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Adjusting the canteen between his hands, Reki let out a breath that lingered in the air. He smiled wistfully to himself, watching the vapors cling and eventually evaporate in the atmosphere. Glancing out into the nothingness that lay across from him, he could vaguely make out the silhouettes of the pine trees spread in all directions. The air smelled so fresh and clean. He could fill his lungs with deep breathes and sigh contently, without a care in the world.
If you had asked him six months ago if he could see himself camping, he probably would have rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and shook his head. It’s not exactly something he had ever thought of, but it wasn’t out of the question. He never knew anyone that had the interest, or the equipment. It must have been such a sight to see, Langa calmly reading the directions on how to set up a tent and how bad he was at executing the steps. He had counted all the tent pieces out diligently, measuring each size and trying to remember which side fit into which hole. Clicking the plastic pieces together, sliding them through the thin fabric holes, pushing them with force to somehow go all the way through from one to the other side and form the dome shape. He swore it took him an hour, constantly adjusting and trying to pull the tent upward, only to be thwarted by gravity. Langa would smirk from a safe distance, offering zero help, enjoying the free entertainment.
When Reki began to protest, Langa smiled softly and came to his aid, carefully instructing him on which side he needed to fix and which parts they needed to pull upward at the same time. It took a lot of effort and time, but with Langa’s help, the tent actually took the proper shape the instructions described and eventually, they were celebrating with shouts of excitement and high fives. Reki had launched himself at Langa, hugging him briefly and Langa accepted it whole heartedly, before remembering the pegs that needed hammered into the soft ground beneath. Reki set to work immediately, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, as he measured the distance between the ground and where to place the peg, securing the tent in four to five decisive strikes. He rounded the tent and repeated this pattern four times, until all sides were secure and wiped his forehead with his forearm, satisfied. They had exchanged looks and then Nanako had shouted from across the campgrounds to remind them about unpacking before sunset. They had shared grins and then Reki bounded to the back of the car, volunteering to carry the heavier camp gear to where the empty fire pit lay.
Langa had also explained which timber to find on the forest floor, how to build an effective fire and how to safely light it with a match. Reki had watched the tiny flame dancing and swaying between Langa’s digits, mesmerized, before asking if he could try what he was taught. He was a hands on kinda guy, after all. He wanted to lay down the foundation of muscle memory before he forgot what he was told. Reki paused, admiring the flame between his own digits for a few moments, before slowly leaning forward to light the scraps of torn paper serving as kindle. It took several moments to catch flame and crackle, the start of a small, successful fire and Reki looked to Langa with an eager smile. He was proud of himself and Langa’s smile mirrored his own expression. They shared a very long, mutual stare, a warmth flooding both of their beings before glancing away shyly. It didn’t take long for them to resume unpacking, Reki rolling out their sleeping bags and Langa arranging the coolers of food and lawn chairs a safe distance from the fire pit. When everything was ready, they convened for kebobs and light banter of their meal. Nanako turned in first, making an excuse about how exhausted she was from the long drive, but Reki had a suspicion she was just giving them time alone. Reki had been eager to put his new skills to use, helping build her single tent a few feet away from their own. The crackling of the fire, the distant ambiance of crickets and the expansive view of the sky combined for quite a breathtaking sight, one that Reki had never knew existed. He was grateful for the opportunity to partake in the Hasegawa family’s camping trip and realized once again just how lucky he was to have met the violet haired boy, by chance, fate, or what have you.
They sat side by side, a blanket loosely draped around one shoulder, half discarded around their waist, too distracted by the sky to notice it fell. There were so many twinkling stars within view, Reki didn’t know which direction to look first. The sky were shades of midnight blue, deep indigo and wisps of turquoise twilight in the distance. There were different constellations to be found in every direction, some planets tucked in between, occasionally making their presence noticed. There were faint traces of blue, orange, even red, barely recognizable to the human eye. Reki squinted often, trying to readjust his vision quickly, in fear of missing a shooting star, or maybe even a trace satellite. Langa had said there might be a meteor shower, but he wasn’t sure if their hemisphere would be able to see it. Reki was visibly excited to see a stray star streak across the sky, trying to point out the vapor trail and bombard Langa with questions on what he’d wish for. Langa didn’t mind the company, their close distance, or the familiar banter. He didn’t even realize the idea of taking Reki camping with him could have become a silent wish the Universe had now fulfilled. He thanked his lucky stars for coincidences, synchronicity's, or whatever they were called.
Langa stole a look at the redhead next to him, so concentrated on the night sky, he could be mistaken for a child. It was his first time probably stargazing. Langa wanted to take a mental snapshot of the moment, burn it into his memory forever. Reki was too precious for his own good. Langa felt his heart squeeze and then sighed contently, nudging Reki with his arm. Reki met his gaze quizzly, wondering if he had missed what Langa had said. Langa just smirked quietly, too amused to tell Reki he hadn’t even been talking. The impulse to cup that confused face was too great to ignore and then, their lips were coming together in feather like kisses. Reki’s face burned under the firelight, but he settled into the rhythm Langa provided, sliding his eyes closed and his hands under Langa’s shirt, subconsciously rubbing his thumb up and down the violet haired boys lower back in comforting circles. Langa sighed into the kiss, arching his back under Reki’s touch while deepening the kiss in one fluid motion. They continued to explore each other in the silence of the night, the fire crackling every so often. The shrill chirping of a nocturnal bird startled Reki, enough so, that Langa took the opportunity to pull Reki ever closer by his waist.
Reki moaned lowly as the kisses became passionate, hands exploring heated flesh, Langa whispering to keep their voices down. Reki closed his eyes, feeling a pulsing in the center of his forehead, like a minor headache or his third eye opening. He definitely felt this entire experience was one large adrenaline high, his senses stretched their limits, every cell in his body buzzing from excitement. The lightheaded sensation, the hot kisses on his skin, the way Langa knew how to touch him to elicit sweet noises. Reki felt this was good as his life could get. No drug induced high could ever compare to the addiction he felt towards Langa’s love. Eyes half lidded, Reki clung to Langa’s hips, his head spinning as the stars above streaked by, blurs of white and barely visible rainbow light streams. Reki blinked rapidly, barely registering the long awaited meteor shower had started without them, but Langa had lost interest. He was more interested in exploring all of the redhead, in this brief reprise where the world revolved solely around just them. It was like they were the only two people who existed in this world, protected within the bosom of the pine forest and the camp fire creating an audible enough soundtrack to drown out their explorations of the flesh. Langa’s hungry lips found Reki’s again and the last thing Reki could remember was the sensation of floating, suspended between Heaven and Earth, with the love of his life. It would be a night to remember, for as long as they lived.