Atop the Mountain

Chapter 9: Up Close, Too Personal

When Raihan was fifteen, he knocked on Gordie's door one night, well past sundown. The other boy's mother answered the door, rubbing sleep from her eyes, "Raihan?" she whispered, letting out a wide yawn. She looked up at the sky, squinting at the stars and the moon that hung high over the treetops. "It's late. Did something happen?"

Raihan was filthy, covered in mud and grime. Twigs jutted out of his coarse hair, and he had multiple cuts along his hands.

He must've looked a right mess, but in reality, he'd been out with Leon all day, trudging through the woods, sparring with their Pokemon and sometimes each other. Leon was strong, and growing stronger by the day. Raihan was big, but more and more, that wasn't an advantage.

At some point, Leon had managed to pin him to the ground. He'd stared up at his friend, whose long, purple hair surrounded his face like a halo, the light casting an almost pinkish glow to it. He smiled like he always did- with all his teeth, so there were little crinkles under those sparkling golden eyes.

Raihan's heart had pounded in his chest, so loud that he feared Leon would hear him.

Was he in love? With Leon?

He'd accepted a while back that he had a crush, but how did one know the difference between a crush and love? He really didn't want to ask his dads, and Gordie was one of his best friends, and he'd always been popular with people of all genders. So he decided he ought to talk to him.

"Hi miss Melony," Raihan dipped his head, "I- I need help with something- um," he holds his hands clasped in front of him, nails digging into his skin. "It's about- uh- a crush?"

At the word crush , Melony perked up. It was like color returned to her, and suddenly she was awake, "Oh, that's so sweet! Let me wake Gordie dear," she waved to a pile of towels sitting on a shelf next to the bathroom, "feel free to sit on a towel," she said the words sweetly, but Raihan knew it wasn't just a suggestion. He grabbed a light blue towel off the pile and lay it down carefully on the Dubwool-leather couch. Raihan hummed and ran his cleaner hand over it. It was smooth, durable. He wondered if Milo's family would trade his family for one.

Melony returned a few moments later, Gordie following behind in only his undergarments, back hunched. He shot a look with a raised brow at Raihan, but ultimately collapsed next to him on the couch.

"So what is it, darling?" Melony prodded, folding her hands on her lap.

Raihan inhaled deeply. He leaned forward, gaze flickering between Gordie and Melony. He was a bit scared, admittedly. What if they laughed at him? Would they do that? He really, really hoped not. "You can't tell my dads, but-" Melony furrowed her brow at that, but Raihan pressed on, "I think I'm in love with Leon and I really don't know the difference between a crush and love and I need help and my dads are embarrassing," the words tumbled out of his mouth at a rate that felt beyond Raihan's control, like an overfilled cup. He slumped back against the couch, then picked himself up when Melony winced, "so yeah."

Gordie was looking at him with the most shit-eating grin he'd ever seen, "I'm just glad you're past claiming you hate him," he said, offering a shrug, "but uh- I dunno. I've only ever had crushes, I think," he looked at his mom, then quickly away. Their relationship was a bit beyond his understanding. Melony always seemed so nice, if a bit pushy, but Gordie... well, he flip-flopped on her a lot.

Raihan was grateful he had dads he loved and who loved him back unequivocally. Even if they were too mushy and embarrassing to talk to about crushes.