Cute Boy [PhayuRain] [Love In The Air]

30: THE CHALLENGE

Rain was scared.

He stood on the sheltered back patio of Phayu's house staring at the rain coming down.

Normally the rain soothed him. He had come to love everything about it.

The sound of the big fat drops plopping on the sodden grass or deflecting off the hot pavement.

The feel of electricity and humidity in the air as it descended. 

The smell of life, earth, and freshness in the water drops that needled down.

Now, he also loved it because rain had become irrevocably linked with his Storm.

He was always there when it rained. At first, it was when he needed rescuing. But now, some of his best memories with Phayu were in the rain.

....Memory of being kissed down to his soul in his childhood bedroom as it thundered and poured outside.

....Memories of being loved in Phayu's haven of a bedroom as the fat drops echoed against the glass window.

....Memories of falling asleep in his arms as the midnight rain kissed the roof, the sound lulling them both to sleep.

But tonight, the rain failed to calm his agitated heart, his concern for Phayu stirring a fear that wouldn't subside.

*

Just earlier today Rain's only concern was battling boredom - his friends were all doing their own thing with school break in full swing and Phayu was not around since had to go to the office despite it being his day off.

So he got up late, played video games, got bored with that pretty fast, and decided to hang out at the garage to wait for Phayu.

But the garage was in chaos when he got there. Clients were irritated, with only a couple of staff there to take care of them. Saifah was running back and forth between the service area and the front office trying to help where he could.

There was a flu going around so several of the staff had called in sick, so they were very short-handed - customers piling up in the waiting area, the lone office manager trying to handle all the paperwork in addition to pacifying irritated customers.