Thursday was Gen’s lightest class day, just one and it was a prereq for his major. He was in and out before lunch and off to work by three where he would be there until nine or so, depending on how much needed to be stocked. Three days a week, he worked at the nearby grocery store as a freezer stocker, something he really enjoyed because he didn’t have to interact with customers much, and he got to listen to his music all day. As long as they got their work done, management did not care what policies the stockers broke, including the one about earbuds.

It was around five when he was taking another pallet out to the floor to work that he got a notification on his phone. Once the pallet was parked, he checked to see that he got a message from Mika. They had just had their third tutoring session the day before and he thought it had gone well. Did he forget something?

Hey, I forgot, did you say you work today?

Yeah, I’m here now. What's up?

There was no response for several minutes, in which time, Gen got busy stocking the pizza section. The weekend was on the horizon and this section would be wiped out quickly.

The notification cut through his music again.

What time are you off?

9.

Another several minutes.

Do you wanna hang out later? 

Gen’s fingers hovered over the screen, his chest tight. He should say no…not let the sphere get invaded any further. But he had told Mika he thought he was cool; told him yesterday he liked his taste in music; told him the Friday before he was down to hang out whenever. Gen Parker was building a door for Mika Torino to get through his sphere.

Yeah. Want me to pick you up somewhere?

He was also opening that door for Mika to enter.

-*-

Mika stood outside the convenience store, his oversized hoodie billowing in the high winds. He didn’t care, he just wanted to be away from the house for a while. There could be a tornado ripping through the center of town and he’d rather be in the center of it than at home with his family. He felt bad for leaving his little brother and sister there, but what could he do? His mom would make sure they were okay. It had taken a lot of pleading and promising on his part for her to allow him to go out tonight, and only for a few hours.

“Just be home before midnight, okay?” she had said, her voice shaky. “I mean it, Mika…before midnight.”

He had promised and ran out the back door before Thomas even noticed.

Now, here he was at the convenience store down the street, his feet cold in his sneakers. I should have grabbed boots, he thought, wondering if that was snow he saw drifting to the ground in the light of the store.

Just then, a large truck pulled into the parking lot, loud music blaring from within, the decals gracing the hood and doors telling him who was behind the wheel before Gen pulled to a stop. He killed the motor and hopped out, the music stopping immediately when the door opened.

“Hey,” he said, flipping his keys in his hand. “What do you think?” he asked, noticing the wide-eyed look of amazement in Mika’s face.

“Can I look around it?” he asked. “Before we go?”

Gen laughed. “Knock yourself out.” 

Mika slowly walked around the lifted Chevy Silverado 2500, taking in every detail of the custom skin that had been expertly applied. From front to back and all around were characters from different anime shows: Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, One Piece, One Punch Man, and Tokyo Ghoul were represented alongside a few others. His brake lights had custom LEDs installed, and there was a strip of color changing lights that ran under the step bars on both sides. The alloy wheels were solid black, the tires huge. A black coated bull bar was attached to the front of the truck, giving it a mean look. 

Gen leaned against the front corner, watching Mika inspect it like a kid in a toy store. His blue eyes were so wide, his mouth no longer able to close. It didn’t help that the wind was so bad, it kept blowing his hair all around and getting stuck on his lips. His own hair kept whipping around, smacking him in the face and tickling the sides of his head. A reminder that he still needed Kana to give him a trim and fresh dye this weekend.

“So,” he said over the sound of the wind, “Impressed?”

Mika’s head moved up and down as though he were just learning how to nod. 

“Come on, it’s freezing out here.” Gen opened the passenger door and helped Mika up into the truck. The smaller boy had to hoist himself in with the help of the Oh Shit bar just above the door. Once he was sure Mika was safely ensconced, Gen walked back to his side and jumped up like it was nothing. He slammed his door shut and turned the engine over, the music pausing then restarting a moment later. He made sure to turn it back down before it blasted out Mika’s eardrums.

He clicked his seatbelt on and said, “So, what did you have in mind?”

Mika’s eyes were glued to the electronic display as it gave out all the details of what they were listening to along with a map to guide them on their drive. He barely heard Gen, he was so fascinated. Gen, for his part, tapped the pause button on the screen.

“Mika,” he said. Mika looked over at him, catching his dark eyes behind a lock of thick black and red hair. “What did you want to do?” 

This was obviously new territory for the driver and Mika had to be the one to lead the way. Yet, he didn’t even know what he wanted to do. He just didn’t want to be at home. But he did want to be with Gen.

His mind raced quickly as he looked at the digital map. “Is there a way to make that thing show us all the cool places in town?”

Gen tapped the screen a few times until it zoomed out enough to show red arrows and names of places nearby. “Do you want to go somewhere near here or farther out?”

“Farther out,” Mika replied, probably a little too quickly.

Gen grinned. “In that case, we don’t need Google.” He put the truck in reverse, unpaused the music, and backed out of the parking lot. He drove away from the store, his engine running loud, eliciting a laugh out of Mika. The first one he’d let loose all day. He allowed himself to relax the further away from the house they drove.

“How did you manage to get all this?” Mika asked, waving a hand around the spacious cab. The interior was also decked out in anime gear, lights, and custom speakers that lit up in time with the music.

“I stole it.”

Mika shot a look at Gen who grinned, his sharp incisor glinting in the light. 

“I’m kidding,” he said. “Kind of a mixed bag of stuff I bought, gifts, and my grandad helped.”

“Your parents didn’t buy this for you?”

“That surprises you?”

“Kinda,” Mika admitted. “This doesn’t seem like something you could buy out of pocket with money earned from a part-time job at a grocery store.”

“Well, you’re partially right. Grandad bought the truck and the lift-kit as a graduation present. Kana got me all the swank tech for my birthday, and I got all the anime stuff. Dad paid to get the skin done by a friend of his.”

“What did your mom contribute?”

“Not one fucking thing.”

Mika’s mouth shut at the sharp look that came into Gen’s eye. He noticed the way his hand gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and the way his jaw clenched. Guess his mom is a sore spot. Noted. A moment later, Gen glanced his way and gave a small grin.

“Sorry,” he said. 

Mika shook his head. “I didn’t know, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

They drove along in silence, the music being the only thing that filled the cab for a few miles. It was then that Mika recognized what they were listening to. A glance at the display verified it.

“Can I turn this up a bit?” he asked.

Gen’s grin lit up his face as he cranked the knob and the theme for Akaza vs Rengoku filled the cab. It was the first time Mika had seen Gen smile so big. He knew Gen was a weeb, but the truck and the fact that he was proudly blasting anime music confirmed him as a certified otaku. 

Gen Parker was definitely not the person everyone thought he was.

The truck turned down a sidestreet that led into the old business district of town, filled with abandoned buildings and deserted streets. Mika felt suddenly nervous, wondering just what exactly Gen had in mind. A tickle of doubt crept into his brain. Maybe Kelly was right and Gen was dangerous…

Another turn took them away from the densest part of the area and toward an old power plant. Gen blasted through the open gate, running over the old NO TRESPASSING sign that had been torn down years ago. He drove through the old parking area, and finally came to a stop near the back of the building, where it was dark and creepy.

Gen shut off the engine and reached into the center console for a flashlight. He opened his door and got out, Mika doing the same on his side. He walked around the truck, noticing that the wind wasn’t as bad where they were. He mentioned that to Gen.

“We’re kind of in a buffer zone,” Gen said, waving his hand at the building and old power coils that surrounded them. “The wind is coming from the south and this part of the building blocks most of it.”

“What blocks the rest of it?”

Did Gen always have that intensely gorgeous crooked grin? Mika’s heart skipped once and his breath caught. “I’ll show you.” He snapped on the flashlight and led Mika around to a side entrance. He pulled the door open and ushered Mika inside and to the right where there was a flight of stairs leading to the upper floors. Gen led the way, making sure not to go too fast so the smaller of the two could keep up. Three flights later, they came out into a large open floor, old wires and steel beams hanging everywhere.

Gen slowly walked to the far wall where many of the floor-to-ceiling windows had been blown out, and those that remained were stained with years of dirt and grime. Gen was leaning against one of the blown out window beams as Mika walked cautiously forward to stand next to him and looked out, his eyes going wide at the sight.

Below them was what Mika knew to be his entire world, completely lit up. He had never seen the city this way, bright and flickering like a scene from another world. He could see the outlines of the city streets and roads, the bright lights of shops and restaurants, the vibrant colors that could only be seen from this vantage point, high up on a hill overlooking it all.

“The power plant is situated on a hill that cuts through the air stream. The building itself is a buffer. The view is a bonus.” He sat down on the edge, dangling his long legs over the side of the building, the flashlight on the floor next to him. “I like to come here when things start getting too real for me.”

Mika tore his gaze away from the sight before him to the young man sitting next to him. “What do you mean?”

Gen said nothing, just continued to gaze out at the city lights. Mika slowly sat next to him, dangling his own feet over the edge, still surprised that it wasn’t that cold where they were.

“You remember how I told you I’m not very good with people?” Gen finally said. Mika nodded. Gen took a deep breath. “I almost said no.”

Mika looked at him but Gen still kept his eyes forward. Whatever he was trying to tell Mika was hard for him to do and he wouldn’t push. He’d let him take his time.

Gen gripped the ledge and said, “I almost told you no. That I didn’t want to come out tonight. Not because I don’t like you or anything, that’s not it, I do. I just…don’t know how to…be around you.” His voice tapered off at the end, and he looked away. “Around anyone.”

Mika quietly watched him, not saying anything.

“Kana, my sister, is really excited for me right now. I’ve not interacted with anyone like this in years and the fact that I have a friend is huge for her. I guess it means she doesn’t have to keep playing at Mom or something. I don’t know.” He bent one leg in and rested his arm on his knee, propping himself up with his other hand behind him and looked out again at the city view. “I guess I’m telling you this because I want you to understand how strange this all is for me. You have friends, a lot of ‘em. I don’t…I don’t know what friends do together, what they talk about, where they go, anything. This is what I do,” he motioned to the view with his hand. “This is where I go. I listen to the music I like, I read manga and manhwa, I watch anime, and I keep to myself. I stay alone because I can’t get let down when people don’t show up.” He paused and bit his lip. “I can’t get left behind,” he added quietly.

He glanced sideways at Mika and grinned. “I know what people say about me and I really don’t care but…” he blushed. “I care what…you think…what you say. And that really bothers me.” He looked away again. “If you could explain why that is, that would be super great.”

Mika just stared at him, taking in everything he had heard, every motion of his head and every twitch of his fingers. Gen was completely out of his depth just talking to him. It was as though he wanted to trust himself with people again. Mika had no clue what had happened to make Gen turn away from others the way he had, but he was happy that he was the one Gen chose to talk to, to agree to hang out with. Even if it was just at an old abandoned building with no one else around. 

“But,” Mika finally said, “Why me?”

Gen ran a hand through his mohawk and said simply, “Because you heard me.”