Chapter Text
Moon Ridge.
The summer get-away for affluent families all over the world. A century old neighborhood, filled with a handful of equally old, weathered homes, each standing in the middle of vast estates in the Northeastern region of the United States, some spanning multiple acres.
Today wasn’t unlike any average summer day in the area. Despite the setting sun, it was still rather warm, evened out by a cool breeze rushing through the vegetation. Sunoo pulled down the gravel road, lined perfectly with trees as far as the eye could see. It had been an entire year since he had visited his family’s summer home, but this year, he was visiting alone. As he drove down the path, he recalled the conversation he shared with his mother before they departed.
“Sunoo, why don’t you travel to the summer house alone this summer?”
He watched his mother move around the kitchen, looking for any missing food to add to their extensive grocery list. Fidgeting with the apple in his palm, he asked “why?”
Pausing mid pencil stroke, she turned to him, slightly shocked at his question. “I thought you would love to go by yourself this year. You’re about to turn 21, don’t kids these days want to be more independent?” Resuming her task, she continued. “Why don’t you ask Jungwon or Jake to go with you?”
Sunoo shook his head, placing the apple down. “They have plans with their families this summer. I don't even know if they’re going to Moon Ridge this year.”
“Oh, I’m sure I heard Mrs. Yang mention something about them making a stop there towards the end of June. They might even be there for your birthday.”
“But that’s only one week,” he sighed, resting his head on his arms laid across the counter. “What would I even do with all of that time?”
“I’m not sure.” She hesitated, not looking at him. “But I’m sure you will figure it out.” She hesitated again, this time as if to reconsider her next thought. “Your father and I have to take Yeonjun to Europe for his summer program.”
So that’s the real reason I’m going by myself.
Looking at his thumb, he began picking at the skin surrounding the nail. “Can’t he go by himself? Why can’t I go with you?”
“Well…” She took a breath, placing the pen and small notebook down. “We wanted to support him since this is his first big step to getting his doctorate. Plus,” she finally pivoted back to her son, “your father and I wanted to take some time just the two of us, and Europe has been on our bucket list.” She stepped around to stand beside the blonde, who straightened up. Her hand reached out, gently cupping her son’s cheek, yet the touch felt cold. “I’ll buy you a plane ticket to America for Thursday and arrange a car for you to use when you’re there.” She released his face, walking down the hall, not looking back. “Pack enough for two and a half months.”
The echoing sound of her heels solidified his plans, despite his wishes to join the rest of his family.
He reached a hand out the side of his borrowed convertible, letting it be lightly tossed around in the wind. The sun, had it not been for his sunglasses, would have blinded him, its intensity growing as it slid down the sky. The vibrant golds and peaches cast a beautiful glow in the car before being blocked by the trees.
Sunoo continued his journey to the end of the road, where the destination sat waiting for him.
Just then, he noticed a tall, slim figure dressed in a loose fitted, short sleeved, white button up and baggy, washed out, black jeans. He was flailing one of his arms as if to flag him down, the other nonchalantly tucked in his pocket. As he approached, he gradually slowed to a halt next to the young man. As he leaned down to speak, Sunoo noticed how handsome he was. His hair was jet black, partly covering the left side of his face, and his eyes were equally dark with a slightly gleam to them. His lips turned into a charming grin before he spoke.
“Hey, sorry to ask but,” he nodded towards his bike, laying abandoned in the grass, “my tire burst and my phone’s dead so I can’t call my friends to pick me up. Mind if I hitch a ride back to your place to get it charged?”
After a second of thought, the blonde nodded. “Ok… sure.” Hitting the “unlock” button, he signaled for the man to get in.
“Ah, thank you,” he said, hopping in with a light bounce in his step. “You’re a lifesaver.” And with that, he pulled the door closed, making himself comfortable in the leather seat.
Slightly confused, Sunoo pointed at the bike, still outside. “What about your bike?”
Waving a nonchalant hand, the boy said, “It’s fine. I can swing by later and pick it up.”
“Ok….” He put the car in drive and resumed his way down the bumpy road.
Without averting his gaze from the course infront of him. “I’m Sunoo by the way.”
“Nishimura Riki. But my friends call me Niki.”
The two remained silent after Sunoo started down the road once again, Niki looking out the window, resting his chin atop his hand. He seemed completely at ease with himself, and something inside of Sunoo pinged with jealousy.
“Where do you live? I can just drop you off,” the blonde said, beginning to become uncomfortable with the quietness of the car.
Never taking his eyes off the scenery, his passenger replied, “I don’t live here. It’s actually my first time here. I’m here with my friends for the summer.” He turned to the driver. “I don’t know where anything is, and-”
“You don’t know where your friends live,” Sunoo finished for him with a sigh.
“Exactly.”
He nodded as they approached the end of the gravel way, slowing to turn into the final driveway. “Well, I’m at the end of the street so your friends should be able to find it easily.”
“You live here?” Riki asked, peering out the side of the vehicle to the old, brick mansion.
“No, it’s my family’s summer home. I’m actually just arriving from the airport from Korea.” He debated adding the detail of him being here alone and decided to just leave it be.
“Ah.”
Sunoo pulled up to the grand steps leading to their front door. Putting the car in park, he unbuckled, and stepped out. After slamming his door, he watched the taller boy follow suit, still looking at the mansion before them. As he walked around to the trunk, he spoke up again. “Where are you from?”
“All of us are from Japan. We just graduated highschool and they asked if I wanted to spend our last summer here before going to university.”
“Highschool?” the blonde said in a slightly teasing tone and he pried the trunk open. “Damn, you’re young.”
“Hey! I’m eighteen,” the offended boy exclaimed, making his way around to meet the other. “I’ll be nineteen in December.” He halted by Sunoo’s side, watching him unload his multiple bags and suitcases. “How about you?”
“I’ve been out of school for a while,” he said with a grunt, dropping the final duffle bag to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. “I’m turning 21 at the end of the month.”
“Damn, you’re old.” Sunoo could practically hear the smirk on the younger boy’s face.
“Don’t forget who picked you up off the side of the road like a stray dog.” Hoisting up two of the bags, leaving the last three untouched, he started for the entrance. “Why don’t you carry the rest of those in for me? It’s the least you could do.”
“Yes sir,” Riki said, mimicking a soldier receiving orders.
Sunoo would be lying if he were to tell someone that he didn’t enjoy going to the summer house. And the fact reentered his mind as he forced his way through the door. Nostalgic smell of still air and old wood made his heart flutter and he plopped the bags by the base of the steps.
“You can leave those here.” The shorter boy pointed to the vacant space, pivoting to the kitchen. “I think we have a charger in the kitchen.”
Once he entered the kitchen, he began rummaging through the endless drawers. After looking in his third one, he found his target. He whipped around, holding the cord up.
“I found one.”
Niki was standing just behind him, leaning against the island counter, arms folded comfortably. His head was ever so slightly dropped to the side as he looked at Sunoo with a look he couldn’t quite place.
“Here…,” the blonde breathed, slightly uncomfortable with the look in his eye.
With a blink, the look was gone and he took the charger. “Thanks.” He plugged it into the nearest outlet, leaving Sunoo to question if there was even a look at all.
“It may take a little,” he said, placing his phone down. “It’s dead dead.” He turned to Sunoo and after a brief pause continued. “Want help carrying your bags up?”
“Umm… sure,” he tried answering, but the boy was already slinking past him, back to the foyer.
So Sunoo led the way up the flight of stairs and then down the hall to his designated room, cracking the door open to reveal it untouched since the summer prior. He crept in, as if to not want to disturb the space. The same old wooden bed frame was still sitting on the same old intricately patterned rug. His same old queen sized bed was still decorated with the same old minimally detailed, cream comforter and same old fox plush. The same old vintage dresser sat against the opposite wall and the same old lounge stood in front of the window overlooking the field and gardens. He carefully lowered his bags down once again before shuffling to the lounge.
“I like your room,” he heard behind him, followed by the sound of more bags hitting the wooden floor. “It’s very… cozy.”
Glancing over his shoulder, the blonde said, “Don’t force yourself to like it.”
“No, I really do,” Niki assured, stepping to the window as well. “It’s not my taste but I still like it.” Sunoo shook his head, looking back out the window.
There it was again, the silence. Sunoo could feel the younger’s presence just behind his shoulder, assuming he was also enjoying the view of the setting sun.
“Thanks for picking me up,” Niki said in a hushed voice, nudging the shorter boy by his side. The feeling of two eyes peering down at him washed over Sunoo.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, not tearing his gaze from the swaying trees in the breeze.
“Can I get your number?” Niki seemingly blurted out.
“Why?” the older boy asked, peeking upward.
“Cause.” He met the others eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. “We’re both going to be here all summer long. Might be nice to hang out sometime.”
“I guess you’re right, sure. Let’s go get your phone.”
Turns out, Niki’s friends were worried about him, since they hadn’t heard from him in about an hour. He assured them he was fine and told them where to pick him up. The two exchanged numbers just in time for them to hear a beep, beep from outside. Jogging to the front door, Niki waved over his shoulder, saying he would text later. Then, the door fell shut, and silence once again filled Sunoo’s ears.
Niki ended up visiting him everyday without falter. He would appear at the front steps each morning, following Sunoo around wherever he went before departing once the sun began to set. Sometimes they would venture into town, running errands or scouting any local shops, while others they would stay in, cleaning up the dusty rooms or just lounging in the living area. As he spent more and more time with the younger boy, Sunoo felt a sense of gratitude at the fact that he found someone to spend his ample amounts of time with. He loved the slightly naive charm Niki brought to the house, making up for a majority of the energy. He always teased the blonde, making playful comments on his shorter stature and round cheeks. But Sunoo never let him get too cocky, giving him little shoves here and there, which caused them both to laugh. In those moments, Sunoo felt like a teenager again, carefree about the world outside his brick walls and picket fences. One late afternoon, the sun just beginning to hang low, the two of them were laying on the couch, staring at a TV screen displaying the local news, which they could not understand. Sunoo was curled up on one end while Niki had his feet propped up on the coffee table on the other. The blonde turned his head to look at the other, head still rested against the cushion.
“Niki?” he mumbled, hearing a low hum in return. “Why don’t you spend any time with your friends?” The question received a glance from the other. “You said you wanted to spend your final summer before going to college with them, so why don’t you hang out with them?”
“Cause I like you more.” The response was quick and certain. Probably after seeing the puzzled look on Sunoo’s face, he elaborated. “I mean, I’ve known them my whole life, but you’re a lot more fun to be around. A lot more… level headed.”
“Wow, thanks,” he scoffed sarcastically. “I am almost 3 years older than you so I would think I’m more mature.”
“And yet, you’re more than three inches shorter than me.” Sunoo shot a leg out, colliding with the younger’s hip. Not nearly hard enough to cause serious damage, but Niki still called out in pain, dramatically throwing his head back on the sofa as he held the now sore spot.
Sunoon giggled at the performance, causing the other to also let out a laugh as well. After a moment, the blonde noticed Niki go silent and ceased his laughter. The younger then popped an eye open, looking in the direction of him and Sunoo’s heart dropped.
The following events happened in rapid succession. Niki lunged at the older boy, but Sunoo was able to quickly avoid, laughing once again as he looked down at the flustered boy. The younger boy slowly tilted his head up, eyes focussed and lips curled into a cocky grin. Sensing another attack, Sunoo dashed around the couch, just in time to miss Niki’s second lung. The room echoed with laughter as the two continued their dance.
Suddenly, his eyes blew wide as an idea formed in the blonde’s head. He darted out of the living room and to the front door, careful not to slip on the smooth flooring with his socked feet. Shoving his feet into the old sneakers by the door, he flung both doors open and flew down the stairs. He ran to the vibrant green field just past their driveway, leaping and frolicking like a child. Once he noticed the absence of sound behind him, he slowed to a stand still. Gasping for air, he pivoted around, eyes scanning for his friend.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
The taller boy finally emerged from the house, jumping down multiple steps at once. He continued his pursuit, signaling Sunoo to smile fondly before rushing through the field. Their chase resumed, Sunoo skipping backwards every few strides to gauge just how far his chaser was, and Niki, keeping his eyes dead set on the blonde, the smirk never wavering.
“Sunoo!” Niki hollered. “Wait!”
“You’re going to have to catch me!” he said, taking a sharp turn into the garden, dense with summer foliage.
He expertly maneuvered around the branches, bushes, and vines, maintaining focus on his target: an old water fountain at the center. And taking his final corner, he was face to face with the small body of water, still and glistening orange and pink from the sun’s relation.
A twig snapping behind him caused him to suck in a gulp of air and hide against one of the tall bushes surrounding the small courtyard.
“Sunoo.”
The older boy could hear Niki prolong the final syllable as his voice inched closer. Soft crunching of the other’s footsteps slowly approached, and Sunoo mimicked the water’s stillness. Then, he saw the taller boy’s back as he walked into the fountain’s area. His head was swiveling so quickly it reminded Sunoo of a meerkat scoping out its territory. After another long moment, Niki was in the perfect position. Sunoo lurched forward with a victorious sound, jutting his arms out to push the boy in front of into the sparkling water, but thanks to reflexes he was not expecting, Niki was able to whirl around, grasping his arms. Unrelenting, Sunoo charged forward, feeling pushback. Eventually, he was able to get the younger to retreat a step, then another, until his heels hit the outside of the pool. Niki dropped onto the water foundtain’s wall.
“Gotcha!” Sunoo said victoriously, and with one final effort, he pushed Niki. His back hit the surface of the water, sending water droplets in every direction. Wheezing uncontrollably, the blonde stepped to the edge just as the now soaked boy resurfaced, whipping his head back to get his pitch black lock out of his vision. After rubbing his eyes, his arms went limp, sending ripples through the water and he huffed, looking up at the boy above him. Sunoo could tell he wasn’t upset, but the look in his eye definitely read “I’m going to get you back, Sunoo.”
Sunoo lowered himself to sit on the ledge. His smile widened, head cocked to the side. “I win.”
“Very funny,” the younger boy said, holding up a middle finger. He then ran a hand down his face, whipping the droplets running down his forehead and cheeks. The lowering sun cast a warm glow on the water, causing it to shimmer brighter, along with the wet streaks running down the younger’s face. The sight lead a heat to creep up Sunoo’s cheeks. Niki looked beautiful, to put it simply. Before he could become more distracted, he saw Niki draw back his arm, rapidly bringing it forward along with a wave of water, aimed right at Sunoo.
He reacted quickly, bringing his hands up in a futile attempt at shielding himself from the assault. “Hey!” he screamed as his attacker laughed from his spot in the pool. “I’m soaked .”
After catching his breath, Niki spoke up. “How do you think I feel?”
“Ok, ok. I’m sorry.”
A breeze brushed through the garden. That combined with the sun falling behind the bushes set a rush of cold down Sunoo’s spine. He shivered and rubbed his arms, trying to generate any warmth he could.
“Let’s head back before we get sick,” the younger said as he rose from the pool. The sound of dozens of mini streams of water hitting the pool filled Sunoo’s ears.
“Yeah, let's go.”
They quickly made their way back to the house, racing the setting sun. The two eventually made their way inside and Sunoo guided them back in the direction of the room they recently fled from.
“I’m going to run up stairs to get a few towels,” the older boy said, turning to the stairs. “There’s a few logs in the living room. Can you start a fire so we can dry off our clothes?”
“Yep,” Niki said without missing a step.
“Don’t burn the house down!”
“No promises.”
Sunoo rolled his eyes before jogging to the bathroom and returning with two deep brown towels. As he stepped back into the room, he heard the snapping of a fire followed shortly by the smell of burning wood. His sight focused on Niki beginning to unbutton his shirt. “Here.” He poked the other with one of the towels just as he slipped the shirt off and placed it on a rack in front of the fireplace. “You want a different pair of pants?”
“Thanks,” he said, taking it and loosely covering his shoulders with it. He lowered himself to the hardwood floor while Sunoo stripped his own drenched top. “I’m good. Plus, your’s are probably way too short for me, with your tiny legs.” Sunoo resorted to kicking him once again, earning a light swat and toothy grin.
He sat next to the younger boy. However, he rapidly wrapped his towel around his body, freezing from the water. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Niki stood back up and his eyes watched him shuffle to his former spot on the sofa and grab his sweatshirt. Returning to the fire, he tugged the towel from Sunoo’s shoulders and replaced it with the zip up. “Use this.”
Startled by the uncharacteristic act of kindness, the blonde mumbled a muted “thanks.” He snuggled into the oversized hoodie, pulling the sleeves over his hand and tucking his nose into the fabric. It smelled like it probably hasn’t been washed in a bit but Sunoo didn’t mind. Once he felt like his body temperature rose to an acceptable level, he tucked his legs under himself to rest on them and rotated to face Niki.
“Let me dry your hair,” he asserted, picking up the now vacant towel. The younger boy raised a puzzled eyebrow. “Just come here.” He ushered Niki closer, and he complied, situating himself in front of the older boy. Sunoo felt cool legs press against his equally cold knees.
Niki leaned in, hands falling to his lap. His eyes fluttered shut as he waited for his hair to be dried. Sunoo flung the towel over the other’s head and began ruffling the deep black locks.
The room fell into a low hum of cracking wood, rustling cloth, and their combined breathing. The blonde continued his task, taking care to not pull too hard at Niki’s hair. He was almost methodical, working his way from one side to the other, never missing a single strand. After a few more passes for good measure, Sunoo pulled the towel back, revealing the younger boy’s face, half illuminated by fire light. “Done,” he muttered, with a smile.
Niki opened his eyes, leaving them half hooded, tired from the day. “Thanks,” he whispered, mirroring Sunoo’s grin.
They remained in this position for a few long beats. Sunoo intently scanned Niki’s face, watching how the flickering light lit up certain parts of it, sinking into the crevices of his jaw and cheeks. His gaze trailed from the tiny beauty mark on his chin up to his eyes. Despite them being only half open, they were locked in on the older boy’s mouth.
Sunoo let out a delicate gasp, parting his lips to let the air leave his lungs. Without even letting the thought fully form in his head (because then he would have to rethink it), he moved forward until his lips were pressed to the other’s. His eyes fell shut as he felt a low hum against Niki’s mouth. He held them there a moment longer, savoring the soft, bubbly sensation. The voice in his head kicked in, telling, no, commanding him to pull back, so he complied.
They parted, and Sunoo told himself that the heat in his face was due to the fire. He finally opened his eyes to see a black gaze already looking at him. Niki’s head had lulled to the side as he peered up at Sunoo.
“You’re really beautiful,” he said through a smirk.
Embarrassment rushing through his veins, the blonde shoved his face into the towel, an almost incoherent “I’m so sorry” coming through in a muffled voice. The sound of the taller boy’s amused laugh made it to his ears.
“You’re really cute, too.” The addition came between giggles as he felt two large hands cover his own, bringing them to his lap, but Sunoo still refused to meet the other’s eye. The younger cocked his head even further, straining his neck to get a reciprocated glance. Unable to look anywhere else, his eyes flickered to the side, finally looking at the other.
“Don’t say that,” he said, fidgeting with his fingers, still held by Niki’s.
“But it’s true.”
He tried to conceal the stupid grin playing on his lips, but was unsuccessful.