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Megat is his best friend, and quite possibly always will be.
For as long as Reza could remember, Megat has always been there. From the day they stood next to each other in assembly, to the day they both swore to look after Kudrat together, one simply had never been seen without the other.
Close friendships weren't uncommon in Kudrat, of course, but everyone knew about Reza and Megat. The top student and top athlete duo was at the center of everyone's attention, yet that never mattered to them. Both of them were in their own world, fooling around, cracking jokes, and every living, breathing second they spent in each other's company. Well, except during classes and lights-off in the dorms, but that's never really stopped them either.
Because Megat is his best friend, and almost nothing could tear them apart.
The bell rings, signalling the end to another school day.
"Alright class, we'll wrap our lesson up here. Don't forget, your essay is due this Friday."
Reza finishes up the last of his notes and packs up. He takes a mental note of the assignments lined up for him when he gets back to his dorm, uncaring for the idle chatter and shuffling of classmates on their way out of the room.
"Ja!" a familiar voice breaks through his trance and he snaps his head towards its direction.
"Megat! Eh, give me a minute, I'm still packing up."
The response elicits a chuckle from the other person, who knew all too well that his friend's "packing up" meant it would take him more than just a minute. Megat invites himself into the now mostly vacant classroom, strutting with his hands in his pockets towards Reza's desk.
Well, his strutting didn't last long because thanks to the carelessness of one of Reza's classmates, he stumbles on a stray pencil on the floor.
"Shit-"
Reza is quick to notice this and reaches his arm in front of Megat just in time to catch him. The sudden weight thrown onto his arm makes him stagger slightly, however the relief of having caught his best friend steadies him.
"Watch where you're going, dumbass." Reza teases.
"Oh shut the hell up!" Megat gets back on his feet and dusts himself off, rolling his eyes at the other, "You're no better! Don't act like I've never seen you embarrass yourself.”
The two stand there, laughing at and with each other. At this point, the classroom is completely empty and they're once again two best friends in their own little world. Relishing in the hour and a half they had between the final bell and bath time, they settle down on the floor, back to the wall as they sat side-by-side under the window, just slightly out of view from everyone in the hallway.
"Didn't you have club today?" Reza asked.
"Coach fell sick, so I'm here to pick up my princess." he replies, putting on a baby voice to exaggerate.
"Who are you calling 'princess' !" he playfully punches the other, who returns the favor, albeit with an extra jab to the side as payback.
Messing around while sitting isn't exactly a still activity; both of them ultimately tire themselves out with the banter and play-fighting, out of breath from the laughing that came with it. The two are still seated close to the wall. This time however, Megat, who is still in the middle of catching his breath, rests his head on Reza's shoulder. Reza flinches slightly at the sudden contact, despite the fact their hands were all over each other just a second ago. His face was flushed, but even he couldn't discern if it was due to the play-fighting or something else.
Silence fills the empty classroom and the laughter of the two boys is replaced with their semi-laboured breathing and the faint, rhythmic beating of Reza's heart. The late afternoon sun peeks through the windows above, casting a shadow that keeps them and how they were seated even more hidden from the world right behind them as time seemingly froze in place.
Calmer now, Reza's attention is entirely on Megat, who's still rested on his shoulder. Can he hear his heartbeat? Does he even want him to? Wait, this is his best friend, so why is he paying any mind to this in the first place? Why was he thinking so hard about Megat?
His eyes try to focus on the ocean of desks before him to keep the thoughts off the boy's head on his shoulder. Unfortunately for him, his attention to detail that gained him the praise of teachers was the very thing making him nervous. The heat radiating off Megat's skin, the closeness of their bodies, the subtle inconsistency in the pace of his breathing, detail after detail takes its place in Reza's mind.
Megat suddenly lifts his head off Reza's shoulder, taking the other by surprise for a second. A sigh escapes his lips as he repositions himself, hugging his knees close to his chest and head turned to face Reza.
"Hey Ja, you remember our plan right?" Megat asks the boy whose eyes are now fixated on his, a tenderness and vulnerability present in this question.
"That I'd become Head Prefect and you'd become Kapla? Like you even need to ask.” The other boy lets out a slight chortle in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.
“Heh, yeah. I was just thinking, but what if this doesn't work out? Like I know how your dad isn't too fond of me, plus you’re a total papa’s boy-”
“Am not!” Reza retorts, delivering a smack to the back of the other’s head.
“Aduh-” Megat winces, rubbing his hand where Reza had struck, “What was that for, dickhead?"
“Don't get me started, Megat.” Reza continues, “Also hey, you're my best friend, right? I'd never abandon our plan." He shifts closer, putting his arm around the other's shoulder, “Do you even see the work I'm putting in to gain the favor of both the teachers and student body?”
Megat snickers and pushes his hand away, “Sure I do. Who wouldn't see how much you've been sucking up to Si Yusof lately?”
“That's Tuan Yusof, Megat Shah.”
“See! You're just proving my point!”
The two break into laughter once more, but what Megat doesn't notice is Reza’s eyes are basically glued to him, silently observing and taking in the image of his best friend the way they have many times before. As a friend, of course.
The late afternoon sun is now beginning to take on its orange evening glow, and the duo realize that they've overstayed their welcome in the empty classroom. Megat's the first to get up and dust himself off.
“Guess it's a good time to go before the warden catches us, huh?” he extends a hand out to Reza, who promptly takes a firm hold of it to help himself up, although he almost brings Megat back down with him in the process.
Another brief fit of laughter emerges from them. Only this time, they're completely visible to the world behind the wall. No longer cast and hidden in late afternoon shadow, but illuminated and glowing in the gentle orange of the oncoming sunset intruding the empty classroom. Intruding on their little rendezvous, and highlighting them for all to see.
The lingering sensation of the other's firm grip is obvious to Reza, considering it was, well, lingering. He finds himself staring at the still-warm palm, then back at the one that left said warmth.
“Anyways.” Megat interrupts the silent ritual, his index pointed towards and just barely meeting Reza’s lips, “You're helping me train tomorrow. And no excuses.”
Reza is caught off guard by the lack of distance between but doesn't show it, “Like I need any. You'd come to my room to drag me out whether I made excuses or not.”
A slightly held-back punch lands itself on his chest this time, as if to say “You're damn right I will, so you better show up.”
“Reza! Mr. Sin is looking for you!” a voice coming from the hallway cuts into the moment. Both boys are flustered for a second before Reza responds to the student, thanking him for letting him know.
He takes a final look at Megat with weirdly, a tinge of longing in his gaze, as if the two weren't going to see each other again at the dining hall for dinner. He tells the other he'd better get going, and is the first to leave the classroom.
Reza makes a fair bit of distance away before stopping in his tracks, taking several deep breaths and one final glance at his hand, honing in on the lasting sensation of the other's touch. He's not sure why it hasn't gone away, nor why he's still focusing on it. Or the slight pain in his chest. Maybe Megat wasn't holding back when he punched him back there.
Regardless, he shakes the thought and continues towards the staffroom, wondering what Mr Sin could possibly need him for, and what he could add to the training regimen.
Megat is his best friend, and quite possibly something more.
But he's not too concerned with figuring that out right now. After all, Form 5 was around the corner. Megat was getting ready for pilihan raya, and Reza's getting ready to secure his spot as Head Prefect. In order to be the brain to his brawn; to be the duo to look after Kudrat together.
Nothing could ever come between them.
Right…?