A New Safe Space

PROLOGUE

Akk stood by the bar, the cool glass of whiskey in his hand growing warmer with each passing moment. His gaze was fixed on the dance floor, where Ayan and Yok moved in sync, laughing, touching, completely lost in each other. It was a sight that tugged at something deep inside him—a bitter reminder of what he had lost. Almost two years in Singapore hadn't been enough to dull the ache of losing Ayan. And now, here he was, back in Bangkok, watching the man he once loved find happiness in someone else's arms.

Ayan looked radiant—his crescent-shaped eyes gleaming as he laughed, his body moving effortlessly with Yok's. Akk sighed, taking another sip of his drink. He knew Ayan deserved this, deserved someone who made him feel that kind of joy. Still, that didn't make it any easier to watch.

His thoughts were interrupted by the smooth, low voice of a stranger beside him.

"New in town, or are you just here to wallow?"

Akk turned, mildly startled. The man standing next to him had an air of relaxed confidence, his sharp features softened by a teasing smile. He was younger—early twenties, maybe a senior in university—but something about the way he carried himself made him seem older, like he had already seen and felt more than his youthful appearance let on. His dark, tousled hair and chiseled jawline drew attention, and Akk couldn't help but notice how effortlessly handsome the guy was.

His lips curled into a slight smirk noticing where Akk's eyes fell, and his eyes held an intensity that caught Akk off guard. Whoever this was, he exuded confidence in a way that was both casual and completely disarming.

Akk blinked, momentarily thrown. "Excuse me?"

The younger man gave a soft chuckle, leaning against the bar in an effortlessly sensual way. His gaze flickered from Akk to the dance floor, where Ayan and Yok were laughing and spinning in each other's arms, oblivious to the world around them.

"I said," the man continued, his voice teasing but not unkind, "are you new here, or are you just here to wallow in self pity over them?"

"I'm not wallowing," Akk muttered, though the lie was evident in his voice. His gaze shifted back to Ayan and Yok on the dance floor.

The stranger chuckled softly, the sound laced with understanding. He followed Akk's line of sight, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the scene.

The man raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Sure, you're not."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Akk's eyes drifted back to Ayan, but this time, he felt the younger man's presence beside him even more keenly. There was something about him—something magnetic that Akk couldn't quite place. It wasn't just the striking good looks, though there was no denying the attraction. It was the way he carried himself as if nothing could touch him, as if the world bent to his whims. Akk, who had always been so grounded, so careful, found himself intrigued.

After a beat, the younger man broke the silence. "I'm Ray, by the way." Ray extended a hand, his grin softening into something more genuine.

Akk hesitated for just a moment before taking it, the brief contact sending a strange jolt through him. "Akk," he replied, years of politeness ingrained in him made him automatically respond to the stranger's introduction

Ray's eyes twinkled with something mischievous as he leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a more intimate tone. "Well, Akk, I don't know what's got you all tied up in knots, but judging by the way you're staring, I'd say it's something to do with your past."

Akk tensed, but Ray raised a hand as if to ward off any defensive remarks. "I'm not trying to pry. Just making an observation."

Akk shook his head, feeling oddly exposed. He barely knew this guy—this beautiful, confident guy—but here they were, having a conversation that was inching closer to a territory Akk wasn't sure he wanted to visit.

"You're pretty perceptive for someone I just met," Akk said, trying to keep his voice neutral, but there was a hint of intrigue he couldn't hide.

The man gestured toward the dance floor, where another couple was caught up in their own flirtatious exchange.

"See the guy in specs? That's Mew." His voice had taken on a more serious tone, but there was a faint smirk playing on his lips. "I've got my eye on him. But... it's complicated. Safe to say like you, here I am left with an aching heart."

Akk followed the stranger's gaze and saw Mew and Top, the two of them dancing closely, their bodies brushing up against each other in a way that made it clear they were more than just friends. Akk could see the same longing in the stranger's eyes, the same ache that mirrored his own.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I know the feeling," Akk admitted, his voice quieter this time, softer. "The guy with the crescent eyes. That's Ayan."

The stranger—Ray, as he introduced himself—nodded slowly, his expression shifting into something more empathetic. "Tough break," he murmured. "Those are always the ones that get to you, aren't they?"

Akk let out a small, rueful laugh, though there was little humor in it. "Yeah. They are."

Ray leaned back against the bar, his eyes flicking between Akk and the dance floor, as if weighing something in his mind. "So... what's your story? You guys together for a while?"

Akk hesitated. The question felt too personal, but there was something disarming about Ray's presence, something that made Akk want to open up. "We were," Akk said finally. "For seven years. But things got complicated, and I had to leave... went to Singapore for work. By the time I came back, he'd moved on."

Ray gave a slow nod of understanding. "Sounds familiar. Mew and I had something too. But then... well, shit happens, doesn't it?" He shrugged, though the lightness in his tone didn't quite reach his eyes. "Now he's with Top. And I'm stuck here watching them, pretending it doesn't sting."

Akk felt a strange sense of solidarity with Ray. Both of them were caught in the same kind of limbo—watching from the sidelines as the people they cared about moved on without them.

Ray drained the rest of his drink, setting the glass down with a soft clink. He glanced at Akk, his smile returning, but this time, there was something different in it. Something more... suggestive.

Ray's voice broke through Akk's thoughts. "Wanna get out of here?"

Akk turned to look at him fully for the first time, really taking in the smooth lines of his face, the way his lips curled in that playful, confident smile. There was a temptation in Ray's gaze—something Akk hadn't felt in a long time. It wasn't love. It wasn't even about filling the void Ayan had left behind. It was something simpler, something raw and immediate.

Ray leaned in just a little, his voice dropping to a low, almost intimate whisper. "Just for the night.

Akk stared at Ray for a moment, considering the proposition. He didn't know this guy. Didn't know his past, his quirks, his flaws. But maybe that was the appeal. There were no expectations, no emotional baggage. Ray doesn't know anything how rigid, how unyielding he can be. Ray doesn't know how much he fucks up in real life. It would just be the two of them, living in the moment, escaping the weight of their shared loneliness for a while.

He glanced back at Ayan one last time. Ayan's face was lit with laughter, his arms wrapped around Yok as they swayed to the music. Akk felt the familiar pang in his chest, but this time, there was a strange sense of acceptance. Ayan was happy, and that's what mattered. It was time for him to let go, too.

Turning back to Ray, Akk felt a smile tug at his lips. "Yeah," he said, his voice steady. "Why not?"

Ray's eyes gleamed with mischief and something more—something Akk found impossible to resist. "Good choice," Ray said softly, pushing off the bar and extending his hand in a casual but deliberate gesture.

Akk took it, feeling a spark of something unfamiliar and yet exciting. Together, they left the bar, the pulsing beat of the club fading behind them as they stepped into the cool night air. For the first time in a long time, Akk wasn't dwelling on the past. He wasn't thinking about what might have been or where things had gone wrong. Instead, he found himself caught up in the possibilities of now, drawn into the moment with a man whose story was so different from his own, yet eerily the same.

And maybe, for just one night, that was exactly what he needed.