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not going to school today. sick : (

Oh. Sorry, hope you feel better

It wasn’t the worst way to start the week, but it was pretty close.  Langa stared at the offending text message on his phone and tried to convince himself it wasn’t the most disappointing news he’d ever gotten.  And on today, of all days.

The walk to school by himself was quiet without Reki’s voice constantly in his ear and the combined harmony of their skateboard wheels on the street.  Maybe to some people, that would be a welcome change, to just hear the birds and cars going by.  But it was too quiet for Langa.

He almost considered calling, just so he could hear Reki’s chatter and start his day off properly.  But no…Reki was probably sleeping.  Or at least he should be.

He does have a voicemail message though, Langa thought. No…it wasn’t worth making Reki’s phone ring and waking him up.  Fine. He could get through one morning walking to school by himself.

The unwelcome silence was broken when he got to school and was immediately swarmed the same three girls who said hi to him every morning.  He didn’t know their names.  They’d never told him, but they seemed to like it when he smiled at them.

“Langa!” they shouted in unison, pushing each other aside to reach him first.

“Morning,” he told them, hoping that this wouldn’t be the day they realized he had no idea who they were.

One girl elbowed the others and held out a small box to him with both hands.  Her voice shook and she blushed all the way up to her ears as she said, “H-happy Valentine’s Day, Langa!”

Langa visibly cringed.  He didn’t particularly want a reminder of what today was.  The girl looked devastated.

“I…I’m sorry, do you not want it?” she asked, sounding on the verge of tears.

“No, it’s not that, I….”  There was nothing he could do.  He accepted the box, feeling awkward.  “Um…thank you…” he glanced down at the note taped on the lid, “…Makoto.”

The girl’s face lit up, but whatever she was about to say was cut off as her friend shoved her aside.  “Happy Valentine’s Day Langa!” she shouted, holding out a box of her own.

Before Langa could read the note on this one, the third girl shoved her box into his hands.  In unison, the girls giggled and thanked him, then ran off without another word.  Langa looked down.

“Ami…and Minako,” he read.  But which was which?

What was he supposed to do with these now?  He wished Reki were here.  Or maybe it was better Reki hadn’t seen that.  If he’d had to stand there while Langa got all this attention and Reki himself was ignored, that might have been too much for both of them.  Langa wondered if there was a girl here today who wanted to give Reki some Valentine’s chocolate.  Some kind of feeling he didn’t really recognize flared uncomfortably in his chest.

He put the boxes in his locker and didn’t give them another thought until the end of the day.  School was boring without Reki.  People talked to him, but he couldn’t make himself care about what they were saying.  He ate lunch alone, missing the quiet company of his friend.  Silence with Reki and silence without him were two different things.  Some people noticed that Reki wasn’t there, but they asked in weird ways.

Instead of, “Where’s Reki?” it was “Where’s your shadow?” “Where’s that redhead?”

Langa told them the truth, which was that Reki was sick, but he suspected that they didn’t actually care.

Finally, the end of the longest school day ever arrived, and Langa gathered up his things hastily.  He couldn’t decide if dropping by Reki’s house was a good idea, but he hadn’t heard from him all.  Then again, Reki needed his rest, and Langa showing up for no reason would be bothersome, wouldn’t it?

“Hasegawa,” his teacher called.  “Can you please bring today’s schoolwork to Kyan?”

Langa’s whole chest flared with excitement.  He practically ran to the front of the classroom.  “Of course!” he said.  It was fate:  now he had a reason, a real justifiable reason to go to Reki’s house.

When he opened his locker, he saw the three boxes from this morning.  Oh right…I forgot all about these.

All day, not a single person had come to him looking for Reki to offer him Valentine chocolate too.  He’d seen plenty of red-faced girls today offering chocolates to other boys and girls.  Langa couldn’t understand it.

He put everything in his bag and hopped on his skateboard.  He couldn’t get to Reki’s house fast enough.  It had only been a day but Langa was already bursting with anticipation, head filled with everything he wanted to talk to Reki about.  He’d never had a friend make him feel like this before, where being apart from them made the hours drag on endlessly and pointlessly.

He arrived at Reki’s house and knocked on the door, matching the hammering of his heart in his chest.  Reki’s mom answered, and her face lit up to see Langa.

“Oh, Langa!” she said.

“Hi, Ms. Kyan,” Langa greeted her.  “Is Reki here?  I mean, I know he’s here, he didn’t come to school today, but…um….”

“Oh, yes, my poor boy, he’s been so sick today.”  She sighed.  “He’s been asleep all day, it’s so unlike him.”

“I brought some stuff for him from school.  Can I bring it to him?”

“I’m afraid not, Langa, I don’t want to get you sick too.  I’ve had to chase his sisters out of his room three times already today.”

Langa’s face fell.  He’d never expected this outcome.  “I’ll be real quick…” he said sheepishly.  A quick visit was better than nothing at all.

Reki’s mom shook her head again.  “No, honey, I’m sorry.  I’ll take his schoolwork, but I might have to trouble you to bring it again tomorrow.  I don’t see him getting over this anytime soon.”

She may as well have shoved Langa down in the mud and laughed at him.  Langa swallowed tightly and pulled the papers from his backpack.  He handed them over, thanked the woman, and meekly stalked away.

Getting your hopes up and having them destroyed so quickly was enough to make you dizzy.  Langa felt his head swim as he walked back towards the road.  As if this wasn’t bad enough, if Reki’s mom was right, Langa still wouldn’t be able to see him for another day at least.

Distantly, he heard a faint cough.  Langa looked up; the sound was coming from around the side of the house.  With a fresh swell of excitement, Langa remembered the window leading into Reki’s room.  He glanced at the front door, a bit guiltily, and crept around towards the sound.

Reki’s window was open, a light breeze moving the curtains inside.  He heard the cough again:  that was Reki for sure, and Langa had to admit he sounded awful.  Langa climbed up onto the low stone wall and peeked inside.

All the lights were out, and a coughing lump on the bed was all that could be seen of Reki.

“Hey.  Reki,” Langa called quietly, keeping his voice low as if Reki’s mom could hear him no matter where she was.

There was no answer, only rustling under the blankets.

Maybe I really should let him rest.  Langa wasn’t thrilled about it, but there was no mistaking the fact that Reki sounded half-dead.  He was so close, and yet unreachable.

Langa reached into his bag for one of the boxes of chocolate and pulled the note off the top, sending a silent apology to Makoto and hoping she couldn’t tell what he’d just done.  Reki’s desk was just under the window, and Langa grabbed a nearby pen and scribbled a crude note of his own on the box lid.

To Reki from Langa – feel better

He gently placed the box on the desk and crept away as quickly and quietly as he could.

That night, as he did his homework, Langa’s phone buzzed.  Reki’s name popped up on the screen; Langa grabbed the phone and hastily opened the text message.

can’t believe you brought me homework. I thought we were friends =(

I’ll let you copy mine.

thx

How are you feeling?  You sounded (Langa quickly erased that, not wanting to give away that he’d peeped in Reki’s window) Your mom said you were pretty sick.

i feel awful. flu or something, i don’t know. can’t stop coughing

Do you want me to call? Is texting too tiring?

nah I lost my voice

It seemed like a crime that something like that could happen to Reki.  Although, watching him try to talk while unable to make any actual noise might be funny, in a cute way.

I understand.  Did you get the thing I left you?

ya I told you I got the homework you traitor

No, the other thing.  It’s on your desk.

There was a long, long pause before any more texts came in.  Langa tried to go back to his reading, but it was suddenly really important that Reki text back, and quickly.  His heart was just starting to go out of control when the next buzz came.

ok now I wish I could talk bc I’m confused

Langa blinked.  What was there to be confused about?  I got a bunch of them at school today.  I can’t finish it all myself so I thought you might like some.

Had he misread something again?  Langa turned the events of the day over and over in his head, wondering where he’d made things weird.

a BUNCH? :0 like how many??

Three.

damn, nice Langa! i think the only time I got v-day chocolate was once in middle school.

And today.

As soon as he hit send, Langa was cussing himself out.  He grabbed his phone and tried in vain to find a way to recall the message, but the little checkmark told him it was already seen.  Langa very seriously considered throwing his phone in the trash, and then himself out the window.

He flipped his phone over and forced himself to go back to his reading.  Why, why, why would he say something like that?  It hadn’t been weird until Langa messed it all up, like he always did.  And it’s not like he’d given the chocolate to Reki in that way either, so Reki would have to know he didn’t mean it that way.  Reki always knew what Langa meant.

Agonizing minutes went by with no more buzzes.  Good, fine.  Nothing weird was going on.

More minutes went by, and still nothing.  It was becoming less fine.  What if, somehow, he’d hurt Reki’s feelings?  Did Reki think Langa had been making fun of him?

Bzzz.  Langa couldn’t grab the phone fast enough.

these are pretty good. you should tell whoever gave them to you that. if you can remember her name ;)

Langa breathed out a sigh of relief that was partly a laugh.  Good, Reki wasn’t offended…and he liked the gift.  Everything was fine.  Everything between them was fine.

Glad to hear it.

The next day, as foretold, Reki was still sick.  The only way Langa could get through the day was knowing that he’d be back at Reki’s house after school, permission or not.  He took Reki’s schoolwork from the teacher again and headed out, eager to see if Reki was doing any better.

“You’re such a sweet boy, coming all the way out here,” Reki’s mom said with an earnest smile.

Langa blushed a little.  “How’s Reki today?” he asked.  “Any better?”

“No.”  She sighed and shook her head.  “He’ll probably be out for another day at least.”

It was the last thing Langa wanted to hear.  He hoped the crushing disappointment didn’t show on his face as he said, “Oh.”

“I’ll tell him you came by.”  Langa suspected, by the look in her eyes, that she saw exactly how he felt.  Maybe Reki got his perceptiveness from his mom.

Langa said goodbye and pretended to leave, only to duck around to Reki’s window when he was sure his mom couldn’t hear.  Once again, it was left open, and miserable little coughs floated out into the mild February air.

Tiptoeing up onto the stone wall, Langa peeked in.  Reki was sitting up in his bed, watching something intently on his phone.  He coughed into his fist, a ragged noise that sounded like it was tearing his lungs apart.  Langa winced to hear it.

“Reki,” he called.

Reki jumped a little, but his eyes lit up when he saw Langa in the window.  He waved and jumped out of bed.

“Hey, don’t get up,” Langa said.  “You need to rest….”

Reki wasn’t having it though, and the next thing Langa knew Reki was grabbing his arm and hoisting him up and into the window.  They collapsed ungracefully onto the floor, and Langa held his breath, hoping nobody had heard.  Reki’s mom’s opinion of him as “such a sweet boy” would be ruined in an instant if she caught him in here.

Reki coughed again, but he was smiling.

“You better not have brought…more homework.”  Reki’s voice was reduced to a whispering rasp, and it was the saddest sound Langa had ever heard.  Reki should never, ever be unable to speak.  He had a sudden and impossible urge to give his own voice to Reki, and Langa himself would just listen, enthralled by every last little thing that entered Reki’s mind and was spoken aloud.  It was too cruel to have such an essential part of Reki stolen away.

“I gave it to your mom already,” Langa confessed with a small smile.  “You should be in bed, though.”

“Been in bed…for two days,” Reki whined.

“And don’t talk so much.  You’ll strain your throat.”

Reki climbed back into bed with a disgruntled sigh and picked his phone back up.  Langa moved to sit next to him, but Reki waved him away.

“Contagious,” he whispered, pointing at himself.

“Oh…right.”  Langa pulled out the chair by the desk and sat as close to the bed as he could.

They sat together for a long while, watching some old videos on Reki’s phone, and every once in a while Reki would laugh.  It was a small, broken sound, always followed immediately by coughing.  Langa nearly offered to get him water twice before remembering that he wasn’t exactly supposed to be there.

“You been…S?” Reki asked softly.

Langa shook his head.  “No.  It’s….”  It’s no fun without you.  “I’ve been busy.  But we should go once you’re better.”

“Yeah.”  Reki grinned.  “Laying around…sucks.”

“It doesn’t suit you, that’s for sure.”

“Thanks…for coming by.”  A small cough.  “Means a lot.”

Langa could feel his face heating up, but maybe if he stayed perfectly still, Reki wouldn’t notice.  “Sure,” was all he could trust himself to say.  There was a pause between them that felt agonizing, like Langa was supposed to do something but he didn’t know what.

To break the silence, he blurted out, “Did you like the chocolate I left for you?”

Reki nodded emphatically and gave him a thumbs up.

“I have more.”

And now the silence was back.  Reki stared at him, blinking.  His grin remained, but somehow, there was a nervousness to it now.

Well, Langa had said it:  he couldn’t back out now.  He reached for one of the remaining boxes in his bag and held it out.  This was probably a bad idea.  It had been sitting in his bag for a whole day now.  What if the chocolate had melted?

“Wait,” Langa murmured.  He ripped off the note on the lid, once again sending out a silent apology, and gave the box to Reki.  “It’s yours.”

Reki accepted it tentatively, as if expecting Langa to snatch it back any second and say it was a joke.  “You sure?” he asked.  His voice was so quiet, Langa couldn’t ascertain any emotion at all from it.  It was a blank question.  There was no telling if Reki was surprised, angry, happy, or any other thousands of things he could be feeling.

“Of course,” said Langa, as neutrally as he could possibly manage.

“Let’s share it.”

They went through the whole box together.  The chocolate was actually pretty good, and Langa wished he knew which of the girls was which so he could tell her so.  Maybe he should just tell all of them that their chocolate was good.  That’d probably be the right thing to do.  Maybe next time, he could learn to make chocolate candy like this and give it to Reki.

Next time?  Wait…to Reki?  Langa glanced sideways at Reki, who was chewing happily away at the last piece of chocolate.  Of course Reki would be the type to bite into it.  Everyone knew you were supposed to let chocolate melt slowly in your mouth.  Not him, though.

Reki yawned and slumped down further on his pillows after the last piece was finished.

“You should probably get some rest,” said Langa.

Reki opened his mouth to argue, but all that came out was another yawn and a brand new coughing fit.  He groaned and laid down, and Langa couldn’t help but laugh at his pout.

“It won’t last forever,” Langa said as he got to his feet.  Without thinking, he reached out and pulled the blanket up over Reki’s shoulder.  He froze when he saw the look Reki gave him:  a wide-eyed stare with a hint of disbelief, and a bit of color to his cheeks that hadn’t been there before.  Langa stared back without a clue of what to say or how to explain himself.

Reki didn’t need to be tucked in like a little kid!  Even though Langa knew that he’d probably be more comfortable with the blanket over him.  Even though he probably wouldn’t even be in bed if someone hadn’t told him.  Langa was just looking out for him, that’s all it was.  If Reki wasn’t going to take care of himself, Langa had to do it for him, didn’t he?

“Uh…” Langa muttered.  His face was heating up to an uncomfortable degree.  He grabbed his backpack and hurriedly slung it over his shoulder.  “S-see you later.”

He scrambled out the window and, forgetting how high up he was, fell in a heap onto the dirt.

Three days was too much.  Langa had been patient, he’d been willing to wait, but this was reaching the point of ridiculousness.  There had to be something he could do to help Reki get better faster.

On his way to Reki’s house, he texted his mom to ask for any advice she could give as a nurse.  Regrettably, her answer wasn’t too helpful.  After he’d convinced her that no, it wasn’t actually him who was sick, it was his friend, she could only offer things that Langa already knew.  Lots of rest and water and medicine.  Nothing that would really help.

Langa found himself back at Reki’s window, and his hopes lifted when there were no coughs to be heard.  As quietly as he could, he climbed into the room and softly called Reki’s name.

There was no answer save the soft, semi-congested snores emanating from Reki’s bed.

Well, this didn’t look good.  Maybe he should have checked if Reki was awake before coming into his room.

Before Langa could make another move, Reki turned over in bed and blinked his eyes open.  Langa was caught now:  Reki would know he’d come in without permission and had been watching him sleep.  Langa was a creep, and Reki knew it.

“Langa?” Reki asked tiredly.  His voice did sound better, but Langa could barely take comfort in that with the situation he was in.

“I’m sorry,” Langa blurted out.  “I didn’t know you were asleep.  I’ll…I’ll go.”

“No, wait.”  There was a heavy pause.  Langa was holding his breath, too afraid to even blink.

Reki coughed a little—it really did sound much better—and said, “You can stay.”

Langa exhaled softly.  “You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I just….”  Reki turned over again.  “I’m tired.  Might fall asleep, but…it’s okay if you stay.”

“Shouldn’t I let you…?” The words died in his throat.  He’d been telling Reki to rest all this time, surely he was sick of hearing it by now.  And really, staying sounded like….

“Come on, I’m lonely.”  Reki’s voice was slightly muffled by his pillow.

Langa’s heart was thumping so fast in the quiet room he was sure that Reki could hear it.  “I…okay.”

He sat down gingerly on the edge of Reki’s bed before realizing he should get out the chair again.  Reki didn’t say anything though, and Langa wasn’t sure if he imagined the way Reki moved a little to be closer to Langa’s leg.  They didn’t speak or move for a long while.  Distant sounds of Reki’s family filtered in under the door.  Langa wondered if he’d really managed to get one over on Reki’s mom all this time, or if she was more perceptive than he’d given her credit for.

“Hey, Langa.”

Langa’s chest tightened.  “Yeah?”

“How come you gave me all that chocolate?”

Langa forgot every word in every language he knew.

“Hey, did you hear me?”

“…No.  What’d you say?”

Reki turned over and glared at him.

“I mean,” Langa said, “yeah, I heard you.”

“And?”

Langa averted his eyes and scratched his cheek.  “I just…thought you might need cheering up.”  That was the reason, right?  Why did it feel like lying to say that if it was the reason?

“Okay but…it was Valentine’s chocolate.”

Langa would have loved to throw himself out the window again.  Leave it to Reki to be frustratingly blunt.  “It was what I had.”

Maybe that excuse would have worked for the first time.  But he’d done it twice.  In fact, maybe even the first time was too transparent, thanks to that stupid text.

“Oh,” said Reki, and the single word went straight through Langa’s ribcage and burst out the other side.  Somehow, he’d picked the absolute worst possible thing to say.

“I-I mean,” Langa fumbled, rubbing his face with both hands, “I didn’t mean like…like I was just throwing them away or anything, it’s more like…more like….”

“It’s fine, Langa.”

“I missed you so much I was going crazy,” Langa blurted out.

Reki frowned in confusion.  “I’ve only been sick for three days.”

“Yeah and it sucked,” Langa exclaimed.  It was out there now, he may as well keep going.  “I missed you, all right?  I’ve been lonely too.”

Reki stared for a bit longer before bursting out into soft, raspy giggles.  Langa thought for sure Reki was just going to make fun of him.  He looked away, face blazing red, and tried to compose himself.

“Hey.”  Langa felt a small tug on his sleeve.  “Come on, don’t be embarrassed.  I missed you too.”

Langa glanced over his shoulder.  Reki was looking up at him with nothing but earnestness, and some of the tension in Langa’s chest began to ease.  And then, with a speed that didn’t match how tired Reki had seemed, Reki sat up and wrapped his arms around Langa, squeezing him in a tight hug.

Langa froze.  Reki hugged him all the time; he was almost always touching him in some way.  But this one was different.  This hug ignited sparks in Langa’s chest, catching fire and burning through his whole body.  His arms were shaky when he finally returned the embrace, and he pulled Reki so tight to him it felt almost desperate.

You must think I’m so lame...I could barely get through a couple of days without you.  I can’t explain it.  I need you next to me.

Langa hugged Reki as tight as he dared, focusing on the beating of Reki’s heart against his own chest, the sound of his breathing, the sheer warmth of him.  He had no idea how long they stayed like that and it didn’t matter.  It was all Langa had wanted for days, and he soaked it up like water to a dying man.  When they finally released each other, Langa realized that at some point they’d laid down on the bed.  Reki’s face was only inches from his own, and he was grinning.

“What are you so worried about?” Reki asked.

Langa almost denied it, but there was no point.  Trying to lie to Reki was a losing game.  “I’m afraid I’m about to mess something up,” he admitted.

“You’re not.  Trust me.”

Langa swallowed nervously.  “Okay…um, well….”  Deep breaths…just say it.  “You know that I…kinda….”

Reki didn’t say anything, only watched him with brightly intent eyes.

“I think that I…kinda…like you more than a normal friend.  If you know what I mean.”  Langa covered his face with both hands and continued, “And…maybe I did…kind of want to give you the chocolate in…in that way.”

“Oh.”  Such a small word.  Was that really all Reki had to say?  “So that’s what you meant….”

Langa peeked out between his fingers.  “What?”

“When you texted me the other night.  I thought you were joking around, but I wasn’t sure and didn’t want to make it weird and ask.”

Langa remembered.  Reki saying how he’d only gotten Valentine’s Day chocolate once before, and then Langa’s answer.  And today.  Two stupidly written words that had caused him agony for hours.  Not because he didn’t mean them, but because he did.

“Y-yeah…” he admitted.  “I actually…I thought about getting you something.  But nothing felt right, and I don’t even know how to make chocolate candy.  I guess it just felt right to give the ones I got you.”

“Huh.”

Langa moved his hands away.  “Huh?” he repeated.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“So does this mean I have to give you something on White Day?”  Reki looked thoughtfully at the ceiling.  “I’ve never gotten to do that before.”

“…That’s what you’re thinking about?”

“Well, yeah!  Why wouldn’t I?”

Langa searched Reki’s face, looking for some hint that he was joking.  There was nothing there except the Reki that was always there, earnest and full of enthusiasm, ready to plunge right into whatever challenge was in front of him.

At that moment, it seemed so simple.  There was no reason to have ever been scared.  Just like when Langa was learning to skateboard, Reki had always been there, helping him up when he fell.  Patching him up when he got hurt.  Making things easier on him so Langa wouldn’t have to worry about the little stuff.

“So…” Langa murmured, “you’re okay with it?”

Reki laughed and his whole face lit up bright red.  “Yeah.  Yeah, I am.”

“Then…can I…?”

Before Langa could finish his sentence, Reki leaned in and pressed his lips against his.  The whole world shifted and stuttered, and Langa thought he might combust.  Was this happening?  Was this really…was Reki actually kissing him?

Langa had never kissed anyone before, but it felt so natural to be doing it with Reki.  It was hot and soft and it made his vision spin.  It made his heart beat faster than it ever had, adrenaline spiking through every inch of his body as a thrill that outmatched anything he’d ever felt in the snow or the street drowned him.

Eventually, Reki pulled away.  It looked like his eyes were shining, but not in a teary way.  Like there was a deep happiness in him too, like he’d enjoyed it just as much as Langa had.

“Uh…” Langa said, unable to tear his eyes away from Reki’s lips.  What could he even say?  All he wanted was to never stop kissing Reki for even an instant.

In that moment, Reki’s face fell.  “Oh…I’m still sick.”

“Worth it.”

“I’m so stupid, I wasn’t even thinking, Langa, now you’re gonna be sick and miserable too!”

“Well,” said Langa, inching closer, “you already gave me your germs so there’s no point worrying about it now.”

Reki stared at him in disbelief and rolled onto his back, covering his face with his hands.  “My first kiss and I messed it up this bad, aaaaagh this is so….”

Langa propped himself up on his elbow and poked at the outside of Reki’s hands.  “Hey,” he said, smiling.  His heart felt so full it was almost heavy, emitting its own gravity that was inexorably drawn to Reki.  “I liked it.  Didn’t you?”

Reki peeked out at him, the blush spreading out from his face to his ears.  “Yeah…I did.”

“Then…how about just one more.”

Reki looked away, considering it.  After a second, he mumbled, “It was pretty nice…but I don’t want you to get sick.”

Langa leaned down and very gently kissed the back of Reki’s hand where it still covered part of his face.  “There,” he said.  “How’s that?”

There was almost no part of Reki that wasn’t completely beet red by now.  He flipped around, almost violently fast, showing his back to Langa and shouting, “Geez, Langa!  You can’t just do that, it’s – it’s not fair!”

“What?”  Now what had he done?

“You can’t just…just keep doing all this sweet romantic stuff, I’m gonna really….”

“If I did something wrong, I’m sorry,” Langa offered sheepishly.

“No…no, you didn’t.  I’m just…I really like you a lot okay there I said it.”

It took a second, but Langa eventually realized what was happening.  Reki was flustered.  Incredibly so.  That was why he wouldn’t look at him.  That was why he hadn’t stopped blushing this whole time.

And Langa had caused that?  He felt a weird twinge of something, maybe pride.

But better than all that, Reki had said, straight out, that he liked him back.  The impossible thing, finally come to life before him.

“Is it okay if I stay for a bit?” Langa asked, inching up a little closer to Reki’s back.

“Yeah…yeah, that’s fine.”

Tentatively, still not wanting to push too far, Langa touched Reki’s shoulder.  When there was no resistance, he wrapped his arm around Reki’s chest, hugging them close together.  Reki snuggled back into him, then reached up to take his hand.  Reki’s skin was blazing hot, probably in no small part to the lingering illness in him, but mostly it had to be his heartbeat, thumping and pulsing through his entire body.

Langa hugged him tightly, breathing slowly until their heartbeats settled into the same rhythm.

I won’t be at school today.  I’m sick.

no way!!! :o

Yeah.  Big surprise, I know.

well lucky for you it’s saturday

Wait, really?

lol yeah. i can come over if you want

That’d be nice.

i won’t be climbing in your window tho, im coming in the front door like a normal person

I can’t wait.

: ) see you soon <3