It was one of those perfect Saturday afternoons in San Felino. The sun hung lazily in the sky, and the gentle warmth of the day made everything seem peaceful. The kind of day that begged for a slow, unhurried pace. Rainan was standing outside his house, looking out over the town’s familiar streets, when he heard the sound of an old truck rumbling down the road.
He didn’t even need to look; he knew who it was.
As the truck rolled to a stop in front of his house, the engine cutting off with a sputter, Angelo leaned out the window, a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, are you just gonna stand there all day, or are you coming with me?"
Rainan chuckled, shaking his head. "You know, you have the worst timing."
Angelo raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Worst timing? You’ve been cooped up inside for days. I’m offering you a break. Just you, me, and some fresh air. What’s the worst that could happen?"
Rainan hesitated for a moment, glancing at the half-finished sketches of his community center design on the table inside. But then, he remembered the weight of his thoughts—the pressure of time and his secret illness. Maybe it was time to take a step back, even if only for a few hours.
"Fine," Rainan sighed, walking toward the truck. "But only because you’ve been bugging me for weeks."
"That's the spirit!" Angelo said with a laugh as Rainan climbed into the passenger seat.
The engine roared to life, and the truck sped down the winding road out of town. As they drove, the conversation flowed easily—nothing heavy, just the comfort of familiar chatter. They bickered lightly about the best route to take to their destination, Angelo claiming that his shortcuts were the best while Rainan insisted that he’d always taken the scenic route for a reason.
“You do know that shortcut will take us through a cow pasture, right?” Rainan asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Angelo.
Angelo smirked. "What’s wrong with cows? They’re friendly. And you’ll get to tell your grandkids one day that you survived a near-miss with a cow in a truck."
Rainan rolled his eyes. "I swear, you’re the only person I know who can make the idea of running into a cow sound like an adventure."
Angelo laughed, a deep, genuine laugh that made Rainan’s heart flutter unexpectedly. "Well, life’s more fun when you don’t take it too seriously, right?"
They continued to bicker about small things as they drove, but it felt easy. It wasn’t just the old playful arguments they used to have when they were younger; there was something deeper now, a familiarity that made everything feel right.
As the truck wound its way through the countryside, Rainan’s gaze wandered out the window, catching glimpses of the lush, rolling hills. He let the quiet settle between them, savoring the peace of the moment.
“Do you ever miss it?” Rainan asked suddenly, his voice almost lost in the wind.
“Miss what?”
“The way we used to run around when we were kids—how everything felt simple. No responsibilities, no expectations. Just… us.”
Angelo glanced at him, the corners of his mouth curling into a small smile. “Of course I do. Those were the days, huh? When all we cared about was sneaking into the sugarcane fields and seeing who could climb the highest tree.”
Rainan laughed, shaking his head. “You were always such a show-off. I still remember when you tried to race me up that old mango tree and ended up falling.”
Angelo groaned, slapping his hand against the steering wheel. “Don’t remind me. That was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. You were a lot faster than I thought.”
Rainan grinned. “Maybe if you hadn’t been showing off, you wouldn’t have fallen so spectacularly.”
They both chuckled, the sound of their laughter blending with the rustling of leaves outside. For a moment, everything felt like it used to—simple, carefree. It felt like nothing had changed, even though everything had. The years, the distance, the silent feelings that lingered between them—they were all there, unspoken but present, just beneath the surface.
The truck rolled along, the road ahead stretching out like a promise. Rainan’s thoughts were drifting, and the closeness between them was palpable. It was always like this when they were together, as though they could pick up right where they left off, as though the years of separation hadn’t mattered at all.
But there was a heaviness in Rainan’s chest, one that had been there for so long, buried beneath the weight of everything else. He felt it now, in the quiet moments between them, in the way Angelo’s hand occasionally brushed against his, in the way their eyes met and lingered. He didn’t know what to do with it. How could he? How could he explain something that had always been there, something he had never let himself acknowledge?
The silence between them grew, but it was comfortable, filled with a shared understanding. Angelo glanced at him again, his expression soft, like he could sense Rainan’s quiet turmoil.
"You okay?" Angelo asked quietly, his voice a little more serious than before.
Rainan blinked, looking over at him. He wasn’t sure how to respond. What could he say? That everything felt heavier lately? That there were things he didn’t know how to deal with? That sometimes, being near Angelo felt like the safest, most terrifying thing all at once?
"Yeah, I’m fine," Rainan said, his voice a little too steady.
Angelo didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he smiled, though it seemed a bit gentler than usual. "Good. Just making sure."
They continued driving in companionable silence, the road ahead endless, but Rainan couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. Something was different now, even if neither of them were ready to admit it.