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The salty air is something that Taki can get used to. For many days he's been waking up to the golden sun shining through his curtains and the smell of salt water blasting his nostrils. He's enjoying summer, he thinks it's well deserved; especially after his rough school year.
He rolls out of his bed, luckily his elder brother Kei is in his own room and stumbles to put his house slippers on. It was fairly quiet in the house, sometimes it scared Taki that a house could be this silent with so many people in it. He's sure his hair is sticking out in all different directions and he can feel his sweatpants being rolled up like a madman, but oh well.
Taki makes his way down the steps and waddles into the kitchen. He is one of the first kids up, he normally is; he enjoys his alone time in the morning, and all the parents are already sitting at the table with cups of coffee chattering away.
"Ah Taki!" his mom smiles, "Awake before Yudai?" he nods to her and groggily walks to the refrigerator for a bottle of water.
"Taki, you and Maki should go for a bike ride, I pumped the tires up last night," Euijoo's father tells him.
He nods, "Ah thank you," he smiles. Maki has basically become his best friend while here in the outer banks. They hadn't been seen apart for the past weeks and were always going on an adventure together. It’s been fun being around someone who is younger than him makes him feel so safe. He starts thinking about where they could go after they eat breakfast.
While in trance, Maki makes his way down and into the kitchen where Taki is currently dazed out.
"Morning," his voice is deeper than normal and the sun is hitting his face in a way that really does something. God, it does something to Taki. Yeah, there are parts of Maki that Taki finds utterly attractive, his morning voice being one of them. Sue him, he's a teen boy: who has teen boy needs. One of them happens to be another teen boy named Maki. Taki goes back to zoning out as he pours himself a bowl of cereal.
He sits next to an adult and eats quietly. He has to really focus on his surroundings to notice that Maki has sat next to him and that Nicholas has now joined them.
"Any plans for the day?" Nicholas asks.
"Uh, I don't think so," Maki huffs.
"Euijoo’s dad pumped up the tires in the bikes, so I might go for a bike ride later," Taki says. The other two nod and continue eating. After Taki finishes his food he takes his bowl to the sink. He loiters a bit in the kitchen and Maki walks in.
"Could I join you on your bike ride?" he asks.
Taki nods, "Sure! I would love to have company," he smiles at Maki.
"Great! Let me know when we are leaving," he gives an affirmative nod and exits the kitchen.
–
The day matured a little bit further and the sun was shining brightly. Taki was dressed in a loose t-shirt and some shorts. He puts his phone into a bag and knocks on Maki's door.
"Maki!" he yells, "I'm about to head out if you still want to go." He hears some ruffling and then the door opens. Taki is stunned. Maki's hair is slightly messy and so are his clothes. It's hot, like really hot.
"Taki?" Maki asks, his voice is again ridden with sleep.
"Are you going on the ride?" Taki asks bashfully.
Maki's eyes widened, "Oh yeah. sorry, I will. I fell asleep," he explained.
Taki nods, "I get it. I'll be waiting for you downstairs." With that, Maki nods and shuts his door. Taki let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He turns around and sees Nicholas and maybe jumps a little but the nature of it all.
"So, what's that about?" He playfully asks, his feline eyes in full curiosity mode.
Taki quirks his brow, "I don't know what you're talking about." He does.
Nicholas grins and nods, "Sure ~ and I'm not dating Byun Euijoo, but I'll let it slide." Nicholas leaves not before throwing Taki a teasing wink.
Taki is fucked. Absolutely gone. His heart races at the earlier thought of Maki. Him, waking up, hair all messy, voice super deep. Suddenly, Taki is sweating.
He is so gone for a boy named Maki.
—
The bike ride couldn't have been more of a fever dream than it was.
First, Taki couldn't get his helmet on: which was super embarrassing, but Maki coolly stepped in and helped it. He tried to ignore how his face heated up at the slight touch of the other and how much the sensation was left burning even after being faced with the wind.
Second, he forgot his wallet. It doesn't seem like a big deal in retrospect; but he had told Maki that he'd pay for some coffee. So when they finally had ordered and were going to pay, Taki only then, decided to check his pockets for his wallet.
"Shit," he hisses, frantically patting his pockets.
"What? Did something happen?" Maki checks him.
Taki shakes his head, "No. I just uh, forgot my wallet." He flushes red from pure embarrassment. Maki grins.
"I got it. You get the next tab yeah?" Taki just nods. Maki hands the polite barista his card and they get handed their drinks shortly after. The implication that they will be doing something like this again plants itself firmly in the front of Taki’s mind. He will be thinking about that for the rest of the day.
So yeah. It didn't go smoothly. He's currently laying in bed again. Euijoo and Nicholas went for a walk. Kei and Fuma are likely on the beach, and the parents went for a drink at a nearby bar. It was him and Maki for the night. Alone, in this big house.
He rolls to his side, the sheets crunching underneath him, and faces the window. He looks at the pool, and ideas dangle in his head. Taki quickly stumbles out of his bed and throws on some swim shorts.
For the second time today he's knocking on Maki's door.
"Yeah?" The other answers, pulling the door open just like he had done this morning.
"Did you want to go into the pool with me for a bit?" Taki asks, fumbling with his fingers nervously.
Maki nods, "Sure. Give me a sec and I'll be down in a moment." Taki smiles and nods, silently agreeing. He skips down the stairs and outside into the back. Throwing his towel on the chair and then contemplating diving into the water. While he's caught up in his thoughts, he feels hands on his back and next thing he knows he's coming in contact with the water.
"MAKI," Taki shouts before getting submerged in the water. He pops his head back up and pushes his hair out of his face. He opens his eyes to find Maki staring at him, like he had just seen something. Taki swears he catches Maki's eyes flickering down to his stomach and then back up to his eyes.
Taki wouldn't say he's toned but being the younger brother of an athlete pays off. He spends a fair amount of time in the gym with Kei, so he's made some progress. Taki smirks cockily and swims to get out.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Maki screeches before he starts running as Taki gets closer. It starts like that, the two of them chasing each other. The sound of laughter and love fill the air outside, drowning out the cicadidae that have made themselves known on the summer evening. They make it around the pool twice before Taki successfully tackles Maki into the water.
Both boys resurface and push the hair off their faces, their chests rising and falling as they catch their breath.
"You bitch," Maki barks out a laugh his head falling back, displaying his throat that makes Taki gulp.
Taki follows suit, "Then you shouldn't have pushed me in." They break out in a splash fight, moving closer to one another. Suddenly, they're pressed against each other.
Maki isn't much taller than Taki, but it feels like he's somehow far away like this. There is a feeling in Taki's gut, but he ignores it for now. It's not time for that. Maki's hands find solace on Taki's waist and so does Taki's hands.
They look at each other first, then at the lips of the other. Before Taki can process anything, they're both leaning in and capturing their lips into a kiss. Taki can hear the fireworks go off in his head or maybe that's the neighbours, he doesn't care right now.
They move in tandem, it's sweet; Maki is sweet. He's being delicate and Taki is enjoying it. They stand there for a moment, making out in the pool before the need for air separates the two of them.
For the second time, their chests are rising and falling in unison.
"Please," Maki breaks the silence between them with a soft plea, "Tell me you want me." As if Taki was doing this for fun; he wasn't. He wants Maki.
Taki nods, cupping Maki's face softly, "I do. I promise this isn't for fun. Please tell me you feel the same way."
"I do, I really fucking do." They're hugging after that. The two boys stand in the middle of the pool as the colored lights shoot up into the sky around them. Taki doesnt want to think about what's going to happen when they leave in a few weeks, but he doesn't. All he knows is that he's got Maki and that Maki has him. Maybe for now, that's good enough for him.