Chapter Text
Reki scrolled through the comments on the picture of Langa kissing his cheek and smiled. He softly touched his fingertips to the place where he felt Langa’s lips on his skin that afternoon in Tokyo, and he sighed. He passed over most of the chatter until he saw a cute string of comments from some familiar usernames. He’d seen them before (pretty frequently, actually), and it felt nice to know he had some long-haul followers.
Infinitely_chasing_madness you only live once boys, it’s gonna happen and we’re ALL HERE FOR IT!!! #renga
ninamyyly reki, you were forged by the fire. you will be together again soon! #renga
kawwwaritai kick the tires and light the fires, renga nation - we got your back!! manifesting a GPF reunion #renga
heirophantomthief manifesting and hoping everything starts falling into place for a GPF reunion! #renga
CrackedAndFlamed shine in your brightest colors and you'll both see each other again soon. manifesting!! #renga
scarlett_starlett all roads lead here to the GPF! we believe in you boys!! #renga
The number of people tagging #renga was getting a little ridiculous, actually, to the point where it was trending on several social media platforms. It seemed as though Reki wasn’t the only one that thought they’d make a good pair on more than just the ice. Someone had made an AMV featuring clips of the pair together - it looked like someone had even gotten some footage of them out and about in Tokyo. Reki’s cheeks pinked when he heard the song If Our Love Is Wrong, by Calum Scott. This "Renga Nation," as they called themselves, really went a little crazy when they found out how much both Reki and Langa liked his music.
Reki watched the video, and a nervous clamp around his heart kept tightening as the minutes passed by. It was actually a little shocking to him, as some of the clips featured were from moments he remembered vividly, but he wasn’t looking at Langa. He saw in so many clueless moments that Langa was looking at him, and his eyes looked so soft. His smile looked so genuine, and he just looked happy when they were together. Reki decided he would take a bit of a risk and send this to Langa. It had been a couple hours since he last texted, anyway, and Reki was burning with curiosity to find out what Langa thought of it.
He would conveniently ignore the whole premise for the song, at least for the moment. He would ignore that it was about big, scary, requited love.
He clicked the three little dots on the screen and typed in Langa’s name. With a little swoosh sound, the text was sent, and Reki typed a message with it.
Me [8:54PM]: dude, we have a fanbase. like a legit fanbase that calls themselves a “nation,” did u know that? have u seen this vid yet
Me [8:57PM]: they used calum scott lolsob they know us so well
Me [9:11PM]: but um, yea. wanted to share bc it was kindof…idk, kinda cool
Me [9:15PM]: it makes me really happy to see you smiling like that
He whined quietly to himself when he saw his time zone widget. It was still the middle of the night in Canada, so Langa would wake up to this, and Reki could only hope it was a nice thing to wake up to.
To distract himself until then, Reki went out to the kitchen to see his mother making sugar cookies for the twins. Koyomi was working on homework in her room, and the twins were already asleep, so it was oddly quiet in the usually-bustling household. He sidled over next to Masae and wordlessly helped shape some of the cookies into little festive shapes. She smiled and set a hand on his hair, attempting to smooth out the wild red mess. “Hi, honey. You’re usually in bed by now on a practice night - something on your mind?” Reki chewed his bottom lip in contemplation.
“Mom…what if Langa doesn’t make it to the Grand Prix Final, and I don’t get to see him again until next season? And that’s a big ‘if,’ considering he might not get the same events?” Masae’s face fell softly, and she understood all the implications Reki wasn’t saying out loud. She had a good way of hearing the silent pleas and screams from his heart in conversations like this.
“Reki, I’m going to ask you something. You might not want to answer, and I’ll understand if it’s too uncomfortable, okay?” Reki shuffled on his feet and looked down at the cookie dough. He cut a few stars and placed them on the floured wax paper. He nodded. “Is Langa…” She paused for a moment, looking up toward the ceiling in thought. “Reki…is Langa your forever?” Reki’s entire body froze. His hands gripped the cold metal cookie cutters as they started to shake slightly. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again, closed it again, and sighed. He brought his hands up to his face in mild anguish, as he had never admitted this out loud to anyone. He hadn’t even said it aloud in the privacy of his own room, and it was…well, it was absolutely terrifying to realize what his answer was.
“Yeah, mom. He is.” He let out a long, slow breath and went back to shaping cookies. Masae set her hands over his and guided him to set everything down before she pulled him into a tight hug. He felt calmer when she stroked his hair affectionately, and he hugged her back.
“Then everything is going to be okay. It might be hard, and it might hurt some days…but you have the support of your coaches with this, and you have the support of your entire family, too. I believe in the two of you - I’ve never met two more resilient, dedicated, and loving young men.” She pulled away to look at him, and his eyes widened in shock.
“You - you don’t seem surprised that I would choose him...” Masae chuckled.
“Oh, honey. I gave birth to you, don’t think I can’t tell what you’re feeling at least some of the time. I knew you liked boys before you even realized it. And this one - well, there’s always been something special about this one, even before this season.” Reki groaned as she laughed again, but he gripped her in a tight and desperate hug. His whole body started to shake again, and he let the walls around his feelings come down.
“Mom, I love him. I don’t want to be without him for the next God-knows-how-many years if he’s going to keep competing in Canada. I don’t know how to tell him, either - I can’t tell him, what if he doesn’t feel the same? What if he stops talking to me, and I make it awkward, and I ruin this whole thing we have going? What if he -” Masae briskly interrupted by clearing her throat, the look on her face growing stern.
“Reki. What happened to the passionate young man that loves skating and will do anything it takes to keep skating? Where is he now that he’s found another love to cherish in his heart right alongside it? This isn’t over yet, and my Reki certainly wouldn’t think it was okay to give up so soon.” She scolded him playfully with a small boop on his nose. He blinked hard and simply stared at her for a moment, thoughts churning violently in his head. When he realized what all this meant, he dropped his head and stared at the floor. He stared hard, let himself breathe in deep, and looked back up.
“I’m going to chase him to the ends of the earth, mom.” His voice shook a little, but he bravely pressed onward. “And if he doesn’t love me the same way, then I’ll promise I’ll always be by his side anyway to look out for him. But I’m going to tell him - I promise that before New Year’s Day, he’ll know exactly how I feel!” He raised a closed fist in front of him in determination, and a new flame started to kindle within him.
If Langa makes it to the Grand Prix Final, I’m going to tell him that I love him. No matter what happens on the podium, I’m going to love him on and off the ice, even if he doesn’t feel the same. It’s time to take the leap and hope I can fly.
“I’m so proud of you, Reki.” Masae spoke softly, gave him a hug, and shooed him out of the kitchen. “But you should really go to bed - you’re going to be so cranky at five tomorrow morning when I come in to wake you.” Reki grinned, turned on his heel, and went back to his room. He shut his door quietly, the gentle click of the latch filling the silence in the house, and he sighed. He did need to get to sleep soon, as practice was only a few hours away, and he needed stamina to stay awake tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night was Grand Prix de France free skate, and he was going to stay up late, and he was going to be on a video call with Langa until they knew. He would be absolutely restless, unsettled, and impatient until they finally knew.
Only twenty-four hours to go until the free skate, and the truth will be revealed.
Practice was mercifully…not brutal. Kaoru was surprisingly…not brutal. Joe was surprisingly…chill. Reki had a feeling his mother either said something to them last night or they knew how important tonight’s event would be. If his love for Langa is what helped fuel his passion for skating, they would allow him this one forty-eight hour period of grace. Reki was nearly shaking out of his skates when practice ended. Joe and Kaoru came over to him, and as Reki jumped over the edge of the rink and started to put his skate guards on, they both quieted. “No matter what happens tonight, Reki, we will be ready to support you the entire way.” Joe’s voice was soothing.
“Langa will support you, too.” Kaoru reassured him in a rare moment of gentleness. It was enough to almost bring a tear to Reki’s eye. He was so nervous for the event, as so much was riding on it. He had to keep the faith, though.
He left the rink, head held high and heart racing. On his way home, he texted Langa. He had lunch, lounged restlessly around the house, and texted him again. Finally, Langa woke up, and there was only thirty minutes left before the start of the men’s singles performances. Reki felt like he’d been holding his breath for an entire lifetime, because that’s exactly what was going to change depending on the results of this single event.
He grabbed himself a glass of wine, put on his softest pajama pants, and wore his bleeding heart in his sleeve. When he saw Langa's face on his screen, though, he smiled. No matter what happened tonight, he loved Langa with his whole heart and soul, and nothing would ever change that.
JJ, unsurprisingly and irritatingly, took home gold and clenched his spot at the Grand Prix Final. Leo de la Iglesia gave a stunning performance, his love for music shining all the way to the podium. Otabek Altin took home a bronze medal, and the final spot came down to Phichit and Langa. Phichit didn't quite top Langa's overall point total from the two events, though...
Which meant…
Langa did it - he's going to the Grand Prix Final with me!
Reki noticed that Langa had fallen asleep, so he stayed up on the video chat until he started to wake. When Langa realized Reki was still connected to their video even after he’d fallen asleep, his cheeks pinked as a soft smile donned his face. Reki got to be the one to tell him he was going to the Grand Prix Final, and it was a tearful, joyous moment that would be seared in his memory forever.
He was starting to feel almost... excited about telling Langa that he loved him more than he felt afraid of it.
Langa grimaced. “It feels like I’m in the gross, hot twilight zone.” He squinted in the bright light of the Australian morning and clutched his messenger bag to his body. Reki grinned.
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad! It’s just like an Okinawa summer day.” Reki happily breathed in and grabbed Langa’s hand, sounds of protest following his laughter to the front of the huge venue. Victor stepped out of the convention center in a pair of very short European-style shorts, designer sandals, and a button-up shirt that was only buttoned about two-thirds of the way up.
“Wow, this is awful! Why would anyone live here in a place like this? It’s like we’re inside a volcano. Yuuri, feel my forehead, I think I’m burning up. Everything inside me is melting! Even my abs are melting, Yuuri, quick - you have to grope them to make sure they’re still intact - “ Yuuri put a hand over Victor’s mouth, and a small squeak escaped from behind his fingers. Reki could almost imagine the invisible silver puppy dog ears and the tail wagging curiously behind Victor.
“Victor, muscle tissue doesn’t melt, and you’re being dramatic again.” Victor pouted heavily.
“Not fair. Indulge me, just this once?” Victor’s eyes widened in hope and affection, and Yuuri sighed.
“It’s never just ‘this once’ with you, but…” Yuuri put a hand over his face and shook his head softly. When he removed his hand, though, he was smiling. “Okay, I’ll oblige.” He snuck a hand underneath the front of Victor’s shirt, and the five-time world champion dissolved into a fit of giggles as Yuuri tickled him. Victor grabbed Yuuri’s hand, his eyes lighting up as he eyed the beautiful summer day just waiting for their mischief.
Amidst the happy chatter, the four world-class figure skaters navigated their way to the Southbank area of the city. It winded partially down the Yarra River, lovely boats floating lazily down its expanse. Victor said he might actually die if they didn’t stop over at Southgate, the really nice shopping mall, and to indulge the large child-of-a-world-champion, they all decided to check it out together. They found little chocolate shops, Reki and Langa happily indulging and feeding each other truffles, and other interesting shops and boutiques. After a stop for a quick snack and a few margaritas, they continued their way through the air-conditioned halls until Victor squealed with joy.
“Yuuri, look! Prada!~” The four of them darted into the Prada shop. Victor veered sharply to the left and dragged a groaning Yuuri into the store, Reki and Langa following closely behind. They stood near the entry and watched in amusement as the buff men in black suits and sunglasses glowered at the group. To their surprise, Kaoru was perusing the wallets in the back, Joe standing there bored beside him, and Nanako was holding up several purses against her summery outfit. She won lots of genuine smiles of approval from both men, and it was…really sweet to see them spending time together like that. Reki rubbed at his chest a little, where his heart felt achy and happy, and smiled. Victor chattered away obviously, chatting about last year’s catalog and how he was so glad they moved away from that wretched, depressing shade of chartreuse and went with a more floral palette this year. The really scary dude in the front must have been giving them a death stare from behind his reflective sunglasses (that he was wearing inside…), so Reki grinned apologetically, grabbed Langa’s hand, and flitted over to his coaches.
“Whazzuuup?” Kaoru froze for a moment, side-eyed Reki, and continued doting on Nanako. Joe grinned and trapped Reki in a bear hug, squeezing Langa right along with him. Victor walked over with a very expensive watch in his hand and pouted. His face lit up when Joe let go of the two younger grumbling skaters and held his arms. With a happy, heart-shaped mouth, he leaned over and snuggled up against Joe’s chest, patting it happily.
“You really must tell me what you do to maintain such impressive muscle tone! I might need to convince Yuuri to go on a new exercise program.” Yuuri narrowed his eyes, the subtle rudeness totally lost on Victor, and he shook his head. He chuckled a little, his eyebrows scrunching together with pity and affection for the man he loved.
“Sometimes I really worry about you, you know that?” Yuuri diverted his husband’s attention back to the watches, and like a very tall and enthusiastic squirrel, Victor snapped his short attention span right back to browsing the accessories. Sometime in the last ten minutes, Langa had snuck off to chat with his mom, who was currently hugging him and smiling. Reki’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the way Langa was smiling, too, and reminded himself.
Not too much longer before I confess. I won’t have to pine and watch from afar anymore. He either will love me back…or he won’t. No matter what, I will be by his side in whatever capacity he’ll let me stay.
Langa came back over to him with an odd new sparkle in his eye. Reki cocked his head curiously but reached out his hand, as if it was a visceral instinct now to be holding onto Langa’s. He took it, laced his fingers through Reki’s carefully, and nuzzled his face into Reki’s cheek. Reki bit his bottom lip as the palpitations compounded in his chest. “Come on, Langa. Want to go do our own thing for a little while?” His voice was soft and laced with affection, the kind of softness that only comes from gazing into the eyes of a soulmate.
Well…hopefully my soulmate, at least…
Reki bit his lip and tugged Langa along. He saw a sign earlier for a gourmet chocolate shop, and when he saw the light in Langa’s eyes, he knew they had to stop. He towed him over, Langa lightly protesting at being tugged around like he was hooked on a fishing wire. Reki made note that, no matter how much he complained, he still never let go of his hand. “Reki, what are you doing! -” He quieted and looked around when they entered a warm, cozy shop filled from floor to ceiling with chocolates. Langa’s eyes widened adorably, and Reki knew that he would not be leaving this store without something for him. He walked up to the counter and rested an elbow on it, Langa clinging to his arm behind him. “Excuse me - could I please ask for your help? We’re looking for something really…” Reki looked pointedly at Langa as he spoke the next word. “...sweet.” His soft smile was mirrored on his soulmate’s face as the associate rustled around behind the counter.
“Well, we just made a batch of these milk chocolates. We get the ingredients from a famous French chocolatier, and they’re the best thing in the whole place, if you ask me.” The local accent lilted all the right vowels and syllables, and Reki looked back at Langa grinning. His eyes were so big, and the look on his face was so precious - he needed to buy these chocolates now.
“I’ll take them. How much?” He started to get out his own credit card until he heard the price. He froze, panicking for a moment, but calmed himself quickly.
This is an emergency.
He took out the pink and green credit card that his coach Kaoru had given him for emergencies, and this was absolutely an emergency because he loved Langa. He would explain everything to Joe and Kaoru later, and he just hoped that he wouldn’t have to suffer through hours upon hours of basic training torture for this. Langa simply clung to his arm in the softest and cutest way, nuzzling his cheek against Reki’s happily as the sound of the cash register filled the air.
One very large, very unexpected bill later, they both were walking out of the shop and feeding each other truffles. Reki was so close to simply stealing one straight from Langa’s mouth, but it didn’t feel like the right time…at least not yet.
They crossed a foot bridge lit up with Christmas decorations and walked down Flinders Street. They wandered the city, encountering groups of drummers and city squares and cute shops filled with Christmas treats and tokens. As they sat and watched the drummers, a group of shirtless, gorgeous Australian surfers passed by. Both Reki and Langa craned their necks behind them to watch them until they turned the corner of the street, and once they were gone, they looked silently back at each other.
They erupted into joyful laughter not a moment later, and they touched their foreheads, each wearing a sappy smile. “Well. At least I know you have similar, quality taste.” Langa sparkled in the sun, a slight tinge of pink starting to form around his nose and cheeks from the sunlight. Reki stroked his hair down. “Maybe we should go inside - I think you’re starting to sunburn a little.” He moved his hand from Langa’s hair to his face, and Langa nuzzled his cheek into Reki’s palm, closing his eyes blissfully. With a small smile, they joined hands again and went into a nearby coffee shop and chatted over two iced teas.
As they emerged back out into the open air, they both felt the heaviness from the humidity and saw the dark clouds rolling in from the east. Reki quickly checked his weather app, and his eyes bulged slightly as he saw the forecast.
No wonder why we haven’t seen any boats on the river since we crossed the bridge…it’s supposed to downpour any minute now.
Reki showed Langa the weather forecast with a sheepish grin, and he donned the cutest look of determination. Langa nodded, and they both ran hand-in-hand toward the foot bridge. Their feet started loudly thundering on the metal when the skies opened up, and they were both absolutely, completely, instantly drenched with water. Horrified at first, Reki looked into Langa’s glowing eyes and burst into the widest smile.
Langa was smiling back at him, too, and had brought them both to a sudden stand-still in the middle of the bridge. Reki saw the gleam in his eye, but he didn’t understand what it was about until Langa looked up, and Reki’s gaze followed.
There above them, shining bright through the pouring rain, were massive holiday lights…shaped like mistletoe.
Reki’s heart nearly stopped as he realized what was happening. He looked back at Langa, his eyes wide with fear and excitement, as Langa took both his hands. The rain was so heavy that his pretty hair was already drenched, a slightly darker shade of blue with a few tendrils stuck to his cheeks at odd angles. Reki didn’t know if he had ever seen him look so beautiful, eyes sparkling like the stars and smiling like there was nowhere else on earth he’d rather be than in this thunderstorm with Reki. Behind him, the raindrops disturbed the surface of the river, and the water glittered with a magic gossamer; it was the perfect background for this moment - this magical, monumental moment that set a warm fire ablaze in him. “Reki?” Langa reached a hand up to Reki’s face, and his thumb caressed his cheek softly. Reki sucked in a small breath, hardly able to breathe with how hard his heart was suddenly pounding. His headband was soaked, and his wet hair kept falling in his face. He took it off and gently shook his hair out, running a hand straight back through it. Langa laughed as Reki grinned and sprayed more water everywhere, then his eyes went wide and sincere.
“Yes, Langa?” He leaned in, bringing their bodies closer together. He reached up and ran his thumb over Langa’s bottom lip, which trembled as it felt the soft trail of his touch. He felt as Langa smoothed his unruly red hair away from his face, and he saw his pristine blue eyes searching, pausing on his lips. The rain let up a bit, and there was a calming chorus of raindrops softly hitting metal, water, and earth around them. Reki slid his hands up into Langa’s hair from the base of his neck.
“Can I kiss you?” Langa laced his fingers through Reki’s hair. They touched their foreheads together, and as the rain slowed, small droplets dripped down their cheeks and cooled their skin. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded. Langa was still hesitant, so Reki closed the space between them, finally all eagerness and no more hesitation.
Growing up, Reki always believed that nothing else could possibly fill him with joy or make his heart race like figure skating. He never thought that a culmination of sleepless nights, anxiety-ridden strings of messages, and moments of spiraling self-doubt could lead to this. He never knew that one moment could burn itself so infinitely into his mind. He didn’t know that one set of lips could suddenly become the only sensation he ever wanted, the only feeling he ever needed to thrive for the rest of his life. He never knew how it could feel like lightning bolts shooting through his body to be held by the waist as he pressed Langa hard up against the hand rail.
Little did he know, the universe had plans to prove all of his preconceived notions wrong on that warm, rainy afternoon in Australia.
Smiling against Langa’s lips, a beautiful warmth bloomed in his chest. He relished the way his fingers carded through Langa’s hair, the texture soothing and soft. The way Langa was looking into his eyes so sweetly caused a hoard of butterflies to release and flutter around in his chest. It was heart-pounding, sentient bliss, and when Langa grabbed his face to really kiss him, Reki whined upward into the heavens. That small noise was swallowed up and muffled with Langa’s sighs, their lips touching again as the sun began peaking through the clouds. Reki thought his feet may have left the ground, all sense of gravity forsaking him as they embraced, one hand sliding up around Langa’s neck and into his hair again.
Reki’s other firsts didn’t matter anymore. There was just this first kiss, this first true moment of romantic bliss with Langa, which would hopefully become his last first kiss. Reki had always known that, even if he’d been afraid to admit it, the way he felt about Langa was different than he had ever felt about anyone else. These feelings - they were transcendent, and they would survive long past their days on earth together.
There had been so many days that Reki was jealous of the rain, the little droplets able to cover Langa, touch him, and get so close to him, just like Reki wanted to do. He was sometimes jealous of the night, as it was able to wrap its arms around him every single rotation of the earth on its axis. Time seemed to have slowed, and so many thoughts and emotions flooded through him instantaneously that he wasn't sure how he hadn’t spontaneously combusted yet. He wanted Langa to know him…all of him. His deepest desires, his darkest secrets and fears. He wanted to give it all up, to surrender in absolute, raw, terrifying vulnerability and love to the one that had captivated his heart since the very first time Reki saw his quadruple flip.
Not a soul passed by them for some time as they lost themselves in each other, diving heart-first into sweet, adoring kisses and caresses. It was more magical than any romance movie Reki could have ever imagined, more grounding than anything he’d ever known, and more filled with promise than his heart could handle contemplating in the moment. Reki brought a hand up and brushed it over Langa’s cheek and through his damp hair. “Please let me be yours, Reki.” He felt his eyes widen as he panted quietly.
“Langa, I - “ Langa cut him off quickly.
“Wait, please let me finish. I’ve been holding out in the hopes I could be with you someday. Nobody else has ever mattered. It’s always been you, but I’ve been so afraid to destroy everything we had that I never made a move. I…” Langa’s eyes were lined with silver moisture now, and it wasn’t from the rain. “Reki, I would have never come back to figure skating after my dad passed away if it wasn’t for you. You make everything in my life better - you make my life better. It’s you, it’s only you. It’s only ever been you. Please be mine, and please let me be yours, too.” Reki sucked in a sharp breath of disbelief.
This is really happening.
They both laughed, so happy and full of light, as the rain started coming down hard again. They locked lips, not a care in the world about anything but each other, surrounded by the sound of the rain and their two hearts pounding as one.
“But it was an emergency.” Reki crossed his arms and pouted at Kaoru, who was giving him the death glare of a lifetime.
“Buying a hundred Australian dollars of chocolate is not an emergency for that credit card no matter how much you try to convince yourself it is.” A vein popped in Kaoru’s forehead as he looked down at Reki. He shuffled on his feet, slightly embarrassed to be talking about this, but he steeled himself.
“Coach, I’m sorry. I just…” Reki sighed. “...he looked so happy. He’s…” He chewed the inside of his lip. “We’re together now, and I just couldn’t let it go. Add it to my coaching fees, if you have to, but I still think it was worth it. He had such a beautiful smile when I gave it to him.” Reki stood confidently and still ready to argue, if needed. Much to his surprise, Kaoru’s face softened.
“Very well, I’ll consider taking you up on that, but I can see this was an important day for you.” He sighed in slight exasperation. “At least make a valiant attempt to warn me next time you decide to use the emergency card at a candy store.” Reki bristled.
“It was a French chocolatier, not some lame-ass mall candy shop.” He pouted profusely to another exhausted sigh from Kaoru. “And…” Kaoru’s eyes burned into him in a strangely irritated yet patient way. Joe simply sat with his legs splayed out in his chair smirking in a soft way. “...I love him.” Kaoru pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.
“You’re off the hook this time. But only this time, as I know what this must mean to you to even admit that out loud.” Joe simply leaned back more in his chair and smiled wide.
“For what it’s worth, kiddo, I think you did the right thing despite what Mom here says.” Reki looked at Joe with watery eyes and beamed happily.
“I think so, too.” Kaoru let out a small ugh as he swept across the room to grab his fan. He dramatically unfurled it and started fanning himself.
“Again, Reki - warning next time, please. That’s all I ask.” Reki smiled sheepishly in thanks and nodded in agreement. “Circling back, however…” He raised an eyebrow. “Congratulations to the both of you. It’s about time we saw you both this happy.” Reki startled slightly at the kindness that trailed behind the sarcasm.
“Uh - th-thanks, coach.” He felt his own eyes soften. “I don’t remember the last time I felt this good, actually.” He fidgeted slightly with the strings on his sweatshirt. “And speaking of Langa, I, uh.” He fidgeted harder. “I was going to spend the night in his room tonight.” He steeled himself for judgment, but he merely received a sigh and a chuckle instead.
“Just be safe.” Kaoru’s eyes glittered fiercely as he raised one eyebrow, and Joe started laughing boisterously. Reki stood back in horror.
“It’s not like that, ohmygodcoach…” He covered his face in his hands. “I just… ugh.” He jammed a nervous hand through his hair. “Nevermind. Once the Grand Prix Final is over…I don’t know when I’m going to see him again, if at all. You both know all too well about how sometimes things just don’t align - I might never be at the same event with him again…I can’t let this time we do have go to waste.”
Kaoru merely grumbled, Joe patting the other grumpy coach on the shoulder with a smile.
That night, Reki stayed with Langa in his room. They held onto each other, giggling between soft and sweet kisses. They simply enjoyed the warmth of each other’s body and each other’s affections as they ignored every movie they put on the television to dote on each other instead.
“Hey, Phichit! What’s up, man?!” Reki smiled widely at the familiar face on the video call.
“Reki! When you texted me the news, I had to tell you congrats. Since I can’t do it in person, this is the next best thing.” Langa waved shyly from behind Reki, and Phichit grinned back brilliantly. Yuuri peered over at the sound of his best friend, the steaming bowl of ramen in front of him fogging up his glasses.
“Phichit, so good to hear your voice!” Victor popped his head into the screen view and waved enthusiastically.
“Isn’t it wonderful? I might have damaged my poor Yuuri’s hearing because I maaay have squealed louder than a fangirl when he told me the news.” Reki smiled, a small blush dusting his cheeks.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate the call. We’re getting some dinner now, so I can call you back later if you want?” Langa noisily slurped a noodle, accidentally smacking himself in the nose with it and quirked his head to the side. Reki saw it on the video screen, and he smiled as his heart burst with affection for this silly young man.
“No worries, man. Just needed to see your face and hear your happy voice!” Phichit waved, and the rest of the table said their goodbyes in a sloppy, happy chorus. “Good luck tomorrow. Both of you.” He winked and gave a peace sign, to which Reki returned eagerly.
“I’ll make you proud, bro. Promise.”
To nobody’s surprise, Yuri Plisetsky had a stellar short program performance. Reki stood with Langa’s arms around his waist and his chin resting on his shoulder. They both watched as the scores came in; Reki shivered nervously, and Langa simply sighed heavily. “It’ll be okay, Reki. He might have the quad axel, but you’re much sexier.” Reki blanched.
“Dude - one, you have the quad axel too, asshole.” He booped Langa on the nose and chuckled slightly when his face scrunched in displeasure. “Two, he’s Yuri Freaking Plisetsky. Of course I’m going to be nervous watching his performances, considering I’m lying to myself thinking I can skate on the same ice as him - “ Langa grabbed Reki’s face in both hands incredibly quickly.
“Don’t you dare ever say that again, Reki. You deserve to be here just as much as I do. Just as much as Yuri does. Don’t you dare sell yourself short.” Reki’s eyes widened, but he nodded, gaping slightly and unsure of how to respond. Instead of saying anything, he simply turned to hug Langa in a tight embrace.
“Thank you, Langa. I…I hope you know it means the world to hear you say that.” He squeezed a little harder before pulling back and looking into Langa’s eyes. They were proud, sparkling, and beautiful.
“You’re amazing, Reki.”
Reki didn’t know how to explain just how much it meant to have Langa there with him. He gave him a long, gentle kiss before they heard a group of reporters clambering down the hall. They pulled apart, giggled, and found a quieter place to warm up together before the short program.
Reki took a deep breath in. This was his last chance to make everyone proud - but, even more importantly, it was his last chance to make himself proud. He stood in his opening pose, breathing evenly until he heard the music begin.
He replaced two of his triples with quadruple flips. He nailed his jump combination, and he swayed his hips harder and more fluidly than he ever had before. He felt Langa’s eyes on him, and he wanted to enthrall him so much that he would never be able to look away.
He had so much to live for now. Skating, his family, Japan…Langa.
The crowd screamed when his score came in. It was a personal best, and Reki could no longer read the scoreboard because of the tears that formed very suddenly in his eyes.
Reki was chewing mercilessly on his cuticles as Langa took the ice. He looked beautiful and ethereal in this outfit…it was probably one of Reki’s favorites out of Langa’s entire skating career. He held his breath as he took his opening pose and waited.
Once again, Langa was flawless. Once again, he snuck a quadruple axel into his routine, and the fans went absolutely feral. Reki was pretty sure he had screamed his voice raw before Langa’s score even came through. He felt such pride watching him out there on the ice, a secret and fulfilling knowledge that the fire in his eyes, his soul, and his feet was fueled heavily by their love for each other.
Well…Reki hoped that he could call it “love,” because it certainly was love on his end.
At the close of the short program, the standings were: JJ in first place, Yuri in second, Langa in third, Reki in fourth, Otabek in fifth, and Leo in sixth. JJ had too many quads in his programs, if anyone ever asked Reki, which certainly made it difficult to overcome technical score-wise. Yuri Plisetsky was simply a beautiful beast on skates in general, so that was always a huge hurdle to out-perform. Langa was Langa, and Reki knew that with his quad axels, there was a slim chance he would be able to beat his scores. He still had a burning fire to perform his best, and one of the most rewarding moments that he could ever remember in his skating career was seeing the way Langa’s eyes sparkled when they first made eye contact after their short programs. He loved being able to tell his family that he and Langa were a couple now, and Koyomi’s excited shrieks of I told you so on their earlier video call made him laugh with so much joy that he couldn’t even be annoyed at her.
The best part of the whole night was the kisses they shared once they snuck back into Langa’s room after everything had wrapped up.
Just like the short programs, the free skate went by faster than Reki could even register.
The commentators said that his Biellmann spin was one of the best they had ever seen in all of men’s singles. Langa, of course, amazed the crowd with his quadruple axels yet again. Yuri Plisetsky blew everyone away, to nobody’s surprise, as he skated his way to the top of the podium. The others put forth spectacular performances, and the final, total scores were incredibly close. JJ, to everyone’s surprise, had to cut out all of his quads due to an injury he sustained that week at practice. It knocked him down off the podium, and Leo and Otabek put forth incredible shows, but the mix of technical and interpretation simply didn’t add up enough to overcome the others.
Yuri Plisetsky stood at the top of the podium that night, waving happily and triumphantly with the gold medal hanging around his neck. Langa stood to the side, a silver medal glinting and reflecting off his chest. Reki stood to Yuri’s other side, the weight of the bronze heavy and comforting around his neck. Yuri looked down at each of them, nodding in respect and acknowledgement. Reki’s eyes immediately sparkled, and Langa started pouting with jealousy, and it just made him smile and laugh so absolutely joyfully.
It was a state of pure magic. It was a moment in time where he wasn’t sure if his dreams were bleeding over into reality or if this was truly the life he was living now. Langa leaned over and made a heart with his hands, and Reki returned it, only to hear chants of Renga start up from the crowd.
But oh, was everything real. And it was everything he could have ever dreamed he wanted and needed.
“Reki!” Langa called out to him from down the corridor. Reki heard the loud thunking of his skate guards against the ground and looked up curiously. He was wearing black pants, and he wore a shimmering, opal-esque dress shirt. It was unbuttoned a little at the top, and Reki felt a pleasant flutter pass through his chest at the sight.
“Langa? What’re you doing, you have an exhibition skate? Dude, why didn’t you tell me you were working on this?” His confusion swirled happily as he felt Langa crash gently into him, arms around his neck in an affectionate hug. Langa pulled back, blue eyes glittering with mischief and excitement.
“Yeah, I do. I’ve been working on it since NHK.” He fidgeted with the hair near Reki’s nape, twirling a small red curl around his finger. Reki bit back a happy whine and really looked into Langa’s eyes.
“Why since then?” Reki almost swooned and collapsed to the floor when Langa smiled. It was so full, so bright, so happy…
“You’ll see. Reki…“ Langa moved in once more, hugging tighter and holding onto Reki like something vulnerable and precious. “Don’t take your eyes off of me, okay?” Reki’s mouth dropped open a little bit as Langa left a small kiss on the corner of his mouth before dragging Reki over to Nanako, whose own beautiful face was spread into a stunning, warm smile. She winked, and it made his heart glow.
“Up next - Hasegawa Langa from Canada. His coach and mother said that they’ve worked for just a couple weeks on this choreography, and that Langa has never shown so much interest in designing his own program in his life before this season.”
The buzz in the arena slowly started to die down as Langa approached the center of the ice. Reki’s heart was pounding so hard that he could hear the blood rushing almost louder than he could hear the announcers. He stood next to Nanako, waiting in the coach’s area as he held his breath.
“He would like to dedicate this next skate to the darling of Japanese men’s figure skating this year, Kyan Reki. Hasegawa says that without him, his return to the ice would not have been the same. He says that because of Reki, there is a flame in his heart for figure skating again as well as…ah, hm.” Nanako had to put an arm out to support him, as he nearly fainted as the crowd cheered wildly. Flags with blue and yellow hearts popped up all throughout the arena again, just like they had at NHK - this time, there were even more. The announcer chuckled happily.
“As well as a fire in his heart for the fiery skater himself. He will be skating to Heaven, by Calum Scott, chosen in part because of Reki’s love for…” The sound of rustling papers filled the venue. “Ahem…’Pretty British boys.’”
Reki looked wide-eyed at Nanako, who simply smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder as they watched from the sideline. The music started, and Reki couldn’t take his eyes off of Langa. He was beautiful, tall, and graceful…
He has a perfect twizzle. He’s so talented.
Langa spun around in circles on his skates, one arm in the air, before he performed a dramatic backflip. Reki gasped and put his hands up over his mouth in shock. The entire routine was fluid, sweet, and romantic - a stark contrast from the rest of his program this year. It was beautiful, and Reki’s heart thudded hard in his chest so much that he had to rub his hand over his sternum to ease the pressure.
Langa filled this program with triple axels, Reki’s favorite jump. He even included a bit of choreography from Reki’s short program, trying his best to move with ballroom grace that made Reki laugh happily, even as the tears continued welling in his eyes. He danced around with a wide, stunning smile on his face that made Reki’s heart pound in his throat. The beautiful song came to a close, and his heart nearly stopped as he saw Langa take his final pose.
He had his right arm out, his right hand over his heart. His left arm was out straight, fingers out and reaching toward…
Toward me.
Reki’s world seemed to come to a screeching halt, the forces of gravity simultaneously ceasing and crushing him at the same time.
The rest of his surroundings blurred to black in his peripheral vision. All he could see, all he could feel, all he could think - everything in that moment was Langa, Langa, Langa.
This pose he chose to finish his exhibition skate…this was the same one Yuuri did for Victor at the end of his Grand Prix Final silver medal Free Skate. It was…the same pose that meant he was reaching out for him, accepting him fully into his heart. Langa knew how much that Free Skate inspired and meant to me, and we’ve talked about it so many times throughout our years of friendship that it’s impossible he wouldn’t know the significance and meaning behind it.
Nanako rested a hand gently on his shoulder as the tears began to flow more freely. “This is his invitation to you, Reki. He’s letting you in and asking you to love him. If you feel the same, then go to him.” She smoothed back his hair affectionately, and Langa started to skate quickly toward the Kiss and Cry. Reki steadied himself on his feet and began to run, too.
He could distantly hear Victor crying out, “That was beautiful! So romantic. Yuuriiii, why didn’t you ever do something like that for meee?~ They were meant to be, this is destiny!” He huffed a small laugh as he heard Yuuri tell Victor that they had skated together, and how much more romantic could it get than that, and how he really needed to mind his manners, and how he really needed to try and not embarrass Reki so much…
Reki crashed into Langa, their arms entangling each other tightly as they toppled over onto the ground. Langa was on top of him, and with glittering eyes, he leaned down and kissed Reki deeply. The stands around them absolutely erupted, and amidst the pleasant roaring of blood in his own ears, he could barely hear the commentators.
“Well, there you have it, folks. Speculations of many have just been confirmed - this will surely be the kiss heard ‘round the figure skating world! You can’t help but just feel so much warmth watching this. It’s been such a beautiful journey to watch their closeness and happiness evolve over the season.”
Langa pulled back and looked down at Reki, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I have a secret to tell you, Reki.” With a huge, watery smile, he looked up toward the box where Morooka and the others were, and he waved and gave a thumbs-up. Reki watched as the cameras swiveled to Langa as he appeared to give some kind of bat signal…or something. Morooka’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers once more, a sort of giddiness apparent as he prepared his next announcement.
“Folks, I’ve been given the distinct honor to make an announcement on behalf of the Hasegawas.” He rustled some papers and cleared his throat. “The two are overjoyed to announce that they will be moving back to Okinawa, Japan, which is Ms. Nanako’s hometown. They look forward to the sunshine, and Mr. Langa looks forward to formally courting Mr. Kyan.” Reki squealed and grabbed Langa by the glittering collar of his shimmering shirt. He looked wide-eyed up at him before turning his head to see Nanako; she grinned slyly and simply shrugged. The crowd kept chanting Renga, and Reki didn’t know how his heart was able to survive the overwhelming, incredible moment they were in.
“So…what’s next for us?” The weight of Langa’s body on top of him felt safe. He searched for Langa’s waist, settling his hands into the space as if they were divinely designed to belong there. Langa just smiled back at him softly.
“Reki, I want to skate infinitely with you. Maybe we could…practice at the same rink from now on. It would be my greatest honor to compete against you again next year, which should be an interesting experience, considering I’m head-over-skates in love with you.” A wide grin spread across Reki’s face.
“I love you, too, you sappy idiot.” Reki pulled Langa’s mouth back to his, and the crowd cheered.
“What a privilege to witness such a beautiful relationship unfold before our very eyes. History will call them canon, I will make absolutely sure of that!”
The two were shooed toward a quieter area away from the rink, where they continued to kiss, the salty tears of happiness coating the tips of their dancing tongues. Their coaches gracefully granted them privacy, sending each a text to simply come back to the hotel and check in once they left the arena. The two stayed there until the arena had cleared, and almost all of the spectators and teams had gone back to their rooms and homes. They stayed there, still holding tightly to each other in disbelief, as if their embrace could tie them together permanently.
And it would, if Reki’s hopes and dreams could come true. It would keep them together forever; Reki’s face flushed and his heart fluttered at the thought of the word forever . Langa was his forever, though. That he was absolutely certain of more than anything else, as sure as his love of figure skating (if not even more).
“Our infinity starts now, Reki.” His eyes glittered as Reki dove in for another kiss. A love like theirs made him feel as though heaven was right there on earth, right in Langa’s arms and hanging off his lips.
Langa was his forever. Reki would tell him that in time, but until then, he would hope that they could be this - Reki and Langa - far beyond the final time their skates touched the ice. He hoped they could be together until the end of time, until the earth’s very last sunset brushed its light across the great ocean between Canada and Japan.
He hoped that they could call everything both on and off the ice “love.”
Some dreams can come true, after all.