Travelling through worlds to heal hearts

The next few days flew by for Joey. He did his best to maintain a calm atmosphere around Rael, keeping their chats light, even though he could sense the tension from the unspoken rivalry between Rael and Rishi weighing on both of them. Rael had mostly returned to his usual demeanor, but Joey knew better than to believe everything was truly resolved.

It wasn't just Rael's avoidance of Rishi or the way his eyes would dart with an emotion Joey couldn't quite identify whenever Rishi entered the room. It was also how Rael would fall silent whenever someone brought up the past—his history with Rishi, his unexpressed feelings, and the pain that still lingered like a shadow.

It was a rainy Tuesday when things finally began to unravel.

Joey had been in the library, trying hard to concentrate on his assignments when he spotted Rael by the window. The rain poured down in sheets, turning the outside world into a gray blur, but Rael appeared entranced by it, his expression distant and thoughtful. Joey felt an urge to approach him, even though he wasn't sure if Rael was ready for another deep conversation.

Rael didn't notice him until Joey was right behind him. When he did, he tensed for a brief moment before relaxing.

"You're staring at the rain like it's some kind of puzzle," Joey said lightly, attempting to ease the tension. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Rael didn't respond right away, and for a long moment, silence hung in the air. Joey held back, learning to give Rael the space he needed, but sometimes Rael surprised him.

"I used to come here a lot," Rael said quietly, still gazing out at the rain. "When I was lost… when I was trying to make sense of everything."

Joey tilted his head, genuinely intrigued. "What were you trying to make sense of?"

Rael turned slightly, locking eyes with Joey. There was a pause, a caution that indicated to Joey that this was about more than just the rain.

Rael sighed, letting the words escape before he could hold them back.

"Rishi and I," Rael said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know how to make sense of it. I didn't know how to cope with the fact that he could never love me the way I wanted him to."

Joey was at a loss for words initially. The honesty in Rael's voice was so raw and vulnerable that it left him almost speechless. He wasn't sure if Rael was even addressing him anymore, but he couldn't overlook the pain that laced his words. Joey had always been the one to find solutions, to fix things, but this? This was beyond his ability to mend with a joke or a clever comment.

"What happened?" Joey finally asked, his tone softer now, almost encouraging.

Rael's gaze shifted back to the window, his expression unreadable. "It was never supposed to happen. I was just… a distraction for him. When things got tough with his family, when he couldn't bear the pressure of being the perfect son, he'd come to me. He needed someone to listen, someone to care. But it wasn't love, Joey. It never was."

A long silence hung in the air before Rael spoke again.

"I thought… I thought if I was patient, if I waited long enough, he'd see me the way I saw him. But it never happened." Rael let out a bitter chuckle, as if the weight of the years had finally caught up with him. "And now, here I am, stuck in the same place I was back then. I still can't move on from him, not entirely."

Joey swallowed hard, trying to process everything Rael had just shared. This was a side of Rael he had never seen before—not this openly, not with so much pain spilling from his words.

"I didn't know," Joey said, his voice barely above a whisper, thick with emotion. He had sensed that Rael was holding onto something, but he had no idea how deep it ran. How long had Rael been suffering in silence, carrying this weight alone?

Rael shrugged, almost casually. "It's okay. You don't have to feel sorry for me. I've learned to live with it." He chuckled, but there was no joy in it. "I'm good at hiding it, right? That's what I do. I hide."

Joey hesitated before responding. He was trying to grasp the weight of Rael's words, but more than that, he was puzzled about why this was hitting him so hard. Why did it pain him to see Rael suffering?

"I'm not going to pretend I understand what you're feeling, but I can't just stand by and watch you hurt in silence," Joey said softly. "You deserve happiness, Rael. You deserve more than just waiting for someone who can't give you what you need."

Rael shook his head again, his expression dark. "It's not that simple, Joey. I can't just switch off my feelings. It doesn't work that way."

Joey moved closer, placing a hand on Rael's shoulder. "I know it's tough. But that doesn't mean you have to bear it all by yourself. I'm here for you, alright?"

For the first time in a long while, Rael seemed to soften, just a bit. He turned his head, meeting Joey's gaze with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Thanks, Joey," Rael said, his voice barely a whisper. "But I don't know if you can fix this. It's something I need to sort out on my own."

Joey didn't push back. Instead, he gave Rael's shoulder a gentle squeeze, silently vowing that he wouldn't let Rael shoulder this alone, not if he could help it.

As they stood in the silence that followed, Joey couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the start. Rael had shared something deep and personal, something Joey had never anticipated. But more than that, it was clear now that Joey wasn't just here for the mission. He was here for Rael, for who he was, for the person Joey was beginning to fall for, whether he was ready for it or not.

And as the rain continued to pour outside the library window, Joey realized he didn't have all the answers. He couldn't fix everything. But he was willing to stay, willing to help, no matter how tangled things became.