Chapter Text
Rain likes Rak, he really does. He’s the sort of older sibling that Rain would have killed to have as a kid. Rak wore soft clothing and was happy to cuddle whenever he wanted, he always had the best advice and treated Rain like whatever he was talking about was the most important subject in the world. He just wished they had more time together but Safiya kept Rak completely separate from any parts of his life that included Phayu and by association Rain.
The first time they met was after the worst day, Rak had put a hand on his back and led him out of Phayu’s room so he didn’t have to deal with seeing the pain that his hubby had had to go through because of some stupid racer. He’d taken him down to the open plan downstairs and asked what he liked to eat. From there a friendship formed, which mostly takes place over texts, because Rak doesn’t like coming over to Phayu’s place very often. Rain couldn’t understand it because Payu’s house was one of his favourite places, but Rak had told him everyone had different safe spaces and he wasn’t going to be the same as his nongs. And Rain trusted that, because Rak never lied to him, and seemed to generally want to be around him.
This was one of the reasons Rak was the first person he called when Sky and him had decided to run away for a few days because their boyfriends were too much. He’d sent a text to the university group chat but he wanted Rak to know too, and to be honest he kind of wanted Rak to come with. Both Rain and Sky were adults, yes, but he wanted an adult adult to come with and Rak was kind of one of his favourite people.
“I’d have to tell Dino if I go anywhere, he’d punch a hole in the door if I left without him knowing.” Rak smiled softly over their Facetime as Rain packed in the background. “I’m not repeating Vietnam.”
“You can tell P’Safiah just tell him not to tell P’Phayu.” Rain whined pouting at his phone.
“I think your plan is flawed, but I do have a few days leave saved up, I’ll check if Dino is okay with everything, he might want to come along.”
“No! No boyfriends, just me, you, and Ai’Sky.” The younger man zipped up his bag and picked up his phone, “We’re leaving now, so let me know and I’ll come pick you up.”
Rak just smiled, in that way that told Rain exactly nothing about what he was thinking and nodded.
“I’ll talk to Dino.”
A few hours later the three of them were together by the pool, Sky on one side and Rak on Rain’s other side.
Rak liked brown liquor, and wasn’t that interested in any of the fruity cocktail mixes left in the house, and Rain tried to choke down a few sips of whatever he was drinking on the rocks before going back to his glorified fruit juice. Sky and Rak laughed at him and pushed each other in the pool, running and teasing, and it felt really good. Rain had been so obsessed with his love life these past months that it felt right just to be friends. Rak made them dinner and they didn’t talk about their boyfriends, Sky and Rak seemed to click in ways that Rain didn’t understand but did appreciate. They watched the sunset together and Rain didn’t think about Phayu once.
And at night, when all he could do was miss his hubby, he crawled into Rak’s bed and let himself be held by the man he wished so badly was his older brother.
“Do you want to talk about it?” It was dark and Rain really did, he couldn’t with Sky because of their stupid bet. But he couldn’t function in his head, not alone.
“Does P’Safiah ever piss you off?” Rain asked instead, head smushed into the pillow next to Rak.
“All the time,” Rak answered “He communicates through his fists before saying a single word, and he always prioritises his work over his safety.”
Rain listened eyes wide.
“Plus, he dresses like he’s a 1950’s gangsta most of the time, and has no interest in learning about my hobbies, he pisses me off more than not.”
“Why don’t you leave him?” Rain didn’t want to leave Payu, but he wanted a bit of insight from the one person who knew his boyfriend’s twin as well as he knew his Phayu.
“He keeps me safe and loves me, no one has loved me like that before, and that’s enough for me, my ex was all about communication and we had everything in common and that never worked out.” Rak turned to the side so the two were face to face.
“I’ve never had someone who looked at me and thought I was enough before, and he’s the same as he was when we met years ago. He’s so secure and he’s so sure about me, how could I leave the one person who cares about me best?”
Rain blinked sleepily, maintaining eye contact with Rak’s wide eyes.
“Phi Payu makes me feel secure too.”
“I know he does nong,”
“I’m just scared that he’d find someone that he likes more and then I’ll be left behind.” Rain hadn’t said it out loud before, he didn’t even know he had been thinking it, but as soon as he said it he knew it was the truth.
“Maybe that will happen, and maybe it won't, but you can’t let that fear get in the way of the right now N’Rain.” Rak was firm on this, “Relationships can’t be built on the fear of their end, P’Phayu loves you now, and if we trust what Dino has been telling me, he’s so worried now about where you are. I doubt you have anything to worry about in terms of the end of your relationship right now.”
Rain chewed his lip and felt a few stray tears fall down his face, he wasn’t ready to talk about all of this, but he knew that his anxieties were bleeding into their relationship, and there was a part of him that was sure Payu would break up with him. Rak opened his arms and Rain wiggled in to hug him, Rak was very soft and warm making Rain feel comfortable for the first time since he saw Payu and that woman together.
Rain likes Rak, he really likes Rak he wishes that Rak was his family all the time. And when Phayu came and made all his doubts about their relationship wash away like sand on the beach he can only be thankful that Rak was there, as he always seems to be nowadays, to give him the context and support he needed. Yeah, Rain really likes Rak.