Work Text:
*
He fell down.
Again.
The borrowed, beaten skateboard from Reki clatters away.
Langa huffs, rubbing his shoulder with one hand and feeling the cold concrete under a hot summer sun, knuckling the fingers to his other hand. He's not getting it. Langa wants to do an ollie, and to see the world like Reki sees it.
Reki stoops down.
"Wow, you bailed HARD this time. You good?"
Dark red blood oozes from Langa's palm.
The cheerful mood plummets when a now dazed-eyed Langa hunches over.
He holds onto his wrist. Pain trickles down Langa's hand.
Blood. Blood bad.
"Whoa, hey—" A concerned Reki grasps Langa's arm, saying firmly, "Take a deep breath. Keep your eyes closed, Langa."
"Reki—"
Langa groans, woozily hearing Reki's footsteps pounding towards the nearby bench and coming right back.
"This is gonna sting for a minute."
"I know," Langa mumbles, trying to not squirm when Reki swipes Langa's bloody palm with the wet antiseptic napkin.
"Ss'just a cut. No worries."
Even so, thinking about it makes Langa feel nauseated and his head spinny. Bad bad. He reopens his eyes, focusing on Reki and the two Band-A's on his jaw. One has a bright, bold blue pattern and the other one is a lemon yellow with criss-crossing purple stripes.
Reki's nose scrunches with concentration.
"All better!" he crows, jiggling Langa's hand in the air.
It must have been impulse—it must have—but Reki smacks his lips onto Langa's neon green Band-A like supposing to make it better.
Langa's eyes widen. His heart thrums.
"Reki…"
"Try it again," Reki tells him, grasping Langa's uninjured hand in his and pulling them to their feet. Reki's cheeks fiercely flush.
The corners of Langa's mouth twitch up.
Reki drops Langa's hand, laughing awkwardly and wiping under his nose.
"Okay, Reki."
*