Work Text:
more hearts than just mine
♡
Reki would never admit it, but the first time he saw Langa handle his twin sisters properly, he had to take a few moments to himself to make sure that he wouldn’t be overwhelmed enough to cry. When Langa first started coming around, it was fairly obvious he hadn’t been around children much. The first time that Nanaka had reached up to Langa for him to hold her, he looked terrified. Reki had laughed at him until Langa seemed a little upset, and he then spent ten minutes showing Langa how to properly pick up a toddler. He had to show the blue-haired boy how to cradle them either to his chest or on his hip because Langa’s idea of ‘holding’ them seemed to be just letting his hands rest under their arms so their tiny feet would dangle.
Nanaka thought it was hilarious. Chihiro hated it.
Reki feels as if that sums them both up fairly well. Watching the two of them develop their own personalities was something Reki loved. While the two looked identical, their personalities were total opposites. Nanaka was the easy-going of the two: nothing really bothered her too much, and she was always laughing and willing to play with anyone that would spare her the time. She was loud and bright, and her laugh was infectious. Chihiro was the opposite: Reki would go so far as to say she was the more sensitive of the two. She was quieter, and she would cry much more easily than Nanaka. She was content sometimes to just play by herself, but her laugh was no less infectious than her sister’s.
All things considered, he’s got a special bond with the twins- he wouldn’t say he loves them more than Koyomi, but it was just different with them. He was old enough when they were born to actually help take care of them, and he spent quite a few days helping with bottles and diapers and even sneaking the two of them into his own bed so that he could snuggle them just a little bit longer. His mom always seemed grateful for the extra help, because if Reki could take care of the twins, even for just a little while, then she could get things she needed done around the house.
Even now, Reki never hesitates to pick them up if they’re crying, to feed them if they’re hungry, help them wash their hands before meals, or even let them sleep in his bed instead of their crib because they’re having nightmares. He spends more time with the twins in his bed than he does out of it, but it doesn’t bother him too much.
Well, unless Nanaka decides to pull some of his hair out in her sleep, but even then, he deals. Because he loves them and he’ll do anything for them, even lose chunks of his hair at a time.
The first time Reki sees Langa properly handle one of the twins after their how-to session is Nanaka, to no surprise. They’re hanging out in the workshop, and Reki is doing his best to keep his attention on the twins who’re playing in the yard, the board he’s painting in front of him, and Langa who’s sitting on the other end of the workbench.
“What do you think?” He pushes the board a little closer to Langa, rubbing at his cheek with a hand and wincing when he can feel the cool smear of paint against his skin. “Should the flowers be pink, or should I make them purple?”
Langa studies the board for a few moments, pulling his bottom lip into his mouth to chew on in a way that secretly drives Reki crazy. He’s distracted for a moment by how Langa’s hair brushes against his pale cheeks, and he’s only drawn back by the sound of the other’s voice. “Pink. I think it would look good.” He offers Reki a smile, and the redhead feels his heart quicken traitorously.
“Awesome,” Reki reaches out to move the board closer, and his eyes move to the window as he does so. He doesn’t see Nanaka, and he can feel the familiar ball of anxiety settling deep in his chest as he pushes himself up on the table so he’s a little taller, trying to see if that means he’ll be able to see better. “Do you see-”
“‘anga! Reki!”
The familiar voice has Reki instantly relaxing, and he lets out a slow breath as his eyes clench shut for a moment. He’s certain one day the twins are going to give him a heart attack, but he turns around with a smile anyway, leaning back against the table to watch as Nanaka tumbles into the room.
“What do you need, Nanaka?” Reki glances over his shoulder every few seconds out the window, making sure Chihiro doesn’t move from where she’s mixing something that’s inevitably going to get her filthy in an old bowl in the grass. Once he’s confident that she’ll be okay for a few moments, he turns his attention back to the twin in the room. “You good?”
Nanaka puffs her cheeks out, tiny fingers making fists on her hips as she looks between him and Langa. “Come play.” She lets out a whine, making her bottom lip tremble as she holds her arms up to Langa, motioning with her hands for him to pick her up. “Please?”
Reki starts to say something, but he cuts himself off when he notices Langa sliding himself off the worktable, walking over to Nanaka and reaching down; he picks her up, and he fumbles for only a second before he settles her on his hip, one of his hands holding her tightly as the other pushes blue hair out of his face. “Reki is making something for your sister. Is it okay if it’s just me?”
Nanaka cheers happily, patting Langa’s back with a hand as she bounces a little in his grip. “Play, play!” She grins up at him, her eyes bright, and Langa gives her a hesitant smile. She wiggles in his grip, and Langa puts her back down after a moment, only for her to reach up and grab three of his fingers tightly, pulling on his hand. “C’mon!”
Langa looks sheepishly over at Reki, taking a few steps towards the door of the workshop to pacify the youngest. “I thought it’d be easiest so you can get the board done.” He looks down, hiding his face with his hair as his free hand tucks into his own front pocket. “Don’t be too long though, okay?”
The redhead is speechless, and he nods just a little bit as he watches Langa lead his sister back out to where they were playing earlier. There’s a lump in his throat that comes up suddenly, and he swallows hard around it as he watches Langa sit down on the grass; he looks a little awkward, long limbs trying to fold themselves up the way Nanaka is instructing him, but it’s one of the best things that Reki has ever seen.
He knows he’s supposed to be working on the board in front of him, but he takes a few moments to himself to try and breathe around the lump in his throat, fighting back the burning behind his eyes as he watches. Chihiro has made her way over, and she’s got a white flower (that’s actually probably a weed) in one of her hands, and she climbs into Langa’s lap so that she can tuck it into his hair. Reki has to scrub a hand across his eyes hard, and he takes in a deep breath before he gives the board one last glance before heading outside to join the others.
If he takes way too many pictures of Langa with his sisters, well.
That’s his secret.
♡
Reki realises two things at once on a Sunday afternoon. The first one is that he’s most definitely fallen in love with his best friend. The second is that said best friend and his little sisters must have some secret pact that he’s unaware of in the name of making his life difficult.
Honestly, he should’ve seen this coming.
He’s still kind of working through the fact that Langa kissed him last night. It was both of their first kisses, so it wasn’t good by anyone else’s standards, but it was perfect by Reki’s. They had stayed up most of the night after that, and it’s the reason that he gently pushed Langa back to his room while insisting that he ‘take a nap before he falls asleep on his skateboard at S.’
Reki had spent time in his workshop instead, working on Langa’s board while the other slept inside. Everything was going fine until he misjudges just how much paint was left in a bottle, and he spills blue paint down the front of his hoodie. Making his way inside, he pulls the hoodie carefully over his head so that he doesn’t smear the paint any more than he already has.
He does his best to slide the door to his room open quietly, gripping the hoodie in one hand as the other slides the door shut behind him. He sets the hoodie down over a chair, wincing a little when it threatens to slide off and he takes a few moments to adjust it before he turns to grab a new hoodie off a hangar in the closet.
Turning to the bed as he pulls it on, he comes to a stop when he notices that Langa is definitely not alone in his bed, and he feels a burn at the back of his eyes once more as he takes in the sight before him.
Langa himself is sprawled across the bed, and Reki has a fleeting thought that even with his messy hair and sleep-flushed cheeks, the other boy is still the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. He’s got one of his arms curled over his head, and the other is holding Nanaka close to his chest. There’s a small noise that comes from his other side, and Chihiro shifts from where she’s curled herself against Langa’s side, her small hands coming up to grip his shirt as she lays her cheek against his chest; her eyes flutter for a second, and Reki is almost afraid she’s going to wake up. However, Langa shifts on the bed, moving his arm down in his sleep to rest on her back, patting her gently a few times with a murmur of his own before he drifts back off.
Reki will deny that his cheeks are wet with tears.
There’s just something about seeing three people he loves curled up together easily that makes his heart hurt in a good way. To see Langa- anxious, beautiful, nervous-around-people Langa, holding his little sisters while they sleep has Reki scrubbing his hand against his eyes.
It’s a few moments later that Nanaka shifts in Langa’s arms, her eyes opening slowly as she looks around the room, tiny fingers tightening their grip on Langa’s shirt as she does so. “Reki?”
Shushing her gently, Reki moves to the bed, reaching a hand out to brush some of her hair out of her face as he keeps his voice low. “I’m right here.” He kneels beside the bed, keeping his fingers running in a steady rhythm through her hair. “Go back to sleep, Nana.”
She whines a little, her eyes still blurry with sleep as she flexes her fingers in the fabric of Langa’s shirt as one of her hands reaches out to Reki, her bottom lip trembling. “Reki, no go.” She whines again, her fingers making a grasping movement at the other.
Reki is so wrapped around those little fingers that it’s not even funny.
He sighs softly, nodding a little bit as he brushes her hair back one more time, pressing a kiss to the top of her hair as he does so. “Okay, okay. I’ll stay.” He waits until her eyes fall closed once more, and he stands up carefully, looking the bed over once more to try and find a place to fit.
He settles for crawling up from the end of the bed, situating himself between the wall and the other occupants, laying down on his side slowly as to not disrupt the others. He pillows his cheek on one of his hands, the other reaching out to brush against Langa’s lightly.
The other boy doesn’t wake, but he moves onto his side in his sleep with a murmur, bringing Nanaka with him. They settle so Langa still has one of his arms around her, and the other becomes a makeshift pillow for Chihiro’s head. The twins are now curled between them both, and Reki slowly curls his arm around them as well, settling down with a quiet sigh.
He has so much to do, but he’ll find the time later. This moment is fragile, the boy he loves in his bed, holding onto his little sisters in their sleep.
Everything else can wait.
♡
The twins are usually good sleepers, for the most part. Sure, they crawl out of bed sometimes and wind up with Masae or in Reki’s bed, but it’s not like they’re really a problem why they’re in there.
There is the occasional nightmare that has them running for someone else in the house, crying loudly in the middle of the night.
Reki hopes it doesn’t happen tonight.
“You okay?” Langa pauses in his ministrations of kissing a line down Reki’s neck, his fingers cold spots on the skin of his sides. He pulls back just enough to see the redhead, tipping his head against the pillow so he can meet his gaze. “Reki?”
Startling a little, the redhead nods after a few moments, smiling down at Langa as he tugs playfully at the hair tangled around his fingers. “Yeah, I’m good. I just thought…” He trails off with a small shake of his head, leaning down to press a kiss to the other’s mouth instead. He’s pretty sure that he could sit here and just kiss Langa for hours. Tucked away in his room like this, with Langa’s fingers smoothing over his sides and his own tan fingers tangled in light blue hair as they kiss slowly, Reki feels as though nothing could get between them.
He suddenly realises that something can as the door slides open, and both of the twins are standing on the other side, crying and gripping a stuffed animal each. He groans quietly before he rolls away from Langa, sitting up on the bed and doing his best to fix his hair before he drops his hands between his legs.
“What’s wrong, girls?”
He starts to stand, but Langa is already moving. His lips are swollen and there’s still a flush to his cheeks, but his expression is soft as he makes his way over to the twins. Reki watches in awe as Langa manages to crouch down, moving his arms around both of the girls and lifting them onto his hips with a quiet noise. They grow quiet, but Reki can still see the tears in their eyes, and he once again feels the familiar feeling in the back of his own throat.
Seriously, when is his body going to let him not get emotional over seeing his boyfriend with his sisters?
He swallows hard as he keeps his gaze trained on the way Langa’s pale hands spread across the girls’ back and around their sides, skin pale against the deep purple and blue of their pyjamas. Langa pushes himself back to his feet, clutching the girls tightly against his sides as he does so, and Reki almost dies when he notices that Langa is bouncing them both gently.
“Bad dream?” Langa keeps his voice low as he slowly makes his way back to Reki, still bouncing the girls in his arms as he does so. The flush on his cheeks has finally gone down, and Reki can see how his pale fingers tighten slightly as both the girls nod. Nanaka has her head tucked into Langa’s shoulders, fingers gripping tight to the fabric of his shirt. Chihiro has her cheek pressed to his shoulder so Reki can see her face, her thumb tucked into her mouth and her eyes still soaked with tears. “It happens sometimes. It’s okay.”
Reki offers them a small smile when they’re close enough they can see him, and he holds his arms out as he does so. “It’s okay. There’s nothing gonna get you.” He moves to take Chihiro from Langa, but he stops short when she whines a little, curling close to the other boy and tightening her grip on his shirt as she shakes her head.
Well, damn. That’s new.
He can’t bring himself to be too upset by it though, because the look on Langa’s face is something that is going to be burned into Reki’s memory forever. He almost looks proud, and Reki slowly sits back down on the bed as he watches his boyfriend sway a little in place, his fingers tapping a random rhythm against each other the twins’ sides. He just holds them for a moment before he looks up at Reki, his expression sheepish as he does so. “What do you wanna do with them?”
Reki swallows hard before he scoots back on the bed, patting the open spot beside him once he settles. “Might as well keep them in here. If we don’t, they’ll just show back up.” He huddles down into his hoodie, tucking his hands into the fabric of the sleeves as he does so. “You sure you’re good with it, dude?”
Nodding, Langa carefully sets Chihiro down on the bed, and Reki takes her into his arms when she immediately crawls over to him. “It’s good. I, ah...I used to do this to my dad all the time.” He tucks both of his arms around Nanaka as he uses his knees to crawl onto the bed, settling beside Reki and tucking the youngest down into his lap. “I’d get scared and I would cry for him until he took me into their room.”
Laughing quietly, Reki bundles Chihiro into his chest better, running his fingers through her hair, “That’s so freakin’ cute. Sometimes they run to mom, but most of the time it’s me when they have nightmares.” He rolls onto his side with his sister to his chest, and the movement is enough to get a small giggle out of her. “I don’t mind too much.”
Langa hums under his breath, pulling the elastic off his wrist so he can tie his hair off at the nape of his neck, and he mimics Reki’s motion from earlier, rolling so he’s on his side with Nanaka tucked against his chest. He gives Reki a smile when it makes both of the twins giggle, and he moves so he’s holding her more comfortably after a moment. “I think it’s sweet. You’re a really good big brother.”
Reki flushes deep enough to match his hair, and he stutters for a few seconds before he buries his face in the pillow, shrugging weakly as he tucks his hand around Chihiro’s. “I just care about them so I wanna help any way I can.” He moves so he can see Langa again after a few moments, pressing their feet together lightly. “They seem to have grown pretty attached to you, too, dude.”
“Probably because I’m attached to you,” the words come easily as Langa’s eyes close, shifting his hold on Nanaka so he’s holding her even closer as he settles. “It doesn’t bother me.”
The redhead just stares for a few moments across the small space between them, and he hesitates before he leans in to press a quick kiss to Langa’s jaw before he settles again, closing his own eyes as he holds Chihiro closer to his chest. “Guess we’ll all just stuck together, huh?”
The smile that graces Langa’s face as he opens his eyes briefly to look at Reki is enough to settle a warmth deep in Reki’s chest.
“Together.”
♡
Langa has to leave for two weeks, and it’s hard to tell who’s more upset: Reki or the twins. They’re all sitting in the grass outside because the girls wanted to have a picnic when Langa tells them. Something about his grandma and a birthday back in Canada that his mom is insistent that they go to, but Reki can’t really piece the words together over the ache in his chest.
“It’s just two weeks, it’s not that long,” Langa looks away from the three sets of eyes staring at him, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck as he continues. “We can talk every day.”
The twins are quiet for a long time, but Reki knows it’s just the calm before the storm. He winces a little the moment they start wailing, reaching for them and just barely missing to grab the backs of their dresses as they both climb into Langa’s lap, gripping his shirt in their hands.
“No!”
“Langa, no go!”
Reki feels a little sorry for the other when he winces at the loudness of the twins, and he sighs softly when he notices the familiar tremor has crept back into Langa’s hands when he wraps his arms around them.
“I’m sorry, I have to go.” Langa’s voice is quiet, and he grips the twins tighter to his chest as they continue to cry, clinging tightly to his shirt. “Please don’t cry…”
Opening his mouth to speak, Reki cuts himself off when he notices that Langa’s shoulders are trembling. The sight is enough to set Reki off too, and he can’t stop himself from crawling closer, his own eyes burning as he settles beside the others. He presses one hand to Langa’s back, using his other arm to wrap around the twins as he settles his cheek against Langa’s shoulder.
“Nana, Chi…it’s gonna be okay. We’ll make sure we talk to him every day, I promise. It’s gonna be like he’s not even gone,” Reki keeps his voice as gentle as he can, lightly rubbing his hand over Langa’s back as he sniffles, ignoring how his own cheeks are growing damp. “He’ll be back before you know it.”
Chihiro has gone quiet, but her fingers are still tightly gripping the front of Langa’s shirt as she keeps her face hidden in his chest. Nanaka on the other hand is still crying loudly, shaking her head over and over as she tries to push herself even closer to Langa. “No!”
Taking in a deep but short breath, Langa carefully moves Chihiro over to Reki’s lap instead, shifting Nanaka around so she can see her face as he wraps his arms around her tightly. “How about this- I’ll make sure I bring you and your sister back something from Canada that’s awesome. Will that make up for it?” He’s hesitant for a moment before he rubs one hand over her back, the other brushing through her hair.
Reki squeezes Chihiro with both of his arms, looking down at her as he does so. “Sound like a deal?” He squeezes her once more when Chihiro nods with a sniffle, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Good. Nanaka?”
Nanaka whimpers a little as she curls more into Langa’s chest, fingers flexing in his shirt as she looks between Reki and Langa before she nods herself. “Okay.” She sniffles as she presses her cheek hard into Langa’s chest, still gripping his shirt tightly as she does so.
They spent the rest of the afternoon like that, a small pile on the grass of the front lawn where it’s hard to see where one of them ends and one begins.
♡
The day has come where Langa and his mom are having to leave to go back to Canada for two weeks, and Reki is awake way earlier than he would like to be. He reaches over to turn off his phone alarm where it’s blaring above his head, groaning quietly as he does so. He forces his eyes open slowly, rubbing at them with a hand as the other one continues to grip tightly to Langa. He feels Nanaka wiggle against his back some before she settles with a huff, one hand gripping Reki’s shirt as the other keeps her hold on the small stuffed octopus in her arms.
The noise is enough to make Langa stir, his hold on Chihiro loosening some as he does so. “Already?” He tries to look over his shoulder at Reki, blinking sleepily as he does so; his voice is rough with sleep, and his accent is thicker than usual when he murmurs, “I don’t want to go…” He settles back down into the bed with a soft noise, pressing back against Reki as the redhead tightens his arm over his waist.
Reki brushes a kiss to the nape of Langa’s neck as his fingers brush over his stomach a few times, and he sighs quietly before he sits up. “I know, but your mom is gonna be mad if we’re late.”
He wanted to see Langa off at the airport but toting the twins there and back was a little more than he felt he could handle without help. Getting them there wouldn’t be so bad but getting them back was going to be a battle that he didn’t think he’d want to fight. He had made a deal with Nanako that Langa could stay with him as long as he was on time when she came to pick him up in the morning.
Langa lets out a small groan as he sits up, careful to let Chihiro stay asleep beside him, and he rubs at his eyes with both hands as he leans back against the pillows. Reki shifts so that he doesn’t wake Nanaka, sitting up enough that he can lean on Langa’s chest, relaxing some when the blue-haired boy wraps his arm around him tightly. They just lay there for a few moments, Langa’s fingers running up and down Reki’s back in a slow rhythm as Reki’s brush steadily over the others’ heartbeat.
The moment doesn’t last long enough, as their second alarm goes off, and the twins both startles awake on the bed. Nanaka lets out a small whine when she sits up, and Chihiro sits up quietly, chewing on one of her fingers as she looks around sleepily. Reki presses a kiss to Langa’s cheek before he crawls out of the bed, scooping up Nanaka as he does so.
“Come on, we gotta get ready before we make Langa late,” Reki settles Nanaka on his hip as he yawns, covering his mouth with a hand. “C’mon, Chi, let’s get you and Nanaka dressed.” He scoops up Chihiro easily when she crawls to the edge of the bed, settling her on his opposite hip as he gives Langa a weak smile. “I’ll meet you outside in ten minutes?”
Standing slowly, Langa nods, and he rubs at his eyes once more, “Okay.” He steps forward to brush fingers through the twins’ hair before he leans in to press a firm kiss to Reki’s mouth, pulling away after a few moments.
Reki hates to leave him, but he has to get the twins ready, and he dresses them in simple clothes once he gets their hair brushed. He manages to keep his emotions in check while he gets them ready and then himself, and he meets Langa outside with both of the twins in tow, his hands being gripped tightly by their smaller ones.
“She said she’ll be here in about two minutes,” Langa’s voice is quiet, and he’s gripping his bag tightly with one hand, the other tapping anxiously against the fabric of his pants as he does so. “I promise I’ll let you know when we land.”
Reki nods weakly, shifting where he’s standing as he grips the twins’ hands tighter, “Yeah, man, I know.” He smiles at Langa weakly, fighting back the lump in his throat as he swallows hard. Gently, he pulls the twins forward, and his heart clenches when they almost immediately start to cry, breaking free of him and running towards Langa instead.
“It’s going to be fine,” Langa bundles them both up in his arms, squeezing them tightly as he ducks his head, letting his blue hair hide his face. “I promise I’ll be back soon.” He swallows hard himself, rising up just enough so he can see their faces, and Reki can feel his heart break when he notices Langa’s own eyes are damp.
He’s not able to catch what Langa says to the girls next, but it has them pressing back into his chest with another cry. Langa picks them up with ease when he catches a glimpse of a car pulling around, and he hugs them both tightly to his chest as he walks them back over to Reki.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Langa gives them one last squeeze to his chest, and he hesitates for a long beat before he presses a barely-there kiss to Chihiro’s forehead before he hands her to Reki, and he repeats the process to Nanaka.
They stand there for a few moments, and Reki can see the way Langa’s throat works as he swallows hard. All four of them startle when Nanako honks at them for a gentle reminder, and Langa bends down to pick up his bag, gripping it tightly as he looks between all of them.
His next action is going to be seared into Reki’s head for the rest of the time he’s gone, mainly because he doesn’t expect it.
Langa leans in to press a kiss to Chihiro’s forehead, keeping his voice low but trying to smile at her as he whispers a very soft, “I love you.” He kisses her forehead once more before he moves to do the same to Nanaka, repeating the same words to her and giving her a second kiss on the forehead before he straightens up.
“I love you. I promise, as soon as we land, I’ll let you know,” Langa leans in to press a quick kiss to Reki’s mouth, and the redhead is too stunned to even respond before Langa is bounding down the steps, climbing into the car and settling his bag in the back.
It’s the first time Langa’s told him he loved him, it’s the first time he’s told the twins, and he grips them tightly as he realises he didn’t say it back.
Fuck.
♡
Two weeks feels like two years when half your heart is across the world and you have to hear your youngest sisters cry for him every day.
♡
The signs that Nanaka and Chihiro are holding are a little bent, but still legible where they’re gripping them tightly in their hands. Reki is doing his best to hide his nervousness, his fingers flexing over the youngest girls’ shoulders as he keeps his gaze moving around the lobby.
Following the track that Langa gave them before he left, he should’ve landed about ten minutes ago, which means that he and his mother should be coming through any moment. The twins have been the most well-behaved that Reki has ever seen them in the times he’s taken them out place, and he’s almost sure it’s just because they know they’re going to get to see Langa.
“Reki!”
The redhead barely has time to answer before Langa is crashing into him, and they all dissolve into laughter as the oldest boys sink to their knees. Langa bundles the twins between them as his arms go around Reki, and he buries his face in Reki’s neck as he grips them tightly.
People are probably staring at them, this odd bundle of two teenage boys and two toddler girls gripping at each other on the airport floor, but Reki can’t really bring himself to care because for the first time in two weeks, the twins’ tears are happy.
He trusts Langa to keep a hold of them as he brings tan hands up to grip Langa’s cheeks, and he leans in to press multiple kisses to his mouth, fighting back a smile as he does so. “You asshole, you didn’t even give me a chance to say it back.” He presses one more firm kiss to his mouth before he just presses their foreheads together, laughing weakly. “I love you, too.”
Langa stares at him for a few moments before he laughs brightly, both of his hands gripping the twins to his chest as he leans in to kiss Reki one last time before he buries his face in the twins’ hair. “Sorry. I was scared you wouldn’t say it back.” He looks up at the other sheepishly before he forces himself to his feet, cradling a twin on each hip as he does so.
Reki stands up a moment later, reaching for Langa’s bag and swinging it onto his own back as he smiles at him. “Of course I was going to say it back. Why the hell wouldn’t I?” He knocks his hand against Langa’s hip gently, shaking his head as he laughs again. “Goofy.”
Langa starts to say something else before he’s startled into silence when both twins press kisses to his cheeks, giggling loudly as they burrow closer. “Love Langa!”
There’s stunned silence for a few moments before Langa is laughing once again, stepping close to Reki and dropping his head to his shoulder as he keeps a tight grip on the girls. “I love you girls, too.”
Standing here in this airport, watching Langa dote on his little sisters, Reki realises that this is exactly what he wants for the rest of his life.
He loves them all, this beautiful blue-haired boy that’s worked his way into his life so much there’s no untangling them, and the two little girls that have brought out a side of Langa that Reki thinks Langa himself didn’t even know existed.
And Langa loves them too.