Farang remembered him perfectly well. On his first date night with his wife, Taran Malk had tried to make a move on Fraser. Now it seemed his sights were set on Tibur.

"Are you well acquainted with Fraser Black?" asked Taran.

"More so with his brother Caleb" Tibur explained, much to Taran's delight. Caleb Black was the bigger fish.

"Ah, you're Caleb Black's guest? He's liased very closely with our management team in planning this evening's event, but he's a hard man to arrange a meeting with. Perhaps you could convince your friend to meet me with privately to discuss an investment opportunity? Of course, I'd be willing to buy you dinner as way of thanks."

"I'm not sure I could convince Caleb to do anything he hadn't set his mind to" Tibur explained, "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you, I'll have to decline your offer."

"Well it can't be helped, I suppose" said Taran, "But since you're unable to do me any kind of favor, why don't you join me for dinner as way of recompense?"

"Is there any scenario in which you don't want to eat with me?" asked Tibur.

"But of course" said Taran with a lecherous smile, "The scenario in which we skip dinner altogether. You know, as owner of this hotel, I have access to the most beautiful suites in Modesh. Why don't you come upstairs with me and enjoy the view from one of our king size beds?"

"Are you always this forward?" asked Tibur.

"It's rare to find a man of your quality on the island, if I wait too long, they get snapped up by the likes of your friend here" he replied, motioning to Farang, "I'd rather shoot my shot while I have the chance."

"I'm flattered?"

Taran laughed and rested a hand on Tibur's arm.

"I can have a bottle of '94 on ice before the elevator even reaches the floor" said Taran, "And rest assured, all amenities will be ready to ensure you a comfortable stay."

"I mean, I'm flattered, but I have a boyfriend" Tibur explained.

The smile on Taran's face only faded for a moment.

"He's not here though, is he?" he asked, "Trust me, one night under me and you'll forget all about him."

Tibur hadn't the chance to rebuff him before his wrist was grabbed and his watch turned in Taran's direction. A matching one appeared alongside it.

"You've made two mistakes" said Michael, proudly flashing the pair of watches he'd bought them, "The first is thinking that my boyfriend was here alone, the second is presuming he isn't a top. What would he be doing under you when he could be fucking me?"

"Honey! What are you doing here?" asked Tibur.

"Keeping an eye on my man!" said Michael, his brow furrowed in annoyance, "And it's just as well I did. Look how fucking attractive you are!"

Tibur smiled and kissed him, with no thought as to who might see them.

Taran Malk backed away from them, once again a step too late.

"Do I really look okay?" Tibur asked his pouting boyfriend.

"You know you look hot" said Michael, "And that asshole knows it too. There isn't a human alive that can't see how fucking hot my boyfriend is."

"I wouldn't go that far..." said Tibur blushing.

Michael leaned in closer. "I want you to fuck me in this suit" he told him, "I'm getting hard just thinking about it..."

"Farang, look after Millie until Tristan comes back" said Tibur in Modeshi, taking Michael by the hand and rushing off to search for an empty bathroom stall.

At the front of the hotel, Tristan avoided the crawl of arriving town cars and stared up at the night sky. It was hard to see the stars for the glow of headlights, and the glimmer of the chandeliers pouring through the large glass windows of the M Hotel.

Tristan poked around at the large flower bed opposite the entrance. He couldn't help but remember the night they found the babies across from the Phoenicia. As he thought of all the things that gave him comfort, a pair of pointed dress shoes stepped into his periphery.

"Did you come here to see me?" asked Jed.

Tristan's body tensed. He has no control anymore, he told himself, I am happy... I am loved.

"I'm here for my husband" Tristan told him, with every intention of walking past him back into the hotel lobby.

"Tristan. I'm not your 'husband' any more, and you know I never was, right? Just because of the visa stuff it made it seem that way. We were just boyfriends... it wasn't that serious. Boyfriends break up all the time."

A little fire was being lit in the pit of Tristan's stomach.

"I quit my job to follow you here..."

"But that was your decision. And it's not like you got nothing out of it; I was supporting us both, and it wasn't exactly easy for me on my salary. If you'd just taken getting a job a bit more seriously, we might not have ended the way we did."

The breath was stuck in Tristan's chest.

"No one... no one deserves for things to end the way you ended them. A partner is someone who sticks by you when things get hard, who supports you, and loves you even when you're at your lowest point. For everything that I endured, there would never be enough ways for you to repay me!"

"Where was your support then?!" Jed hit back, "You knew how important it was to find a job that didn't embarrass me. Could you not have just done it for my sake?"

It was useless trying to explain. The hours of effort and rejection in an attempt to satisfy his standards; they meant nothing without the results that Jed had expected.

"I gave you everything I had. Even if it seemed like nothing to you."

"You're going to try and make me feel shit about it, aren't you? Even though you were the one that didn't meet your end of the bargain. Tristan, you left me no other choice."

The fire was growing.

"You had a fucking choice, and you chose to be a selfish coward. You destroyed my life, broke my trust, and left me penniless with nowhere to turn! What kind of person is able to do that to another human being? You're a fucking monster! And somehow you can justify it to yourself?

But I suppose if everyone around you is the same kind of scumbag, you can share in the delusion that you did nothing wrong! Fuck you, Jed! Fuck you and everyone like you! By all means, stay with your own kind of sub-human garbage, and stay the fuck away from everyone else. You're poison."

"Are you done?" asked Jed.

Tristan smiled and wiped a tear from his eye.

"I am" he said.

"Then let me-"

"No" Tristan interrupted, "You don't get to say your piece. I'm done with you."

"Do you think it's that easy?"

Tristan straightened his suit and steadied his breath. He'd said all he needed to say in the moment, and there was no more time to waste on his best-forgotten past. His husband would begin his speech soon, his life awaited him. As he tried to walk to the revolving door, Jed grabbed at his sleeve.

"Let go!" cried Tristan.

"Stop making a scene" said Jed, aware of catching the doormen's attention, "We're not done talking! Just fucking stay still and let me finish what I have to say!"

"No! Let go of me!"

Tristan's tender arm was hurting under the twisted grip of Jed's hand. His eyes started to water.

"Stop overreacting!" hissed Jed, "I've barely touched you!"

The fingers released their claw-like grasp as a heavy punch landed a blow squarely on Jed's cheek.

"Don't you fucking touch my husband!" roared Caleb, his blue eyes almost black in their intensity.

Tristan had to hold him back; afraid he might have ripped him apart given the chance. It's not that he didn't want to see Jed suffer, but he couldn't bear the thought that Caleb might dirty his hands.

"Baby..! I'm sorry, I wasn't here. Are you okay? What did he do to you? Your arm! Is your arm okay?" 

A wave of genuine love and concern washed over him.

"Fraser told me they were here, but then I couldn't find you. Baby, I'm sorry, I should never have left you for a second!"

Caleb wrapped his strong arms gently around his husband as though scared of breaking him. Tristan could feel the pounding of his heart, the frantic breaths whispering into his ear; you are loved. He sank into the comforting warmth of his husband's embrace. 

"I think you broke my cheekbone!" cried Jed, "It really fucking hurts!"

Caleb scowled at the man that had dared to lay a hand on his husband.

"How about I break your arm and you can feel what pain truly is?" he offered.

"You're insane!"

"Husband..." said Tristan, hiding in the crook of Caleb's arm, "Can you make him go away? I don't want to see him anymore."

"Whatever you want, Baby" Caleb replied.

He called out in Modeshi to the doormen, and delivered swift instructions for the man in the ill-fitting suit to be detained until the police could arrive. It was fortunate that Tristan had held him back; his singular blow was within the remit of permissable defense under Modeshi law. For a foreign visitor to assault a resident, however, Jed would get to experience the full gamut of the Modeshi judicial system. 

Jed had never bothered to learn the language. When the hotel staff led him away, he could only assume it was to provide medical attention; little did he realize it would come under armed escort.

Tristan looked down at his sage green suit. The fabric was creased, and his sleeve, distorted and puckered from where Jed had touched him.

"Angela's here" said Caleb, "Do you want her to take a look at your arm?"

Tristan shook his head.

"Husband..." he said, "I know tonight means a lot to you, but I think I want to go home and take a shower."

"Okay Baby, I'll call for the limo to meet us."

"Alone, Husband. Caffray is your company, I want you to stay and give your speech. I'll have Millie record it for me." Tristan gently kissed his face. "Next year, next year I'll be there to watch it in person."

Caleb didn't give a fuck about the company.

"Fraser can give the speech" he protested, "Let me take you home."

"Whatever I want, right?" said Tristan, "I want you to stay and give your speech. Then you can come home and tell me all about it. No 'buts'. I'm okay, Husband, honestly."

Tristan squeezed Caleb's body and took the warmth with him as he slipped into a taxi.

"I'll text you when I get home."

Caleb watched helplessly as the car pulled away. With no Tristan to soften the hardness of his edges, his anger began to rise. Storming through the doors, there was only one person he wanted to find.

"Bruce."

"Ah, the man of the hour, there you are! I just ran into your mother. Mrs Black, doesn't your youngest look handsome tonight?"

"Darling, where's Tristan?" she asked.

"Not feeling well" said Caleb.

"Now that is a shame" said Bruce, "I knew you were planning a little surprise for him, so I added a surprise of my own. I'm not sure if you realized, but Tristan worked for us at one point. I invited a few of his old friends from Cabi to join us."

"I know what you did" said Caleb, "And it really left me with no choice."

Bruce laughed.

"It was just a little fun!" he replied, "And it's not like I can lose my CFO position for having a little fun. Besides, as much as it pains me that Tristan's not here to support you, he's really got nothing to do with our company. It's better not to derail what tonight is truly about." 

Caleb checked his phone.

"Tonight" said Caleb, "Is about saying 'Goodbye'. For what it's worth, I'd hoped I wouldn't have to take things this far."

"You can't just fire me" Bruce replied, "The board would never allow it; and I'd never agree to leave so easily after all the years I've spent by your side."

"Immigration officers are waiting at your house. For the sake of the company, I didn't tell them you were here. I might have no power in making you leave Caffray; but the Modeshi government are well within their rights to make you leave the country."

"On what grounds?" laughed Bruce, "I have every right to be here!"

"Are you sure..?" asked Caleb, "Are you sure you haven't unknowingly overstayed your visa? Breaking your terms can constitute in a three-year ban for re-entry. But at least you have friends at the Cabi branch."

Bruce wasted no time in dialing his assistant's number.

"What do you mean there's nothing can be done?" he cried, quickly realizing the reality of his situation, "Why was it an intern that was sent to renew my visa?! Who..? Who the fuck is 'Kawen'?!"