Lion woke up and looked at Hope with hazy eyes, then touched his face with the palm of his hand. His eyes were filled with love, but suddenly tears came to them, and one rolled down, leaving a wet trail behind it.

"Chom! Thank you, Chom!" - It was as if Jake was talking to another person.

"Who's...Chom, Hia?" - Hope asked the question slowly, not realizing what was going on.

It was as if Lion had just woken up, his eyes became clear and he sat up, grabbing his head with his hands.

"Who is Chom? You called me by someone else's name," Hope asked more confidently, looking at the man's back.

"I'm sorry, I was just delirious... I'll tell you all about it," Jake said in a hoarse voice, turning around and looking confused, the words spoken in his sleep a surprise to both of them.

Hope's heart quickened its pace, and he was anxious to hear the answer.

"When we first met you... at the Club... I was pretty depressed... Remember?" - Lion spoke slowly, picking out each word, perhaps affected by the sleepless night, or perhaps it was something else.

"Uh-huh," Hope nodded, tentatively touching her fingers to her lover's hand and gazing reverently into his eyes.

"I was in a terrible state of mind at that moment, as I grieved the loss of an important part of my life. It was Chom..." - Jake paused again, sinking into thought for a few seconds.

"I remember that day. You said you lost a loved one and... you liked my eyes... Does that mean...? Hia... show me his picture... you're sure to have at least one in your phone," a frightening thought was born in Hope's mind, it was like a wormhole suddenly appeared and small worms of suspicion, anxiety and doubt were already spreading in his hard working brain.

"It's not on my phone, I changed it. Kitten, please listen to me," the man grabbed and squeezed the boy's hands with a pleading look in his eyes.

"There's probably one on the internet. Show it to me," Hope wanted only one thing, to see Chom's picture to try to get away from the oppressive thought.

"Okay...I have the pictures...on a flash drive. Just let me explain first," Lion gently placed his right hand on the boy's cheek, who felt a small tingle in it, and it made him want to see the man even more:

"Photo first, Hia. I'm begging you, don't resist. Then we'll talk..."

Lion got up from the bed, walked to his backpack and for one moment froze with it in his hands. Anxiety was growing in Hope's soul with every passing second; his man's behavior didn't inspire confidence.

Jake placed the backpack on the bed and pulled out an adapter wire and a small heart-shaped flash drive.

"Why don't you give me a chance to speak first?" - He asked, nervously rubbing the small sized thing with his fingers.

"Am I ready to have my question answered? Am I ready for either outcome?" - Hope mentally asked himself these questions, but something inside was pushing him to find out the truth without fail, so despite the shiver that appeared in his body, he repeated confidently:

"Photos first, Hia."

Jake connected the wire to the phone and inserted the flash drive into the other end, removing the cap. The boy saw the metal heart split into two halves before his eyes, and there was a ringing in his chest.

"I've never opened it yet..." - Lion spoke quietly, his voice and movements read intense warring.

Hope moved closer to her lover and looked at the screen. There were many folders on the disk, with hearts flashing in the titles: "Our first trip to the sea 🖤", "Watching your favorite anime 🖤", "Weekend in Samui🖤", and so on.

Lion took his time opening them, then put the phone down on the bed.

Hope looked at Lion's lowered head and boldly picked up the phone. Opening the first folder named "🖤 Us 🖤" and loading a picture, he stared at it without blinking. Two guys were lying in a hug, covered in white blanket. One of them, was Jake, though he looked younger and had shorter hair. Lion was hugging a guy with hair the color of young wheat, the ocean in his eyes.

"Chom and I were together for fifteen years..." - Lion's voice seemed very distant. It was as if Hope had put a huge woolen hat on himself, and the inner voice sounded much louder than the sounds from outside.

"My hair is the same color..." - he uttered in almost a whisper.

"He and I loved each other very much, but fate..." - the man tried to say in a trembling voice.

"And his eyes are blue, too, like mine..." - Hope interrupted, opening the next photo and gazing again at the face that looked almost two drops of water like his.

"He was killed four months ago..."

"In ten years, if I cut my hair, I'll look like him..." - the guy was unable to move, looking at another photo of the couple against the sea.

"He chose me because I'm a perfect replica of his true but lost love!" - rumbled a terrible and very clear thought in his mind, and Hope, dropping the phone burning his palms on the crumpled sheets, rose abruptly from the bed and stepped back to the window.

"Kitten!" - Jake called out, and then stood up and, coming close to him, continued: "You don't look alike at all..."

"Don't kid yourself... and me, Hia," the world seemed to turn upside down, the same phrase pulsing in his head over and over again: "He loves NOT me!" and he couldn't think of anything else. All the positive feelings that had recently fluttered enthusiastically in his soul had been wiped away, and only emptiness remained.

The black birds were cheering and spreading their huge wings more and more, rejoicing in freedom and shouting angrily at the top of their voices:

"He has deceived and betrayed you!"

And Hope answered them, "Yes! I trusted him wholeheartedly... He said he loved me... but it's all a deception! He only has true feelings for Chom, and I'm just a shell that looks a lot like his lover."

Jake touched his bare shoulder weightlessly, as if afraid of damaging the microscale on a butterfly's wing, and Hope flinched, coming to his senses.

"You're different, very different, I realized that..." - he began.

"No!" - shouted the boy, immediately startled by his unnatural ringing voice, it was as if he had been electrocuted at that moment, his body stiff and unyielding again.

"Honey, let me..." - Lion spoke.

"I need to think..." – Hope said at the same time, who at this point was already mentally building a wall between them.

"...To explain everything to you. I..."

"I'm not ready to listen right now..."

"I LOVE YOU!"

"Noooo! Stop! Please, Hia!" - Hope shouted with all his might, interrupting the flow of words because they brought unbearable pain.

After that it was as if everything around him was covered with a gray, impenetrable smog.

After a while, the boy, feeling the tickle on his neck from the strands of his hair swaying in the wind, raised his head and looked around. He was sitting on a bench at the bus stop, smiling people were passing by, cars were passing by, birds were singing in the branches of the neighboring trees - life was booming all around him, but inside him there was a bottomless emptiness and ringing silence.

Hope didn't remember getting dressed, leaving the room, taking the elevator downstairs, walking a couple of blocks, and sitting on that bench.

"Where am I, how am I...? Why does it hurt so much?" - his whole body clenched, begging for help, and the next thought, "Help!" provided the impetus for action. With a heavy hand he slowly pulled his cell phone from his pocket and with wooden fingers dialed his guardian's number.

📞 "Hello, son!" - cheerfully sounded a native voice on the other end.

📞 "..." - The boy didn't know what to say. Where to start? It was like he was drowning in that cold river from his dream again.

📞 "Hope! Don't be quiet! Is everything okay?" - Troy's demanding, commanding voice brought him out of his daze:

📞 "No... I... Take me..."

📞 "Where are you? I'll be there soon."

Hope looked around lost, and with a sigh, replied:

📞 "I don't know... on a bench..."

📞 "Stay where you are, don't go anywhere! I'll find you!" - The man quickly muttered and hung up the phone.

Hope began to come to his senses, his brain, unlike his still 'dead' body, was slowly coming back to life, awakening memories and filling him with burdensome feelings.

"I wasn't ready for this. I wish I hadn't known..." - came the realization of what had happened, and bitter tears ran down his cheeks. The boy stared ahead with a hazy gaze, unblinking, and felt the small droplets coming off his chin, burning again and again the skin of his hands folded in his lap.

His sense of time was completely lost, and thinking was painful and agonizing, perhaps because of the lack of sleep and the alcohol he'd drunk last night. The words in his head wouldn't form sentences, only vivid pictures flashed before his eyes of his Lion, his love, his ALL in this life, happy next to another man... the outward similarity to which Hope simply couldn't deny.

"Son," it suddenly sounded nearby, and the boy felt warmth on his shoulders and back.

Raising his head, he tried to see his loved one's face through the veil of tears. When he barely managed to do so, and saw his own green eyes and eyebrows drawn together at the bridge of his nose, the vise he'd been in all this time loosened a little. Hope hugged Grandpa tightly and buried his face in his warm firm chest and sobbed.

"Oh, honey... Let's go to the car. I'm close by, you're protected. No one else will dare hurt you," Troy spoke slowly, trying to hide the metal in his voice beneath the soft notes, and stroked his son's head.

"I want to...*whimper*...go home," the boy could barely pronounce all the letters in those short words, but Grandpa understood him and immediately lifted him from the bench and led him to the car.

Sitting down in the front passenger seat, Hope immediately lifted his legs up on it and, hugging his knees, ducked his face into them.

"Where are we going? Whatever you say, we'll do," Troy said, touching his son's head.

"I want to go home. Now," the boy didn't want to see people and answer their questions, at this second he was mentally thanking Grandpa for not asking him anything.

"Okay," the man replied and in a couple of seconds he was already on the phone with Panit, "Kid, pack our stuff and Hope's suitcase, I'll be waiting for you in the parking lot in 15 minutes... I don't know... Yeah, let's go home."

The car started, the guy buckled his seatbelt and pressed his forehead against the hot glass heated by the sun:

"I feel like I'm in a cauldron of hell..."

After a while, Hope heard the quiet squawking voice of the guardian talking on the phone, but not all the words could be made out, because it was as if a soundproof hood had been put on the guy again:

"... won't come back... don't you dare... I warned you..."

"Who are you with...?" - tried to ask Hope in an exhausted voice.

"On business. Get some sleep," after those words and the warm tone in Grandpa's voice, the boy immediately felt a heaviness in his eyes, as if he had finally been allowed to close his eyelids after several days of forced wakefulness, and in an instant he was plunged into darkness.

***

A sense of hopelessness, despair, and utter moral desolation created a vacuum around Hope, which, like fetters, prevented him from taking a step toward the light. Blackbirds were cutting his soul to pieces.

The drive to Bangkok, the way he was led into the house, fed water, put to bed - everything was in a blur. He could smell no odors, hear no sounds except the beating of his heart somewhere around his throat.

The boy sat motionless on the bed in his room, staring at the shadows of the trees that lay lifelessly on the beige bedspread and on his static body. Even those dark intangible patches didn't want to move. It was as if time had stopped, and Hope fell deeper and deeper into his torment.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Panit entered the room. He immediately walked over to the bed and sat beside it:

"Honey, do you want anything?"

Hope raised his gaze to him, which provided the answer as his mouth showed no desire to open.

"Okay. Maybe there's something I can help you with?  We're really worried about you... Snowy is literally tearing his hair out," the older man spoke and stroked Hope's back.

The picture of a sad Troy opened the dark curtain of longing and sadness slightly, and guilt came into view:

"I'm sorry... I've ruined your vacation."

"Well, no way! Pfff, you think we were vacationing there? We were on a serious mission..." - giggled Panit and faltered, removing the smile from his face, "Sorry..."

"Can I lay on your lap, P?" - Hope craved human warmth madly, and managed to squeeze out a whole sentence.

"Sure. Come on," Panit made himself comfortable, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. The boy rested his head on the older man's legs, leaning the back of his head against his stomach, and closed his eyes.

"You know, when I was in that state I don't even want to remember, I thought I'd never get out of this hole, that no one could help me. The shackles of hopelessness are very strong, especially if one is alone. Huh, I can't even believe it now - back then I was even thinking about how to end this meaningless life. And on the worst day of all, I was lucky enough to meet my Snowy. I trusted and opened up to him, even though I was insanely scared... to the point of creepiness, even my knees were shaking. And in the end I managed to get out of the cocoon, I became a light, beautiful butterfly. Didn't I?" - Panit was like telling a bedtime story and stroked the younger one's hair.

"Uh-huh, you're handsome..." - The elder's voice acted like a relaxing medicine to Hope's shrunken soul.

"I don't know what you've got going on, but I'm sure it'll all work out. You have Snowy and Me, which means everything will definitely be okay. I'm glad to be a part of your family, and even though we're not a standard unit of society, but after all, the most important thing is love and understanding, and we have plenty of that. You can trust us. We'll always be on your side," Panit's words enveloped Hope like a warm blanket.

"Uh-huh," the boy agreed, he was thawing out of his stupor and his brain began to process the information he was receiving from his body. That's when he got the signal of a severe pain in his anal canal. Hope involuntarily squirmed and spread his legs slightly to lessen it, but it didn't help.

"Does something hurt?" - The shrewd older man asked worriedly.

"Uh-huh...there," Hope nodded toward his lower body, deciding not to hide it.

"Did that happen?" - The question immediately followed.

"Uh-huh," the boy's eyes pinched again as the memory began to toss up images of his first intimacy with the man he loved again.

"Do you want to talk?" - Panit asked uncertainly.

"No," Hope didn't feel like eating or talking, and even though he had floated out of airless space, his only desire was to just lie still on the surface of the water and rock on the lulling waves of his sadness.

"Okay, then, we'll proceed according to Snowy's plan, only with additions. Lift yourself up, my good man, I need to step back. By the way, your daddy has your phone, he said he won't give it back until... things are just the way they are," Panit stood up and left the room.

"And that's good. I don't need a phone, a million questions from friends and..." - the boy buried his face in his pillow, trying to banish thoughts of Lion.

A couple minutes later, the older man returned with a tray:

"Here, this pill will help you sleep. You'll be in best condition in the morning. And these are candles and healing ointment. Take them now. Do you need detailed instructions?"

"No. Thanks, P," Hope got up and went to the bathroom, taking with sluggish hands the medications brought by the caring older man that were supposed to relieve the physical pain.

After the procedure, the guy looked at himself in the mirror. There were several deep hickeys on his body, looking at which he shrank all over again, and salty rivulets poured from his eyes:

"Body wounds heal, but what about the mental anguish and crushed heart?"

***

After the pill Hope fell into a deep sleep, and waking up the next morning he felt strong and very hungry, which was even better than Grandpa, urging him to finish his morning chores and go downstairs.

Already in the hallway the enchanting smell of sausages, scrambled eggs and peppermint tea could be sensed. Hope wanted to hurry down the stairs, but the abrupt movements hurt, and he had to count each step slowly.

"There's our sweet, sleepy panda! Good morning, son!" - cheerfully greeted Troy, but Hope only nodded his greeting and cautiously took his seat.

"Morning, Nong! Why the panda?" - Greeted the younger Panit and turned to ask his beloved.

"And look at those dark bruises around your eyes, what's not a panda?" - replied, smiling Grandpa, for which he received a slap on the butt.

"And have I done wrong? I'm ok, mommy. I made breakfast, sat down, drank coffee and kept quiet," said the gray-haired man in a guilty child's voice and sat down at the table.

Everyone was silent at breakfast, Hope because he didn't want to talk or answer questions, and the others in support of his obvious wishes.

"Thank you," the boy said, getting up from the table and about to walk back into the room after his plate was empty.

"I suggest you definitely look outside! It's a beautiful day today, the sun is shining and the birds are singing," Troy suddenly spoke cryptically.

The boy looked at him with a mute question in his eyes, and when he saw a nod toward the window in response, he sighed, but walked over to it to get away from everyone and get some privacy.

Everything was as usual in their little yard: a few trees, flowerbeds of Panit's handiwork, a small wooden spirit house, a stone path leading to the gate... Suddenly Hope's gaze caught sight of a hunched man leaning against an old beige fence, his head down, his face hidden behind long strands of aspic-black hair.

His heart jumped, as if it wanted to look too, and Hope held his breath for a few seconds, unable to tear himself away from the painfully familiar figure.

Troy came up to him. Standing behind him, he leaned over his son's shoulder to the glass and spoke slowly:

"He's been standing here for over twelve hours, throwing shade on our flowers, they might as well wither away."

At that moment, the man outside the window raised his head and looked up at the second floor. Lion's crumpled, haggard face lit up in the sunlight, and Hope saw a slightly sunken eye and a crimson spot of impressive size underneath it.

"What's wrong with him?" - he asked, immediately noting the concern in his voic.

"I don't know. I was washing the driveway yesterday. He came in, slipped, and landed... on my fist. Hahaha! Bastard! I warned that pig! Come to beg for forgiveness, you hornless goat!" - Grandpa spoke unkindly, and the boy's insides began to boil at these words.

Finally he could not stand it, and turning around to face his guardian, he shouted:

"Don't call him that!!! How did you...? What for? I love him..."

Troy smiled, he was clearly happy about something, Hope didn't understand this reaction at all.

"It's just that he loves NOT ME..." - Hope finished much more quietly as the anger and resentment for Jake was abruptly replaced by sadness at the inevitable breakup.

After the words were spoken, the boy immediately found himself in the strong embrace of the gray-haired man.

"I'm glad you finally broke through your shell, my little chick. Staying silent for over twenty-four hours is such a stretch. Look at those beautiful, healthy ears, and they're ready to listen to you. And this tongue will help you with advice if you need it," Troy let go of the boy's body and, smiling, tweaked his ears with his fingers and stuck out his tongue.

It probably didn't come out very believable, but Hope couldn't help but smile back. Then he turned his head toward the window, the urge to see Lion again was unbearably strong, but by an effort of will he turned it back.

"Why, you can admire it, he certainly won't take any money for it. And you can even go out and talk, just make sure he doesn't trample my Sunshine's flowers," Troy spoke calmly and with a smile, looking out the window.

"No. You don't know anything, Grandpa! I'm not ready for any talk now. I'm to my room!" - Hope set his mark and walked briskly to his room, catching Panit lightly with his shoulder.

Closing the door and left alone with his thoughts, he took a few steps toward the window, but then stepped back, immersing himself in his inner dialog:

"Lion is here. He's here! It's right next to me! He's been standing at my windows all night. Should we go down and talk?

Hope! Don't you dare even think about it! He only sees you as a replacement. He sees you as Chom.

But... he's so sad and beaten up like a puppy... He's hurting physically and mentally. Maybe he can explain?

No! That man cheated, betrayed you! He only paid attention to you because you look like someone else. That's why he's been around all this time.

He loved that guy a lot. What's there to love me for? My job, my age... I even ruined our first time... Our first time... It was so....

Give up those thoughts! They won't lead to anything good!"

The guy was torn between the desire to be near his soulmate, closing his eyes to everything, and the realization that this mutual love was just self-deception.

To distract himself, Hope began to clean, but the window kept drawing his gaze. Even the bright sun and the shadows of the trees dancing on the walls tried to attract his attention and entice him to come closer and look out into the yard.

His heart wouldn't rest and was also tugging in the direction of the bright opening in the wall, pounding frantically in his chest.

After an hour, Hope couldn't stand it anymore, and with the thought, "I'll just take one look, it won't make any difference," he ran to the window. To his disappointment, Jake wasn't there.

Thursday was coming to an end, but there was no end to the stream of internal battles, which only intensified the bitterness of black longing. It enveloped soul and body in its icy embrace, and was taking strength.

Hope tried to distract himself with his studies, but after a couple of attempts he realized that it was impossible to concentrate. He didn't come down for lunch and refused to eat when an older man came in with a tray in his hands, after which Hope heard Grandpa and Panit talking in the hallway in raised tones, but he couldn't make out the words.

When it was time for supper Troy burst through the door and, looking at the boy sitting in prostration, staring aimlessly at one point, cried out:

"Well, no way! The wife is not always right! I'll go crazy with worry! You want to starve yourself? You don't want to listen to Jake, listen to me. You have to make serious decisions based on all the facts. You love him, dummy, so at least give him a chance to explain himself!"

"You don't know, Grandpa. He carries around a flash drive with pictures of the man he loves. He named me after him! I'm just a carbon copy of that man! I'm not worthy of love!" - Hope screamed out all the bitterness that had built up in his soul, and once again scalding tears ran down his cheeks.

Troy sat down beside him and patted his son on the back reassuringly, "No, no, baby. You're not. It's the emotions talking in you right now. You're very wise. Once you curb your feelings, things will get better."

Hope wrapped his arms around his knees and fell onto his side, resting his head on Grandpa's legs. The quiet sobs accelerated to loud sobs in a matter of seconds:

"I can't... I can't live without him... and I can't be with him..."

"We'll get through this too, my honey," Grandpa comforted the boy, wiping the tears on his cheeks with warm fingers.

***

Hope was feeling much better physically on Friday, and the pain in his anal canal had dulled and his stomach was rumbling loudly again, cursing his lack of attention.

"Why don't we go to the mall? Divert ourselves," Panit suggested over breakfast.

"Good idea, sweetie! Go and spend more money, you've got unlimited for today," Troy cheerfully encouraged his soulmate.

"We'd better stay home and watch some TV series," Hope's suggestion was more of a bottom line decision with no other options. He didn't want to get out into the light, to people at all.

"Okay... whatever you say," the older man gave in immediately, and then turned to his Yeti softly, "Why don't we give him a sick day? After all, tomorrow... is a work day."

"I'd love to. I already know how to do it, but Norman's words are bugging me... Maybe he's right. Hope's been missing a lot lately, the Eye of Sauron might turn on him if we put him on sick leave again. That could make matters worse, for that woman knows no bounds when it comes to punishing the wrongdoers," Grandpa reasoned.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'll go along. It's my decision to work off my debt this way, and I'll be held accountable for it... Thanks for the delicious breakfast," Hope summarized the short conversation and, after thanking him, went to the couch and pretended he was going to stare at the TV screen.

In fact, he didn't want to show his weakness to the people close to him again, for all the worries of the last few days he had forgotten about his job as a waiter at the Club on weekends. Panit's words had struck him like an electric shock, reminding him of that. And now he was sitting there, clicking the remote control, but not seeing the pictures that the miracle box offered him, as he was tormented by unpleasant thoughts:

"What am I going to do? Will Red be able to do it this time? It's been a long time since I've thought of him and practiced his skills. It's scary to even think about how someone else will touch me..."

***

Troy dropped Hope off at the Club twenty minutes before the workday started.

"Here you go, your phone. I've answered all your friends, and your non-friends too. Talk to them when you're ready enough. Son, call me if you need anything... I'm ready for everything, even taking you and fleeing the country. This won't last long, there will definitely be a solution," the man said with pain in his voice, holding out a cell phone to Hope.

The boy had heard that tone periodically when Troy drove him to work, and knew that the guardian's whole nature of total and unconditional protection of his loved ones opposed the whole Club thing.

Hope was undaunted by his belief in Grandpa's limitless possibilities and that the day of his freedom from Makoto would come much sooner than he worked off his debt, so he tried to smile, saying:

"We'll get through this, Grandpa."

As soon as the guy entered the building through the back entrance, Norman's assistant approached him and informed him that he would be working in the second area with the dance floor for the next two days. The guy sighed as he hoped to get to the restaurant, which was different from all other parts of the Club with rules against touching waiters while they were working.

The uniform for the clubby, loud part of the Red Dragon was a thong and a short ivory colored robe. The guy tied his belt tighter, trying to cover his body more, and stepped out into the hall.

The music was already blaring, even though it was only three o'clock in the afternoon. There weren't many customers, but Hope knew it was only temporary. Trying to shut off his senses and let Red loose, he got to work.

The guy deftly maneuvered between the numerous tables and the huge narrow stage dividing the room in half, on which an almost completely naked guy and girl were already at work, wriggling around the pylons.

"Take Sunset on the Beach to table five!" - shouted the bartender, and Hope put a glass of the beautiful orange liquid on a tray and headed across the room.

As he approached the right table, Red saw a man in a black jacket sitting with his back to him. The guy went around the table and quickly but carefully put a drink in front of him, having previously put a branded cup holder. He didn't look at the visitor, as he didn't want to attract attention, he always used this tactic to avoid conversations and interest from the guests.

Red wanted to leave, but the man suddenly grabbed his wrist and raised his head and said loudly:

"Please, kitten, talk to me. Just once. I just need half an hour...at least fifteen minutes."

It was Lion! His cheeks showed three days of unshavenness, the bruise on his face had gotten darker, and his eyes... begged to listen to his words.

"Gods, what are you doing here?" - flashed through the mind of a worried Hope, but the emotionless part of him brushed aside the panic and replied, leaning in slightly so the words could be heard clearly over the rhythmic, thundering music:

"I can't! I'm at work!"

Pulling his hand out of the firm, yet gentle, grip, Red turned back to the bar. The spot Jake had just touched was burning, and Hope's thoughts were beginning to surface, but they were fuzzy, distorted, as his other self blocked out the signals. That was the way it had to be.

Time slid by at an erratic pace, mostly fast, slowing only when Hope ran with the tray past the table where Lion sat, catching his every move.

By close to 10 p.m., almost the entire room was filled. Red was glad that the customers were only giving him the barbs that he was immune to after almost three months of working in this place.

It was time for the entertainment shows. This time the Club organized a bright drum and dance performance with the use of light effects, and the audience was completely immersed in the atmosphere of festivity and drive. For an hour, the happy shouts of the dancers were unceasing, and Red, happy that it was just a little bit before midnight, methodically did his work.

As soon as the show was over, the drummers occupied one of the tables reserved earlier for them, which was assigned to him.

"There's not much left, 8 hours under my belt, one left... And as luck would have it, this fucking table is in this exact part of the hall. I'll make it! I'll be fine," the guy thought to himself as he carried numerous alcoholic beverages to the drummers, each time passing by Jake glaring at him.

"Hey baby! Don't run away, sweetie! We're aware of the Club's rules! Come here," came the drunken voice of one of the performers half an hour before the end of his shift, rattling like a gunshot in the kid's head:

"Not again! Not now! Not here! Not in front of him!"

Red sighed, but still slowly approached the table on cotton-wool legs, doing his work duty. A handsome man in his thirties approached him and, turning the boy's back to him, whispered hoarsely in his ear:

"Don't be afraid of me, little one. I just want to pet you a little."

"Wang, would you be kind enough to pass this handsome boy to us afterward! We want to enjoy some nice companionship too!" - the words of another drummer behind the guy's back were coherently supported by the rest of the company, and then there was a multi-voiced laughter that sent a chill through the lad's skin.

Red looked up and met the furious gaze of Jake, who was standing next to his desk, clenching his fists.

The man's hands lightly undid the belt, and the robe fell open, leaving the young man's body completely defenseless against the greedy hands that were exploring it.

Red couldn't hold back Hope's outburst, and the boy felt as if he'd been doused from a bucket, filled to the brim with terror, despair, shame, self-loathing, and he looked pleadingly at his lover:

"Please go away! Don't look at it! I beg you!"

But Jake saw the look in his own way and, quickly covering the distance to his kitten, shoved the man away, and when he returned indignantly to his original position, he punched him in the face with all his might.

After this maneuver, the whole company of drummers broke out of their seats, and Lion brought Hope behind his back, ready to fight back.

But just as one of the performers raised his fist and shouted, "Are you out of your fucking mind, man?" Norman and the two ambassadors appeared between him and Jake, and with a blinding smile on their faces said:

"I apologize on behalf of the Club! The instigator will be escorted out and punished, and all future drinks for your table are on the house! Have a good time, gentlemen!"

The guards grabbed Lion and led him toward the exit as he tried to resist and looked at Hope with horror and concern.

The drummers, indignant, reluctantly sat down in their seats, and the guy, wrapping his shaking body in a robe as he went, ran after Norman, who walked briskly to the bar to give appropriate instructions to the bartenders.

"P'Norman, please ask your boys to leave him alone," Hope said in a pleading tone, stepping closer to the manager as he finished talking to the bar employee.

"Eh, youngsters! You've made a mess of things. What's to be done with you? All right, Red. I'll put it on Khun Jake's tab," Norman agreed and immediately pulled out his walkie-talkie and gave orders, "Don't touch the VIP, he's had a few too many drinks tonight. Just get him out of the building."

Norman

"Thanks, P! And... put that amount on my account," Hope didn't want Lion to get into more trouble financially.

"Look, Red... Oh, okay. I'll do as you ask, but Hia's bound to find out about it. It would be a waste to keep it from him. And you... tomorrow you'll work in the restaurant, it's quieter there," Norman replied, and tapping his heel on the marble floor, went to the exit of the hall.

***

The shift was finally over, and Hope hurried outside, where Troy was already waiting for him. 

"Get in the car," the man mumbled, and by the shifted eyebrows he realized Norman had already reported in.

Hope ducked into the front passenger seat of the older car and hushed himself in anticipation of his grandpa's lectures. They didn't have to wait long; as soon as the car pulled out of the parking lot, the man started:

"I'm so angry! How to get out of all this, I just don't understand...! *beep*... What a day! I'm getting cut off by all kinds of freaks!" - Troy cursed, getting annoyed at the woeful drivers in his way.

"Grandpa... It all happened so fast. Jake didn't hold back, but I don't blame him..." - The boy started to justify himself, but the man interrupted him:

"You think I'm mad about the situation at the Club? Ha ha ha! Jake did what he had to do. Pretty boy! I'll pay for those drinks, no big deal! You should talk to him. Don't get your cat face off the sausage. Shit! What's wrong with all of you? *beep*... This story is such a small thing compared to my tragedy of universal scale, son! Ah, what am I going to do?" - Troy was very nervous, you could even say panicked, and it clearly wasn't related to the recent incident, Hope had never seen him like this before. 

"Grandpa? What's wrong? I don't think you're okay," the boy's heart raced. If Troy was distraught, then things were really bad.

"Tomorrow! Did you know? Tomorrow!" - The man shouted and punched the warning signal on the steering wheel again.

"Tomorrow what?" - The boy asked with terror in his voice.

"My Sunny's birthday!" - Shouted Troy.

After a couple of seconds, the meaning of the words he said reached Hope, and he couldn't hold back the loud laughter that rolled throughout the interior of the car.

"You think it's funny? You're laughing, aren't you?" - Troy chuckled too, apparently pleased at his son's uplifted mood, but then he pulled himself back together and wailed, "I just found out today! From fucking Calleo, who only now bothered to tell me about it. I'm stupid too, of course... didn't find out sooner, what a fool! You know what my sweet bun stated? He said, verbatim, "It's not a big day to celebrate." Can you believe that? How is it not important? How not to celebrate? I'm in shock! I don't know where or how to do it! And most importantly, what to get him?"

"Grandpa, calm down, please! With the holiday everything will be solved. I'll help you.  And about the gift... why don't you ask P'Panit what he wants, directly?" - Hope laughed off and joined in on the 'difficult situation', deciding to put his own problems aside and support his family man in any way he could.

"I didn't ask. Right! I'll talk to him today. And we'll decide in the morning where and how we'll celebrate," Troy lowered his tone and spoke a little less tensely now.

"That's right. I'll keep you company until three tomorrow, and then you can have fun without me. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time, Granddaddy."

Back home, Hope said goodnight to the cuddling couple and headed for his room.

He couldn't sleep right away, memories of the incident at the club and thoughts of Lion tormented his young mind, preventing him from sinking into the realm of Morpheus:

"He waited for me all day... Why did he even show up there? I'm having a hard enough time as it is... It was awful! His eyes... I don't want him to suffer. Ah, it was the first time he saw with his own eyes how low I'd fallen! He tried to protect me...and he was like a beast. It felt so good to stand behind him... No, you can't say that! The situation was not pleasant at all... But he became my shield for a while. Does he love me? Does he love me? My mind is a mess... I have to go to sleep..."

***

Sunday morning the whole family gathered for breakfast. Troy cooed around the birthday boy, forbidding him to get out of his seat and serving him food and drinks he had prepared himself.

"Did he even sleep at all today?" - Hope thought, as the table was bursting with appetizing-looking and difficult-to-prepare dishes, from dim sum with various fillings to khanom buang.

(From the author: Dim sum is a type of Chinese dumplings made of "starchy" or ordinary non-yeast dough without eggs; the filling for dim sum can be meat, chicken, seafood, vegetables. Khanom Buang - small pieces of crispy dough with a filling, which is most often meringue. It is usually sprinkled on top with topping, which can be either sweet or salty).

When everything was ready and Grandpa finally leaned his heel against the chair, Hope turned to the older man and tried to put aside all his sorrows for his sake:

"Happy Birthday, P'Panit! I am insanely happy to have you in this house. You've changed Grandpa and I's life, brought a lot of light into it. He smiles more often now. I am grateful for your help and support. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to prepare a gift, I'm sorry..."

"Nong, I am the one who is immensely happy! Thank you for accepting me... I love you so much..." - Tears welled up in the guy's eyes, he brushed them away with thin fingers and, smiling, continued: "Oh, about the present - can you keep me company tonight? I want to take a little walk with you alone while Snowy has things to do. I haven't been to Lumpinee for a while. I want to feed the varrans. What do you think?"

(From the author: Lumpinee is the city's largest park area, over 500 square meters in size, organized in the old part of the city).

"Okay, I don't mind the outdoors," Hope smiled at his eldest.

***

Lumpinee Park was simply unbelievable in size. It was Hope's first time in the place. The flowering alleys, the intricate paths, the ponds drenched in greenery made him thrilled to see this riot of color in the heart of the city.

Everywhere you could observe the life of various reptiles. Lumpinee is known as the park of varanus for a reason; they were everywhere, and they behaved as if this was their territory and humans were just guests in their home. They didn't mind eating the food offered, and the guys fed a whole bag of eggs cooked by Panit to these fearless predatory creatures while they were walking leisurely through the green labyrinths of the park.

Panit picked up daily topics of conversation with the younger one. They laughed a lot, recalling funny incidents with Troy and looking at the amusing inhabitants of this warm, green oasis in the middle of Bangkok's cold concrete buildings. The two-hour walk ended with fish feeding at one of the waterholes and a sumptuous picnic on the grass with the "leftovers" of a festive regal breakfast.

Hope distracted himself from the thoughts tormenting his soul. His body felt great as they sat on the shore and silently watched the serene view of water, greenery, and blue sky slightly covered by clouds.

"Nong, do you trust me?" - Panit interrupted the silence and contemplation with a soft velvet voice.

"You are one of two people in this world that I trust wholeheartedly," Hope muttered as he continued to gaze into the dark water. He was honest, even though he'd only known his eldest for a couple weeks, he'd already managed to take his place in his heart, on par with Troy.

"Good. Then hear me out. No emotion, calmly. I won't embellish, much less lie to you. I'll tell you right away, I believe every word I say," those words made the blond-haired boy turn around and look into the older man's green-brown eyes with curiosity.

"P, what are you talking about?" - He asked.

"I want to tell you Jake's story," Panit began.

"P..."

"Just hear me out. I don't ask for more than that. I'll lay out the facts, you draw your own conclusions," the older man interrupted, making his request succinctly. Hope couldn't refuse, and after a second he nodded and looked at the dancing glare on the surface of the water.

And then the interlocutor continued:

"This spring Jake lost his lover, who was brutally murdered for some unknown reason. They had been together for 15 years, which is a long time for a couple. He decided to drown his grief with alcohol, and he wouldn't have gotten out of the bottle if he hadn't met you. Yes, you and Chom look alike. I've seen the photo."

"He just projected it onto me..." - Hope's voice rustled in the tone of the singing leaves in the trees.

"I agree, that was true, in the beginning. But it allowed you to get to know each other. After you met at the Club, he wanted to find you, but didn't know how to do it. And then you were lucky enough to meet on the school grounds. Jake was strongly attracted to you, as if magnetically drawn to you..."

"Because he saw HIM in me."

"Over time, Jake got to know you better, and realized how different you were in personality, interests, passions, habits and desires, and in his heart..." - Panit went on as if not hearing the younger man's words, but he was interrupted again, more insistently:

"A new love has taken up residence? Do you really believe that, P.?"

"I do. The way he's going through it now, the way he's stood up to my Yeti's attacks and, as far as I can tell, still won't give up and is willing to do anything, even the most reckless things, for you - that says a lot. My instincts about people's true nature have never failed me. I've heard him, seen his eyes and his tears. He truly loves you. It's not a projection and it's definitely not a deception."

"I'm having a hard time believing it yet, P... Or rather I haven't quite figured it out yet. On the one hand I really want to... to believe what he says... after all, I've given Lion all of me without a trace of myself. He really couldn't say it out loud for a long time, but that night he said... he said he loved me very much..." - Hope paused, his brain no longer resisting and trying to listen to the arguments of a heart in love. Panit's words felt as if a blockade had been lifted from him.

"Jake has a head on his shoulders and is strong in spirit. He couldn't have said those words before, it would have been thoughtless. Your Lion was afraid of hurting you while he dealt with his feelings. Sometimes people take years to do that, and he did it in a few weeks," Panit's words resonated with Hope's heart pounding frantically and nodding in response to his speech, but his brain continued to torture him:

"What if it isn't true after all? What if he's confused? Or afraid to let me go, because I'm so much like him? What if he calls me that name again? Oh... These days I've been trying to kill the hope in my heart, but after yesterday and your words, it's fighting back again and fighting for the right to live."

"Honey, he deserves a chance to at least be heard. Ask him when you meet him what that dream was about where he called you Chom and analyze the information as a whole. I can see how you're suffering right now. I don't care what conclusion you come to, whether you stay with him or try to forget. I'll support whatever choice you make. I'm just asking you to get to the bottom of this situation, put things in perspective. Snowy and I can't bear to look at your inner turmoil," Panit said so sincerely that it touched Hope's heart and made his brain shift a little.

The elder did not interrupt his Nong's further musings. They sat in silence for quite some time until Hope, with a sigh, said:

"Thank you, P... I'll try to figure it out."

***

Hope had enjoyed wearing the waiter's uniform on this day. He felt completely protected in black classic pants and a white shirt with long sleeves and a high collar, all buttons of which had to be buttoned according to the rules of work in the restaurant. On top of it was worn a vest in the tone of the pants and attached a black bow tie. This outfit was completed with thin, knitted gloves of white color.

It was difficult to get into this part of the Club, as the employees had very strict requirements. They had to know all the menus in fine detail, be beautiful and elegant in their movements, and be able to determine the gastronomic desires of the customers without errors, if they had problems with the choice of dishes.

Hope had no problem with any of these conditions: he had extensive experience in cafes, his memory allowed him to memorize any amount of information, and his attention to detail was trained by Grandpa.

He glided between the tables like a graceful ballet dancer, never once hitting the numerous glass curtains hanging from the ceiling in the form of drops for visual zoning of visitors' resting places.

An hour after the start of work, another table assigned to him was occupied, which he was immediately warned about by one of his colleagues.

Approaching the new guest in a nice green suit, whose face he could not immediately see, because he was sitting half sideways and looking out the window, Hope politely said hello and offered the visitor to familiarize himself with the menu. 

The man raised his head and began to speak slowly into the slightly shocked face of the waiter:

"I'm here for the long haul. Offer me the most interesting dishes from your menu. And from the drinks I would prefer something that relieves tension and calms my racing heart. I hope you can help me reduce the fear of possibly, irrevocably losing a loved one and erase the memory of being in the arms of another?"

The world around him fell silent, the velvet of his beloved's voice taking hold of Hope's entire being. He froze, drawn in by the dark, almost black, pools of eyes that held so much tenderness, sadness, and longing that his heart fluttered and reached out to him, wanting to embrace and comfort him.

"Shall I count on your help?" - Lion asked longingly.

Hope shook his head and, remembering at last where he was, sighed and spoke in a professional friendly tone:

"Khun, I hear you. I'll take the responsibility of choosing the right food and drinks for you. It will probably be a long wait."

After speaking, the guy turned around and walked towards the work area.

"Any order?" - Asked his senior colleague relaying information to the kitchen.

"Yes, Khun asked for a smoothie of broccoli rabe, arugula, celery, dandelion greens, and grapefruit. From the entrees, centennial eggs, chicken feet, and salad with live shrimp," the guy mouthed the order without blinking an eye.

He didn't even know why he'd done it; he didn't have a hint of hatred for Jake, and he wasn't looking for revenge. After talking to Panit, he decided to give the man a chance. But at that moment, the little devil inside him wanted to have fun, and he couldn't hold back the strong urge to fool around.

(From the author: Centennial eggs are marinated in a special alkaline mixture for several weeks or even months. The chemical reaction causes the whites to turn dark brown and the yolks to turn green-black. Tourists call them "rotten" because of the ammonia odor emanating from the cooked egg).

"Are you sure he ordered THIS? You didn't get anything mixed up?" - A coworker asked, grimacing.

"Exactly! He has a particular preference," Hope nodded confidently.

"Gods! What kind of strange people come here," the man sighed and disappeared behind the doors leading to the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, Hope had already brought up and placed an acrid green colored smoothie and century-old eggs on the table in front of Lion, muttering:

"The rest of the dishes ordered will be a little later. Enjoy your meal!"

"I'm even afraid to imagine," the man gulped, looking at the offered beauty with a pungent and not very appetizing odor.

"Perhaps you want a replacement?" - The kitten raised one eyebrow.

"No you don't, I'll swallow anything you suggest," the man hastily replied and picked up the smoothie glass.

Taking a sip, he only narrowed his eyes, not another muscle on his face flinched, which earned him a plus one point in Hope's eyes.

"Bitter, but effective. I feel better right away. Thanks!" - he muttered, licking his lips and looking at the kid with dark eyes full of hope.

"I'm glad you liked it," Hope said, keeping his gaze on Jake's already slightly open lips. The desire to possess them rose sharply in his body, but he tried not to show it, turned around, and hurried back to his duties.

Maneuvering between the tables, he kept glancing at the man in the green suit, catching his gaze every time.

"Well why do you keep following me? I'm doing fine. I'm working. Are you going to quit?" - Hope was mentally talking to Lion, who by then had eaten almost all of the food on offer.

After a couple more laps around the room, the guy approached Jake as if to see if he had any more requests, but he said something else:

"Are you ready to pay?"

"No, I'm here until closing time. I've got important business to attend to," he replied..

"That's another four hours. Go home," Hope almost whispered.

"I'm not leaving until you and I talk," Jake said firmly.

The guy didn't argue and draw attention to them, but decided to set the stage for a private conversation.

Waiters during a nine-hour shift could take one long break, and four short breaks of five minutes each.

"I'm taking a twenty-minute break. I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat," Hope tossed to one of his partners and strode toward the restrooms, catching a sideways glance at a flustered Lion.

The restaurant's luxurious restroom was designed for a hundred percent comfort of the customers: everything they needed, even disposable dental floss, relaxing music, spacious and soundproofed cubicles, so they could fully immerse themselves in their thoughts and finish their business without disturbing anyone.

Hope went to the sink and turned on the water. Ten seconds later, as he expected, Jake came in and approached the kitten from the back and said:

"Honey, can you spare me some time? I'm sorry there was a misunderstanding. It's my fault..."

The boy turned around and looked at his lover. The plan was to say that he was ready for a conversation tomorrow lunchtime, but something had gone wrong. There was a desire for proof of the love Lion had spoken of. And Panit's words had played a huge part. The desire to be in a strong embrace here and now flared up inside, and a few seconds later the flame engulfed Hope's head.

Apparently the man saw the fire in his eyes and he stopped, swallowed, then slowly continued:

"Can we...talk now?"

"We can... Follow me," Hope turned half sideways to the sink for a moment and, grabbing one of the small bottles from the basket, made his way to the far stall.

"Are you coming, Hia?" - he asked, opening the door and pointing his two eager oceans at the lost expression on Jake's face.

"Y-yes," the latter replied uncertainly and strode after his kitten.

Once they were in the stall that was spacious enough but still brought their bodies closer together, Hope snapped the lock without taking his gaze from the man's lips and then did what he craved.

His hands slid down his vest and shirt, up his pumping chest to his neck, and he lifted himself up on his toes and began kissing the face he loved: forehead, eyelids, nose, stubbled cheeks... lips that had hypnotized him for four hours... He couldn't bear the itch of desire boiling inside him, so he boldly drew Lion into a kiss that wasn't gentle at all. Smelling the scent of century-old eggs and the bitter taste of green smoothie, Hope felt guilty, and his tongue worked harder, taking all the bitterness for itself.

Jake was still for a few seconds, but he couldn't resist the temptation, and now he was taking over, holding Hope's waist tightly against his own and exploring his mouth frantically.

The guy's heart tried to jump out of its cozy cabin, a small pleasant chill ran through his body, and the blood started to come to the lower part of his body. Simple one-word thoughts flashed through his mind, "I want you!", "I love you!"

There was no stalling, they were once again bound by time limits. Breaking the kiss, Hope whispered in his lover's ear:

"I want you here and now."

"Kitten, I want you madly, but I can't make the same mistake again. A conversation...we need...a conversation..." - Jake couldn't finish his thought as his pants flew down and the guy's warm hand was already under his underwear, gripping his already standing powerful machine tightly.

"We don't have much time," Hope said with a kiss on his ear, and then grabbed Lion's hand with his free hand and placed it on his back pocket, explaining, "Take this."

Jake took the bottle and looked at it and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Hope, grinning slyly, began quickly pulling off his bowtie, vest, and pants. He threw everything but his shirt on the closed toilet seat, and hung it carefully on one of the hooks, since he would have to finish his shift in it.

Lion was slow, and that made the kid a little angry, who was already standing almost naked in front of him waiting for further action.

One burning, begging glance from Hope was enough for strong hands to turn him around to face the wall. The lad turned his head slightly to follow the actions of his beast, who at that second was quickly removing his interfering clothing.

Lion then pressed the young man's body against the wall, pushed the kitten's long legs apart with his knee, and pulled his hips closer to him. The hot collision of their naked bodies made Hope's head spin, and he wanted to feel the full power of his lover inside him, arching his ass harder.

The man's fingers slid under his boxers and slowly pulled them down as he sucked his mouth greedily into the firm, snow-white buttocks.

The goosebumps came out of nowhere and ran several marathons from the bottom to the top of the boy's body. Hope didn't even have time to think about how unbearably pleasurable it was to be under the full power of the man he loved, as two fingers covered in hand oil slid into his hole, slowly invading the tender channel.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmm..." - he moaned, pressing the fingers of his hand hard into the cold tile.

Lion pressed his hard erection against his thigh, one hand inserting his fingers into the tight, hot space while the other moved down the boy's shaft. Jake sucked with his mouth on whatever was available to him at the moment. Reaching up to kiss his ear, he whispered:

"Ah...I've missed you, kitten."

Those words overwhelmed Hope with a hot emotional wave, it was a mixture of love, passion, tenderness, bliss and complete trust. Physically, he felt his cheeks flush, his cock throbbing under the warm male palm, his breathing quickening. The desire to feel Jake inside him was becoming unbearable, and he moaned:

"Faster... please, come inside me..."

The guy felt a growing burning sensation in his channel as Jake added another finger, but he caught himself thinking that it felt even more pleasurable, and began to pull his ass closer to the three rams. Immediately it was as if he was electrocuted as his sensitive spot was insistently stroked several times.

Whereas his moans had been short and quiet before, after the pressure on his prostate, they came out loud and extended:

"Aaaaaaahhhh...Hia...please...noooow."

"I don't have a...condom with me," Lion stopped moving his hand over Hope's cock and pulled his fingers out of the tender channel, he went behind his back and after oiling his cock he began to drive the hard head along the cleft between his buttocks and apparently waited to see what his kitten had to say to that.

"Never mind...figure something out.... We have less than fifteen minutes left... and I have to run to work," Hope replied with a note of impatience in his voice.

Lion thankfully didn't delay any longer, he lifted Hope's right leg and in one motion drove the head into the prepared hole. Hope took a couple of deep breaths in and out, relaxing his body. The man waited a moment and in two strokes inserted his full length piston, driving the guy into the wall, and... stopped.

"Ah! No! Keep going!" - Hope's cock was burning, wanting release, his whole being crying out for movement in his throbbing channel.

"Now you won't escape...mmmmm...listen..." - Lion spoke softly in a slightly husky voice in his ear, clearly holding back, and then breathing more air into his lungs, said a little louder and more clearly, "I have YOU in my heart, only YOU, kitten, and no one else! I love you! I only want you! I look only at you! And all my thoughts are of you alone!"

Hope's heart began to jump joyously at those words. He wanted to hear them, wanted to feel them exactly that way, in that syllable and in that tone. The boy turned his head and pressed his lover's head against his own, wrapping his arms around the back of his neck and merging with him in a kiss. With that gentle touch, he let him know-he realized everything Lion wanted to convey to him.

And the static in the lower part of their bodies ceased to exist. Jake was thrusting into him passionately, confidently and hard. As he did so, his hand began to slide again over the kitten's erection, wet from the charge.

The moans of the two men grew louder and louder, merging in unison to the music of their clashing sweat-wet bodies.

Each inward movement of Lion, toward the center, spilled incredible pleasure over Hope's body. And he fully accepted his scepter, his pain and his love.

They possessed each other as if their bodies had finally touched after a very long separation. It was too hot and pleasurable, exciting and sweet.

Hope was nearing release, his body shuddering, his fingers sliding even higher on the smooth tile, and finally the moment came, his semen fountaining outward in several approaches, into Jake's hot palm. A powerful, blinding orgasm swept up his entire spine and burst outward with a scream:

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh, it's... too... tight" Jake blissfully shouted afterward, lowering Hope's leg and withdrawing the piston ready to erupt from his ass.

They stood there for a while, trying to regain their breath. Hope rested his forehead against the cold tile, his body still shuddering intermittently as he tried to digest his dose of pleasure. Jake in turn rested his head against the boy's wet back, so that he could feel the hot jets of air that frequently escaped from his mouth against his skin.

"I...gotta go," the boy whispered, moving away from the wall. When he turned to Lion, his glowing gaze and the two palms filled with their cum made him smile. His lover seemed so defenseless and divinely sexy in that moment.

"Can you hand me the toilet paper, sweetie?" - Jake asked, nodding at the roll hanging next to Hope.

"Nah, I'm in a hurry," the imp replied playfully and began pulling on his clothes. Lion didn't move for fear of soiling his lover's clothes, their love fluid dripping onto the floor from his slightly fisted palms.

When the deed was done, and Hope had fastened the last of the waiter's attribute around his neck, Jake asked, gazing hopefully into the boy's eyes:

"Can we talk tonight? I'll wait for you."

"No, it's P'Panit's birthday today. We're having a late family dinner," the boy replied monotonously but gently.

"We need to talk, tiger cub. I want to explain everything... When?" - Lion waited for an answer, his gaze once again sad and pleading.

"When the snake grows horns, the turtle grows whiskers, and the water lizard grows a mane," Hope replied with a giggle as he exited the stall.

"But...what about it? Are we doing good? Or...?" - rang out behind him, Lion couldn't go outside like that, and there was no stopping him as his hands were occupied with the result of their passionate lovemaking. The imp took pity and took a step back, peered through the ajar door and whispered:

"Tomorrow. At lunchtime. In the park by the school."

The happy smile spreading across his lover's face was the last thing the boy saw before he headed for the restroom exit.

Hope felt like an ice cream ball that had been warmed by being dipped in sweet breadcrumbs and fried in butter:

"I love you, Lion! We're going to be great!"