Chapter Text
Turning in his “S” pin and walking out those gates was the final straw. Reki was done with skating for good. He decided that night that he would hang up his skateboard. No more Beefs, no more fun. He’d walk to school if he had to. Maybe he’d even invest in a bike.
The walk home was quiet. It was what he deserved, really. What was he worth anyway? Certainly not anyone's time.
By the time the teen was climbing back through his window his alarm clock read 2 am. The house was silent. Almost too silent, as the thoughts in his head bounced around like a ball against a racket. ‘They're better off without me. Miya, Shadow, Joe, Cherry… Langa especially. I don’t deserve to even call them my friends.’ With a huff, he turned on his heel and grabbed his beloved skateboard from where it rested against the wall. The silence was starting to grate on his nerves.
Reiki ducked right back out into the neighborhood, leaving just as silently as he had entered. Maybe he would go burn his skateboard. There was no other use for it now. He liked to think this whole thing started from the moment he lost his race with shadow and had to burn his board. Maybe it should end that way too. He’d quit working at the skate shop the next morning and work out how to sell his board making stuff. The extra cash from that would hold him until he got another job.
Reki set off, walking down to the skate park. It was the perfect place to burn his board. No one would notice. It was as easy as that.
And yet he found himself in a random neighborhood, standing at the top of a very familiar road.
The road he took Langa too when he was first starting out. The one where he had taped himself to the board and was unable to stop, almost resulting in a very bad car accident. This specific road was a backroad that not many cars used. Unfortunately however, it led out to a very busy main road. That had been Reki’s mistake. He should have picked a better place for a beginner.
It was as he gazed down the hill, remembering what had happened, that day that Reki decided maybe he was worth another skate.
One final skate.
He tossed his board to the ground, keeping it from rolling away with the toe of his shoe. Hoping on, he angled his body for the most speed and pushed off the asphalt with a heavy kick. The push sent him right down the hill, following the slight curves the whole way The farther he rolled, the faster he went. Flashes of his beef with ADAM came back, plaguing his mind like bad memories do. At one point, all he could imagine was Langa in his place. A spike of fear jolted through his chest. The scene changed to his fight with Langa the week previous. All the ways his friends were better than him. He could just imagine the fun they were having at the moment without him present. Reiki was never needed. He would never be one of them. He didn't have the right to call them his friends.
The redhead was broken from his thoughts when something heavy connected with his chest. White hot pain rocked up his body, his vision tunneling to nothing. For one blissful moment all he knew was the feeling of flying through the air, the wind blowing his hair around wildly. Soon, it all came crashing down and his back came into contact with something even harder than the thing that hit him. He was aware of sliding, and a painful burning sensation on his back. His heart pounded in his chest. He had a fleeting thought of it beating right out of his chest. It thrummed in time with the ache in his head.
Through the ringing in his ears Reki could hear things slamming and frantic voices screaming out. Soft hands were grabbing him all over, touching and pulling at him and his clothes. Reki forced his eyes open, gazing up at a handful of blurry unfamiliar faces. Their mouths moved, shouting and pulling at him.
Reki ignored the cries, letting his eyes fall shut once more. It felt like someone had attached weights to his eyelids.
Maybe things would be better this way anyway. He’d no longer keep anyone back. His friends could move on, be the skaters they want to be. Langa didn’t have to feel the guilt of breaking a promise, if he ever felt it at all in the first place.
Reki was finally free
___________________________________
The next thing Reki was aware of was a faint beeping sound, the weight of something soft and warm draped over his body. Everything ached. Reki was not free. There was no way, with everything he was now noticing. The redhead forced his eyes to part, despite feeling like the weight of the world was on them.
The first thing he really noticed visually were the two figures tucked in around him, one under each arm. His two youngest sisters. They were both asleep, dry tear tracks under their small chubby cheeks. Reki felt a pang of guilt, knowing it was his fault. He screwed up again.
Glancing up to one of the chairs to his left was the oldest of his sisters. She was curled up in the chair, legs tucked under her chin. She too looked as if she had been crying. Her hair was a mess. To his right was his mother.
She looked tired, if the dark patches under her eyes were anything. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her head was resting on the hospital bed Reki resided in. His right hand, which was covered in a thick layering of bandages, was held between her smaller hands. They all looked so peaceful, and yet they all looked devastated at the same time.
He took stock of his injury for a moment, noting the cast on his arm. His leg was elevated and in a large cast as well. His chest felt thick and a glance down revealed he was wrapped in bandages. He could feel one around his head. There was the uncomfortable feel of a mask on his face, but he didn't bother to mess with it and mess things up further.
“Mom” Reki forced out, voice cracking with the effort. His throat felt like sandpaper. His mother didn’t even twitch. “Mom!” He tried again, forcing the weak muscles of his hand to work. He squeezed her hands as hard as he could.
Her eyes fluttered open slightly. With a hum, she was pushing herself up. He watched her stretch, glance around, and then make eye contact with him. Reki gave her a weak smile. Her eyes welled with tears instantly. “Reki! Oh, my baby.” She was up and draping herself across him for a tight hug, being mindful of the many injuries across his body. “How are you feeling?” She questioned after pulling back, brushing the bangs out of his eyes as she went.
“Like I got hit by a car.” He joked. It was wrong to say if her flinch was anything to go by.
“That’s not funny, Reki.” His sister called out from her chair. The attention shifted to her. Her lip was quivering but she was staring right at him.
“Sorry.”
His mom sighed, sitting back in her chair to watch him for a moment. “I’m glad you’re alright, but I should probably go get your doctor.” She forced out, pushing up from her chair. She went to either side of him, gathering the twins in her arms and turning leaving. His sister refused to look at him as she too slid from her chair and trailed after their mom.
“Koyomi.” Reki called out as loud as he could. Both mom and sister turned to look at him. He said nothing but the opening of his arms was enough of an invitation. Koyomi turned and practically threw herself into his lap, sobbing quietly as she buried her face in his shoulder.
Reki winced, pushing through the pain to wrap his sister in a gentle embrace. The sharp ache in his chest was from guilt, rather than pain. It must have been worse than initially thought if this was the reaction he was getting. “I thought you were gonna die.” Koyomi sobbed, clutching onto his neck.
Reki closed his eyes with a grimace. It was much worse. The thing about getting hit by a car is that all awareness flew out the window. Of course he knew he wasn't in good shape, but he didn't know just how bad it was. Everything taken into consideration, he wasn’t expecting to wake up at all. Death as only a wish, not a guarantee.
The siblings embraced for a moment longer until their mom called out for Koyomi and she backed off. The click of the door closing descended the room into silence. And with the silence came the thoughts.
He was so selfish
The worst part about the whole thing was that he wanted it at first. The feeling of being weightless and free. No responsibilities. No disappointments. When the sensation of living slipped from his grasp, he was happy. Now though, having seen just what his family had gone through, that happy feeling melted away to something harsher. Regret.
If he died, his mother would be alone. His sisters wouldn't have an older figure to look up to. No one to take care of them when his mother was busy. Koyomi would have to grow up much too soon for a girl her age. It was unfair to them.
The other people he thought of were his friends. The smell of the hospital assaulting his nose was enough to bring back painful memories. Of a time many years ago when he could do nothing but watch his only friend suffer in a hospital bed due to skating injuries. He lost that friend forever.
He almost did that to his friends. In all his anger at himself and disappointment at losing Langa, he had never taken the time to actually explain his reasonings to the poor boy. At first he had assumed Langa knew what he meant, but the more he stayed away the less it made sense. And yet for some reason he couldn't get himself to apologize. The idea that he wasn't enough got in the way. Sometimes, it’s easier to ignore your problems rather than face them head on.
Then he was thinking of Miya, and their broken promise. How fair was that? He threw a fit and got into a fight over the idea of Langa breaking theirs and he shattered Miya’s without a second thought. What a great friend he was. Shadow was a different story. Most of the adults were really. He hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to any of them as much as the other two.
Yet he felt they too would be disappointed in his actions. Shadow, who took them to S with minimal complaints. Even with every rebuttal he made, the man made sure to take care of them all. He even accompanied them to the hot spring without too much prompting.
There was Cherry, who helped teach Langa about the love hug. Who let them eat with him and who hung with them all, even when he didn't have to. That man was good when it came to giving advance. And he definitely had given some to all of them.
Joe was good at that too. You’d think with all his muscle and playboy like antics he wouldn't associate with kids, but he took the time to help them when they needed it. He even let them chill in his restaurant after school on ‘S’ nights and just after closing to hang.
It was a family separated from blood, and Reki almost threw that away because he wasn't good enough.
It was clear they knew he wasn't good enough but they never treated him differently right? They never tossed him out, or said the things ADAM had said in all their interactions. Every single one of them had shown that they cared about him in their own way and the only person he had to blame for thinking otherwise was himself.
Reki was pulled from his spiraling thoughts by the sound of the door across the room opening. A kind looking man walked in, clipboard clenched tight in his hands. He closed the door behind him.
“I'm sure you’re wondering a lot of things right now, Mr. Kyan.”
Reki gave him a tight smile, shifting up as best he could. “What’s the damage Doc?”
The man across from him frowned, shifting his gaze to flip the pages on his clipboard. “I’m afraid it’s not good. You're not gonna die, if that’s what you’re thinking of.” he joked blandly. Reki felt the irony of his words hit like a brick. “The people that hit you were going way over the speed limit. They were also intoxicated beyond belief. Now normally I would ease you into news like this, but we almost lost you a few times on your way to the hospital the other night.”
Boy did that information suck. No wonder his family was worried. Something struck him as odd though. "Wait a minute, you said the other day. How long have I been here?”
The doctor grimaced. “The accident was at 2:28 am on Saturday. It’s almost 1 in the afternoon on Monday now.” Dread pooled in Reki’s stomach. Did his mom tell any of his friends yet? Part of him hoped she hadn't. “Your right leg was broken in three places.” He gestured to Reki’s elevated and heavily casted leg. “Your right wrist was fractured as well. A lot of bruising on your torso. Road rash across your back from where you slide. You’ve got a mild concussion on top of it all.” The doctor sighed, setting his clipboard on the foot of the bed before fixing Reki with a stern look. “The worst of it all, and the reason we almost lost you, was your ribs. The car you were hit with hit you in just the right place and a few of your ribs broke. Unfortunately one of them pierced your lung. You flatlined a few times on the way to the hospital and during surgery but luckily you pulled through. Hence the ventilator we have you on. Depending on how you are later this evening, we might be able to remove it sooner rather than later. You’re very lucky to be alive right now young man.”
Reki’s gaze fell to the bed. He really messed up on this one. All because he was lost in his head, he almost lost his life and he even had the audacity to hope for it. The cold hard fear that he almost died without apologizing to Langa grabbed tight and wouldn’t let go. He had to see them. It was the most important thing.
“Is there a way I can call someone?”
_____________________
Unbeknownst to Reki, there was an interesting interaction occurring in the waiting room. His mother had gone home after calling for the doctor, dropping the girls off to school, cleaning up, and making her way back to the hospital. Imagine her surprise when she steps through the door and sees a very familiar head of blue hair. “Langa, dear, is that you?”
She called softly, voice weary. How had he known about Reki?
The Canadian whirled around, his normally impassive face giving away to shock. “Ms.Kyan? Is Reki here too?”
The older woman made a confused sound, stepping closer to Langa and the people that surrounded him. She had never seen any of the people before. Maybe they weren’t here for Reki as she thought. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have school?” She asked, disapproval dripping from her tone. The kid to Langa’s left looked much younger and she couldn't help but wonder if they were both skipping classes. The two older men behind the boys threw each other looks before the bigger of the two spoke up. “I’m sorry, ma’am. We checked these two out early today so they could come see a friend of ours.”
“Who are you.” She asked skeptically. She might be smaller than the two adults, and much less muscly, but she could put up a fight if she had to.
“My apologies. My name is Nanjo Kojiro. we’re... Friends of Reki, Langa, and Miya. This is Hiromi Higa.” The latter lifted his hand in a short wave.
“We skate together.” Langa finished, tilting his head at her. His eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?” The boy reiterated his statement from earlier. Before Mrs. Kyan could reply that there was a shout from one of the hallways. A pink haired man in an odd looking wheelchair approached, disapproval marking his face.
“What do you think you’re doing, checking them out of school? What would their parents think you dopey gorilla?”
Nanjo threw his hands up, whirling on the man. “They both texted me and Hiromi practically begging us to get them so they could visit you. It might be hard for you to believe but people care about you, pinky.”
The two looked like they were ready to continue, but Langa cut back in. “Where’s Reki?” all attention shifted back to Mrs. Kyan.
The tension bled from her body, bone deep tiredness setting in. There was so much going on and she had so little rest to run off of. She had a feeling Langa wouldn't take the news very well. Langa was one of Reki’s only friends and she had a feeling it was the same way on his side too. Beside the people around them of course.
“Reki was in a bad accident a couple days ago.” She admitted. The reaction was instantaneous. Kojiro rocked back on his heels, eyes wide. Even the Pink haired man that just approached seemed shocked by her words. Hiromi, who had yet to say a word till then, shouted his disapproval of her words. The kid, who she assumed was Miya, looked close to tears, staring at her in disbelief. Langa practically lunged to get closer, desperation written on his features. Mrs. Kyan held up a hand to stop them all. She gestured for them to join her at the waiting room. Her feet were aching from all the back and forth the past few days.
Once everyone had settled, she continued her explanation. “I know Reki has a tendency to sneak out late at night. I'm never sure where he goes, but I trust him. Except Saturday at about 3 in the morning I got a call. Reki was hit by a car and he was in critical condition.” She paused to gather her thoughts and breath through the sting of tears. She really had almost lost her baby.
Langa was hunched in his seat, Hiromi gently rubbing his back. The pink haired man set a supporting hand on his shoulder. Across the room, Miya had descended into quiet sobs. Kojiro was doing his best to comfort the boy by scooping him up and holding on to him. Miya was only thirteen and he unknowingly almost lost the first real friend he had made in a long time.
“We almost lost him a couple times at first. He’s stable right now, awake, and talking to his doctor. I’ve been with him since I got the call. I can’t bear to leave in case anything else happens. He’s still in pretty bad condition. He should be okay though.” She tried reassuring the frazzled gentlemen around her. It was quiet for a moment before the unknown man rolled up toward her chair. He reached out, setting his hand on her arm.
“I’m not sure if this is any comfort to you, but we can stay here and look after him. You should go home and get some rest. If I know Reki at all I’m sure he’d much prefer you took care of yourself first.” Mrs. Kyan tensed, looking moments from refusing his offer. The more she looked into his gold eyes, the more familiar he looked to her.
“Wait a minute, you’re-”
He cut her off with a smile, holding his hand out for her to take. “Kaoru Sakurayashiki at your service.” He dropped her hand, rolling back a bit so he could bow as best as possible in his wheelchair. “I’ve known your son for a few weeks now Mrs.Kyan and he’s one of the brightest boys I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. All of us here take great honor in calling him our friend. It would be no trouble for us to look after him while you took some time for you. I won't be leaving her for a few more days myself anyway.”
The woman in question frowned for a moment before finally releasing a big breath, melting back into her chair. “As crazy as it sounds, I trust you with this.” She stood from her chair, bowing deeply to the room. Some of them stood to follow her example. “I’ll leave Reki in your care then.” She turned back to Kaoru. “Would it be alright to exchange numbers in case something happens?”
“Of course.” He reached into the pocket of his clothes handing her his phone after unlocking it. “Don't be afraid to call to check up whenever.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you. All of you. Let me show you to his room.”
________________
Reki had been told his phone broke in the accident and he would have to wait for his mother to get back. He didn’t have anyone’s numbers memorized but he knew his mom had Langa’s moms number. At the very least, he’d go through the two of them to talk to Langa.
He was also told his mom would be back shortly, but shortly had turned into 30 minutes of silence. The teen was dosing when the door clicked open and there was a set of familiar footsteps. He cracked his eyes open as wide as he could, giving his mom a careful smile. “Hey mom.” He croaked out, straining to sit up a bit. “I thought you’d never come back.”
His mother left the door open, stepping into to help adjust the bed for him to be sitting up better. “Hey honey.” She whispered, running a hand down the back of his head. She pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to his forehead. “I won't be staying long I'm afraid.” Reki felt disappointment settle before his mom gave him a sly smile. “I brought some people with me though. They’re very worried about you.”
“Who-”
A team of footsteps cut him off as all of his friends trailed into the room. Reki couldn't help the bright smile that tugged at his lips. They were here, but none of them looked happy. Reiki was just glad he got to see them again. He was also dreading the conversation he knew was soon to come.
Mrs. Kyan quietly excused herself from the room.
Miya strode straight in, coming to a stop right in front of the injured teen, and smacked his face as gentle as one could while boiling with rage. There were gasps and cries of outrage and shock before Miya practically climbed up on the bed to give the teen a hug. “You’re so stupid, getting hit by a car like that. Didn’t your mom teach you to look both ways.” He snarked. The room seemed to hold its breath before Reki broke out in cheerful laughter and everyone relaxed.
“Sorry. Not my intentions, really.” Liar. Reki smiled through it all. He had actually worried them.
Miya pulled back, whipping at his face all the while. He was right back to being himself. It was comforting.
Langa stepped up next, his face void of emotion but eyes raking over Reki’s form. He said nothing, shoulders trembling. His face shuddered, crumpling. “Langa?” Reki called quietly, worried for his friend. This wasn’t something he was expecting.
In a flurry of motion, the blue haired boy was turning on his heel and darting out the door. Everyone called out to him, Reki being the loudest.
The redhead didn’t even think twice. The need to go after his friend, to comfort him, hit hard. He reigned in whatever energy and strength he had left, shoving himself out of the bed. There was a burst of white hot pain down his body and he flopped back with a sharp cry. His vision was spotting black.
“Don't move like that, you idiot.” Cherry snapped, forcing himself out of his wheelchair. The man hobbled over to the bed, perching himself on the edge of it. He fussed about, muttering under his breath furiously. The pink haired man shuffled blankets around, fixing the things Reki had disrupted. “I told your mother we’d take care of you and within minutes you're throwing yourself out of bed as injured as you are. Honestly-”
“Alright, Kaoru, I think he gets it. Be easy on him, would ya? I’ll go find Langa.”Joe cut in after a moment. Kaoru sent him a deadly glare, but stopped his angry rant. Joe left the room in a half jog.
Shadow walked closer to the bed, cuffing Reki in the back off the head and ignoring Reki’s offended shout. “Really, Kid. I guess we should have expected this from you, ya klutz.”
There was a rippled of quiet laughter that ran from the room, the tension bleeding out. It was silent from then, everyone waiting for Langa and Joe’s Return.