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The first year of college had gone by in a blur, and before Elijah knew it, he was already nearing the end of his second.
In those two years, between all the studying, the responsibilities of being an older brother, and life’s endless demands, one constant presence had remained beside him:
Anthony.
The paths were quiet, the lamps spilling little circles of light along the way. Neither of them rushed, their movements matching as their talk drifted easily back and forth. Until Anton slowed and tugged gently at Elijah’s sleeve.
Elijah looked at him, curious. “Hm?”
“There’s somewhere close by I want to take you.” Yellow eyes flicked ahead, then back at Elijah, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Uh, sure,” Elijah said, falling into step beside him. “I wonder where you’re taking me.”
“You’ll see.”
Elijah imagined some hidden spot in the park, maybe a quiet corner he hadn’t noticed before. But instead, they veered toward a dark alley just off the edge of the park.
As Anton moved ahead, Elijah stopped.
“Anton,” he called out. “Where exactly are we going?”
Elijah couldn’t tell if Anton was just messing around or had taken a wrong turn.
“Are you scared of the dark?” Anton asked, his voice not calming but unsettling, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
Yeah, he forgot Anton could come off like that sometimes.
“No.” Elijah said with a light scoff. “But… this feels suspicious.” He glanced around warily.
Anton stepped closer. “If you’re worried about someone jumping out of the shadows to attack us, I can reassure you— That’s not going to happen.”
“Right,” Elijah replied, narrowing his eyes. “Like I’m more worried about that than the fact you’ve clearly got some plan, and we’re here in our civilian clothes.”
Anton just smiled, holding out his hand. “There’s no plan. We’re just taking a shortcut. Come on, Eli.”
Elijah hesitated for a moment, but the glint in Anton’s eyes always got to him. He took his hand and together they walked a little farther into the darkness until Anton stopped again.
“I need you to wrap your arms tightly around my shoulders. Don’t let go.”
“Wait, why would I—?”
“You’ll see.”
After some hesitation, Elijah complied. He wrapped his arms around Anton’s shoulders. It wasn't anything new, but to him it still felt a little awkward, being this close to his chest.
Then, without warning, Anton pulled out a grappling hook and aimed it at the sky.
Before Elijah could say anything, he yelped as his feet left the ground, clutching Anton with his heart pounding. The air rushed past them as they shot upward, the world spinning for a moment.
When they finally landed with a soft thud, Anton lets go of his waist, a sly grin tugging at his lips.
“Anton!” Elijah shouted, finally loosening his grip.
“Didn’t see that coming, huh?” Anton teased, laughing at the look on Elijah’s face. “I’ve only ever used the grappling hook as the Diplomator, but lately I’ve been practicing off-duty too.”
Elijah shook his head. “You’re ridiculous. Someone could’ve caught us!”
Anton’s smile grew wider. “No chance of that. Tonight, Eli, it’s just you and me.”
He held out his hand again, standing there with his coat catching in the wind. Almost like a cape.
“Are you still up for that spot? Or should I get us back down before you change your mind?”
Elijah sighed, unable to help a smile anymore.
He stepped forward and took Anton’s hand again. “How many buildings are we climbing?”
“Around three or four. Just hold on tight to me, got it?” Anton’s grin tilted just enough to feel like a challenge.
Elijah knew he was trusting Anton with his life, yet the thought didn’t scare him. Anton’s grip was secure, his movements certain, like he had already mapped every step in his head.
At some point, Elijah stopped shutting his eyes during the jumps. When he looked down, the streets stretched into tiny rings of light, spinning softly in the dark. The air caught in his chest, not from fear, but from how strangely beautiful it was.
And when he took a glance at Anton, mid-swing and focused, he realized Anton wasn’t just doing this for the destination. He loved the thrill itself.
They landed on the narrow staircase at the side of an apartment building. Anton let go of Elijah, but not without steadying him first, as if the ground could still shift at any moment.
“This isn’t trespassing, is it?” Elijah asked, glancing around.
“Not unless we get caught,” Anton replied with a cheeky smile.
“Anton!”
But Elijah’s scolding faded quickly when he saw Anton laugh under the soft light. Instead of being annoyed again, he found himself amused instead. He wasn’t sure why Anton felt different tonight, less like the formal, composed Anton he knew, and more like the carefree Diplomator who teased him effortlessly.
If Elijah had to put it into words, it wasn’t about which version of him was showing.
Right now, Anton was simply… himself. And Elijah liked that, because Anton had always put up a mask himself with everyone.
But Elijah refused to be everyone else.
A smile tugged at his own lips before he realized he was stepping closer. Much closer. Anton’s laughter slowed, his eyes following every small movement Elijah made. Elijah stopped just short, close enough that a single breath could close the gap between them.
And he wouldn’t lie. A part of him wanted to.
“…Elijah?” Anton’s hands lingered at his waist, unsure, with no idea what the other man was thinking or trying to do.
“Stay quiet for a moment, will you?” Elijah said, inching closer to his face.
He grabbed Anton’s collar, and for a second, he swore he heard him gulp.
Was he nervous? It’s all so amusing to him.
Then, without warning, he pulled the collar of Anton’s coat over his head, covering his eyes completely. Anton nearly stumbled back.
“Race you to the rooftop!” Elijah beamed, laughing as he dashed toward the next staircase.
Behind him, he could hear Anton fumbling, muffled sounds coming from under the coat on his head.
By the time Elijah reached the next railing, Anton was already there, arms crossed.
“How did you get here so fast—”
“This,” Anton said, turning to show off his grappling hook. “Thought you could hold me back with that coat? Smart move, I’ll admit.” He made a small frown, though it didn’t seem serious.
“I—well, that’s cheating!” Elijah pointed accusingly at the hook.
Anton clipped it back onto his belt. “No such thing as cheating when you’ve got style.”
Elijah scoffed and broke into a sprint. “The race to the top is still on!”
Anton was right behind him in seconds, his long strides easily catching up.
They bounded up the next flight of stairs, breathless laughter echoing between them. Just as they were about to reach the top, Elijah almost tripped on the last step.
Right on time, Anton glanced back and reached out instinctively, catching him.
“Careful,” Anton murmured, steadying him.
“Yeah,” Elijah said, and only then did Anton let him go.
“All right, the race is over,” Anton said, slowing his pace. “Let’s just walk. We’re one step away from the top.”
Elijah caught up beside him. “So… who won?”
“It was me. I was in the lead after all.”
“Right. If I hadn’t tripped, I would’ve surpassed you.”
Anton chuckled. “Sure, keep telling yourself that, Eli.”
They stepped out onto the rooftop. The space was flat and open, with a single door behind them. It was empty.
“Are you sure there’s no security cameras up here?” Elijah asked.
“Don’t worry, I took care of that,” Anton replied.
The place wasn’t dark, soft lights lined the edges.
“Over here,” Anton said, gesturing toward the ledge.
Elijah followed.
“Remember when you said you wished you could see a perfect view of the city? I found it.”
Elijah leaned his arms onto the ledge.
“I said that?”
He glanced out over the city, eyes tracing the skyline.
Lights blinked in far-off office windows, headlights slid along the streets like slow-moving veins, and through the faint haze, he could just make out the crooked antenna on top of his apartment building. There was the campus library, the statue, the old park bench he used to nap on between lectures, and the little bookstore across the street. All of it was there, like little pieces of a life still unfolding.
From here, the city didn’t look tired or crowded. It looked..
“… beautiful,” Elijah said.
Anton kept his gaze fixed on him, watching Elijah admire the view like he had wished upon a star. When Elijah looked back, Anton quickly turned away, pretending to study the city.
“Yeah, well. It was worth the time finding it,” he said.
Elijah stared at Anton, unsure of what to feel.
Had Anton really gone through all this just because of something he said, or was he imagining it? Anton was adventurous by nature, yet… Elijah couldn’t quite put his finger on what he was feeling.
One thing he did know, he was content to be here with him.
“You know what? I think this is the first time I’ve actually looked at all of it. Like, really looked.”
He glanced back at the view, reaching out a hand. “I’ve been too busy these days— papers, deadlines, projects, family. And now we’re about to finish another year and it still feels like I’m waiting for something.”
Anton tilted his head slightly. “Like what?”
Elijah thought for a moment. “…I don’t know. Maybe to catch up. To feel like I’ve actually lived some of it, not just… survived it. In some way, it feels like I’m just there to fulfill something, but I’m not really fulfilling anything.”
All his life he had been the eldest son, the one who follows his father’s words, the one who always held himself responsible.
“…I thought about fulfilling something I’ve wanted. But sometimes I don’t even know what I really want anymore. I’ve been so focused on meeting everyone else’s expectations that I don’t know what I want for myself.”
Then Elijah glanced at Anton, who had been listening. He felt awkward and rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, I’m sorry for dumping all that on you. Must be confusing, huh? Just forget about it.”
“No, don’t be,” Anton said simply. He looked at Elijah for a moment before returning his gaze to the city. “I know how that feels too.”
“Expectations, duties, responsibilities that we’re obliged to because who else is capable of doing them? It’s hard to break free from them because it feels like all we ever had,” Anton said evenly, almost like he was briefing someone.
“I understand you, Elijah, I really do. Getting so caught up in them that we forget to look around and—” His fingers absently brushed over each other, “—we forget to live for ourselves too.”
Anton gestured toward the city, the lights sprawling out in quiet proof of everything they’d both been working for. When he glanced back at Elijah to meet his eyes,
and oh…
He really did look so beautiful.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Anton. I needed it,” Elijah said, smiling, unaware of how he looked right now. “I still can’t really believe you remembered something so small I said.”
“It wasn’t small to me,” Anton said. Then he turned back to the city, letting the wind tousle his hair. For a moment, he just watched the lights, thinking about everything they had just shared.
He took a deep breath before speaking again. “Elijah… do you think it’ll always be like this?” he finally asked.
Blue eyes lifted to him, curious, his turn to ask now. “Like what?”
“Us. Doing this… running, talking, nights like this before everything gets loud again.”
Anton felt a twinge of regret at his words as Elijah stayed quiet for a moment. Maybe he had said too much, expected—
“I hope so,” Elijah said, cutting through his thoughts. “This might sound corny, but when I’m with you, it feels like I can do anything.”
He leaned in slightly, his shoulder brushing against Anton’s, and the warmth of him made Anton’s chest tighten just a little. In a good way.
Anton let out a quiet breath, eyes still on the skyline. Then he smiled, and a small laugh escaped him.
Because, what had he been so worried about earlier? This was Elijah, after all, the same boy who always seemed to find a way to make him feel lighter, even when nothing else makes sense.
“Thank you too,” Anton said, then rested his head on the ledge. Staring at Elijah as if he were the only one in their world. “For coming here with me tonight.”