“Skyyyyyyy, I love you man,” Rain says, clinging to his friend.
Sky looks helplessly at P’Pai over Rain’s head. “I guess I should take him home.”
“No, don't want to go home,” Rain pouts. “Mean Sky.”
“Rain, you’re drunk.” Sky tries his most reasonable tone of voice.
“Am not,” Rain says, stamping his foot. “I only had….” he holds up his hand trying to count off his drinks. He ends up holding up three fingers, “this many.”
Sky rolls his eyes, “Maybe times two.”
Rain makes a grab for another drink, but Sky moves it out of his reach. “Enough, Rain.”
Rain picks up his phone, staring at it as he wasn’t sure of its function. He finds what he is looking for and smiles triumphantly. Suddenly he pulls back his arm and throws his phone as hard as he can. It hits one of the seniors in the back of the head, he turns with surprise and stares at Rain.
“Rain, what the hell?” Sky says, he gives the senior a polite wai, “I’m sorry, P’Phayu my friend has had too much to drink.”
P’Phayu smiles and bends down to retrieve the phone. “It’s okay,” he brings the phone back to Rain, “your phone, nong.”
Rain crosses his arms and refuses to take the phone, “It’s bwoken.” He says.
“It looks fine to me,” P’Phayu tells him.
“It’s not, I put it on airplane mode and it didn’t fly at all.” Rain says.
P’Phayu smiles at this and puts the phone in his own pocket.
“Yu,” P’Pai says, “Can you help us get Rain to Sky’s car?”
“Why don’t I take him home for you instead?” P’Phayu asks. “I was just leaving anyway. You two stay here and enjoy yourselves.”
“I don’t know….” Sky starts.
“Could you?” P’Pai asks eagerly.
P’Phayu nods, he puts his arm around Rain’s shoulder, “Come, nong….Rain was it? It’s time to go.”
Sky expects Rain to protest but instead his friend blinks up at P’Phayu and says, “You’re so handsome.”
Sky sighs, still not sure this is a good idea. However at least Rain seems willing to listen to P’Phayu and he knows Rain is safe with the senior.
Phayu leads Rain outside, intending to put him in his car and take him home. He is thankful he didn’t bring his bike tonight. As soon as they are outside, Rain pulls away running. Phayu manages to catch up right at the edge of the parking lot.
“Where are you going, Rain?” Phayu asks.
“I want noodles.” Rain pouts, “there is a really good stand…” he looks in both directions, “um somewhere.”
Phayu is pretty sure there are no noodle stands anywhere close to here. “Come back to the car and I’ll drive you there, deal?”
Rain looks at him suspiciously. “Promise?”
“Promise.” Phayu tells him.
Rain squints up at him, “Will you kiss me, Phi?” he asks.
“Maybe later, when you aren’t drunk,” Phayu tells him.
This elicits another pout from Rain. “I’m not drunk.”
“Uh, huh. Didn’t you want noodles? Let’s go.” Phayu tells him. This causes Rain to grin and nod happily. He let Phayu lead him over to the Range Rover and help him in.
“Don’t forget my noodles.” Rain says as Phayu buckles the seatbelt around him. Phayu sighs and grabs a plastic bag from the back seat, <i>just in case</i>. Rain is adorable, even drunk, but Phayu swears to himself that if he throws up in the Range Rover he will make Pai pay for it to be cleaned.
Phayu drives Rain to the address Pai had texted him and frowns at the dark house.
“Rain, are you parents home?” Phayu asks.
“They’re in ‘rea.” Rain says. Phayu is fairly sure he means Korea. Phayu sighs, he’s not comfortable leaving Rain alone when he’s this drunk. There’s no telling what he might get up to.
Phayu starts the car.
“Where are we going?” He squints at the house. “Isn’t this my house?”
“I forgot your noodles,” Phayu says. “Come on, I know a place.”
“K.” Rain says. He plays with the radio until he finds a K-pop station. He turns it up way too loud, bopping his head to the music. Phayu sighs and turns it down a little. He takes Rain back to his house.
“Is this the noodle place?” Rain asks.
“There are noodles inside,” Phayu says. At least he thinks there are.
Phayu helps Rain out of the car, taking his arm to lead him inside. Suddenly Rain pulls away and throws himself towards the bushes in front of the house. Puking loudly.
“Well at least you didn’t do that in the car.” Phayu says taking his arm again to keep Rain from falling forward. “That’s right, good boy, get it all up.” He uses his other hand to rub Rain’s back.
“Ugh.” Rain murmurs. “I don’t think I want noodles now.”
“Probably a wise decision,” Phayu says. “Come on, I’ll take you in and help you get cleaned up.”
Phayu holds him carefully, leading him up the stairs. They aren’t meant to be navigated drunk, and Phayu would prefer the cute boy not break his neck falling down them.
He takes Rain to the bathroom and turns to search the drawer for a spare toothbrush. When he turns back Rain has his shirt off and is trying to remember how to unbutton his pants.
“What are you doing?” Phayu asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Shower.” Rain explains. “I’m hot and I think I threw up.”
“I think you did too. Alright good boy, let me help you.” Phayu helps him with the button on his pants. “Can you take a shower without drowning yourself? I will find you some clean clothes.”
Phayu lays the spare toothbrush on the bathroom counter and turns the water on for Rain, testing its temperature before going out to find some clothes. He opens the bathroom door just enough to lay the clothes on the counter, then goes to the hall bathroom to quickly clean up and change as well. He returns to the bedroom and hears Rain signing tunelessly in the shower. Phayu can’t help but smile a little at this. After a few minutes he hears the water cut off. A little bit later Rain comes out of the bathroom, fully dressed to Phayu’s relief, and drying his hair. The shower seems to have sobered Rain up a little but not completely.
Phayu pats the side of the bed, “Come, sit down, I will dry your hair for you.”
Rain nods, and sits down on the edge of the bed, handing Phayu the towel. Phayu dries Rain’s hair. It’s tempting to lean over and kiss him on the neck. He can still hear Rain asking, “Will you kiss me, Phi?” With any luck, Phayu hopes to hear that same question someday from a sober Rain.
After his hair is dry, Phayu tucks Rain into his bed. “Go to sleep, sweet boy.” He goes to find Rain a bottle of water and some painkillers for when he wakes up. He puts them on the headboard on Rain’s side of the bed.
Phayu turns off the light and lays down on his side of the bed. To his surprise Rain immediately rolls over and cuddles into his side.
“I really think I’m starting to like you, Rain.” Phayu says, hugging him close.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Title from Katy Perry, Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)