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“I’ll go grab your drink,” Langa mumbled, and Reki might have worried that he was angry if he hadn’t known his best friend so well. Langa dropped his backpack on the ground and turned. Reki had beat Langa on their race to the park that night, winning him a cold drink from the vending machine. The redhead sat down on the small brick retaining wall with a thud and pulled his phone from his pocket, ready to find the video he had been telling Langa about during their shift at Dope Sketch earlier.
Scowling at the 1% battery, he pocketed his phone and moved to Langa’s bag, unzipping the front pocket to rustle around the items stored there in search of his friend’s phone. As he dug, his hand landed on a smooth piece of paper, folded up, and pushed to the bottom of the bag. Reki pulled it out, his eyebrows furrowing at the post-it note attached in Langa’s mom’s handwriting. It read, “Take care of this! Due on the 1st!” Flipping the note up, Reki inhaled in surprise when he saw it was information about the University of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada.
The redhead’s thoughts spiraled as he stared at the pamphlet. They hadn’t talked much about what would happen after they finished school, but Reki had always assumed that whatever they did, they would do it together. His heart sunk and his stomach felt like lead as realized that wasn’t what Langa had planned. His tall, blue-haired best friend wandered back towards him, his movements fluid and unhurried. He flopped down on the short, brick wall next to Reki, not realizing what he had in his hand until he turned to give him one of the drinks he had gripped tightly. Langa’s eyebrows furrowed as he recognized Reki’s attention was not on him. “What are you looking at?” he asked, as he focused on the brochure in Reki’s hand.
“You’re moving back to Canada?” Reki blurted. He would have cringed at the slight crack in his voice if he hadn’t been so desperate for Langa to provide an alternative explanation.
At the same time, Langa stumbled to explain, “Mom’s worried I won’t get into any schools around here, and she wants me to apply back home just in case.” A moment of silence passed and Langa dropped his head before mumbling, “So, yeah, I guess I might be going back. I’m sorry, Reki.”
“But…I thought…” Reki’s words stuck in his throat, strangling him as he tried to push them past the lump that blocked them. His hand gripped the slick paper tightly, wrinkling it. “You don’t want to room together next year?” he finally choked out.
Langa’s eyes were stuck to his shoes, blinking rapidly as he tried to ignore the dread that swirled in his head. “I don’t think I can get into the school you choose, Reki. And Mom…she doesn’t think it’d be a good idea for us to live together.”
His head snapping up, Reki’s eyes flew to Langa’s profile. “What?” he snapped. “Your mom loves me. Why wouldn’t she want us to live together? Why wouldn’t she just expect it? My mom sure does!”
Silence settled between the two, and unlike the comfortable quiet they had grown accustomed to, it was tense and filled with fear. “Reki,” Langa said softly. “You have to understand. She worries a lot, knows how low I can get-”
“I know it, too!” Reki interrupted.
Continuing, Langa said, “She’s just concerned…You don’t know…You can’t understand…And if you knew, everything would change, and…” He continued to start sentences, leaving his thoughts unfinished and his friend lost.
Standing, still gripping the university brochure in his hand, Reki’s anger rolled over him. “Langa, what wouldn’t I understand? You’re not making any sense! Whatever it is, we can get through it, and we’ll still come out on the other side as even better friends. I know it!” he said loudly. His eyes trained on Langa’s slender form. His friend’s shoulders hunched over his knees as he seemed to be curling over himself. The cheerful pink Dope Sketch t-shirt he wore seemed ironic compared to the dark mood the boy was exuding. Continued mumbling caught Reki’s attention, and he noticed Langa’s shoulders were trembling. It made him wonder if he’d been too hard on his friend.
Raising to stand at his full height, Langa’s arms hung limply at his sides as he looked at Reki. The night breeze from the ocean rippled around them, darkness cloaked the sky with the few street lamps and vending machines providing the only light. Langa’s face was hidden in a partial shadow, but it was easy to see his bright blue eyes filled with tears, even more unmistakable as he wiped at his cheek roughly with the back of his hand.
“I’m in love with you Reki. That’s what you don’t know!” he said with a shout, stunning Reki into silence. The two looked at one another, a stalemate of sorts, before Langa broke it. Snatching his bag from the ground, not bothering to zip it shut before slinging it onto his shoulder, the blue-haired boy grabbed his skateboard only to slam it down before he pushed off into the blackness.
Finally processing what Langa said, Reki snapped his mouth shut and attempted to chase after him, but Langa was already too far ahead, too far gone for him to catch up with. He glared at the pamphlet in his hand as if it was the paper's fault before he shoved it in his pocket. After skating their usual haunts, Reki headed to Langa’s apartment building, prepared to sit outside all night if necessary. His heart sank as he realized that by not responding to Langa’s confession, he had screwed up royally.
After sitting at the apartment building's door for several hours in the dark with a dead phone, Reki finally pulled himself to stand, his legs stiff and sore as he did. He had no idea where Langa went, and he couldn’t text him or anyone else for help. He just hoped his friend was alright. Groaning, he made his way onto his board, his eyes burning again as he blinked rapidly. He tried to tell himself he was just tired, but you can’t lie to yourself. When he was finally home, he quietly crawled through his window and fell on his bed. He didn’t bother to change into something more comfortable to sleep in, he told himself he didn’t deserve it for being such an awful friend. An awful human being.
Instead, his mind replayed the look on Langa’s face as he yelled at him. He couldn’t see his friend’s face clearly but knew it well enough to guess the anguish that had matched his voice.
Scrubbing his hand over his own features, Reki thought back to when he first saw Langa in his classroom. All of his classmates had murmured as the tall, pale, blue-haired boy entered. At first, Reki hadn’t paid much attention, but he looked up and caught a glimpse of the person causing the commotion and listened to the people around him snicker as the boy talked. When the boy started walking toward him, he caught a glimpse of his crystal blue eyes as he moved towards the seat next to him. The eye contact made his chest hurt, and he remembered thinking for a brief moment, “Am I having a heart attack?” It was like landing a trick for the first time, but he had no idea why.
Reki had seen him later that day while working with Oka at the shop, and his heart stuttered again. He’d dropped his board in surprise, but luckily Langa had stopped it for him, a clear scowl on his face as Reki had run up to him. He felt his face turn red as he thanked him, but Langa hadn’t even remembered Reki was in his class. He’d felt like a fool, and resorted back to talking about the only thing that made him happy. Langa’s cerulean gaze saw him then; they widened when he ollied over him. The Reki of present-day smiled at the memory of their first real encounter until his face flooded with the recollection of Langa’s expression as he shouted his confession at him that night. He was pretty sure he was having a heart attack again, but maybe it was just his heart breaking.
***
“Look at him,” Joe muttered to Cherry who sat at the counter in front of him, eating his late breakfast.
“What, you buffoon? Speak up,” Cherry replied sharply, just as Reki collapsed into the chair next to him.
Slumping forward, Reki pressed his head onto the counter and groaned. “What’s up, kid?” Joe asked, trying not to portray the level of concern he felt for the skater who was usually full of obnoxious amounts of sunshine and energy.
“Sit up,” Cherry snapped at the teenager before Reki could respond to Joe, another groan escaping the redhead at the command. However, he reluctantly listened and pulled his head up.
“You look like hell,” Joe said, a smile spreading across his face causing Cherry to shoot him a warning look.
Sighing, Cherry turned towards Reki and spoke, “What this gorilla means to say is, ‘What’s bothering you, Reki? Are you alright?”
A third groan from the redhead caused Cherry to grit his teeth while he tried to keep his patience. Reki stared at the counter in front of him before he finally murmured in a slight whine, “I thought Langa’d be here. I can’t find him anywhere.”
With another annoyed hiss, Cherry said, “Why don’t you just text him? He’s probably looking for you since you two are always together.” The man studied Reki, his eyebrows furrowed as he realized how dark the shadows were around the boy’s closed eyes, how pale his skin looked, making the dusting of freckles on his nose and cheeks pop even more.
Reki buried his head in his arms that were crossed in front of him and huffed loudly, causing Joe and Cherry to share a look of true worry. “He’s avoiding me…I screwed up,” Reki mumbled.
“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Joe replied. “Tell us what happened.”
Luckily, the restaurant was devoid of customers, so as Reki recapped what happened the night before, Joe found a stool to sit across from them. Both adults listened intently, not interrupting to speak, as Reki explained. When it was clear he was done talking, they exchanged a quick look before Cherry voiced what they were both thinking. “To be forthright, I thought you and Hasegawa were already together.”
Reki looked at Joe, who nodded in agreement. “What? No!” Reki replied loudly, earning a cringe from Cherry. He pulled his headband over his eyes in embarrassment.
“Listen, kid, I agree that you need to find Langa,” Joe began. “But first you need to decide where you want things to go from here. Is he just someone you want to be your friend, or…”
Cherry and Joe looked at Reki as he sat up straighter and returned their gazes. “I’ve had feelings for Langa as long as I’ve known him. It took me a while to figure out what it was, but…” his voice trailed off. “I never told him because I didn’t want to lose the best friend I’d ever had. A broken heart wasn’t worth the risk. And now…” Reki’s soft voice faded and Cherry cringed slightly at the tears that started to flow down his face.
Reki wiped his eyes fervently and moved to his backpack that sat on the floor next to him and dug around, pulling out his sketchbook and flipping through it. The two observers watched him carefully as he turned page after page, all showing glances of blue-blue hair, blue eyes, and blue skateboards with yetis on them. All pictures of Langa.
When he realized Reki was still crying, Joe leaned down and grabbed one of the cloth napkins from the shelf below the counter and handed it to him. As the teen wiped his face silently, already sketching out what looked to be another picture of Langa, Joe’s gaze caught Cherry’s and seemed to ask him a question. With a short nod from his friend, Joe said, “I think Cherry and I might understand you guys more than you realize. Maybe we could help you out?”
***
When Langa heard his phone ping again, he rolled to his side with a moan. He’d been avoiding Reki all day, ever since his stupid mouth blurted out his true feelings for his friend. He knew it was a matter of time before something happened that ruined the relationship he’d had with his best friend, and now he was clearly paying for it. His phone began to ring, and he sat up quickly, causing him to feel suddenly dizzy. No one ever called him except his mother, but she was at the table in the other room, reading and making him noodles since he had claimed to be sick. Finally finding his phone in his nest of blankets, he answered, his voice scratchy from disuse and tears. “Hello?”
“Hasegawa-san,” the calm voice on the other end of the line said.
“Cher- I mean, Sakurayashiki-san,” Langa replied, stumbling over Cherry’s surname. Confusion flooded him; he didn’t even know that Cherry had his number. Why was he calling him?
“I am hosting a client tonight at Kojiro’s restaurant. I need some assistance as this is a person who I am hopeful to have as a client long-term. However, the ape won’t let me call in one of his waitstaff since they are closed this evening, but mentioned that you sometimes pick up shifts when you need additional funds. Would this be something I could request of you?”
Langa listened carefully as the man spoke in rapid Japanese. He did need additional money, especially now that it looked like it would be best if he returned to Canada for school. Maybe he needed to push himself past this whole dreadful situation and start preparing himself for the future. Even if it meant his heart would no longer have Reki. He nodded before realizing that Cherry couldn’t see him. “Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there,” he replied, his voice determined.
***
Langa walked into the back door that led to the kitchen of Joe’s restaurant. He took his rarely used timecard and punched in before dropping it back into its designated slot. He heard Joe chopping something before he saw him. Gliding up behind the man whose back was still turned, he said, “Hey, I’m here. What do you need from me?”
“Holy shit!” Joe shouted in surprise before he turned around. “Anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on someone with a knife in their hand?” Langa shrugged and looked up at the tall, tan man, seeing a spark of concern in his crimson eyes. “Hey kid, you sure you’re alright to be here? You look like hell.”
Shrugging again, Langa didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t want to be there, but he needed the money. He knew he looked horrible; a shower couldn’t hide the dark circles and puffiness of his eyes. “I’m wearing what I always wear,” he finally replied, looking down at his white button-up shirt and black pants. His lavender Cons stuck out some, but Joe had never minded before.
“Yeah, you look fine,” Joe replied. Langa grabbed a black waitstaff apron and tied it securely around his waist while Joe directed him to grab items for two place settings and meet him in the dining room.
Walking over to the area that he’d always seen Cherry sit at, Langa wordlessly began to prepare two spots. “Hey, I think Cherry wants to eat over in a booth,” Joe directed, standing next to one of the booths on the wall that had high backs for more intimate and private settings. Langa nodded, still not speaking, and gathered the items again before he moved over to the new area and repeated placing the formal setting. Joe brought over a candle and lit it before placing it in the center of the table, along with a black beat-up book.
“What’s that?” Langa asked softly. It looked oddly familiar, and then he remembered that Reki lugged a sketchbook around that looked like it. He felt confused, assuming that Cherry would have something more professional to display his work. He looked up at the man as he still stood next to him.
Before Joe replied, Cherry burst in the front door, making what Reki often referred to as his dramatic entrance. Langa’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he realized he was wearing a navy kimono, not more professional attire. Joe smiled at him wickedly, and Langa blushed some as he often felt that when he was around Joe and Cherry by himself that he was intruding on something more private. “I was about ready to call you, Four-Eyes. I thought I was going to end up doing this whole thing on my own. I need to get back to the kitchen.”
“Whatever, you baboon,” Cherry growled in reply as he slid into the booth that Langa had finished setting. Glancing up at Langa, he said, “Thank you for coming, but I must be honest and explain that this was actually a ruse. Please have a seat.”
Not knowing what a ruse was, Langa still dropped into the opposite bench and sat. He was confused some before, but he was bewildered now. However, Cherry had always made him slightly nervous, so he kept his mouth shut and looked into the man’s gold eyes. Langa wasn’t patient about many things, but he could be if necessary. Glancing at the table, Cherry nodded in approval as his eyes landed on the scuffed-up book in front of him. “Did you look at this, young Langa?” he asked, and Langa was surprised by the sensitivity in the man’s tone. He shook his head and watched as Cherry pushed it towards him. “I think you should.” Before he could open the book and have any clue as to what was happening, Cherry then stood. “While you do that, I will go check on the ape in the kitchen and make sure your food is coming along. Your companion should be here shortly.”
At this point, Langa’s head hurt. He had been crying off and on for the majority of the past 24 hours. His eyes still stung and his heart and stomach felt like they were full of hot lead. He was completely baffled by the two men who had requested his presence and how they were acting but had no idea where to even begin with his questions. Feeling as though he were in a daze, he decided to flip open the book in front of him and see what was inside it.
On the first page, he was met with a drawing of a man that looked suspiciously like him. In fact, if his head wasn’t pounding, he would say it was him, but he wasn’t sure. Eyebrows furrowed, he turned the page and found several small comics, all featuring skaters from S. Many of them were of actual races, and Langa realized as he scanned, that a chibi representation of him was in almost all of them. He smiled at the drawings and little dialogue that was written next to the characters. His smile dropped when he thought about how it reminded him of something Reki would draw.
He kept turning the pages, finding more illustrations. Some were landscapes, many he recognized since they were places he had been around Okinawa. There was the beach and onsen they had vacationed at when Reki was hurt, the outside of Dope Sketch, the school, the skate park. It wasn’t until he hit the section of the sketchbook that his hunch had been confirmed; this didn’t look like Reki’s sketchbook. It was Reki’s sketchbook. His heart squeezed as he felt new tears fill and burn his eyes while he looked over the detailed sketches and notes for different skateboards. It looked as though Reki was planning on upgrading Langa’s board again.
Finally, he turned past the skateboard designs and landed on the last page that had been used in the book. He couldn’t help the gasp that escaped his lips. His fingertips subconsciously reached out and glided over the detailed picture reverently. It could be mistaken for a photograph, it was so realistic. Langa looked with blurred vision as he cried at the picture of him-of Lanaga- smiling as he completed a jump and gripped his board in the air tightly. His hair streamed away from his face which was filled with joy. He didn’t know if this was a specific instance that Reki remembered, but it was beautiful.
“That’s how I always picture you,” a soft voice standing next to him said, and Langa looked up to see Reki standing there. Langa was confused by so much at this point but recognized how out of place Reki’s tone was. He usually was enthusiastic, and sometimes angry, but it was rare that there wasn’t passion in his voice. Tonight, he talked quietly, without the energy he always showed, and it made Langa feel a twinge of sadness. He wiped his eyes quickly over the back of his hands as Reki continued. “I like to draw you skating because it's obvious that’s when you’re happiest, dude. But I’ve been thinking a lot since last night, and I wonder if you know when I’m happiest?”
Blinking at his question, Langa shook his head. “I’d say skating, too, but something tells me that’s wrong,” he replied.
”A few years ago, you’d have been right, no doubt. But I thought a lot about it. After you left last night, I looked for you. I sat outside your apartment and waited. I didn’t need to skate to feel better. I needed you,” Reki said.
Langa’s heart stuttered with hope that he refused to acknowledge. Before it could take root, he moved to stand up from the booth. “Reki, please. Don’t do this. Don’t force yourself to suddenly discover some hidden feelings for me. I thought you respected me more than that,” he mumbled, frustrated that Reki wasn’t moving so he could exit and tell Joe and Cherry he was leaving if he wasn’t needed.
“Langa, please,” Reki choked out. The cracking of his voice caused Langa to stop and look at him, his beautiful best friend he’d stupidly fallen for. His flame-colored hair made him resemble a lit candle that had driven away so much darkness in Langa’s life. He was dressed differently, not in his hoodies and jeans, but in a button-down shirt and dress slacks. His amber eyes shone bright as they met Langa’s, and his tan hands gripped a bouquet of flowers. “You keep trying to ditch me, and I just need a chance to talk to you,” Reki continued before repeating Langa’s words back at him. “I thought you respected me enough to hear me out.”
Standing and looking at Reki calmly, Langa felt like an imposter. He seemed collected on the outside; he learned early on that no matter what you were feeling on the inside, it was better to keep that to yourself. Reki never mastered that, however, as he pulled uncomfortably at his collar and blushed hard before he stammered, “I need to be with you, Langa. I…I’ve been in love with you for ages. You’re what makes me happiest.”
The silence that surrounded them was deafening. Reki shifted on his feet again, his hand rubbing through his messy hair while he tried to be patient. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak, but Langa cut him off. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? You’re my best friend and you know I’m into guys, so, why wouldn’t you say something?” His voice was wary and slightly accusatory, and Reki knew his past silence was something that could cost him. He needed to speak truthfully and lay his feelings out in front of them both.
Golden eyes met ocean blue ones as Reki’s chin tipped up defiantly. “How could I risk losing the person who helped me be happy? If you didn’t feel the same, everything would change. And why would you want to be with me? You’re amazing, Langa, and if I confessed…I thought I’d lose everything. I couldn’t bear to imagine it, and now I’m scared I’ll lose you anyway,” he said softly. He tried to stay strong but his eyes dropped away from Langa’s as the reality that he was losing his best friend sunk in. They slid closed in defeat instead.
When he felt the huff of warm breath spread across his face, Reki’s eyes fluttered open again. Langa was leaning towards him, his eyes closed, his lips slotting on Reki’s gently. Reki’s eyes widened, his heart thudding against his ribs like a hailstorm trapped in his chest. The pressure of the slightly chapped lips increased for a moment, then he felt Langa pulling away. Quickly, he grasped at the fabric covering the chest in front of him, his eyes sliding closed as he yanked Langa towards him. Moving his mouth against Langa’s, Reki slid one hand up his friend’s long and slender neck and around to the back of his head. He threaded his fingers through the silky and soft hair, making sure that now that he was able to finally kiss Langa, he wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Langa’s hand moved to Reki’s chin, his thumb stroking his jaw lightly. Reki’s lips parted, and Langa took the opportunity to dip his tongue in between them, brushing along them tentatively. He pushed Reki up against the table, slowly but eagerly kissing him. Langa loved things fiercely, and Reki was starting to understand that could actually include him. The warmth that spread through Reki’s chest slid over his body, and he couldn’t help the small groan that slipped from him. He wondered if the heat on his cheeks made them turn pink as Langa pulled back and gulped for air. Reki looked up at him and saw Langa’s cheeks were flushed and his eyes sparkled in a way that Reki rarely witnessed, at least not when he wasn’t on a board. A small smile slid across his face as Langa breathed out, “Reki…” his voice almost a whine. Reki’s back was still pushed up against the table that Langa had been sitting at before, their hips flush against one another, one of Langa’s long legs slotted between Reki’s.
The sound of a throat clearing loudly caused Reki to peek past Langa’s body to see Cherry and Joe standing next to one another. Cherry was clearly annoyed, holding a full plate in his hand, his lips in a thin line that might have been trying to hide a grin. Joe, however, was smirking widely as he held another plate. As the two men walked over, Reki turned towards Langa who was watching him, his hands dropped to his sides, and his long fingers threading through Reki’s. “Everything okay here?” Joe said as he put the plate down on the table.
“Yeah,” Reiki said breathlessly, feeling flustered by Langa’s intense gaze. “Uh, Langa? You want to eat dinner?” Langa finally broke away from looking at Reki like he was the sun, and turned to look at the plates in Cherry and Joe’s hands with an almost equal affection. Reki would have felt jealous if Langa looked at any other person with that much fondness, but he knew it was only food and skating that he had to compete with.
Cherry and Joe slid the plates onto the table and Reki moved into the booth, his face heating up again as Langa nudged him over so he could sit next to him. Langa’s eyes were on the plate of pasta in front of him, but his hand grasped Reki’s under the table. “Are you guys going to eat with us?” Reki asked Cherry and Joe, although he was avoiding eye contact with them.
“Nah, kid. I have to go finish this princess’s food in the kitchen. You two enjoy, alright? Go ahead and leave your dishes and stuff when you’re done,” Joe responded while Cherry scoffed behind him. Reki caught Joe’s gaze, a wide grin still spread across his face as he looked down at Langa who was already diving into his food. He quickly turned to Cherry and thought he saw a small smile on his face as well, before they spun to return to the kitchen.
Reki tried to settle in to eat. He’d been so nervous today that he hadn’t been able to, but all he could focus on was the boy next to him happily humming as he scarfed down his pasta, his long, cool, thin fingers that wove with his. His heart thumped as he sat, Langa finally taking a break from his food and looking at him. “Reki, is everything alright?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
“Yeah, man, everything is…better than I could have hoped for,” Reki replied honestly, turning to catch Langa’s eyes on him.
Langa leaned over and Reki felt the slight brush of chapped lips on his cheek. Another moment passed, and Langa asked, “Is this a date?”
Wide golden eyes met blue crystal as Reki looked up at Langa. When he had made this plan with Joe and Cherry, he had hoped that he would convince Langa to listen to him, and that is much as he had dared to wish for. Everything else seemed like setting his sights too high, and he didn’t think he could crash any further if he longed for more. And now, he was on what he hoped would be the first of many dates. Squeezing the hand still laced with his, he smiled and replied, “Hopefully. Is that what you want?”
“Yeah,” Langa replied. “You know what would be perfect? Can we go skate after?”
Reki laughed, his smile wide as he met Langa’s eager gaze. “Always.”
Picking up his chopsticks, Reki ate awkwardly with his left hand not wanting to let Langa’s go. Langa finished his food and eyed Reki’s as he waited for him. Not wanting to deny Langa of anything ever again, Reki asked him to help him finish. They sat with full stomachs for a moment before Langa leaned over and brushed some sauce off the corner of Reki’s mouth with his thumb. As he gazed down at him, Langa’s thumb moved along Reki’s jaw before leaning in and kissing him. A sigh escaped him as he pulled back and grinned at him. “I get to do that whenever I want now, right?” he asked.
Reki burst with a giggle that he’d never heard escape him before as he thought about Langa kissing him randomly, and his ears felt hot. He watched as Langa pulled his battered sketchbook towards him and opened it carefully. Langa turned each page and looked at his sketches and drawings thoughtfully. He commented on the little comics Reki had drawn and felt like he wanted to slide under the table when Langa pointed out where he appeared in each one. Reki honestly hadn't realized Langa was in all of them, but couldn't say he was surprised.
Finally finding the last page, Langa brushed his fingers over the picture while Reki watched him. "When Cherry told me to look at the pictures, this is when I knew," he said to Reki quietly, his eyes still on the page. "It's when I knew I had a chance, that you might feel something for me, too."
His gaze moved to Reki who was looking at him intently. "If you need any more convincing, I have a few more sketchbooks filled with mostly pictures of you," he said with a smirk.
A burst of laughter left Langa as he grinned widely, wider than Reki had ever experienced. “Let’s go skate,” Langa said and the two moved to leave.
“Should we say something to Joe and Cherry before we take off?” Reki asked hesitantly. He wanted to thank the two for everything, but Joe had told them to just leave everything when they were done.
Langa stopped for a moment as Reki grabbed his sketchbook and Langa’s flowers and shoved them into his bag. “I don’t know. Do you ever feel like you’re interrupting something when you’re with them?” he asked.
Reki knew what Langa meant, and thought again about how Joe mentioned how he and Cherry might understand how Reki felt. “I’ll just send them a text, and thank them again when I see them in person.”
“You’re so smart, Reki,” Langa replied, lacing his fingers in Reki’s as they walked out into the evening air.
***
Hours of skating passed until the moon was up high. Things seemed the same, but also so incredibly different between the two. Sitting on the top of the half-pipe, their hands woven together again, Reki looked at Langa who stared out at the dark sky. “Langa, I still want you to know, I’m sorry I never said anything to you about how I felt,” he said, watching as Langa turned to look at him.
“Reki, it’s not just on you. I should have said something, but I think we were both so worried about losing each other…”
Chewing on his lip thoughtfully, Reki asked, “Is it too early to ask you not to go back to Canada? Or, if you do, maybe I could go with you? My English isn’t awful.”
“You’d do that for me, Reki?” Langa replied, his eyes shining as Reki looked at him. Reki realized that he hadn’t had a chance to kiss Langa yet, it was always the other boy leaning in. He pushed his chin up to look at the boy who sat next to him, and Langa bent over, meeting his mouth as the two tentatively kissed.
Pulling away slightly, Reki looked at Langa. “Of course I would. I’m not just going to skate with you infinitely. I’m going to love you infinitely, too.”