Chapter Text
After Reki’s done crying, Cherry and Joe continue cleaning up the mess from the night before. Reki and Langa are cuddling together in his bed, Reki sitting in Langa’s lap while Langa’s arms are around his waist, Reki’s laptop in front of both of them as they watch skateboarding videos together. Cherry and Joe look at the two of them with soft smiles as they continue to clean. Reki tries to apologise for them having to clean up his mess, but they shush him before he even finishes his sentence. He sits quietly with Langa, already beginning to doze off again. Cherry was going to try to talk to him, but decides to hold off and let him sleep. No wonder he’s so exhausted, poor kid lost so much blood.
Cherry gives his husband a concerned look as Reki drifts off in Langa’s arms, “Do you think he’ll be alright…?” Cherry asks Joe, his voice uncharacteristically concerned, Joe glances at the teenagers, watching Langa’s eyelids begin to get heavy, “He’ll be fine….he’s a tough kid…” Joe smiles as Langa dozes off along with Reki, slumping against the pillows. Cherry strides over with a blanket and gently drapes it over them, making sure the boys are covered before turning back to Joe and giving his husband a quick peck on the lips.
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Reki wakes up, cozy in his lover’s warm arms. Langa’s always so freaking warm, it's weird. He lies there comfortably in silence for a bit before trying to squirm out of his grip to go to the bathroom. He eventually succeeds and stumbles to the bathroom on wobbly legs, almost walking straight into a wall. He eventually gets into the bathroom and just stares at himself in the mirror.
His disgusting, greasy hair was stuck to his face and lacked its signature spikes. The rope-shaped bruise around his neck. His pale complexion, his sunken cheeks, the dark circles under his eyes, the dead look in his eyes, the usual twinkle completely gone. His signature hoodie fit much looser than normal, but that’s expected with how little he’s eaten lately. The once neatly done white bandages on his arms are already fraying at their edges, with little splotches of blood already soaking through them. He stares down at the bandages, the urge to rip into his skin with a blade hard to dismiss; he needs it.
Just as he goes to search the bathroom for anything sharp, somebody knocks on the door. “Kid? Are you alright in there? You’ve been in there for a while…” Reiki freezes at the sound of Joe’s voice, “J-Just a second! Sorry!” Reiki quickly replies before speeding out of the bathroom to be met by a concerned Joe, and the smell of his favorite food coming from the kitchen, Shio Ramen, his eyes lighten up slightly “Did you make my favorite…?” he asks trying to hide his excitement “Actually Cherry made it, c’mon before it gets cold” Reki holds back his excitement as he follows Joe into the kitchen to Cherry setting a steaming bowl of steaming Shio Ramen on the table.
Reki freezes.
The atmosphere was tense. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
“Do you want me to go get Langa…?” Reki asks, already starting to walk away “No. Sit down. We need to talk.” Cherry interrupts sternly, Reki shudders and quietly goes to sit in his chair‘
Cherry stares at him as he begins to eat. He feels as if Cherry’s gaze could burn through his flesh, so he keeps his head down and eats, trying to ignore Cherry’s harsh gaze. Cherry breaks the silence, “Why did you do that?” he questions, with a small hint of concern in his voice “Do what?” Reki replies, he knows what Cherry means, he knows exactly what he means. Reki plays dumb, hoping Cherry will get irritated and give up. Cherry knows Reki does this. He won’t give up easily “You know exactly what I mean. Don’t play dumb. Look at me, Reki.” Reki hesitantly looks up at Cherry with a small gulp, pushing his ramen around the bowl quietly. “I just-...ugh I don’t know…do we have to talk about this…?”
Cherry just stares at him. That sort of stare adults give you when you’ve said something stupid, and they just look unimpressed.
“Yes. Yes, we do.”
Reki picks at the skin on his thumbs quietly, “I didn’t think you guys would really…care…I guess…” he mumbles, avoiding Cherry’s knife-sharp gaze once more.
Cherry sighs, a deep sigh as he looks at Reki, concern clear in his face.
“What would possibly make you think that?”
Reki hesitates.
“I’m a burden on you… I’m not good at Skateboarding…Or anything really…I-...I thought you’d be happier without me…”
His voice trembles as he speaks, he begins to tear up again, Joe, who’s been quietly watching, walks over, gently putting a hand on Reki’s shoulder, “Kid…None of that’s true…” Reki melts into his touch while poking at his now lukewarm noodles. Cherry sighs again, “Reki, you’re not a burden on anyone…I guarantee it…And you are a good skateboarder…You’re good at lots of things…We would miss you if you left us…” Reki’s breath hitches, but he stays silent, taking another small nibble of his ramen.
“Is this about Langa? He has 15 years of snowboarding experience…of course, he’s at an advantage,” Cherry inquires, watching Reki’s face like a hawk to pick up on any signs that he was right.
Reki freezes, his blood runs cold.
Was he that obvious?
Cherry catches the shift in his expression at the mention of Langa, Joe does too, “Kid…You don’t need to be the best to be good at something”
They just don’t get it.
He does have to be the best.
If he’s not the best, then what’s the point?
Why does nobody get that…?
Reki snaps.
“Well, when is it my turn to be the best!? When is it my turn for someone to know who I am!? When do I get to excel at something!? When is it my turn to be known as Reki, and not “The one who isn’t snow”!?”
Joe and Cherry both freeze on the spot, speechless; they’d never seen him this…angry…?
Reki’s breath stops as he realises what he did, and he trembles with a mixture of anger, fear and embarrassment.
“I don’t hate Langa, okay…? I know you probably think I do…But I don’t…” Reki says quietly, he doesn’t want anyone to think he dislikes Langa. He’s jealous, not hateful.
“Kid, we never said we thought that you resented him…we get it, you’re annoyed that he’s doing better than you…that’s okay…but why did you never even try to talk to us about this? We could’ve- we would have helped you,” Joe says while gently rubbing Reki’s shoulder with his thumb.
He sounds so…sad?
“Help me how?! What are you gonna do, magically give me skateboarding talents! I’m a lost cause, and you know it…” Reki shouts once more, shoving Joe’s hand off his shoulder with unnecessary force. “I’m Fine!” he tries to storm off, but Cherry stops him “You can leave after you finish eating.” Cherry sternly guides him back to his chair. Reki reluctantly sits down and eats his ramen angrily. The ramen is delicious, but Reki can't (won’t) say that. He hurriedly eats his ramen, then irritably storms out of the kitchen and returns to his bed, where Langa is still fast asleep. He carefully curls up next to his sleeping boyfriend and properly opens his phone for the first time in days.
100 missed texts
20 missed calls
He feels his heart in his throat, staring down at his screen, full of concerned texts from Langa, Cherry, Joe, Shadow and even Miya.
He opens a few of the texts, quietly reading through them.
He feels sick.
He silently closes his phone, not wanting to read any more.
He feels Langa shift next to him, slowly blinking open his eyes. He rubs his eyes sleepily, taking a few seconds to notice his boyfriend's guilty face.
“Reki? What’s wrong…?”
Reiki doesn’t reply right away. After almost 30 seconds, he mumbles, “I feel bad for worrying you guys….I saw how many times you all tried to contact me…and I just ignored you…god what is wrong with me!” He angrily exclaims, his palms snaking into his hair, beginning to tug at it.
“Hey- hey hey stop that-...” Langa reaches for his hands and gently guides them away from his scalp. Reiki resists at first but quickly gives in, letting Langa’s warm palms lead his hands away from his fiery red hair.
Langa pulls Reki down and into his chest too quickly for him to protest.
Reki giggles.
A genuine laugh.
The first time he’s laughed like that in days.
Hell, Maybe even weeks.
Reki curls up in Langa’s chest like a cat. He buries his face in Langa’s shoulder while Langa begins to play with his unusually flat hair, running his fingers through it gently. Langa can feel the tension slowly leave Reki’s body as he continues to play with his hair. Langa can’t remember the last time he saw Reki’s hair without its signature spikes, not that it bothered him; Reki would always be beautiful to him, no matter what. He feels Reki’s breathing begin to slow and his body begin to relax completely in his arms. It’s peaceful and quiet.
Until Reki begins to snore, Langa will never understand how Reki manages to snore so loudly, sounding similar to a helicopter. He lets out a small chuckle as he pulls the snoring boy closer to him and presses a kiss to his forehead.
He continues to stroke Reki’s until he falls asleep himself. Limbs tangled with Reki’s, and small sleepy smiles on both their faces.