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It's raining again today, and Langa is over at Reki's. They're in his workshop. Langa's sitting on a stool near Reki, and he can feel Langa's breath ghost lightly on his skin every time Langa exhales. It's quiet today, they're quiet, just something about the air makes it feel calm. Reki's painting a skateboard, and he usually
Reki nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels something warm press against his shoulder. He turns around to see Langa asleep. The clock in the studio reads 1:42 AM; the rain outside must have masked the darkness.
"Langa, you're definitely gonna fall off that stool," he says, quietly as not to wake him.
He gets up, a hand gently steadying Langa, and then slips both arms under him to lift him up in a bride-carry. Langa stirs a little, shifting his head to bury it in Reki's chest, murmuring sleep-heavy words. Reki's heart does a flip and he's afraid Langa can hear his heartbeat pounding out of his chest because jeez Langa is so close and so soft like this and he has to stop and shut his eyes for a moment to stave off the longing and the pain.
He takes Langa to the little cushion pile thing he has in the corner (he doesn't really know what to call it, it's basically a rug with a bunch of pillows on top, a little cozy spot that he may or may not sleep in when it gets late) and lays him down. He's about to go back to the skateboard when Langa grabs his arm.
"Stay," he says and frick how could Reki say no to that even if he knows it's a recipe for disaster? So he stays, sits down next to Langa on the cushions (they're really quite comfy) and tries not to think too much.
Langa's peaceful when he sleeps. Honestly, Langa's peaceful all the time, his calm exterior a foil to Reki's explosive energy. He hates it sometimes, how he's so quick to do things and how he's constantly messing things up. Langa is calm and quiet where Reki is bright and loud and rough and Reki tries to not think of it as a bad thing but sometimes he'll be talking about something to Langa in public and someone will give him that look and then -
Reki startles out of his thoughts when he feels a warm weight on his lap and realizes Langa's crawled onto his lap and is snuggling into him. Frick. Reki's arms instinctively go around Langa, and he tries to slow his breathing, get his heart back to normal. Langa's hands are cold. Langa's always cold, his hands, his face, and Reki doesn't know why. Maybe because he's from America. He drifts into his thoughts a bit, thinking about Langa and America, and when he snaps out of it he realizes he's been stroking Langa's hair the whole time. Oh frick! he thinks immediately pulling his hand away. nononononono I can't - not - what if - he's uncomfortable - consent but Langa interrupts his spiral with a slight noise of disapproval. Reki's heart drops for a moment oh no he hates me but then Langa takes Reki's hand and places it back on his head.
"Don't stop," he murmurs. "please?"
And so Reki, resumes stroking Langa's hair trying not to think about the fact that Langa is cuddling up to him (he's sure his face matches the red paint on his hoodie at this point).
Langa murmurs quiet (french?) words in his sleep, Reki's not really sure what language it is but it sounds like French.
"mon sucre," he says at one point. Langa's cute when he speaks French. There's something about the way his mouth moves, the way his accent changes, that's just - Langa.
It must be late morning by the time they wake up. Reki must have fallen asleep at some point too, because he is sprawled on his back in the cushions with Langa on top of him, Langa's face pressed to his neck. This is nice, Reki thinks, and it is, for a moment, until the thoughts come rushing back and he starts to freak out a bit but then Langa wakes up. He yawns widely, his jaw expanding and cracking in the way that Reki is now used to. (the first time it happened Reki almost screamed because fricking shizzlesticks why is his mouth doing that????).
"mon buerre?" he says, a question to Reki. He's been doing that more, lately, referring to Reki as French words, ever since Reki told Langa it was cool that he spoke French. It's nice, and sometimes Reki likes to pretend that he isn't just calling him bro or buddy or friend or whatever in French.
And he knows he shouldn't, of course he freaking knows that he shouldn't, shouldn't pretend that the boy that he's in love with is calling him sweetheart and honey in french, pretending Langa likes him too, that the things he says in French are pet names and not just him practicing French or something, it's a stupid idea, he knows that. But it eases the ache for a bit and he just can't help himself.
"heh you fell asleep," Reki replies. Langa appears to still be drowsy, because he just snuggles closer to Reki and murmurs something like "you're warm, mon farine," and oh shiitake mushrooms Reki is so red isn't he? He can feel the furious blush but luckily Langa isn't looking at his face. He clears his throat to make up a hurried excuse and then practically runs to his room because frick that was way too much.
Langa leans against his doorframe.
"this morning - if I made you uncomfortable - "
"No!" Reki interrupts. "No! I just - I needed to change."
"Ok . . . so you don't mind - "
"Everything you did was fine," Reki says. "It's fine I'm not uncomfortable or anything."
"Okay," Langa says. He looks noticeably happier now. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah dude."
Langa sits on the bed, watching as Reki sorts through his laundry basket, looking for a hoodie. He doesn't find it but comes up with a reasonably clean shirt and pair of pants.
When he comes back from the bathroom, Langa's asleep on the bed. He thinks about letting him sleep and just watching him - no that's creepy don't be an Edward Reki thinks - but then (wisely) decides against it and throws himself onto the bed to wake Langa up. Langa jolts awake and immediately turns to Reki.
"Mes œufs...?" he trails off and just stares. Reki's a little self-conscious, this shirt is a little small but it's the only clean one he had. He folds his arms over his chest.
"I know, it's weird - " he starts.
"No ... you look good mon four," Langa says softly.
"What?" Reki says, not quite sure he heard that right.
"oh um you look fine! It's not weird!"
Reki laughs to diffuse the tension, and shoves Langa playfully, and then they get their boards and head to the skate park, spending their Saturday like always, skating and laughing and bailing until the sun goes down.