The streets were shrouded in a heavy downpour, relentlessly hammering against the weathered buildings and pooling in the uneven cobblestone alleys. The sound of raindrops on tin roofs and the splashing of water in puddles filled the air. The narrow alleys, usually bustling with activity, were now deserted except for a few determined vendors shielding their wares with plastic covers and makeshift tarps. The rain blurred the edges of the buildings, giving the neighbourhood a timeless, almost dreamlike quality.

Jay stepped out of the taxi, shielding himself with an umbrella. He looked up at the apartment building. Despite the modest surroundings, he found himself genuinely liking the place. It was as if something was pulling him in, a sense of nostalgia and melancholy evoking a bittersweet feeling for something that had been lost for a long time. The small, cluttered studio, the humble furniture, and the textbooks piled high on the desk all seemed to whisper stories of a life he never knew yet somehow was connected to.

Suddenly, he felt familiar arms wrap around him from behind, wet hair brushed over his ear, and a low voice he could listen to endlessly murmured, "What are we looking at?"

"It's nothing," Jay replied habitually. "Why are you soaked?"

Sean laughed lightly, hugging him tighter. "It must have something to do with this downpour."

Jay turned around, raising an eyebrow questioningly, but before he could say anything, Sean leaned in, and their lips met in a soft, tender kiss. Jay's grip on the umbrella tightened, sheltering them from the storm. The kiss deepened, slow and lingering, as if they were trying to savour every moment. Sean's hands moved from Jay's back to cup his face, his thumbs gently brushing against his cheeks.

Unfortunately, a younger couple walking past them under a small umbrella intruded on the moment. The man sneered loud enough for them to hear. "It's disgusting, really. They should be ashamed to be outside like this."

"Don't look at them," the woman added with contempt. "You might catch something."

Jay barely registered the words, unbothered by others' opinions about his choice of partner. But Sean's expression filled with mixed emotions – apprehension, worry, and anger. He realised that being on the receiving end of hatred was harder than he had anticipated. It made him wonder how Araya managed to handle such things day after day. The powerless feeling of being unable to shield the person you love from such disdain was overwhelming. It wasn't just the words but also the tone and the look that conveyed how wrong they thought he was to be here with Jay.

Before Sean could react, Jay gently gripped his chin, pulling him back into another kiss. "I'm here, and nothing else matters, right?" he whispered against his lips.

Sean smiled unwittingly as if this simple gesture could dispel everything else, leaving only the person in front of him. The lack of acceptance still stung, making him feel like he was doing something wrong, but at the same time, he realised that responding to them would be a waste of time.

"Come, let's get you into a hot shower," Jay said lightly, pulling him towards the building.

A cheeky smile played on Sean's lips. "Oh? Are you going to join me?"

Jay shrugged with a carefree smile, his gaze lingering on the couple in the background. They seemed to be waiting for a reaction, but when they met the freezing coldness of his brown eyes, they scurried away without another word. Despite his innate elegance, Jay also possessed this chilling, intimidating aura that needed no words to convey his disapproval. It was something Sean found incredibly hot and alluring.

"We are so taking this shower together," Sean announced, pushing aside the unpleasant encounter and marching inside. "And no, I do not care that it's too small."

"You can have fun later," he responded, shaking his head with amusement. "We are here just to pack a few things since Win and Fort are busy watching the warehouse."

"You really can't possibly expect me to focus on anything else right now."

Jay unlocked the door and rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "You are impossible."

"I know," Sean grinned shamelessly at him. "So... can we skip the shower now?" he asked, gently pushing him onto the bed.

As his back sunk into the mattress, Jay smiled. "I could never say no to you."

Without looking away from the brown eyes he loved so much, Sean slowly straddled him, his fingers gliding underneath the loose-fitting t-shirt. He traced the Chinese calligraphy tattoo etched on Jay's skin, each stroke long committed to his memory. His touch was gentle but full of an undeniable heat.

"Do you have any idea what it does to me when you say things like this?" Sean breathed out against the ivory skin on Jay's neck.

"Are you going to show me?" he asked teasingly, sliding his hand into wet black hair and pulling him into a deep kiss.

The way Jay's slender fingers gripped his hair melted something inside him, and all his inhibitions disappeared as if nothing else mattered but the person underneath him.

The rain outside created a soft backdrop, blending seamlessly with the lingering heat of their earlier intimacy. Jay lay on his stomach, his chin resting on his folded arms, a light blanket draped over their lower bodies. Meanwhile, Sean hovered over him, his lips leaving a trail of soft kisses along Jay's shoulder blade.

Jay closed his eyes, savouring the tenderness of Sean's touch. It was unexpected how much he liked it to stay like this in a shared space, intertwined with the person he just had sex with. The cold detachment that usually dominated such moments was nowhere to be found. And Jay couldn't even imagine going back to this... to be with anyone else than Sean. It was a slightly unsettling diversion from his life's trajectory. A fragile little thing Jay never thought he could have... something he was bound to lose at some point because he couldn't keep Sean outside forever, and what was inside... no one would want to deal with it. Not even Sean.

Sensing a slight tension in Jay's muscles, Sean looked at him sadly, realising he had started picking up on these moments much faster. He would love to ask him directly, but this wasn't the right way. 'Make him feel safe and slowly teach him that he is worth all this and so much more,' Sean reminded himself, kissing Jay's shoulder.

"Just focus on the next hour," he said quietly, running his fingers through messy brown hair. "What do you want to do?"

Jay's eyes shot open, looking at him in surprise. A tiny voice inside told him that Sean would handle everything without letting him go and that Sean saw him just as he was. But believing it was much harder than anything he had ever done. Still, it made him feel more at ease.

"We should probably deal with Win's list," Jay responded, glancing at his watch. "They will be heading to hospital soon."

"Oh, I forgot about that...," Sean chuckled. "Shower?"

Jay's phone pinged with an email notification. He unlocked the screen and scanned through the content with a slight frown. "You go first. I need to deal with a few things for the meeting today."

Sean nodded and leaned to kiss him again before leaving for the bathroom.

A while later, the sound of the shower replaced the rain and the room was filled with a gentle light as the sun finally managed to pierce the heavy clouds. Sean searched the wardrobe for items from the list. He never imagined himself helping Tay, but here he was, digging through stacks of t-shirts and hoodies to find the ones matching his request. The task was arduous since Tay clearly didn't care about neat order like his brother did.

Suddenly, a stack of clothes collapsed, spilling outside the closet and revealing a small shoebox underneath. Sean looked at it curiously, then, without much regard for Tay's privacy, took a peek inside. It contained a few items and old photos of two identical-looking boys.

"I wasn't aware we were here to make a mess," Jay said lightly, stepping out of the bathroom wearing only trousers and towel-drying his hair.

"You were so cute," Sean commented without thinking as he looked through the photos.

Jay looked at him, confused, and walked closer. Sean pulled him down to sit beside him on the floor and showed him the contents of the box.

"Wow... there are so many," Jay muttered, briefly shifting through them. "I never had any of our photos..."

"Why not?"

Jay didn't answer, his gaze fixed on a picture of two boys on a bench with massive candy floss. "This was our last birthday together," he said quietly. "We never had much time to have fun, but that day Mali took us to the amusement park... can't remember the name. We stayed there all day, doing whatever we wanted. A couple of weeks later, I was in London. I assume she already knew our parents were divorcing and wanted to do something nice..."

"You don't have many memories from here, do you?"

Jay shook his head. "Shortly after we moved, my mother took all the photos and told me never to speak about Tay or our father. Every time I tried, she would get really upset. So, I stopped. A few months later, she put me in a boarding school, so there weren't many chances to talk either."

Sean looked at him, speechless, unsure what he could even say.

"For the first two years, I sent him letters, but he never replied, so I eventually gave up," Jay continued, placing the photos back into the box and closing the lid. "Things like this are easy to forget once you learn to let go and move on with your life."

He couldn't even imagine how it must have felt to be torn away from the person you are the closest with. Because, looking at the photos, Sean had no doubt that Jay and Tay were inseparable once. What kind of parents separate twins like this and don't even let them keep in touch? But then something else made him pause.

"Wait, if your mother lives and works in London, why were you in boarding school in the same city?"

Jay froze for a moment, his nostalgic expression replaced by cold detachment. "We should clean this up."

Sean was taken aback by the sudden shift and Jay's decisive tone. He was used to more subtle dismissals, but nothing like this. It left him in a brief panic, painfully aware that he had touched a nerve. Instinctively, he reached out and gently grabbed Jay's hand as if trying to stop him from leaving. But then something even more unexpected happened.

As soon as he felt Sean's hand on his, something inside him broke, and Jay leaned forward, resting his forehead on Sean's shoulder.

"Can we stay like this... please?"

The barely audible voice broke Sean's heart, but it didn't hurt nearly as much as the realisation that Jay felt he had to ask for such a simple thing. He managed to smile, gently running his fingers through Jay's hair. It was painful, but things like this helped him understand that underneath this polished and confident demeanour was the person he truly loved, and he was determined to wait for him as long as it took.

"Of course," Sean said softly.

It was terrifying how much comfort Sean's touch carried or how much he was willing to push aside all expectations, even his own, and just be. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't always have to be fine around him. It was a frightening yet liberating thought – one that Jay struggled to fully embrace. The vulnerability that Sean seemed to draw out of him was both unsettling and strangely reassuring, as if he could be seen and loved for who he truly was beyond the layers of expectations and the detachment he often used as a shield. Even if all of this was nothing more than a silly dream.

The modern facade, washed clean by the downpour, reflected the late afternoon sun, creating a soft, iridescent glow. The surrounding palm trees, refreshed by the rain, swayed gently in the lingering humidity. The air was thick and warm, carrying the earthy scent of wet pavement and foliage. Puddles dotted the sidewalks, shimmering with the last remnants of the rainfall.

Win paced in front of the bench, ignoring Fort's exasperated look. "Why aren't they here yet?"

Fort sighed. "You gave them an incredibly long list with half of the things Tay doesn't even need."

"I want to make him feel more at home," he responded. "You heard the doctor, right? It will help him recover faster."

"What are you really after?" Fort asked, looking at him suspiciously.

Win gave him a sheepish smile and plopped on the bench. "We should help Tay farm better gear today so he can catch up."

"Win."

He seemed to shrink a bit at Fort's stern voice, but luckily, he was saved by the long-awaited delivery. Win jumped to his feet and approached them with a cheerful smile.

"What took you so long?" he asked but then suddenly shook his head. "Nope, on second thought, I don't need to know."

"Are you sure?" Sean teased him.

At this moment, Jay and Fort facepalmed mentally and decided to stay out of it. Jay placed the duffel bag beside him on the bench and glanced at the hospital windows.

"Let me know if he needs anything else."

"He made decent progress this week," Fort said, seemingly offhandedly. "He talks with ease now, and his memory is improving. It's impressive how quickly Tay is regaining his strength. He's still weak and needs support to walk, but he's determined. The physical therapy sessions are going well, and he's starting to regain some fine motor skills. Yesterday, he even managed to play a mobile game with us."

Jay nodded with appreciation but didn't say anything.

"I know it's none of my business," he started cautiously. "But are you sure you don't want to visit him?"

"He would probably check himself out if he knew I'm covering his bills."

Fort looked at him with a sad smile. "I'm not so sure. Sometimes, Tay has this wistful look as if he is waiting for someone. And given how things ended with his father... yeah, he definitely doesn't want to see that bastard."

"Was it bad?"

"They were fighting constantly," he started with a slight sigh. "About Tay's school choices, grades and literally everything, but we always had a feeling there was more. Tay did not say anything, and we knew better than to ask, but I assume it was about you."

Jay smiled faintly. "Tay was always the rebellious one and often got us into trouble."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Fort chuckled. "If you combine him with Win... it's quite a magnet for trouble, but I never expected something like this to happen. That one of us could die, and we wouldn't even know about it."

"We just need to be more careful," Win chirped, skipping towards them. "Which brings us to a little idea Fort has."

"What is it?" Sean asked.

"I think it will be good to team up with the group doing political graffiti," Fort explained in a hushed voice. "They are not so keen on Chaiyawat, so if someone were to slip to them that he deals with drugs, I'm sure they would make quite a few murals around the city about it. Plus, their Instagram has a massive following, so the message would spread even better."

Win nodded. "I think we should get more active on social media as well. Otherwise, we will never win public opinion."

"Agree," Sean replied after a short consideration. "If the public will be against him, the police chief won't be able to protect him."

"Exactly. I will mention during our study group meeting about a friend who heard a dealer mentioning Chaiyawat's molly at the bar as in to be careful of spiked drinks," Fort proposed, hoping this would get wheels turning without directly linking it to them.

"So, you don't trust them?"

Fort looked at Win and shook his head. "It's not that I don't trust them, but after what happened to Tay, the less people know about us, the better."

"True," Win said sadly. "Anyway, we should get going unless the two of you want to take this to Tay."

Fort just smacked his head and grabbed the duffel bag. "We will see you on the weekend at the garage and make an airtight plan for the next step."

Sean nodded. "We need to do this before our trip, and then we can use these couple weeks to lay low."

Win sighed dramatically. "You two are making me feel so single."

"You are single," Fort quipped at him, then waved goodbye and walked towards the hospital. "Hurry up, or I will tell security to not let you in."

"Fort, my darling, can we go on a trip together?!" Win called, running after him.

As usual, the bodyguard led them to Tay's room. They weren't sure if it was the afternoon sun or progress in recovery, but Tay's complexion looked healthier, and his cheeks weren't as sunken as nearly two weeks ago.

"We have a great idea," Win chirped, unceremoniously plopping on the edge of the bed. "Once you are discharged, we are going on the trip!"

Tay gave Fort a questioning look, but the latter only shrugged in response.

"C'mon guys!" he complained. "It will be fun. We could stay at Sari's aunt's cottage and spend some time on the beach. Besides, Sean is going to Chiang Mai with...," Win yelped as Fort kicked his foot in warning. "And I refuse to leave him with bragging rights for the best summer holidays."

Tay looked at him, confused. "Sean is actually dating someone?"

"I guess you could say that," Fort shrugged.

"Wow, I didn't see it coming... for someone to willingly put up with this annoying bastard. Are they a saint?"

Feeling guilty for his slip-up, Win took out his phone and grinned. "We can either discuss Sean's sex life or farm a new set for you."

"I would rather stay in a coma than discuss that," Tay deadpanned, then reached for his phone. For a moment, he looked in silence at the black screen. "What would you do if someone you once thought a world of forgot and betrayed you?"

Win smiled at him. "I would double-check facts because sometimes things aren't as they seem. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

Fort and Win exchanged a knowing glance and decided to stay out of it. They were outsiders, after all, and meddling without understanding the whole picture could make things worse. But something told them that everything would unfold soon enough. For now, playing video games with Tay and chatting about silly things was enough – a peaceful pause before the next storm.