling not to hit himself. He walked inside the house like a zombie. Had his soul flown away? He was hallucinating on his own words.

CHALLENGE ONE: WILL MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH ME

CHALLENGE TWO: WILL MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITHIN A MONTH

“Are you tired of living Rain?” He asked himself as he began to sob. Rain had slumped down onto a piece of wood that sat in the front driveway. He didn’t realise that he had been sitting there for a long time lost in his thoughts. If it hadn’t been for his phone ringing, he wouldn’t even have been aware of being alive. He grabbed his phone and when he saw the caller ID, he slapped his face trying to wake himself up. “Buddy!!!” Rain exclaimed down the phone. “Are you okay????” He asked, worry seeping through his voice. He had totally forgotten about Sky, who had gone with him.

Inside the luxury condo that was situated in the heart of the city, Sky stepped out of the bathroom in the same clothes that he had worn the night before. He called his friend and couldn’t help but sigh with relief when he heard his voice. “I am alright” Sky told him. “How about you?” Sky would never have believed that Phi Payu, the person that everyone idolised, could be so cruel just as his friend described. He knew never to question Rain again.

“I called you to tell you that you dropped your car keys yesterday. I have them and drove it back.” He didn’t want Rain to know what had happened after they got separated. Rain had even forgotten about his car.

“Oh” Rain replied. “Oh, okay thank you buddy. I will collect it from you on Monday, but seriously are you okay?” Rain asked with the guilt of abandoning his friend coursing through his veins.

“What could happen to me?” Sky laughed off. “I am fine.” He hung up the phone, just as he cut the call, a strong arm wrapped around Sky’s waist, he could feel the body of a naked man leaning on his back, pressing his nose to his soft cheek.

“Are you leaving already?” The voice asked.

“I have no reason to stay here” Sky told him coldly, while pulling away from the arm. He put his phone into his pants pocket and looked back at Prapai’s face.

“Ah you’re being so cold” Pai replied. “But you were hotter last night” Sky didn’t argue with him, he shrugged off the comment and walked over to retrieve his bag and his friend’s car keys. He walked out of the bedroom determined not to look back.

“Could I have your phone number?” Pai asked as he left. “If you tell me your name, even better with it.” Pai sighed regretfully for not asking for his name before things went this far.

“Don’t know” Sky responded. “Won’t tell. Last night everything ended.” Sky left, leaving the naked man lying on the big bed.

“Cold but I like it” Pai told him. He didn’t think he would get lucky last night, and he couldn’t help but think about his conversation with Payu. He told him he hadn’t met anyone who could move his heart. Last night he just wanted to tease Payu’s boy’s friend. What he didn’t expect was the guy to accept and change his mind and heart. After climbing on to the bed, the boy's face wasn’t as attractive as his friends, but he was still handsome in his own right. He looked cold but he was fire in between the sheets. He was the best Pai had in years. “Oh, I want his number.” Pai told himself regretfully. Pai wasn’t someone who would follow someone if he didn’t care for them. Last night would be his favourite spicy memory.