STORM CHASING [Love in the Air | PayuxRain]

fifteen

How was it only nine days?

How was it already nine days?

The stretch of time had been so weirdly warped. Night or day, things seemed to be crawling at the slowest, most excruciating rate yet speeding out of control like the world just lost its axis.

The worst was the feeling of helplessness as Payu just watched the passing of time all around them.

Each day, everything was changing. But Rain was just... there.

"..."

It was the early evening. Payu had just seen Rain's mom out the hospital so she could rest.

In the mornings and afternoons, Rain's mom would always be the one to stay with Rain. In between those hours, visitors would come. Work mates, university acquaintances. Without fail too, Sky and Prapai would always spend a few hours with Rain.

On the way back to the ICU, Payu decided to get a cup of coffee. As he was moving down the stairs, he heard faint murmurs that made him halt.

The vendo machine, pushed further back into the small space just under the stairs, made a short beeping sound. Some coins rattled down inside it and then a short gap of silence.

"Here," one familiar voice said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," another familiar voice replied. "It's just... I wish the universe would give Rain a break for crying out loud."

Payu paused in the middle of the stairs, not wanting to interrupt Prapai and Sky. He didn't want to eavesdrop. Still, he couldn't bring himself to leave.

"P'Payu has gotten his memories back. Just when the one thing Rain is wishing for so much is granted, this happens."

Payu gripped the coins inside the palm of his hands tighter.

"I get you, Sky," Prapai replied quietly. "I really do. However, at this point, we can only watch over them in the sidelines, cheering and supporting them the way we can."

Sky released a loud sigh. Payu heard a crumpling of a paper, the paper cup presumably, and then the bin close to the machine being opened.

"Do you think we need to postpone our wedding again?" It was Prapai.

"What?! No!" Sky replied quickly, it was almost a shout. "Sorry," Sky added in a whisper.

"What is there to be sorry for?" Prapai asked with a hint of a smile in his voice. "I just want to know if you want to postpone it or not. Because ultimately, I will still be married to you in the end."

Another sigh was expelled.

"Rain'll wake up soon. He will," Sky finally said. "He whined at me to have our wedding as soon as possible. That idiot sounded like he's dying and making his farewell wish from me and I didn't say anything because I was scared shitless."