Chapter Text
Blinding sunlight awoke Jonah, his face already warm and flushed from the heat. He grumbled quietly, rubbing at his eyes with a clenched fist. He half-heartedly rolled, falling onto the floor in a heap of blankets and limbs. A hand emerged from the pile, stumbling around blindly for a pair of silver glasses on the side table. Sliding them on, and finally being able to see the world around him, he pushed himself upward, sitting on his hands for a moment as he struggled to process everything around him. A quiet knock sounded from the door to his room, startling him from his sleepiness.
"Come in."
Cesar pushed the door open, snorting quietly at the state of Jonah's appearance. His hair was puffed up in some places, and greasy looking in others, askew glasses adding to everything. He blinked slowly, attempting to process everything so early in the morning.
"Good morning, hijo. Are you excited?"
"As excited as you can be for school."
He gave a small nod to that, a sympathetic look in warm brown eyes.
"Just remember, give the word, and I'll come pick you up."
"Is me being hungry a valid reason to leave?"
Cesar chuckled softly at that, walking towards Jonah and smoothing down his wild hair with his hand, black and red strands refusing to be managed.
"I don't think the school would like me bringing you food everyday."
"What about McDonald's?"
"I don't think my bank account would like that very much."
Jonah giggled softly, pushing himself up and on to his feet. He would never get over the height difference between himself and his father, the fact that Cesar couldn't even touch the top of his head. He snorted quietly.
"What are you laughing about?"
"You're short."
Cesar gently punched Jonah's shoulder, loud laughter sounding from him. The fake look of annoyance on his father's face was absolutely priceless.
"If you're heading for the bathroom, breakfast should be done by the time you're done showering."
"Thanks, dad."
Jonah pulled the shorter of the two into a tight hug, Cesar quickly reciprocating it. A part of him wished he could stay here forever, sitting in his bedroom alone and doing whatever errands his father needed done. But this was something inevitable.
Closing the bathroom door behind him, he ran a hair through messy hair, examining himself in the mirror. Once black to silver hair was now a gentle ombre from black to red, the dye job done by his father. Silver glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, received after he eventually admitted to Cesar that he could barely see the world around him. He had forgotten that not everything was supposed to look fuzzy.
He looked so different from a year ago, his eye bags much more pronounced, his hair longer, everything seemed different about him. A flash of Adam's face appeared in his mind before he could force it down, his eyes shut tight to clear the boy from his head. It had been a year, and he still couldn't forget him. Jonah gripped the counter with one hand, taking a deep breath. He hated how much it still affected him.
The image of Adam never left his mind. Even in the shower, eating breakfast, talking to Cesar, and now in the car. Watching trees roll by could only do so much to calm his mind and heart.
"Everything alright, Jonah?"
"Y-yeah. Just… thinking about him."
Cesar's expression was sympathetic as he gave a quick glance over at Jonah, a sad smile on his face. He knew his father was one of the few people to truly understand the emotions that gripped him so tightly.
"Remember, just call me if you need anything."
"I promise, I will."
The rest of the ride there was silent, spare from some small talk about their morning and a quick check to make sure Jonah had everything he needed. When the school finally rolled into view, he couldn't help as his jaw hung open, eyes wide at the size of his new school. This definitely wasn't Bythorne East, where he and Cesar had gone.
A sudden anxiety gripped him as Cesar pulled up to the drop off zone, fears that he had been bottling up for months suddenly hitting him full force. His father, noticing this, opened his arms wide in an offer, a reassuring smile on his face. Jonah nearly collapsed into his father's arms, trying to contain the shakiness in his arms. He tried his hardest to focus on the hand running through his hair, his eyes closing briefly as he composed himself.
"You're gonna do great, hijo. Now get out there and kick some ass!"
"Dad! You swore!"
"The Lord will forgive me for this one time."
Jonah chuckled at that, squeezing his dad one last time before sliding out of his seat, grabbing his bag and waving goodbye as he ran towards the front entrance, the size of the campus finally starting to catch up to him. He stared, slightly wide eyed as he entered the school, pulling out the crinkled schedule from his pocket. An eighteen year old sophomore was certainly gonna give some of the teachers a shock.
He found his first room fairly quickly, up a couple flights of stairs and a bunch of turns, but it was simple enough. He slid into his seat, the small blue school chairs just as uncomfortable and tiny as he remembered. History class at seven am was certainly not his first choice, but he'd take what he could get.
As people started to filter in, some giving him confused glances, is when the realization started to settle in. He was back in school, and for another three long years. It started to feel like a mistake, when something caught his eye. Brunet hair, poking through a black hoodie. The person had a tired look to their eyes, beautifully hazel eyes with flecks of gold scattered in them and-
It felt like something had punched him, the air leaving him. Hazel eyes. Brunet hair. He couldn't tell if he was hyperventilating, or if he wasn't breathing at all. He couldn't help but stare at the stranger, even if everything screamed that it wasn't him. He gripped on to the last remains of hope firmly, as if it was the last thing he had. He tried his hardest to pay attention when the teacher was starting to take attendance, but couldn't help his staring.
"Adam Heathcliff?"
"Here."
Jonah couldn't breathe. There was no way. There was no way that both Adam and Mark were still alive. That his father's best friend, who he had spent so many nights crying over, was still out there, and knew Adam. It had to be his sister, or a common name. There was no way.
"Hey, uh, do I know you from anywhere?"
He couldn't help the shakiness in his voice when he asked the boy, fighting back tears. It was embarrassing to have to fight back the worst of his emotions while talking to possibly a complete stranger, but he had to hope.
"No. You don't."
The boy didn't even spare a glance in his direction.
"Jonah Torres?"
"Here!"
The boy whipped around to face him as soon as his name was called, his eyes wide with shock. Now that he could see every detail of his skin, he knew it was him. He knew that look in his eyes. He knew it better than the back of his own hand.
"Hey, miss? I need to use the restroom."
"I do too."
Their teacher rolled her eyes as she allowed them to go, both boys practically scrambling to run to the nearest restroom. They barely knew the building, but the need to finally see each other far outweighed their broken senses of direction. As soon as they made it inside, the door shutting loudly behind them, Adam threw himself around Jonah, their lips meeting near instantly.
His lips still tasted the same, his hand in his hair still felt the same, his hoodie between his fingers was just as soft as it had ever been. Jonah couldn't help as tears rolled down his cheeks, a soft sob sounding from him. He could feel gloved palms move to hold his face as they pulled apart, Adam gently shushing him as he pressed kisses upon kisses on his face. He couldn't speak, only grab on to Adam, feel that he was truly alive and real.
"I'm so fucking sorry, I'm-"
"Don't start. You did nothing wrong, Jo."
He collapsed into Adam's chest, sobs muffled by his hoodie as the other boy squeezed him tight, tighter than he ever had. He could hear Adam sobbing as well, a shakiness clear in his arms but so here and warm and finally not his imagination.
"God. God you're real and you're okay a-and alive. God."
He could feel Adam's chest move as he laughed humorlessly.
"I thought you were dead, Jo. Jesus Christ, you're okay."
"I thought I fucking killed you. I thought I had killed you."
Adam gripped him tighter at that, rocking them both gently back and forth as Jonah's sobs slowly died down. They both made it out of there, by some miracle.
"I love you. I love you more than anything, I'm so goddamn sorry Adam, I'm s-so sorry."
"I love you too, don't you ever apologize. It wasn't your fault, Jo."
"Please. Tell me I'm not dreaming."
Adam flicked his forehead with his pointer finger, a gentle ow! sounding from him. Jonah couldn't help but chuckle softly, pressing a kiss to Adam's forehead.
"I'm assuming this is one of those times where we talk and actually do logical things later."
"Yes. Absolutely."
Jonah snorted softly at that, his chest feeling like it was about to burst. It was so painful yet so wonderful to finally have him back, after everything. He definitely didn't daydream of their reunion happening in a dirty school bathroom, but he would take what he could get.
He couldn't help but press his ear against the other boy's chest, his heartbeat so painfully familiar to his ears. He knew that sound, from late night cuddles to just holding each other for comfort, he knew that heartbeat better than his own.
"God. It really is you."
Adam held him tighter, the pressure would have been uncomfortable if it wasn't so reassuring and grounding. The feeling that Adam was here, that he was alive and well, that every night he spent alone, crying, was over.
He couldn't help a fresh wave of tears running down his cheeks, Adam's thumb gently swiping away at teardrops, guided by the flickering fluorescent lights above them. It was far from the definition of perfect, but in that moment, everything felt like it had fallen into place.
"I missed you so, so much."
"I missed you more than anything, Jo. I just wished it didn't take this long to see you again, because goddamn did it take too long."
Jonah pressed his palm against the other boy's cheek, a soft smile on his face.
"I'm just glad you're alive, honestly."
They didn't move, even as the bell rang, even as they knew they were gonna be more than late for their next period. All they could focus on was each other, the familiarity of each other's mannerisms so painfully comforting. He couldn't stop from worrying if any of this was real, but he knew it was.
He knew because Adam's lips on his was a sensation he would never forget.