ᶠÚᵗᵇᵒˡ Oɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs ⎳⎳

Nyctophile pt.2

He blinked and stayed the way he is, looking somewhere behind Richarlison. Richarlison frowned at the sudden stop of his talk, scared that his friend just got some sort of stroke. But it was shock that Richarlison was confusing with a stroke.

He began to shake Son uncontrollably, trying to wake him up from the trance that he suddenly sunk into. When Richarlison thought things couldn't get any worse, Son's hand erected from his side and pointed to the front. But soon both his hands grabbed either side of his face as he squeeled silently, like a child.

Richarlison frowned more upon witnessing such of an ordeal. He scratched his head in utter confusion, but decided on looking up to where Son had pointed a few seconds back, and oh his days.

Richarlison's legs held him up, just a tad bit away from giving in from the sudden wave of emotions that threw him off the cliff. Every single memory of the past shot through his brain in the speed of a bullet, yet not fast enough for him to realize,- that he's actually having a meltdown.

His eyes began to sting and he turned into a newborn, for he lost his ability to speak. All he could do is stare at Raphinha standing a few metres away fully armoured in winter clothes to cope with the chilly weather of UK.

Yes, Raphinha. Richarlison wouldn't have gotten equally as shocked as Heung Min if it wouldn't have been Raphinha, well.

Richarlison couldn't yet believe his eyes. He rubbed them and blinked and looked again and he was still there. Like a dream come true, his lips curled into a wide smile as he sprintee across the cafe to Raphinha who had his arms open wide to welcome Richarlison back into them, and nobody else.

Raphinha burried his face into the younger's chest, as Richarlison just silently hugged him, his tightening grip on making the latter's puffer crunch on impact.

Other people present in the cafe turned to look at the slight commotion happening, interrupting the musical tunes that had been flowing around. But they couldn't care less about eyes being glues onto them, as others gave them a weird look.

But nobody knew what was happening between them: that they were having a moment together, a moment that neither of them had ever anticipated to come true any soon. But it happened. Sooner than they thought it would've, actually.

Either way, nothing around them mattered anymore. They are in each other's arms now, back to the way it was. They'd been already hugging for 10 minutes now, but it didn't feel like enough.

And it never will. Because if it did, then Richarlison wouldn't have longed for the latters presence. It'd never be there, and he'd just be a regular adult living alone in Tottenham and playing for the Spurs. It only made a difference the way it is now because he'd discovered a few years back that he'd never get tired of loving Raphinha. Not in this lifetime.

And that's what reminded him of parting away. The need to see his face began to kill Richarlison in the inside, and even though he didn't want to pull away, his mind was going crazy about Raphinha and he couldn't himself either.

He parted away a tad bit, cupped Raphinha's face and pulled him into a soft kiss. It was the feeling of Richarlison's soft lips on his that replaced his inner dread and sadness with bliss.

Son cheered as their lips parted. Raphinha blushed and looked down, clearly smiling- something he hasn't done since leaving Barca.

Richarlison looked back at Son with a look that only Son understood. Son smiled awkwardly, having caught onto what Richarlison meant by that look.

Richarlison needed an explanation.

---

- "You didn't tell me that you'll arrive so soon! I thought it wouldn't be until next week-"

- "Not my fault! My agents gave me the wrong file and by the next hour i had to pack and catch my flight so I couldn't text you either!"

- "But you could've called me while you were in the airpo-"

Richarlison couldn't take their bickering anymore. He groaned and let out an annoyed sigh.

- "WAIT."

Son and Raphinha looked at Richarlison as their bodies slightly jerked from being alarmed so suddenly.

- "First of all, Sonny, you were hiding shit from me man."

He said with a mix of sadness and disappointment. Sonny smiled awkwardly and scratched his neck, muttering a 'sorry'.

- "I really wanted to tell you, but it was all a plan. Raphinha really just wanted to surprise you, and as he asked for help- I just couldn't say no."

- "But if you told me I could've welcomed him properly at least." Richarlison sighed.

- "Properly? This is more than enough, estupido."

- "No it's not..I didn't even get to give you anything when you left, you left so suddenly.."

- "That's because it's not necessary, dummy." Raphinha smiled and pecked his cheek.

Son pouted and could only stare at them, green with envy. Not the bad way, at least.

- "que puta celosa jajaja" Richarlison whispered to Raphinha and wheezed, as Son looked at him in disbelief.

- "entiendo español, kid."

Richarlison gave a small smile, while Son glared.

- "You're so fucked" Raphinha leaned over to his ear and whispered, giggling.

- "That's you, not me sweetheart."

- "Shut up!" Raphinha blushed.

This is the way thay Richarlison had always wanted things between them to be, but it wouldn't happen until now. Yet, instead of dreading the delay, he savors it.

And that's how the saying goes,-

'Late is better than never.'

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