Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Where is it?” Rain asks the empty air as if it will respond with the answer he needs. “Come on, it has to be around here somewhere,” the panic of not finding it has him panting and looking around the room with frenzied movements.

A little voice in his head, that sounds an awful lot like Phayu, bids him to take a deep breath and reset so that he can solve the problem. “Calm down, Rain,” he tells himself. His breathing slows gradually as he falls into the pattern Phayu always has him follow when he guides him through it. Then he opens his eyes, “where did you last see it? Retrace your steps. There was my bag, but already checked there,” he says, seeing the contents of said bag upended on the bed. “The desk,” he says next but that was clean of everything aside from the paper he had laid there. “Then I was on the bed, before I fell asleep!” 

He practically dives to the floor, phone already bright with the flashlight function active, and looks under the bed. With a triumphant grin he pulls the pencil from beneath it.

He breathes a sigh of relief at having found it, and hugs the writing utensil to his chest.

It was probably silly to panic and feel such relief over a pencil, but he’d been using this particular mechanical pencil for the better part of the last year, and he’d done so well on all his tests and exams that he had deemed it a lucky pencil, and with the final exam approaching he had to make sure he had every advantage he could get.

Now he just had to- 

Wait…

Rain frowns.

There had been something else under the bed. In his relief over the pencil he hadn’t spared it a thought a few seconds ago, but-

He looks under the bed again, and sure enough there is a journal right there on the floor.

Curiosity gets the better of him, and he opens it.

He instantly recognizes Phayu’s work, he could never mistake it for anyone else's, and it takes him only a moment longer to realize just what it is.

These are the plans for a house.

Not for two, but for four.

There is a shared room planned for each couple, individual offices, kitchens, even a room for Kuma and Usagi. 

Rain sets the book aside as the tears fill his eyes.

He knows Phayu wants him. They’ve been through so much together the past couple of years that it’s a well established fact on the level of birds having wings, and the sky being big. The love they have is expressed through action and with words so often that it has settled into his heart like a cement foundation on which to build more relationships.

But seeing this, knowing that Phayu is planning so long term for them, for all of them, it just makes him so happy.

“Rain? What’s wrong?”

Rain blinks hastily, trying to clear his vision. 

When did Phayu get there?

Oh no! The room was a mess! He was going to clean up as soon as he found his pencil, but the house plans had distracted him before he had gotten the chance.

Phayu’s kneeling in front of him now, his expression showing how concerned he is. It makes sense, he’d be pretty worried too if he got home and Phayu was sitting on the bed, crying his eyes out.

“Breathe with me, darling, you can do it.”

Rain nods, feeling an amalgamation of joy, humor, and deja vu , because inner voice Phayu had just walked him through this as well. 

“Sorry,” he says once he regains his ability to speak.

“You don’t have to apologize for your emotions, my sweet one, but what caused this? Is it just the stress from university overwhelming you or something else?”

Rain flushes. “I… I thought I had lost my lucky pencil,” he admits. “I found it under the bed, and I also found those,” he says, casting his gaze at the plans beside him.

“I see,” Phayu says, not seeming the slightest bit upset, “And what did you think of them?”

“They’re wonderful, and P’Pai and Sky will love them too! Although Sky might be kind of pouty because he was making plans too.”

Phayu grins. “Perhaps we can combine some of the ideas.

“We should start soon then, Sky told me that P’Pai was mansion shopping,” Rain laughs. “Here look.”

Phayu takes the phone handed to him, and looks at the messages Rain has scrolled to for him.

‘37 rooms Rain! The place had 37 rooms! That doesn’t even include the kitchens, basement, and a yard big enough to have a basketball court, and a swimming pool, and still have room left over!’

‘Sounds like P’Pai’ .

‘What would we do with 37+ rooms?! Is this revenge for not letting him buy me an island?!’

‘I think so*crying laughing kitty emoji*’

‘Rain! This is no laughing matter. I literally had to beg him not to buy us a mansion! The compromise we reached was 25 rooms. I had to ride him so hard he went brain dead to get him to go down to 20. The place he found was even bigger and had WINGS! 20 rooms per wing. It was practically a CASTLE! How is this my life? What did I do to end up here? Why am I being punished like this?’

‘First off eww I don’t want to know what you two do in your private time. But also awww! P’Pai loves you so much!’

‘*eye roll emoji* After all the dreamy-eyed fantasy stuff I’ve had to listen to from you about Phayu Charming, you should be happy I don’t give more details just to make you squirm, you prude. And this isn’t love it’s torture. You have to help me design a place for us. Otherwise we’ll end up in a castle, and I don’t know if I can take that.’

*multiple crying laughing kitty and puppy emojis*

‘Rain!’

Phayu is laughing too hard to read any further. “We better get to work for Sky’s sake.”

“For P’Pai’s too. Sky really might attack him if he bought a castle.”

“And I’d be left to deal with the fallout,” Phayu sighs. It wasn’t often Sky, and Prapai really fought, but the few instances where it had happened, he was the one left to care for a sulky puppy who watched him with the most sorrow-filled eyes, and not even that cursed squeaky bone was able to bring him any happiness.

Rain was able to get him moving by nature of being sunshine incarnate, but it was always muted. Although if Usagi was there instead, he would feed off of Kuma’s sadness, and Phayu would be followed by two sets of sad eyes instead of one.

“P’Phayu?”

“I’m alright. I was just thinking about how sad everyone is when they fight.”

“Oh. Well we won’t let it come to that. Plus Sky is probably too tired to fight with P’Pai because exams are exhausting.”

Phayu laughs. “I know that feeling quite well, my sweet boy, trust me.”

“There’s been a lot of times where I just looked at you just to remember it was possible to survive,” Rain tells him.

“I know it’s been hard, but you’re doing so well, and I am very proud of you.”

Rain smiles at the praise even if he doesn’t feel it is completely deserved. “I don’t think I would have made it if I didn’t have so many people helping me.”

“And that is more than alright. Needing help isn’t a weakness, and neither is asking for it. My parents were a huge help to me, and for all my complaints about him I wouldn’t have been half as successful without Saifah there to help me.”

“Do you think I helped Sky any?”

“Of course, you have. He may have had to keep you on task, but that made him focus too, and I know for a fact he has a bad habit of putting too much of his energy into his studies, so having you and Pai around to offset that is a good thing. That’s without even mentioning all the emotional support you’ve given him.”

“Sorry for getting all worried over nothing.”

“Punishment lines.”

“What! Why?”

“Invalidating your feelings.”

“Phi,” Rain whines. “I already have enough work to do. Why would you give me more!”

“I didn’t make this rule,” Phayu says smugly.

Rain flops onto the bed with a pout. Bit in the backside by his own rule. “Fine.”

“You only have to write it ten times,” Phayu allows. 

“Ugh,” Rain groans.

“You can do it in that crazy language you and Pai made up.”

Rain can’t help smiling at that offer. It was a nonsense language full of woofs, meows, and adjacent sounds. Kuma and Usagi had to communicate somehow after all, and Prapai had been the one to suggest a written form of it. 

It drove Sky crazy once he figured out that they had effectively created their own language and hadn’t simply been playing at understanding what the other was saying.

It also helped when they wanted to make plans without anyone else overhearing, and it was worth the exasperated looks given to them by Phayu, Sky, and on one memorable occasion, Namtan.

“Nap first?” Rain asks.

“No,” Phayu says, “cleaning this mess first, then a nap.”

Rain groans.

Phayu gives him a quick kiss for encouragement. “I’ll help you.”

It was still a big job for someone half asleep, but he got up anyway. The sooner he tidied up the mess the sooner he could rest, and maybe if he didn’t fight it, Phayu would give him a kiss or two for being good.

Chapter Text

1) Arf-mew hnnn hnnn Arf-mew woof-meow 

2)Arf-mew hnnn hnnn Arf-mew woof-meow 

“Lines?” Prapai asks, as he takes a break from the document he had been focused on for the past half an hour.

Rain nods as he starts to write the third of the ten assigned to him.

“Let’s see what he has you writing,” Prapai says as he comes over to the couch to peer down at the notebook Rain is writing in. It takes a minute for him to read the writing given that it’s upside down from his vantage point.“You’re sorry for your words? What did you say to earn this as a punishment?”

“I invalidated my feelings,” Rain sighs.

Prapai laughs. “Bit in the backside by your own rule.”

“So mean,” Rain pouts. It was true, and he had thought the same thing himself, but it was still rude.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laughed at you. Please forgive me?” Prapai asks with puppy-dog eyes at full power.

Rain sighs, he can’t stay mad, especially not with those eyes on him.

Prapai smiles, knowing that he’s forgiven, and drapes himself over Rain in a way that is probably meant to be a hug, but comes off closer to being cuddled by a sea monster.

Rain giggles, tossing his notebook aside, and hugs Prapai back.

They stay like that bit before Prapai settles beside him on the sofa.

Rain finds himself nestled against the older man’s side, but this wasn’t unusual for them. He and Prapai had steadily grown closer over the past few years, and had become even more tactile with one another. 

They tried to avoid it where others would see them, given that many still misunderstood their closeness. Their partners were well aware however, and wholeheartedly approved since both Sky and Phayu were less inclined to cuddling up like a pair of hypothermic individuals clinging for warmth, so in a safe place like Prapai’s office, where the only ones that would enter without warning were Namtan, Sky, and Phayu, they felt free to indulge themselves without reservation.

“Is it weird to be scared right now?”

“Fear is a natural response to a lot of situations.”

“You don’t even know what I’m talking about,” Rain huffs.

“I don’t, but if you’re scared it must be important.”

“I’ve just been thinking about what comes after graduation. I mean uni was hard, but now it’s for real. Messing up means a lot more when it’s not just on paper for a grade.”

“Mistakes will happen, it’s inevitable, all you can do is make sure that when they do, you take a breath and don’t panic. You have to mitigate the damage and do your best to lessen the impact to a manageable level.”

“It’s happened to you?”

“Of course. No one gets through life without messing up sometimes. I simply do what I can, and try my best not to let the same issue happen again.”

“You’re right, and I have you and P’Phayu and Sky to help me too.”

“Always,” Prapau tells him, ruffling his hair as he does so.

“Thank you, P’Pai, for always being there for me.”

“That’s what family does.”

A timer goes off on Rain’s phone. “The house viewing is in three hours,” Rain tells him. “So you better finish your work before P’Tan comes and bites your head off.”

Prapai gives an exaggerated shiver. “I promise that woman gets more terrifying with every day that passes.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that.”

“She already knows. Half the time I wonder who is really in charge here.”

“It’s her,” Rain says with no hesitation.

Prapai taps him on the nose in retaliation. “Finish your lines, before I call Phayu and tell him that you refused to do them.”

“You do that and I'll tell him you're being mean to me,” Rain counters.

A comical level of fear comes over Prapai. “Anything but that lil bro, he'd never let us spend time together again without a chaperone if he hears that.”

Rain pretends to consider it, before giving an innocent smile. “I guess I could change my mind.”

“Whatever you want,” Prapai agrees eagerly.

“We have to stop for ice cream while we househunt.”

Prapai sticks a hand out. 

Rain shakes it.

They meet each other's eyes, managing to remain serious for an admirable half a minute, before they break into laughter. 

Which is of course how Namtan finds them.

She looks at them with all the disappointment of a loving mother when her child misbehaves, which quickly sets them back to work, with Rain helping Prapai out once he finishes his lines.

A few hours later, they are free from Namtan’s well-manicured clutches, and off to view the six properties that Prapai had narrowed it down to. After a lot of pleading on Sky’s part, and a few exasperated glares on Phayu’s, they had come to a compromise.

Since Prapai wouldn’t be able to help with the actual renovation planning the same way he, Phayu, and Sky would, he would be allowed to choose the location, and purchase the land and buildings on it. 

Phayu would pay for the majority of the renovations, with the caveat that once they were well established in their firms Rain and Sky would pay him back for half of the costs.

Rain’s job was simply to make sure that Prapai didn’t buy a mansion with more rooms than the usual temperature in the summer, since Sky was off at a conference for his new position, and Phayu was on site for an important client from Mohk’s firm.

~

Prapai smiles fondly when he sees Rain has fallen asleep after finishing their task and the promised ice cream.

While Rain’s job was to keep him from going overboard, a task to which he was uniquely suited, as Prapai really couldn’t say no to him, his job had been to distract Rain.

The younger man had been a ball of worry, what with finals, graduation, and starting at the firm that had plucked him up the second he was available. It seemed more than one of his professors had recognized his talents.

Prapai can’t help the feeling of happiness that flows through him as he remembers the shocked look on Rain’s face when he found out that his professors recommended him highly, and he landed his dream job with a firm that specialized with restoration of historical buildings and landmarks as well as construction of historically inspired custom housing.

He was a far cry from the young student that was terrified he’d become a university dropout, and he had worked hard so it was wonderful to see that it had paid off.

After pulling into the lot of his parents place, since Rain was staying the night with him, Prapai opens the door, and walks around to Rain’s side. “Time to get up,” he says gently.

“Nnngg,” is the response he gets.

Prapai laughs. “Come on. There’s a bed waiting for you upstairs.”

“Fi mor minute,” Rain mumbles without opening his eyes.

“Alright then,” Prapai says and with that he undoes the safety belt, and scoops Rain out of the car.

Rain for his part just turns so his face is pressed to Prapai’s body, and settles in for the journey.

Thankfully the PIN pad isn’t set too high and he has long ago mastered the skill of holding a sleeping person, and opening the door. He keeps his strides even as he walks, and nudges the doorbell hoping someone was home and he wouldn’t have to fish his keys from his pocket.

Luck is with him, and his dad opens the door.

Jaiyen takes one look at Rain and immediately they are off to Prapai’s room, he opens the door and turns down the blankets to get the bed ready for Rain.

The issue comes when he tries to put him down, and Rain clings to him not wanting to let go.

“At times like this you have to give in, my son.”

Prapai shakes his head fondly. “Yes, Pa.”

With that said, Prapai manages to maneuver them into the bed. Rain shifts, gluing himself to Prapai’s side. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” Prapai says, aiming for exasperation, and landing somewhere in the range of unbearably fond, before a shutter click draws his attention back to Jaiyen.

“What? Two of my sons are being adorable, what do you expect me to do?”

“At least ask first.”

“You are well aware I have an album that won’t fill itself. His mother has given me a few of his baby pictures, but I still have to make up for lost time.”

“Paaaa,” Prapai whines, because when the man was in Dad Overdrive it really was all he could do.

“No figh with Pa, Phi,” Rain murmurs before snuggling in more comfortably against Prapai.

Another shutter click.

“...send that one to me?” he can't help asking.

“Of course.”

Chapter Text

“That goes in the box over there,” Sky says, pointing to the aforementioned box.

Rain puts the book inside the designated box.

“I’ll take this one down to the car, that one is the last of them, will you finish it for me?” Sky asks.

“Got it!” Rain says.

“Thanks.”

Rain puts the rest of the books inside the box and seals it with the clear packing tape. 

As he stretches he gazes around the room. The place was completely cleaned out aside from the last boxes to be packed up. It was a bit surreal to be honest, he thinks as he seals the remaining boxes.

He and Sky had spent so much time here, and it was sad to know that after today, this safe haven would no longer be theirs.

They would have the new house of course, the process of getting it ready had already started because Prapai had been that eager, although Rain had his suspicions that others had helped as well because it would only take about six months to finish, which was a minor miracle considering the size of the house.

Still this place would be gone.

They had made so many memories here, spent so much time cuddled on the bed, and eating dinner at the table.

It’s actually rather eerie seeing the rooms emptied of all Sky’s possessions this way. It reminds him of...

Rain frowned as he tried to find the memory.

Why was this so familiar?

He hadn’t helped Sky move in, having only met him after the start of university, so he’d never had cause to see this place empty in this way. Why then was his heart pounding as if he had run an impossible distance? Why did he feel such a horrible sense of deja vu come over him?

It hits him in a sickening rush. Passing out at the auto shop after pushing his body beyond his limits, and that nightmare . Rain shivers as he recalls it. He’d lost so much in that place,  his closeness with Sky, and Prapai. The support such relationships offered, and his sanity, then as if to show him how much he still had to lose, everyone had disappeared.

He’d been left here, in an empty space, all alone.

Rain wraps his arms about himself as a sudden chill settles into his body.

Alone.

He was alone.

Had he even left that nightmare?

“...n?”

Was everything else the real dream?

“...ain?”

Everything had been going perfectly. Too perfect for any of it to be real…

“Rain! Look at me, please?”

Rain blinks rapidly, shaking his head slightly to clear it, and looks up.

Sky is right there in front of him.

His body is moving before he can comprehend his intent, and he hugs Sky. 

Sky is clearly startled, but he wraps his arms around Rain anyway which gives Rain a stronger anchor to the here and now. “It’s okay. I’m right here, your Sky is right here with you,” Sky says as if knowing that’s what he needs to hear. He wouldn’t put it past Sky to have developed telepathy, he was pretty awesome that way.

Rain nods knowing that Sky will feel the motion.

Sky starts to hum softly, and begins tapping out a pattern on Rain’s back. Showing he is more than content to stay this way as long as Rain needs.

Once Rain calms, a hint of embarrassment creeps in, and he pulls away from Sky. 

“What happened, Rain?” Sky asks gently.

Rain takes a breath, happy to note that it was only the slightest bit shaky. “Do you remember that day I passed out, and had that horrible nightmare?”

“That isn’t something I’ll forget, Rain” Sky says clearly, still feeling guilty for the part he supposedly played in it.

“Not your fault,” Rain tells him, they’ve had this conversation in many forms, and Rain always tried to absolve him of any wrongdoing, because at the end of it the blame lay at his own feet. “I just pushed myself too hard.”

“You did,” Sky agrees, “and I didn’t do anything to help even though I knew something was wrong that day.”

“Sky…”

Sky shakes his head. “I’ll probably always feel guilty about it, but it showed me that I need to be more honest when I’m worried about something, and in the end you got the rest you needed. You mentioned the nightmare though, did something remind you of it?”

Rain nods, shifting his gaze to the floor.  “I don’t know if I told you when I was explaining it, but before I woke up, I was here with you, and you didn’t know who P’Phayu or P’Pai were. Then in the next blink, you and all of your things just disappeared. It probably didn’t help that I was already sad since we’re losing a place we spent so much time in.”

“Rain…”

“It’s stupid right? I mean it’s not like we won’t spend any more time together. We work in the same field, and you're my best friend. Not to mention we’re planning to live in a big house together once the renovations are done, so I shouldn’t be this upset abou- ow, what was that for?” Rain whines as Sky gives his head a gentle chop.

“It’s not stupid. This is where we really became friends. This place was a cage Rain; a prison I built with my memories and emotions, and then you made your way in like you had always been here, and it became something more . All of a sudden there was always an extra towel in the bathroom, and I needed twice as many snacks in the kitchen. There were two plates needed for dinner, and you had a side of the bed, and a spot on the couch. This place became home, Rain, and I’m sad to leave it too.”

“Sky?”

“Yes?”

“After we drop everything off, can we go to the condo? I just want to not think for a while.”

“Of course, did you just want me or did you want to see if P’Pai can come over?”

Rain thinks it over. “Can it just be us?”

Sky smiles at him. “That’s perfectly fine. I’m Usagi’s favorite anyway.”

Rain smiles back, and picks up the box to take it down to the car.

“Are you okay to drive?” Sky asks as he grabs the last box.

Rain takes stock of himself. The fear lingered and if he let the thoughts consume him it would probably be bad, but the words Sky had offered him had served to validate his feelings, and the fact that Sky understood, and felt similarly, had helped calm him well enough. “I am.”

Sky nods. “Let’s go then.”

~

Usagi lays across the couch, head pillowed on Sky’s lap. His owner pets him gently, and he relaxes into it like the pampered pet he is. While he misses his big brother, it is nice to have his owner focused only on him.

He paws at a button on Sky’s shirt, losing himself in the action. 

Then he spots something from the corner of his eye.

The yarn noodle.

He blinks.

The noodle doesn’t move.

Usagi slips from the sofa, stalking the taunting silicone noodle ball.

His prey sits there, unaware of the predator in its midst.

Slowly he creeps up…

And pounce!

He paws at the ball, uttering a triumphant meow.

Then he catches sight of a new nemesis. 

The beam of sunlight playful beckons.

Daring him to try and catch it.

The warmth makes him keep attacking the light until the sun has the nerve to move behind a cloud.

He hisses at the rudeness of it.

Fine, he’d find something more fun.

A shadow grabs his attention, flitting away before he can find the cause.

He stares at the wall waiting for it to reappear.

He is a hunter, thus such patience comes naturally.

Not even his owner calling his name is enough to break his focus, for if he looks away he knows he shall miss the return of the shadow.

Something shifts in the air, calling him to chase, and he does, scurrying this way and that so wildly that his collar and tag jingle as they make contact with one another.

He pounces, catching the intangible thing, and with no other recourse, he lowers his head and eats it.

Satisfaction fills him as though it were a full meal, and he saunters over to the pet bed. It felt weird being there alone, without Kuma at his side, but he curls himself up, letting out a yawn.

A blanket falls over him, and he opens one eye.

It’s his blanket, and the jaguar is looking at him, almost seeming to wink. 

Usagi unleashes a heavy purr, snuggling further into the comfort, and letting sleep carry him away.

Sky watches over him with a sense of contentment. Between graduation, starting their careers, and preparing to move to the new house when it's ready, he and Rain have been busy that this break was well overdue for the both of them. The break was even more needed after the scare Rain must have endured at being reminded of that nightmare. He already had abandonment issues, so it made a lot of sense that his nightmare would play on that. Had he just acted- Sky sighs and sets aside the train of thought. He'd meant what he said at the dorm, that experience had taught him to speak up more readily when it came to his worries, and there was no changing the past. 

"I'll always be here for you," he says softly to Rain. With any luck, the declaration would be heard even with him asleep and give him the best of dreams.

He sits there for a moment, watching over his friend, and his thoughts idly wondering if Rain really was a cat in another life given his mannerisms. If he was, he was probably an orange one. The thought makes him laugh softly. Feeling a bit lighter at that, Sky gets to his feet and heads for the kitchen, they hadn't had lunch yet so he'd cook and wake Rain from his nap when everything was ready, and whatever Rain needed from him, be it a bit more time to be that playful kuppie with his owner looking after him or a few cuddles from his best friend as they watched a movie together, he would be more than happy to provide it.