Chapter Text
Rain idly draws in the margins of his notebook as the teacher drones on about some equation or other that would probably be on the next test..
Usually school was interesting enough to keep his focus, especially math, because numbers were typically easier to understand than the core components of the other lessons, but how could he concentrate on the teacher when he and Sky were going to talk face to face for the first time ever?
Rain loves Sky. It’s one of the things he is most certain about.
They’d met online a year ago in the comments of a fix-it fic for a series they’d loved that had fumbled the ending. Obviously Shi Lo Jin had been meant to be with Hu Wan, his best friend who had literally taken a bullet for him in the ninth episode before passing out once he knew Lo Jin was safe at the start of the tenth, not the underdeveloped female lead of the series that only appeared a handful of times several of which had been flashback scenes.
Everyone with a functioning brain knew they’d been robbed of that amazing romance, so Rain had written it. Five thousand words starting from the moment where Lo Jin visited Hu Wan at the hospital, and culminating in a first kiss after Hu Wan admits his feelings, and tries to run away thinking them unreciprocated.
The duty to the fandom had been a catharsis of sorts and had allowed him to practice his English in the process. He was nearly fluent at that point given that it was the language he and his mother shared, but it was always good to practice and he’d needed it then, so it was a win all around.
He’d honestly forgotten about the story when the notification appeared in his email.
The commenter had chosen the handle MoonSunCloud08 on the site and the message though short made him giddy. +Finally. They soulmates. Thank you for story.+
He’d replied using a ton of emojis and a rainbow of hearts, and it had been the best choice ever. Sky quickly became his friend after they’d begun to chat, and was like the brother he always wanted, but never had. They emailed everyday talking about random dramas, light novels, and anime amongst other topics.
The teacher calls him out for being distracted, and he flushes as he looks down at the book on his desk.
The other students laugh at him, and he feels his eyes grow hot, but he refuses to cry.
It didn’t matter that he didn’t have anyone at school to hang out with, because he had Sky and that was enough.
~
“How was school, honey?”
“Good,” Rain replies.
His mother frowns. “Did something happen?” She asks.
“No.”
She knows he’s lying, he’s always been bad at it, so he doesn’t bother unless he really just doesn’t want to talk so she doesn’t push.
“Can we work on my Thai lessons tonight?” Rain asked.
She studies him for a moment longer, and then nods. “Go rest for now, I’ll call you down for dinner.”
Rain hurries to his room, tosses his bag on the bed, and sits at his desk. He opened his laptop, it was still an hour until he could call.
He tries to do homework, but as the minutes crawl by, each second feeling like an eon, his eyes keep going to the clock in the corner of the screen.
Finally the clock flicks from 5:59 to 6:00.
He opened up the app, and dialed.
For a moment he’s terrified.
What if they’d been right…
What if Sky wasn’t really …
A face fills the screen.
Is it really-
“Hello, Rain.”
“Hi, Sky! I’m so happy to get to see you for real!” Rain says. He’s bouncing in his seat, he can’t help it. Sky was real, right there in front of him.
“Me too. I had been scared you might not be real.”
“Me too,” Rain says, relieved that he hadn’t been the only one.
Sky frowns. “Why sad?”
“It’s stupid.”
“If it make you sad, it is not.”
Rain feels the tears pool in his eyes, and this time he can’t stop them, but he swallows hard and speaks because he didn’t want to waste a moment of their call sobbing like a little kid. “My classmates, they said I was lying. Making you up because no one would ever really be friends with me.”
Sky says something in Thai, and Rain suspects at least twenty percent of the exclamation is curse words because Sky’s voice is angry, and it takes him a bit to calm down and switch back to a language Rain understood.
Was Sky mad at him?
It’s a painful thought, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’d done something to make someone mad at him without understanding what it was. He didn’t think it was the case this time, but sometimes he missed things or misjudged them so maybe he had said something wrong without knowing. He’d just apologize and-
“I am your friend, Rain,” Sky says before Rain’s thoughts can spiral further.
“I know,” he replies.
Sky looks at him and seems to come to a decision. “I give you my number. We will talk more.”
“Really? But-”
“Tired of email. Takes forever. You get…” Sky struggles clearly not remembering the word he wants to use in English, and sighs, “you not remember to email.”
Rain laughs. “Thanks, Sky for trusting me. I really am glad I met you.”
“Rain! Time for dinner!”
Rain looks at Sky. “Gotta go.”
Sky nods, and they end the call.
Rain stands and with a nod he resolves to redouble his efforts to learn Thai. He and his mom would be moving there when he graduated high school, and he was looking forward to surprising Sky. The other boy had learned to converse in English better just to talk to him, so really it was the least he could do to show how much he appreciated that.