As the storm raged outside, the relentless downpour beat against the windows of the bungalow, accompanied by the ominous rumble of thunder echoing through the night. Inside, however, a quiet calm enveloped the space, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. The gentle hum of the air conditioning filled the room, mingling with the faint scent of steaming pho. Forgotten amid their conversation, the bowl of noodles sat untouched, the fragrant broth slowly cooling as time seemed to stand still.

Jay's unexpected embrace offered a comfort he hadn't realised he was craving. But as soothing as it was, it also left him feeling conflicted. Their relationship was meant to be purely physical, with no strings attached. Jay had been upfront about his intentions, and Sean respected that. Yet here they were, sharing a moment that seemed to defy their agreement.

With a somewhat awkward smile, Sean gently extricated himself from Jay's embrace, silently acknowledging the unspoken boundaries they had set. It was a bittersweet moment, tinged with a hint of regret for what could never be. Still, Sean didn't want to risk getting too invested and potentially getting hurt in the process.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to drag you into my mess and ruin the mood," Sean said, picking up chopsticks and forcing himself to swallow a piece of beef.

Jay's smile tightened, a realisation hitting him as he acknowledged that he had overstepped the boundaries they had set. Was this whole arrangement a mistake? His struggle to maintain control over his emotions left him feeling uneasy, worried that he might inadvertently lead Sean into expecting more than he could offer. It was the last thing he wanted. Perhaps it would be best to end things before they spiralled further out of control. Yet, a small part of him resisted that notion. He didn't want Sean to think he didn't care... even if it was nothing more than a foolish game on borrowed time.

"You didn't... I was the one who asked," Jay said, following his example to focus on dinner. "But if you want to talk about it, I have nowhere else to be."

Sean hesitated momentarily, then laughed as if to lighten the mood. "Are you sure you want to listen to my tragic backstory?"

"Tragic, huh?" he replied, resting his elbow on the table and propping his chin on his palm. A playful smile danced on his lips, mirroring Sean's light tone. "Now you have my interest."

Sean genuinely burst out laughing. "You are impossible."

"Part of my charm."

Suddenly, Sean froze with chopsticks halfway to his mouth when he realised he could watch this cheeky, one-sided smile forever and never get enough of it. It seemed irresistible. 'I'm doomed... am I?'

"Who said you are charming, huh?" he quipped back at him, yet his expression remained serious, somewhat sombre.

"Ouch."

"There, there," Sean gently patted his head. "I guess after we dragged you into this mess, you deserve to know my reasons... even if they aren't as lofty as they may appear."

Jay gave him a questioning look.

"It's personal... I mean, I can see the bigger picture now, but my main reasons are personal," Sean sighed, looking somewhat ashamed of himself. "I just want to make Niran Chaiyawat pay for what he did."

"Your father's accident?"

Sean slightly shook his head, indicating this wasn't all. "A few months later, we lost our home to that bastard."

"How?"

"I'm not sure," he replied with a heavy sigh. "My parents had all the legal paperwork proving ownership of the plot and the house, yet somehow Chaiyawat's lawyer came one day claiming that the whole area belonged to that asshole. I can only imagine he bribed officials within the local land or property registration office or even the city planning or development departments."

His eyes widened in shock. Jay knew Bangkok had a reputation for corruption, but he didn't expect it to be to this extent. How could anyone allow something like this to happen?

"I assume that trying to dispute this didn't go anywhere?"

Sean shook his head. "We tried to appeal, but according to officials, father sold everything to Chaiyawat and must have failed to inform my mother. They went even as far as insinuating that he gambled away the money from the sale or spent it on a mistress. But he would never do this," he said sternly, anger simmering under the surface. "He always put my mother first... us... I'm sure they faked his signature, and since he wasn't there anymore to question it, we were left with close to nothing. You have no idea how often it happens here..."

Thunder grumbled in the background, casting a sombre atmosphere over the room. Jay couldn't even imagine how it must have felt. He suspected this was why Sean chose human rights as his major, most likely to help people who had suffered the same fate.

"We somehow managed to buy a tiny apartment... like seriously, the whole place seemed ready to fall apart," Sean chuckled, trying to mask his discomfort. "Tay's studio looks like a mansion compared to it, but it was enough... Despite everything, she insisted I focused on school, working herself past exhaustion. We fought a lot back then..." he trailed off with a regretful sigh.

"You wanted to quit school?"

Sean nodded. "She went as far as to say that she would kick me out and never speak to me again if I wouldn't continue with the associate degree. While I argued that it was my responsibility to look after her since my father was gone. Well... she told me to shut up and not bring this up until I turned eighteen. Until then, it was her responsibility to look after me..."

Outside, the downpour intensified, rain hammering against the window, adding to the gloomy atmosphere around them.

"I never got a chance... she passed away a few weeks before my birthday... Because she was so stubborn, all I could do was watch her slowly disappear. I couldn't do anything, and a scholarship was the best source of income I could get then. So I followed her wishes... but it didn't make me feel any less useless and powerless..."

His throat tightened, and he leaned back on the sofa, resting his head on the seat. Above him, the fan kept slowly spinning, its gentle hum blending with the sound of the rain. Sean sighed. The last thing he needed was pity from the guy he apparently loved to have sex with. Yet, he didn't regret talking about it.

"You know... she used to complain about every new earring I got," Sean chuckled softly. "As if with each risk of me joining a gang and getting arrested dramatically increased... Sometimes it annoyed the hell out of me, but... now... never mind," he sighed again, then slightly turned his head to look at Jay. "Is your mother also like this?"

The sudden question caught him off guard, but he sensed Sean's unspoken plea not to delve deeper into this, and Jay respected it. He was well aware that he wasn't in a position to pry into Sean's personal life, especially given the nature of their relationship. But for some reason, it made him a little bit sad... knowing there was nothing he could do for him. At least now, Jay understood Sean's reason for being part of the group. He lost everything to one person's greed. It was natural that Sean wanted Chaiyawat to pay for what he did.

"No, I could do whatever I wanted as long as my grades didn't suffer," he replied lightly. "Living in the dorms carries certain freedom as you don't see your parents too often."

"I guess it makes sense," Sean nodded, glancing at their forgotten dinner. "Freedom feels nice and all, but wasn't it lonely to stay in the dorm?"

"Not so much," Jay shrugged, his face slipping into the usual indifferent expression. "Most of the time, you are busy with studies and extracurricular activities."

"What about afternoons and weekends?" he asked, curious and eager to learn more about him, despite knowing he should keep it casual and limit his interest.

"Non-existent," Jay responded. "Between basketball training, legal studies club, multilingual tutoring and a few extra clubs, there wasn't any time left."

"That's just sad...," Sean muttered, feeling slightly sorry for him. Still, it gave him a better perspective of why Jay always worked or studied. It was simply his norm. "Multilingual? How many languages can you speak?"

"Six, if you count my still somewhat limited Thai."

His bilingual upbringing made learning other languages easier, and he didn't have much choice. His mother signed him up for extra classes, and he had to attend them. Since he was forced into it, not making an effort would be a royal waste of his time. So, like with everything else related to studies or work, he gave it his all.

"In all honesty, I do appreciate your fluency in English," he added with a slight smile. "Otherwise, this would probably not have happened."

Sean was tempted to ask what 'this' was, but for now, he was content with whatever this was. He enjoyed this sense of freedom and excitement, an intoxicating blend of passion and curiosity that kept him coming back for more. But it wasn't just this. The causal and unspecified nature of their relationship gave Sean a perfect opportunity to figure himself out without risking hurting someone. This weekend was a massive revelation, but it would be unwise not to look at this from a distance and ensure his sudden interest in men, specifically Jay, wasn't just a fleeting infatuation.

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the worn concrete floor through a slightly ajar door. Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of motor oil and grease, blending with upbeat music from the old radio. Izzy was leaning under the hood, tinkering with an engine, when the familiar footsteps drew his attention away from work.

He turned around and took a good look at his little brother. Sean came back late the day before, and he didn't have a chance to see him. Izzy would never admit it, but he was dying to know if anything happened between them.

"How was your weekend?" he asked curiously.

"Great, pass on my thanks to Aunt Nuan for letting us stay at the bungalow," Sean replied, unbuttoning a few top buttons of his uniform shirt. "No one is here yet?"

Izzy shook his head. "Fort should be here soon, but Win will be late. He said something about errands for his mum. Not sure about Jay."

"He's outside on a work call." Sean grabbed a cold drink from the fridge and sunk into his usual spot. "Win asked me to give him a ride since he got held up at uni."

"Huh?"

Sean sighed, deciding to play dumb. "He has done it a lot recently. I guess it's hard for him to keep up with everything."

"Ugh... must be it," Izzy muttered, diving back under the hood.

He was, frankly speaking, baffled that Sean didn't pick up on Win's intentions and rather obvious plotting. He couldn't be that dense, right? Did it also mean that nothing happened? He stole a glance at Sean, sprawled on the sofa with his head hanging over the backrest. He looked tired, but anyone would do with the current humidity and long trip back home.

Izzy almost dropped a socket wrench as he realised they had taken an overnight train to Bangkok, meaning Sean must have been here yesterday morning. Where was he the whole day? Or with whom?

The door creaked open, followed by a greeting in a flawless British accent. Izzy wiped his hands with the rag and observed them like a hawk, half expecting them to start making out on the sofa. However, to his surprise, Jay simply plopped down on the usual cushion and opened his textbook. He had the same indifferent expression as always and didn't even look at Sean. Izzy glanced at his brother, but the latter remained in the same position, absentmindedly staring at the ceiling. Did this mean that all their efforts had failed?

Izzy wasn't sure, but he was convinced this whole thing would drive him insane.

"You okay?"

Startled by the sudden question, Izzy jumped and nearly smacked his head on the hood. "Yeah, just wondering... does anything seem different about them to you?"

Fort followed his gaze and shook his head. "No, but whatever you and Win are plotting, I'm staying out of it."

"Out of what?" Win asked, standing behind them.

"Jesus Christ," Izzy exclaimed, startled yet again. "You need to stop sneaking up on me. I'm too old for this."

"That's odd," Win commented, ignoring his complaint. "How can they act the same after spending a long weekend together at the place with one bed? Impossible... the plan was absolutely perfect."

Fort shook his head with resignation and crossed the garage to their hangout spot. He was more interested if there was progress in the investigation about Art and evidence Aya gathered with her friends was admissible and beneficial to their cause than knowing if Sean and Jay fuck each other. Which in his eyes was none of their business.

"I got some photos and recordings from Aya," he announced, drawing their focus to his laptop. "Do you mind looking if they are going in the right direction? I don't want her to take the risk for something that doesn't help."

"Sure," Jay replied, exchanging a quick look with Sean before they both joined Fort on the larger sofa.

Win and Izzy followed suit, leaning over the backrest to get a closer look at the screen.

With a heavy silence hanging over them, they browsed through everything Aya and her friends collected for them. The photos revealed graffiti-laden lockers and hostile work environments, while the recordings captured snippets of hateful remarks and whispered conversations. It was a chilling glimpse into the reality of discrimination that many people face every day.

"This is sickening," Win muttered, his gaze fixed on the laptop screen. "How can they be so cruel to people who did nothing wrong?"

Sean watched it in stunned silence. Case studies weren't nearly as bad as this, not to mention it rarely focused on hate crimes as Thailand did not have specific legislation to recognise them and enhance penalties for offences motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's sexual orientation. It made him wish their legal framework was closer to the UK's and provided protection to people like Aya.

"This is impressive," Jay commented, scrolling through pictures, which, combined with voice recordings and videos, showed the full spectrum of abuse and discrimination, leaving no room for questioning. "Is your sister safe?"

Fort nodded. "Yes, she is very cautious, same for her friends. Do you think this is enough to start talking with the movement?"

"We had a little chat, and RSAT is already interested, so is Tanwarin Sukkhapisit."

They all stared at him utterly speechless, wondering who the hell Jay actually was to mention so causally, the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand and a member of parliament.

"H-how?" Win stammered.

"Hm?" Jay hummed, looking away from the screen.

"What I believe Win is asking about," Izzy started, sounding cool as a cucumber despite his shocked expression. "How does one have a little chat with a well-known politician?"

"Oh, that...," he sighed. "I don't do it normally, but things like this are easy when you approach people through my workplace."

Sean's eyebrow furrowed in confusion. "I thought you worked at your mother's law firm..."

"Yeah, I do... at Anderson, Chambers & Partners."

The name sounded oddly familiar to him. Sean sank deeper into the sofa, trying to remember it, and then it hit him. Jay once said his mother was someone you learned about in law school... "No way... your mother is the Margaret Elizabeth Anderson?!"

Jay nodded with an unreadable expression, and Sean sank even deeper into the worn-out sofa. It made him realise two things. First, he had vastly underestimated the pressure Jay faced every day... by a mile. Second, it made sense why he was so reluctant to talk about his family. Sean couldn't help but wonder how often people viewed him through the prism of his mother. How difficult it must have been to live in the shadow of a person taught about in law schools across the globe? Then he remembered Jay's aspirations to work in prosecution... the long hours and extra studies to achieve something on his own rather than simply following in his mother's footsteps. Sean looked at him with newfound respect.

"Huh? How do you know his mother?" Win asked, giving him a suspicious look.

Sean rolled his eyes. "We learned about her last year as she's considered a pioneer in modern human and civil rights for her significant contributions to the campaign leading to the Equality Act 2010 in the UK and close cooperation with the government on updates to policies and legislation. You can't be in my major without knowing who she is."

"Holly shit..."

"Anyway, we are getting off the track," Sean said, trying to shift their attention back to Aya's case. "So, I guess we have a starting point to meet with them and see what they can do about it. Do you think it would be better for Araya to keep low for now?"

"Yes, it would be best for her follow RSAT legal team's directions after we meet them. They are used to dealing with cases like this and will know exactly what to do."

"Right," Fort agreed, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. He didn't care much about who Jay's mother was. To him, it was Jay's willingness to lend a hand and do his best, even if it wasn't his area of expertise, that truly mattered. It was something Fort would never forget. "Thank you for doing this for us, Jay."

"Don't mind. This is the least I can do."

As they continued their discussion over cold beers, the group delved deeper into their plans and potential outcomes, ultimately deciding to prioritise Aya's case above all else. Jay then shared the report the security company prepared about Art, including his substantial debt to Chaiyawat. It was painfully obvious he sold out Tay, hoping to settle his things, but Tay must have refused to talk; hence, Art dragged Jay into it.

"Man... what an asshole," Win sighed, utterly devastated that his best friend nearly died because of someone else's dumb mistakes. "Do you need a ride?"

"No worries, I got it," Sean said, comfortingly patting Win's shoulder. "You must have a pile of assignments to work on."

"Yeah, thanks!"

Izzy was almost at his front door when he realised he had left his phone in the garage. Cursing under his breath, he retraced his steps, expecting to find the place empty. However, he stumbled upon an unexpected sight. There they were only in their trousers, with Sean leaning over Jay on the sofa, kissing like there was no tomorrow. Izzy couldn't help but smile knowingly, and without making a single noise, he quietly turned and left. 'Damn, they are good at hiding,' he chuckled, nearly skipping back home.

A/N: Sean's piercing for reference, imagine them in black: