Train Me

Chapter 35

Tin's POV

The night had cooled down the air around them enough for Tin to be grateful for the blanket, and Can's warm body next to him.

Tin looked up, through the mosquito net tent around them, to the sky and sighed.

It had been ages since he had slept under the open sky, and it had not been in the light-polluted outskirts of Bangkok, but on a deck chair on a beach in Italy, when he had sneaked out of the hotel with a few classmates to drink outside, instead of sleeping and preparing for the inevitable visit to yet more ruins from the Ancient Roman Empire the next day.

Ah, bad old days.

This was nice, though.

"What are you sighing about?"

Tin turned his head to look up at Can, in whose arms he was cradled into. His features looked unfamiliar and slightly bizarre in the flickering light of the lime-scented, mosquito-repellent torches they had lit next to their makeshift outdoor bedstead.

"Ah, you know, just..."

He let his voice trail off. There were too many reasons for him to sigh contently.

"I'm happy," he said.

He was.

For the first time ever, he felt carefree and relaxed on this estate.

He would remember this day fondly.

They had spent the afternoon going over the notes Tin had made during the morning inspection, and by dinner time, they had had a comprehensive plan for the refurbishments they wanted to make.

To Tin's surprise, Can had already found an interior design company that was specialised in building and furnishing rooms with utmost discretion and according to their customer's wishes. Or, more bluntly: a company that built high-end playrooms for a kink-inclined clientele. Apparently, Can had befriended some of the people at the store where he had bought most of the toys and the gear he had used with him – how could they not, with someone as cheerful and open as Can, who often turned to them with ideas for bespoke items and designs?

These people had recommended that interior design company, and had vouched for both their skill and discretion.

After they had finished planning, Can had carefully, or teasingly (Tin's memory was conflicted) pulled out the rainbow beads, and Tin had been allowed to wear clothes for their barbeque dinner.

But the highlight of the day had been after they had finished eating, when Can had removed the cooking grate from the fire, and they had thrown the wooden parts of the broken furniture into it, until they couls sit cuddled against each other in front of a bright bonfire.

Smashing the furniture with the baseball bat had already been cathartic, but seeing it go up in flames had been so liberating that Tin had screamed, and then cried a little.

He understood now, why fire was used for spiritual cleansing in so many religious traditions.

It felt as if it had lifted a curse.

There were only embers left of it, now.

"We should have come here sooner," Tin said into the comfortable silence between them.

He moved to cuddle himself even deeper into Can's strong embrace.

As he shifted his position, the cock cage brushed against Can's thigh, and reminded Tin that he was still wearing it.

That was strange.

He had completely forgotten that it was still there.

Can flinched at the touch.