A New Safe Space

Beneath the Surface

The office lights were dimming, casting long shadows over the table where Akk and Ray sat with the rest of the team. It was late, the kind of late when people stopped watching the clock and started wishing for bed. The project meeting had run far longer than expected, and while most of the team seemed eager to head out, Ray leaned back in his chair, as casual as ever, despite the hour. Ever since the outing, Ray and Akk's relationship had become easier and they had developed a certain kind of mutual understanding.

Akk noticed how everyone else had started packing up, but Ray stayed in his seat, fingers drumming lightly against the table. He caught Akk's eye for a second, a hint of a smirk on his lips before he stood up and stretched.

"You look dead on your feet," Ray said to Akk, who had been gathering his papers slowly, more out of exhaustion than a lack of urgency. "How about I treat you to dinner? I know a place, and I'm starving."

Akk hesitated. He wasn't sure if he was in the mood for Ray's usual playful antics. But the thought of a quiet meal by the river sounded better than going straight home to an empty apartment. After a pause, he nodded.

"Alright. But I choose the place, okay?"

Ray grinned. "Sure, whatever you wish for Boss."

They arrived at a small restaurant by the Chao Phraya River. It was one of Akk's favorite spots—simple, and quiet, with wooden tables overlooking the dark waters. There was a breeze in the air, cool enough to be refreshing but not biting. Akk always found peace here, far from the noise of the city, and Ray's presence—surprisingly—didn't disrupt that.

They sat down, and ordered their food, and for the first few minutes, there was silence. Akk observed Ray, who was more subdued than usual, his eyes wandering over the river as if lost in thought. He wasn't his typical self, the one who always had something witty or sharp to say.

The silence stretched, and Akk finally broke it. "You're quieter than usual."

Ray looked up, as if pulled out of a distant place, and smiled faintly. "Yeah, I guess I am. Just... thinking."

Akk raised an eyebrow. He wanted to joke to the younger man that he wasn't aware he could think, but the look on his face stopped him. This time, he knew Ray was dealing with something he had a hard time sharing. So he simply prodded, "About?"

Ray stared at his food for a moment, then let out a sigh. "About a lot of things. Work. Life. My dad."

Akk looked at him, genuinely curious. Ray rarely talked about personal things, especially not his family. The Ray he knew was always carefree and a little reckless, rarely letting anything serious show.

"My relationship with my dad is... well, pretty much nonexistent," Ray said, pushing his food around with his fork. "He's more of a business partner than a father. Has been for years. My mom died when I was young, and after that, he pretty much checked out."

Akk listened quietly. He could hear the pain in Ray's voice, even though he tried to mask it with indifference. It reminded him of his complicated family dynamics, though in different ways.

"I used to think maybe I could do something else," Ray continued, "something that wasn't just following in his footsteps. I thought maybe I'd be an actor, like my mom. But..." He laughed bitterly. "My reputation would sink that career faster than I could start it. Then I thought about music. My mom left me her vinyl collection—it's the one thing I treasure most. But... I don't know if music is for me either."

Akk frowned slightly. He could feel the weight of Ray's uncertainty. "So... what do you want to do?"

Ray shook his head, leaning back in his chair, and looking out at the river again. "I honestly don't know anymore. It doesn't matter though, does it? My dad already decided for me. I'll take over the company one day, whether I like it or not. It's not like I ever had a choice. The irony is I am actually good at this, aren't I? You've said so a couple of times. I hated the thought so much of taking over but running a company it seems comes naturally to me."

The bitterness in Ray's tone wasn't lost on Akk. For the first time, he saw the cracks in Ray's carefully constructed persona—the pressure of his family's expectations, the uncertainty about his future, the weight of being expected to follow a path he never chose.

"I guess I stopped thinking about what I want a long time ago," Ray added, sounding almost defeated.

Akk leaned forward slightly, his voice softer than usual. "That sounds... rough."

Ray chuckled, but it was hollow. "Yeah, well, it is what it is."

"Have you ever thought that this might be what you really wanted to do but you just decided it isn't because your dad is expecting you to do this?" Akk gently asked. This actually made a lot of sense to Ray. He hated the thought of doing anything that his father told him to. Could it be that running a business became collateral damage in his rebellion?

The conversation lulled into silence again, but this time, it wasn't awkward. Akk watched Ray for a moment, understanding him a little more now. The cocky, carefree attitude was still there, but now Akk saw what was underneath—someone who was lost, unsure of where they belonged, just like he had been once.

Ray glanced up, catching Akk's gaze. His expression softened, and for a moment, the usual playfulness in his eyes was gone. Instead, there was something raw, something vulnerable.

"You know, you're the only one who ever really asks me these things," Ray said quietly, breaking the silence. "Everyone else just sees... well, you know. The rich kid with too much money and not enough sense."

Akk looked at him, surprised. He hadn't expected Ray to say that. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Ray leaned forward slightly.

"Thank you, Akk. For... for listening and for always seeming to know what to say exactly."

Akk nodded, feeling a strange warmth in his chest. "Anytime."

"By the way Akk, will you come? The hostel I told you about that I am building with my friends is opening this weekend, I really have no one else who will come just for me. Will you please?

Unable to say no to the beseeching look on Ray's face, Akk reluctantly promised to be there.

As they stood outside the restaurant, the night air cool and the sounds of the river fading into the background, Ray suddenly turned to Akk.

"I don't know why, but I feel... better, after talking to you," Ray admitted, his voice soft. He looked at Akk for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them. Then, before Akk could react, Ray leaned in and kissed him, gently, as if testing the waters.

Akk stiffened at first, caught off guard, but he didn't pull away. He let Ray's lips linger against his for a moment longer than he expected. There was hesitation and uncertainty, but there was also something... comforting in the kiss. It wasn't rushed or forced—it was just Ray, vulnerable and honest for once.

When Ray finally pulled back, there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "Sorry, I just—"

Akk shook his head slightly, his voice low. "It's okay. I could have easily pushed you off if I didn't want you to."

They stood there for a moment longer, neither saying anything, the cool night air wrapping around them as the city's quiet hum continued in the distance.

Ray grinned, looking happy. "Well, I must be growing on you. I can't believe my persistence is paying off. Don't you think so? Goodnight, Akk. Don't forget to dream of me tonight."

Akk couldn't do anything else but grin back at Ray's natural audacity, watching him walk away confidently. His heart felt heavy, but not in a bad way—more like something had shifted, and he wasn't sure what to make of it yet. He touched his lips and wondered why Ray didn't push for more. Could it be that this time he was waiting for him to make the next move?

As Ray disappeared into the night, Akk realized something: Ray was more than what he appeared to be, and despite his hesitations, maybe, just maybe, Akk was starting to see him beyond the pretty rich boy with the playboy reputation who has a very high chance of breaking his heart again.