Stories of LITA 1

III - The Holiday Exchange Part 5 (Finale)

"Hey Sky!" Sky stared at the bright smile of his friend. He knew that smile. He was hiding a wealth of pain inside. But he didn't call him out on it. "You are back more than a week early," he said instead. "Yeah! Turns out, Bangkok is not my thing at all. So I came back. I thought I will spend the remaining days with you, looking for a new job, since Khun Prapai is still staying at my place," Rain said. "Yeah, about that.., P'Pai..," Sky began. "My Sky? Who is it?" Rain's mouth dropped open when he saw the man whose house he had rented standing in his friend's house in nothing but a robe. "Umm, My Sky? P'Pai?" Rain asked, looking at his best friend with one eyebrow cocked. "So does that mean I can go stay at my house?" he giggled. "Yeah, you can," Pai said, with alacrity. Rain and Sky both rolled their eyes. Rain stood up to go. "Sit right back there. You are not leaving until you tell me why you are back more than a week early," Sky said. "I am fine Sky. I told you. Bangkok was not my thing," Rain tried to brush it off.

"Ai'Rain, I have known you since we were in diapers baby. Are you going to tell me on my own, or do I whack you upside your head so that your brain rattles out free stuff?" Sky asked. Rain looked at Sky for a moment, and then burst into tears, alarming both Sky and Prapai. Sky gathered him into his arms, stroking his back, encouraging him to let everything out. After he had cried himself out, Rain haltingly told them everything that had happened in Bangkok. Sky was furious! "Your brother is an asshole," he raged at Prapai. "I agree. I knew he was short tempered, but I thought he would be kinder with Nong. What do you want me to do my Sky? Should I call him and ask him to come here?" "No fucking way! Don't you dare! Let him go die," Sky said sarcastically. "Ai'Sky, I am fine. As you always say, I probably deserve this for being so naïve and stupid. I should just give up on all this. Love is not meant for a person like me," he smiled sadly. Both Pai and Sky were heartbroken at Rain's words. "I just want to go home Sky," he said. "You are going to sleep here for tonight, in the guest room. Whatever needs to be done, we will discuss tomorrow, okay?" Sky said.

************************

"Jesus! What the fuck Yu? This can't be our house! How the hell is it so filthy? And why do you look like something the cat dragged in?" Prapai asked, as he entered his house. It had been a week since Rain had returned, looking like his puppy died, and now, here was Phayu, looking like he had been through an emotional wringer and come out a faint replica of himself. "You smell rank. Go bathe, please. P'Aum will be here in some time," Pai said. Phayu mumbled something undecipherable. "What? What did you say?" "I don't care," Phayu replied. "What the hell happened here Phayu? Care to tell me?" "He is gone, I sent him away Pai," Phayu said. "Sent who away? What the hell Phayu? Can you please explain what the hell is going on?"

The entire story stumbled out of Phayu. He sobbed uncontrollably as he spoke about whatever had happened a week ago. Prapai was shocked. He had never seen Phayu like this and it took all his willpower to not say 'I told you so' when he spoke about Sasha. "Phayu, if you have made a mistake, then shouldn't you be the one to solve it as well?" "How can I correct my mistakes when I don't even know where he is?" Phayu said brokenly. "Looks like you are seriously thinking with the head between your legs and not with the one between your ears. Are you even listening to yourself? How did you meet Nong?" "Don't call him that. He doesn't like it," Phayu said dully. "Okay. How did you meet Rain?" "When he came to stay here." "And how did he come to stay here?" "Because you swapped houses with him." Phayu said listlessly. Pai waited. 3....2....1.... "Because you swapped houses with him! What was your address in Chiang Mai?" "Not giving it to you," Pai said cheerfully. "Ai'Pai!" "What? Are you going in this state? Rain will run in the opposite direction. Clean up the mess you have created, bathe and come. Then I will tell you." Pai turned around and went back to his room and locked the door.

Half an hour later, he opened the door to a knock. "It's all done. I am ready," Phayu said, looking reasonably decent. "I will drive," Pai said, raising a finger as Phayu opened his mouth. "You are not completely sober, so this will give you a chance to rest until we reach. Plus, be mentally prepared. You have to face the wrath of several people before you get to Nong Rain," Pai said, as he ushered Phayu to the car. "You are enjoying this, aren't you?" Phayu asked caustically. "Oh! You have no idea Phi Chai!" Pai grinned to himself. He was going to have the time of his life.

*******************************

"Did you seriously think you could stand at my doorstep, looking this way and I would you allow you to meet my Rain, whose heart you broke?" Sky asked Phayu, his voice low and controlled. "He wasn't this shattered even after Mhok proposed to someone else in front of him Phi! Apology doesn't equal contrition P'Phayu. I am letting you come in only because I know my foolish best friend really cares for you. But before you even breathe the very air he does, you need to explain why you did, what you did," Sky minced no words as he held the door open for Phayu to enter. Pai had done so before hand and was now waiting for Phayu to turn the corner for the next surprise. "Dad! Pa! Uncle Kinn? Uncle Porche? What are all of you doing here?" Phayu asked, shocked beyond wits. "Well, Prapai told us that he met Sky and we were supposed to come meet him, but then we got to know about Rain from Vegas and Pete," Porche said. "Pai let it drop that Rain was Sky's best friend. We put two and two together and we came to meet Rain," Pete said, his charming smile not hiding the fact that he was pissed as fuck.

"I have no excuse..," he trailed off as Sky held up a hand. "That Phi, is the lamest excuse on the planet. If you don't have any excuse, why did you come here in the first place?" Sky asked. "Seconded!" Pete said. "Thirded! If there is a word like that!" Porche said. "Look, I was angry, and jealous. I allowed myself to think with my dick instead of my head. I was stupid, a fool, to have let go of the most beautiful thing in my life. It was not like I believed Sasha. I was largely ignoring her, forcing her to leave, trying to get to Rain, and I saw that man kneeling in front of him. I saw red, and said and did the stupidest things. Look Sky, I am not trying to justify myself, but I usually have a very even temper."

"But the truth is, I fell in love with Rain. And that put blinders on me. I told him everything about myself, all the parts of me, not only about who my parents are, or what I am, I also told him what I am. And he just accepted me, no judgement. In my entire 28 years of life, I have never met anyone who ensnared me body and soul. Who accepted me. I was stupid, but that doesn't mean I love Rain any lesser Sky. It means that I am willing to try harder to appease both you and Rain, so that you may trust me again," Phayu's eyes were pleading for a chance.

********************

"Then," Phayu whirled around at Rain's voice. "Will you promise me that you will never hurt me? Be it mentally, emotionally or physically?" "I promise Rain. I am ready to promise anything, anything at all, to ensure that you give a second chance," Phayu said, his body vibrating with need. "You want a second chance Phi?" Rain asked. Phayu nodded eagerly. "Then pursue me. I give you 30 days, to make me understand, how much I mean to you," Rain said. "Okay, I will apply for leave right away," Phayu said, already pulling out his phone. "Wait, why?" Rain asked, looking confused. "I can't hit on you if you are here and I am in Bangkok," Phayu said. "Phi, I just signed on the dotted line for a job in Mexico," Rain said. Phayu's face fell comically. "What?" he sounded terrible. "Kidding Phi," Rain laughed uproariously. "But I do have a new job. In Bangkok, where I have to start from first of February. And Sky also got into a great architecture firm. So we are both moving," Rain said.

"Do I consider this as a permission to court you?" Phayu asked. "Maybe, maybe not!"Rain giggled and threw his arms around Phayu. "Do your best na P'Phayu!" he said, rubbing his nose against Phayu's cheek. Phayu felt like now that the world had settled, and he had his boy in his arms. He would do anything in his power to take this chance and make Rain his, and never ever let him go. Phayu sighed in contentment.