Rain collapsed on the couch in the wee hours of the morning, completely exhausted and groaning at the thought that he will have to do this all over again tomorrow. Phayu was a hard taskmaster, but no one could deny that he was talented. He opened his eyes when something cool was placed against his cheek. "Thanks Sky," he said, as he took the water from his best friend. "So? How was it?" Sky asked. "Exhausting, overwhelming, terrifying but amazingly rewarding. He is a gorgon, but damn! The man can cook," Rain said. "If he can cook, why did he steal you recipes?" Sky asked, frowning. "That's what's weird. Today, we used a completely different recipe. Not even closely related to what I usually make. Plus, he is such an absolute professional Sky. I find it so weird that he would do something so against his very nature," Rain said, sounding pensive. "So what? You think there was some other reason?" Sky asked. Rain shook his head.

"I don't know. Honestly, he was so strict with me. Stricter than with his team. Such a stickler for perfection, almost like he was forcing me to come out of my comfort zone and do what I could. There was this feeling I could not shake," he said. "Did he make you uncomfortable?" Sky asked, alarmed. "No, no! Not at all. In fact, he was completely indifferent towards me. But there was this prickling under my skin. And from all the gossip I heard today, I am the first person to ever assist him, or even work at his station. He has never allowed anyone to do that before apparently," Rain said. Sky hummed. "Rain, look. P'Chai made it very clear to us that if Khun Phayu doesn't behave properly with you, the contract is null and void. So, believe me, if he ever makes you feel that you are not easy out there, let me know. We can figure something out," Sky said. Rain smiled gratefully. "Thanks bestie. But right now, I am off to sleep," Rain said. Sky nodded, and both of them wished each other good night, before going off to bed.

For almost a week, this pattern continued. Phayu would push Rain harder and harder, calling him stupid at every turn, but Rain bore it all. He needed that patent badly enough to keep his mouth shut and not be the reason he was thrown out. If he backed out, then he would never get what he had come here for originally. He even put up a brave front in front of Sky, but he was dying on the inside. Rain was not a hot headed person. He was usually the calm one, mostly tiding over difficult situations with a smile and a grace. But one night, after exactly eight hellish days with Phayu, Rain snapped. Everyone had already left, and Rain was cleaning the kitchen. When Phayu came to inspect, he found a stain. "Didn't you see this stain? How stupid can you be?" he asked disdainfully. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Is that all the vocabulary you know? If I am really that stupid, then why did you steal all my recipes and use them in your restaurant? Does it show my stupidity or your lack of skill Mr. Chef?" Rain asked, his mouth twisting over the word chef.

Phayu was thrilled! This is exactly what he had wanted to see. This.. this fire! He wanted to see Rain erupt in passion, be it anger or love. He had hated that dull, soulless version, who 'yes sir'd him to death. "Watch your tone Nong!" he warned, trying to tamp down his excitement and show anger instead. "You can take your tone and shove it up your ass!" Rain said, his frustration finally spilling over. "You better watch your mouth or shut the hell up Nong!" Phayu said. "Make me!" Rain said belligerently, thrusting his chin out at Phayu, anger and recklessness warring inside him. Phayu strode to him and grasped his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Don't make me do that Rain!" he said. "I dare you!" Rain said, not caring as to what he was saying. "You made me do this," Phayu whispered, a scant second before he bent down and slid his lips over Rain's. He had expected Rain to push back, but instead, Rain moaned, and grasping Phayu's hair pulled him even closer in, giving Phayu complete access.

The kiss went on and on, until finally they broke apart, gasping for air. Phayu kept his forehead on Rain's, taking deep gulps, so that his heart would settle. 23 years! 23 fucking years he had waited for this moment! And Rain had been just as participative. That's when reality poured a bucket of ice water over him and he raised his head back to look down at the man who held his heart and soul. He knew who Rain was, and had been goading him mercilessly just to get a rise out of him. Kissing Rain was something he had been wanting to do since the first day he had seen him on screen. He had kissed his Rainbow bunny. But Rain didn't know him. He had kissed Phayu, which he was thrilled about, but also upset that Rain had kissed a person unknown to him. Dear God! So help him! He was going mad and confusing the hell out of himself too.

He stepped back. "Do you know who I am?" he asked, sounding a slight bit annoyed. "Huh? Umm.. Khun Phayu?" Rain asked, sounding bemused. Had he been that good a kisser that Phayu had forgotten who he was? "You just kiss anybody you feel like when you are angry? How easy are you?" Phayu asked, his temper sweeping to the surface. He expected that Rain would lash out again, but he was brutally unprepared for the tears that sprang into Rain's eyes. Phayu felt like a cad and jumped forward immediately, but a gesture from Rain stopped him. "One, I usually don't kiss anyone. Two, I am not easy. Three, when I get angry, this is what I usually do," he said, right before punching Phayu across the mouth. Phayu staggered at the unexpected blow, shocked that the tiny man packed quite the punch. Before he could recover and beg Rain for forgiveness, Rain walked out, leaving a rather bewildered Phayu behind.

The next morning, Phayu waited with bated breath for Rain to arrive, flinching at the thoughts that had run through his head the night before. He had received weird looks from Saifah and Pai, and had finally broken down and told them the whole truth, including what had happened earlier that day. Saifah and Pai had not known whether to laugh or cry at his stupidity, so they had done neither, and instead gave him a dressing down worthy of his transgression. But they were his brother and closest friend, so it was their duty to help the man out. So, they had sat him down and given him some sound advice, telling him to be extra nice and contrite when dealing with Rain, hoping the boy would not quit and then sue them. They were already reeling from one controversy, and a second would probably bring them to their knees. So, here Phayu was, waiting for the love of his life, so that he could ask for forgiveness.

Phayu straightened at the sight of Rain walking towards him, a boy of his age walking along with him. As soon as they reached the entryway, the boy hugged Rain and wished him a good day, before waiing politely to Phayu and leaving immediately. Clearly, Rain and not said anything to that boy. But then, who was he? Phayu thought, annoyed. Rain was his, his Rainbow bunny. There was no way in hell he would give his boy away to anyone. So he hurried inside, wanting to talk to Rain before anyone came. But he was doomed to disappointment, not only then, but also for the rest of the day, as Rain kept him at one arm's distance, not letting him talk to him even, quit asking for forgiveness.

Rain managed to ignore Phayu for most of the day, even though he was working closely with the man. Except for taking instructions on what to do for the day, Rain didn't even bother to talk to him. Everyone noticed the strain between the two, and seeing the expressions on Phayu's face, kept as far away from him as possible. Later that evening, after everyone had left, Phayu went to where Rain was hanging up his apron after cleaning the kitchen. "Rain, I.. I am sorry. I should not have said what I did," he said. Rain looked at him, absolutely no expression on his face. "Okay," he said. "And you are not easy. It was my fault that I didn't explain things to you well. I know..," Phayu trailed off, cleared his throat and started again. "I know I come across as someone very over bearing, but I know that this time, I did cross a line," he said. "Okay," Rain said, again no expression on his face, and no inflection in his tone. "I hope you can find it in you to forgive me," Phayu said. "Don't worry, I will not sue you, if that's what you are worried about," Rain said. "You know that is not what I mean.," Phayu trailed off once again, as Rain spoke up. "My grandmother's recipes are too important to me to lose, so I will keep coming here to work. There are still few days left. I would recommend, for your own benefit, so that you don't have to put up with me any longer than necessary, that you make arrangements for the patent to be registered as soon as possible," Rain said, in a complete monotone, not once looking at Phayu, before walking out, leaving the older man bereft.

After going home that day, Phayu did something he had never done in his entire adult life. He got piss faced drunk, crying and holding Rain's childhood picture to himself. He had messed up so badly that it was not even funny. Rain thought that Phayu didn't want him around? How could his baby think that? His Rainbow bunny had been hurt because of him. He got up from the floor and lurched to the door, deciding to go meet Rain and tell him everything. Just at that moment, Saifah raised his hand to knock at the door and was met by the sight of his completely drunk brother going off somewhere on his own. "Where do you think you are going Phi Chaai?" he asked, scrunching his nose at the stench that came off Phayu and shouldered him back into the house.

"Gonna meet Rain, my bunny," Phayu said, slurring over the words. Saifah physically forced himself to not gag, but could not stop himself from rolling his eyes. His brother had it so bad that it was unbelievable. But while he felt sorry for Phayu, he felt even more sorry for Rain. If Phayu did manage to win him over, what would be poor Rain's future? "You are not going anywhere Phi Chaai. What you are going to do is go back inside, wash up and go to sleep. We will talk to Rain tomorrow, when you are more sober," he said, half carrying, half dragging his brother to his room. Phayu was slightly heavier than him on normal days, but when he was drunk like this, he was absolutely dead weight, but he managed to get him to his room, wiped down his body and let him sleep, muttering about 'irresponsible elder twins' the entire time.

Rain reached the restaurant and was surprised to see most employees standing outside. He had actually been five minutes late, and he had been prepared for a lecture. "Good morning everyone!" he waiied. "Why are you all standing outside P'Praew?" he asked. "Khun Phayu is not here yet," Praew said, looking as surprised as she sounded. "It is unbelievable. I have been with him since the first day this place opened, and this has never happened!" Mhok also sounded bewildered. A little kernel of doubt started making its way into Rain's brain. Was this because of what had happened? But shouldn't it have been Rain who should have been upset and angry in that case? Before all his doubts hit him head on, a man came rushing towards them. Rain recognised him as Khun Pai, Phayu's best friend and business partner in the restaurant, the one with whom he had done business in the first place. "Oh my God! Sorry guys! Phayu is not well today. So I came to tell you that we will keep the restaurant closed today. I am sorry you all had to come in today. We will reimburse you travel expenses for today as well, like usual," Pai said, sounding hassled and harried.

"I hope Khun Phayu is okay and it's nothing serious," Praew asked. "Nothing. A bit of fever. He will be here tomorrow," Pai said. Everyone dispersed soon after, leaving Rain staring at Pai. He also made to leave when Pai stepped forward and touched his arm. "May we talk Rain? Please?" he asked, a desperate note in his tone. Rain nodded, mixed emotions running through him. Was Pai going to throw him out for slapping Phayu? Had he messed up too badly? His grandmother's recipes.. His thoughts trailed off when Pai gave him a come ahead sign and asked him to follow. They entered the restauarant and Pai directly took him to Phayu's office. Rain hesitated at the doorway, clearly remembering Phayu's pronounced dislike of anyone entering his office. "You can come in Rain. In fact, you are the only one who can enter this place," Pai said, ushering him in with a smile.

Rain was surprised. He wondered what Pai meant, but then gave him his full attention when Pai asked him to sit. He did that and Pai handed him a folder. Rain opened it and gasped in surprise. It was the patent; the patent to every single one of his grandmother's recipes, in his name, from almost a week ago, even before he and Phayu had kissed each other. "What is this P'Pai?" he asked, staring at the older man. "Rain..," Pai hesitated, then cleared his throat before continuing. "Rain, Phayu never had any intention of not giving up the patents to you. He just.. well, just know that," Pai said, clearly hiding something. "Is there something you are not telling me Phi?" Rain asked, tilting his head to one side. "Nothing Nong. Also," Pai said, handing Rain another file. "Your contract with us is over. Phayu has signed everything necessary. You need not come into work from tomorrow. It's all over, free and clear," he added, as Rain looked at him in shock.

The shock carried him all the way home and the moment Sky saw him, he jumped up to hold him. "Rain! What the hell?" he asked, seeing Rain walk in, looking like a zombie. He fell against Sky, sobbing uncontrollably, and Sky was extremely alarmed. But he did not say anything, letting Rain purge his system completely, as much as he could. After a while, Rain quieted down to sniffles, and Sky got him some water, which he drank gratefully. "Thanks Sky," he said, laying his head back against the couch. "Can you tell me what happened baby?" Sky asked,worry oozing from his tone. "He didn't recognise me Sky," Rain said. "Who? Who didn't recognise you?" Sky asked. "P'Phayu," Rain said, his eyes shimmering with more tears. "Wait! What? What do you mean? Did he get amnesia or what?"Sky asked, confused as fuck. Rain shook his head. "Rain, explain clearly please!" Sky said, sounding exasperated.