Chapter Text
Rain was twirling in front of the mirror, critically examining the clothes he had chosen. He frowned slightly and pouted in his usual manner. Even though he and Phayu had been together for almost two years, he still wanted to look perfect for his boyfriend. They had planned to go to the movies today, and Rain eagerly anticipated their upcoming date.
He kept thinking back to the first time they went to the cinema together in this huge complex in the centre of Bangkok. In those early days, Rain was full with the excitement about his newfound feelings. Not much changed over time, except that his initial infatuation had developed into a deep and genuine love. Rain did not doubt the strength of the bond he and Phayu had forged. The man had an uncanny ability to read him like an open book. Yet Rain had no objections to this dynamic; he knew he was cherished and protected.
As Rain reminisced and tried to tame his noticeably grown hair, Phayu lingered in the doorway, his face adorned with a smile as he gazed at his precious boy. In that moment, and with each passing minute, Rain exuded such an irresistible charm that Phayu was tempted to pull him onto the bed and hold him until they were both breathless.
But instead he entered the room and hugged Rain from behind, wrapping both arms around Rain’s slender waist. For a brief moment, the boy was startled by the unexpected touch, but he soon relaxed into the familiar and warm embrace.
"Whose beautiful wifey is this?" Phayu murmured playfully into Rain's ear, lightly stroking the other's cheek with the tip of his nose.
"P’Phayu! Stop teasing me!" Rain exclaimed loudly, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"I'm not. You really do look wonderful," the biker replied gently. He leaned forward to rest his chin on Rain's head, turned his gaze to the mirror and met his boyfriend's eyes in the reflection.
"Are you sure you like my outfit? At first I was going to wear the green T-shirt I had on when we met the guys at the bar two weeks ago, but I changed my mind because it doesn’t really go well with my new jacket. Besides, it's supposed to rain all day today, judging by the weather. So maybe I should stick with the brown shirt? Yeah, that’s probably the wiser choice after all."
When Rain had finished speaking, he tried to move aside, but Phayu's firm grip held him in place.
"Sweetheart, you don't have to change anything. You know I love you no matter what you wear," Phayu assured him, pressing a gentle kiss to Rain's temple. "Of course, I'd rather you were completely naked right now, but then we'd miss the movie."
The boy blushed again from head to toe, but a happy smile spread across his lips.
"I love you too, P’Phayu."
Phayu released Rain from his embrace, took his hand, intertwining their fingers, and led the boy out of the bedroom. As they came down the stairs, they bumped into Saifah, who was sitting at the kitchen table, obviously typing a message to someone.
"Are you lovebirds rushing off on a date?" he joked. "I’m going to Mel’s in a few hours and I’ll be with her this week, so the house is all yours. Have fun!"
Phayu ignored his brother's comment, only letting out a small chuckle in response, while Rain whispered a modest "thank you".
Stepping outside, they quickly made their way to the Range Rover to avoid getting wet. Phayu had initially intended to take Rain for a ride on the bike, but the inclement weather forced them to opt for the SUV.
After putting Rain in the front of the car and buckling his seatbelt, Phayu sat in the driver's seat and started the engine.
***
Despite the pouring rain and the fact that it was a day off, the ride didn't take as long as they'd expected, so they still had time to buy some snacks. Normally, Phayu preferred healthier food, but he couldn't deny his adorable boy this simple pleasure. And if anyone accused him of spoiling Rain too much, well, everyone has their weaknesses.
"P'Phayu, can we have caramel popcorn instead of the salted ones today?"
"Of course, no problem," the man replied with a smile, patting the boy on the head affectionately.
"Hey, you’re messing up my hair," Rain complained, crossing his arms in front of his chest in displeasure.
"Don’t pout or you won’t get any water. I bet you’ll need it, considering how much sugar you're planning to eat," Phayu remarked mischievously.
"You're not the only one with money here, by the way. I have it too," the boy announced with a hint of self-satisfaction.
"Is it by any chance in the wallet you put on the dresser in the bedroom when we left?"
Rain's face suddenly changed, and he turned pale.
"P'Phayu! It was rigged by you!" he muttered, nudging the biker on the shoulder.
"You overestimate me, my dear," Phayu chuckled. Although he was telling the truth, he was proud that Rain thought him so cunning and far-sighted.
After a short wait in line, Phayu managed to buy everything in time. The movie was scheduled to start in five minutes, so he and Rain made their way to the theater.
Since Phayu didn't know much about cinema, he left the choice of movie to his boyfriend, who wavered for a while between a new Thai horror film and an American romantic comedy. In the end, the Hollywood stars won this unspoken competition.
As they settled into their seats, Rain removed the armrest separating their chairs and snuggled as close as he could to the biker. There was a family sitting to his left, so he placed the bucket of popcorn on his lap.
When the lights dimmed completely and trailers for upcoming films began to flash on the screen, Rain became even more animated. Thinking about which premiere they should go to next month, he filled his mouth with popcorn, barely paying attention to the amount.
"Rain, slow down a bit or you'll choke. It's not going anywhere."
"Sorry, P’Phayu. I’m just so excited!"
"I know, sweetheart," Phayu said with understanding, gently brushing away the crumbs from Rain’s lips.
After three more trailers and a few annoying commercials, the opening credits of the comedy finally appeared, and an expectant murmur went through the crowd.
Rain clasped Phayu’s hand in his own and smiled, looking forward to another fantastic movie date. Thirty minutes later, however, an unexpected event occurred that no one in the theater could have predicted.
Phayu was so engrossed in the twists and turns of the plot, as well as his boyfriend's delighted laughter in response to the characters' lines, that he failed to notice an oddly dressed stranger enter the theater. He was wearing an entirely black outfit, a deliberate choice that allowed him to blend effortlessly into the darkness. He stood motionless at the back for a few minutes, discreetly observing the audience from the shadow of his cap, before abruptly descending with incredible speed.
As soon as Phayu heard the first shot, he reacted almost instantly. Trusting his inner instinct, he grabbed Rain and swiftly pushed him down, using his own body to shield the boy. This sudden maneuver caused Rain to accidentally knock over a bucket of popcorn, scattering it all over the seats and floor around them. At first he struggled to comprehend the situation, and when Phayu pulled him under the seats, Rain hit his head painfully, momentarily disorientating himself. When he regained his composure, the boy whimpered, but the man quickly covered his mouth with a strong hand. Rain felt Phayu lean close to his ear, his hot breath brushing against his sensitive skin.
"Stay still and don’t make a sound," he whispered in a soft but unyielding tone.
Despite Phayu's best efforts to remain calm and level-headed, his heart was pounding uncontrollably, as if it would burst through his chest. Nervously, he slipped his hand under the boy's T-shirt to check if any of the bullets had grazed him, for he had discovered a bloodstain spreading across the light-colored fabric.
Reassured that Rain was unharmed, the man buried his face in the boy's neck and let out a slow sigh of relief. It wasn't Rain's blood; it was the blood of a woman who had been seated next to him and was now dead.
Phayu reached blindly for his lover's fingers, intertwining them with his own in a reassuring gesture, his other hand still covering the boy's mouth.
While the leading lady charmed her on-screen husband against the romantic soundtrack, a real massacre was taking place in the theater. The surrounding space quaked with deafening sounds as the shooter fired indiscriminately at live targets without any exceptions. Cries and moans echoed from all directions, some viewers shouting, and trying to evade the psychopath's gaze. A few managed to escape, but those who weren’t fast enough were far less fortunate.
In the face of the incessant chaos, Rain could bear it no longer and began to sob quietly, his hot tears dripping onto Phayu's palm.
"We'll get through this," the man whispered, hoping Rain would hear his words. "I'll protect you. I'll protect you at any cost."
Rain had lost all sense of time. He couldn’t tell if it had only been seconds or if he had been trapped in this nightmare for hours. Nevertheless, the boy said goodbye to his family and friends in his mind. He hoped that someone would miss him, visit his grave and keep him up to date with world events. He didn't want to be forgotten. Rain envisioned a scenario where, upon hearing of his death, Sky would weep bitterly on P'Pai's shoulder and Ple would comfort his grieving parents. In reality, however, all these concerns were fleeting, for a different kind of fear consumed him.
To die on the same day as the person you love - isn't that what all romantics dream of? But what if only one of them survives? Will he be able to maintain his sanity after losing Phayu? No, definitely not. And Rain was certain that it worked the other way round, too. They had delved too deeply into each other. If one of them was gone, the other would also cease to exist.
To banish these tormenting thoughts, Rain concentrated on the warmth emanating from the other's body. They were so close that almost merged into one. Despite the circumstances, the biker showed remarkable concern for Rain. He tried to hide the boy beneath him, distributing his weight so that it didn't press too hard on Rain's frail body, even though it was clear that he was struggling because of the uncomfortable position.
Eventually, the tears on the boy's cheeks dried, leaving faint, barely noticeable traces. Phayu removed his hand from the boy's mouth and guided it to his head, running his long fingers gently over the crown. Rain closed his eyes, surrendering to the enveloping touch.
The commotion in the theater began to subside, and the screams were replaced by sobs and low whimpers. The shooter paced between the rows, waving his weapon around as if it were a harmless child's toy. His intentions remained unpredictable. At first he acted randomly, but then the shots became less frequent until they finally stopped altogether.
Perhaps he had grown tired of killing and decided to simply play with people, savouring their primal fear. Or perhaps he had run out of ammunition and was biding his time until he was caught. Phayu didn't know the real reason for his behaviour, but he prayed fervently that he would not notice him and Rain or just take them for dead.
"Baby, if you can hear me, give my fingers a little squeeze," the man whispered as quietly as he could, but Rain still managed to catch his words and did as he was told.
"The shooter is moving in our direction," Phayu informed, feeling Rain's body tense noticeably. "Don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to you. He won't dare to cause you any harm. But I need you to stay absolutely still if he comes closer, okay?"
Rain squeezed the man's fingers once more.
"Good boy. Now, get ready."
The killer was about three meters away from them, slowly climbing the stairs and bypassing some of the rows. At one point, he stopped, and Phayu realized they were only a few seats apart. He tried to keep an eye on the situation without raising his head, but it wasn't easy.
Suddenly, the shooter pulled a cartridge from his belt, loaded it into the chamber, and cocked the trigger. Phayu's heart skipped a beat as he grasped the imminent danger. He frantically planned his next move. Regardless of how it would end for him, his primary concern was to protect Rain's life.
But before Phayu could devise any sort of strategy, the stranger pointed the barrel of his rifle at his own head and shot himself in the temple. His body went limp and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
For Phayu, everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. He carefully propped himself up on his elbows and looked at the shooter lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The biker leaned towards Rain again, grabbed him with both hands and pulled him towards him to get into a sitting position.
"It's all over. It's all over, Rain," Phayu murmured, showering the boy's face with kisses, yet Rain remained in a state of shock.
A few moments later, the frightened boy finally came to his senses. He intended to look around, but Phayu quickly prevented that action, fearing that Rain would see numerous lifeless bodies.
"Please, don’t look over there. Focus on me, sweetheart."
Meanwhile, someone let out a piercing scream, announcing the tormentor’s death, and the crowd immediately rushed for the exit. Yielding to the herd instinct, Rain was about to follow them, but Phayu held him back.
"It’s better to wait," he said, and the boy nodded timidly in response.
They waited for another ten minutes or so before police and medical staff stormed into the theater. Although many panicked viewers ran away, a significant number of people remained inside. Phayu continued to hold Rain, trying to shield him from the horrific sight. He moved them slightly towards empty seats, hoping to put some distance between them and the murdered family in the same row.
Eventually, after a brief chat and examination by the paramedics, the police began slowly escorting the remaining people out. When it was Phayu and Rain's turn, they were approached by a young, tanned officer and a nice-looking woman who bore a remote resemblance to Rain's grandmother. While she checked them for injuries, the man introduced himself and started asking questions.
"Did you know the shooter?" he began.
"No, we only saw him for the first time a few hours ago," Phayu replied.
"Are you sure? Maybe your friend knew him?" the officer insisted, nodding at Rain.
"I'm sure," the biker repeated firmly. He would never allow his boy to identify this monster.
The man sighed but didn’t argue.
"Did the criminal explain the motives for his actions? Did he talk to himself? Did he shout any slogans?"
"No, he didn’t say a word."
"Alright. Thank you for your cooperation. I'll take your names and give you my number. If you remember anything else, please feel free to call me at any time," the man said, handing Phayu a piece of paper with his contact details.
When the conversation was over, the man moved on to help other victims, while the doctor continued her examination. As she began to palpate Rain's head, he let out a loud hiss.
"Are you in pain?" the woman inquired.
The boy didn’t respond, but his eyes welled up with tears. Phayu looked at his boyfriend with a puzzled expression but chose to remain silent as well. The medic leaned closer, gently pushing aside some of Rain's brown hair to get a clearer view of the back of his head.
"Khun Phanit, could you please step aside for a moment?" the woman said loudly to attract the attention of the officer, who was already interrogating people nearby. She took off her medical gloves and approached him to convey something. Phayu watched her lips move as he tried to decipher her words.
"Listen, the boy has a fresh wound on his head, and he's not responding well to our presence. Send him to the nearest hospital for a more thorough examination. If he refuses, tell him it's mandatory in such cases."
The biker furrowed his brow and clenched his jaw tightly. He was absolutely furious – furious at the situation they were in, furious at the sick fucker who had put them through this hell, furious at all these useless people for arriving too late, but most of all, he was furious at himself.
How could he let Rain get hurt? He was supposed to protect him! His poor boy. He was determined to make it up to him. They just had to survive this damn day.
Phayu was jolted from his thoughts by a now familiar voice.
"Follow me, I'll take you out."