“Uncle Rai!” Damon yells, trying to draw Raiden’s attention down as he scans the people in the room. His friends he toured with are standing on the fringes of the group, watching him with amused expressions and waiting to be invited into the folds.
“Yeah, buddy?” Raiden asks, leaning down to wrap Damonin a hug. My heart melts at the sight, watching the same Raiden I grew up with love on a child. It makes me wonder if he wants kids with me. I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea. The thought of having another Raiden makes my heart stutter in my chest and I have to clear my throat to push down the bubble ofsomethingthat I’m feeling.
“I love you,” Damon says simply and I feel myself melt into my shoes. Raiden seems to be the same, his face softening as he responds to Damon. “I love you too, buddy.” Damon squeezes Raiden harder and their embrace seems to break up the crowd around us.
Damon stays glued to Raiden’s side as he makes his rounds through the room, and I leave the two of them to it as I check on everything in the kitchen. My mom and Ema were in charge of the food and drinks, making sure we had Raiden’s favorites, along with other things to keep our guests full. We planned on making s’mores too at some point, but with the dessert table they currently have set up, I doubt we’ll have to worry about that.
On one table, sushi is neatly placed in rows with nice little place cards letting guests know every ingredient. Yellowtail dippers with a small side of wasabi and soy sauce. Tuna sliced thinly on top of packed white rice drizzled with spicy mayo and cucumber. California rolls with and without avocado. I’m sure the second option is specifically for Ace since he’s voiced his hatred for avocados more often than not.
Said man comes up, slapping me hard on the back and I have to steady myself on the table so I don’t topple over. He doesn’t look a bit ashamed as I straighten and face him. Why would he though? He’s never treated me any different since I lost my leg. If anything, he treats me worse, pushing me past the limits I set for myself. We haven’t been spending as much time together as we did before, but now that Raiden’s home, I vow to change it. Guys night at my house, football at the park,whatever the guys want to do. I owe them my life, for multiple reasons. Saving me in the field, keeping me sane when I was released from the hospital, not letting me wither away while Raiden was in the hospital. They are the brothers I never had growing up. They’re my family.
“You’re getting sappy on me, I can see it in your eyes,” Ace says and I roll my eyes, refusing to admit that I was getting teary eyed thinking about it. It’s not my fault, my emotions have been on a rollercoaster for the past few months, and they’re still not back to regulating normally. How bad is crying between bros?
“Excuse me for having a moment of appreciation for my friends,” I snark as he grabs a California roll off the table and pops it into his mouth.
“Coco, we know you appreciate us. You don’t need to cry over it.”
“Fuck you, asshole,” I say, shoving his shoulder and he laughs loudly, catching the attention of my mom and Ema as they finish putting the last touches on the other food table.
“That’s better. None of that mushy shit. I get enough of it being around Connor and Hollis, I don’t need it from you too.”
“When you find the right person, you’ll love all the mushy shit.” I know I do. For the longest time, I was content to watch from the sidelines, thinking that I never had the chance. And as soon as I had it, I vowed to never let it go.
“Nah, Coco. That’s not in the cards for me,” he says, shrugging his shoulders like he’s not bothered by the thought of living his life alone, but the loneliness underneath his rough exterior tells me differently. I don’t want to push him on it. When the time comes and love slaps him upside the head, I’ll be watching it all unfold, trying to hold back theI told you sothat will inadvertently slip out.
“Whatever you say, man.”
“Go find your lover boy and leave me alone to eat my sushi in peace.”
I do, leaving him alone in the kitchen while I go look for Raiden. He’s the center of attention of a small group of people with their backs to me. Raiden is facing me, smiling widely as he talks to the shorter girl with dark red hair in front of him. He laughs, the beautiful sound reaching my ears and burrowing itself in my heart. Raiden looks so happy. He’s emanating sunshine. My sunshine.
43
JERICHO
“I’m fucking exhausted,” I exclaim when the last person finally walks out of our house. I kept reassuring a drunk Hollis that he could come back tomorrow, but every time Connor finally had him haggled and almost to the door, he and Raiden would find a reason for Hollis to stay. Whether it be Hollis asking for dance lessons, Hollis asking how Raiden does his makeup, or even when Hollis said he wanted to get a piercing to please Connor and asked Raiden if he had any experience with that.
I love my friend to death, but ew, I do not need to know what he and his boyfriend get up to in the bedroom or different ways he can…please…his man.
“How are you exhausted? The night is still young!” Raiden isn’t even drunk, he can’t drink so fresh out of the hospital. After a while, I noticed him getting tired of standing so I brought a chair for him to sit in. That didn’t stop him, he still kept getting up and making his rounds to talk to people. But now that everyone is gone, and I’m halfway dead on my feet, he’s wide awake.
“Come on, Jer! Don’t make me go to bed, it’s my first night offreedom. Let’s do something. Something fun.” Raiden pouts at me, tipping his head back and poking out his bottom lip. The slight scar from his piercing is still there, and my eyes fixate on it.
“Anything fun should be left for tomorrow, when I’m actually lucid,” I retort, grabbing a trash bag from under the counter in the sink to start picking up the pig sty all our friends and family left behind. I’m not mad they left the mess behind, if anything I encouraged it. I don’t mind cleaning up after people, because if I would have left it to them they wouldn’t have done it the way I wanted.
“Even after all these years you are still picky about how to clean,” Raiden says, standing behind me as I bend over to pick up some paper towels from the floor. The mess came from Hollis and Ace attempting to throw sushi rolls in each other's mouths, and when Hollis accidentally hacked on one and spewed rice everywhere, Connor called an end to it. Probably for the best. I don’t plan on seeing the inside of the hospital for a very, very long time.
“Of course I am.”
“It feels like nothing has changed… yet everything has.” When I stand up, Raiden wraps his arms around my middle, clutching me tightly in his hold. With every one of his exhales, I follow. Both of us breathing in sync in the comfort of our own house. Our friends and family sharing in love and laughter. It’s something I dreamed of, but even in my dreams I didn’t know that it could bethis good.
“I know what you mean, tiny dancer.” I turn around in his arms and press a kiss to the crown of his head, letting the strands tickle my nose as I inhale him.
“I love you, Jericho. I swear.” His eyes lift to mine and the light in them has me fighting back a grin as I lean down to brush a kiss across his supple lips. His chapstick is long gone and the only thing left is the taste of him on my lips.
“I love you, Raiden. More than I ever thought possible.” We stand there, holding each other until Raiden starts to get restless, moving around and swaying in my arms. I let him go, but he doesn’t move away and he keeps his arms tightly around my back.
“Do you want to let go?” I ask with a laugh when he still keeps moving.
