When the Rain Clears ✓

Six

                     Dinner was a disaster. In the end, they ended up having to get the food to go as Sky refused to re-enter the building. Cloud could only watch in sadness, with Rain's arm slung over her shoulders to comfort her, while the two drove away. They turned to look at Phayu who offered them a tight smile before reaching out to show a small box; the one Sky refused to open. Cloud took it back and smiled sadly as she tucked it away into her bag.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Don't worry, nong. Do you two need a ride back?"

"I drove today," Rain said, motioning to an old car parked not too far away. "Thank you for the offer."

"Yeah, and let me know if you guys need anything."

They nodded, walking over to the car while Phayu watched them closely. He watched as Cloud got into the passenger seat, and as Rain put the food into her lap. He watched as Rain took a seat, put on his seatbelt, and started the car. Yet they didn't leave. Instead, Phayu watched as Rain unstrapped minutes later, stepped out of the car, looked at him with a sheepish smile and motioned for him over.

He looked around for a clear road before jogging over.

"Everything alright?" Phayu asked.

"Um," Rain scratched at his nose, clearly embarrassed. "The car's not starting..."

Phayu tried not to laugh, remembering their first meeting in the rain because of the car. Just as he offered to help and was about to run to get some tools from his own vehicle, the sky roared and it began to rain down. Cloud stepped out, bringing an umbrella over to cover them, though it was barely enough to cover all three of them. "I think it's best we go back with P'Phayu and come back to the car when the weather is better," she said.

"Okay. Is that okay with you?" Rain carefully checked with Phayu. He nodded, "Of course. Follow me."

               "P'Phayu, are you seeing anyone?" Cloud asked from the back seat. Despite how uneasy she first made him feel, Phayu was somehow starting to let her grow on him as they talked more. Ever since the drive back from that one rainy night, Phayu found himself spending some more time with both her and Rain. And Sky (If Prapai wasn't hogging him).

He had been quite surprised when she first reached out to him and invited him to join them for the movies, but Phayu wasn't going to miss out on any chances of spending time with Rain.

It was fair to say that Phayu had a hard time trying to find something to contact Rain about since he had already finished helping him with the car after they returned to the location the next day. So Cloud reaching out to him was somewhat of a big help since no way was Prapai going to give up his time alone with Sky for him.

After multiple hangouts, Phayu was quick to realise he was wrong about Cloud.

Cloud was sweet, and so genuine it made Phayu doubt she'd do anything out of spite, or with known evil intention. In fact, he had a feeling she intentionally only invited him to try and get him closer to Rain. She even provided Phayu with pictures and videos of Rain back in high school (even ones that never existed in the previous timeline) when he asked her. Some of which were used to start up a conversation with Rain.

So if she was in fact a time traveller, Phayu was willing to forgive her for being Rain's first relationship since she seemed to be trying to support him in pursuing him. Now if only Rain would stop being so oblivious. Or maybe he wasn't, and in fact playing ignorance.

"Nope. I'm single," Phayu smirked.

"Aow, but you're so good looking! Surely you have someone you're interested in at least?"

"I do. He's kind of oblivious. Hasn't picked up on any hints at all."

"Ah, I wish you luck," Cloud gave a cheeky grin, earning an eye roll from Rain.

"Where are we going again?" Rain asked, looking around to see if he knew the area.

"Oh there's this new sweet-"

"-Stop the car," Cloud interrupted. The two froze. Rain turned to look at the backseat while Phayu peaked through the rear mirror.

"Stop the car, Phi," Rain grabbed onto Phayu's shoulder. Checking to see it was clear, Phayu drove over to the side and parked the car, making sure to turn on the emergency light. Cloud unbuckled, barely managing to get herself out of the car before hunching over and throwing up.

Both men decided to step out and check on her. Rain patted her back while Phayu made sure her hair didn't get into face while she continued to throw up. Tears formed in her eyes, and when she finally stopped, she was breathing for air. "I think-" she gasped out, placing a hand over her chest. "I think I need to go to the hospita-'' before she could finish, her eyes rolled back and both Rain and Phayu reached out to grab her before she hit the ground.

                   Rain was more than aware of what Cloud was doing since she first invited Phayu out to watch a movie with them. It wasn't something she decided alone. No. Cloud wasn't selfish like that. She had talked to him, one on one after the two of them managed to have a proper conversation with Sky (it was a very tearful conversation, that luckily ended with laughter), and returned home and were in their shared bedroom.

Yes, the two of them lived together. And Rain's family more than adored Cloud to allow her to move in and share a room with him, even after they announced they broke up.

Rain's grandmother even offered to share her room with Cloud, but Rain and Cloud were fine with continuing to share a room. In fact, it put Rain at ease to know he would be there for her in case anything happened.

"You love him, Rain," Cloud had stated when they were seated on the bed. "I know you think you're better off not causing him trouble, but I don't see it that way. And I doubt he would think of it that way, too."

"I'm not having this conversation, Cloud," Rain clasped his hands together, looking down at the ground.

"When will we have this conversation then? When I'm buried in the grounds?" she huffed.

He closed his eyes, "That's not fair, Cloud."

"Life isn't fair. Rain, I truly think your Phayu wouldn't want you to do this to yourself, or to him. I believe he would've chosen you over and over again even if it meant dying early."

"But that's what I don't want."

"What happened to him could've happened to anyone, Rain. It could happen to me, to your mom, it was an accident. Who's to say he didn't die from a heart attack, or by drowning if he didn't pass away that day? What happened was not your fault. You weren't the storm that raged over him that day, you weren't the vehicle that slipped and collided into him. You were not the cause." She pulled him into a hug. "Spend some time with him, and if you still think being away is the best option, then...do so."

And so that day they came to a deal. Cloud could be quite stubborn, more so than Rain when she wanted to, and there had been quite a lot of fair points she brought up to convince him.

One hang out led to another, then another, and Rain felt himself sinking further into the pool of want. He wanted to be with Phayu; to reach out to him, kiss him, and hold him. The effect he had on Rain was crazy, and if not for Rain being extra cautious, he would've long fallen into Phayu's sweet smile and kissed him by now. Like the old him.

And despite what it may seem like, Rain was more than aware of the flirtatious act Phayu was displaying towards him. It made him wonder when or why Phayu had grown interested in him. In their last life, too. In their old life Phayu would say to him,

"Loving you comes easy to me."

It made him weak in the knees, and lost in a cloud of thoughts.

And now he was starting to fully believe it.

He was starting to cave in.

Until Cloud collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital.