章 54: A Wish In The Rain
[Johan's POV]
Johan churned his torso to shake Adrian's hold, but the drunk man only tightened his grip around his waist even though he's half-asleep on his lap. A snicker from his cousin had him glaring. "This is your fault, Couz."
"Why me? I'm not the one who got him drunk." Sean directed an accusing stare at Kristoff, who was clearing the table with empty bottles and junk food wrappers.
Kristoff scratched a spot on his tattooed arm. The red ink used on the rose art was a wonderful contrast to his skin. He jutted his lips into a pout and grumbled, "it's not like I'm the one who broke his heart."
Johan swatted the accusation of their gazes along with the fucking mosquito that kept buzzing in front of him. A provincial life wasn't all nature and paradise. There were also pests, especially during twilight.
"I'll go get a mosquito coil," Kristoff excused himself and grabbed the trash with him.
"Get the lavender scent."
"Yes, Mine."
Sean's disgruntled expression at the pet name didn't match the blooming blush on his cheeks. Scratching his spikes of hair, Sean turned to him and motioned to Adrian with his pursed lips. "What's your plan, Couz?"
Johan fiddled with Adrian's ear absentmindedly and pressed his head closer to him. He released the century's longest sigh and shrugged. "I don't know, Couz. I honestly don't know."
"What happened between you two, anyway?" Sean asked, pulling his legs up on the single-seated bamboo chair. "You were just happy and laughing while taking a bath earlier. Now, he's like... heartbroken."
Instantly, Johan regretted their conversation at the hammock. He should have just played along. It was just a joke from Adrian's part, anyway. But being called a cheater vexed Johan, prompting him to finally define their relationship. They're not real boyfriends. If he so wanted to sleep with others, Adrian has no right to stop him.
"No wonder he looked crushed," Sean said after he explained it to him. "It looks like he's serious about you, Couz."
"He's still with Rhia."
"Would you say yes if he breaks up with her?"
"That's..." That's another problem in itself. Johan groaned and rubbed his face in frustration. "He actually almost does if I didn't take his phone away."
"He did? Oh my God, Couz, why did you stop him?"
"He's drunk. He doesn't know what he's doing." Johan glanced down at Adrian's face, who looked more sleep-deprived than drunk. Or a mixture of both. He brushed his blond forelocks away from the closed eyes. "And that's just not fair. Rhia doesn't deserve a break up over the phone."
After he cheated on her with him, the least he could do was break up with her the proper way. And Adrian owed her an apology. They both do. But that's only if he's serious about breaking up with Rhia, something that he doubted Adrian will do if he's sober.
"So you'd say yes if he breaks up with her in person?"
"What's with your questions?" Johan shot his cousin a suspicious look. "Is this a late-night talk show?"
"Yes, it is." Sean only laughed. "I want to know what's your next step, Couz. I'm curious how you'd get yourself out of this mess. Will you run away again? Or will you fight in the name of love?"
The actual fuck? "You're being ridiculous."
Sean opened his mouth to ask more, but Kristoff emerged from the door and placed a mosquito-repelling incense at the foot of the bamboo table.
"Why don't you move him to the bedroom?" Kristoff suggested and pointed at the space behind the flimsy wall of crisscrossed bamboo strips. "There's a sleeping mat and mosquito net inside. I can lend you some pillows."
Johan shook his head. "It's okay. We've intruded enough. We'll leave as soon as he wakes up sober."
Not long after he uttered those words, a light drizzle of rain pelted the thatched roof. He could only curse while the two mongrels laughed.
"Looks like you'll have no choice but to stay, Couz."
"I'll go grab the bedsheets and pillows." Kristoff ran outside, leaving no room for him to protest.
"Shit! Our clothes!" Johan jerked from his seat, but the movement coming from Adrian stopped him.
"I'll go get it." Sean raised from the chair. Before he went outside, he turned to him with a smile. "Try to be honest with yourself for once, Couz. Even just for tonight."
Kristoff was adamant they'd stay over. He learned from Sean that it's not the first time a drunk friend stayed over, so Kristoff's family was used to it. They even asked them to move to the main house, but Johan refused.
As long as the roof doesn't leak they'll be okay.
After he finished unrolling the sleeping mat made of palm leaves over a thin foam. He turned to Adrian who was leaned on the doorframe, head nodding off to the side.
"Adrian."
Sleepy eyes peeked open. "Hmm?"
With the privacy given to them, Johan cupped the reddened cheeks. "Are you okay? Do you still feel dizzy? Nauseous? Do you want to throw up?"
"I wanna kish."
"You want a fish?" Johan giggled and rubbed Adrian's cheeks more, earning a whine of protest.
Fuck! How drunk was he? What if Adrian threw up? Why was it raining now of all times!
Johan sighed and resigned to his fate. "Come here before your head fell off from your neck."
Fingers reaching up to his chin, Johan back away when Adrian tried to pull him into a kiss. The disappointed look had him remembering their first kiss at the beach—the thing that started this mess.
"Kiss, Han. Kiss." Adrian gave him the kicked-puppy face and Johan could only shake his head, yielding. It's hard to resist Adrian when he needed intimate attention.
The stench of alcohol and nicotine in Adrian's breath intoxicated him. It would be twice as bad if he's also besotted, but he minded the smell when he's sober. Johan pulled away before Adrian prodded his tongue into his mouth.
"L-let's move to the bed. It's awkward here."
"Mm'kay, Han." Adrian in his sleep-muddled mind, crawled and threw himself on the make-shift bed he prepared, the bamboo floor creaking under his weight.
"Couz?" Sean called from the living room. "I'm going home."
What?
Johan crept down the ladder, trying not to make too much noise. His cousin stood by the door, an umbrella in his hands. He gave him a stupefied look.
"You're leaving me here?"
Sean shrugged, smiling. "I'd rather not disturb you. Oh, before I forgot." He walked back inside and to the long bamboo bench they previously occupied. He pressed a button on a small rectangular box that wasn't there a while ago. "This will make it more romantic, Couz."
"You're fucking unbelievable," Johan said as the calming sound of the piano drifted from the radio.
"What? You like Yiruma, right?"
"Yeah, well..."
"Awesome!" Sean had a dreamy look on his face. "Ah. Yiruma's 'Kiss The Rain' accompanied by the sound of rain, with you and Adrian—OW!"
"You mean a recorded music, a drunk man, and his forbidden lover in a shack that will probably get demolished in a typhoon?"
"Ohoho~ Did you just call yourself his lover, Couz?"
Johan bristled and raised the umbrella he snatched from Sean and threatened to whip his hopeless romantic idiot of a cousin with it. Seriously? He's been trying to play cupid since this morning. If Sean performed a ritual to summon the rain, he wouldn't surprise.
Sean had his arms raised above his head, anticipating the blow that would not hurt him, anyway.
"Whatever, Couz." Johan handed the umbrella back to him. "Take care."
"Couz?"
"What?"
"Forget the past. And don't think about the future. There's tomorrow for that." Sean placed his arms around Johan and patted his stiff back in a comforting hug. "I hope you'll find your happiness, Couz. So you can finally let go of your grudges and forgive the people who once hurt you.. Before you self-destruct."
"I thought you didn't know how to give advises?" Johan's shoulders sagged and melted into the embrace, returning it.
"It's not advice. It's a wish."
Johan sniffled. "There's no wishing star though."
"Then it's a wish in the rain." Sean pulled away and wiped the single tear that dribbled down his cheek. Since when did he tear up? Damn.
Johan brought his knuckles to wipe the wetness behind his eyelids. "You're such a sap."
Sean chuckled warmheartedly. "Okay, I gotta go. Good night, Couz."
"Yeah. Good night." Johan closed the door and trudged back to the small room he's occupying with Adrian.
The powerful scent of the rain-soaked earth wafted between the gaps in the bamboo floor. Grunting, Johan rolled Adrian to his back and turned the lights off before curling to his side.
Chill skittered on the exposed skin of his body. With a shiver, Johan pulled the covers on and pressed his back closer to his only source of heat. Not long after the soft melody outside changed to the next song, thick arms looped around him.
Adrian inserted his hand beneath his shirt and pressed his palm over his left chest. It stayed there, unmoving. Just catching every beat of his heart until Johan fell asleep.
'I wish the rain never stops.
'So I can stay forever by your side.
'If only this love is right.
'Then maybe we no longer need to hide.'
クリエイターの想い 
K_Contiello
K_Contiello Next chapter will be the last chapter of this volume (unless stated otherwise). I'll also go on premium on the third volume, probably Chapter 56th. If by miracle I get to write, edit, revise, proofread more, it will be Chapter 61st. But I don't want to make promises so I expect Chapter 56th by default.
Thank you all for your patience and support! Love! Love!
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