Relight My Fire

Special Chapter

A/N: I just had this image in my head of Mr Medthanan giving a tearful interview on TV with Tin and Can watching. So, I wrote this.

"You don't have to watch it, you know..."

Can's soft voice behind him nearly made Tin jump.

He sat in front of the large TV screen in the media room in Can's mansion, the TV for once not showing European football at some ungodly hour, but a business program on 24-hours news channel TNN. The channel had made headlines as being the news outlet that had won the bid for an exclusive interview with Mr Medthanan.

The interview that would air shortly.

Teasers had already promised big emotions and tears – and Tin had no doubt what the tears would be about.

Can had been right in his estimation about the timeline and the fate of Medthanan Real Estate. The family conglomerate had announced its sale to a well-known investment consortium a month ago – almost exactly four months after Ae's and Pete's wedding. The investors had then proceeded to slice it up and offer different parts on the market for premium prizes.

His estranged father must be heartbroken about having to sell off the family business, Tin reckoned. He remembered all too well how persistently Mr Medthanan – his father didn't deserve the intimacy to be called by his real name – had pleased with him to come back into the family, now that the regrettable misunderstanding about Tin's parentage had been resolved.

Tin hadn't even thought about it.

Knowing the Medthanans, his father would probably use the platform of the interview to make thinly veiled threats in his direction for letting the company be broken instead of fixing ties with his family – bad son that he was.

Still, Tin preferred to know what he'd have to deal with in the aftermath, rather than getting caught unprepared.

He hadn't expected Can to be back home already, though.

Before Tin could muster a reply to him, Can had already tiptoed over to the couch, and was comfortably snuggling himself up against Tin's shoulder without hesitation.

"Why are you here?" Tin asked.

Can took an exasperated breath, looked up and very carefully rolled his eyes at him – looking dangerously cute while doing so.

Tin sighed.

He could never stay angry with Can when he looked at him like that.

"I should be the one being angry with you," Can said, nestling himself even more comfortable against Tin's body. "If Mrs Martinovic hadn't called me, I wouldn't have remembered that the broadcast was today. Tin, don't torture yourself like this, I can't stand it. Let me watch it with you, at least."

As much as he hated to admit it to himself most of all, Tin felt much more relaxed with Can here to support him. It was good that the housekeeper had called him, and even better that Can had listened to her.

Tin couldn't even really tell why he had tried to watch it alone. Can had stood by him through the entire commotion that had eventually resulted in the breakdown of the Medthanan family business. Without Can, and the heavy weight influence and opportunity he had brought to the fight, Tin would still live from pay check to pay check, working every gig he could score.

But maybe this had been the reason for trying to face it alone... stupid misguided guilt about having dragged Can into his mess, ignoring that rather than suffering from the trouble, Can had actually managed to clean it up and win justice for Tin.