Eventually, they reached the hill they used to visit often, the one that overlooked all of San Felino. It was their spot—a quiet, hidden place where they could just be themselves, away from the eyes of the town. Angelo parked the truck at the edge of the dirt path and they both climbed out, stretching their legs as they took in the view.
“Still as beautiful as ever,” Rainan said quietly, his eyes scanning the town below, the sun beginning to set in the distance.
Angelo nodded, but there was a thoughtful look in his eyes. “Yeah, it is. And it’s nice to be here with you again, you know? It’s been a while since we just hung out like this.”
Rainan turned to him, their eyes meeting. There was something different in Angelo’s gaze, something that made Rainan’s heart beat just a little faster.
“I’m glad you called me,” Rainan said, his voice softer now, more sincere. “It’s nice to take a break from everything, even if just for a little while.”
Angelo grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. “It’s nice to see you not working for once. You’re always so serious, always thinking about the future. I think you forget how to have fun sometimes.”
Rainan rolled his eyes. “You know, I’m not always serious. I’m just… careful, I guess.”
“I know,” Angelo said, his voice gentle. “But you deserve to have fun too, Rainan. You’re not just a planner. You’re still you, the guy who used to make fun of me for climbing trees and trying to race everyone.”
Rainan chuckled, his eyes drifting to the ground. “I guess I’ve changed a lot.”
“You haven’t,” Angelo said softly. “You’ve just… grown up. But sometimes, I think you forget that you don’t always have to do everything on your own.”
Rainan’s heart skipped a beat. There was something in Angelo’s words that made him feel vulnerable, like maybe Angelo understood him better than anyone else.
“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Rainan began, his voice quieter now, “about how things have changed. How you’ve changed. I don’t think I ever really realized how much you meant to me back then, not until now.”
Angelo’s expression softened, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a peaceful, understanding kind of quiet.
“I mean, I always liked hanging out with you,” Rainan continued, his words slowly forming, “but I think I... I think I liked you more than I realized. Back then. I just… didn’t know how to say it.”
Angelo’s gaze deepened, his eyes searching Rainan’s, and there was a hint of something unspoken between them. He took a deep breath, like he was weighing something important in his mind before speaking.
“I always knew,” Angelo said softly, his voice almost a whisper. “I think I just didn’t want to say it either. But now that we’re here, together, I guess it’s nice to finally hear you say it.”
Rainan smiled, a mixture of relief and embarrassment washing over him. He had never been great with words, but somehow, with Angelo, it felt a little easier.
"You’re still the same, you know that?" Rainan said, smiling softly. "Always knowing things before I do."
Angelo chuckled, the warmth of the moment wrapping around them. “I’m not always right. But sometimes, it feels good to know what’s been hiding for a while. To see it come out.”
There was a brief pause, the sound of the wind rustling through the trees the only thing filling the air. They stood there, side by side, taking in the view, but there was an intimacy to it now, like everything was a little clearer, a little more real. Rainan could feel the weight of the unspoken truths between them, and though it made him nervous, it also felt… comforting.
"You ever wonder what would’ve happened if we hadn’t lost touch for all those years?" Rainan asked, his voice a little distant, almost as if thinking aloud.
Angelo’s smile faded slightly, replaced by something a little more serious. He turned to look at Rainan, his eyes soft and knowing. “I do. Sometimes, I think about it. But then I think maybe this is how it was supposed to be. Maybe we had to grow and figure things out on our own before we could be here, like this. Together, but different.”
Rainan nodded, his chest tightening at the thought. He had always wondered what could’ve been, but now, with Angelo beside him, everything felt like it had come full circle.
“You think we’re just… timing?” Rainan asked, a little uncertain.
Angelo shrugged, his hand brushing against Rainan’s, a casual touch that still sent a rush through him. "I think we were always meant to be here, at least. Maybe not right now, maybe not in the way we thought, but we're here. And that's something, right?"
Rainan’s breath caught. It wasn’t a declaration of love or some grand confession, but it was the first time in a long while he’d felt like they were on the same page. It felt real, genuine. No games, no masks—just two people who had been through their own lives and found their way back to each other.
"Yeah," Rainan said, his voice quiet but steady. "It’s something."
They stood together in comfortable silence, watching as the sun dipped lower, the sky painted with hues of orange and pink. The world felt a little slower, a little more forgiving in this moment. Angelo’s presence beside him was calming, reassuring, and Rainan realized that maybe that was all he needed for now. No grand gestures, no confessions of love. Just a quiet understanding that something between them had shifted, something that had always been there but was now finally given a name.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Angelo’s hand brushed against Rainan’s again, and this time, neither of them pulled away. It was a small, simple gesture, but to Rainan, it felt like everything.