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Reki starts thinking that something's going on when Miya comes into the shop to invite him to watch him race Shadow.
"I want you to see me beat him," Miya says with confidence, he doesn't need to appear that smug since Reki knows he's probably going to win. "Bring Langa as well."
Even though it's very common for his friends (and actually everyone at school) to ask Reki instead of Langa himself somehow that day it's the first that he realizes it's a little bit weird.
"You can invite him yourself, he's inside," Reki tells the boy, pointing behind himself.
Miya chuckles, looking smug again, like he knows something Reki doesn't. It's a little irritating.
"There's no need," he says. "If you go, he goes."
Frowning in confusion, Reki leans over the counter to look at Miya more intently.
"What if he has something else to do... What if–"
"I can't believe you haven't noticed!" Miya rolls his eyes at the redhead, although the things he's saying only confuse Reki even more.
Langa walks out of the back door, smiling at Reki as soon as he sees him, then he turns his head at Miya.
"Fine..." The boy says. "Just watch this, Reki. Hey, Langa! Would you come to 'S' tonight to see me beat Shadow?"
Langa doesn't answer him, instead he looks at Reki.
"Are we going to 'S' tonight?"
Reki knows that's something Langa has asked many times before, but he had never questioned or actually thought about it. Not really.
"Yes," he says, feeling a little bit flustered out of the sudden.
Langa nods and smiles back at Miya.
"We'll be there," he tells him and the boy grins but he looks right at Reki before he finally goes.
***
Miya wins, although it's not a surprise; Shadow is already sulking in the background, but doesn't say 'No' when they invite him to celebrate Miya's victory.
"Where would you like to go to have dinner?" Cherry asks, holding his skateboard in his arms like it's his baby.
The boy's lips part as he's about to say something, however, he closes his mouth quickly before glancing from Langa to Reki with a mischievous smirk.
"I want Langa to choose," he says.
Knowing Miya is probably planning something, Reki frowns, Joe looks amused, Cherry irritated and Shadow confused.
"Okay," Langa nods right before turning to look at Reki. "What do you want to eat?"
Surprised, Reki's brows quirk up. Yes, he knows that's something Langa asks almost every single night, but this is different. He was told to choose.
"Miya wants you to choose," he insists, but Langa's expression doesn't change.
He's stubborn, determined and once he sets up his mind to something, there's not much anyone can do about it.
"I love food," he says simply. "I'll eat anything. But I want to know what you'd like."
"A burger, but–"
They don't even let him finish, they just get in Shadow's car and Reki rides on the bike behind Langa.
***
This time, they don't go to 'S', instead all of their friends stay in the park just to skate with each other.
Even though they have fun (Cherry and Joe tell them stories about when they started skateboarding) after a couple of hours they all start to get tired.
Langa looks particularly exhausted... Well, he's mostly hungry, but he doesn't have the energy to do anything else. At some point he sits on the ground, sulking, while Reki keeps talking happily about all the improvements he could do to Shadow's board.
"I'm hungry, Reki," he mumbles at some point, tugging at the redhead's trousers.
"I know, just a minute, alright?"
However, just as Langa nods, Reki realizes he's being unfair so he decides to do something he's never done before.
As Cherry and Joe are saying goodbye, Reki looks down at Langa.
"You should go with them," he tells him. "It'll take me a couple of minutes more to draw a new design for Shadow, so... Maybe you should head home. We'll see each other tomo–"
"I'm fine," there it is, that determined look on Langa's face again. "I can wait."
Joe, Cherry and Miya are watching with amusement, Reki has no idea why is that funny, so he glares at them.
"But you're hungry..."
"I'll wait for you."
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
***
They're back in 'S' and even though it's one of Langa's favorite places, he doesn't look that happy that night. Reki has tried to ask him a couple of times, but his friend insists he's fine so he decides not to bring up the subject anymore.
He's on his board, moving around the place, he doesn't seem interested in doing any tricks either.
"Do you know what's going on with Langa?" Reki finally gives in and asks his friends. Shadow is racing someone else at the moment, so it's just Miya, Cherry and Joe with him.
Miya rolls his eyes.
"That idiot is pouting because he saw you talking to that girl outside Joe's restaurant."
"Aiko?" Reki frowns, trying to remember the conversation, she was just telling him something about school. "Oh, I see..."
Everyone looks at him. They're staring expectantly, like they all have been waiting for this moment for a while.
Then Cherry looks into his eyes and he sighs, irritated. He pinches the bridge of his nose.
"No, he doesn't understand."
"Yes, I do!" Reki protests, offended. He doesn't like the idea in his mind, but if it's what Langa wants... "He wants to talk with her. Maybe he's into her or something."
Miya facepalms himself.
"I thought he was the idiot, but you are even worse," he narrows his eyes, for a moment he looks like he wants to pull his hair out. "How can you be so blind? Langa is anything but subtle! He's in love with you!"
Reki freezes, but he feels all warm inside. His cheeks are bright red.
"He's not," he mumbles, weakly.
"He is. He always looks at you like he wants to worship you. It's honestly disgusting."
"I–I" the others are not helping, because no one does or say anything to deny what Miya is saying. It's almost like they believe he's right. "Listen, Langa is my best friend and we're close but–"
Miya grabs him by the arm and leads him towards a group of girls (Snow's fans) that are trying to get Langa's attention.
As soon as they get close, Langa turns around and even though he doesn't look that happy, he still smiles at Reki.
"Those girls have been trying to get Langa to do a trick for them, but he's still jealous of the girl you were talking to so he doesn't even pay attention to them," Miya whispers to him. "He's obviously not in the mood to show off."
"Why are you telling me this?" Reki, still blushing as watches Langa getting even closer to them.
"Ask him to do a trick for you, anything... He'll do it."
"I don't see why–"
"Reki! What is it? Do you want to go somewhere else?" Langa asks him.
Feeling like he's about to something ridiculous, Reki sighs.
"Can you... uh... Do a jump for me?" He's not sure why he feels so flustered at the moment, he's asked Langa to demostrate something a couple of times before. "But of course if you don't–"
However, his friend is already preparing himself to do it. Everyone looks at him and the girls giggle and watch in awe as Langa jumps over the ramp.
Everyone's cheering for him (he's still the one who defeated Adam after all so he's kind of famous now) and they try to get his attention, but it's useless, Langa moves quickly back to where Reki and Miya are.
"Did you like it?" He asks Reki with a grin. He's looking better now; his eyes glimmering with a little bit of hope.
"You were amazing," Reki says because it's the truth although he's not prepared for the way Langa beams at him.
"Do you want me to do another?"
"No... It's fine. I'm hungry actually..."
"Alright, let's go then," Langa says without hesitation.
Miya smiles at Reki knowingly but the redhead shakes his head when Langa isn't looking.
"This doesn't mean anything."
***
They're sitting outside Cherry's place, where they first met. Langa is staring intently at Reki while the redhead explains a new design for a board he has in mind.
Then, a girl from their class arrives.
"Langa, my friends wanted me to ask you to go to a party with us. It's this Friday. It's in my house..."
Reki is used to getting ignored when Langa is around so he keeps drawing on his notebook.
But then, Langa looks back at him.
"Do you want to go?"
Before he can say anything, the girl frowns.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have that much space in my house, so I... I'm afraid Reki can't–he's not invited."
Reki is about to say that it's fine when he notices the dangerous expression on Langa's face. Even the girl takes a step back.
"Then I'm not interested."
The girl pales. She's not happy, but she doesn't know what to say, she wasn't expecting such a response.
"I'll talk to him," Reki promises her just before she storms away.
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Langa, listen... I appreciate your loyalty," he says sincerely. "But I promise I won't get mad if you go, alright? You're more popular than I am so it's obvious you'll get to be invited to places I don't. If you want to–"
"I don't want to go if you're not there," Langa says almost fiercely.
Reki looks back, blushing. His heart beating inside his chest like it's going to explode.
"Alright. But you have to promise that you're going to stop doing things just because I want to do them. You can tell me if you're not in the mood to do something instead of asking me every time."
"I want the things you want."
Reki rolls his eyes, he's still not sure if he's exasperated or charmed by Langa's response.
"What about the things you want? Tell me what you want."
Langa leans closer, he blushes as he takes Reki's hands in his. And that's when Reki notices the adoration in his eyes.
"I want to please you. To give you everything your heart wants."
That's all Reki needs to realize he's very much in love with Langa. Those words take his breath away.
"That's... Really sweet, but I mean something more, not just to please me... What do you want?"
Langa is still staring at him, his eyes are glimmering when he smiles at Reki.
"I want you."
For a moment, Reki relaxes and he chuckles.
"You already have me. We're best friends, remember?"
"I want more," Langa says in a whisper. His face is really close to Reki's. "I want to kiss you."
"Well... You can. I'm right he–"
He doesn't get to finish, Langa is hungry, desperate for him, almost like he's been waiting for a long time for that moment. His kiss is possessive and demanding, but it's the best Reki has ever had.
They're start dating after that and even though Miya claims they're disgusting, Reki knows he doesn't really mean it.