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“Crap, crap, crap, crap, I’m gonna be late!”
Langa raised an amused eyebrow at his partner in everything, rushing around the apartment they shared to pack notes, sketchbook and books into his bag, biting into a toast while simultaneously trying to slip into his shoes.
“Where’s my headband??”
Placing his mug with coffee down, Langa just spoke gently, “Reki,” catching the redhead’s attention before pointing at his own collar-area.
Only a brief second of confusion stilled Reki, before he understood and pulled at his throat to grasp the stretchy fabric of his typical headband. Flushing red in embarrassment, Reki mumbled a quick ‘thank you’ without meeting his boyfriend’s eyes.
“Okay, I’m off!”
“Reki.”
“What??”
“Your lunch.”
Reki lurched back, one foot in shoes already, the other only in socks, so he awkwardly jumped on one shoeless foot out of the genkan onto the porch of the wooden hallway into the open kitchen and living room area, but Langa was already meeting him halfway with his bento box wrapped in a cute cloth Reki’s mother had given them when they moved out and together.
“Thanks, you’re the best. Okay, see-umph??” Reki began to speak but his blue haired partner leaned over to press a kiss to the redhead with no hurry on his own. But he knew if he waited any longer Reki would be gone.
It was a simple kiss, really. Sweet, gentle, chaste. “Have a safe trip,” Langa said when breaking away, pressing a quick kiss to Reki’s cheek.
“L-Langa,” Reki grumbled, face flushed so that it made him look like a radiating sun. The bluenette liked it.
“I told you, you’re not getting away without a goodbye kiss every time you leave.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to do that with your spouse- whatever I need to go NOW.”
The redhead stormed out of the apartment with one hand slinging his backpack over his shoulder, the other, while holding the bento box, grabbing his skateboard. The door fell close behind him and he could faintly hear the love of his life dashing down the hallway, probably skipping the elevators for the stairs instead, like very often when he was late.
Returning to the living room and kitchen table, Langa sat back down, enjoying his morning coffee while pulling out his phone to see Reki already sending him a meme he found while skating towards their university campus.
That man was a whirlwind, like a firestorm and Langa smiled fondly, sending back a laughing emoji, before adding ‘look at the streets, Reki’. He looked at the packed bento box on the kitchen counter he would take to skating training later. Reki had learned to cook from his mother and when the plans to move out had crystallized, Reki had more and more made his own bentos until his mother had praised that there was barely any difference between her and his cooking.
And now he would always prepare a box for each of them if the time allowed it. Langa felt his chest fill with warmth. He never understood the notion of getting a bento box by a person you love from the mangas or light novels he had read to improve his Japanese (with some obviously shoujo-styled because he had borrowed a few from Koyomi), it had just been the joy of getting free food, right?
It was only when he got his first home-made bento done by Reki that he understood the fuzzy feeling of happiness that came from a simple box with food.
Life was good.
----
“I’m off,” Langa said, leaning down to kiss the sleepy redhead, who only mumbled something under his breath, barely sitting up to wrap his arms around his partner, before flopping back into Langa’s bed, curling up again.
They each had their own room, though they more often than not slept in either bed together. It was a precaution for different exam cramming time or when Reki decided to craft until wee hours in the morning (which was why his room looked like a little workshop with a bed, while Langa’s room was mostly the one that gave bedroom vibes).
On days like these with Reki having afternoon classes and a midday shift at Dope Sketch, while Langa had morning classes and training afterwards, the redhead usually slept in until the last available minute. Lunch boxes had been prepared the day before, though if Reki did sleep well enough he sometimes would prepare them in the mornings.
As an English studies major just to have some degree by the end of his studies, Langa’s passion lay with professional skating anyway and he needed all the nutrients before training started. Reki knew Langa would still buy tons of extra yakisoba pan or curry pan the campus cafeteria provided to survive morning classes.
College life kept them busy. S visits became a bit rarer but their core friendship group kept meeting differently now. At Sia La Luce, at the training facility Miya and Langa had joined (partly courtesy to Adam sponsoring them to go pro), at skate parks when they had a day off, at Dope Sketch since Cherry’s office was nearby anyway.
Ever since moving together and starting adult life together, things had seemed to calm down comfortably.
Langa and Reki were sure they would continue at this slow, pleasant pace. It somehow felt like the Okinawan way.
----
Reki never understood why Langa insisted on giving him goodbye kisses if they did not leave together for the day. It hadn’t been quite an argument topic, but it was clear Reki did not share or feel the sentiment Langa had when, even when inconvenient, Langa would demand a kiss. Reki always relented because it didn’t hurt him to give in, he just did not understand.
And Langa, even when trusting Reki so deeply, so completely, even when the boy had grown into a man with many more expressions on his face than initially thanks to Reki and skating, he was still not good with expressing his thoughts and feelings.
The fact that those two got together in the first place was mostly only possible due to meddling of the others.
So when one morning, Reki stormed off when Langa was still in the bathroom, earlier than usual because he remembered he had to head to Dope Sketch before going to the campus, Langa’s texts over the day were less than pleased.
And even though Reki apologized, Langa’s texts and voice messages remained a little bit icier than usual, which in return, turned Reki’s stomach uncomfortably.
“I’ll be going to the university workshop after classes for a bit,” Reki spoke to his phone for a voice message, feeling uneasy. “Please don’t be mad anymore, Langa, I’m sorry. I’ll make something for you, alright?”
He sent the message and sighed. As an índustry designer and engineer major, he loved using the university’s vast offer of crafting tools and machineries that his old garage workshop at his parents’ couldn’t provide. It probably was the only other reason than moving in with Langa that made Reki agree to leaving his family home with his workshop.
The university workshop was often also his sanctuary when he wanted to be on his own, especially after a fight with Langa. Crafting distracted him and calmed him down. Even then he wanted to make something for his boyfriend. Maybe an idea would occur when he was there.
It was not a big fight at all. Reki knew by the evening they would talk it out and Langa, who was sometimes surprisingly stubborn and childish in fights, would eventually relent because, and the redhead knew and slowly accepted over time this was a weapon he could and would use, Reki was both Langa’s strength and weakness. The other could never stay mad at him long enough and Reki would rarely use this to his advantage, but it certainly helped in swaying and breaking through Langa’s childish antics.
“Okay,” Reki whispered to himself, nodding to hype himself up enough to get through the rest of classes before heading to the workshop building. Things would work out. If it was Langa and Reki, they would work out. For an infinity.
----
It was a cloudy day when Langa looked out of the windows of the training facility. Miya was currently on the flat training area doing tricks while Langa sat by the side, watching other team members training at the half-pipe and ramps.
The bluenette knew he was being childish, he hadn't even listened to Reki’s last message yet and the redhead hadn’t sent him any messages ever since.
The truth was, Langa really missed Reki and by the time he would return home and be greeted by Reki making dinner most likely, he would forget his upset and kiss the other man silly. He loved him too much to stay mad for long, especially when seeing him in person. But right now only reading texts and not hearing his voice helped him keep up his petty little fighting spirit a bit longer.
Miya had traded with another team member to take a short break at the side line, grabbing his pocari sweat drink that the managers had prepared for this training day. His sharp eyes looked at Langa briefly, before saying, “Are you two fighting?”
Langa hesitated. “How-”
“Please, Slime number 02, you either show no emotion or when you show them they are easy as fuck to read. It’s why we could tell right away how damn in love you are with the other slime.” Miya rolled his eyes. Really pretty but dangerously smart green eyes. Plus ever since recently entering high-school, Miya had lost all form of filter (to them at least).
The blue haired man snapped his mouth shut at that. He was right, after all.
“Is it bad?”
Langa could hear a little concern in the younger one’s voice and had to smile a little. It was sweet how much their friend cared for them, even if he always acted like he was annoyed and tired of their idiocy when it came to each other.
“I couldn’t kiss him goodbye this morning and that upsets me,” Langa replied nonchalantly, puffing out his cheeks and the younger boy squinted incredulously.”
“What? Are you idiots? Underslimes of slimes?? Ugh I can’t believe I actually worried for a moment!” Miya did not care that a few teammates were throwing them confused looks.
“It’s a big deal for me.” Langa mildly glared.
“Did the red slime apologize?”
“Yes but-”
“You’re being petty.”
It was not a question, more like a statement. Hearing yourself admitting it in your head was easy, hearing a boy 5 years your junior say it sure was...embarrassing. Langa hunched his shoulders, lowering his head in guilt. Sometimes he did not feel like an adult. Being an adult was so much harder than eating or skarting.
Langa was sure Miya wanted to chew him out more but they were interrupted by their coach.
“Hasegawa, I need you to practice your railflips a bit. You haven’t been your best today. Chinen, you did good today, rest for a bit longer.”
With a small sigh, Langa stood up with the skateboard that was still Reki’s design, just pimped out with more expensive material than the first one Reki had made him. His thumb rubbed over the smooth underside with Reki’s FUN writing and cartoonish yeti. When first entering the training group people had teased him about it but Langa never wanted to change it, it was their proof for infinity.
Maybe next time he could convince Reki to add his red angel blob, though. Skate training without Reki always felt like he was missing something and while the FUN writing was indeed Reki, he wanted more. After all, he ended up feeling much more for the redhead ever since.
Somehow, thinking of his board and of Reki made him calm down. The petty anger he felt at Reki for not understanding his need to give him goodbye kisses everyday was really just an excuse to stay mad. It was his own fault for not properly telling Reki why he felt the need for it. Heck, he hadn’t really thought of why he needed it so badly, it was just this profound feeling of needing to send your loved one off with a kiss, to show how much he loved them. Maybe there was more, he hadn’t figured it out yet.
Flying from ramp to ramp became easier when he realized he was no longer mad. He wanted to hold Reki and apologize for being a child and try telling him why it was so important. It allowed him to resolve the conflicting feelings inside him and concentrate on skating instead. The one thing he had fun with. The one thing he had the most fun with when with Reki and while not the same as skating at S or at the skate parks with the redhead, the board was almost like Reki was with him and with a smile he just nailed the skating move five consecutive times before the coach was satisfied enough.
“Wrap it up, everyone. Don’t forget to stretch and don’t go out sweaty. Either dry off or take a proper shower. That’s it.”
Langa stepped off his board, flipping it up to grab it, and approached Miya.
“Miya,” he started to speak to prevent Miya from exploding into his face when he already made up his mind to accept Reki’s apology. But when the younger boy lifted his head, he knew something was not quite right.
The boy’s green eyes looked uneasy and he was slightly pale, gnawing on his lip, something the boy did not do usually. “Langa,” and the fact that he was using his name instead of using ‘slime’ when he had tended to do so lately was also unsettling, “is Reki at your university campus today?”
The light blue haired boy felt his insides turn uneasily. “He should be home by now, his classes ended at 3 in the afternoon….why?”
Miya turned his phone display towards Langa and he could feel something cold drop down his stomach. The news feed showed a half-destroyed, smoking, burning building that he recognized. The title flitting across the lower screen repeatedly said ‘US Military helicopter accidentally crashes into university XXX engineering departure building. 15 injured, 3 in critical condition, 10 still missing’ and Langa felt sweat run down his brow.
“But if you say he is home already...the news says it happened half an hour ago.” Miya sounded relieved.
Langa did, too, for a moment, pulling his cell phone out of his gym bag but freezing when he realized he hadn’t listened to his boyfriend’s last message. He instantly had a bad feeling.
With shaky hands he pushed the play button and the phone almost slipped out of his sweaty hands when pressing it against his ear.
“I’ll be going to the university workshop after classes for a bit… Please don’t be mad anymore, Langa, I’m sorry. I’ll make something for you, alright?”
Reki’s voice held gentle affection and usually it warmed Langa up - but this time he felt his blood run cold, his breath coming out short when panic crept into his consciousness. He fumbled with his phone to dial Reki’s number as fast as his sweaty fingers allowed him, ignoring Miya’s questions that were a mere buzz in the background in his panicked state.
The dial tone sounded, then one beep, two beep, three beep….it continued beeping and with every beep it tore a hole into Langa’s stomach until it went to voicemail.
“Langa?!”
He blinked at Miya who had grabbed his shoulder to shake him. Things felt surreal. He remembered coming out of the bathroom this morning just to hear Reki yell he had to go and the front door closing before he could register that Reki left without a goodbye kiss. And then he had been upset and icy to Reki all day until now.
It was only when Miya shook Langa violently that Langa snapped out of his stupor. His cheeks were wet. He was crying quietly.
“Come on, let’s go there and see how things are!” Miya seemed like he had added two and two together and was just dragging Langa with him to the changing room to at least change into their street shoes. When the younger boy dragged him past the parking lot where his scooter was, Langa was confused at first before he saw a car pull up on the street.
“Get in, kids,” Joe spoke from the driver’s seat.
“But my scoot-”
“Forget it, I’m not letting you drive in that condition.“ Miya forcefully pushed Langa into the backseat, closing the door before claiming the shotgun. Joe already started driving when Miya buckled up
“H-how did you...” Langa was still so confused. And scared.
“Saw the news, asked Miya because neither you nor Reki were answering your texts just to make sure you weren’t caught up in that. Seems like Reki might be there?” The tall, muscular green-haired man looked grim, yet grounded. “But at least there are only injured people at most so far, don’t worry too much, kid!”
Langa looked back into his lap. In moments like these he tended to close up rather than talk and he just mutely nodded. Now that the initial shock had settled, shame and guilt started washing over him. He did not feel it very often. He usually thought what he did was okay so there was no use overthinking, unlike his partner. But right now, he could feel all the bad voices Reki probably usually had in his head talking to him now. A bad boyfriend, a terrible best friend, such a childish stubborn idiot. If only he hadn’t been so stupidly caught up in his hurt, if only he had answered him properly and told him to go home like usual, to relax or to come to the skateboard training center as visitor-
“Langa.”
Joe’s voice was deep and reassuring and Langa realized he had started crying again. He sniffed, startled when a handkerchief with a cat stitched on in a corner was pushed into his face from the front. Miya was not looking at him and Langa gratefully took it, pressing the cotton fabric against his eyes until it hurt.
He could hear the soft sounds of news from Miya’s phone but his mind was not focused enough to understand the low sound of Japanese and he was glad for it. If there were any terrible changes, Miya would inform him anyway.
“Alright,” Joe spoke up, causing Langa to sniff and lift his head, clutching the handkerchief. “This is as far as I get with the car without disrupting ambulances, police and firefighters. You better continue on your skateboards but nothing reckless, you hear me? Get as close as you can to see if you can find Reki. If I hear you do anything to be a hindrance or put yourself in danger I will make sure you will not be able to skate for a whole month.”
Joe did not even need to flex but his muscles were bulking under his clothes to underline his threat. The high school student and college student nodded quickly, grabbing the door handle to leave.
“I will wait for Cherry and we will rejoin. Keep your phones ready,” was the last thing they heard from Joe before they closed the car doors.
Langa was on his board faster than when the S lights signalled the start of a beef. He easily weaved through the slowly crowding people that were held back by the police. He could faintly smell smoke that burned when he inhaled, eyes tearing up involuntarily this time. While his gaze tried to scan the crowd for a way through towards the police barrier to have a better glimpse of the people behind it, the many ambulance cars gathered on the front campus area, he dialed Reki’s number again.
Again it only sounded beep after beep, but Langa tried again and again, pushing people out of his way none too gently, his skateboard now under his arm because there was no way to continue on it with the amount of people blocking his way. He had lost Miya shortly after diving into the crowd but his mind was tunneling on finding a speck of red spiky hair with a dark headband or Reki’s hoodie (which color did Reki choose this morning again? He couldn’t remember anymore, couldn't focus, he was starting to feel panicked again-).
He crashed against the Police officer when he finally broke through the crowd, angry cries and indignant protests following his less than polite way through the crowd. The uniformed policeman forcefully pushed him back and he let him, eyes already looking past the (smaller) man to scan the people by the ambulance cars.
His phone was suddenly connected and not to voicemail this time, a tinny “Hello?” reaching his ears the moment he spotted a red-haired person, blurry from the distance next to one of the ambulance cars.
“Reki?” Langa’s heart stopped briefly, from relief, anxiety, panic, hope, fear or whatever else, probably all of them together at once. “Reki?? Can you hear me? Reki! Reki, are you okay? I’m- I’m at the barrier….please be okay!”
He could feel himself holding his breath when the other person that he dearly hoped was indeed Reki took a moment to answer. The sound of sirens and people talking buzzed both through the phone and around his own periphery and made him anxious. The red-haired person had disappeared in the crowd of injured people, ambulance helpers and doctors and police officers, so he was not sure if he had been hallucinating.
“Re-”
“Sorry Langa! I am alright. I’ll-I’ll come looking for you, hold on!”
The bluenette heard shuffling, muffled sounds of ‘excuse me’ and other vague Japanese phrases echoing from the call he was connected to. The police officer in front of him was eyeing him, obviously suspecting Langa to leap over the around 150 centimeter tall metal emergency fence with his long legs.
(Langa totally would.)
And then finally, a familiar redhead appeared from the crowd, just a few meters away from the barrier.
“Langa…”
“Reki...!” Langa breathed and he did just what the police officer was afraid of him doing.
He leaped.
----
Reki’s head hurt a little from the smoke, but the image of Langa leaping over the metal fence reminded him of Langa’s first time doing the Backside Rodeo trick on a skateboard, feet taped on, and for just a second he felt it again. The feeling of snowflakes hitting his face. Langa always would fascinate him, even if he did reckless things.
Langa landed- and was promptly grabbed by the police officer, arm twisted behind his back in a professional hold.
“Owowowow-!” His light-haired partner cried.
“You are under-”
“E-excuse me!!!” Reki quickly stepped into the police officer’s line of sight, bowing deeply. “I’m sorry! He- he’s with me, I made him worry about me a lot! Can he...can he stay with me? We are really sorry!” He pushed Langa’s head down to apologize as well. Langa made a pained groan because it twisted his arm more but a muffled, polite-speech “..sorry!” came from him as well.
The Police officer narrowed his eyes. “Is he...family?”
Reki opened his mouth, then hesitated, flushing, before taking a deep breath, smiling fondly while looking at Langa, who had lifted his head a little, the policeman at least kind enough to loosen his grip a tiny bit.
“He...basically is family.”
“Reki…” Langa’s eyes were shiny both from happiness hearing that and maybe also moist with tears.
“Fine,” the policeman said, releasing Langa, who straightened and bowed with a grateful deep, polite bow. “But if you disrupt or hinder the work here, I WILL find out and there WILL be charges, understood?”
Both college students stiffened, nodding obediently before the police officer returned to his post.
Reki sighed in relief, though startled when the sound of a skateboard clattering to the ground distracted him, then squeaked when a body collided with his, arms wrapping around him tightly. He automatically wrapped his arms around Langa’s middle as well, holding his boyfriend close.
It felt good to smell Langa’s distinctive natural body scent, it battled away the dry and heavy smoke scratching at his airpipes. He relaxed in his boyfriend’s tight hug until he felt Langa tremble and something hot and wet splashed against his neck repeatedly, running down his collarbone and soaking into his hoodie.. He ran his hands soothingly over Langa’s back.
“I’m sorry. I’m alright, don’t worry. I was just too busy helping with evacuation since I am uninjured and we all took first-aid classes to use the workshop after all. I didn’t get to look at my phone until just now.” One hand reached up to card gently through Langa’s hair and he tightened his hug. “It’s alright…”
“...‘m sorry I was upset with you, Reki, it was stupid,” came the muffled, quiet reply and Langa finally pulled away a little, though never letting go of Reki because he assumed he was afraid Reki would disappear like a mirage.
Even with red-rimmed eyes, snot running down his lips and tear-streaked cheeks, disheveled hair and sweat everywhere, Langa still looked unfairly beautiful. Reki had to smile at that.
“Ahh, tissues, tissues…!” He had used his handkerchief for someone else already, but found a tissue pack in the stomach-bag of his hoodie.
“I have Miya’s handkerchief,” Langa spoke, though he made no move to untangle from Reki to wipe anything on his face, so Reki just said ‘huh’ while pulling out a tissue to wipe away Langa’s snot.
“Gross,” he said affectionately and Langa just responded by blowing into Reki’s tissue-holding hand. “Ew! Dude!”
“Payback for making me worry,” he mumbled. He let Reki finish cleaning up his face somewhat, before pulling the redhead closer again.
“Are you being petty again?” Reki sounded a little amused.
The bluenette did not answer right away, burying his face in Reki’s hair and snuggling. “Ugh, you smell like smoke.”
“Duh.” Reki gently tugged himself out of Langa’s possessive hold and intertwined his fingers with Langa’s instead while pushing Langa’s board with him, pulling him towards a bench nearby that was not occupied except by a few backpacks and bags, probably from fellow students. He made room, placing some bags on the ground before pulling Langa on the bench next to him.
Langa immediately scooted so close that he was basically sitting on Reki’s lap (or the over way around the way Langa almost pulled him on his). Reki allowed him, wrapping his arms around Langa and looking at the medics rush around in high concentration, police officers checking in on the non-injured or only mildly injured students.
Reki’s mind was strangely calm, probably because he was past the shock and had busied himself afterwards. “I don’t know the exact number but all heavily injured had been sent off to hospitals already and everyone else is either only mildly injured or not at all, except for the smoke, that’s hurting all of us.” He looked at Langa. “When the helicopter crashed, I was taking a break in the break room. That’s also why my skateboard is fine, lucky!” He laughed.
Langa headbutted him lightly. “I’m glad YOU are fine.”
“I really am, don’t worry.”
They sat there in brief silence, Langa’s head leaning on Reki’s shoulder as he also watched the busy campus place. Some students were uninjured but in shock, others huddled together for support, looking at their phones frantically answering calls to assure friends and family they were fine. Some injured students and teachers had a bandage here or there or were currently examined while police officers took statements.
“We need to inform the others,” Langa said, though he made no move to do so, his arms locked around Reki.
The redhead raised an eyebrow but relented and released Langa with one hand, one arm remaining wrapped around his boyfriend while the other fished for his phone in his hoodie, typing in a quick “I’m fine, Langa’s with me.” message into their group chat with Miya, Joe and Cherry. It also reminded him to send a similar message into his family’s group chat. He was about to put away his phone when a thought occurred to him. “Does your mom need to know you’re fine?”
Langa blinked, tilting his neck a little awkwardly to look at Reki. “I haven’t thought of contacting her because I was so busy worrying about you.”
Reki flushed. “That’s a yes, I guess.” So he quickly wrote Hasegawa Nanako as well.
While the redhead checked if he owed anyone else a quick update, Langa suddenly spoke.
“You know, Reki...about the everyday goodbye kiss…”
Reki lowered his phone, gnawing on his lower lip. That was a bad habit of his wenn nervous. “I’m sorry about this morning. I know it’s important to you, I shouldn’t have dismissed it-”
“No, I’m sorry, too, Reki! I...it’s my problem, I shouldn’t force you like that, It’s a stupid fear of mine is all...”
That got Reki’s attention, though. Langa rarely elaborated like that. “How so? It’s more than simple sentiments? Tell me, Langa.”
His boyfriend hesitated, tightening his hug once again. Reki ran a reassuring hand through Langa’s hair and leaned closer against Langa, just to send the message ‘I’m here, everything’s fine’.
“You know...when my father died,” Langa paused for a moment and Reki felt anxious because even if they had known each other for years and dated for some of them, Langa had never said too much about his father’s death, he liked it more to tell Reki about the happy memories he had of his father, which Reki found very valid, “...uh, no, let me start like this. My mom liked giving my dad goodbye kisses, too, every day when he would leave or she would leave for work. Especially with these Japanese phrases. Dad found it very endearing. And then, on the day he died, they got into a little fight in the morning and almost didn’t kiss each other goodbye.”
Somehow, the sounds of sirens, of people calling and shouting all over the place, of students and teachers whispering and sobbing and crying in relief or pain, it all became unimportant in that moment. Reki solely focused on Langa, his free hand slipping from the light blue hair to search out the pale hand holding him, gently coaxing it to let go and to intertwine their fingers instead. Langa squeezed tightly as if afraid that if he let go, Reki would really disappear. Reki just ran soothing circles over the back of Langa’s hand, encouraging him to continue.
“They...made up and gave each other a goodbye kiss. Mom later told me she would have deeply regretted it if she had not done so. Because this way at least they had some proper goodbye.”
“...and you want to do the same because you are afraid I could also just suddenly...die.” Reki sounded contemplating, but Langa tensed.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s absolutely dumb, I shouldn’t force this when it’s such a silly fear-”
“No, no!” Reki pulled away to grab Langa’s shoulders, looking into the bluenette’s icy eyes that were currently filled with regret. How rare. It dulled the usually clear turquoise crystal-color. Smoldering amber looked gently, warmly at Langa. “No. It’s not dumb. Look, I get it now. I mean, of course it’s silly to worry every day, but accidents DO happen suddenly.” He gestured vaguely at the workshop facility that was a grim reminder of exactly that. “So, a goodbye kiss is probably the easiest way to take away a little of that fear.”
Langa opened his mouth and closed it like a fish, unsure what to say. It was cute.
“If I had died today, I would have hated myself for skipping the goodbye kiss, too, you know?” Reki leaned closer to give Langa a sweet, short peck on the lips. “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. And you better not stay angry at me, okay?”
The warmth of Reki’s lips were gone before Langa had properly realized it.
Eyebrows drawn together, Langa grabbed a squeaking Reki before smushing their faces together, pressing their lips into a sloppy, messy, possessive kiss. Reki melted into the kiss, his body molding into Langa’s arms, pressed flush against each other. For a moment it was only them, Reki and Langa in their own little world.
They only broke free because they had unknowingly stopped breathing while kissing. Being too eager, a beginner’s mistake, but as they caught their breath, Langa spoke.
“I’m not mad at you. I haven’t been for a while anymore.”
“Good! Because if not, I’d have tried getting back on your good side with delicious dinner and the thing I made...oh but that’s probably destroyed now. The fire spread to the room with the welding tools.”
Langa tilted his head curiously. “What DID you make, thought?”
“Uh!” Reki perked up, eyes sparkling. “Two circles! Like...rings? I wanted to make two rings and get us two necklaces so each of us carries one. Because the infinity symbol is just two circles together, right? So like our DAP we could put the rings together to create the infinity sign. I know none of us really wears jewelry but I see lots of skaters wearing rings and stuff with a necklace, so… Oh and I tried etching your Yeti into your ring and my skateboard design into mine but that actually looks really off, I have to practice etching into metal more...” Reki trailed off when he realized Langa was covering his mouth, frowning while flushing a bright red which stood out even more due to his light hair and eyes.
“Uh….L-Langa? S-sorry if that isn’t your style, I thought-”
“Rings,” Langa grounded out, voice darker and thicker than usual. “You wanted to...make us rings....like…”
“Like…?” Reki was really missing something. Was Langa this upset about getting rings as an accessory? He panicked a little. Was this proof that he didn’t know his boyfriend’s taste? Oh gosh, this was terrible-
“...a proposal.”
Reki was on his best way to spiral down darker thoughts that he took a moment to realize Langa had spoken. “What?”
“N-nothing. I just...thought this felt like a proposal.” Langa was still as red as at least Reki's own hair, but he was smiling now, sighing. “Though you not realizing it makes it so you, Reki. I don’t hate it.”
Now it was Reki’s turn to flush red, voice high in indignance and embarrassment. “Wha- wait! I wouldn’t propose so lamely and to make up for a fight! And I wouldn’t get you a self-made metal ring??”
“But you would propose to me?”
Caught up in the moment, Reki blurted out, “YES! I-I mean...eventually, someday! Argh, Langa, we are just 21, shut up! I just wanted to make us infinity rings!” Reki was hitting Langa’s chest weakly.
“I’d say marriage rings can be pretty infinite, too.”
“LANGA!”
----
“Langa, Langa!!!”
“Uhhh…?” It was one week after the helicopter incident and the workshop was off-limits but the rest of the campus worked around it so after a few days off, they all had to return to classes ever since then. Langa was sitting with his English class fellow students at a table in one of the student cafeterias but because he had once again slept badly due to nightmares of Reki dying, he had bags under his eyes and really just wanted to sleep. Preferably with a warm redhead tugged under his chin.
His bouncing ball of sun had recovered remarkably fast from the incident and after a few nights of nightmares he was less affected by it than Langa although the redhead experienced it almost first-hand.
Said bouncing ball of sunshine was approaching him, waving his hand except his hand was curled into a fist. He quickly felt himself enveloped in warmth and Reki’s smell. The redhead was still touchy-feely and a hugging-monster like usual. His fatigue was almost immediately forgotten.
“Guess what? We were allowed on the workshop grounds to look at what could be salvaged and-!” Reki excitedly opened his fist between them.
Two fine bands of alloy lay on his palm. It was not perfect and he could see why Reki said the etched in designs were a bit off, but even layered on top of each other with a little bit of gap made them look like an infinity sign already.
“Somehow they survived the fire! Apparently a teacher put it away to a safer place where it was protected from the heat when I went to the break room!” Reki was practically bouncing out of his skin.
Langa touched the rings. “My Yeti really looks more like a monster than ever now.”
“I tried, okay??” Reki flushed and was pouting. Man, Langa thought, Reki had no idea how absolutely adorable he was. It was almost unfair.
In the brief silence Langa realized his fellow students had started to whisper and one exchange student definitely said ‘proposal’ in english, though Reki’s listening comprehension of English was still subpar and he definitely did not catch that.
Langa couldn’t stop himself from blushing, though, which Reki definitely noticed.
“What? Oh no, are you thinking about me proposing to you again? I told you I wouldn’t propose this lamely? We are at university!”
“Well, it does look a little like a proposal to outsiders right now,” Langa chuckled. He used the moment of Reki’s confusion to reply to his advantage by wrapping his arms around the redhead, pulling him to his chest and pressing his lips against Reki’s. Usually he was the cooler one temperature-wise but right now he was burning with love and adoration for this person, his best friend, his soulmate and love. He felt Reki automatically kiss back, the one free hand clutching at Langa’s shirt while the other still held the rings.
The bluenette briefly pulled away to quietly whisper into Reki’s ear, “I would accept, you know? No matter when and how you will propose to me, or how many times you will propose to me, I will always accept.”
He watched Reki’s ear turn flaming red when his boyfriend turned into an embarrassed, voiceless mess, his headband pulled over his eyes to hide and Langa kissed him again with delight. If their infinity rings could survive a fire, their infinity together could survive everything, right?