Gen slowly removed his hands and looked away. He needed to find a way to change the atmosphere in the room and quickly before Jo arrived with their snack. He had really stepped in it, saying the one thing he had not meant to say.

“So, um…sh-should we get s-started?” He fumbled with his bag, pulling out his materials with all the grace of a drunk seal. Papers flew out everywhere, and finally Mika laughed, breaking the odd tension. 

Gen relaxed and they began picking up the papers, just as Jo walked in with the requested snack tray. “If you need anything else, just ask,” she said, giving them a smile. She walked from the room, closing the door only enough to leave a four inch opening.

The two dove into both the snacks and the math work, so focused they didn’t even notice when Benjamin and Anabelle came by to sneak a peek through the wide crack in the door. They were there for several minutes before Mika caught them.

“Get lost, you two,” he said, not unkindly. “We’re busy.”

“Can we play when you’re done?” Anabelle asked.

“Sure, but only if you buzz off now.”

The two ran off back down the hall, giggling. Mika shook his head and grinned.

“Can I ask you something?” Gen asked. “Completely off topic.”

“I’m sure it’s got to do with why they look different from me, right?”

Gen nodded. “I’m just curious, that’s all. You said your dad was Japanese?” Mika nodded and sighed. He tossed his pen on the table and leaned back on his hands, his ponytail swinging  off his shoulder. 

“My dad died when I was really little,” he said. “I don’t remember him much, just that he had really long hair. My mom said it was the most beautiful hair on a man she had ever seen.” He smiled. “I keep mine long because she likes it. She says it reminds her of him.” His smile faded. “She married my step-dad eight years ago. Ana and Ben are my half-siblings.”

“They really like you,” Gen noted.

“Don’t you like your sister?”

Gen gave a small chuckle. “She’s my sister, I like her well enough. When we were kids, things were different but…” he shrugged and his eyes fell to the table. “We get along pretty well, now, I can say that at least. She’s always been really supportive of me, even when I shut down.”

“Can I ask why you did that?”

“You can.” Gen didn’t elaborate. There were some things neither one of them was ready to share and they knew it. This subject fell into the unspoken category of “Another Time.”

“Can I ask about the door?” Gen said minutes later, after he had finished a particularly difficult problem Mika had given him to try.

Mika hesitated, his pen tapping on his notebook. He thought about giving the same answer Gen did earlier, but decided against it. Hell, if Gen was going to call him “beautiful”, then why not take a chance and tell him?

“Well, it’s because…” he bit his lower lip and hid his eyes. “She knows I like guys,” he said softly.

Gen said nothing, his eyes frozen on Mika's downturned head, his pen frozen in mid twirl between his fingers. He silently let it fall, the sound it made making Mika’s head turn to the side slightly. He’s gonna leave, he thought. He’s gonna get uncomfortable and leave and never talk to me again.

“Huh,” Gen said instead. Mika’s eyes floated over to him, his bangs covering them slightly. Gen was staring at him, his dark eyes unreadable.

Say something…anything! Mika thought. Or leave! 

“How did she find out?” Gen finally asked quietly. “Did she find some gay hentai or something on your computer?”

“What, no!” Mika said, waving his hands in front of him. “Nothing like that!” He folded his hands in his lap and sighed. “I told her,” he said quieter. “Years ago. She said she always knew and that it wasn’t a big deal to her. She loved me anyway. All those things supportive parents are supposed to say.”

“What did your step dad think?”

To that, Mika’s eyes hardened and a vein in his neck throbbed as he clenched his jaw. Gen had hit a nerve and backtracked quickly.

“Did your dad know?”

Mika shook his head. “I was too young to know back then. He died before I figured it out.”

Gen nodded and continued to stare at him, studying him, like that first time they talked. It was like he was trying to hear what Mika wasn’t saying, which was a lot. Mika looked away and started scratching his pen up and down his sheet of paper with the added problems he had created. 

Finally he asked, his eyes averted, “So…is that a problem for you?”

“Why would it be?” 

Mika’s head jumped up and he met Gen’s intent gaze that hadn’t left Mika for a second. He saw Gen’s Adam’s Apple jump up and down as he swallowed. His lips moved but no sound came out. His hand rested on the notebook in front of him, his index finger moving up and down, like it was deciding whether or not to drag the rest of the hand across the table. He decided for it, closing it into a loose fist and placing it in his lap.

“Mika–”

“How are things going in here?” Jo asked, swinging the door open and making both boys jump as though they had gotten caught doing something they shouldn’t.

“Fine!” Mika said, his voice a little too loud and high. He cleared his throat and tried again. “We’re fine, Mom, thanks.” 

Gen gave a half-grin and a nod. “We’re okay,” he said softly. 

Jo looked from one to the other and back again, trying to figure out what she had just walked into. “Well, okay,” she said with uncertainty. “Just checking in, it’s getting close to four o’clock.”

Both boys checked their phones and, noting how close to four it actually was, started shuffling papers around.

“Okay, thanks,” Mika said. “We’ll be finished up in about twenty more minutes. Just have a couple of final things to do.”

Jo nodded and backed out of the room. “Alright, you boys have fun. Keep the door open, Mika.” Then she was gone.

Gen waited a moment and then slammed his head on the table. “God, that was awkward as fuck,” he said.

“Tell me about it,” Mika said. He located Gen’s homework sheet and they went over it one more time. Over the last twenty minutes, they worked on their individual homework sheets, and Mika reviewed Gen’s for the final time, giving it his stamp of approval with a big smile. “You’ve done really well!” he exclaimed. “You’ve really come a long way in the last few weeks.”

“It’s thanks to you,” Gen said. “You just helped me understand it better, that’s all.” He gave him a small smile. “Seriously, thanks.”

Mika grinned and started cleaning up the table. “We have a test coming up on Monday. Think you’re ready for it?”

“I think so,” Gen nodded, zipping his bag shut and standing up. “I’ll review all our notes over the weekend, just to make sure, though.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Mika said, standing up and stretching. His back popped and he sighed with relief.

Out in the hall, they could hear Ben and Ana playing out in the backyard which was accessed from the kitchen. Gen assumed that was the backdoor Mika ran from the night before to hang out with him.

“Genya!” Ben’s small voice yelled out from the yard. He waved to Gen and Mika, receiving a small wave from Gen in return. The kids ran inside, Ben saying, “Are you leaving already?”

Gen nodded. “Yeah, I gotta get home. My sister’s making dinner and she doesn’t like it when I’m late.”

“Awww!” the little boy said, clearly disappointed. He stooped over, his arms swinging. “I thought you were gonna play with us!”

“Mika will,” Gen chuckled. “Maybe next time, okay?”

“Okay!” Ana said, throwing her hands in the air. “Bye Mr. Genya!” With that, the children ran back outside, their sounds carrying in the wide open air.

Mika shook his head, amused. “Guess that’s your name now,” he said.

“I’ve been called worse,” Gen laughed. Jo appeared from the back of the house and Gen thanked her for having him.

“Of course!” She glanced at Mika and then back at Gen. “Um, if you have a moment, can I talk to you?”

Mika and Gen shared a look, Mika giving his mother a worried frown. She reassured him with a squeeze on his lower arm. “I’m not going to threaten him, relax.”

She took Gen’s hand and led him into the kitchen where they could talk alone.

When she was sure Mika wasn’t eavesdropping, her expression changed, becoming more serious. “I need to know what you are to Mika.”

Gen was startled. He didn’t expect this at all and really had no idea how to react. He decided to just be honest. “He’s my friend,” he said. “That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Her eyes narrowed slightly.

He nodded, his palms suddenly clammy. Why was he getting so nervous? He wasn’t lying or hiding anything from her and yet he still felt guilty somehow. 

“What did you do last night? While you two were out?”

“Just talked and listened to music.”

“That’s it?”

He nodded.

Her shoulders relaxed and she let out a soft exhale of breath. “That’s what he said, too. He said you drove outside of town and he got to see the city lights. He’s never done that before.”

Gen couldn’t suppress the tiny smile that touched his lips. “That’s what he said.”

Jo’s eyes roamed his face, searching for something, anything to make her not trust him. All she saw was a tall young man, tattooed, pierced, with a crazy haircut and an honest face. Behind the intimidating facade, he was kind, genuine, and gentle with Mika. 

“I need a favor from you, Gen,” she said. “If you want to continue seeing him, I need to trust you to do one thing.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

“Keep him safe.”

Gen’s insides clenched and his heart seized in his throat. I fucking knew it. He didn’t even have to promise Jo anything just to make her feel better. Besides, that’s not what she wanted. She wanted an honest commitment from him to protect her child, no matter what. Her eyes were saying so much more than Mika’s was. There was so much pain and fear in this house and Mika was doing his best to cover it up with big smiles and loud laughter. 

“You have my word,” he said, his voice low and definite. Nothing more needed to be said. She gave one small, sad smile and gripped his upper arm.

“Thank you,” she said. “And since you passed, you’re welcome back anytime.”

Gen raised an eyebrow. “Passed?”

“You respected my request to leave Mika’s door open, you weren’t loud or disingenuous at any point, and you were more polite than I initially assumed. Plus, my kids seem to like you.” She nodded her head to the backyard. “Anyone that can talk to Ben like he’s a Big Boy is okay in my book.”

Gen gave a small nervous smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Calhoun.”

“It’s Jo, Genya. Call me Jo.”

“Yes, ma’am.” With that, she led him out of the kitchen and back to the living room where Mika was sitting on the couch with his phone, waiting for them. As soon as Gen walked in, he jumped up.

“Okay, I like him,” Jo said, kissing the top of Mika’s head. “You can keep him.”

Mika groaned and pulled away, Jo laughing as they walked outside.

Gen chuckled. “Your mom’s pretty cool,” he said as they made their way down the walk to his truck, still parked on the street. 

Mika rolled his eyes. “She’s okay as far as mom’s go, I guess.”

“Well, she’s better than mine,” Gen said. “She’s around.”

Mika didn’t respond. There was no time to dive into that pool of a story. He still couldn’t help but ask, “Do you miss her?”

“Not even a little bit.” His tone wasn’t nearly so biting as it was the night before when she was mentioned. It was just a statement of fact. They walked around the truck and Gen reached for the door handle. He stared at the door for a second, his backpack sagging off his shoulder, the breeze catching his hair. “Mika,” he said finally, his voice hoarse. “I…like guys, too.”

Mika’s heart skipped a beat.

Gen swallowed and opened the door. Before he lost what little nerve he had left, he turned to Mika and reached out to tuck a strand of hair that was floating around his face behind his ear. His fingers lingered on his jawline for a moment, tracing it down to the tip of his chin before letting his hand fall away. 

“I like you.”

Mika’s lips parted but no response came to him. His mind went blank, his heart began to race, and the world around them vanished. Gen held his eyes for another moment before he jumped up into the seat and closed the door. He turned the engine over and drove away, leaving Mika standing in the middle of the road, completely stunned. 

Three little words that on their own meant nothing, just rocked his entire world off its axis

I like you.

He could still feel where Gen’s fingers had been, feel the path they took. The smell of his soap still lingered in the air where he stood. It would be all over his room, Mika knew. The image of his black and red mohawk waving in the breeze as he gazed down at Mika still held in his vision. Nothing else existed outside of those few seconds. 

One tear escaped unnoticed, running slowly down his cheek. Gen, he thought. Come back. 

Save me.