Work Text:
Duang sat alone on the couch in the empty condo, lost in his thoughts. In his hand, he held a letter he had rewritten a thousand times. The balcony door was cracked open, letting in the cool evening breeze and the distant hum of traffic below.
His hands trembled around the paper, leaving small wrinkles in its surface that betrayed his distress.
He carefully set the letter on the coffee table, rose to his feet, and exhaled sharply into the silence.
Suitcase in hand, Duang took one last look around the condo before walking to the door.
This was it.
—
Qin was at work, putting the finishing touches on a song before the deadline. His head throbbed, his eyes were swollen with exhaustion, but he got it done. All he wanted was to go home to Duang and finally clear the air after the argument they had the night before.
Qin wasn’t even sure how things had gotten so bad.
His happy puppy had slowly become quieter, sadder, carrying a weight he refused to talk about. Qin had tried to ask him what was wrong, gently at first, but Duang wouldn’t budge. Everything after that blurred together.
Now Qin was rushing out the door, determined to make it home in record time.
He unlocked the front door and called Duang’s name.
Silence.
A suffocating, empty silence.
He was gone.
Qin’s heart began to race. His eyes burned as he sank onto the same couch that had carried Duang’s tension that morning and the weight of their argument the night before.
His gaze landed on a single sheet of paper resting on the coffee table.
His hands shook as he picked it up.
With every word he read, his chest grew tighter.
Duang had left.
He was really gone.
There had to be something he could do.
He called Jamie.
Voicemail.
Pae.
Voicemail.
Mars.
Voicemail.
It was already late. Driving to Duang’s job wasn’t an option.
So he cried.
He sat alone in the empty condo, tears spilling freely, his chest aching beneath the crushing weight of everything he had lost.
And he cried.
Eventually, the tears slowed.
He told himself he would try again tomorrow.
Without really thinking, Qin stood, slipped on his shoes, grabbed his keys, and walked out the door.
By the time he realized where he was going, he was already headed toward the nearest bar.
—
The bar was packed when Qin arrived.
He avoided everyone’s eyes as he made his way to the counter and ordered a whiskey on the rocks.
Before the bartender returned with his drink, the empty stool beside him was occupied.
Qin glanced toward the stranger.
The man had lightly tanned skin, dark hair, and wore a black T-shirt with faded blue jeans.
Something about him felt strangely familiar.
Before Qin could stare for too long, his drink arrived.
He lifted the glass to his pale lips and took a slow sip.
The man beside him noticed.
“This feels like something straight out of a movie,” he said with an amused smile.
Qin simply nodded.
“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
Qin emptied his glass in one swallow before motioning for another.
Only then did he finally meet the stranger’s gaze.
He shared some of Duang’s features, but his demeanor was entirely different.
Qin wasn’t sure if it was the stress or the alcohol, but he turned to face him completely.
“I’m Qin.”
“Jai.”
Qin studied him more carefully now.
A silver choker rested around Jai’s neck. His black shirt was layered over a white undershirt, and despite the noise surrounding them, it somehow felt like they were the only two people in the room.
“So…” Jai said as he accepted his first drink from the bartender. “What’s on your mind?”
Qin had already finished his second and was asking for a third.
“My boyfriend and I had a fight.”
He stared into his glass.
“He left.”
The liquor burned all the way down, but not nearly enough.
Qin wasn’t sure why he was telling a complete stranger any of this. Maybe it was because Jai felt oddly familiar. Maybe it was because he knew he couldn’t look for Duang until morning.
Either way…
Talking was easier than thinking.
As the night wore on and the drinks kept coming, Qin found himself enjoying Jai’s company.
They talked about anything that came to mind, ordering round after round, laughing louder than Qin had laughed in weeks.
He shared things he’d never admit while sober.
Talking to Jai was easy.
Aside from Duang, Qin had never opened up to anyone this much.
Without either of them noticing, the crowd slowly began to thin.
“I’m heading home,” Jai said after finishing his third drink. “If I stay any longer, I’ll be too drunk to drive.”
He paid his tab and stood.
A gentle hand stopped him.
“Can I come with you?”
The words left Qin’s mouth before he had time to think.
A small smile tugged at Jai’s lips.
He nodded.
Qin paid his own tab and pushed himself to his feet.
The room immediately spun.
The alcohol had finally caught up with him.
He stumbled.
Strong but gentle hands caught him before he hit the floor.
“I’ve got you,” Jai murmured, his voice softer now than it had been all night. “I’ll get you home.”
Qin allowed himself to be guided to Jai’s car.
Somewhere between buckling his seatbelt and the engine starting, he managed to mumble his address.
Before Jai could ask anything else, Qin had already drifted off to sleep.
“We’re here.”
The quiet voice pulled Qin from his sleep.
“You want to come inside?” Qin asked.
He sounded far more sober than he had at the bar.
Jai hesitated.
“You’re drunk. I should probably just drop you off.”
“I’m okay now.”
Qin unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.
His movements were steady enough to convince Jai.
Without another word, Qin headed toward the condo building.
Jai watched him disappear inside.
After a moment, he sighed, unbuckled his own seatbelt, and followed.
He caught up just before Qin reached the elevator.
The ride upstairs passed in silence.
When they reached the condo, Qin unlocked the door.
The absence of Duang waiting to greet him made his chest tighten all over again.
He swallowed hard, pushed the feeling aside, and stepped inside with Jai following quietly behind him.
“You want to shower?” Qin asked as he peeled off his clothes and made his way toward the bathroom.
Without saying a word, Jai followed.
He pulled his shirt over his head, his muscles still tense from the quiet ride over, and stepped into the bathroom behind Qin.
Before Jai could fully process Qin’s invitation, Qin had already stepped beneath the warm stream of water.
Steam slowly filled the room.
A faint smile tugged at Jai’s lips as he undressed and joined him beneath the spray.
Qin barely seemed to notice.
He stood beneath the water with his eyes closed, letting it wash over him as though he were trying to rinse away more than just the night’s sweat and alcohol.
Jai found himself watching him in silence.
The confidence Qin had carried at the bar had disappeared, replaced by someone who looked utterly exhausted.
Without thinking, Qin reached for the body wash before Jai could. He worked it into a lather between his palms before gently offering it to Jai, his movements quiet and absentminded.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Only the steady rhythm of the water filled the room.
-
Qin woke up the next morning, his body sore. He turned over, instinctively seeking the warmth of Duang beside him.
Instead, he was met with cold sheets, a pounding headache from the liquor, and an ache in his heart as memories of the previous night came flooding back.
Deciding not to process them, he grabbed his phone, hoping for a call from Duang.
There was none.
However, there were messages from Mars, Jamie, and Pae—the people he had called last night before he forgot what happened afterward.
From the cold space beside him and the collection of texts, Qin pieced together what happened.
Duang had come back to talk to Qin, only to find Jai leaving before Qin woke up. After spending the night with Jamie and Mars, Duang agreed that he would talk to Qin the next day if they didn’t tell him where he was.
But when he returned and saw that Qin had already moved on, he turned around and left.
Qin’s head was pounding, his eyes burning, and he couldn’t remember what happened.
No note.
No text.
Nothing.
Jai was gone.
Duang was gone.
And Qin was alone.
Fuck.
Qin forced himself out of bed, grabbed some medicine for his headache, and ordered food.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, and before he could even realize what he was doing, he called Duang.
Ring…
Ring…
Voicemail.
—
Duang lay across Jamie’s couch, his eyes swollen from crying.
He watched his phone ring.
For a moment, he was tempted to answer.
But he let it go to voicemail.
When he left yesterday, he intended to be done with Qin. But after arriving at the condo Jamie and Mars shared, they immediately scolded him for leaving without a note.
After what felt like forever, he managed to convince them to let him stay the night and collect his thoughts.
One by one, their phones rang.
They exchanged looks with each other, silently agreeing not to answer, believing that space was what everyone needed.
After the last call, Duang eventually drifted off to sleep on the couch.
The morning sun crept through the windows, brushing against Duang’s face and pulling him from his restless sleep.
He slowly got up, slipping on his shoes.
As he promised himself, after a night of rest, he would go to Qin’s condo and talk things out.
But as he approached the door, preparing himself to knock, he heard the lock click.
The door opened.
Standing in front of him was a slightly tanned man leaving the apartment.
“Is Qin inside?” Duang asked, confused.
The man simply nodded before walking down the hallway.
Duang stepped inside the open apartment.
And that was when he saw Qin.
Naked.
Covered in hickeys.
Still asleep.
Duang’s heart shattered.
Before he could decide what to do, his feet carried him out the door, back to his car, and straight to work.
“You look like shit,” Oae teased as Duang entered the shop, his eyes heavy and his expression empty.
Duang felt like shit.
His heart was broken, yet he still dragged himself to work.
Pae grew concerned by Duang’s silence and called Jamie to assess the situation.
Before Pae could even blink, Jamie was storming into the shop with a handful of jokes ready.
But the moment he saw Duang sitting at his station, lost in his thoughts, every joke disappeared.
“Aye, Duang,” Jamie called, pulling him from his mind.
Duang attempted to act like nothing was wrong, but Jamie saw right through him.
“What happened?”
Duang explained what happened after he left early that morning, and Pae joined them.
They could only sigh.
Duang had always been full of energy.
Seeing him like this left even Jamie and Pae unsure of what to do.
—
Qin dragged himself through work, lost in his thoughts.
Tong approached him.
“You look terrible,” Tong said.
Qin didn’t seem to hear him, too consumed by the voices in his own head.
“QIN!” Tong yelled, finally getting his attention.
Qin looked up and saw Tong standing in front of him, concern written across his face.
“You okay?”
Qin simply nodded.
“I just drank too much,” Qin explained, not wanting to say anything else.
Tong accepted the weak excuse and left Qin alone with his thoughts.
When the day ended, Qin dragged himself back to the empty apartment.
He slipped off his shoes, too exhausted to make it to his bed, and collapsed onto the couch.
The sound of footsteps entering the room caught his attention.
Duang.
Qin’s eyes widened.
Duang looked exhausted, weighed down by his thoughts.
But he didn’t speak.
He didn’t walk toward the couch.
He didn’t even meet Qin’s gaze.
He simply sighed, slipped his shoes off, grabbed his bags, opened the door, and walked out.
The door closed behind him.
And that was it.
Qin never heard from him again.
Never heard from Jai again.
Every day passed each other.
Qin woke up the next morning, his body sore. He turned over, instinctively seeking the warmth of Duang beside him.
Instead, he was met with cold sheets, a pounding headache from the liquor, and an ache in his heart as memories of the previous night came flooding back.
Deciding not to process them, he grabbed his phone, hoping for a call from Duang.
There was none.
However, there were messages from Mars, Jamie, and Pae—the people he had called last night before he forgot what happened afterward.
From the cold space beside him and the collection of texts, Qin pieced together what happened.
Duang had come back to talk to Qin, only to find Jai leaving before Qin woke up. After spending the night with Jamie and Mars, Duang agreed that he would talk to Qin the next day if they didn’t tell him where he was.
But when he returned and saw that Qin had already moved on, he turned around and left.
Qin’s head was pounding, his eyes burning, and he couldn’t remember what happened.
No note.
No text.
Nothing.
Jai was gone.
Duang was gone.
And Qin was alone.
Fuck.
Qin forced himself out of bed, grabbed some medicine for his headache, and ordered food.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, and before he could even realize what he was doing, he called Duang.
Ring…
Ring…
Voicemail.
—
Duang lay across Jamie’s couch, his eyes swollen from crying.
He watched his phone ring.
For a moment, he was tempted to answer.
But he let it go to voicemail.
When he left yesterday, he intended to be done with Qin. But after arriving at the condo Jamie and Mars shared, they immediately scolded him for leaving without a note.
After what felt like forever, he managed to convince them to let him stay the night and collect his thoughts.
One by one, their phones rang.
They exchanged looks with each other, silently agreeing not to answer, believing that space was what everyone needed.
After the last call, Duang eventually drifted off to sleep on the couch.
The morning sun crept through the windows, brushing against Duang’s face and pulling him from his restless sleep.
He slowly got up, slipping on his shoes.
As he promised himself, after a night of rest, he would go to Qin’s condo and talk things out.
But as he approached the door, preparing himself to knock, he heard the lock click.
The door opened.
Standing in front of him was a slightly tanned man leaving the apartment.
“Is Qin inside?” Duang asked, confused.
The man simply nodded before walking down the hallway.
Duang stepped inside the open apartment.
And that was when he saw Qin.
Naked.
Covered in hickeys.
Still asleep.
Duang’s heart shattered.
Before he could decide what to do, his feet carried him out the door, back to his car, and straight to work.
“You look like shit,” Oae teased as Duang entered the shop, his eyes heavy and his expression empty.
Duang felt like shit.
His heart was broken, yet he still dragged himself to work.
Pae grew concerned by Duang’s silence and called Jamie to assess the situation.
Before Pae could even blink, Jamie was storming into the shop with a handful of jokes ready.
But the moment he saw Duang sitting at his station, lost in his thoughts, every joke disappeared.
“Aye, Duang,” Jamie called, pulling him from his mind.
Duang attempted to act like nothing was wrong, but Jamie saw right through him.
“What happened?”
Duang explained what happened after he left early that morning, and Pae joined them.
They could only sigh.
Duang had always been full of energy.
Seeing him like this left even Jamie and Pae unsure of what to do.
—
Qin dragged himself through work, lost in his thoughts.
Tong approached him.
“You look terrible,” Tong said.
Qin didn’t seem to hear him, too consumed by the voices in his own head.
“QIN!” Tong yelled, finally getting his attention.
Qin looked up and saw Tong standing in front of him, concern written across his face.
“You okay?”
Qin simply nodded.
“I just drank too much,” Qin explained, not wanting to say anything else.
Tong accepted the weak excuse and left Qin alone with his thoughts.
When the day ended, Qin dragged himself back to the empty apartment.
He slipped off his shoes, too exhausted to make it to his bed, and collapsed onto the couch.
The sound of footsteps entering the room caught his attention.
Duang.
Qin’s eyes widened.
Duang looked exhausted, weighed down by his thoughts.
But he didn’t speak.
He didn’t walk toward the couch.
He didn’t even meet Qin’s gaze.
He simply sighed, slipped his shoes off, grabbed his bags, opened the door, and walked out.
The door closed behind him.
And that was it.
Qin never heard from him again.
Never heard from Jai again.
Every day passed
nothing.
nothing.