We Are Never On The Same Page - Sk8 the Infinity [Joe x Cherry]

4. We Should Have Known

Before that night when snow fell on Okinawa, before the race, before anything, there was a time when the only skaters that existed were Kojiro and Kaoru- at least in Kojiro's eyes.

Kojiro shook up a can of spray paint, detailing a large J-O-E on the boardwalk pillar.

"Hey, watch me for a second."

Kojiro obliged, turning to where Kaoru had stacked a nice mountain of crates. He put some distance between him and the boxes, then sped forward, launching himself through the air over the obstacle, landing perfectly.
The very sight made Kojiro blush.
He immediately turned away, hiding his face.

"You-uh stumbled some at the end there."
"I absolutely did not- maybe you're the one that  needs glasses."
"Hellllllll no."

Kojiro countered back and made his own jump of the boxes as Kaoru circled the perimeter.

The boardwalk sagged over the ocean, a wooded walkway for those who wished for the beach but didn't want to bother with sand. It was best at night, at sunset, when Kojiro could better imagine the colorful crowds that used to fill the pier. The people had now come and gone, leaving a space barely held together by memory and way-too-rusted nails.
They had found the spot on one of their long explorations of the city and had made it into something of a home.

Cli-click-cli-click.
The sound of skateboard wheels.
Kojiro and Kaoru looked over in surprise to see a lone skater, his hood over his face, make his way towards them.

Kaoru stopped his board within the guy's path, "Hey. What's your business here?"

The boy in the hood did not speak for a long time, but Kojiro could feel him staring, sizing them up, even though his eyes were concealed by the hood. When he finally spoke, his voice was smooth, strangely elegant.

"Seemed interesting."

His shoulders rose and fell with his declaration. There was something... off about this guy. Whatever it was, Kojiro didn't want him here, in the space that was his and Kaoru's. He subtly stepped between the two other boys and stood up taller, trying to look as unfriendly as possible. The weight of the hooded figure's gaze fell solely on him.
It was quiet again, only the lapping of the waves and the sounds of the city could be heard as they stared each other down.

Just before Kojiro was about to speak, the other interrupted, as if he had known and wished to exchange the first word.

"I promise I'm good enough to skate wherever I please."

Kojiro snorted, stepping back, gesturing towards the hurdle they had created to jump over. "Let's see it then."

A flash of a grin beneath the hood, "Make it taller."

"You're kidding", Kojiro said, shaking his head, but as he turned, he saw Kaoru stacking up more boxes. "Kaoru!"

The boy shrugged, tucking a loose strand of pink hair behind his ear, "...I'm curious. To watch."

The stranger chuckled and Kojiro could feel those eyes on him again. It was unnerving.
"Are you not? Curious?"

Kojiro swallowed, looking between the boxes and the boy. He folded his hands. "I...guess I am."

The hooded skater backed up a bit, then rushed forward with astonishing speed. If Kojiro had blinked, he would have missed the motion. At the very last second, he jumped- no... flew. It was as if he had sprouted wings and was lifted from the ground. Time stopped as he hung in the air, gliding slowly, beautifully. It was a moment that was both alive and frozen, seemingly lasting forever. Kojiro had never seen someone reach such a height so easily. He seemed to be fixed there, silhouetted by the dying sun, until he came back to earth and the spell was broken. 

"How did you- how!? What entry angle, did you, how long-", Kaoru started, approaching the skater with something almost like reverence. The other boy just laughed, waving him off. 

"I don't think about things like that. I just feel it. You try, now." 

Before Kojiro could interject, Kaoru was copying the exact motion, taking off over the crates with the same, if not more, sense of grace. He landed safely on the other side, throwing his arms up in an uncharacteristic joy. He looked back at Kojiro, his face happy and shining in a way that had to be contagious. 

"Did you see that?" 

Kojiro couldn't help but smile back. "I did." 

The other boy pointed at him, his finger fixing him like a butterfly to a cork board, "Your turn." 

"I-" 

"Frightened?" 

Kojiro looked between them and quickly shook his head, "Cours' not." 

He threw caution to the wind, visualized how they had placed their feet, and made his own jump. His eyes were skyward, and he tasted flight. All the weights that normally kept him so close to the ground were suddenly gone. It was an indescribable freedom. 

Kojiro stumbled some on the way down, but he didn't fall. When he recovered his breath, he looked up at the person that had found their way into their space and shown them a new side of it. 

"Who are you?" 

"My name's Adam. Do you mind, now, if I skate here?" 

Kaoru and Kojiro looked at each other, then looked back at him. Kaoru folded his arms, feigning nonchalance, "I don't see any harm in it." 

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a/n: Sk8 ended today, but it was an absolutely incredible series, and I do plan to keep at it with this book. I hope that we can all continue to enjoy and retell this story and these characters together cuz I'm honestly not ready to say goodbye yet :,,,,,,)