Archive of Our Own

“So? What do you think?” the woman asked, hoping she managed to find a place the client would like.

“What’s the catch with this one?” Kim asked while looking around the living room. “Last time it was a playground across the street… before a night club down the street… the one before had the annoying neighbor…”

“I would not call a social life a catch but…” the woman started.

“I would.”

“Well… as far as I’m aware, there are no night clubs in this area. And I don’t think the people living next door would… come offering homemade cookies to the others…” the woman said, still feeling a bit bad for the poor woman who showed up to welcome the potential new neighbor just to be met with Kim grabbing his jacket and storming out of there.

“Hm…” Kim said with a slight interest. He actually quite liked the house. “What about the stuff here,” he looked at the furniture.

“It comes with the house. Included in the price. The man who’s selling it wants… this to get over with as soon as possible.”

“Reason?” Kim raised his eyebrows.

“It’s a family matter, really. Some tragedy. This place belonged to someone from his family.”

“Did they die here? Is that why it’s so cheap?” Kim asked, not as carefully as one might while asking about something like that.

“No. No one died here. I wasn’t asking too many details if I’m being honest. But I can get you in touch with the owner if you would…”

“Hell no,” Kim scoffed, as always hating just the idea of socializing with people.

“Then…” the woman started.

Kim looked around again. “They don’t want any of this? The stuff. The family. They’ll not come bother me to get any of this, right?”

“I’ll make sure no one will risk… I mean, do that,” the woman assured her client.

“Hm… I’ll take it,” Kim nodded.

“Great! I’ll go get the contract ready!” the woman said, glad to have this client off of her back.

*

Kim brought in the few things he had and quickly dealt with unpacking.

In the evening he walked out of the bathroom and got in the bed. The room emerged in the darkness and for a few minutes everywhere was quiet.

Kim frowned when he was sure he heard some sounds from downstairs. He sat up and reached for the lamp on the nightstand. He tilted his head to the side and listened. Nothing, so he turned off the light and laid back down again.

“What the…” he tossed the covers aside and got out of the bed when he definitely heard the sound of running water and the clinging of mugs from the kitchen. Did someone break in to do his dishes or what?!

“You have ten seconds to get out, you son of a bitch! I have a gun and I’ll not hesitate to use it!” he said while coming down the stairs, loud enough for anyone to hear him. He was lying. He didn’t have a gun, but hopefully the empty threat would scare off whoever was there.

Kim entered the kitchen and turned on the light, just to find the room empty. He looked at the kitchen sink and saw that the dirty dishes were still there, untouched.

“What the hell…” Kim muttered as he turned off the lights and left the room. For the sake of his mind, he went on to explore the rest of the house. He entered the livingroom, finding it exactly as it was when he was going to bed. The dining table was turned into a small office area by Kim who placed his laptop there and covered the rest of the surface with reference books, notebooks with notes and stuff for his stories. It was a temporary arrangement until Kim would sort out the room he wanted to turn into his office.

“Who are you?!”

Kim spun around and saw a young man, about Kim’s age standing in front of him.

“Who the fuck are you?!” Kim snapped.

“I don’t want any trouble, ok?” the man raised his hands, his tone calm and even while looking at Kim with big, brown, doe-like eyes.

“So get out and we will not have any!” Kim pointed in the direction of the door.

“Look… I think you’re confused,” the man said, patiently. “You don’t get to kick me out of here because I live here.”

“Like hell you do! I bought this place.”

“Impossible. I would know if I was selling my home, no?”

“Get out or I’ll call the cops!” Kim snapped.

“Maybe that would be a good idea,” the man nodded and headed in the direction of the stairs. “I’ll get my phone and call them myself.”

“Hey! Come back here! You don’t get to just parade yourself around my house!” Kim quickly followed the intruder who seemed to be weirdly fast because he made it up the stairs before Kim even reached the bottom of it. When Kim entered the bedroom he found the room empty. “H-hello?” he called out. “Crazy guy?” he left the bedroom and went to check the soon to be office. “Come out!”

Kim looked around, seeing no one. He searched all the places where someone could be hiding but found no one.

“What the fuck?” Kim ran his hand through his hair. “It’s the story… just work… that’s it,” he told himself. Currently writing a collection of mystery and horror stories probably started to play tricks on his mind.

“I’ll go to bed, get some sleep and everything’s going to be fine,” Kim told himself. “I am probably asleep already and this is just a really weird dream. Yeah. Totally.”

Kim got in the bed and turned off the lights. He was carefully listening for anyone sneaking around his house but heard nothing so after a while he fell asleep.

*

Kim was sitting at the dining table, typing on his laptop while sipping on his coffee, which was his breakfast and maybe even a lunch if he’ll get too caught up in work and forgets to order something in.

“What are you still doing here?”

Kim jumped and dropped the mug he was about to put down, spilling the coffee on the carpet.

“Oh no… that will leave a stain!”

“Why are you back?! How did you get in here?!” Kim snapped and jumped to his feet while looking at the intruder from the last night, who was now more than on anything else focused on the coffee stain.

The intruder turned around and headed to the kitchen.

“HEY!” Kim called out and quickly followed him. “Don’t you… don’t move around my house!”

“I told you. This is not your house. This is my house. My house you took as a hostage you squatter… a house you’re destroying!” the man said while reaching out his hand to the cloth next to the kitchen sink.

“I am not a squat… ter…” Kim said but they paused when he saw the man’s hand go straight through the cloth. And the kitchen counter as well.

“W-what? What did you do?!” the man looked at Kim, as if that was somehow his fault.

“No,” Kim shook his head. “No,” he shrugged. “This isn’t real. I must have fallen asleep or… or something,” he was saying, talking to himself.

“Why can’t I… I’m calling the police!” the man said and headed back to the living room where he recalled seeing Kim’s phone.

Kim followed the man, just to see his hand go through the table, as the man failed to pick up the phone.

“Ok… this is just crazy,” Kim muttered. “She said no one died here,” he whispered.

“What?! Who said what? Who died? You killed someone?!” the man asked with a mixture of panic and anger.

“I bought this house…” Kim said, trying to sound at least a little bit patiently.

“I was NOT selling my…”

“...and that lady said that there’s been some tragedy in the family.”

“What tragedy?! There was no tragedy here!”

“I think you’re dead.”

“I think you’re an asshole!” the man crossed his arms over his chest.

“Look… just… ehm… follow the light? You need to move on.”

“You need to move out! Or not move out, you didn’t move in! You don’t fucking live here!”

“I’ll show you the contract,” Kim shrugged and went to find the papers.

“I don’t care about some made up contract you probably wrote yourself! I want you to get out of my house! All this stuff is mine. I bought these!” the man gestured to the furniture.

“Look! I bought this place. Fair and square. With all this stuff included,” Kim showed the man the contract.

“Nonsense!” the man snapped and wanted to snatch the paper out of Kim’s hand, just for his hand to pass through the paper.

“Like I said. You’re dead. Time to move on. As you can see, ghosts are not included in the contract.”

“I am not dead!” the man snapped.

“You are standing in my table,” Kim pointed out.

“What?”

Kim cleared his throat and looked down. The man followed Kim’s gaze just to see his lower half was hidden by the table he was literally standing in.

“No…” the man shook his head and quickly stepped aside. “No. It was just… this could happen to anyone.”

“Yeah, sure. Happens to me all the time,” Kim chuckled. “Look… ehm… do you have a name?”

“Of course I have a name!” the man snapped. “It’s… ehm… I’m…”

“Do you remember anything?”

“I’m… fuck you! You’re trying to guiltrip me into thinking I’m actually dead just so you can keep my house!”

“Yeah. That’s my genius plan,” Kim deadpanned. “Maybe there are some… I don’t know, something with your name here. Maybe that will help you to move on,” he said and went to the small storage room he didn’t get to yet.

“Excuse you? You can’t just go through someone else’s stuff,” the man circled around Kim and stood in his way.

“It’s my stuff,” Kim said. “Move.”

“No. Get out of here!”

Kim sighed and walked through Chay, regretting it immediately when it felt like stepping in an ice cold, freezing, shower.

“What… how… you can’t just walk through someone! It’s very rude!” the man yelped as Kim shivered while opening the door and reached for a random paper shoe box. He opened it but didn’t find anything useful.

“I don’t want a roommate… dead or alive, buddy. So I’m gonna get you out of here by any means necessary,” Kim said while going through the stuff in the storage room.

“I’m not dead,” the man insisted.

“Hm?” Kim said when he noticed a picture on the back of one of the shelves.

“What is it?” the man asked and stepped closer to Kim, reaching out his hand to take it, making Kim quickly move away when the man’s hand passed through Kim’s hand.

“Don’t. You’re freezing,” Kim said before he looked at the picture. “It’s you, no?” he showed the man a picture. It was a picture of a boy during a graduation celebration, proudly showing off his diploma to the person taking the picture. Kim was sure it was the man standing next to him. He looked at the backside. “Chay. Graduation. 2019,” he read aloud.

“You look about twenty-five now,” Kim muttered. “Are you Chay?” he looked at the man.

“I… ehm… yes?” Chay whispered, quite sure that it was his name.

“Ok, now you know your name so… follow the light,” Kim gestured to the end of the hallway as if a magical portal was supposed to materialize there.

“I’m not dead,” Chay frowned.

“Look… I helped you find out your name. You’re on your own now. Shoo… this is my place,” Kim gestured to Chay to go away.

“Shoo?” Chay repeated and raised his eyebrows. “Did you just shoo me?! Did you just fucking shoo me?! This is MY house!”

“Not anymore. Read the contract, Casper,” Kim grinned.

Chay gasped in shock upon hearing that. “You… you’re such an… you have no idea who you’re messing with!” he narrowed his eyes.

“And you do?” Kim chuckled. “What do you know about yourself, other than that your name is Chay. You’re welcome for that information by the way.”

“I… I’m not going anywhere!” Chay crossed his arms over his chest.

“By the power of… any religion that will do the trick… I command you to fuck off,” Kim said.

“Oh wow… I can totally feel it working,” Chay deadpanned.

“I’m going to call someone then,” Kim shrugged and headed to the living room.

“Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters?” Chay chuckled while following him.

“Anyone who could bust your ass out of here,” Kim said as he sat down at his laptop and began to google anyone who could help him.

*

“Ah… yes… it’s a good thing you contacted me,” the woman, draped in like a million scarves, pendants and other trinkets, said dramatically when Kim opened the door, regretting it immediately. “I can feel the poor souls trapped in here,” she said as she entered.

“Soul. One soul. And not poor at all,” Kim gave Chay an annoyed glare.

“How much did you pay her?” Chay snorted in amusement.

“One soul… yes… poor, poor, sweet little girl,” The woman said while looking in a corner. Empty corner, nowhere near where Chay was. “We need to…” Kim grabbed the woman, spun her around and shoved her out of the door before he slammed it shut.

Kim rubbed his hand over his face while Chay burst into laughter.

“Oh, but Kim… what about the poor, poor, soul of the sweet little girl?” Chay asked, mockingly.

“You…” Kim pointed at Chay but then just turned around and headed to his bedroom, slamming the door behind himself.

Kim fell face first on the bed, muffling the annoyed groan by the pillow.

“Deal with it…”

Kim raised his head, seeing Chay standing next to the bed.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“We’ll see about that!” Kim got out of the bed and left the house.

*

“No, wait, you got it wrong! I want it to get rid of a ghost!” Kim was protesting while the priest was, for a priest not so peacefully, guiding him out of the church.

“Youth these days,” the man grumbled and closed the door.

“You’re supposed to be helping people, you asshole!” Kim snapped.

“I’m pretty sure you’re going to hell for calling a priest that.”

Kim yelped and turned around, finding Chay standing in front of him. “What? How…”

“And really? Did you seriously ask him if you can get a bit of holy water to get rid of a pest?” Chay snorted in amusement.

“You! To get rid of you, you pest! Father whatever just didn’t let me explain.”

“You look crazy, Kim,” Chay noted.

Kim looked around, seeing the few people around looking at him as if Kim was insane.

Kim reached into his pocket and took out his phone. “I’m going to find a way to get rid of you,” he said, pretending to be on the phone while walking away.

“And now you sound like a psychopath,” Chay giggled.

“Why are you here? How are you here?”

“I don’t know,” Chay shrugged.

“I don’t want you to be. Go away.”

“I don’t know how to control it.”

“Learn. Somewhere else. Far away from me.”

“Maybe I’m somehow linked to you?” Chay suggested. “Wait! Did you kill me?!”

“What?!” Kim snapped and turned to Chay. “I didn’t kill you but trust me, doing so sounds very tempting!”

“What?!” a man, standing a short distance behind Chay, asked nervously.

“What? Nothing! Mind your own business, you idiot!” Kim rolled his eyes and began to walk again.

“You’re a danger to society."

“You’re a danger to my sanity,” Kim grumbled. “You know what? No, I’m done with this shit. This ends now. I own the house. I forbid you to exist there. You are not allowed to be there. I’m going to a bar now. I’ll get drunk and when I get back home YOU will not be there,” Kim shoved his phone back in his pocket before he stormed away from Chay.

“It’s not like I have a choice in that, you dick!” Chay called after Kim. “Hello? Can anyone else hear me? Please?” he hopefully looked around.

*

Kim came home a couple of hours later and headed straight to bed, falling face first on the pillow.

“Do you drink often?”

Kim groaned and reached for another pillow to place it over his head.

“Kim!” Chay frowned.

“I said you’re not allowed to show up in here,” Kim tossed the pillow aside and sat up. “I’m sure you’ll be way happier when you just move on. Just… go. Move on. Follow the…”

“Will you stop with the light nonsense? There is no light anywhere.”

“Maybe you’re not looking hard enough. Wait… what about this?” Kim reached for the lamp on the night stand and turned it on.

“I’m a… a ghost… not a bug that can be attracted by light,” Chay grumbled.

“Then you must have some unfinished business here,” Kim turned off the light again. “So go on… go figure it out and leave me alone,” Kim said and fell back on the pillow.

“I don’t know how,” Chay said, quietly. “Will you…”

“No.”

“Kim… no one else can even see me. I tried to talk to the others before I just vanished and showed up back here.”

“Not my problem,” Kim rolled onto his side, facing away from Chay.

“Help me or I’ll never leave you alone,” Chay crossed his arms over his chest. “Kim? Kim?! Ki…” Kim’s reply was a quiet snoring as he fell asleep.

“Great,” Chay sighed.

*

“Is that all you have for breakfast?”

“Get lost, Casper. I’m working,” Kim muttered and put down the coffee before he got back to writing.

“I always liked having breakfasts,” Chay muttered and sighed a bit when he longingly glanced in the direction of the kitchen. “Pancakes… I liked pancakes… Do you like pancakes, Kim?” he looked back at the other man who was fully focused on his writing.

“What are you writing anyway?” Chay suddenly appeared behind Kim, looking over his shoulder.

Kim jumped a bit when Chay got too close and chills ran up and down Kim’s spine.

“Sorry…” Chay muttered and stepped back. “You know… if you would help me, you’d not have to deal with me anymore.”

“I am not helping you.”

“Help me,” Chay repeated.

“No,” Kim said.

That started a few days filled up with Chay spending every minute of every day relentlessly asking Kim to help him. Mixing it with popping up out of nowhere. But no matter how big the jumpscare was or how inconvenient the timing was, Kim replied with the same “no” and just ignored Chay.

A few days later, Kim was on the sofa with a guy he picked up in a bar. Kim had a few quite stressful days so he decided he needed a moment to just relax. Sadly Chay didn’t allow Kim to have privacy even at that moment. Well, he didn’t allow Kim privacy even when Kim was in the shower, Chay kept writing “help me” along with drawing sad smiley faces on the shower door. That wouldn’t be as bad. What was worse was that Chay’s presence was forcing Kim to take unpleasantly cold showers.

“Cute. How much did you pay him to come home with you?”

“Fuck off,” Kim muttered against the guy’s neck, not even looking at Chay who was standing next to the sofa.

“What?” the guy asked.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit weird to pretend like I’m not here?”

“You’re not here. Shut up.”

“What?” the guy pushed Kim away so he could look at him. “Dude, are you tripping or what?”

“No. Just…”

“Just talking to the ghost whose house I currently live in…”

“It’s not your house! It’s my house!” Kim snapped and looked at Chay.

“Ok, that’s enough. I’m out of here,” the guy stood up and left, since to him it looked as if Kim was glaring at nothing and arguing with no one.

“Fuck sake…” Kim grumpled and grabbed the nearest pillow to throw it at Chay. The pillow of course harmlessly passed through Chay and ended up on the floor.

“Help me or you’ll never get laid again,” Chay said.

“You’re so fucking annoying… no wonder you’re dead…” Kim grumbled.

“That’s actually really mean, you know?”

“Go complain to someone who cares,” Kim stood up. “I’m going to the shower. If you’ll show up there you can bet I will NOT help you!” he said over his shoulder.

“Why? Are you going to jerk off? Oh… oh, you’re going to jerk off… ok, ok…”

“Idiot,” Kim mumbled while closing the door.

Chay was tempted to go bother Kim again, but he felt like he would be jeopardising himself.

When Kim walked out of the bathroom, only in a towel, glad he got to finally enjoy a hot shower, Chay was standing by the bed, clearly waiting for him.

“How are we going to start?” Chay asked, eagerly. “With helping me.”

“Tell me what unfinished business you have here and I’ll… maybe… help you. If it’s not something stupid… or too far away from here.”

“I don’t think I have any unfinished business,” Chay mumbled. “Or… I don’t know. Maybe I do. I just don’t know about any,” he sighed.

Kim looked at Chay, maybe for the first time properly looked at him. Kim felt a ping of guilt because of how he treated Chay. Chay looked sad. Confused. But also scared. All of that was a perfectly normal reaction to Chay’s situation. And Kim was surely not helping in any way. But to be fair, Kim sucked at dealing with living people. No wonder he was as bad, if not worse, while dealing with ghosts.

Kim decided he needed a drink. Stuff like that happens in his stories. It happens in movies. It happens in books. NOT in real life.

“I think you might need to somehow access more of your memories,” Kim said.

“Hm… it might be a good start,” Chay agreed. “How?”

“No idea,” Kim shrugged.

“How about I go visit my grave?” Chay asked.

“Great idea. Have fun,” Kim nodded. “What?” he asked when he noticed the way Chay was looking at him.

“Well… besides the fact I don’t know where it is… I can’t just go there. I can’t go anywhere. Not unless you go there. I don’t know why. I don’t know how it works but somehow I’m bound to you.”

Kim ran his hand over his face. “I just wanted to get laid. I just wanted to get laid, not spend my night at some cemetery,” he was muttering while going to get dressed.

“We could do it in the morning,” Chay offered.

“I want this to be over already”

*

Since Chay had no idea what cemetery he might be buried at, Kim drove to the nearest one he found.

As they were walking through the graveyard, Kim felt just a little bit strange to be there at such a late hour.

“Anything?” Kim asked.

“I don’t think so,” Chay muttered, trying to feel anything pulling him in a certain direction.

“Do you see other ghosts? Try asking for directions.”

“I don’t see anyone,” Chay shook his head, actually confused by that.

The two looked over their shoulder when they heard something.

“Oh,” Chay smiled when he saw a cat walking behind them. “Hi.”

“Hey there,” Kim said quietly and squatted down, reaching out his hand towards the cat. He looked up when Chay gasped.

“A cat… I had a cat, Kim!” Chay looked at the other one.

“This one?”

“No. Not this one. But I know I had a cat.”

“Ok?”

“I… I don’t know… somehow it feels important?”

Kim sighed, petted the cat one last time and then stood up, heading to the exit.

*

“You should get some sleep, Kim. It’s getting late,” Chay said when they got home and Kim began to go over the stuff at the storage room again. Chay’s stuff.

“Don’t you want to solve this mystery?” Kim asked while opening one of the boxes.

“I do. But you should get some sleep.”

“I’m fine,” Kim muttered. His sleeping schedule was a stuff of nightmares and he was fully aware of that. He was also unwilling to do anything about it.

“I also bet you didn’t have any dinner yet. Or have you eaten at the bar?”

“Yeah.”

“Liar.”

“I had some fries.”

“That’s… that’s not dinner, Kim. You can’t… you need proper meals. And way more sleep. And way, way less drinking. Also your smoking could…”

“What are you? My mom?” Kim looked at Chay.

“I just wanted… I don’t know…” Chay shrugged a bit. “Could you go cook yourself a proper dinner, please? I would do it, but… well…” he ran his hand through the wall to show the slight problem he had.

“I don’t cook,” Kim muttered. “Hm?” he said when he opened one of the boxes.

“What is it?” Chay stepped closer, making sure to not stand too close to Kim.

“One of your kinks?” Kim chuckled when he took out a collar with a little bell.

Chay reached out his hand towards the collar. “Aiko!” He gasped. “I had a cat. Aiko. And I got him this. But he didn’t like the bell so I got him another collar without one…” he looked at Kim, his eyes wide with the flood of memories of his beloved pet.

“Ok. Aiko. You remembered your cat,” Kim nodded. “So… why is that important?”

“Ehm… I… I don’t know?” Chay shrugged, helplessly. “Maybe he’s in danger?”

“Your cat is in danger?” Kim frowned. “What danger?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Or maybe not in danger. Maybe he’s just… just missing? And you should… ehm… find him?”

“Hm,” Kim nodded while thinking about how to do that.

“But go eat something first,” Chay ordered when Kim’s stomach growled.

“I’m fine.”

“If you starve yourself to death you’ll be useless to me, Kim,” Chay crossed his arms over his chest, trying to sound like that was the only reason he wanted Kim to go eat something. He wanted Kim to do that simply because he didn’t want Kim to starve, but Chay felt like Kim’s not really interested in someone playing his babysitter.

“It’s too late to order in,” Kim shrugged while taking the box where he found Aiko’s collar and headed to the living room.

“You can cook something,” Chay followed him.

“I don’t cook.”

“I’ll teach you… I mean I’ll guide you. Tell you what to do,” Chay clarified when Kim looked over his shoulder to look at him.

“Will you drop it and move on if I’ll not?”

“No.”

Kim sighed, put the box on the sofa and headed to the kitchen.

“What do you have here?” Chay asked while standing in front of the fridge. “Hm… ok… I have no idea how you’re still alive,” Chay said when Kim opened the fridge and Chay saw it was almost empty.

“I order in,” Kim shrugged.

“Order in some ingredients next time,” Chay muttered. “Eggs… we have eggs here,” he pointed at the few things that happened to be in the fridge. “Would you want an omelet?" he looked at Kim.

“I’m not a chef," Kim rolled his eyes.

“You don’t have to be a chef to make an omelet,” Chay giggled. “Come on. Grab the eggs and do as I say,” he smiled.

Kim sighed but did as he was told.

“Ok, so you need to…” Chay began to guide Kim through the cooking process, patiently telling him the recipe step-by-step.

“No, no, you have to… wait a bit,” Chay wanted to stop Kim when he wanted to flip the omelet when the eggs were not ready.

“Fuck…” Kim muttered while looking at the mess on the pan.

“It’s ok. It’s fine, Kim. Scrambled eggs! That’s way better anyway,” Chay easily changed what they were cooking and told Kim what to do with the eggs now.

“It looks like shit,” Kim muttered when he was sitting at the kitchen island.

“It looks exactly how it’s supposed to look,” Chay smiled. It did. It looked like very normal scrambled eggs. Nothing to be ashamed of.

“I hate it,” Kim muttered and picked up the fork.

“Try to make a smiley face with a ketchup on it,” Chay suggested.

“Who’d do something like that?” Kim rolled his eyes. As much as he wanted to hate the meal, he had to admit that it actually tasted quite good. Especially considering who cooked it.

“I do,” Chay whispered. “Did. I did that!” he remembered. “I used to draw pictures with a ketchup on my scrambled eggs… and… and with a chocolate syrup on my pancakes…” he said with a smile that slowly faded away.

Kim looked at Chay but had no idea what to say to make him feel better. He stood up and grabbed another plate. He moved a small amount of his scrambled eggs on the second plate and went to get the ketchup. He drew a little smiley face on it and put the plate next to his.

“Can you… sit?” Kim looked at the stool next to his before he looked at Chay.

“But I can’t eat,” Chay said quietly while going to sit down.

“It’s the best we can do,” Kim shrugged.

Chay felt tears running down his cheeks while looking at the meal but a small smile appeared on his face as well. “Thank you,” he looked at Kim who resumed his dinner.

“Hm,” Kim said while chewing.

“Why… you don’t seem like an asshole… why are you acting like one?” Chay tilted his head to the side.

“I am.”

“You’re not,” Chay shook his head.

“I like to be left alone,” Kim shrugged. “People don’t do that if you’re acting too friendly.”

“Why do you like to be left alone?”

“I like to work on my stories in peace.”

“Your stories… you're a writer… what do you write?” Chay asked, curiously.

“Usually some darker stuff. Mystery, horror… dark humor…”

“I’d never guess,” Chay muttered and bit his lower lip to suppress the giggle when Kim looked at him and raised one eyebrow.

Kim chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

“Tell me about what you’re writing,” Chay encouraged Kim.

“We’re supposed to… I don’t know… help Aiko? Or something. Not to talk about me.”

“But… we could do both,” Chay shrugged a bit.

“What does he look like? Aiko.”

Chay told Kim the description of his cat.

“I haven’t seen any cat looking like that around here,” Kim shook his head. “And since Aiko didn’t show up since I moved in here I think maybe he ran away? Or maybe he got lost?” Kim was thinking aloud.

“Got lost?” Chay asked, worried.

Kim nodded and went to put his empty plate in the sink before he went to sit down at the table and opened his laptop. Chay followed him, watching him search animal shelters, in case someone found a cat that matched Aiko’s description.

Sadly their search seemed to be hopeless. About an hour or so later, they found nothing.

“I think… I don’t know… I think maybe we should take a break. This is going nowhere,” Chay sighed. “And should get some sleep.”

“Not tired,” Kim muttered.

“But… well…alright, but you probably have more important things to do and… so…”

“I did want to finish a story I quite struggle with,” Kim admitted. “There’s not much left to do but I got a bit stuck.”

“Would you read it to me?” Chay asked, hopefully. “Reading! I liked reading. I enjoyed reading,” he remembered.

“You want me to read you my unfinished story?” Kim raised his eyebrows.

“Uh-huh!” Chay nodded. “Maybe THAT is what I’m supposed to do? Maybe I’m supposed to help you with writing!”

“I published two books, Chay. I don’t need help from… from anyone,” Kim stopped himself from referring to Chay as a “ghost” since he found himself not wanting to hurt Chay by that.

“But… you could read it to me anyway?” Chay asked in a small voice.

Kim sighed but smiled a bit. He decided to take his laptop to the bed and read it there.

Chay laid on his side next to Kim. “Is this ok? Am I not too close?”

“It’s fine,” Kim nodded before he began to read. Chay was listening carefully. Politely offering his feedback Kim was taking notes of. When Kim finished reading, he wrote down some notes about what he wanted to do with that story before he, on Chay’s request, went on to read one of the finished stories.

Halfway through the story, Kim looked at Chay who was suspiciously quiet.

“Chay?” Kim frowned when he found the other side of the bed empty. “Chay?” he looked around, not having a good feeling about it. Chay maybe started off as very annoying but Kim found himself not hating his company as much anymore. Also, Kim didn’t help Chay with anyone. Chay couldn’t have just moved on, right?

“Chay?” Kim tried again, but got no reply. “Maybe I went nuts and he was just a fragment of my imagination,” he muttered. “No. If he would be, he would be right here,” he shook his head, sure that if Chay would be his creation, Kim would not let him just vanish like that.

*

“Chay!” Kim smiled when he the next morning walked out of the bedroom and saw Chay standing in the living room.

“Kim,” Chay said, obviously glad to be back.

“Where were you?”

“I… I don’t know but… I didn’t like it there. It was just… everything was white and… and too bright… and there was this really annoying… beeping sound?” Chay swallowed while thinking about that place.

Kim looked to the side, not really like the sound of that. It sounded like Chay was heading straight to heaven. Kim didn’t fancy that since Chay would be gone forever.

“You can’t just… you can’t go,” Kim looked at Chay. “We haven’t… ehm… Aiko. We still need to find him.”

“I don’t want to go, Kim,” Chay shook his head. “I was scared because I couldn't get back here,” he confessed.

“Just don’t vanish like that again,” Kim frowned a bit. “It’s… it’s rude. I’m helping you with your cat and you just go visit heaven or wherever you were…” he crossed his arms over his chest.

“You think it was heaven?” Chay blinked.

“I don’t know. You look quite angelic so…” Kim shrugged.

Chay wasn’t sure if ghosts could blush but if they could he knew his cheeks were a light shade of pink for sure.

“Also, I’m hungry. And… ehm… breakfast. It’s time for breakfast,” Kim placed his hands on his hips.

Chay smiled a bit. “Do you have any ingredients left here?”

“That’s… no. Of course not. Let’s order some,” Kim grabbed his laptop and went to the living room. “Also you vanished while I was reading you my story. Not cool, you evil angel,” he gave Chay a playful glare.

“Oh shit! I want to know how it ended!”

Soon Kim was sitting at the kitchen island, eating his very first homemade pancake while Chay was sitting next to him, with one pancake on his plate, with a smiley face made out of chocolate syrup on it. Kim’s laptop was placed between them. Chay was finishing reading Kim’s story, with a little help from Kim who was scrolling down when Chay told him to.

“I liked it!” Chay looked at Kim when he got to the end of the story.

“Thanks,” Kim nodded a bit, glad to hear that.

“How do you write the characters so well while being so bad at interacting with real people?” Chay didn’t understand.

“Characters are easy. They do what I want them to do,” Kim shrugged.

“Control freak much?” Chay giggled as Kim was taking the dishes in the sink and starting to wash it.

Kim spent the day partly looking for Aiko and partly finishing up his story, on Chay’s request since he wanted to know how the story would end.

Kim had more luck with his story than with looking for Chay’s cat. In the evening they ended up in Kim’s bed, with Kim reading Chay more of his stories, eager to hear what his cute, dead, beta reader will think.

“Wow…” Chay, laying on his side next to Kim, said when Kim finished the story.

Kim smiled a bit. “Do you… remember anything new?” he asked.

Chay frowned in concentration but then shook his head. “No. Nothing.”

“Hm… it’s ok. We’ve got time.”

“Hm… don’t you dare to die of old age before you’ll help me,” Chay muttered with a smile.

Kim looked at him and smiled as well. Before he knew it, he reached out his hand to brush the hair out of Chay’s eyes.

“Sorry,” Chay mumbled when Kim quickly pulled his hand back, feeling as if he dipped it in a bucket of ice.

“Don’t be sorry… you’ll come handy in the summer,” Kim hoped the joke would be received well.

Chay burst into laughter.

*

“Chay!” Kim called out when he was sure he found Aiko.

It’s been about two weeks since their search started. So far with no luck or any new Chay’s memories.

Chay ran up to Kim, without making a single sound. He stopped next to Kim who felt the, by now familiar, drop of temperature around him. He actually grew quite fond of that. It meant that Chay was nearby. Funnily enough Chay told him when he was alive, his hands were always, always warm and that Kim would enjoy that way more. Kim was actually sure of that. And not only if Chay’s hands would be warm. He was sure he would enjoy getting to touch Chay no matter how cold or warm the other one would be. They spend a lot of time together. They talked a lot. Chay was teaching Kim to cook more dishes and Kim actually found himself enjoying it.

“What?” Chay, eager to see what Kim found.

“Is this Aiko?”

“Yes!” Chay yelped. “It’s him!” he nodded.

Kim nodded and closed the laptop before he stood up.

“W-what…”

“We’re going to bring him home, right?” Kim looked at Chay.

Chay swallowed and looked aside.

“Oh…” Kim said. “You might… no. No way a cat is your unfinished business, Chay,” Kim shook his head. “We’ll go get Aiko but you’ll still be here,” he said, not sure if he was trying to convince himself or Chay.

“You think?” Chay asked, hopefully.

“Positive,” Kim nodded.

*

“Remember. Be nice,” Chay said as Kim was knocked on the door.

“I make no promises I can’t keep.”

The door opened and an older lady looked at Kim. “Good day?” she said, politely but clearly not sure what the stranger wanted.

“You have my cat.”

“Kim,” Chay shook his head.

“I mean, hi. Hello,” Kim tried again. “You have my cat.”

Chay huffed out a laugh and shook his head in amusement.

“I’m sorry?” the lady blinked in confusion.

“Aiko. I want him back.”

“I… I’m afraid I am not sure…”

“Look,” Kim reached into his pocket to get his phone. “My cat,” he showed her the post about the missing cat. “Give him back.”

“Oh!” the lady nodded. “Yes. Yes. I found that cat, yes.”

“My cat. I want him back.”

“But… that had been about a… I’d say about a year ago?” the lady said, confused. “And the owner came to collect that little devil. Not the most friendly kitty I must say. Definitely not a cuddler and…”

“Someone came to get my cat?” Chay frowned in confusion.

“Steal your cat,” Kim said.

“What?” the lady asked.

“Who came to get the cat? I know for sure it was not the owner because he’s right… me. I’m the owner.”

“That man said that he’s the owner’s brother.”

“I have a brother?” Chay asked with a smile.

“And he came to get your cat,” Kim looked at Chay.

The lady looked at the empty space Kim was talking to, slightly closing the door, as if getting ready to quickly close it.

“Do you maybe have a way to contact that guy?” Kim looked at the lady.

“No. Why would… no,” the lady shook her head.

“Fuck,” Kim muttered. Without saying anything else he turned around and headed to his car.

“Thank you for your help,” Chay told the lady, even though she couldn’t see or hear him.

“Ok so… what now?” Kim asked when they were both sitting in the car. Still standing outside of the lady’s house.

“Well… my brother has Aiko… I thought we were supposed to find him because he was lost but…”

“Maybe the mission is to bring Aiko home?” Kim looked at Chay. “Do you remember anything about your brother?”

“Ehm…” Chay began to think.

Kim noticed that the lady was peeking through the gap in the door, watching Kim sitting in the car, talking to himself. To avoid any trouble, Kim started the engine and drove away.

“I need a coffee,” Kim decided and pulled over outside of a cafe they spotted.

Chay followed Kim, not that he had a choice.

“Maybe she was lying? Maybe she still has Aiko,” Kim said as they were entering the cafe, getting a few curious looks from the people around who were wondering who Kim was talking to. Kim decided he didn’t care and wasn’t going to bother with pulling out his phone to play pretend.

“Who would lie about having someone’s cat?” Chay asked.

“Crazy cat lady,” Kim shrugged.

“Dick,” a lady, wearing a very colorful sweater with many, many little pictures of cats, glared at Kim over her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Chay said, once again ignored by everyone but Kim since no one else could see him.

“I’m not,” Kim muttered.

“Yes, you are,” the lady insisted.

“I’m not talking to you. Get moving, it’s your turn,” Kim said since it was the lady’s turn to order.

The lady huffed in annoyance but turned to the cashier and placed her order.

“Be nicer, Kim,” Chay scolded Kim.

“Keep dreaming, angel,” Kim chuckled.

Chay rolled his eyes but laughed a bit while doing so. Kim started to call Chay that as a joke but somehow it stuck.

When it was Kim’s turn, he placed his order and went aside to wait for when it’s done. The universe was not on his side because there’s been some mixed up and instead of ice coffee he got a normal one. He had no interest in waiting there any longer for them to redo his order so he settled for what they gave him.

“You being dick to everyone but people in customer service is actually quite cute,” Chay noted as they were leaving the cafe, after Kim actually very calmly accepted the wrong drink.

“I’m a dick. But not that much of a dick,” Kim shrugged with a smile. “They have to deal with idiots all day every day.”

“Hm…” Chay nodded, somehow feeling like unlocking a new memory was very close. “Maybe I could help?” he looked at the plastic cup in Kim’s hand.

“Hm?” Kim asked.

“Can you lift it a bit?” Chay asked and when Kim did so, Chay reached out his hand, as if he wanted to take the cup from Kim. His hand passed through the cup and Chay kept it there for a moment.

Kim, when he realised, laughed a bit.

“There you go. One ice coffee. Have a nice day, sir,” Chay said and added a playful wink before he gasped. “Coffee… Kim… I was… I did something… I think I was doing this!” he looked at Kim.

“Icing people’s coffee?” Kim raised his eyebrows.

“Cafe. I had something to do with some cafe. I think I was a barista?”

“Barista? Ok… that’s… I don’t know how that might help us but it’s something,” Kim nodded and brought the cup to his lips. “Hm… delicious.”

“Glad to hear that,” Chay smiled. “I wish I knew how to activate more memories,” he muttered.

“It seems to be quite random, no? So let’s just take a walk? Maybe we randomly run into something.”

Chay nodded and began to walk next to Kim in a random direction.

“Pet store. Wanna try that? Maybe you had more pets we should be looking for,” Kim looked at Chay when they were near the store.

“I mean… sure?” Chay shrugged.

They entered and began to browse.

“Anything?”

“Hm… no. I think that Aiko was my only…” Chay gasped when he saw a dog toy, a plushie of a phoenix. “Phoniex,” Chay whispered.

“You had a pet phoenix?” Kim repeated.

“N-no. No,” Chay shook his head. “Phoniex… it has… it’s… it has something to do with my brother.”

“Is your brother named Phoniex?” Kim tried but Chay shook his head, sure that that was not it. “Hm… ok, let’s head home I guess. I don’t think we’ll solve that mystery here.”

“Mommy, who’s that man talking to?” a little boy asked.

“Don’t look there, Timmy. Just ignore him,” the mother pulled her son closer to her

*

“Couldn’t it be a name of some pet then?” Kim tried when during dinner he and Chay were trying to figure out what "Phoenix" meant. Kim was munching on a ramen he almost didn’t need Chay’s help with making by now. He put a little bit in a bowl and placed it in front of Chay, like usual. The little smile that flashed across Chay’s face upon not being overlooked and being served dinner as well was always worth it.

“I am not sure but I don’t feel like it is,” Chay shook his head.

Kim sighed, not happy about the unsuccessful investigation.

*

A few days later Kim was sitting at the table, working on his laptop. “Chay!” he called out when he felt like he might have made some progress.

“What?” Chay appeared next to Kim.

“Phoenix?” Kim showed Chay a website of a bar named Phoenix.

“Phoenix…” Chay whispered. Kim knew they found the right place. “Porsche!” Chay gasped.

“The… car?”

Chay shook his head. “My brother. Porsche. His name is Porsche!”

“He’s the owner of this place,” Kim found out after a quick search.

“Porsche,” Chay smiled when Kim found a picture of Porsche, smiling happily while standing outside of his bar.

“Ok so… so it’s… what now?” Kim looked at Chay who had tears running down his cheeks while looking at the picture of his brother.

“I think… maybe… maybe we should… go visit him?” Chay swallowed, not sure but definitely wanting to do that.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to find his address online. So visiting the bar might be…”

“25 Greenfield Road,” Chay said.

“We could also stop by to get a lottery ticket… but sadly we don’t know the winning numbers… no? Nothing? Ok,” Kim chuckled, glad to see Chay laugh a bit.

*

“That’s it,” Chay whispered while looking at his brother’s house.

“But this is not… you’re not going anywhere, right?” Kim asked, quietly.

Chay looked at Kim, feeling tears in his eyes once again, this time caused by the uncertainty of what may happen.

“I don’t want you to go anywhere,” Kim whispered.

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” Chay swallowed.

Kim raised his hand, palm up.

Chay let out a bubbly laugh as he did his best to place his hand in Kim’s. Instead of moving away, Kim placed his other hand on top of Chay's, running his thumb over Chay’s knuckles. It felt like holding the coldest cube of ice but Kim wished to never have to let go.

“You’ll not leave, right?” Kim whispered.

“Not if I’ll have a say in it,” Chay promised.

Kim smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to Chay’s knuckles.

“I wish I could feel it,” Chay sighed.

“I wish I could do way more than that,” Kim said.

“Me too,” Chay muttered before he turned around when he felt something. “Porsche,” he smiled when he saw his brother taking out the trash. The Porsche in the picture had a big, wide smile on his face, Porsche was radiating energy just through the picture. This Porsche couldn’t look more different. No smile. Instead of a smile there were dark circles under his eyes and a frown that almost felt permanent, the radiating energy was dimmed, almost non-existing.

“Ready?” Kim asked and when Chay nodded, Kim got out of the car.

“Ehm… hi,” Kim raised his hand to greet Porsche who looked at him, his frown deepened in confusion.

“What do you want?” Porsche muttered.

“I am… My name is Kim.”

“Ok?”

“And… ehm…”

“Say you’re my friend,” Chay whispered.

“I’m Chay’s friend.”

“Boyfriend,” Chay said quickly.

“What?”

“Just say it.”

“I mean… not a friend. More than a friend. We were… close.”

“Close? What?” Porsche asked.

“Like… you know… close.”

“Dude, I don’t know who the hell you are but you’d do best if you get out of here. I’m not in a mood for whatever you’re playing at here,” Porsche grumbled before he turned around and headed back to the house.

“Porsche, wait,” Kim followed him.

“The hell do you know my name?!” Porsche snapped.

“I… Chay talked about you,” Kim said quickly.

“Yeah sure,” Porsche scoffed. “If my brother was seeing anyone, I’d know.”

“Long distance relationship! Porsche wouldn’t like the sound of that,” Chay said quickly. “He would be sure you’d not be faithful to me.”

“Why would I be the…” Kim started but quickly stopped himself and focused back on Porsche. “We were in a long distance relationship. We met and clicked, like really clicked immediately… but then I had to leave for quite some time because of work. Chay wasn’t sure if you’d be happy about this type of relationship.”

“Of course I wouldn’t be. Like hell you’d manage to keep it in your pants. Chay would only end up with a broken heart.”

“Well… that’s why he wanted to keep it a secret until I get back here.”

Porsche narrowed his eyes, clearly not about to trust Kim just like that.

“Ask him to ask something. Something only I would know.”

“You can ask me anything, if you want. About Chay,” Kim repeated what Chay said.

“I don’t care about asking anything. I don’t know who you are but clearly you’re an asshole since it took you about a year to come back. I haven’t seen you at the hospital once!” Porsche snapped.

“Hospital?” Kim repeated and looked from Porsche to Chay before he looked back at Porsche.

Porsche scoffed and shook his head. “I guess you didn’t care about Chay that much, you asshole, huh?”

“I do! I care about him,” Kim said immediately.

“You care so much you didn’t know about the car accident?” Porsche narrowed his eyes.

“Car accident,” Chay whispered, getting a flood of memories. The sound of rain. His and Porsche’s laughter. The song playing on the radio. Loud crashing sound when the two cars collided. Bright headlights. Honking of the car horn. Sound of the ambulance. Flashing lights.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, dude, but just fuck off!” Porsche spat before he turned around and slammed the door behind him.

“C-car accident?” Kim swallowed and looked at Chay.

“I think… me and Porsche were there. He was driving,” Chay whispered. “It was raining and… we were going to a concert… Neon Riot was playing in a local club… it wasn’t his fault. The other driver had a red light but didn’t stop…”

“Please tell me you don’t want me to go after him to make him stop blaming himself,” Kim said. “He looked ready to kill me.”

“I… no… no,” Chay shook his head. “It’s not… I don’t know, but that’s not it?” Chay said, confused before he looked down when he felt something brush against his ankle. “Aiko!” he smiled and crouched down.

“You can pet him?” Kim blinked in surprise. He wasn’t surprised by Aiko being able to see Chay, but the way Aiko was leaning into Chay’s touch was interesting to see.

“I think so?” Chay giggled. “Hey, Aiko. Are you looking after my brother? Are you being a good boy for Porsche?” he smiled.

Kim smiled as well as he walked up to them and petted Aiko as well. “Ok so… I pissed off your brother… what now.”

“Porsche is just hot headed. And really hurt. I know you two would get along if… if things were different.”

“Hm…” Kim nodded a bit while petting Aiko. “Ehm so… are we stealing your cat back?” he looked at Chay.

Chay looked at Aiko and shook his head. “No. Porsche needs him,” he muttered.

“Right,” Kim sighed, understanding but secretly actually hoping to get to take the cat home.

*

“What concert did you say it was? The one you and Porsche were going to see,” Kim asked while they were driving home.

“Neon Riot.”

“Neon Riot… I was there,” Kim muttered. “About a year ago, they were playing in the town… I don’t even know why but I went to their concert.”

“Maybe if… maybe we would run into each other there,” Chay said with a sad smile.

“Maybe we would do more than that,” Kim whispered, somehow feeling like if Chay would get to attend the concert, he and Kim would be very close by now.

“Shame,” Chay sighed. “But… at least now we know how I died,” he muttered.

“Hm,” Kim frowned a bit.

“Why didn’t I know where my grave was then,” Chay wondered.

“Wrong cemetery?”

“Maybe… but… Porsche would want me to be nearby, no? The cemetery where we were was the closest one, right?”

“True,” Kim agreed. “Let’s go back there then? Look again?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be writing?” Chay muttered with a smile.

“I’m hanging out with a ghost. If that’s not the best way how to gather an inspiration for someone like me, I don’t know what could be,” Kim smiled a bit, making Chay’s smile grow bigger.

*

“I think knowing more than “Chay” might be helpful,” Kim noted while walking among the graves, not feeling as strange while doing so since it was the middle of the day.

“Porchay… Kittisawat!” Chay remembered.

“Lovely,” Kim nodded and smiled at Chay. “Porchay Kittisawat…” he said while looking around, reading the names on the graves. “Hm… maybe we should try the cemetery office?” he suggested.

“If someone’s there right now,” Chay nodded.

“Let’s try and see.”

They were in luck and managed to be there during office hours.

“Yes? Can I help you?” the older man asked when Kim entered the building.

“I just… could you tell me the location of a grave? If I tell you the name?”

“That I can do,” the man nodded. “If you’re not planning any vandalism,” he gave Kim a warning look.

“No, nothing like that. I just… my friend died and I didn’t get a chance to attend the funeral so… I don’t know where to find him now.”

“Follow me, please,” the man led Kim in an office with wooden file cabinets.

“Chay… I mean Porchay. Kittisawat,” Kim said.

The man nodded and began to search in the file cabinet. “Kittisawat… Kittisawat… yes. Kittisawat family…” he nodded and pulled out the file. “North division. Section B… here,” the man walked up to a big map of the cemetery and showed Kim the area.

Kim nodded and turned around.

“Kim.”

“Oh, right. Thank you,” Kim looked at the man before he left.

“See? Politeness doesn’t take long,” Chay smiled.

“Yeah yeah…” Kim playfully rolled his eyes.

*

Kim and Chay split to search the area faster. While walking among the graves, Kim glanced up to check on Chay just to see him standing at one of the graves. Kim knew Chay found what they were looking for.

“Chay?” Kim asked quietly when he walked up to him. He looked at the grave and saw “Kittisawat family” carved in the stone. On the gravestones were some names of the family. The latest ones were Namphueng and Pat. The date of the death of these two was identical.

“Poor Porsche,” Chay whispered. “Our parents died in a car accident too,” he looked at Kim, tears glistening in his eyes.

“Namphueng and Pat?” Kim asked and Chay nodded.

Kim looked at the grave again and frowned in confusion. “Chay… your name… why isn’t it there?”

Chay blinked a few times, as if just now realizing it. “Hm?” he tilted his head to the side.

“If you were dead… Porsche would surely… let you be here with your family, no?”

“Y-yeah… yes,” Chay nodded. He looked at Kim, seeing the same spark of hope he felt mirroring in Kim’s eyes.

“Hospital!” Kim said and quickly headed to the nearest exit. “You are NOT dead, Chay!” he laughed out loud and looked at Chay who caught up with him.

“I’m not dead?!” Chay laughed out. “I told you I’m NOT dead!” he laughed again.

“Yeah, yeah… save your ‘I told you so’ moment for later,” Kim chuckled.

*

“You’re not dead…” Kim muttered with a smile while driving through the city.

“I’m not dead,” Chay giggled. “Turn left.”

“What?”

“Just… left here. Trust me.”

“Ok,” Kim nodded and followed Chay’s instructions.

“You’re not dead. It means we can… you know…”

“I’d love to go on a date with you!” Chay smiled.

*

“Hey. What room number is Porchay Kittisawat?” Kim walked up to the front desk.

“Are you a relative?” the woman asked.

“Say yes,” Chay told Kim.

“Yeah,” Kim nodded. “I’m his…”

“Cousin.”

“Cousin,” Kim repeated.

The woman nodded and typed something on her computer. “Room 205.”

“Thanks,” Kim nodded and headed to the elevator.

“ICU,” Chay whispered when he saw what was on the second floor.

“Everything will be fine,” Kim said, not sure if to calm himself or Chay.

*

When they entered the room, white walls, white floor, Kim paused for a moment when he saw Chay laying in the hospital bed. This Chay was paler, his hair a little bit longer, his cheeks less full. He looked at Chay next to him who was looking at himself, unable to even blink at that moment.

“Beeping,” Chay whispered.

“Hm?”

“The… the annoying beeping,” Chay pointed at the heart monitor by his bed.

“Oh,” Kim nodded. “Well… ehm… so what now?” he asked while going closer to the bed. He reached out his hand but then paused and looked at Chay, his Chay. “May I?”

When Chay nodded, Kim gently bruised the hair out of Chay’s face before he laid his hand on top of Chay’s. He looked at the other Chay who gasped and looked at his hand.

“I can… I felt it,” Chay smiled.

“Really? S-so… I don’t know… get in?” Kim gestured to the sleeping Chay.

“Right!” Chay nodded and stepped closer. He laid in the bed, disappearing in his own body.

Kim looked at the heart monitor but didn’t see any change. “Chay?” he asked.

“Am I awake?” Chay sat up, with his upper half sticking out of his own body. It was a truly strange sight.

“No. No, it’s… I don’t think it worked,” Kim said. “Try again. And focus.”

“Right, right,” Chay nodded and laid back down.

Kim was looking for any sign that it worked but nothing happened.

“Anything?” Chay sat up.

“No. Nothing. Again,” Kim gestured to Chay to lay down. “Look… the sooner you wake up the sooner we can go on a date, ok? So… just stop stalling and wake up, will you?” Kim chuckled.

“Dick,” Chay muttered, amused.

“Me? I’m a dick?” Kim chuckled. “That’s rich coming from someone who’s laying in bed in the middle of the day for no reason whatsoever, you little shit.”

“I hate you,” Chay laughed. It was strange because the Chay in the bed didn’t move a muscle. Kim only heard Chay’s voice.

“Yeah, yeah… hate me all you want, but wake the hell up,” Kim muttered with a smile.

“What the fuck are you doing here?!”

Kim looked over his shoulder, seeing Porsche standing at the door, looking from Kim to Chay and back. Kim had a bad feeling that Porsche might have been watching them for a while now. Sadly seeing only Kim arguing with comatose Chay.

“Oh no. Not good,” Chay hopped out of his body, standing next to Kim.

“I… ehm…”

Porsche’s eyes fell on Kim’s hand that was still holding Chay’s. Kim quickly let go of Chay and stepped back.

“I can explain!” Kim said.

“Oh, really?” Porsche drawled as he closed the door.

“I…” Kim started but then sighed. “I bought the house.”

“Kim?” Chay said, confused.

“He needs to hear the truth,” Kim looked at Chay.

“What house?” Porsche asked, confused about why Kim was looking at nothing for a moment.

“Chay’s house. I bought it. I live there now.”

Porsche clenched his jaw and looked aside. “Congrats. Now fuck off,” he gestured to the door.

“But something happened! I can see Chay.”

Porsche closed the distance and pressed Kim to the wall.

“Porsche!” Chay yelped.

“Listen, you son of a bitch!” Porsche snapped and pressed his hand against Kim’s throat. “I would kick your ass but I am NOT going to risk getting kicked out of here. Not today. Out of all days. So I’m gonna say it one last time. Get. The. Fuck. Out!” he gritted through his teeth.

“I’m telling the truth!” Kim insisted, while trying to pull Porsche’s hand away. “I see Chay. He’s literally right here. Ask. Ask anything only he would know. Chay… give me something… please,” he looked at Chay while struggling to breathe.

“Ehm… ehm… Porsche had a pet gold fish when he was little! He named it fluffy but didn’t tell anyone but me! Everyone thought she’s called Bubbles.”

“Goldfish! You had a goldfish. Fluffy!” Kim repeated what Chay said.

Porsche’s eyes widened in shock as he let go of Kim and stepped back.

“Everyone thought her name was Bubbles,” Kim added.

“How the fuck…”

“I’m telling you. I can see Chay. The… the not sleeping Chay.”

“What?” Porsche whispered.

“And he’s here,” Kim pointed at Chay who was standing next to Porsche. Porsche looked to his left, of course not seeing anyone.

“Bullshit,” Porsche muttered.

“Tell him to ask you how many fingers he’s holding up behind his back,” Chay said and took a step back.

“What? Really?” Kim looked at Chay.

“What?” Porsche asked.

“Chay… Chay says I should tell you how many fingers you’re holding up. Behind your back. He’ll tell me.”

Porsche took a deep breath, looking like fighting with himself to not punch Kim. He scoffed and put his hand behind his back.

“One…” Chay said and Kim repeated it. “Three,” Chay said when Porsche quickly changed it. “Five… two… Porsche!” Chay yelped. “He flipped you off,” he looked at Kim.

“You flipped me off?” Kim chuckled.

“How the fuck are you doing that?!” Porsche snapped.

“Chay is standing behind you!” Kim pointed at Chay who waved at Porsche when his brother looked in his direction.

“This is fucked…” Porsche shook his head. “Look… I don’t know what your deal is but… ok, you had your laugh now get out.”

“I… what?”

“The bullshit about you and Chay dating?” Porsche raised his eyebrows.

“I… ok, yeah that was a lie,” Kim admitted. “But everything else is true. I bought Chay’s house. I can see him. He made me track Aiko. The lady who found him said you picked him up and…”

“How do you know his cat’s name?” Porsche frowned. “And that that little shit was missing?”

“Because Chay told me! He told me Aiko’s name. We found the missing cat post but when we went to get him back, the lady said that you already have him.”

“It was about…”

“A year ago, I know,” Kim nodded. “She said that too. And that Aiko’s not really a cuddler.”

“He is. With people he likes,” Porsche muttered. “Which is apparently next to no one,” he ran his hand through his hair. “I barely get to pet him. But I can’t get rid of him. No matter how much of a pain in the ass he is,” he whispered. “He will be all I’ll have left,” he sighed and looked at Chay, at the one in the hospital bed.

“What? What do you mean?” Kim asked, with a very bad feeling.

The door opened and a doctor entered the room. “Porsche, are… oh, I’m glad you decided to bring support. I hope you will change your mind about wanting to be here alone,” the doctor looked from Porsche to Kim.

“What’s going on?” Kim swallowed.

“He’s no support. And he’s on his way out,” Porsche gave Kim a glare.

Kim looked at Chay who looked almost as pale as the one in the hospital bed. “They…” he swallowed while his eyes were filling up with tears as he realised what was going to happen.

“No,” Kim shook his head. “No. You are not… you don’t plan to… to…” he gestured to the Chay in the bed, unable to say it aloud.

“I’m about to lose my brother for good. And I have no fucking idea who the hell you are but I want some privacy for that!” Porsche snapped while looking at Kim.

“You can’t pull the plug! Chay’s fine! I mean, he’s not, but he will be! He’s right here! Just give him time to figure out how to get back,” Kim was angrily gesturing to Chay who quickly went to the bed and tried to take control over his body.

“It’s been a little over a year. There has not been any improvement of Porchay’s condition,” the doctor said.

“I’m telling you, he’s fucking here!” Kim snapped.

“Just get the fuck out already!” Porsche grabbed Kim’s arm and began to drag him to the door.

“You can’t do that!” Kim said while trying to break free. “Chay just needs a little bit more time! He will wake up! He promised to go on a date with me…”

Kim got interrupted by Porsche’s fist colliding with his chin when Porsche could not control himself any longer.

“Kim!” Chay gasped and sat up, or his spiritual self sat up. His body was still stubbornly in a coma.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, you sick fuck?!” Porsche shouted.

“I’m trying to prevent you from killing Chay!” Kim replied and blocked the hit Porsche was about to land. “The car accident wasn’t your fault! But you letting them do this will be! Chay please, hurry up!” he looked at Chay who was crying but quickly nodded and laid back down, doing his best to take control over his body.

“You’re mental!” Porsche shouted.

“I’m going to get security,” the doctor promptly left the room.

“Just fucking listen to me!” Kim snapped. “I’m telling you Chay’s right here!” he pointed at the bed. “I mean… like his… I don’t know, spirit… or whatever is here. He’s trying to get back in his body as we speak! Just give him more time!”

“It’s been a year!”

“And you waited all this time, no? So wait just a little bit longer!”

“I… it's just…” Porsche sighed and looked down. “The doctors said that it’s hopeless. That it will be better for everyone if…”

“The doctors know shit!” Kim snapped and walked past Porsche. “Come on, Chay. We don’t have much time,” he whispered as he took Chay’s hand in his.

“I’m trying,” Chay said, his voice scared and full of panic.

“Try harder,” Kim said encouragingly. “Come on,” he swallowed and gave Chay’s hand an encouraging squeeze.

“Just… just leave. Please,” Porsche sighed.

“No,” Kim frowned.

“I don’t know how to do it, Kim!” Chay sobbed.

“I’m sorry, angel, but you don’t have a choice. You have to! Now. We are really running out of time,” Kim said before he looked at the door when it opened and the doctor was back with two security men.

“No,” Kim shook his head and grabbed Chay’s hand tighter.

“Gentlemen, please,” the doctor gestured to the security.

“You don’t get it! You will kill him!” Kim snapped, feeling his breathing getting faster as the panic was starting to take over.

“He is already gone,” the doctor said, as gently as one can say something like that.

“I am not!” Chay sobbed.

“He’s not. He’s right here!” Kim said as the security began to drag him away from Chay, with Kim desperately trying to break free. “Porsche. Porsche, please, doesn't let them do it. You need him. I need him too! Just give Chay more time!” Kim looked at Chay’s brother who buried his face in his hands, his shoulders sharing as the emotions became too much for him to prevent the tears.

“Trust me, Porsche. It’s for the best,” the doctor walked up to Porsche and laid his hand on his shoulder.

“Like hell it is!” Kim snapped and managed to break free, quickly coming back to Chay. “Chay, please. Wake the hell up. Now! You owe me a date. And you promised me to not go anywhere, remember? Chay?!” Kim asked when he couldn’t even hear Chay anymore. “Chay?!” he squeezed Chay’s hand before the security got a hold on him and began to drag him to the door again.

Suddenly a sound of a long beep joined the already chaotic scene.

The doctor walked up to the bed and looked at the flat line on the heart monitor.

“Do something!” Kim looked at the doctor.

“In cases like these it would only be prolonging the suffering of the patient,” the doctor replied, with compassion but with a high level of professionalism.

“You can’t just… Porsche?!” Kim looked at the man who was crying while looking at his brother. He knew what was supposed to happen, he came prepared to let Chay go but he didn’t expect things to happen the way they did.

“Porsche tell them to fucking do something!” Kim snapped. “Say you’ll sue them or… or something… anything!”

“I… they told me that… that it would be…” Porsche swallowed, hopelessly.

“Why is no one fucking listening to me?!” Kim said angrily. “Do something so Chay can… he just needs… he can just… he promised me…”

“I think it might be best if you leave. Porsche deserves a moment alone now,” the doctor looked at Kim, glancing at Porsche, wanting to give him some privacy.

“You just killed my… my… and I’m supposed to leave?” Kim whispered as his eyes were filling up with tears. He couldn’t bring himself to call Chay his boyfriend. Somehow saying it aloud would make it all hurt even more.

“Chay,” Porsche whispered while going to his brother. He began to cry harder as he buried his face in the crook of Chay’s neck.

Kim wished he could do that. He wished he could do anything but being held back by the two security men. He wished he did more. He wished he tried harder to help Chay. He was so close. They were so close but even that wasn’t good enough.

The doctor quietly stepped away from the bed to give Porsche privacy. He reached out to the heart monitor and turned it off. With the monitor going quiet, the room emerged into an eerie silence accompanied only by Porsche’s crying.

Kim’s body gave up on trying to break free and lost the strength to even stand. He ended up on his knees on the floor, sniffling quietly.

The security men looked at the doctor, clearly unsure what to do now. The doctor walked up to them and laid his hand on Kim’s shoulder. “You should leave,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Chay?” Porsche gasped and pulled back. “He… he moved!” he turned to the doctor.

The doctor knew that it was just Porsche’s wishful thinking. He experienced this more than once. But he knew telling that to Porsche would be cruel and also useless so he went to the bed to check on Chay, even though he knew it would be fruitless.

Kim couldn’t even breath while looking at the doctor, not wanting to allow himself to feel hope but also feeling it brewing inside.

Porsche was looking at the doctor with the same level of hope as Kim was.

The doctor checked on Chay’s pulse and frowned. He expected to get nothing. Instead he definitely felt a heartbeat. And not a faint one. He quickly turned the heart monitor back on and the room was filled with a steady beeping.

“What?” The doctor blinked when Chay’s heart activity was stronger than in the whole past year.

“C-Chay?” Porsche smiled when Chay’s eyes fluttered before they slowly opened.

“Porchay? Chay, can you hear me, young man?” the doctor asked.

“Chay?” Kim scrambled to his feet and wanted to go closer just for the security to pull him back.

“Hm… annoying…” Chay frowned.

“What?” Porsche asked.

“Beep… beep…” Chay slowly turned his head to the source of the sound.

“Proof that you’re alive is annoying?” the doctor smiled and laughed a bit when Chay nodded.

“Chay…” Porsche laughed a bit before he fell into his brother’s arms.

“Porsche, I need to make sure your brother…”

“It’s been a year, doc. Give me a moment,” Porsche muttered while hugging Chay, with Chay actually hugging him back. Chay’s grip wasn’t as strong as it should be, but he managed to raise his arms to wrap them around Porsche.

“A year?” Chay asked.

“Yeah. You have no idea how much trouble you are in for putting me through all of this,” Porsche chuckled and pulled back, gently brushing the hair out of Chay’s face. “You need a haircut,” he muttered.

“Let’s start with a medical check,” the doctor smiled.

“Hm?” Chay tilted his head to the side when he noticed Kim and the security.

“Hey,” Kim smiled and stepped closer when Porsche gestured to the men to let go of Kim.

“Ehm… hi?” Chay smiled politely before he glanced at Porsche. “Who’s your friend?”

Kim’s heart dropped. No. No, not dropped. His heart stopped. It stopped, turned into a stone and broke into little pieces.

“He’s not… you don’t know him, Chay?” Porsche asked.

Chay looked at Kim before he looked at Porsche and shook his head.

Kim swallowed and looked down. Then he turned around and left the room.

“You really don’t know who that is?” Porsche looked at his brother.

“No… why? Should I?” Chay frowned in confusion.

“Porsche. I might sound annoyed by repeating myself. But I’d like to make sure your brother is alright,” the doctor said.

“What? Oh, yeah, sure. I’ll… I’ll wait outside. I’ll be right back,” Porsche nodded and left the room.

*

“Kim!” Porsche caught up with Kim who was waiting for the elevator. “Kim I… I don’t know… I have no idea what just happened,” Porsche admitted and ran his hand through his hair.

“Chay woke up. That happened,” Kim muttered.

“Because of you. Thanks to you! I don’t know… I don’t know what you did but…”

“Aparently nothing that would be worth of remembering,” Kim looked to the side.

“We could… try to explain to Chay what happened? But… but if he doesn’t remember I don’t want to stress him… or not right now anyway so maybe…”

“Just forget about it,” Kim shook his head.

“What?” Porsche frowned.

“Chay doesn’t remember anything. Maybe it’s for the best that way, I don’t know,” Kim shrugged. “Just leave it that way. Look after him, will you?” he looked at Porsche who nodded a bit, clearly not sure how to act around Kim now.

“I guess you will keep Chay with you for a while now?”

“I… I guess for at least a few weeks,” Porsche nodded. “Why?”

“I need some time to find a new place.”

“You… you bought the house. It’s yours and…”

Kim shook his head. “It’s Chay’s house,” he muttered. “I’ll be gone as soon as I can. Don’t tell him you sold it. It would make him feel like you gave up on him.”

“I did give up on him,” Porsche whispered and looked down.

Kim was sure it was his cue to say something, to comfort Porsche, maybe assure him that it was an understandable thing to do in Porsche’s situation. But Kim couldn’t bring himself to do any of that. He just stepped in the elevator when the door finally opened.

“Kim I…” Porsche started. “Thank you,” he said, unable to come up with anything else to say.

“Don’t tell Chay anything,” Kim said as the door closed.

*

“We will need to run tests but just from this short examination I didn’t find anything troubling,” the doctor was saying while Porsche entered the room. “I’d not shy away from calling this a little miracle. As much as people in my profession don’t like to say things like that.”

“So can I go home?” Chay asked hopefully.

“Chay…” the doctor laughed and shook his head a bit. “You’ve been in a coma for a year or so.”

“But… I’m awake now,” Chay shrugged a bit.

Porsche smiled fondly upon seeing that Chay’s stubbornness was still very present.

“You will not leave for… two weeks at least. Like I said. There are tests that need to be done. And as soon as your body is ready, you’ll need to start rehabilitation.”

“My body is ready, doctor,” Chay nodded.

“Tests first,” the doctor said, patiently and with a smile. He was glad Chay seemed to be doing ok.

“And I presume he’ll go live with me after he’ll be discharged?” Porsche looked at the doctor.

“It would be ideal,” the doctor nodded. “It would be better if Chay would have someone around for at least a month.”

“But what about Phoenix?" Chay looked at his brother.

“As an owner I have the luxury to show up as I please, Chay,” Porsche muttered with a smile. Chay didn’t know that since the accident Porsche rarely if ever showed up there. He couldn’t bring himself to smile at the customer and chat with them. Luckily his employees were understanding. Porsche hired another person in his place so the others wouldn’t have more work than they can handle but since the accident, Porsche has been running his beloved bar from a distance rather than spending as much time as possible there like he used to do.

*

When Kim entered the house, everything came crushing down on him. Chay was awake. Chay was fine. But he had no idea who Kim was.

Kim swallowed while feeling tears filling up his eyes.

Chay made him feel happy. Happier than anyone before. Kim actually enjoyed being around Chay. Which is a rare occurrence for Kim. Kim found someone he enjoyed spending time with… and now that somehow doesn’t even know Kim exists.

Kim considered trying to win Chay over again but then decided against it. There was probably a reason why Chay didn’t remember him. Chay deserved better. He had Porsche. He had Aiko. And soon he will find a lovely boyfriend who will make him very happy.

Kim sniffled while going to do the only thing he could. Find a new place to stay.

*

“Porsche, who was that guy?” Chay asked while doing his best to enjoy the lunch. Mashed potatoes as the main course, mashed banana for a delicious dessert and scrambled eggs for protein. It’s been three days since Chay woke up and Chay couldn’t wait to get to eat something that didn’t make him feel like a baby.

“What guy?” Porsche asked.

“The… when I woke up. There was a man, no?” Chay said. The time of his awakening was a little bit blurry but when Chay tasted the scrambled eggs, he suddenly remembered the man who was in his room when he woke up.

“The doctor?”

“No. No, not the doctor,” Chay shook his head. “Someone else. He… I’m sure there was… wasn’t there someone else in the room?”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about, Chay,” Porsche said, making a split decision to pretend he has no idea Chay’s talking about Kim.

Kim probably broke a world record in moving out and finding a new place to stay. Kim contacted the reality agent who offered him an available apartment she knew about. Kim took it without even seeing that place and moved there the very same day. He told her a little bit about the situation and asked her to give Porsche the keys.

Porsche asked Kim’s phone number from the agent and tried to call and text him, wanting to let him know that he has about a month until Chay would be able to return home. But Kim didn’t return Porsche’s calls and ignored all his texts. Porsche took it as Kim just wanted to be left alone so he just asked the agent if she could give Kim back the money he paid for the house.

“No?” Chay frowned. “I’d swear that was someone,” he muttered.

“It’s been… there was a lot going on,” Porsche said gently.

“You’re probably right,” Chay admitted. He looked at his scrambled eggs and sighed. “I miss my ketchup pictures,” he mumbled.

Porsche laughed a bit. “So get better soon so you can be discharged already,” he reached out his hand and gently ruffled Chay’s hair.

“I’m twenty-five. Not a child,” Chay protested.

“You will always be my little brother,” Porsche said, with no room for protests.

*

“Aiko!” Chay smiled when he entered Porsche’s house and saw his beloved cat. “Hi! Hello.”

“Careful, Chay,” Porsche scolded Chay gently when Chay bent down and picked Aiko up to hug him.

“I missed you,” Chay mumbled into Aiko’s fur as Aiko was purring happily.

“He missed you too,” Porsche smiled. “Ran away right after the accident, didn’t you?” he scratched Aiko’s chin.

“Aiko… no… bad kitty,” Chay whispered, unable to stop smiling for even one second.

“Come on. You should still rest, Chay,” Porsche placed his hand on Chay’s shoulder and led him to the living room.

“But I’ll be bored,” Chay protested while Porsche made him sit down on the sofa where Porsche had already prepared a pillow and a blanket for Chay to rest during the day.

“I got you something to read,” Porsche gestured to a bunch of books he got in a nearby bookstore.

“Porsche!” Chay smiled upon seeing that.

“See? So no risk of getting bored. Rest, read, rest and…”

“But the doctor said I need to exercise too,” Chay reminded his brother.

“And exercise only, ONLY how much the doctor allowed you to. No pushing yourself for more than you can handle right now,” Porsche gave Chay a warning look.

“Don’t worry,” Chay promised.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Porsche chuckled. “I’ll go get you the herb tea and some snacks,” Porsche left the room.

“Hi… did you miss me?” Chay smiled at the cat who was happily purring on his lap. “Will you be here with me? Will you read with me?” he smiled while looking at the little pile of books Porsche bought for him. He saw different genders but all were those Chay enjoyed. Chay suspected Porsche telling the people working at the bookstore what Chay likes to read and then let them pick the books since Porsche wasn’t much of a reader.

“If you’ll go through all of them, I’ll get you more,” Porsche said, carrying a tray with tea and a bowl of fruit.

“Thank you, Porsche,” Chay smiled.

“Of course,” Porsche smiled as well. “Now come on… change into pajamas and lay down. You really need to rest,” he helped Chay to change in more comfortable clothes before he helped him get comfortable.

“Ok… let’s see what we have here,” Chay reached for the first book and opened it. Aiko settled next to him and listened to Chay’s soothing voice as he was reading aloud.

*

“Oh… wow…” Chay said when he finished the last book Porsche bought him to entertain him with. It took him about two weeks, but besides the rehabilitation, Chay wasn’t allowed to do much yet so when he wasn’t napping, he had a lot of time for reading. “What a story, huh, Aiko?” he looked at his cat and scratched his chin. “Ehm… Kim Cillian. Kim Cillian knows what he’s doing, huh?” he said when he checked the name of the author. “But someone should tell them you should write something about yourself as well…” he muttered when the book didn’t contain any information about the author. Chay reached out for his phone and tried to google the author.

“Oh? Look, Aiko… there is another book out,” he smiled and showed the display to the cat. “And there are hints the author might be working on third,” his smile grew bigger.

“Who’s working on what?” Porsche asked while entering the room.

“This author,” Chay picked up the book. “He… or she, not sure… is a bit of a mystery, but I really liked this book they wrote. And there is another one published…” he looked at his brother with hopeful eyes.

Porsche smiled. “I’ll see what I can do. You need new stuff to read, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Chay smiled.

“How can we be brothers I’ll never understand,” Porsche muttered and shook his head a bit.

*

“Sorry, Chay. They didn’t have the one you wanted. But they offered to add it to their next order. It should be there two weeks from now,” Porsche said when he came back from the local bookstore with new books for Chay to read.

“Oh. It’s ok, Porsche. No problem. Thank you,” Chay smiled. “These will do until then,” he looked at the books he could see in the bag in Porsche’s hand.

“Have fun,” Porsche placed the books next to Chay and ruffled his hair before he petted Aiko who was resting in Chay’s lap. “How is he so cuddly with you,” Porsche asked, almost in awe.

“Natural talent,” Chay giggled.

*

Two weeks or so later Chay walked through the door and entered his house, smiling happily to be home again.

“I had all your personal stuff with me. I brought it back here after you woke up. Maybe I didn’t put it exactly where it was but it should all be here. But if something will be misplaced, furniture and stuff like that I mean, I… I rented this while you were… you know…” Porsche told Chay, lying a little bit.

“Right,” Chay nodded. “Of course. It makes sense, Porsche,” he smiled. “I’m honestly surprised you didn’t decide to just sell it. I wouldn’t even blame you.”

Porsche forced himself to laugh a bit along with Chay.

“What about the tenant? Didn’t I cause them trouble? By waking up,” Chay asked, a little bit worried.

“What? Oh… ehm, no. No… When you woke up the house was empty,” Porsche quickly came up with something.

“Oh. That’s good,” Chay nodded. “Come on, Aiko. Let’s settle in, hm? Are you happy to be home again?” he smiled at the cat in his arms.

Porsche helped Chay to settle down before they had dinner together.

“I missed cooking,” Chay giggled when he was sitting at the dining table, enjoying the dinner Porsche and he cooked, with Porsche making sure Chay wasn’t exhausting himself. Chay pointed out that he should be able to be functioning by now since he was going to be on his own now.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? Or maybe you should come back to my place for a little bit longer?” Porsche asked when he was about to head home.

“I feel fine, Porsche,” Chay pulled his brother in a hug. “I’ll text you before going to bed how I’m doing, ok? And in the morning as well, so you’ll not worry.”

“Do that,” Porsche nodded. “But I’ll stop by tomorrow to see for myself how you’re surviving here.”

“I can’t wait to see you,” Chay smiled.

*

A few days later, Chay texted Porsche goodnight and got in the bed before he eagerly opened the book he has been waiting for about two weeks now. He and Porsche went to pick up Kim Cillian’s book. “Ready?” he smiled at Aiko who made himself comfortable next to him. “Ok,” he smiled and began to read.

He couldn’t explain why he enjoyed that author so much. Chay loves reading but he never felt anything like that. Somehow he felt like he knew the author. That feeling was strange but not unwelcome at all. While reading Kim Cillian’s books he almost felt like spending time with a friend. A friend he didn’t know he had. But somehow friend wasn’t quite the right word. Chay couldn’t help but feel really close to Kim Cillian. He just couldn’t figure out why.

The book wasn’t that long so Chay didn’t stop until he finished it. “Once again… wow…” Chay said as he closed the book. “I really hope the rumors about there being another book are true. Right?” he said and looked at Aiko who was curled up in a little ball, sound asleep. Chay smiled and gently petted him before he placed the book on the nightstand and turned off the lamp.

*

“Hi, I was wondering…” Chay smiled as he walked up to the young man restocking the bookshelves. It was about a week or so since he moved back into his house. And since he was allowed to have walks as a part of his recovery. Short walks. He ended up in a local bookstore. “I mean I don’t know if there even is a new book from him… or her… but I’ve read two books from Kim Cillian so I was wondering if there is anything new from them?”

“Let’s see,” the man said and headed to the counter where he began to type in the computer. “Cillian… Cillian Damon… Cillian Rose… Cillian Tom…”

“Lots of Cillians, huh?” Chay joked.

“I guess some authors maybe changed it to keep their privacy,” the man nodded.

“It would fit my Cillian. Since they didn’t write about themselves in their books,” Chay nodded.

“Your Cillian?” the man asked, jokingly.

“Oh yeah… and I’m very protective of my skillful writer,” Chay giggled.

The man laughed a bit. “Cillian Kim. There it is. It looks like there are two books out now…”

“Yep. Got both. Read both,” Chay nodded. “More than once,” he muttered. He kept coming back to Kim’s books, having no idea why.

“And there is another…”

“Really?” Chay perked up.

“Yes. But it’s not out yet. Next week it should though.”

“Next week? Oh…” Chay nodded. “Are you going to have it here?” he asked, hopefully.

“We will order a few of them for sure.”

“Great!” Chay smiled.

*

After a week-long wait, Chay finally held Kim Cillian’s newest book. A collection of short stories, promised genres were horror and mystery along with dark humor. Chay was eager to read that since the previous books were novels so the collection might offer more variety of the author’s writing.

“Aiko! Pspsps… We have work to do!” Chay called out when he came home. “There you are,” he smiled while going to the sofa where he found Aiko. “Look!” he showed him the book. “Ok, let’s get to it, shall we?” he settled down and petted Aiko who moved closer and pressed himself to Chay.

Chay opened the book and started the first short story. “Hm… I don’t know why but it sounded familiar?” he looked at Aiko when he finished. “Do you know that feeling? Like… you know what I mean?”

Aiko responded with a meow as he reached out his paw towards Chay.

“Right, right… I know. Stop babbling nonsense, Chay and just read,” Chay giggled and petted his cat before he started to read the next story. He read a few stories, unable to shake off the deja-vu feeling before he forced himself to take a break and go cook himself some dinner.

After that he quickly took a shower before texting Porsche, who started to once again taking shifts at his bar, and then Chay went straight to bed to finish the book.

Chay got to the last story faster than he would like to. “House with an angel,” Chay read the title. “Ooh? Sounds interesting, huh?” he looked at Aiko who was looking at him, watching him without blinking as if waiting for something big to happen. “Well, you look interested already,” Chay giggled. “Ok, ok. I’m starting now,” Chay chuckled when Aiko let out a loud meow, as if telling Chay to stop stalling and start to read already.

“Come on, Wik… be nice. Everyone likes cookies,” Chay chuckled when he started to read the story that followed a guy named Wik, an author in his mid-twenties, who was searching for a new place to stay. It started with Wik not so politely turning down any place that was too close to any social life. He left a house when a neighbor showed up to offer the potential new neighbor homemade cookies.

“Unlucky,” Chay muttered when Wik finally found a house to his liking. A house that seemed to come with a ghost. Chay snorted in amusement at the banter between Wik and Non. “Non’s little shit, huh, Aiko?” Chay chuckled while reading Non not holding back while tormenting Wik into agreeing to help him. “Cockblocking someone… not nice, Non,” he muttered with a smile.

“Oh, look? There’s a kitty who has almost the same name as you,” Chay looked at Aiko when Non asked Wik to help him find his cat Akio.

While reading that story, Chay’s feeling of deja-vu was reaching a whole new level. The story was definitely more comedic than most of the stories in the collection but Chay’s amusement was slowly fading away even during the comedic parts of the story.

Instead of amusement, Chay felt something in his chest as tears were filling up his eyes the more of the story he read. When he got to the part where Wik and Non were at the hospital where Wik managed to give Non enough time to take over his body and wake up from a coma, Chay gave up on trying to wipe away the tears since new ones were forming nonstop. When Non woke up, he looked at Wik and a big smile appeared on his face. Non’s brother, Tan, helped Chay out of the bed and the next moment Non fell into Wik’s arms, pulling him in a kiss.

“Kim,” Chay swallowed, his breathing faster. He dropped the book, his hands almost numb. “Kim,” he whispered, his mind flooded with memories he lost and was denied access to… until now. “Kim!” he tossed the blanked aside and got out of the bed.

Aiko watched Chay leave the bedroom. He meowed quietly before he curled up in a comfortable ball and peacefully fell asleep.

“Pick up, pick up…” Chay was muttering while calling the phone number he found on a business card of some reality agent he found at home. He wanted to throw it away since he didn’t plan to buy or sell any properties but Aiko didn’t let him. Chay threw it in the trash just for Aiko to knock the trash can over and took nothing but the business card from it. Chay tried that two more times before he just gave up and let his cat keep it.

Chay found the business card among Aiko’s toys, now understanding why his cat didn’t let that piece of paper disappear.

“Hi! Hello. I’m… Yes, I know it’s late and I’m so sorry but I really need your help! Did you sell my house? I mean, did you sell a house to Kim? … Kim Theerapanyakun? Ehm… yes? I think that might be him? I’m sorry I don’t know his last name … Rude and grumpy? Yes! Yes, that’s him! Can you give me his phone number? … What? He changed it. Oh, ok. … What? My name? Chay. Porchay Kittisawat … His address? You can do that? … Hm? He told you if someone asks you can tell them? … Only when that someone will be me?! But how did he… nevermind, please give me the address! … Thank you! Thank you so much!” Chay ended the phone call and quickly went to get dressed before he ran out of the house, as fast as his body allowed him to. It’s been almost three months since he woke up and luckily his recovery was going more than well.

Chay hauled a taxi and quickly hopped in, telling the driver the address.

*

Kim was sitting at the table, barely acknowledging the taste of the take-out he ordered. He didn’t bother cook anymore, he didn’t enjoy it. Not when Chay wasn’t there with him. He went back to his nightmare of a lifestyle. Next to no sleep. Drinking way more than needed. Eating when he managed to remember his body needs that. So him eating cold take-out at 2am was nothing unusual.

He didn’t even know how he managed to finish his book but somehow he did. He hated his last story. He hated Wik so much. Because Wik got to end up with Non. Wik got his happy ending. Unlike Kim. Kim hated that story and Wik but he wrote it anyway. Because it was the closest he could get to his happy ending. He could pretend that it was him. He got lucky enough to end up with…

A knock on the door pulled Kim out of his thoughts.But Kim didn’t even look up, he just ignored it and focused on poking in his dinner, not even bothering to make himself eat it.

Another knock, louder, more desperate almost.

Kim still focused on the take-out box.

When the knocking didn’t stop Kim slammed the box on the table and got up. “Just because I’m not asleep doesn’t mean you get to bang on my door in the middle of the night, you son of a bi…” Kim snapped and opened the door. He froze when he saw who was standing there.

Chay, without waiting for anything, lounged himself at Kim, wrapping his arms around him and burrowing his face in the crook of his neck.

For a moment, Kim was too shocked to do anything, hugging Chay back included. Then he slowly moved his hand into Chay’s hair while wrapping his other around Chay to pull him closer. “Y-you…”

“I’m so sorry,” Chay mumbled against Kim’s skin. “I’m so fucking sorry, Kim!” he pulled back to look at Kim. Tears were once against glistening in Chay’s eyes. But this time it was tears of joy. “I’m sorry I forgot. I don’t know how I could… but I read your story and it… it just made me… everything came back and… I just…” Chay gave up on trying to find the right words and kissed Kim.

Kim kissed Chay back immediately, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Pack your stuff,” Chay whispered against Kim’s lips. “Aiko and I miss you,” he sniffled, unable to stop smiling.

Kim laughed a bit. “You’re real, right?” he swallowed, nervously. “I had… I had dreams like that so…”

“I’m real. I’m real and I’m here. And I want that promised date as soon as possible.”

“Don’t blame me for it taking so long. It’s not me who forgot all about me,” Kim muttered with a smile.

Chay pulled Kim in a hug and buried his face in the crook of his neck again, smiling when Kim hugged him tight.

Chay pulled back and caressed Kim’s cheek. “You look like shit, Kim. Have you been sleeping?” he frowned when he noticed the dark circled under Kim’s eyes. “And eating anything but that?” he glanced at the take out box on the table.

“I look like shit because my boyfriend forgot I exist,” Kim said, unable to sound at least a little bit like he’s blaming Chay for anything.

Chay let out a bubbly laugh and pulled Kim in a kiss.