After our small celebration, we cleaned up together. While washing the dishes, I thought about staying over for the night. The heavy rain showed no signs of stopping, and driving in this weather at night wasn't a good idea. After finishing the dishes, I dried my hands and checked the weather forecast on my phone. The rain was expected to continue until morning. I was about to call home when my mother called me instead.
"Yes, Mom."
[Where are you, Dan?]
"I'm in Jay's room. We just finished celebrating. Mom, I think I'll stay here tonight. The rain is really heavy."
[That's why I called. It's storming over here too, with strong winds. Stay there, don't drive in the rain, it's dangerous.]
"Ah, alright."
[Tiger wants to talk to you.] The phone was handed over to Tiger. [Dan, stay there tonight. I've already arranged for the guest room to be prepared for you. Did you bring a change of clothes?]
"No, I didn't bring anything."
[Alright, I'll have them prepare pajamas and fresh clothes for you tomorrow.]
"Thank you so much."
[Do you need anything else?]
"Um, ah, Tiger, could you also bring some workout clothes? I want to go for a run with Jay tomorrow if the rain stops. We've planned a few times but never got the chance."
[Alright, anything else?]
"No, that's all. Thank you so much." I thanked Tiger again.
[Nao wants to talk to you.] The phone was passed to Nao. [Daaannn, the rain is crazy, don't drive.]
"Yeah, I know."
[Will you be able to sleep there? Tiger said they prepared a guest room for you.]
"If possible, I'll sleep there."
[Alright. How was your day out? Did you have fun?]
"It was fun, at least for me. I haven't been to the zoo in a long time, so I was really excited. I probably enjoyed it more than the birthday kid. Jay seemed fine; he took a lot of photos."
[What kind of photos?] Nao asked. I could picture his mischievous expression, and if I were there, I'd pinch his cheeks.
"Photos of me," I answered honestly. "Mostly."
[But he took some pictures of the animals too, right?]
"He did, but not as many."
[So more of you, riiight?] Nao dragged out the last word. [How much, percentage-wise?]
"Uh, about eighty percent are of me."
[Really?]
"Yeah," I said fondly, imagining Nao furrowing his brows. "How about you, Nao?"
[Are you changing the subject?]
"No, I just want to know what you did today."
[Nothing exciting. It's my day off, so I just stayed home as usual. But you, you…]
"What about me?"
[Never mind, that's all.]
"Just wait till I get back—I'll pinch you," I teased. We chatted a bit more before ending the call. Nao told me someone from Tiger's side would escort us to the guest room in about fifteen minutes. I informed Jay, and he nodded. I saw him handling the wrapping paper and walked over.
"What are you doing?"
"I want to keep it, but I don't know how without ruining it."
"Just put it in a drawer," I suggested, taking the paper. "Let me fold it."
I sat on the floor to fold the paper. Jay sat beside me, watching.
"What is it?" I asked without looking up.
…" Jay didn't answer until I turned to him. He looked like he was deep in thought.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't know why I'm looking at Dan. I just want to look… that's all."
"Haha," I chuckled softly. I didn't know why he was staring at me, but I wanted to look at him too. If it weren't Jay, I would've thought he was flirting.
"It feels nice to look at Dan."
"Which part?"
"Here." Jay pointed at my eyes, then my nose. "Here." His finger moved to my lips.
"Here." Finally, my cheek. "And here too."
"My whole face?"
"And here," Jay pointed at my ear.
"My ear?" I laughed again. "What's so special about that?"
Jay shook his head, as if he didn't know the answer himself.
After folding the paper, I placed it in the drawer, with Jay following me closely.
"What is it?" I asked, curious about why he was standing so close.
Jay shook his head again. "I just want to be near Dan."
"Alright." I nodded, understanding.
Not long after, there was a knock on the door. Jay immediately turned toward it. A voice came from the other side.
"Khun Dan, I was sent to escort you to your room."
Jay looked at the door, standing a little straighter. He whispered to me, "Do you know this person?"
"Oh, someone Tiger arranged to take me to the room. He said they'd come in fifteen minutes." I checked my watch. "Exactly fifteen minutes."
"Are you sure it's them?"
"Eh, I think so."
"Not sure?"
"Tiger said someone would come."
"But is it them?"
"I don't know. Tiger just said someone would come. It should be fine."
"Call and ask," Jay said firmly.
I followed his suggestion and called Tiger. He answered quickly.
"Hello, Tiger, you mentioned someone would escort me to my room."
[Yes.]
"Jay is worried if this is the right person."
[Oh, I'll call them and turn on the camera so Jay can see them through the peephole.]
"Alright." I relayed the message to Jay. He nodded and carefully approached the door. When I tried to get closer, Jay stopped me. He seemed to hear Tiger's voice and immediately opened the door, though still cautiously.
"Hello, Khun Dan," the man greeted, bowing. I returned the greeting. People under Tiger's care always treated me with utmost politeness, as if I were their superior. At first, I wasn't used to it, and Nao said he also wasn't used to being called "Little Boss."
The man led me to my room, and Jay asked to come along. When we arrived, he gave me his contact number in case I needed anything and then left. I entered the room with Jay, who insisted on inspecting it first. I let him, so he could feel at ease. Afterward, I set my bag down on the table.
"How about we watch a movie? We still have a few hours before bed."
"Alright."
I usually prefer reading, but Nao had suggested I take Jay to the movies. I agreed and decided to watch a film with him instead. He could watch anything except horror, suspense, or violent scenes.
"What do you want to watch?" I turned on the TV. We didn't have many choices without a computer. "Oh, look, this one seems like a romance movie."
"Okay."
We sat together on the sofa, watching the film. In one scene, the main characters met and later had dinner together at home. The atmosphere was warm at the dining table—they opened up to each other and smiled. I thought it was a good film, with a beautiful soundtrack. After it ended, I asked Jay, "What do you think?"
"It was alright…" He paused. "It looked nice."
"You still don't get it?" I asked. Jay always said he didn't understand romance films—how two people fell in love, when it started, why they loved each other, what their actions meant. Jay nodded. I often didn't explain the scenes so he could analyze them himself. Maybe my interpretation wasn't right, and many films were meant to let the audience draw their own conclusions.
"But did you like it?" I changed the question.
Jay was silent for a moment before nodding.
"Why did you like it?"
"I don't really understand, but… it felt warm inside."
I smiled. "I'm glad you liked it. It's already ten. Are you sleepy?"
"A little."
"Then should we get ready for bed? I'll shower first, then sleep."
Jay remained seated.
"Is something wrong?"
"Dan."
"Yeah?"
"Can I stay here with you?"
I raised my eyebrows, surprised. "Why?"
"You've never slept here before. Something might happen."
"You want to stay with me because of that?"
Jay nodded.
"You're worried because I've never stayed here before?"
Jay nodded again.
"And when I'm home?"
"I worry too, but Tiger is there."
"Ah, because Tiger can protect me?"
Jay nodded. I smiled and gently patted his head.
"Alright. Stay with me tonight."
"Okay."
After agreeing, I went to shower and change clothes. When I came out of the bathroom, Jay was gone. I opened the door and saw him sitting near the door with a worried expression.
"Why are you here?"
"I will stay with Dan."
"Staying with me means inside the room, not in front of the door." I recalled when I stayed in his room, and he wanted to wait outside. "Do you still think that if we're together, I'll get scolded?"
Jay nodded.
"Then, I'll sit outside with you." I decided to sit beside him.
"Dan should rest inside."
"But if I go inside, how can we stay together?" I asked.
"If you don't go inside, I won't go inside either."
"...Dan."
"Yes?"
"I will go inside."
I smiled. "Alright."
We went back into the room. I let Jay choose a side of the bed. "I'll turn off the lights." He nodded in response. I turned off the light, and the room became dark. I lay on the bed next to Jay. "Do you want the light to stay on, or is this okay?"
"Up to Dan."
"Normally, I turn off all the lights."
"Alright."
"Good night."
"Good night."
After saying good night to each other, I closed my eyes. The heavy rain outside made the air feel cool. I adjusted my position to get more comfortable. When I was about to fall asleep, I heard movement and opened my eyes. "Are you uncomfortable?" I shifted to give him more space.
"I'm fine."
"Can you sleep?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
I closed my eyes again.
"Dan."
I opened them again.
"Yes?"
"Come a little closer."
"Alright." I moved closer to Jay as before. "You want me to be near you?"
"Yes," he answered softly. "Dan."
"Yes?"
"Can I hold your hand?"
"Of course." I extended my hand, and Jay reached for it. "Are you going to check my pulse like before?"
"No," Jay replied. "I can hear you breathing."
"Really?" I asked, surprised. "Even though the sound of the rain outside is quite loud."
"Yes."
"Amazing," I praised him. "I'm going to sleep now."
"Okay."
This time, I really fell asleep.
When I woke up, I saw Jay sitting beside me, still holding my hand like when I slept. I sat up.
"What time is it?"
"Seven in the morning."
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I don't wake Dan up on a day off," Jay said. That was true—on my days off, he never called me because I didn't have to wake up early for work. He always waited for me to let him know I was awake.
"Right," I nodded. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes. What about Dan?"
"Yes. I slept very well," I admitted. "You said you slept well. You didn't have nightmares or wake up in the middle of the night?" I asked, surprised, because Jay usually told me he often had nightmares about the past and frequently woke up. I suspected it was because of his job, which made him always stay alert.
"I didn't dream, but I woke up," Jay said. "When I saw Dan breathing, I went back to sleep."
"You went back to sleep right away?"
"Yes."
"..." I fell silent, thinking. "When you wake up in the middle of the night, what do you think about?"
"The most important thing is that Dan is still alive."
"Ah," I nodded, understanding. I stopped overthinking. I opened the window next to the bed and saw the clear weather. "Shall we go for a morning run? Tiger has already prepared workout clothes." I paused, remembering something. "Today is Sunday. You're free."
"I can run," Jay answered immediately. "I will run with Dan."
"Alright. I'll shower and change first."
"Okay."
I got out of bed, but Jay was still holding my hand.
"Can you let go for a moment?"
"Of course." Whether it was just my imagination or not, Jay seemed a little disappointed when he let go.
"You need to change too. Go back to your room, shower, and change. When I'm done, I'll come to your room. How about that?" I suggested the most efficient plan I could think of.
"I'll wait for Dan."
"Alright."
Jay waited while I changed clothes. After finishing, I took him to his room so he could change. We went downstairs together. Even though it was a day off, the place was still crowded. Jay took me to the back area of the gym, a running track designated for boxers.
"How many laps do you usually do?"
"Thirty."
"..." I didn't say anything and sighed quietly. There was no way I could manage thirty laps. Hopefully, just one lap. Anything more than that, I'd have to start walking.
"Today... just three laps, okay? I'm just starting."
"..." Jay frowned and looked at me. "Five."
"Alright, I can do it," I muttered in the end. "Can I walk?"
"...You can," he answered softly, as if thinking. Hearing that, I felt relieved. We started running, the track filled with people running seriously. I knew I ran slowly, so I stayed in the outer lane. Looking around, I didn't see Jay beside me; he was already far ahead. Jay stopped and waited for me.
When I finally caught up, he asked in a concerned tone, "Are you okay, Dan?"
"I haven't even finished one lap. Do I look bad?"
"No, just normal," Jay said, adjusting his pace to match mine. "Be careful not to fall."
"Okay."
As expected, I could only run one lap before asking Jay to walk. Jay didn't complain and walked with me.
"Khun... Ah, Khun... Sorry, I didn't know it was Khun Dan. Hello!" Someone running greeted me. He slowed down to talk properly. I greeted him back.
"Hello, Jayden. How many laps have you done?"
"One."
"And you walk now? Can't run a little more?"
"I'm walking with Dan."
"Aaaah." He dragged out the word. "Dan, are you here to exercise? Is Hia Tiger and Khun Nao here too?"
"No, I stayed over last night because of the rain. I took the chance to exercise today."
"Oh, I see. Enjoy your time! I'll be going now."
"Yeah." And he went back to running. I asked Jay, "Do you talk to him often? Are you close?"
"He talks to me often."
"That's good," I said, thinking that bringing Jay here was a good decision. I asked for the names of people, and Jay remembered the names of those who talked to him.
We walked for five laps. Although tired, I managed to make it to the dining area. Jay ordered breakfast and brought it to the table. Jay finished eating first and waited. When I was done, he took my plate. With Jay, I always had to finish my food or not leave too much. He never let me waste food. We went up to my room to rest and think about what to do next. My phone notified me of a message from Dr. TonFah.
[TonFah]: Good morning. How was Jayden's celebration?
As if he knew I was about to message him.
[Dan]: Good morning. I was just about to text you.
[Dan]: I stayed over with Jay because of the rain. A lot happened.
[Dan]: Can I call you?
[TonFah]: Sure.
I told Jay I was going out to take a call and went to the balcony. I called Dr. TonFah, and after exchanging greetings, I started:
"It looks like he really likes the camera I bought for him. Thanks to TyPhoon for the recommendation."
[That's good.]
"At the zoo, he only took pictures of me, not much of the surroundings or the animals there. On his birthday, he said he didn't need a big celebration, just being with me was enough. Sometimes, it feels like...."
[Like what?]
"He stared at me. I asked why, and he said he didn't know, just that he was happy to look at me. I asked which part, and he pointed at my whole face," I chuckled softly, recalling it fondly. "If it weren't Jay, I might've thought he was flirting."
[Maybe he was,] TonFah replied.
"What?"
[Maybe he doesn't realize or understand his feelings.]
"Uh... I don't think so," I frowned.
[Maybe not,] TonFah continued. [But it's possible. Let's say Jayden is in love with you, in a romantic way. What would you do?]
"..." I fell silent.
[Think about it. It's not impossible. If that happens, what would you do?]
"I..." I didn't know what to say. I had never thought about it. "I need... time to think."
[Alright.]
"I'll continue. And... uhmm," my mind was starting to spiral because of TonFah's words. I took a deep breath to calm myself. "We slept together last night because Jay was worried something might happen to me. He said he worries when we're not together, but at home, Tiger protects me. Jay usually has nightmares and wakes up, but last night he didn't have any. He woke up, but when he saw I was fine, he went back to sleep."
[He usually doesn't fall back asleep right away after waking up, right?]
"No, it usually takes him some time."
[He really cares about you,] TonFah stated. [He feels at ease when he's with you, that's why he didn't have nightmares. Before, he woke up because of his job, but now it's because of you. He can't go back to sleep until he makes sure you're okay. With you near him, he feels safe and can sleep.]
"Ah... yeah," I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. I was starting to think like him. "How can I ease his worries? He can't keep waking up like this."
[Hmm,] TonFah sounded hesitant. [Honestly, he needs professional treatment.]
"...Yeah. I'll talk to him when I get the chance."
[Alright. Anything else?]
"No, that's all."
[If anything comes up, call me.]
"Thank you, Dr. TonFah." I thanked him sincerely. My mind was spinning. I was about to go back inside when my mother called.
"Yes, Mom."
[Are you awake? Am I bothering you?]
"I'm awake. You're not bothering me. What is it?"
[Good. While I was cooking, I was thinking. Jayden's name is unique, isn't it? You don't hear it often.]
"Yeah, that's true. Why?"
[It reminded me of something. It suddenly crossed my mind.]
"What?"
[Is Jayden's mother's name Jane and his father's name Ayden? I don't know, maybe not. But this is too much of a coincidence.]
"Ah!"