Beyond The Fine Line

Chapter LIII - It's The Little Things

Faint light seeped through a small window, casting a delicate blue haze. March mornings were mercifully cool, a brief lull before the city's heat. A soft drizzle began tapping on the corrugated metal roof, each drop ringing gently through the thin walls with a steady, rhythmic hum. For now, though, everything held to the quiet, suspended in the fragile peace of early morning.

Suddenly, the muted stillness of dawn was broken by a soft, melodious alarm. Sean reached out blindly, hand moving sluggishly, weighted by exhaustion that clung to him like a second skin. These early calls with Jay were becoming harder as his body started to rebel against endless hours of balancing his internship, pro bono work, studies and looming deadlines. He let his arm drop back to the mattress for a moment, trying to summon the energy to leave the bed for the shower.

A little while later, Sean emerged from the bathroom, looking a bit more awake, though the dark circles under his eyes remained. He pulled on jeans and a loose, wide-cut T-shirt before fishing his phone from beneath the covers. Sean settled on the bed and leaned against the wall, watching the screen as it displayed an outgoing video call. When it timed out, his brows drew together slightly, and in that small moment, the distance between them felt more pronounced than ever.

Their last meeting dated back to New Year's, when Jay visited Bangkok, and they spent nearly two carefree weeks in an overwater bungalow on Cheow Lan Lake. Their days followed an easy and natural rhythm. Sometimes, they would hike around the park or climb cliffs; others, they would lounge by the lake or simply stay in bed. Mostly, though, Sean enjoyed seeing Jay like this... more free, somehow, yet grounded in each moment. It made him feel much closer as if the endless walls between them were slowly vanishing.

That closeness felt like a fragile memory now, making their regular video calls the sole lifeline, tethering him to the person he loved more than anything. But the screen could not replace Jay's presence... the sensation of his touch and the subtle cedarwood and cypress scent that Sean missed so much and would give anything to feel again. Not to mention, Jay's birthday was tomorrow, and they couldn't even see each other because of their busy schedules. It hurt to miss it.

Suddenly, his phone lit up with an incoming call, and he swiftly swiped to accept it. Instantly, Jay appeared standing in front of his bed, a white towel wrapped provocatively low on his hips, droplets of water tracing the contours of his well-defined physique as he towel-dried his hair. Sean swallowed hard, wishing they weren't thousands of miles apart.

"Sorry, I just got back," Jay's voice resonated from the speaker, his figure leaning closer to the camera. "Jonathan dragged me for drinks. He couldn't decide if he was ecstatic or utterly petrified that Vivi mentioned marriage, and at the time, pouring an enormous amount of whisky on the issue sounded like a great idea."

Sean chuckled with amusement. "Reasonable."

"Yeah... it was... but I would rather be somewhere... else."

"I know," he replied, his fingers subconsciously brushing over the image on the screen. "Not to mention that seeing you like this seriously strains my sanity. Like I'm going to die if I don't fuck you tonight."

"The feeling is mutual," Jay said with his usual one-sided cheeky smirk while checking something on his phone. Probably another work-related email. "Sorry, can we move it to the evening? I will catch you around my lunch break."

"Sure," Sean answered, slightly disheartened. "Did something happen?"

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry and get more sleep, I will see you later, okay?" Jay added hurriedly, slamming his laptop shut.

Sean remained fixated on the screen for what felt like an eternity, a perplexed frown etched onto his features. Jay's sudden urgency to end the call left him unsettled, stirring a wave of disappointment. Their long-distance situation was already a constant challenge, and moments like this made it feel even more frustrating. Finding time for these calls was difficult enough, and Jay's abrupt departure made him feel even more lonely.