After (Love in the Air)

At the Track (4)

When Rain met Vegas at the bar he wasn't thinking straight. He hated this feeling, he was so out of control and it scared him. He didn't really hear his father explain anything, he barely registered the walk to the apartment but somehow he was standing outside the red door hand on the handle pushing it open to expose the abyss of darkness where the monster was hiding. Vegas touched his shoulder, said something and moved away. Rain went forward, down the rickety stairs and into the stone cold basement.

That's when he saw him. Stop. And he hadn't even noticed Rain was there.

A smile crept across his face as he landed the first punch. He'd forgotten this feeling. The rush of adrenaline that took over his body. It banished his nervousness and replaced it with something else, something darker; rage. And it was exhilarating.
This is what he'd felt those nights at the track. Hyped up on drug fueled rage. It was everything he left behind, but everything he'd missed so dearly. Rain would never do this - this was all Noeul - the boy that broke him.
Stop wasn't ready for a fight. He collapsed onto the damp concrete floor. Rain saw him jerk, in a pathetic attempt to knock Rain's feet from under him but he was ready. He drove his foot down on his ankle, warmth filling him as he heard the crack on a bone bent the wrong way and cry of the man writhing beneath him

"Let's not be stupid" Rain cooed in Korean

"What'd y-you wanttttt?"

"You're gonna pay for what you did to Phayu"

"What the f-fuck are you saying?

"You're gonna pay for what you did to Phayu" Rain repeated in Thai. Shit, he hadn't even realized he'd been speaking Korean.

"I didn't do aaaanything"

Rain hauled him onto his knees and slapped him across the face, "lets not lie, it was traced back to you"

"I haven't gone near y-your precious b-boyfriend"

"But others have so now you're gonna pay"

"You can't do t-this?"

"Try me"

Rain pulled out a small flip knife from where it had been concealed in his pocket. Slowly he pressed in to Stop's throat, "feel familiar"

"Fuck you"

"Ah ah ah mind your tongue" he warned, pressing the knife deeper into his throat.

Suddenly he heard someone calling his name. The sound forced its way through his haze of fury.

"Nouel stop"

"He deserves this papa"

"But you don't. Rain"

Hearing his name he turned to face his father, tears beginning to run down his face.

"Rain, do you want to do this?"

"No." Then it all snapped. "I thought I'd stopped. I thought I wasn't like this anymore"

"Then put the knife down"

Rain felt his arm go limp and the knife clattered into the ground, "I'm sorry" he sobbed, leaning into his fathers open arms.

"It's okay Noeul, it's okay, you'll be okay"

Once Rain was calm enough to hold himself, Vegas made his way over to Stop who was still slumped on the ground.

"Listen here you bastard. You listening?" Vegas said, prodding him with his foot. Stop managed to nod but his body seemed to whither with the effort, "you have 48 hours to leave the city or i'll come find you. If I find you, I'll make you wish you never stepped foot on this sorry earth, got it?"

"Mhhhhm"

"I'll have men watching you so I'll know if you do anything stupid. Come on Noeul, lets go"

—

Vegas led his shaking son out onto the street. Rain wouldn't be able to handle a motorcycle so he hailed down the first cab he saw.

The man gave him an odd glance but the judgement passed from his face quickly.

They all drove in silence, Rain's body was frozen beneath him.

It felt like forever but they finally reached the hospital. Vegas accepted there was nothing he could do to help Rain but he knew exactly who could.

"We're here to see Phayu, what room is he?"

"Relationship?"

"Boyfriend"

The receptionist raised an eyebrow

"Not me, him" he replied, jerking his head towards Rain who was still completely out of it.

"Is he okay"

"Yeah, just worried about his boyfriend, you know how young love is"

"And you are?"

'This one's father"

"Alright" she said, peering over the edge of her orange spectacles. Vegas let her watch for a few moments before breaking the prolonged silence

"Can we go now?"

"Room 515" she said just as Rain started whimpering

Vegas all but ran

—

When Phayu had woken up he'd been all alone.

He'd remained alone as the Doctors checked him

And for hours

When suddenly the door swung open

Not like a Nurse was sneaking in to check on him or even like family coming to visit

Like it'd been kicked open

He peaked open his eyes and felt his heart freeze, icy blood filling his veins.

Rain was slumped in the grip of a man Phayu didn't recognize. His white shirt was ripped and ruffled, specks of crimson seeping into the coarse cotton. His knuckles, which hung loosely by his side, were painted in dark bruises, muddled with drying blood. His whole body was trembling and Phayu could just make out the tear running down his face in the dim light of the room.

"P'Phayu?" The man voice was like sandpaper against rock and his eyes bored into Phayu expectantly

"What happened," Phayu said, struggling to stand up

"Stop! Don't leave the bed, I'll bring him to you"

Phayu watched helplessly as the man led Rain over to Phayu, lifting him gently onto the bed. Phayu immediately took Rain into his arms.

"Rain, honey, can you hear me?"

"Tell me what happened. Now"

"I-"

"How about you start with who the fuck you are," Phayu growled dangerously, running his hands over Rain's back while rocking gently.

"My name is Khun Vegas"

"The Theerapanyakun?"

"Yes. Nou-Rain's okay, he's just going shock"

"What. Happened."

"We found Stop and N-Rain had some... trouble"

"Trouble?"

"I don't want to say too much because it's not my place to share but he almost went to far"

Phayu opened his mouth to ask another question but Vegas silenced him, "Just talk to him when he wakes up. And please have him call me when he wakes up"

"S-sure, Khun Vegas" Phayu stuttered, surprised by the very sudden shift in Vegas' demeanor.

Vegas offered him a small smile, "thank you" he said quietly before turning and striding out of the room as he grappled for a phone lost in his pocket.