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Phayu fought an amused smirk as Rain looked down at the tickets in his hand, jaw hanging open like he'd forgotten there was a close function. He reached out and pressed up on his boy's chin with one finger, closing his mouth and pulling his attention back to him.
Rain blinked once, twice, then a sunrise bloomed behind his eyes. It spread his lips into a smile that threatened to turn Phayu into a useless pile of mush. "Are you serious, Phi? You managed to get tickets to the Cup of China?"
Phayu slid his finger along Rain's jaw and over his cheek, then tapped him on the tip of the nose. "Somebody hasn't been able to stop talking about how his old friend is doing such a good job representing Thailand on the world stage, and how much he wished he could support him in person someday."
Rain grasped the tickets in both hands like they were a floral bouquet and bounced. If gravity were just a little less powerful, he'd be levitating. "P'Phayu, you're the best! I'm going to message Phichit right away! I haven't seen him in...well, a loooong time. Not since we used to skate together back at the municipal rink when we were kids, but I've been following him all this time, when he was based in Detroit and everything, and we send each other silly memes and this one time he even shipped me one of the little bears the fans threw on the ice after his skate. It was holding a Thai flag and..."
Phayu tipped Rain's head forward and pressed a kiss to the center of his forehead, effectively derailing the train of thought when Rain closed his eyes and melted just a little.
"Go, sweet boy. Let your friend know. But this trip comes with some work on your part. I've never followed figure skating, so I don't know how it works. By the time we get to Beijing, I expect to be able to understand what's happening. You'll teach me, right, Rain?"
Rain straightened, clicking his heels together and giving Phayu a jaunty salute. "Instructor Varain reporting for duty!"
There was very little Phayu enjoyed more than making Rain glow. He grinned as he watched his boyfriend float away up the stairs to share the news.
This was one of his best plans ever.
#
This was one of his worst plans ever.
Phayu clung to the edge of the rink, about three meters from the opening he'd entered through. His ass throbbed from how hard he'd landed on it and he was pretty sure his ankles were trembling. He wouldn't have considered trembling ankles were a thing that could happen, but, well, he had asked for this, he supposed.
Rain slid to a clean stop beside him, having finished a loop around the rink. Skating against the flow of traffic was frowned upon, and Rain had been too far ahead when Phayu had crashed, so he'd had to finish off the lap.
He wrapped a hand around Phayu's arm, a concerned frown pinching his brows. "Are you okay, P'Phayu? Did you get hurt?"
Phayu tried to release his death grip on the wall, without a lot of success. "Mostly my pride."
"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have gotten ahead of you. It's just you're always so good at everything, I didn't even think you might have more trouble than a little bit of the wobbles."
A herd of kids around five years old raced past, giggling like hyenas. One was skating backwards. Phayu stared at them uncomprehendingly. "How? How do they do that?"
Rain petted Phayu's forearm soothingly. "I was about that age when I started skating. I think maybe it's easier when you're younger. You don't have as far to fall, and most kids have more, uh, padding than you do."
"I don't suppose you have a pillow I could tie to my ass?"
Rain snorted, then immediately looked contrite. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh."
Phayu managed a half-smile. He knew Rain wasn't making fun of him. "It's okay, baby. I'm not mad. But I think I actually have to get all the way around this rink before I can get back out." He did his best Rain impression, pouting out his lower lip and blinking cutely over at his boyfriend. "Help me, na?"
Watching Rain short-circuit was almost worth his bruised butt.
"Of course, Phi!" Rain said when he'd managed to pull his brain back together. "Just let go of the wall and hold onto me instead."
"I'll just take you down with me when I fall."
"Have some confidence!" Rain said, smiling brightly. "You're that P'Phayu! You can win architectural competitions in the morning, help your juniors pass their projects with high marks in the afternoon, fix my car in the evening, and don't think I don't know you could win motorcycle races at night if you took it into your head to. You can slide in a straight line holding hands with your wifey. I know you can do it!"
And somehow, he did. Rain, for all he looked like a good breeze could blow him over, was disturbingly solid on skates. By the time they made it all the way around the rink, Phayu decided he could probably keep going, and after half an hour he'd managed to let go of Rain and get into a bit of a groove. He couldn't actually stop, except by running into the wall, wasn't going to even think about trying to skate backwards, and he was going to be aching in muscles he hadn't even known he possessed, despite all his time in the gym, but he was pretty sure that if the zombie apocalypse ever arrived, and the only escape was across a frozen lake, he might actually survive.
"Hey, P'Phayu?"
"Hmm?"
"Is it okay if I leave you on your own for a little bit? I want to go in the middle and see if I remember any of the stuff I learned when I was a kid."
"Yeah, sure," Phayu replied. It was as good an excuse as any to take himself off the ice. "I'll go buy us something to drink?"
"Yay, Coke!"
"I was thinking more like some bottles of water."
"P'Phayu," Rain whined, "I've burned enough calories to earn a Coke!"
Normally, Phayu wouldn't let Rain get away with a response like that but, well, he might actually be right this time, and Phayu was feeling indulgent. He stepped off the ice and waved Rain away. "Go. See what you still remember."
Rain twinkled, sensing victory. "Thank you, P'Phayu!"
#
A few months later, Phayu followed as Rain led the way into the arena hosting the Cup of China. Instructor Varain had done his job well. Phayu knew the difference between an Axel, a Lutz, and a toe loop, how much more difficult a quad was than a triple, and that there were only a few of the competitors who landed them consistently. He'd even managed to get Phayu comfortable enough in the rink to skate backwards, and to stop quickly without landing on his face.
Phayu enjoyed skating, but not enough that he would have kept going back to the rink, except that, on that first day, when he'd brought his water, and Rain's Coke, to the edge of the rink, he'd learned that Rain knew more than a little bit about skating, even to this day. Watching his boy glide over the ice, lost to music only he could hear, hands in graceful shapes that made him look like some sort of ethereal being, spinning so that his chestnut hair stood out like a fiery halo, leaping through the air in a way that made Phayu want to throw himself across the ice to catch him, despite the fact that Rain landed smoothly, beaming like he was illuminated from the inside...
It was poetry. Symphony. Masterpiece.
"That was only a double toe loop, Phi. That's nothing compared to what Phichit can do, and I shouldn't have even tried it after so long. It was more than 50/50 odds I'd have joined you in ass-on-ice-ville," Rain had said, looking away with a self-deprecating chuckle, when Phayu tried to tell him that night.
"It was fucking beautiful, Rain."
The vulgarity, spoken in such a reverent tone, finally got through his boy's thick head. Rain wasn't a professional skater. He didn't need to do flashy tricks. All that mattered was that Phayu could see the way Rain's body bloomed on the ice. The only other time Rain bloomed like that was under Phayu's own hands and lips.
And Phayu had proceeded to do just that, worshipping Rain's body until a rose-pink flush blossomed over his cheeks and chest, and his body sang, just for Phayu.
He didn't need any more motivation to get them both back to the rink many more times.
Now, as Rain tugged his hand, urging him to, "Move faster, Phi," Phayu was nearly as excited as Rain. This was skating at its highest level. Seeing most anything at its highest level was exhilarating, but since this meant so much to Rain, it elevated his emotional investment. He was fully prepared to support Phichit Chulanont with every bit of cheering and applause, despite having never met the man. He'd seen video, though, and, honestly, Phichit reminded him a bit of Rain--both bundles of distilled sunshine. He understood how they'd gravitated to each other as kids.
When they found their seats, about mid-level in the arena, Rain avidly scanned the skaters taking their warm ups on the ice, until he spotted his friend and started jumping up and down, waving wildly.
"You know he can't see you, right?"
"Maybe not me, specifically, but he can see excitement! Feel it, at any rate. It really makes a difference when you're down on the ice."
It had been a surprise to learn that Rain had actually competed when he was a kid. Nothing high-level, just local events, but Phayu was definitely planning to corner Rain's mom someday to see if she had any of it on video.
Phayu studied the men gliding over the ice, loosening up their legs, testing their edges. Most wore warm up jackets, hiding half of their costumes. Phayu was looking forward to seeing them revealed in the competition. The recordings he'd watched of older competitions were enticing. The marriage of raw athleticism with the artistic application of music, dance, color, and the sometimes architectural shapes of the costumes, fused into an entirely satisfying whole.
"Anybody here I should know?" he asked.
Rain pointed to every skater on the ice in turn, rattling off name, nationality, age, and the occasional random bit of trivia. Suddenly his voice trailed off in the middle of a word, while he stared fixedly just off the edge of the ice.
"Christophe does what, Rain?" Phayu prompted, since the verb was what had died on Rain's lips.
Rain shook himself and snapped his face back towards Phayu. "Christophe does what?"
"That's what I said?"
"I... I..." Rain looked down at his hands, a little guiltily, a tiny blush creeping up his cheeks. "I actually have no idea what I was saying."
Phayu raised one eyebrow. "What's got my boy all flustered, hmm?"
"It's just," he pointed towards the spot he'd been staring, just a tiny little finger, hidden by his hip, as if he was afraid of drawing anyone else's attention, "that's Victor Nikiforov." The name came out in the same excited whisper Phayu associated with high school girls spotting their favorite idols out in the wild.
Now this was interesting. He hadn't known Rain had a celebrity crush.
Phayu followed the line of Rain's fingers and spotted a man around his own age, his hair a startling silver, pale face all angles, body lithe in his brown suit. Phayu squinted, trying to bring the blurry face into focus, and when that actually worked, he suddenly understood. He'd seen this man before--in those recordings of seasons past--gliding effortlessly over the ice like he'd been born to own it.
"I swear it's not weird, Phi," Rain said, apparently suddenly realizing that he was basically drooling over another man while standing next to his boyfriend. "It's just, Victor was my idol when I was a kid. His skating, it's just..." he flapped his hands as words failed him. "I didn't think of him, you know, that way. I liked girls! I mean, I thought I did. You know, now that I think about it..."
Phayu put his finger over Rain's mouth to stop him before he dug himself into a deeper hole. "I'm not upset that you had a crush, Rain. Honestly, it's kind of cute. I'm picturing fledgling Rain figuring out that men's legs look damned good in those tights."
"Mmm!" Rain squeaked, stamping his foot as if he couldn't figure out what to do with his embarrassment, then buried his flaming face in Phayu's shoulder.
Phayu smiled indulgently, carding his fingers through the back of Rain's hair. "You can hide as long as you want, baby, but you should know they're starting to come off the ice. I think the programs are starting soon."
After a minute more, Rain detached himself and took his seat, refusing to meet Phayu's eyes, but once the announcer began his introductions, his fingers reached for Phayu's, clinging with excitement and anxiety. Phichit would be the first to take to the ice.
When Phichit's music began, "Shall We Skate," the theme from The King and the Skater, Phayu squeezed Rain's hand, hoping to ease some bit of his anxiety, but soon they were both swept up with the crowd, clapping along to the familiar music. There was a scary moment when Phichit failed to land his quad jump, but he recovered well, and in the end they both cheered proudly for Rain's friend. When the score was revealed as a new personal best for his short program, they both leapt to their feet. Rain flung both his arms around Phayu and planted a wet kiss square on his lips.
Phayu grinned and kissed him back enthusiastically. How could he possibly be jealous of a beautiful ice god when his boy loved him so deeply. Maybe it was ego, but he had no doubt that Rain would choose him at any time in any situation, and he was going to do everything in his power to keep it that way.
#
After the Cup of China had concluded, with Phichit coming in a fantastic first place, qualifying him for the Grand Prix final, Phayu and Rain had managed to meet up with the young skater and some of his friends for a meal. It was an all-together memorable evening, and watching Rain effervesce over Phichit, buzzed by nothing more than the joy of the moment, was all the thanks Phayu would ever need for making the trip happen.
Of course, Rain had thanked him in other ways, repeatedly. In their hotel room, in the restaurant bathroom--probably not the best idea ever, but good lord, it was hot--and almost in the hotel elevator.
They'd been back in Bangkok for a week now, slipping easily back into the flow of routine. Except for the package sitting discreetly on the side of Phayu's desk at the office. It had arrived that morning, and Phayu felt its weight in the corner of his awareness for the rest of the day. He'd managed to resist opening the box, primarily because he didn't want to have to explain the contents to P'Mokh. They weren't inappropriate. Phayu wouldn't have ordered sex toys or anything like that delivered to the office, but it was a surprise for Rain--one that was going to end in orgasms, if he knew his boy.
It was his own fault if his own choices left him half-aroused for the better part of the work day.
#
Rain flung himself through the door, tossed his bag on the floor, and back-flopped dramatically onto the couch. The day had been one crisis after another: a thumb drive that decided to fail, leading to a panicked trip to the tech support desk and a full sprint across campus to get the project turned in on time, then walking out of the room after completing that horror show only to slip on someone's spilled drink, landing like Phayu on ice, only in a puddle of Mountain Dew, leading to the most horrific yellow stain in the worst possible of places, and everyone--even Sky--nearly expiring from laughter.
He had dried out, though he'd worn his jacket tied around his waist for the rest of the day, and now all he wanted to do was throw a pillow over his head and pretend the day had never happened.
Phayu's voice came from the kitchen. "Everything okay, baby?"
Rain didn't open his eyes. He covered his face with his arm and whined. "Today is bad and I hate it, Phi."
A moment later, the couch shifted as Phayu sat by Rain's feet. He lifted them up and set them in his lap. "Can I help make it better?" he asked.
Rain nodded, though he wasn't sure even his awesome hubby could make this day anything less than an utter disaster.
Permission given, Phayu started to massage Rain's feet. Rain resisted the relief for a little while, still too keyed up, but eventually the firm pressure of Phayu's knuckles against his insteps, and the insistent kneading of his thumbs over his heels and the balls of his feet, did their work. Rain felt his body surrender, going limp against the couch. He hummed a relieved groan.
"Want to tell me about it?" Phayu asked.
Sighing, Rain recounted his tale of woe. He would be eternally grateful that Phayu didn't laugh at the Mountain Dew, just gave his foot an extra squeeze in sympathy. "I don't see how today could have been worse," Rain concluded.
Phayu released one foot, leaned over and took Rain's hand, pulling his arm away from his eyes. "What if the tech guys hadn't been able to save your files?"
Rain blinked over at him. "Oh. That would have been...worse?"
"And what if you hurt more than your pride when you fell? That would have been...?"
Rain bit the inside of his lip before replying, "Worse."
Phayu pressed his lips to the back of Rain's hand. "And what about if you didn't have the best hubby to come home to?"
A reluctant smile tugged at Rain's lips. He'd been ready to wallow for a good long time. Phayu was not helping with that.
Phayu turned Rain's hand over and kissed his palm, then followed the line of his arm up towards the inside of his elbow, shifting slightly to reach.
The caress sent shivers racing down Rain's spine. His eyes slipped closed, and he groaned.
"Am I a good distraction?"
"Mm-hmm."
"What about if I make it even better?"
Rain's eyes flew open. A subtle smirk had settled onto Phayu's lips, his skin slightly dusky.
"Better?" Rain asked, lifting one eyebrow.
Phayu sat up, releasing Rain's hand and clapping him on the shin. "Give me five minutes. Get a drink, freshen up, then come up to the bedroom. Five minutes," he reiterated, lifting one hand with his fingers spread to emphasize the point. "Don't be late."
Rain's attention was thoroughly distracted now, the stresses of the day forgotten. "What are you up to?"
Phayu said nothing, just gave Rain one last knowing grin. "Trust your Phi," he said, then jogged up the stairs.
Rain did as Phayu had said, hurrying into the downstairs bathroom where he splashed his face with cold water and washed his hands, then he downed half a glass of plain water, eyes never leaving the clock on the stove.
At the five minute mark he hurried up the stairs until he reached the closed bedroom door. "Phi? Can I come in now?"
"I'm waiting."
Rain pushed the door open, hands buzzing a bit with nervous energy. The door swung wide and Rain stepped in, looked towards the bed, and stopped with a high-pitched squeal. "P'Phayu!"
Phayu stood in the open ground between the door and the bed, wearing a perfect replica of one of Victor Nikiforov's competition costumes--black skating slacks and white shirt, adorned with panels of translucent purple, black lapels laced together with gold cords over the half-open shirt, more cords adorning his shoulder. The way the costume fit over his sculpted physique--somehow it looked even better on Phayu than it had on Victor. Like he'd been poured into it.
Rain's mouth went utterly dry. His body completely forgot that he'd just drank half a glass of water.
Phayu extended his hand towards Rain with a fluttering flourish and he bowed like he was a prince greeting his princess. He looked up at Rain from beneath his lashes. "Shall we skate?"
Overwhelmed with a chaotic cocktail of adoration, lust, embarrassment, and love, Rain shyly scooted closer and took Phayu's offered hand. Phayu brought it to his lips, eyes never leaving Rain's.
The warmth of his mouth seeped into Rain's skin, and Rain broke. He threw himself at Phayu, knowing his lover would be there to catch him.
And he was.
First, before they could crash to the floor, then again later, when he fell apart under Phayu's expert care, the beautiful costume and Rain's Mountain Dew-stained clothes forgotten and strewn across the floor.
Afterwards, they lay intertwined on top of the sheets. "Feeling better, Rainy?"
Rain smiled back at Phayu, dreamily, still floating in a happy, buzzy haze. "You're the very best."
"Better than Victor Nikiforov?" Phayu teased.
"You might not be able to land a quad--"
"Or a single..."
"But no one will ever be a better hubby. Now, can I have cuddles? I'm all floaty and I want cuddles."
Phayu swept back Rain's hair and kissed his forehead before pulling him so that he rested almost fully on his chest. "All the cuddles, for as long as you want them."
Rain purred, nuzzling into Phayu's neck, and closed his eyes before finally drifting into near-sleep, and a vivid daydream of the two of them gliding over the ice in matching costumes. Phayu lifting him easily over his head, while Rain held beautiful poses, then spun down into his hubby's waiting arms, before being set back onto his skates.
"You'll always catch me," he mumbled, barely aware he was speaking.
Fingers carded through his hair, a soft, sweet reminder of Phayu's presence. "Always," he said.
Rain smiled as he fell into slumber, the echo of Phayu's voice wrapping him as tightly as his arms.
Always.