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“I’m home,” Langa announced as she walked through the door. She was just getting back from a long Saturday of skating with Reki, so she was in pretty high spirits, even humming softly to herself as she took her ponytail out.
“Oh, hi, honey,” Nanako glanced away from the stove for a second. “I’m just finishing up with dinner!”
As she served food for the two of them she felt herself start to grin. “It’s nice to see you so happy these days.”
Langa made a noncommittal sound in response as she ate.
“I know it’s been hard ever since… that, but I’m glad you’ve been able to start socializing.” Nanako continued. “Oh, yeah, how is your girlfriend, by the way?”
Langa froze, a spoon halfway to her mouth. “My what?”
Nanako frowned. “Your girlfriend? Reki?” She heard a strangled sound similar to that of a cat having water dumped onto it, so she looked up from her meal to see her daughter flushed bright red.
Langa excused herself from the table without saying a word, leaving her mom dumbfounded.
Did I say something wrong?
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Langa walked up to her room in a daze, with her thoughts muddled around her.
Reki… Girlfriend…
Once she arrived in her room, she shut the door quietly and sat on her bed, still feeling dizzy.
SHE THINKS THAT REKI IS MY GIRLFRIEND????????
Langa’s face was still burning, although she’d never been someone easily flustered. She flopped on her belly and kicked her feet out, burying her face into a pillow in an attempt to cool down.
Is Reki my girlfriend? I don’t think so. I mean, we don’t go on dates or act like couples do in movies.
…
…Do I want Reki to be my girlfriend?
This change in train of thought had Langa abruptly sitting up, still grasping the pillow like it’s her only lifeline.
To be honest… I wouldn't hate it. I’d like to even marry her if I could. But we’re already best friends so maybe that’s just a platonic I-want-to-spend-my-whole-life-with-you feeling? What sets apart romantic feelings and platonic ones?
She brainstormed for a minute, rocking from side to side.
Maybe… Kissing?
Langa’s face, which had been cooled off for some time now, was on fire yet again. Kissing Reki actually sounded wonderful. But… that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Friends kiss each other all the time. Like Cherry and Joe, for example.
She contemplated some more, this time rocking back and forth.
Okay, yeah, I definitely have a crush on Reki.
Having finally come to this realization, Langa quietly left her room and went back downstairs.
“Mom,” Langa tapped on her shoulder, indicating that she should pause the show she was watching. “I have something to tell you.”
Nanako looked up at her, a million worst-case scenarios flooding her brain.
Please don’t be drugs…
“I’m gay.”
Nanako blinked. Once. Twice. She felt a laugh welling up in her throat. Langa stared at her mom, stunned at this reaction.
“Oh,” Nanako was barely suppressing her giggles. “Oh, honey, I know.”
Langa’s brow furrowed. “How…?”
“It’s just a fundamental law of the universe, I guess,” she thought for a moment longer. “Y’know… gravity, inertia, and my daughter likes girls.”
“I’m leaving.”
“WAIT LANGA DON’T GO I’M SORRY,” Nanako panicked. “I’M ACTUALLY SUPER SURPRISED THAT YOU’RE A LESBIAN I SWEAR!!!!!”
The door slammed behind Langa.
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Langa hadn’t had a destination decided on, she had only wished to escape the awkward atmosphere in her home, and yet there she was, at Reki’s door. She stared at it for a minute, mildly disoriented, before knocking. The door was opened by who Langa remembered as Reki’s sister, Koyomi.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said. “REKI, LANGA’S HERE!!”
A blur of red and yellow flashed down the stairs and appeared in the doorway, shoving Koyomi aside. “Hey, Langa!” Reki was breathing heavily.
“I’m in love with you.”
“...Huh,” the woman was too stunned to speak. “...HUH????????”
Langa repeated, “I am in love with you.”
“I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME,” Reki blurted, her cheeks burning in the color of cherries. She glanced at her younger sisters, who had all gathered to gawk at them. “Uh, let’s talk in my room.” She grabbed Langa’s hand automatically, face flushed almost redder than her hair at this point, and tugged her upstairs.
Once they were in the safety of Reki’s bedroom, Langa said again, “I’m in love with you.”
“Gah, I’m never gonna get used to you saying that!” Reki exclaimed, collapsing onto her bed.
Langa sat next to her, “Would you prefer for me to say ‘I like you’ or ‘I adore you’ or—”
“NONE OF THAT! LANGA, PLEASE, YOU’RE KILLING ME!”
Langa looked away, “Do you not like the fact that I have feelings for you?”
Reki jerked upright, “What? No, I love it! I just wasn’t expecting it at all and it’s all so overwhelming!” She rushed to correct the other girl.
“Does that mean that,” Langa fixed her gaze upon Reki once again. “You like me, too?”
Reki hesitated and then nodded her head, avoiding Langa’s attempted eye contact. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she managed to get the words out, “When did you realize you liked me?”
“Today.”
“What.”
“Yeah, about,” Langa thought for a minute, “about forty-five minutes ago. How long have you liked me?”
“...Pretty much since we first met,” Reki muttered, her heart felt like it was trashing all over the place, which was pretty much what Reki wanted to do in that moment, but she limited herself to bouncing her leg and tapping her fingers.
“Hey,” Langa began. “Can I…” her voice wavered as she brought her hand up to cup Reki’s cheek. “Can I kiss you?”
Reki just about died. “Uh huh,” she managed to respond. She closed her eyes expectantly.
…
After a couple beats of nothing she opened her eyes slightly to squint at her friend (girlfriend?). “Uhm, Langa?”
“Ah, sorry I just, uh, don’t really know how to do this,” Langa admitted. “Could you help me out a bit?”
“I mean i’ve never done this kind of thing either but I guess we kind of bring our, uhm, lips together? I think I read online that we have to tilt our heads a bit…”
Langa tipped her head to the side as instructed, “Where did you see that online?”
“I just stumbled across it by accident, hahaha, I definitely didn’t look it up! Not at all! Why would I do that!” Reki’s voice got increasingly squeakier until she cleared her throat. “So, let’s do it then?”
They moved so that they were facing each other directly on the bed, kneeling. Langa pulled Reki towards her, with the softest touch she could manage until Reki’s impatience got the better of her and she took a hold of Langa’s face and pressed their lips together. It was uncoordinated, awkward, and their noses and teeth bumped together several times, but even then, it was the most perfect kiss either of them could have ever asked for.