Chapter Text
It was a beautiful day for a wedding at the beach. The middle of summer can be uncomfortably hot in Okinawa, but mother nature must have decided to give the couple a break, and let every aspect fit together perfectly. The temperature was decent, and the sky was a bright blue, scattered with clouds that looked perfectly placed. The wind wasn’t strong, and the tide was calm, small waves washing over the sandy beach.
Inside one of the rooms at the beach house they rented, Reki was getting dressed with his best man, Joe. You would have to be completely oblivious if you couldn’t see how nervous the 22-year-old groom was. Thankfully he had Joe there to help make sure he got his shoes on the right feet.
“Don’t worry so much, Reki,” Joe laughed at the younger boy as he helped fix the red bowtie that was draped around his neck.
Reki nervously chewed on his lower lip, giving up with the bowtie and just letting Joe get it together. He had been working tying it for almost 5 minutes now, and while he wasn’t one to typically get all dressed up, he should know how to put on a bowtie properly.
“You think if it was that easy to calm down I would?!” The fiery redhead snapped at his best man, quickly feeling regret with how rude he said that and immediately mustering up an apology, “Sorry, Joe. I-“
“Are about to marry the boy you’ve been in love with since 16?” The older green haired man flashed a smirk at Reki, patting his chest once the bowtie was finally perfected. He wanted him to know he understood and didn’t hold it against him for getting snappy. “I know it’s nerve wracking. Hey, maybe you can just picture everyone in their underwear. Though, you might not wanna picture me like that, as my beauty may distract you.”
Joe flashed a wink at Reki. He sure was a confident asshole, but he was always there for Reki when he needed guidance. Though there was a 10 year age difference between the two, there was a special bond there. Similar to that of a mentor. 5 years ago, before Langa and Reki were even dating, Reki went through an episode where he felt inferior to Langa, and almost ruined their friendship. Joe was there to help get him back on his feet, and helped him realize how important Langa was to him.
As Joe goes to the full length mirror, adjusting his own tie and suit, Reki can’t help but smile as he recalls just months ago when he asked him to be his best man.
6 Months Ago
It was almost closing time, and Reki was the only one left at Joe’s restaurant. For some reason he had anxiety about what he wanted to ask. Okay, so he had reason to be nervous. Asking someone to be your best man wasn’t a conversation that happened often, hopefully only once in your life. And what if Joe said no? Reki imagined the awkward silence that would ensue afterwards and shuttered,
“So are you gonna get to helping me close, or are you gonna get the hell out of here?” Joe joked as he carried a few plates to the back. Thankfully it wasn't too busy that night, and there wasn't much left to be done before locking up.
Taken off guard, Reki jumped up from the stool he was sitting on, stumbling a bit once he was on his feet. Despite the fact that Reki talked a lot, words didn't come that easy to him in times like these. It was easy to talk about things he enjoyed like skating and board designing. Asking someone to your best man? Not so much.
Reki took it upon himself to take his dirty dish to the back. It wasn't weird for him and Langa to stay until close and help Joe finish closing duties. Walking to the big industrial sink in the kitchen, Reki started rinsing his own dish. “So,” Reki cleared his throat, focusing on his hands as he cleaned the dish, “I had something I wanted to ask you.”
Joe was drying off the last few dishes, taking the last one Reki had just finished washing. He raised a brow, curious about what the young redhead could be needing. “And what would that be?”
Nerves were still consuming Reki, and he needed something to distract them. Grabbing a broom from the closet, he began to sweep. It was easier for him to have conversations like this when he was doing something and didn't have to sit still. “So, you know how Langa and I are engaged?”
“How could I forget? You flash your ring every chance you get.” Joe teased as he began putting dishes away.
Blushing slightly at the comment, Reki knew he was right and had no way to defend himself. Always having to fidget with something, he often found himself playing with it around his finger. Even earlier tonight while sitting at the bar, he was playing with it. “Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled, “Well, we set a date for this summer.”
“Oh, Reki! That's exciting! Damn, I can't believe you two are getting married before me. I'm more handsome than the two of you combined.” That was Joe, overly cocky. Though Reki honestly couldn't deny that Joe was gorgeous. However, he was a little more muscular for his taste.
“Wow, humble much?” a small chuckle slipped through his lips as he continued sweeping. “So, uh, I need a best man. And, well, I don't have many friends, neither of us do. But we have you and-and the others.” Reki started gripping onto the broom tighter, fighting with himself as the words he wanted to say just wouldn't come out. God, he hated serious conversation.
“Ah, I see.” Joe smiled, leaning against the kitchen window, throwing a rag over his shoulder and crossing his muscled arms over his chest, “I’d be honored to be your best man.”
Reki’s ears perked up and he stopped sweeping, frozen for just a moment. Was it obvious he was going to ask that? At least he could be relieved that he didn't have to ask it, he couldn't even get the simple words out.
“Glad that you were able to get that out before me,” Reki laughed as he was finally able to relax. He propped the broom back up against the wall and walked over to Joe, giving him a big smile, “I really appreciate you, Joe. You've done so much and me and Langa, and I really wanted you to be involved in our wedding.”
“Listen kid, you know I could see how much you two loved each other before you two idiots saw it yourself. I got to watch you both fall in love, and that's something really special.”
The two smiled at each other before finishing up the closing duties, and locking up the restaurant for the night.
Present Day
Reki’s bright red hair was always a struggle to get styled, it had a mind of its own. And though today was special, he knew if he tried to tackle it to perfection, he'd be in tears from the stress. So he decided to just rid himself of the headband he always wore, and let his hair do whatever it felt like that day. Langa fell in love with him with that hairstyle, so what made today any different?
“You're looking good, kid.” Joe stood behind Reki in the mirror, looking at the two’s reflections as he patted his back. Reki was sporting a white tux that matched his groom’s, Langa, and a red bowtie. Joe was in a complimentary black tux, also sporting a red bowtie to match the groom.
Taking in his reflection, Reki took a deep breath. This was really happening. Before too long, he was going to be walking down the aisle to meet the love of his life, to meet Langa. The two decided to get dressed separately, seeing each other for the first time dressed up in their wear at the altar. And even though Reki couldn't see Langa, he knew he was beautiful.
“Reki, are you dressed yet? Mom wants to get a picture of us,” a voice called out while a tall girl walked into the room. With red hair that matched Reki’s, the teen was in a floor-length, red, flowing dress.
“Yes, Koyomi, I'm dressed.” Reki huffed and then turned to look at his little sister. A wave of emotion spread over him, and Reki felt like he could cry, all of the stress from the wedding day finally being here was making him emotional. Koyomi was the oldest of Reki’s younger sisters, and seeing her dressed up as a groomswoman for his wedding, he finally noticed just how much she had grown the last few years. She was only 16, but she already towered over her big brother- especially today since she was in heels. “Hey!” Reki frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, “When the hell did you get so tall? You're my little sister, you're not supposed to be taller than me!”
“Oh shut up,” Koyomi rolled her eyes. Now that she was a teen, she was definitely upping the sass. “You're just jealous that I'm taller than you and a better skater.”
“Hey!” Reki yelled, “You wouldn't even be a skater if I didn't teach you everything I knew and let you borrow my board until I got one made for you!”
Koyomi giggled, she loved pushing her big brother's buttons, even on his wedding day. But Reki knew how to push hers back.
“Are you sure you’re ready to walk down the aisle with Miya? You know, one day maybe he’ll be waiting at the end of the aisle for you!” Reki teased, knowing how much of a crush his little sister had on one of Langa’s groomsmen.
Koyomi’s face turned bright red, matching not only her dress but her hair as well. She shot a glare at Reki and opened her mouth to respond with something sassy, but was cut off due to their mother walking in.
“Oh,” Masae put a hand up to her mouth, her eyes already watery with tears as she saw two of her beautiful children all dressed up, “you both look so beautiful. And Reki… you're getting married!” she smothered the red headed boy with a hug, squeezing him tighter than she ever had before. “Come, come, I have to get some pictures of you.”
Shortly after, the twins, Nanaka and Chihiro came running into the room as well, their father following them in. Dressed in frilly white, the girls were holding baskets of blue and red flowers. “Reki’s getting married! Reki’s getting married!” they sang as they danced around the room.
The entire room was filled with joy, and Masae was flashing pictures, wanting to make sure she had plenty to look back at. Reki’s heart was racing. This was his family, and in just a few minutes, it would be growing. And he couldn't wait.
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On the other side of the beach house, Langa was getting ready with his own groomsmen. In his white tux, that matched Reki’s, Langa had just finished getting his blue tie fixated around his neck. As opposed to Reki, this 22-year-old was a little calmer with his nerves. Of course he was anxious as all could be, he was getting married . Langa was marrying Reki, and he could hardly believe this was his life.
Since the day the two met, Langa had the biggest crush on Reki. Maybe it was the fiery red hair, or the upbeat and bubbly personality, or his amazing skating. Maybe it was all of it that first gave Langa that fluttery feeling in his chest. And as the two grew closer together through skating, Langa knew he wanted the rest of his life to be with Reki.
“Carla, how much time until the wedding begins?” Cherry called out as he finished perfecting the matching blue tie. Even at a wedding, Cherry couldn’t leave without bringing his robotic board.
“Reki and Langa’s wedding begins in exactly 34 minutes and 21 seconds.” the robotic board sounded.
That's when Langa’s nerves began hitting him. Thirty minutes. Holy shit. He only had thirty minutes until he’d be walking down the aisle and awaiting Reki to join him. His palms started getting sweaty, and he began pacing around.
“Hey Langa, you okay?” his other groomsmen, Miya, asked, noticing the new nerves that Langa was expressing.
Miya had grown so much since Langa first met him. Now he was 17, the age Langa was when he met Reki. Having a bit of a growth spurt, he was almost as tall as Langa now.
“Uh,” Langa said, panicking, “No? Yes? I don't know. I was fine, I was okay. And now it's just hitting, it's sinking in. What if I trip down the aisle? Oh my god, Reki would break up with me if I ruined the wedding!”
“Hey! Langa!” Miya walked over and slightly slapped the back of his head. Miya was a little aggressive. Langa flinched a bit and frowned at the teen as he rubbed the spot where he was hit. “Calm down. We both know that if anyone is tripping down the aisle today it's going to be Reki.” he grinned, trying to lift Langa’s spirits.
“While I agree with Miya that out of the two of you, Reki is more likely to do something completely embarrassing at the ceremony,” the pink-haired groomsman said ever so bluntly, “If you think something bad will happen, then the universe is more likely to make it so.”
Langa took the words in from his older friend, and surprisingly, it seemed to do the job. Cherry was like that, though. Sure he was blunt, but he spoke the truth. And that's something Langa admired about him, other than his skating of course. And not just Cherry, but Miya too. Sometimes Langa forgot that he was younger than him, because at times the kid was rather profound. Langa couldn't have asked for better groomsmen.
6 Months Ago
It was a bustling night at S. The crowd was more excited than ever. Tonight, Snow and Cherry were going to beef. They were undoubtedly two of the best skaters at S, and in the five years since Langa had come to Okinawa, they never had a proper beef.
“I've never done a beef where bets were kept a secret until the end,” Cherry spoke as he set Carla down, getting positioned for take off.
“Me either,” Langa spoke, concentrating on the track in front of him as he prepared himself on his board, “good thing I’m going to win this.”
“We’ll see about that.” Cherry responded with the smallest hint of a smile underneath their mask.
3… 2… 1! The crowd cheered and the horns sounded. The two racers both sped off at top speeds.
The beginning of the race was tight, the two neck in neck. It was going to be a good beef, and the crowd’s excitement was amping up the two skaters, wanting them to do even better.
Towards the middle, Cherry had inched ahead, but he knew if he felt victory too soon, Snow would surely take him over. Though Snow had only been skating less than half the amount of time a Cherry had, his skills from snowboarding were easily translated into his skating, and that's where his infamous nickname came from.
The end of the race was nearing, and much like Cherry suspected, Snow had caught back up to him. No surprise at all. The warehouse was always the trickiest, and Snow always found some way to inch ahead. But not today. Cherry was determined to win this one.
The crowd was going wild as the two were nearing the finish line. It was going to be a close one. “Come on, Cherry!” “Let's get this, Snow!” The crowd chanted for their favorite skater, they wanted to win their bets! And then it was over. Cherry won.
Langa went through the finish line, and slowed his speed down to a stop. As usual, his fiancé, Reki, was waiting at the end, cheering him on. A smile formed on his lips as he noticed him, and he hopped off his board, immediately wrapping his arms around him. “Did I win?” He always asked.
Reki frowned slightly and pulled away to look at his fiancé's face, “No, Cherry kept his lead and crossed just a millisecond before you. But you were amazing, Langa! I love watching my handsome fiancé skate.” and Reki looked at him with as much love and admiration in his eyes since the two fell in love.
Usually Langa wouldn't be upset about losing a beef. He didn't skate to win, he skated because it was fun. But this was a little different, he wanted to win against Cherry, he wanted to get what he was betting on.
“You had me scared there for a minute, Snow,” Cherry walked over to Langa, his arms crossing over his chest, “but I still came out on top.”
Cherry was an amazing skater, and Langa was honored to even go up against him. Though he wanted to win and get his prize, he flashed a smile at the older man, “So what was your bet?”
“Looks like I get to be your best man.” Cherry wasn’t one to typically show emotion like this, but he smiled so big that Langa could see it underneath his mask.
Langa let out a small gasp, widening his eyes, that's what Cherry was betting on? Quickly his expression changed to a wide smile and he wrapped his arms around Cherry for a hug.
Cherry wasn’t typically such a touchy-feely person, so he was taken by surprise at the hug. But nonetheless, he returned the hug to Snow, wrapping his arms around him.
Langa pulled back from the hug, a small chuckle leaving his lips, “You know what's funny?” Cherry raised his brow in interest. “If I won, I was going to make you my best man.” Langa said simply, a wide grin on his face.
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Langa had started helping Miya with his English homework. Since Langa grew up in Canada, he offered to help the younger teen. Final exams were coming up, and Miya was more stressed than usual. His parents always pressured him to perform well, both with skateboarding and academically.
“Why is this language so confusing?” Miya whined, laying his head down on his own book, looking over to Langa with a frown.
“I'm sure it's just confusing because it's not your native tongue,” Langa shrugged, “I still struggle with some of my Japanese, even though I've been living here for five years now. But don't get discouraged, Miya! You're doing great.” Langa reassured him, giving his back a few pats.
“That's true, Langa, your Japanese is pretty sucky.” Miya sighed, lifting his head back from his textbook. Langa just decided to ignore the comment about his Japanese. “Can we be done for the night?” he closed his textbook before getting an answer.
“Yeah, of course. Reki and I have to go try some wedding cake flavors later today anyway.” Langa stretched his arms out, the two had been sitting and studying for almost two hours now.
“Ah, it feels like just yesterday you too were still pining after each other. Everyone could tell you were in love before you two idiots could even admit it. I don’t know what took you guys so long to see the admiration in one another’s eyes. It was kind of disgusting, actually. ” Miya snickered.
He wasn't wrong in the slightest. It took longer than it should have for Reki and Langa to even consider the fact that they had feelings for one another. Everything just felt so right, so natural when they were together. They didn’t even notice they had crushes on one another, how could they have been so blind for so long?
“Hey, Miya? There's actually something I wanted to ask you,” Langa sat back up, clearing his throat, “Cherry is gonna be my best man, at the wedding and all. And at first we were just gonna have him and Joe for Reki. But then I got to thinking. Miya, you're like a little brother to me. And I quickly grew to care about you a lot, and I want you to be part of this special day. I want you to be my groomsman.”
Although he would never admit it, Miya felt his eyes begin to water. He never had many friends. Reki and Langa, and the others at S were all he had. And since he was so much younger than them all, sometimes he felt like he didn't belong. Quickly wiping his eyes discreetly, (although Langa did see, he wouldn't mention it), Miya let out a little laugh, “Of course I will! And hey, at least I'll get to stand beside you and Cherry, and not the beef stick and the slime.”
“Oh and I should mention, you'll be walking down with Reki’s little sister, Koyomi. She’s his groomswoman.”
Miya's face turned a bright pink, “K-Koyomi?” he whispered softly. What was this feeling? Why did his stomach do a flip at hearing her name? Miya had met Koyomi before, and he always thought she was beautiful, but thinking about being dressed up with her and walking down a wedding aisle together, well, it made his heart flutter.
Langa noticed the small change in Miya and narrowed his eyes slightly, “Is that going to be okay?”
Miya quickly snapped out of it once Langa spoke and nodded his head quickly. “Yes! Yes, of course it's going to be okay.” he gave Langa a reassuring smile before his heart began to flutter once again.
Present Day
The three were finally dressed up, ready for the ceremony to start. Langa was in his white tux, matching that of his groom. Miya and Cherry were in complementing black tuxes, and all had matching blue ties. They were chatting as the minutes counted down to the ceremony, doing everything they could to distract Langa’s nerves.
“We have to go meet up with the other party. We’ll see you there, buddy.” Cherry smiled at Langa, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Don't worry, it's all going to be fine.”
Langa nodded and gave a smile to both of them before they walked out. And then Langa was alone, only 10 minutes until he had to go line up himself. He had wanted a little alone time before the ceremony.
Sitting down in one of the chairs, he grabbed a framed picture that he brought and had set up on the side table. It was of his dad.
“Hi Dad,” Langa spoke softly as he stared at the picture, “I wish you could be here. I know you would love it. Though it might be a little hot for you,” he chuckled a bit to himself, keeping his eyes on the photograph, he voice got even quieter as he continued to talk, “You would love Reki, dad. Because I love him so much. People are always telling me how they can see the love in my eyes when I watch him, even when he does the simplest of tasks.” His voice was getting a little shaky, and he could feel a couple tears begin to slip from his eyes, “It's not fair that I feel this way, but Reki’s in another room with his mom, his sisters, and-and his dad.” a tear fell onto the photograph, and Langa squeezed his eyes shut, “It’s not fair that I don’t get to have that either.”
It's true, it wasn't fair. Langa’s dad was supposed to be here. Langa’s dad was supposed to tell his son how proud of him he was, and how happy he was to see him on his wedding day. Langa’s dad was supposed to greet Reki as his future son-in-law. He was supposed to give some sappy speech at the reception, going on and on about how he could see the love between his son and Reki. Langa’s dad was supposed to be here .
The door slowly creaked open, and Langa set the photo down, quickly wiping the remaining tears from his eyes. He looked up to see who it was, and he immediately felt comforted once noticed it was his mother.
“Mom,” he smiled softly and stood up, walking towards her.
Nanako focused on her son, taking his image in. Tears began filling her own eyes, “You look so handsome, Langa. You- you look just like Oliver.” she quickly spat out before the tears could no longer be held inl.
Nanako was strong, and would never show the pain of losing her husband in front of Langa. It was hard losing her husband, but she knew it was hard for Langa to lose his father. He was so young, and she wanted to give him a strong role model to look up to. If she could get through the pain, so could Langa. But today it broke her. Seeing her son dressed to get married, he was wearing clothes similar to what Oliver wore when they married.
Seeing his mother cry caught him off guard, but Langa quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and gave her a tight hug. He nuzzled his head in her neck, and rubbed her back, just like she always did to comfort him.
“He would have liked Reki, right?” Langa spoke quietly, trying to keep himself from letting out tears again.
Nanako was able to muffle out a small laugh at the question, “Of course he would,” she whispered back, placing her hand on the back of his head. Sniffling away the tears, she pulled away from her son, cupping his face in her hands, and looking up at him as he now towered over her, “I can feel him here today, Langa. Nothing would keep him away from your wedding.”
Langa’s bottom lip quivered, but he refused to let more tears fall, he didn't want to be standing at the altar with puffy, red eyes. “I feel him too,” he breathed out and then let a small smile come to his face.
The mother and son hugged each other once again before pulling away. Both of them were sniffling, and wiping away traces of tears from their faces.
“My baby boy is getting married,” Nanako sighed happily, a wide smile covering her face as she gazed at the young groom. “Come on.”
Langa took in a deep breath. It was time