[Reader discretion is advised.]
~ Five months later ~
Tay stands by the balcony of his penthouse at the topmost floor of their hotel, sipping black coffee he made himself. He only has his boxers on as his clothes are still discarded on the floor, together with those which the woman on his bed had worn last night.
He looks ahead at the swaying trees dancing with the warm breeze and listens to the soothing sound of the sea, with the sun brightly shining early in the morning.
Good, warm weather not fitting with the gloomy, cold feeling inside him.
He touches the golden necklace he's wearing as he looks at the skies.
"Happy birthday, ma," he says sadly, "I miss you."
A lone tear escapes his left eye which he's quick to wipe when he feels two small arms wrap around his lower abdomen.
"Good morning, handsome. Last night was so~ great," the woman sweetly mumbles as she buries her face on the crook of Tay's back.
Tay empties his cup in one down.
"What's for breakfast?" the girl asks.
"Nothing," he deadpan responds.
The girl loosens her embrace on him, "Huh?"
Tay turns around and looks at her expressionless, "Nothing. I don't eat with strangers."
She takes a step back looking offended, "Stranger?! After what we did last night?!"
"It was just a one-time thing. You better leave. I still have work."
"That's how you see women, huh?! You see them, you fuck them, then throw them away?!"
"I fuck men, too."
The girl fumes then slap him on his left cheek, "How dare you?!"
Tay sighs in frustration then glare at her, "Leave. Now. While I'm still asking nicely."
The girl's lip quivers, holding back her tears. She turns to her heels and stomps her way back to the bedroom where she dressed really quickly then leaves.
Tay massages his left cheek, "Tsk."
He can no longer count how many hands have landed a slap on his face that's he's become used to it.
He followed Mond's advice and started seeing people. Although in his defense, Mond didn't exactly say how long should he see these people.
He takes one good look at the skies before he walks inside and proceeds to the bathroom.
---
Tay checks out late again from the office and currently drowning himself in alcohol. He has already turned down three advances made towards him, just wanting to be alone in this lonely night.
Tay had always been close to his mother. She had become his safehouse, his living diary, and his rest. When she died, a huge part of Tay went with her, making him live his everyday life almost lifeless, waiting for the sun to set as soon as it rises. His father never really understood the bond between him and his mom, but he never got the chance to get to be a part of it.
Tay's mom had always been there for him as his comfort whereas all Tay's father did was mold him into a perfect businessman.
Tay's thoughts get derailed when he feels his phone vibrate from his right side pocket. He takes it out and sees his father calling. He downs the remainder of his beer before he answers.
"Yes, dad?"
"How are you? When are you coming? I can send the jet to you now."
Right, I was expected to be home.
"No, dad. I'm fine. No need. I—uhh—I still need to finish things up here."
"Tay, you don't have—"
"Yeah, uhmm, dad, call you later. Or tomorrow. Bye. Thanks for checking in." Tay snaps the phone shut immediately as he sighs.
He can't go home right now. He doesn't want to go to a home where there will no longer be a mother that would welcome him.
He opts to leave the bar of their hotel but instead of going back to his place, he opts to go out to get some fresh air by the shore.
His eyes are kind of blurry and his feet are staggering but he doesn't bother to stop walking and as he does, his eyes are up to the night skies, getting filled by the sparkles the blanket of stars provide. He loosens his tie and opens the first three buttons of his polo underneath a gray suit jacket.
He keeps on walking until he gets away from the noise of his hotel and nearby establishments having parties.
He eventually reaches the part of the beach where there are fewer people and where the establishments are not as noisy as the first ones. The sand here is full of rocks and the tide is higher than that from which he came.
He stops once he realizes there are no longer people around.
He turns and looks at the full moon. He smiles as he admires its beauty. He slowly looks down to the waters and sees the reflection of the moon dancing with the waves.
He stares at it, getting mesmerized when all of a sudden the reflection eventually has turned into an image of his mother wearing a beautiful white dress playing in the water with a little boy.
It is a memory from his childhood and he tilts his head to the left as he listens to their laughter.
A moment later, his mom turns to him, and the little kid disappears.
"Come here! Join me, Tay!"
Tay gestures to himself as he raises two eyebrows.
"Come on, son! Come to mama!"
Tay giggles as he nods. He approaches the water with his shoes on and walks towards his mother. He's smiling wide as he walks to her.
"Ma! Wait for me!" Tay shouts when his mom starts to walk in the opposite direction.
The water level is now on his chest but he doesn't notice it because, with his mother, it only reaches half of her leg.
"Ma! Stop! Wait for me!" He shouts as he tries to move faster to catch up to his mom.
Tay paddles his way on the sea with his arms, water reaching his chin already when his foot all of a sudden hit a rock, making him slip on the downward slope of the surface.
He instantaneously gets submerged in the water, and he struggles to go up because of the strong waves. His chest constricts as he struggles for breath, water filling his lung as he shouts help into nothingness. He keeps gulping huge amounts of saltwater, making his chest really hurt from the lack of oxygen.
After a few more seconds of struggle, he feels his limbs get weak a sign that he's already submitting to the sea. His eyes start to close slowly when all of a sudden, he notices a figure reaching for him from above.
Tay can clearly see his huge, white, elegant wings and the figure's body seems to be emanating a bright light from his body.
Tay smiles as he reaches for the hand of that beautiful man he has met one fateful night. Tonight, he looks magnificent in his eyes.
It's you. Take me with you.
---
New looks at the skies as he puffs the cigarette in his right hand. He's currently leaning on a coconut tree, having a quick break before he goes back into the bar and resumes his job of serving no one because their business is almost empty every day.
His peripheral vision catches a man staggering as he walks. He looks at him from head to toe and smirks.
"Someone got lost," he tells himself and puffs another smoke. No rich person has ever been in this area because the sand here is not fine and nothing to see here except the businesses struggling to be afloat.
Lack of nothing better to do, he watches the man, chuckling when he seems to be talking to no one except the sea. His brows furrow, however, when the man starts to walk to the sea fully clothed.
"Is he plain crazy or what?"
New follows him with his gaze until the water level reaches the man's middle and he seems to not be stopping. He takes one last, long smoke before he throws the cigarette on the ground, not taking his sight off the man. He walks towards the sea slowly.
He hears the man shout but he can't comprehend it because the sound of the sea crashing to the big rocks is dominating.
"Hey!" New shouts. He waits but the man gives him no response and continues to submerge himself in the water.
"Hey, you! Stop! Where are you going?! Shit!" New curses as he looks around while his right-hand grips his hair, frustrated and looking for someone who can help him.
When he looks back at the man, he's no longer there.
"Fuck!" New looks for a few seconds, expecting the man to show up, but the man didn't.
"Shit, shit, shit!" New hastily removes his shoes and goes to the water against the strong waves. He struggles as he looks for the guy until he sees him passed out. He pulls him up and does his best until they reach the shore.
Panting, he lies the man on the ground.
"Hey! Hey!" He puts his right ear against the man's mouth while he feels the pulse in his right wrist, "FUCK!" he shouts when he hears nothing and feels no air coming out of his mouth.
Without hesitating, New opens the man's mouth and gives him CPR. He sits up and gives him chest compressions.
He routinely does this, shouting epithets and "Wake up, you fucker!" until the man suddenly spats out water.
New looks up with his eyes closed and releases a huge sigh of relief.
"Shit," Tay tries to sit up but he feels so weak. It takes him about three seconds until he notices someone with him.
When their eyes meet, Tay realizes that the man just saved him. He's about to say 'thank you' when New abruptly smacks his head.
"Ouch!"
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!" New shouts furiously.
Tay looks at him confused as he soothes the spot New hits.
"Why are—"
"IF YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF THEN DON'T DO IT IN FRONT OF ME! I CAN'T SEE ANOTHER PERSON DIE IN FRONT OF ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
New stands up. He picks his shoes up and walks angrily back to the bar while Tay follows him with his gaze, his body propped up with his elbows and with his eyebrows furrowed, still confused by the stranger's actions.
A small voice inside of him tells him that the man looks familiar. He instantly thinks of that stranger. He shakes his head, dismissing the thought.
That can't be him.
Tay looks up at the skies
"Why did you remind me of him?"
***
A/N
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