Archive of Our Own

He had stumbled upon the coffeeshop by accident. 

Langa had been attempting the shortcut to his classes that the GPS suggested, but so far it had made his walk at least ten minutes longer than usual. Which then led him to a street he was wholly unfamiliar with, leaving him stranded with only his measly GPS for company. 

It was probably the most eventful morning Langa had had in a while. Which is why it took him a moment to register the giant snowboard shaped sign he was passing by. He did a double take, squinting up at it against the sun. 

No, it wasn’t a snowboard, Langa noted in disappointment, which was quickly replaced by curiosity. It was a skateboard. More precisely, written on the skateboard sign was Crazy Rock Cafe in graffiti like letters. There was a small wooden sign near the door with little skateboard doodles, claiming a buy one get one free deal on all pastries, today only. 

With the promise of two treats for the price of one (or maybe four for the price of two…), Langa decided he could use the small pick me up coffee provided before resuming the trek to class, and he swung the door open with a small flourish. 

Langa didn’t know what he had been expecting, but he figured he shouldn’t have been surprised at the music playing from the speakers, the volume quiet but the tone of the song upbeat and rowdy. Colors exploded in his vision, and it took Langa a moment to recenter himself. 

It was more vibrant than any cafe he had been to before, hand-painted skateboards hanging on the wall, and soft looking couches with paint splatters that may or may not have been accidental. The coffee tables looked like upside down skating ramps, while the windows were circular and surrounded with fairy lights that probably turned on in the evening. It would probably look gorgeous. The scent of coffee beans was minimal, but still identifiable. The thing that caught his attention the most, though, was the mural painted on the right side wall. 

It took up most of the wall, unique patterns on the letters S and K, as well as the infinity symbol next to it. It took Langa a moment to realize it was meant to be a pun on SK8, and the longer he stared, the more details he noticed, like the small board in the corner, or the special gears, or the small purple and green cat, everything displayed on the purple wall. It was probably the brightest thing Langa had ever seen. 

He didn’t realize he had drifted away from the door, already up at the counter. He hadn’t even noticed if there had been a line. 

Langa’s eyes shifted to the barista in front of him, and oh, maybe the mural wasn’t the brightest thing in the room after all. 

The boy's hair was a pile of bright red curls, held back by a navy blue headband, and he grinned at Langa, dimples and all. His cheeks were lightly dusted with freckles, and his eyes glittered with amusement. The hoodie he wore was rolled up to his elbows and bright black, a pink shirt pulled over it, which should’ve clashed with his hair, but it made him fit right in with the creative chaos of the rest of the shop. 

“It’s a lot, isn’t it?” the boy said, and a quick flicker to his nametag told Langa that his name was Reki, (he/him) . 

“Oh, yeah,” Langa nodded. “It’s all really pretty though.” 

Reki seemed to beam brighter, leaning forwards and onto the countertop. “Wanna know a secret?” he stage whispered, and Langa couldn’t resist leaning in a bit closer. “I painted that myself. A few of the boards, too.” 

“Woah,” Langa murmured, and he gave the boy a small smile. “That’s really cool.” 

Reki nodded in excitement, looking like he was about to buzz out of his skin. This would usually drain Langa of his people skills for the day, but on Reki, he found that he didn’t mind the energy. 

“It is! I love it. Do you skate?” he asked, leaning back and drumming his fingers on the counter. He spoke as if they were old friends, or classmates who happened to sit next to each other, not strangers in a cafe where a line was probably going to grow behind Langa at any moment. Langa almost felt the same. 

He shook his head. “Not really.” He held himself back from saying that he used to snowboard. 

Reki’s smile didn’t fade. “You should try it sometime. It’s fun, I swear! Especially with friends.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, you’re probably just here for some coffee. Or the buy one get one deal. What can I get you?” 

He seemed like he was trying to stay composed, Langa noticed, but his fingers were still tapping some imaginary rhythm that didn’t match the song playing overhead, and his amber eyes were still filled with a warmth that contrasted their surroundings, somehow. 

“Hm,” Langa considered, “I’ll take a large vanilla latte. With oat milk. And extra vanilla powder… and caramel drizzle.” 

Reki hummed as he beeped in the order. “Anything else?” 

Langa scanned the pastries list, his eye catching on every other thing that sounded good. He only had–his eyes shifted to his watch–fifteen minutes until class started. “A coffee cake and chocolate croissant, please,” he said, handing Reki the money for his order.

“Name for the order?” Reki asked, sharpie at the ready. 

“Langa.” 

“Langa…” Reki repeated, his voice rolling over the letters like they belonged there. 

And then Langa was ushered to the side, as a line had formed behind him as he was ordering. 

Langa watched Reki talk and take the customers orders until his name was called, and he walked over to collect his items before the staring creeped into awkward territory. 

As Langa opened the door and the bell rang, a voice shouted at him. 

“Bye, Langa! Hope to see you again soon!” 

Langa turned to the door as it shut in his face, watching Reki wave at him through the glass. Langa sent him a little wave, then ducked out of sight to take a sip of his coffee (and pray that his GPS would start working correctly). 

The coffee was warm and sweet, one of the better coffees he had tried in a long time. Langa decided leaving his house a bit earlier to stop at the cafe was worth it. For the coffee, of course. 

><><><><

The next time Langa visited wasn’t a day he had an early class, or any class at all. He had his bookbag that was almost overflowing with notes, his textbook and computer making the bag heavier than it had any right to be. The sign outdoors didn’t have the pastry special anymore, instead it was a deal for 30% off iced coffee. 

The cafe was more crowded than the last time he had been, but Reki’s hair was still visible behind the line of customers. He slid into line, tapping on his phone. He had originally had a tutoring session planned with Miya in the library, but he canceled for no reason other than he “didn’t feel like it,” and Langa didn’t want to push, so he packed up his things and made the small hike to the cafe instead. 

Reki was a fast worker, it seemed, because Langa was at the front of the line and Reki’s blinding grin in no time, his eyes lit up in recognition. 

“Hey! Langa right? Same thing as last time?” 

Langa hummed. “An iced coffee this time, please. The sweetest flavor you have.” His wallet would thank him for buying the 30% off option, especially if he planned on making these trips a regular occurrence. 

“Alrighty!” Reki said, writing his name on the plastic cup. The tip of his tongue poked out in concentration, and before Langa could think about how adorable he looked, Reki met his eyes again. “Anything else?” 

Langa shook his head, paying for his coffee and shuffling to the other side so the next person in line could order. 

He settled into a small table in the corner, one that wasn’t in the shape of a skating ramp, a circular window next to him. He took out the textbook and a pair of headphones, keeping one earbud out so he could hear his name when it was called. Langa was determined to finish this reading in one sitting, even if it took him hours. 

Langa had gotten through one and a half pages before a cup and plate of scones was placed next to him. He looked up, meeting Reki’s smiling face. Langa blinked. 

“I didn’t order those,” he said, eyes flickering over to the scones before they flicked back to Reki. He was still wearing the pink shirt over a black hoodie combo, a pink, purple, and blue pin right under his nametag. And, Langa noticed belatedly, he was holding another steaming cup of coffee. 

He didn’t know if he was imagining it, but he could’ve sworn Reki’s cheeks darkened just a bit. He fiddled with his hoodie sleeves. 

“Consider it on the house,” Reki said. 

“Thank you,” Langa replied, grabbing one of the scones and eating at least half of it in one bite. Reki let out a bark of laughter. Langa found he quite liked the sound. 

He was still standing there, Langa noticed. They made awkward eye contact, before Reki gave a peal of nervous laughter. 

“I should probably get going then, you know, limited break time and all–” 

“You should sit.” 

The words left Langa’s mouth before he could stop them, and Langa found he didn’t really mind. Maybe having someone next to him actually would help him focus more. Wasn’t that something? 

He hadn’t realized he had interrupted Reki until the other boy's mouth snapped shut. The awkward staring commenced once again, until Reki beamed at him, and any awkwardness that had been there was completely non-existent. 

“Yeah, sure dude,” he said. “Whatcha working on?” 

Langa passed the plate with the other scone across the table as he explained the context of the textbook. Reki winced at the amount of reading he had to get done, and laughed when Langa mentioned putting it off until the last moment. Reki countered with his own story of forgetting to do his own multiple choice homework, and ended up with a one hundred percent score when all he did was guess the answers before class. 

They stayed that way, exchanging anecdotes and jokes and ideas, until Reki apologized for taking up his time. They would sit for a bit in silence, sipping coffee and eating the last of the scones, until Reki remembered another hilarious story that Langa absolutely had to hear. 

He would only end up reading a paragraph at a time before this would happen but it was completely worth it to watch Reki’s eyes light up as he spoke, his body language so much more expressive than it was behind the counter. His hands moved with every word, bringing the story to life more than any person Langa had seen before. His leg jiggled under the table, which shook it slightly, but Langa didn’t mind. Most of the time he wasn’t reading anyway. 

The minimal work done was completely worth it to see a man with short brown hair throw a towel at the back of Reki’s head to tell him to get back to work, because his break had ended thirty minutes ago! 

Reki had rolled his eyes, stuck his tongue out at the person Langa assumed was the manager, before waving goodbye to Langa with a “see you soon!” 

He probably wasn’t going to get any more work done today, Langa noted, looking at the measly four pages he had read compared to the twenty he was supposed to have done by class tomorrow. His early class. 

Maybe he should get some reading done at home afterall.

But when Reki sent him off with a large smile and wave, and Langa waved back, Langa couldn’t bring himself to think he wasted any of his time. 

><><><><

“Hey Langa!” Reki greeted him with a smile, and Langa found himself grinning back. “What would you like today?” 

Langa had been to Crazy Rock Cafe a considerable amount of times. Every time, he ordered something different off the menu, even if that something different still had more sugar than the average birthday cake. He considered his options. He had a three hour lecture today, which would probably result in four more hours of studying, plus the studying he had to do for a test tomorrow (that he had procrastinated until the last second)... Well, the answer was a bit obvious. 

“The strongest drink on your menu.” 

Reki laughed, before he caught Langa’s expression and realized he wasn’t joking. “What, nothing sweet today?”

“Maybe a little sweet,” Langa nodded after a pause, and Reki pressed a few more buttons before grabbing a large cup. 

“An extra sweet espresso for an extra sweet customer, coming right up,” he winked, and maybe winking should be illegal now, because it sent weird flutters through Langa’s stomach.

He drifted over to the pick up counter, as he normally did, watching Reki as he worked. It was mesmerizing, really, the way he worked the machinery like it was easier than breathing, the soft tunes he would hum barely audible over the music speakers, but Langa heard it anyway. He wondered if this was how Reki acted when he was painting. Or maybe Reki was even more in his element, even more focused, maybe even happier. 

And then Reki’s bright red hair was in front of him, holding out a cup of coffee and a bag. Langa took the cup, but stared at the bag with a quizzical look. Reki sent him a sheepish smile. 

“It’s on the house again. Seems like you need a bit more of a pick me up than usual today, right?” Langa would be lying if he said he had forgotten about the first time Reki had given him a pastry for free. Or the second time. It still baffled him, it seemed, the way Reki could just tell if Langa needed an extra boost. Reki tapped the lip of his cup, startling Langa out of his thoughts. “And, y’know, just come back later today if you need a refill.” 

Langa looked down at the cup in his hand. Written in all caps with red marker were the words FREE REFILL FROM REKI KYAN <3, a small blob-like creature with a hale doodled next to it . Under that, though, was a pattern of numbers. 

“I don’t know if that’s how it works,” Langa said, a fond and giddy smile growing on his lips. 

Reki waved him off. “Psh, of course that’s how it works, trust me.” 

“Hm,” Langa replied, looking at the cup before looking back at Reki. “I trust you,” he said softly. 

Reki’s warm brown eyes widened and he ducked his head, nervous laughter escaping him. Langa could see the tips of his ears turn red. Langa had just been telling the truth though, hadn’t he? 

“C’mon, man…” Reki muttered, dragging his hand across his face before making eye contact again. “Thanks.” 

“That’s your number?” Langa asked, looking at the cup again, his fingers tracing the letters and the number and the doodle. 

“Well, I thought since we were friends and all now, we might as well get to know each other, you know, outside the cafe.” Reki’s smile was confident, but Langa could still see the hints of nervousness laced in it. 

“Yeah,” Langa replied. “We’re friends.” 

“Friends,” Reki repeated, and his grin was all confidence once again. 

Langa hummed in acknowledgement, taking a small sip of coffee to hide his burning cheeks. Some people couldn’t pull off a blush that was awkwardly patchy. But now it was Langa’s turn for his eyes to go wide. The coffee tasted different than usual, a taste Langa could only describe as warm that he hadn’t tasted in any of Reki’s coffees before. Something reminiscent of the hot chocolate he would drink with his dad after snowboarding, the kitchen filled with laughter and the scent of melting chocolate and something else. 

“That would be the cinnamon,” Reki answered Langa’s unasked question. And Langa thought, that’s what it is. “I, ah, thought you would like it. Usually I make your coffee with similar flavors, like vanilla or caramel or mocha, which I still did, but today I thought, why not add cinnamon, you’d probably like it and–” 

“Reki,” Langa cut off his rambling, meeting his eyes with something he hoped was a sincere smile. “I love it. It’s really good. Thank you.” 

Reki’s smile grew, his eyes sparkling with the praise, the realization that he was right about how Langa liked his drinks, he would always be right, and Langa realized he would do anything to keep that expression on his face. 

“Okay, weirdo,” Reki said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. A pinprick of warmth emanated from the small point of contact and Langa let out a helpless giggle, his cheeks warming up from something that most definitely was not the coffee. “Take your stuff and go, don’t be late!” Reki exclaimed, shoving the bag of pastries into Langa’s empty hand and turning him by the shoulders towards the door. 

“I’m going, I’m going,” Langa said, walking away, and Reki was completely draped over the counter, laughing and waving. “I’ll… See you later?” 

“See you later, Langa,” Reki replied. “Have a nice day!”

And the sentence was so simple, something he was told by strangers and friends alike, a common farewell. But coming from Reki, the words sounded like they were dipped in honey then covered in sunshine, soft and warm, meant for Langa’s ears only, heedless of the many patrons still around them. The world shrunk to just them, the words in the air floating along to the melody of the music overhead. It was achingly domestic, Langa realized, and he wanted to bask in this fleeting feeling forever, the words have a nice day striking him to his core again and again. 

Langa shook his head, and the moment fell away, welcoming back the quiet buzz of a cafe during the late morning hours. “You too,” he finally managed in a whisper, before the door shut behind him. 

If he didn’t pay attention to his lecture because he was too busy daydreaming about bright red hair and a dimpled laugh and cinnamon in his coffee, and of a certain number he would message right after class, studying be damned, and the brownie that Reki had given him being savored instead of immediately inhaled, that was nobody’s business but his own. 

><><><><

“I don’t know why we can’t just study in the library like usual,” Miya complained for the nth time, completely focused on the game in his hands instead of the street around them. Langa maneuvered them out of the way of a random person again. 

“Because I just like this place,” Langa replied, making another turn, having the route to the cafe memorized by heart. He could probably walk there in his sleep, if he was capable. And, if he was being completely honest, he probably knew his way to the cafe better than to his classes. 

Miya sent him a skeptical look, but quickly shifted his gaze back to his game. He let out a huff of disappointment, and one look at the screen showed Langa the “game over” sign. 

“We’re here,” Langa said, pushing the door to the cafe open, and he wasn’t sure if he correctly heard Miya mumble “no way” under their breath. 

“Langa!” Reki exclaimed, having ditched “hi” or “hey” in favor of just his name. It gave Langa butterflies, hearing his name come so joyfully from Reki’s mouth. 

“ No way, ” Langa was now sure that was what Miya had said, because he repeated it as he appeared at Langa’s elbow. 

Langa could almost hear Reki’s jaw drop. “ Miya ?” 

“ Slime !” Miya replied, almost accusingly, and Langa was very, very lost. 

Reki’s eyes slid to Langa. “How do you know Miya?” 

“How do you know Miya?” he replied, blinking. “I tutor them.” 

“He’s a regular annoyance,” Reki replied, deadpan, and Miya smacked Reki’s arm with the game device, earning him a loud “ Ouch ” in return. 

“Oh my fucking god,” Miya said, a mischevious cat-like grin on his face. And Langa didn’t have the heart to tell him to watch his language, because he didn’t like the look of it. He really didn’t like the knowing look he sent Langa. Maybe Langa had revealed a little too much about his secret crush on the cute barista at a very specifically themed cafe. 

But then Miya turned to Reki, their grin turned all the way up to level one hundred, and repeated, “Oh my god. So this is the guy you won’t stop going on and on abo–” 

Langa didn’t think he had ever seen someone throw themselves across a counter so quickly before, but Reki seemed like he was looking for the top score. He shoved his hands over Miya’s mouth, nervous high pitched laughter pouring out of him, and his cheeks had turned a dark shade Langa hadn’t seen on his face before. It suited him. Miya’s eyes still twinkled. 

“Ha! Good one Miya! Yes, I’ve definitely told you all about my very good friend, huh?”

“Yet neither of you mentioned each other's names,” Miya replied, his voice coming out muffled. 

Reki yelped, his hands ripping away from Miya’s mouth as he scrunched his face up in disgust, wiping his hands on his shirt. Langa laughed, and Reki sent him a glare that made his crack up again. 

“I have three sisters,” Reki mumbled, “you think I would be used to that.” 

“Well, don’t touch my face with your slime hands,” Miya humphed, and Reki reached over to ruffle Miya’s hair. 

And then he turned to Langa, his arm being swatted away by Miya. “I have the perfect drink for you,” he said, and Langa nodded. 

He turned to make the drink, and Miya complained loudly about why Langa got a drink made for him first when he hadn’t even ordered yet. Langa didn’t listen, too buddy watching Reki as he blended ingredients together and brewed the coffee. 

He felt a pointy elbow in his ribs. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Miya said, rolling their eyes. 

Langa frowned. “I see him almost everyday anyways, though.” He considered again. Maybe having some pictures of Reki on his phone that he had taken himself would actually be nice, and Langa was pretty sure Reki had some photos of him from the few times they had hung together outside the cafe. Langa was pretty sure Reki had one where Langa had somehow gotten ice cream on his forehead and in his hair. 

Langa had saved a few selfies Reki had sent him, too, pictures of the sunrise in the morning, and even prettier pictures of himself during sunset, the warm glow creating a halo around his red hair. Langa would send a few photos back, occasionally, mostly blurry, or with himself in the corner as he showed Reki something behind him. But having photos of Reki that he took himself felt more… Personal. Deliberate. Like they were making memories that were for Langa’s eyes and heart only. 

“Oh, barf ,” Miya said, interrupting Langa’s train of thought and the dreamy face he hadn’t known he was making. “I didn’t actually mean that. It’s an expression. Please don’t take random photos of Reki in public.” 

Yeah, Langa had definitely spoken a bit too much about Reki to Miya. His secret crush probably wasn’t so secret anymore. Langa stuck his tongue out at Miya, and Miya replied in kind, and then a loud laughter came from behind the counter. 

“Here’s your drink, Langa,” Reki said, eyes darting between the two of them in a way Langa decided to read as fond. His heart did a few somersaults at the thought of Reki looking at him fondly. 

“Let me pay first,” Langa said, reaching into his pocket, but Reki stopped him with a warm hand. 

“I didn’t put the order into the register for a reason. This one is just on me.” 

Langa missed the warmth from Reki’s hand as he pulled away, but when he reached over to grab the cup, their hands brushed in a way Langa knew he couldn’t have imagined. 

“Hellooo,” Miya drawled. “Third wheel, here. Can I order too?” 

“Fine,” Reki said, sliding over to the register. “What would you like?” Reki asked in an overly sweet customer service voice. 

“Don’t I get a free drink too?” Miya complained, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.

“Nope,” Reki replied, popping the P. “Best friend privileges only,” he said as he met Langa’s eyes from over Miya’s head, and Reki smiled at him in a way that warmed him from the inside out. Langa smiled back. 

Miya muttered something that Langa couldn’t hear, but he could see the way Reki’s face heated up before he whacked Miya’s head lightly. Miya hissed as Reki laughed, sticking his tongue out. 

“Don’t be a menace, Miya,” Langa spoke up, and Reki’s laughter doubled when Miya sent him a betrayed look. 

“Yeah, Miya, don’t be a menace,” Reki mimicked, cackling, and Miya started yelling something about favoritism, but Langa was too happy sipping his coffee and watching Reki laugh to care. 

><><><><

Reki wasn’t behind the counter. 

Langa tried to hold back his disappointment. It wasn’t like he expected Reki to be working every time he visited (he did). It was mostly luck that he came in while Reki was working, and even if he wasn’t, he was easily visible in a crowd with his bright red hair. Langa was pretty sure Reki had memorized Langa’s before class visits already (every other day, at eight in the morning before his eight thirty class). Today wasn’t an eight o’clock day.

He shuffled over to a table in the corner, taking out his phone to distract himself from the pile of work he had waiting for him at home. Ordering coffee wasn’t the same if Reki wasn’t the one making it. 

But then Langa heard an oh so familiar laughter, and Reki was coming out from the backroom door, a skateboard under his arm. He was wearing a yellow hoodie instead of a black one under the usual pink shirt. He had his phone in his hands, trying to type something while also making sure the board didn’t fall, before he felt someone’s eyes on him and looked up. His face lit up as he spotted Langa. Langa assumed a similar expression was mirrored on his face. 

“Langa!” Reki greeted in the enthusiastic way he always said his name, bounding over to him. “I was just about to message you, actually. I’m off today, someone took over my shift.” 

“Really?” 

Reki nodded rapidly and grinned. “Do you wanna hang out? Unless you have studying to do?” 

Langa did have studying to do. “Let’s hang out,” he said instead, already standing up from the chair, and he let Reki grab his wrist and pull him out of the cafe and into the sunny streets. 

Reki skated as slowly as possible while Langa walked next to him, Reki talking about projects and job hours and how his family had been. He mentioned something about how his mom was teaching him to cook, and Langa embarrassingly admitted that he had burned the grilled cheese he tried to make for breakfast this morning. Reki laughed so hard he almost fell off the skateboard, catching himself on Langa’s shoulder. 

“Okay, so, the cafe doesn’t have a workshop, you know?” Reki was saying. “So I just make and paint them at home. It takes a lot of time but it’s so worth it, you know? Every board in there is usable. I’ve tested them all myself!” Reki puffed up his chest. 

“You make them yourself?” Langa asked in wonder. “I only thought you painted them. That’s amazing, Reki.” 

Reki’s pride turned into bashfulness. “Yeah, well, sometimes I use them as projects for my art class. I don’t really like being told what to do, but putting my own spin on it?” Reki sighed. “It’s fun to challenge myself.” 

“You’re an art major?” Langa asked, steering Reki around a corner he wasn’t paying attention to, hand on the small of his back. 

“Nah,” Reki said, shaking his head. “Business major. Art minor. It’s okay, I guess, but it’s part of my dream, you know? I want to take over the cafe when I’m older. Oka taught me some basics in high school, but I needed to know more. So, business major.” 

“You’ve been working at the cafe since high school?” Langa asked. His hand had moved from the small of Reki’s back to his arm, letting Reki cruise next to him instead of kicking off every few seconds. 

“Yep!” Reki grinned. 

“Wow,” Langa breathed. “That’s amazing.” 

Reki looked away, but Langa pulled his arm so he would look down at him instead. Reki was a bit taller than him on the board, and his red curls brushed Langa’s forehead lightly. Reki let out an airy giggle, shaking his head. 

“Thanks, man. It’s really nothing. I just love my job, you know?” 

Langa shrugged, looking at the path in front of them. “I’m still undecided. No clue what to do after college.” He hummed. “I’ll figure something out.” 

Reki stepped off the board, and Langa’s hand fell from his arm. It didn’t last long, as a second later Langa felt a hand slip itself into his and squeeze. He turned back to Reki, who was wearing a comforting smile. It didn’t feel like the pitying smile adults would give him after he told them this. It felt like something more. 

They walked in a comfortable silence, Reki’s board back under his arm, their hands not breaking away from each other. Reki’s palm was warm, maybe too warm, since he was wearing a hoodie while the sun was beating down on them. When Langa squeezed his hand again, Reki squeezed back. 

“You should visit soon,” Reki broke the silence. “My workshop, I mean. It’s really cool I think.” He still moved his hands as he spoke, bringing Langa’s arm along for the ride. “Hey! Maybe you can test out some boards! See if you like it!” 

Langa laughed, nodding. “I’d love that Reki,” he said, smiling at the other boy. 

Reki’s grin widened, turning giddy, and Langa found that saying yes was possibly the best decision of his life. 

“Let’s go do something fun ,” Reki insisted, and then their joined hands were being used to pull Langa through the streets, weaving around any people they encountered. “How about lunch?” 

Lunch sounded amazing to Langa. Reki laughed at the look on his face. 

“C’mon, I know a great place. Outdoor seating and everything!”

“Crazy Rock Cafe should have outdoor seating,” Langa mentioned, and Reki nodded. 

“We should, shouldn’t we?” He smiled. “I’ll bring it up to Oka! Do you think we could have, like, paint splatters on the umbrellas? Oh! Or, or, listen to this, skateboard shaped bench!” 

Langa laughed and nodded along, their hands swinging between them, exchanging ideas with Reki, until their conversation drifted into other topics and the sun started to set on the horizon hours later. 

Langa didn’t get much studying done that day. Or any at all. 

><><><><

The event poster was plastered to the glass door of Crazy Rock Cafe, all bright colors and filled with excitement. Langa opened the door and was met with the loud buzz of a crowd, laughing children and adults and students alike. 

The tables had been rearranged to make one giant table, couches and chairs pulled up to it. People were already painting their own boards, getting paint all over the tables and floor, adding even more splatters to the couch. Coffee and pastries were being ordered rapidfire, and Langa watched Reki and some other volunteers rush around behind the counter. 

When Langa caught Reki’s eye, he grinned, vaulting over the counter and throwing his arms around Langa. Before he had time to react, Reki was already pulling away and speaking. 

“Dude! I’m so glad you’re here! We need all the help we can get. Thank you so much!” He squeezed Langa’s shoulders, then pulled him around the counter and handed him a pink shirt. “Put this on, and I’ll help teach you the basics, it’s really easy. All you have to do is bag up whatever treats they order. ‘Kay?”

Langa pulled the shirt over his head and nodded. He had agreed to help Reki with the cafe's paint your own skateboard fundraiser a few days back, after helping come up with the idea (Reki insisted, but really it was Reki doing most of the talking, speaking to him so fast that Langa could hardly catch a word, writing in his notebook so fast he thought it was going to catch on fire. But Langa loved watching Reki talk about his passions, and if Reki was making Langa take partial credit for the idea, so be it.) He had come in to help with the set up the day before, and now, it all seemed to be coming together, the cafe being busier than even Reki anticipated. Langa smiled. He was happy for him. 

Reki grinned back, holding his hand out for a fist bump. Langa hit it with his own, making a tiny explosion sound that made Reki giggle. And then they were off, weaving around the area as they took in orders. 

“It broke my heart that I had to buy boards instead of making them, but that’s too many, you know?” Reki spoke as he made a coffee, and Langa yelled out an order name before nodding at him in response. “Oka had to go out to buy more boards and paint, if you can believe it.”

“Everyone looks like they’re having fun,” Langa remarked, watching as some kid devoured a cupcake with their hands still covered in paint, getting frosting all over their face that the mom wiped away with a napkin. It made him miss his own mom. He would have to call her again soon. 

“Yeah,” Reki sighed giddily, “they’re having fun. ” He turned to Langa. “I’m so happy right now.” 

And Langa sent him a soft smile in return, pressing their shoulders together, until new orders were being given to them and they had to rush back into the fray. 

It was only hours later that Langa got to catch his breath, after watching different people come in and out of the cafe, for the event or just for a fix of coffee. The cafe was closing, and all the volunteers had trickled out, wishing them a good night. 

Oka threw the keys at Reki before he left. “Have fun, kid,” he said, winking. “Don’t forget to close up!”

So they were alone, picking up the last remnants of crumbs and paint on the floor. 

“What do we do with the tarp?” Langa asked, gesturing towards the paint covered thing on the tables. 

“Well…” Reki started, “I have a little surprise for you, actually.” 

Langa looked at him in surprise, eyebrows raised. Reki rushed into the backroom, then came out with two plain skateboards. He was grinning sheepishly. 

“I was thinking we could paint our own boards. I know you might not actually learn soon and I didn’t even make these ones but I thought it would be fun and… Yeah.” Reki bit his lip, holding out one of the boards, and Langa had never wanted to kiss somebody so badly before. 

Langa took the deck from him, running his fingers over the wood instead of through Reki’s hair. He smiled. “Thanks, Reki.” 

“Anytime, man. Now let’s go! These boards won’t paint themselves!” 

They both sat down, their legs and shoulders pressed together. Langa didn’t know where to start. He grabbed the light blue paint. That seemed good enough, didn’t it?

Reki seemed to know exactly what he was doing, grabbing the purple and making strokes all over the board. Langa watched him, slightly mesmerized. He was right. Watching Reki paint was even more beautiful than watching him make coffee. 

“You’re staring,” Reki said eventually, laughing as he tapped Langa’s nose. “Work on your own board!”

Langa huffed, staring at the blue paint in his hands. 

“Hey,” Reki said, noticing the expression on Langa’s face. “Just—go for it. Paint. Even if it looks like shit, you know?” Reki held up his own board. “I have no clue what I’m doing. I’m just painting.”

Langa nodded, looking at the paint with scrunched eyebrows. Then he turned the bottle over and squeezed out the contents. Before he could think anymore, he reached out to spread it with his hands. Reki’s surprised bark of laughter was worth it. 

“Now your hands match your hair,” he laughed, and Langa laughed back, still spreading the light blue paint over the board. He was pretty sure most of the paint was on his hands, though. 

“I need to redye it,” Langa mentioned. “You can see the roots.” Reki tilted his head up to see the aforementioned dark roots. 

“I think it’s charming,” Reki replied, and Langa felt his cheeks warm. 

The blue on his hands reminded him of the sky after it snowed, and reminded him of the hills he would climb with his dad right before they went sliding back down, and he found himself saying “I used to snowboard.” 

Reki’s jaw dropped, his eyes lighting up. “Dude! Really? That’s so cool .” 

Langa laughed at his pun, nodding. “Yeah. With my dad. I, ah, stopped though.” 

Reki seemed to catch onto Langa’s wistful tone, and he put his hand on Langa’s shoulder. His hand brushed Langa’s hair, and then Reki was reaching up to twirl the strands around his finger. “You guys were close?”

“The closest,” Lange murmured, and it had been so long since he talked about his dad, since he talked about Oliver with someone who wasn’t his mom. “I stopped snowboarding after he died.” Reki hummed and pressed their knees even closer together, letting Langa continue if he wanted, or giving him an out if he wanted to stop. 

“I think… I’d like to try skateboarding, though,” he continued. He looked up at Reki with a smile. “Someone I care about loves it, so… Maybe I can share that, too.” 

Reki’s arms were around Langa’s neck in an instant, squeezing him tightly. “Thank you for sharing this with me,” he whispered, and Langa squeezed back, heedless of the blue handprints he was getting on Reki’s back.

“So,” Reki said when they pulled away, “I think it’s my turn with the finger painting, don’t you think?” Langa laughed as Reki grabbed the bottle of red paint and squeezed it over his hand. He sent Langa a devilish grin. 

He brought his hand up, and it came crashing back down, landing on the board with a splat, some of the paint flying onto their clothes. Langa laughed, his shoulders shaking. Reki laughed with him. 

Langa grabbed more paint to spread over his hands, but instead of putting it on top of the skateboard, he made a mark on Reki’s shirt instead. 

“Wha–hey!” Reki spluttered. “No fair!”

And then red hands were in Langa’s vision, until it wasn’t, and something cold was dripping down his cheeks. Reki was cackling, wheezing something about how the paint was covering Langa’s moles, but he was interrupted by Langa spreading purple paint down his arm. 

Reki glared at him. Langa didn’t budge, smiling at Reki. 

“You are on, Hasegawa,” Reki muttered, and the next few minutes were a whirlwind of paint, chairs being knocked over, and their boards only getting completed because of the amount of paint they were throwing around. 

They eventually had to catch their breaths, laughing as they leaned against the counter, covered head to toe in paint. Langa was pretty sure there was some yellow in his hair, and Reki’s pink shirt didn’t look very pink anymore. 

“Oh, man, ” Reki wheezed. We’re gonna have to clean this place up again.”

Langa laughed, carefree and light. He was happier now than he had been in a long while. Maybe Reki could tell, because he looked at Langa and laughed back. 

“We have to finish our boards, though,” Langa said, walking over to them. 

“I think they’re finished enough, now,” Reki said, but Langa shook his head. He had an idea. 

“Gimme your hand,” he said to Reki, and Reki complied immediately. 

Langa squeezed what was left of the blue paint onto his hand, then pressed both their hands together. He tried not to think about how warm it was, how it would feel to intertwine their fingers (again), looking anywhere but at Reki’s face. Then, he pressed each of their hands to Langa’s board. Reki stayed silent, but Langa heard a quiet gasp come from the other boy. 

He repeated the steps with their other hands, using the red paint instead of blue, and their hands slowly gravitated back towards each other, like a magnet, the red and blue on their palms mixing together, above the other dried paint. 

There was silence, until it was broken by Reki’s breathy laughter. “ Langa ,” he said, “I love it.” 

Langa looked at Reki, freckles covered in paint, smiling so hard his dimples were prominent, his hair coming loose from the headband and covering his eyes just enough that it was fall back out of place every time he tried to blow it away, his warm hand intertwined with Langa’s own like it belonged there, and he thought, I love you. 

><><><><

The rain was coming down heavily as Langa threw open the familiar doors of the cafe. Reki turned to him with a grin before seeing the state Langa was in, his hair and clothes dripping water onto the floor. 

“Jeez, dude!” Reki exclaimed, rushing over the counter. “Where’s your umbrella?” 

Langa shrugged. “I forgot it,” he mumbled, and Reki huffed out a laugh. 

“Man just–wait, okay, I think I have an extra hoodie in the back somewhere, yeah? Come with me.”

“But what about–” Langa started, but a quick look around the cafe told him it was completely empty. 

“Yeah,” Reki laughed, pushing Lange through the staff door. “Not many people coming by in this weather, you psycho.”

As Reki scoured the back of the room, Langa took out his phone. There wasn’t much, just a good morning message from his mom, that he swiftly replied back to, and an email from his teacher.  

Langa’s heart did a complicated dance as he read it. His classes were canceled for the day due to the extreme weather. Langa opened his mouth to tell Reki exactly that, until a loud alert buzzing came from both of their phones. 

Reki looked at Langa, a dark blue hoodie and towel in his arms, as Langa clicked on the notification. 

“‘Severe weather warning,’” he read outloud, “‘due to the rain, it is advised that everyone within the area remain indoors…’”

Reki sucked in a harsh breath. “That doesn’t sound very good.” He walked over to Langa handing him the hoodie, before draping the towel over Langa’s head and ruffling it. “There, you dry off while I close up shop.” 

Langa lifted the towel so he could see. “I should go back home,” Langa started, “get a head start on studying and–”

 “No way!” Reki yelled, shaking his head. “Did you not read correctly? You’ve gotta stay indoors!”

“But–” 

“Ah-bup-bup-bup,” Reki said, a grin playing on his face. “We are staying inside where it is nice and cozy, not out there where it is cold and rainy.” 

Langa grumbled as Reki pushed past him and out the door, drying his arms and legs. He took off the shirt, drying himself off before letting the hoodie fall over his shoulders. It was a bit too broad and maybe would’ve been too short, but it was fluffy and warm and made Langa’s stomach swoosh. Slowly, Langa brough the material up to his nose, taking a deep breath. It smelled like Reki. 

There was a knock on the door, before it was pushed open. “I’m gonna make some coffee for us!” he exclaimed, and his eyes caught onto the hoodie. They stared for a moment, Reki looking like he was about to say something more, and Langa tilted his head at him. “I have a hair tie somewhere if you need it that’s all okay bye,” he said in a mad rush, and the door slammed behind him once again. Langa thought he heard a thump against it on the other side.

What was that about?

Langa slowly opened the door again, where Reki was preparing the coffee machines. There was a crack of lightning, and a loud rumble of thunder that made Langa feel like the world was shaking.

“How has your day been?” Langa asked, and the look Reki sent him was indecipherable, his brown eyes wide and sparkling. 

And then Reki grinned, and it made the rainstorm outside seem nonexistent. 

“It’s, like, eight in the morning, Langa,” Reki said. “The only person crazy enough to go out when it’s been raining all night is you.” 

Langa tried to frown, but it came out as more of a pout. “I was hoping to try skating with you, again,” Langa muttered. “After class.” 

Reki opened his mouth to respond, but then the coffee machine beeped, distracting him from whatever thought he was about to voice. 

They were both silent as Reki prepared the coffee, and Langa sat up on the counter, his feet grazing the floor. Reki finished, then handed Langa a ceramic mug that he didn’t know the cafe had in stock. He sat on the counter with Langa, legs swinging, and it made him feel warmer than the coffee in his hands. 

“I would’ve liked that, you know,” Reki started. “You’ve been improving a lot since we started.” He nudged Langa’s shoulder, laughing, and Langa sent him a half hearted glare when his drink sloshed. “You’re a natural!”

Langa just shook his head, shoving Reki back. He yelped when part of his drink actually spilled over the edge of the cup, onto his hand and the floor. Langa laughed, and Reki groaned. 

“Now I have to clean this,” Reki complained, jumping off the counter. Langa mourned the warmth of Reki by his side, and pulled the hoodie over his hands to make up for it, taking a sip of perfectly sweet coffee. With cinnamon. Always with cinnamon. 

“I’ve never seen you use these for the cafe,” Langa remarked as Reki mopped up the small spill, holding up his mug. Reki’s was bright red, with a multitude of skateboard types painted all over it. Langa’s mug was an array of colors, weaving together in a pattern that popped off of the ceramic. 

“Oh,” Reki breathed, his cheeks coloring. “Well, they’re not really for the public?” Langa peered at him from over the rim of the drink, curious. “I collect mugs. I, ah, ran out of space at home, so I brought some here.” 

“Really?” Langa said, tightening his grip on the mug. “Thank you for letting me use it, then.” 

“Oh, dude, it’s nothing. I have–heh–a lot.”  

Langa hummed. “Thanks anyway.” 

There was another crash of thunder, and the lights overhead flickered before coming back on. Reki’s face was suddenly one of concern, and Langa wanted to smooth over the crease in his brows. 

“That doesn’t sound too good,” Langa said, and Reki nodded. 

He walked out from behind the counter, locking the door and flipping the sign to closed. 

“I probably should’ve done that sooner,” Reki said, and when the lightning flashed, it lit Reki up in a way that Langa’s only thought was, Beautiful. 

Reki retreated back to his spot next to Langa, and this time neither of them knocked the other’s arms. Langa let out a small sigh, though, leaning against Reki until his head was resting on the other boy's own. 

“Langa?” Reki asked from under him, and Langa let out a small hum of acknowledgement. “You good?” 

“Just tired,” Langa mumbled, which was true. He loved drifting off to sleep with the sound of rain, even if it wasn’t as silent as a gentle snowfall. Even the caffeine and sugar weren’t helping, and the warmth of Reki and his hoodie wasn’t doing him any favors either. 

“Oh,” Reki said, and he sounded so sad that Langa didn’t know what to do with it. “Sorry. I know you probably don’t want to stay locked in here with me when you got the day off, but–” 

Langa stopped his train of thought immediately, pulling away only slightly as he grabbed Reki’s free hand, meeting his eyes. “I’m glad I get to spend time with you,” he said, and Langa hoped that it was enough to convey what he was feeling. 

“Oh,” Reki said again, but this time it sounded more like a sigh of relief. His cheeks were red, and he was grinning dopily up at Langa. “Okay, cheeseball.” But Reki’s hand tightened, as if Langa would even dare pull away. 

Their ankles swung together until Reki shifted slightly, linking them, and Langa couldn’t have felt happier. Reki leaned on Langa’s shoulder, and Langa let his head fall against Reki’s soft hair, inhaling the scent of his hibiscus shampoo. 

They stayed like that for a while, and the only sound to be heard in the colorful cafe was the rain pounding against the roof and their soft, slow breathing. 

“I feel like I’m about to fall over,” Reki said as he finished off the rest of his coffee, which Langa had done long ago. “Like, I’ll lean back and bit and boom, we both go crashing to the floor.” 

Langa felt a hypothetical light bulb go off in his brain, and slowly slid off the counter. Reki made a sound in the back of his throat, but Langa was back in front of him in an instant, his arms wrapping around Reki’s waist and head buried in his shoulder. 

“Oh my god,” Reki laughed, and Langa burrowed deeper when thunder sounded. 

“I’m your seatbelt,” Langa said, voice muffled, and Reki laughed harder. 

His hands slowly lifted to Langa’s hair, brushing through the freshly dyed blue. Reki had helped. “Thank you, my knight in shining armor,” he joked. 

“Anything for you,” Langa said, his voice so quiet that he was sure he only mouthed them. 

The way Reki’s hands stilled told Langa otherwise. Langa lifted his head from Reki’s shoulder, and they were so, so close, it made Langa’s pulse speed up. Reki’s brown eyes were concentrated, the gears in his brain turning. 

And then their noses were brushing, foreheads almost pressed together. Reki’s hands had drifted down to Langa’s shoulders, and he squeezed. Langa squeezed Reki’s hoodie in return. 

“Please tell me I’m not reading this wrong,” he whispered, barely audible over the howling wind outside, his breath ghosting over Langa’s lips. 

“I don’t think you are,” Langa replied, equally silent, and his eyes darted down, lingered, before he met Reki’s hopeful ones once again. 

“Okay,” Reki said, and then his hands were bunched up in the fabric of the hoodie Langa had burrowed, and they were finally kissing. 

Reki still tasted like the coffee he had brewed, a little less sweet than Langa usually took it, but it made him feel warmer by the second. Reki’s hands had loosened, and Langa let himself get lost in the kiss, the weather outside fading until all he heard was Reki, all he felt was Reki, and all of him was taken over by the beautiful boy in front of him. 

When they pulled apart, Reki’s eyes were still closed, and a smile was taking over his face. Langa was obligated to place a kiss on his grinning lips. And then on his dimples. And every single freckle he could.

Reki’s eyes fluttered open with a laugh, and he leaned forwards to kiss Langa again, too. On his lips, on his moles, on the bump at the bridge of his nose. And then they were both laughing, kissing in between giggles and snorts. Langa nuzzled into Reki’s neck when he threw his head back to laugh, and Reki flinched, screaming, “That tickles!”  

Langa just laughed, and Reki complained about that tickling, too, but he sounded happy. 

“Now do you see why I wanted to spend the day with you?” Langa asked, shifting up to press their foreheads together. 

Reki hummed, fake thinking for a moment. “It’s not the rain, is it?” 

Langa snorted, pressing another kiss to Reki’s cheek. “Nope.” 

“You’re embarrassing, actually,” Reki moaned, burying his face in his hands. “Terrible and embarrassing.” 

Langa pulled Reki’s hands away from his face, placing a kiss on each palm and watching the way Reki’s already face bloomed into something even brighter. “And you’re terribly adorable.” 

Reki glared, but it gave way to a smile when Langa kissed his nose again. Langa’s head fell against Reki’s shoulder once again, and he grinned when Reki placed a kiss on his head. 

“So you wanted to spend the day with me because…?” 

“Because you’re Reki,” Langa said, and even if he couldn’t see it, he could feel the smile Reki had on his face. He pressed a kiss to the side of Reki’s neck, and as Langa squeezed him tighter, when Reki kissed him again and again, whispering loving words and jokes for their ears only, Langa realized there was nowhere he would rather be than in the cafe, rained in and in love. 

><><><><

Langa walked into the cafe, his eyes covered with a blindfold. And his boyfriend's hands. 

“I don’t get why I need the blindfold if you’re just going to walk behind me,” Langa said, and Reki shushed him. 

“‘Cause it’s a surprise!” And then Reki’s warm hands were gone, his voice echoing, “wait!” 

There was the sound of footsteps, and then shuffling, and even more footsteps that came to a stop in front of him. 

“Okay,” Reki said. “You can take off the blindfold.”

And Langa did so, letting the fabric fall to the floor. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the blue thing Reki was holding, and then his eyes widened in realization. Reki grinned, and Langa stared in shock. 

“I think this was overdue,” he said, holding it out. “I made it. It might not be perfect, and we’ll have to make some adjustments for sure, but…” 

Langa slowly took the skateboard from Reki’s arms. Painted on it was a yeti, a close up of its face with its arms held up high. His fingers traced over every brush stroke, and he imagined Reki staying up, painting this for him, and it made his heart ache.

“Do you like it?” Reki said, and Langa’s head whipped up. How could he do anything but love it? 

“It’s amazing,” he whispered. “I love it. Thank you.” 

Reki’s grin became blinding again, but that was okay, because Langa was used to looking at the sun. 

“Good,” Reki said, walking over to the other side of the cafe. The mural was covered with a gray tarp, something Langa hadn’t noticed. “Because I did a little something.” 

And then the tarp was being ripped off. Included in the mural now was a small yeti, munching on part of the infinity symbol in the bottom right corner. Langa blinked, and Reki kicked his feet. 

“Um, I usually paint things that remind me of friends here,” Reki said. “Miya’s up there. The S and K are some old friends too… You should meet them soon.” He was rambling, but Langa was still staring, his fingers hovering over the new paint. “I thought it was about time I put you up there. It was long overdue. ‘Cause I love you, you know.” 

Langa turned to Reki, and Reki’s eyes widened. “Dude–what’s wrong?” 

“Huh?” Langa asked, and wiped at his face. He didn’t realize his eyes were watering. He smiled and shook his head, as softly as he could at Reki. “I just. I love you, too.” 

Reki’s arms were around him in an instant, and Langa really didn’t want to drop his board, but he lifted and spun Reki around anyway, laughter filling the early morning air. 

“I love you so much,” Langa repeated, and Reki laughed, squishing Langa’s cheeks. “So much,” Langa said again, his voice muffled. 

“I love you ,” Reki sing-songed, booping Langa on the nose. 

“You’re so talented,” Langa continued, and watched as Reki’s cheeks burned. “At skateboarding, and painting, and you’re really good with kids, and you’re the best at making my coffee, and–” 

Reki cut him off with a kiss, and Langa laughed into it. 

“Stop it,” Reki chided when he pulled away, but his eyes were sparkling, and he looked anything but put off. 

Langa pulled him back for another hug, and when Reki squeezed him back, he whispered, “Thank you.” 

“Anything for you,” Reki replied, and Langa had never felt this warm.