Chapter Text
Langa sprinted all the way till he was outside the gate of his house.
Panting for breath his lungs felt like they were going to collapse. Placing his hand on the gate he steadied himself, finally feeling he had calmed down enough he walked up to the front door opening it.
A voice came from the kitchen “Langa honey, you’re home early I thought you were out with your friend” she smirked and emphasised the ‘friend’ part.
Ever since Langa accidentally told his mom about his crush on Reki she’d always tease him about it. Usually Langa would brush off the joke with laughter but today he stayed silent.
She noticed this and immediately put down the cooking tools and walked up to him “honey what’s wrong?” Langa stayed silent continuing to look at the floor.
Understanding she assumed the worse. Sitting down on the couch she patted the seat next to her telling him to sit down.
Langa dragged his feet at sat down. They sat in silence for awhile and Langa’s mom brushed her hands on the top of his head. She soothed him till Langa tilted forward putting his head in his hands.
“Did you end up telling him?” She asked
Langa shook his head.
“Did you fall out again?”
He shook his head again
Stroking his back she continued “honey I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong”
Langa breathed in his voice wobbly “He… He has a girlfriend. I…I’m overreacting I know it’s not my place to interfere but I just can’t help…” he trailed off
“Can’t help feeling annoyed and upset” his mom finished the sentence for him.
Langa nodded.
She sighed “I understand what it’s like it’s difficult but unfortunately the way it looks like it’s going you have to just move on”
A singular tear rolled down his cheek and his mom pulled him into a hug stroking his back and hair.
“How about you talk to some of your other friends they should know Reki better than me and might be able to help you even more” Langa’s mom said.
“Miya knows and said that he didn’t know anything about this stuff, Kaoru is usually too busy, I never see Kojiro alone to ask him and there’s no point asking Hiromi” Langa replied.
They sat in silence for a while. Till Langa finally broke it by getting up off the couch and saying he was going to go to bed.
Of course he didn’t actually instead he snuck out his window and made his way towards S.
This trip used to be in the company of Reki but he had been spending his evenings with her.
So his appearances at S were becoming less and less.
“Hey Langa.” He look around and spotted Miya and began walking in his direction.
“No Reki again?” Miya asked.
Langa shook his head.
“HA SHADOW YOU OWE ME 500 YEN” Miya shouted.
“I NEVER AGREED TO THIS” Shadow shouted back.
Miya noticed Langa shrink slightly and calmed himself down. “I’m sorry Langa I didn’t mean it that way it was just…”
“It’s fine” Langa said.
“Someone challenged cherry to a beef” Miya quickly changed the subject. “It’s about to start come on.”
Langa followed him to the start line where everyone was gathered loudly cheering cherry as he stood at the start with his opponent.
Joe noticed them and walked over with many women following him as always.
“Hey Langa where’s Reki I’m surprised to see you two apart you’re usually inseparable”
Langa dropped his head further.
Miya waved his hands at Joe warning him to not bring up the subject of Reki currently.
Joe stopped talking looking at langa then placed his hand on his back “find me after the race” and left.
Cherry won his beef to no one’s surprise Langa congratulated him and excused himself to go and find Joe.
He walked slowly towards the makeshift ramps that were placed at the top of the hill used for S.
Like usual Joe was surrounded by women all smiling and talking Langa sat down on a wall near them waiting for him to finish complimenting all of them.
As Langa listened he heard the things Joe would say.
Subconsciously he would think about how Reki would react if he said them to him.
That wouldn’t even make sense they are to compliment girls Reki wouldn’t want to be called pretty would he.
Handsome is more a compliment for guys isn’t it?
But would Reki also find that weird.
Langa felt something warm next to him. His thoughts immediately went to Reki but he remembered.
Reki wasn’t here.
“Miya told me about what’s happened” Joe said quietly.
“What do I do?” Langa asked.
Joe sighed “That’s the problem you can’t do anything”
Langa hugged his board tighter closing his eyes.
“I know it's hard as all you want is to be in that girls place but you also don't want to be an asshole and force them to break up”
Although it hurt him Langa had to agree with joe trying to make them break up would ruin their friendship and Reki would probably never speak to him again.
“All though he doesn’t say it he does like your company” Joe said.
Langa opened his eyes
Joe continued “Your his best friend so if you start to seem distracted when your with him he’ll get the wrong idea it’s best to stay as just his friend for now who knows they may break up naturally relationships that start when on a job don’t usually last that long”
He nudged Langa’s shoulder with his own then got up.
“I’ll see you around” he said then left leaving Langa alone.
As lights started to turn off Langa got up and left as well.
He looked down at his phone.
He had a text.
From Reki?
“What you looking at?” A voice said into his ear.
Langa jumped feet and dropped his phone. Scrambling to pick it up he covered the screen.
“Reki what what are you doing here?” Langa spluttered.
“I came to take you home.” Reki smiled “Did you not see my text?”
“Oh uh” Langa stammered.
“You haven’t muted me have you” Reki teased and before Langa could stop him Reki had grabbed his phone.
Reki turned it on and just stared at the screen.
Langa’s Lock Screen was a picture of Reki that he had took secretly one time because he thought the morning sun on Reki’s early morning scruffy hair looked cute.
Langa covered his face trying to hide how red he was currently.
“I’m sorry” he said “I’ll delete it”
He tried reaching for his phone again but Reki moved it away.
“Dude, if you wanted to take my picture you could have just asked I would have tried to look nicer in it. I look half dead here”
Reki laughed rubbing the underside of his nose.
“I…” Langa began.
“Anyway” Reki said “back to topic I came to take you home because I felt sorry for abandoning you and not coming to S tonight. I heard cherry raced, would have liked to watch that it’s always interesting watching him skate.”
Reki looked towards the start line then back at Langa.
“But not as interesting as you. You do it so differently to everyone else and I never know what you’re going to do next. It’s amazing”
Langa’s face went even redder.
“I uh…” Langa was so flustered he couldn’t produce words.
Reki crouched down so he was looking up at Langa’s covered face.
“Dude are you ok? Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?” Reki sounded concerned.
“No, it’s just really hot today” Langa fanned his face.
Reki reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle. He then pressed to bottle to Langa’s face.
The cool rush hit Langa hard.
“Take it I have another” Reki said reaching into his bag again.
During school Reki always seemed to forget his books. But he always came prepared whenever they were doing a skate trip together.
Langa smiled “Thank you Reki”
“It’s the least I could do” Reki smiled back his whole face glowing.
And there it was. Langa’s heart uncontrollably beating fast.
But this time Langa didn’t try to stop it.
Reki jumped on the bike and Langa sat close behind.
Reki started the engine and drove off.
“You’re always so nervous on the back” Reki laughed.
“Well yeah because you have only recently passed your test” Langa shouted over the wind.
“I haven’t crashed yet” Reki replied.
“Yeah yet” Langa said under his breath.
“What was that?” Reki asked.
“I didn’t say anything” Langa half joked.
“I know you did” Reki joked back.
Langa smiled and lent forward resting his head on Reki’s back.
Reki seemed to stiffen slightly but then relaxed.
“Are you sure you don’t have a fever?” Reki asked.
“Yeah just tired, had a long day” Langa said quietly.
“You smell nice” he whispered.
They continued the ride and Langa thought he should lift his head but he really was tired.
So he stayed. Face buried in Reki’s back holding the frame of the bike tightly.
They joked and laughed like they used to.
Langa wished it could always be like this.