Archive of Our Own

"Reeekiii."

Reki grunted as his best friend suddenly decided that Earth's gravity was too much and that the only solution was for Reki to carry him.

"Langa, come on dude, you're heavy."

He was, but more or less Langa was still supporting his own weight. It was more that Langa was leaning into him which was preventing Reki from walking straight.

"I'm tired."

Reki shifted his school bag to the other shoulder so it wasn't tugging as Langa continued to lean into him.

"Really, I wonder why? Maybe it's because we stayed up until 4 in the morning watching that horror movie you insisted on us watching."

"It was good."

Reki sighed. "So not the point."

He could hear Langa grumbling from where he'd claimed the shoulder that previously had the bag on it.

"Just sleep during Lunch. Or English. You're decent enough at it, right?"

Langa grumbled again.

"Don't fall asleep on my shoulder, we'll be late."

Which was relative since they were pushing it as it was.

Langa stepped closer and draped and arm through the loop of Reki's bag providing the blue haired teen with a pseudo arm rest.

"If you eat pavement, I'm not skating you to the hospital."

Langa grumbled an affirmative and Reki just shook his head.

"Hey, can you and your boyfriend move, I'm in a hurry."

Reki looked around, struggling to get Langa to turn.

"Are. . . Are you talking to me?"

The guy was the same age as him and Langa, though he was wearing a different uniform.

"Yeah. Move."

Reki blinked, stepping out of the way on autopilot.

For the rest of the walk to school, Reki found himself in a daze.

Boyfriend?

-

They weren't dating. People didn't think that when they saw the two of them, did they? They were best friends! Buds! Pals! Just two guys in a good relationship. That relationship being friendship. 

Right?

Reki tapped his pencil against his sketchbook as Miya and Langa were skating a little ways away.

Surely it was only that the stranger was in a rush and was trying to get his attention. Otherwise, no one would think such a thing.

"Brooding is for level 3 enemies and you're still a slime."

Reki glared at the younger boy and tried not to grind his teeth.

"I beat you in Mario Kart yesterday."

Miya stuck out his tongue. "That game doesn't take real skill unless you turn off all the fancy items."

Reki stood up and crossed his arms. "Spoken like a true loser."

Miya kicked him in the shin and if it wasn't for years of bailing, he probably would have reacted.

"Why are you moping?"

Reki huffed and watched Langa for a moment. 

The other guy definitely just saw how much Reki admires his best friend. That had to be it.

"Miya, do me and Langa look like we're, um, you know."

"Idiots?"

Reki had to resist putting Miya in a chokehold as he caught the cheshire grin on his face.

" No . I was going to say, in a, you know. Like a." Reki cleared his throat and mumbled. "In a relationship."

Reki tried to avoid fidgeting so as not to give away his mental state, but failed after a full minute had passed and the younger boy hadn't responded.

"Well?" Reki finally caved and looked to see what had Miya so distracted from an arguably very important question, only to find clear green eyes staring back at him. "What?"

Reki's prodding seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in because the grin returned for a second time, but this time even wider.

"Shadow owes me so much money."

Reki frowned. "What does that mean?" 

Miya shrugged and put his board down to continue skating as Langa glided over to where he was now standing alone.

"Reki, I'm hungry."

Already anticipating Langa's hunger, he pulled out a bag of chips from his school bag and threw them at him.

Langa leaned on him as he ate.

"What's wrong with Miya?"

Reki chuckled. "Other than the fact he's a little jerk? Nothing."

"Then why are you glaring at him?"

Reki pouted, grabbing a chip from the bag before Langa could eat all of its contents.

"I asked him a question and he just smirked and said that Shadow owes him money."

"For what?"

Reki threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know! And because it's Miya, I know he won't just tell me."

"S is only a few days away, let's just ask Shadow."

Reki groaned and slumped to the floor. Langa followed.

"But that's a lifetime away."

"What about our test on Thursday?"

"What about it?"

"Won't that make time go faster?"

Reki puffed hair out of his face as he looked at Langa. "That's not till next Thursday."

Langa shook his head as he finished his chips. "Reki, it was postponed from last week to this week. It's this Thursday."

Reki paled. "You're joking."

"No. That would be a bad joke. And not funny. Wait, is it funny?"

Reki grabbed both of Langa's shoulders in a death grip. "Langa, do we or do we not have a test on Thursday?"

"We do."

Reki gripped his hair with both hands and started rolling around on the ground.

"Aaaaaah! I'm so screwed!"

-

So he forgot about it until S when the burly man came up to him for their regular beef. Reki had gotten a little more popular since his beef with Adam, but it died down after a month. Still, more people paid attention to his races with Shadow since he started winning some. Even with all the tricks the adult used.

"We doing this or what?"

Reki smiled. "I have to defend my title after how badly I crushed you last week."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "That was a fluke and you know it. See if you manage it twice in a row!"

"I--" his retort was cut short as he saw Miya out of the corner of his eye. "I forgot!"

"That you're too much of a wimp to face me? Heh, that's fine."

"What? No. Why do you owe Miya money?"

Reki watched the mask of Shadow drop as he looked at said boy.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's what I'm asking you?" Reki stood on his board to get a little more leverage. "I asked Miya a," he cleared his throat, "question, and instead of responding he said that you owed him money."

"Reki, if you don't tell me what nonsense you're talking about, I'll drop a smoke bomb in your face right now just for wasting my time."

"I don't know why he owes you money! That's what you're supposed to tell me ."

"You're being vague as shit! How am I supposed to know?!"

A beefy hand landed on his shoulder and Reki could feel the fight leaving him.

"Hey now," Joe patted them both twice and Shadow rolled his eyes, "you both know how to settle a disagreement here."

Shadow shrugged the hand off his shoulder and stormed off to Miya. Reki tried to follow but was yanked back by his hood.

"Ack! Joe, come on man, I have to follow him."

"Why are you picking a fight with Shadow? Aren't you two supposed to beef anyway?"

"Why do you pick fights with Cherry?"

Joe let him go and Reki fell to the floor.

"That's different."

Reki rubbed his butt as he stood. "How?"

"I asked you first."

"We weren't fighting. I was trying to figure out why Shadow owes Miya--"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL!"

Reki pointed at the conversation he had now missed. "See, that. I was trying to figure out that."

"Figure out what?"

Reki leaned against Langa as he returned from his beef.

"Nice job, Langa. Not that there was any doubt. Did the wheels turn better after what I did?"

Langa nodded, but his attention was still on Shadow and Miya.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

Miya must have said something else because Shadow started chasing after him. It was then that they both got on their boards and raced down the track.

"Explanation please." Joe looked back at both of them with a raised brow.

"I told you all that I know."

"About what?" Langa asked again.

Reki looked up at him from where he was leaning back against his chest. "About Shadow owing Miya money."

"Oh. Did you find out?"

Reki pouted. "Joe stopped me."

Said man put his hands up. "Don't pin this on me."

"Dude, it's literally your fault that I don't know."

"Well what was the question?"

Reki stood up straight and looked anywhere to find a way out of the conversation.

"This and that."

Joe crossed his arms, thoroughly unconvinced. "This and that wouldn't cause Shadow to chase Miya down the track. What was the question, kid?"

"Uuuuh. Oh, hey, Langa. I think that guy over there wants to have a beef with you. Let's go see!"

Langa only got the hint when Reki started tugging and stumbled after him.

"No, no, no. Not so fast." Joe grabbed both of their shoulders and Reki could feel his anxiety rising. "What was the question?"

Reki flushed and then stuffed his hands in his hoodie. "Nothing! Like I said, it was unimportant."

"You wouldn't be avoiding it if it wasn't important."

"It's stupid!"

"It's not stupid if you're avoiding it, Reki." Langa countered softly.

"Langa, not the time."

Joe slung an arm around both of them causing the two teens to pitch forward from the extra weight.

"Snow's right. Plus I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me."

Reki chewed on his lip for a full minute before sighing.

"I asked Miya if it looked like me and Langa were in a relationship because some guy said that we looked like we were when we were on our way to school."

"When did this happen?"

Reki shrugged as the weight lifted off their shoulders. "You remember that day we stayed up late watching the movie and then you were exhausted?"

"Monday?"

"Yeah. It was then. You were half asleep the entire walk to school."

"That sounds right."

"Seriously man, no remorse? You're not exactly light you know."

"But I was tired?"

"That doesn't change the fact you're heavy!"

The crunching of dirt was what tore Reki's attention away.

"Joe, are you okay?"

"Is it hunger pains?"

"Dude, not everyone is thinking about food all the time."

"Look boys, I need you to do me a favor."

Both teens looked at each other before responding.

"Okay."

"When Cherry gets here, do not tell him what you just told me."

"Tell me what exactly?"

Joe sprung up and Reki pulled Langa out of the way of a possible fight.

"Nothing." Joe looked back at them. "Right boys?"

"If this Gorilla is trying to buy your silence, it's not worth it. He can't keep a secret to save his life."

"Oh yeah? Well at least I'm not so full of secrets that nobody willingly trusts me with theirs. Doesn't count if you have to eavesdrop to get information."

"Yes, because sleeping around so much that the only small talk you can manage is sharing secrets is so much better."

Joe opened and closed his mouth rapidly. "I don't sleep around!"

"I have plenty of witnesses that beg to differ."

Joe smirked, butting into Cherry's space. "Admit it, you're obsessed with me. How else would you know that?"

Cherry put a fan between himself and Joe as he scoffed. "All the brain cells must have left that thick skull of yours if you think that I have any interest in you other than watching you make an embarrassment of yourself."

"Still means you--"

"I'm going to skin you alive!"

"You're a grown man bullying a child, don't you have better things to do with your life?"

Miya launched himself on top of Joe as Shadow came up to them heaving and panting.

"You shouldn't have bet so high if you were going to be this upset about losing."

It was clear Shadow wanted to lunge after Miya again, but didn't want to risk getting in a fist fight with Joe. Even an accidental one.

"Do I even want to know the stupidity that would cause you to climb Joe like a tree, Miya?"

"No." Joe answered instead, trying desperately to get Miya off of him. "You're such a brat, get off of me!"

Miya held strong, using Joe's hair as a grip.

"I do too. And since I have a feeling it's about me, I deserve to know."

Miya looked down at Reki with a grin. "You'll get even angrier than the raging bull that's been chasing me."

Shadow ground his teeth. "I'm going to break your kneecaps."

"Before or after my hundred thousand yen?"

Reki could feel his mouth drop to the floor. "A hundred thousand yen?! What the heck was the bet!"

"Seriously kid," Joe grabbed Miya by the leg and started tugging, "you don't wanna know."

"Wait." All eyes landed on the masked skater. "Is this about what I think it is?"

"No! You're going deaf as well as blind. You little shit, get off ."

Reki was close to ripping his hoodie out of frustration. "What bet?!"

Miya finally let himself be pulled off of Joe's shoulders, only to immediately hide behind Cherry instead.

"The bet of whether or not you and Langa were dating."

Reki blinked. And then blinked again.

"We are?"

Whiplash wasn't technically possible just by turning your head, but Reki felt like he was close.

Miya frowned.

"HA! Now who's the one who owes a hundred thousand yen!"

"There's something I feel as though I should comment on about how excited you are that a child owes you that much money." Cherry crossed his arms. "But we're at S."

"That means you owe me 50 thousand, Karou."

Cherry clicked his tongue and then looked away.

Reki was going to faint. "You all made a bet on whether or not me and Langa were dating."

"Don't take it personally kid," Joe slung an arm around his shoulder again as if it was a fun joke, "it was just a little game. We took it a little far, but don't let it bother you. It was all in good fun."

"For you," Miya hissed, "I have to eat into my university savings for this now."

Reiki shoved Joe off of him.

"Honestly, for as much of a pain as you are, you just made me a lot of money. I won't go easy on you for this beef though. Speaking of, you still game or what?"

Another hand was placed on his arm, but it was Langa this time. "Reki?"

"Why would you say that?"

Langa frowned and took his hand back. "Say what?"

"That we're dating!"

Langa looked as confused as he did when he was studying Japanese. "Because. . . We are?"

Reki couldn't believe it. He gripped his pants as he tried to keep his breathing even.

"Hey, we didn't mean to make you upset." It was Joe again.

"Yeah, I thought you had pretty tough skin. Figuratively and literally given how many of my sparklers you've brushed off." 

"Reki, your heart rate is elevated and your breathing is uneven. Do you want to sit down?"

He shook his head. And then shook it again.

"Reki, what's--"

"We're not dating." He said it to the floor. "We're not dating. I don't know why you would say that. We're not dating. Why would you," he shook his head for a third time and took off on his board.

"Reki. Reki, wait!"

He didn't stop skating even as Miya matched his speed.

"Reki, I'm sorry. But you don't have to lie. We'll all support you."

He pushed Miya, causing him and the board to wobble and even though they weren't on a track, that was all it took anywhere on S's terrain. Miya was forced to bail.

"I'm not lying! Me and Langa aren't dating! We're not!"

Langa could chase him. Probably would. And even if he didn't, he knew where Reki lived. They went to school together. Avoidance didn't work the first time and it definitely wouldn't work now. 

Still, Reki pushed himself and kept skating blind until he found his way home.

-

Langa came just like Reki knew he would. His mom let him in, or maybe his sister given how late it was. Still earlier than they were usually home on S night, but that was irrelevant.

"Reki?"

He didn't respond. He was still deciding if he was angry or just hurt.

"Are you sleeping?"

He listened to the door close and then felt the bed dip.

"I didn't mean to make you mad."

Langa laid down behind him and then circled his arms around Reki. Reki purposely kept his breathing even.

"I thought it was the same here. I'm so stupid ." Langa said after a beat.

Reki doesn't know much English, but he knows phrases. He also knows certain words.

"Why did you say that?"

Langa tensed. "That you're my boyfriend?"

Reki shifted. "Yes. Why would you say that?"

Langa looked confused for a moment before he frowned.

"I thought," he started tentatively, "I thought it was the same here."

Reki pursed his lips. "You thought what was the same here?"

"The rules? Or, um, the. . . Rules."

Reki sighed. "You said that already dude."

"I know." Langa scratched his head. "Like, when something is tradition but it's not tradition and also it's an expectation?"

Reki blinked and rubbed a hand down his face. "Say it in English."

“The customs and behaviors that mean you're dating someone. The tells and habits that show you're in love. ”

Reki crossed his arms and rolled onto his back. "I didn't get any of that."

Langa sat up on one arm to look down at him. "What does a relationship mean here?"

"Being romantically involved with someone. I'm pretty sure that's universal."

Langa nodded rapidly. "Yes, that!"

"No, not 'that'. We're not in a relationship. We're friends. They're two different things."

"Yes! Right, explain."

Reki would have assumed the other boy was joking if it wasn't for how intensely he was looking at him. 

Reki shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you know, in a relationship you go on dates and you make googly eyes at each other and spend the night at each other's houses and stuff. You spend a lot of time with the person and thinking about the person. You get all sorts of feelings in your stomach like you're going down a hill too fast and you feel like your wheels are about to fall off but it's simultaneously the most amazing thing you've ever felt but you know if you crash and burn that you may never be the same. It's romance! It's love." Reki dragged a hand down his face. "I shouldn't have to explain this to you, Langa. You're probably the most popular guy at our school." Reki pulled on his hood and fiddled with his hoodie string.

Langa crawled in front of him and pulled down his hoodie. "But how's it different?"

Reki felt his eyes twitch and the urge to punch rise. "I just explained what a relationship was."

Langa nodded. "Isn't that us?"

Reki's initial response was to laugh. Then it was to shove Langa off the bed for being an idiot. But the longer he stared and the longer he thought about it, the more unsettled he became.

"Reki?"

"I heard you the first time, I'm just-- it's different okay?"

"But why?" 

"Cause it is! We're friends. Friends do that stuff."

"I don't want to do that stuff with Miya."

Reki scoffed. "Miya is a little shit. I'm not surprised."

"I don't want to do it with Joe, or Cherry or Shadow either."

Reki groaned. "Those are grown men, Langa! That's different too."

Langa played with one of his longer strands of hair in what Reki knew was a nervous gesture.

The silence stretched for longer than Reki could ever remember. When the two of them were in a room together it was never this quiet.

"But," Langa said, breaking the silence, "I want to be."

Reki sputtered. "My boyfriend?!"

Langa nodded.

"No you don't. I'm not that good at skating, my grades are bad, I'm not funny, I'm not handsome, I'm too hyperactive and just," Reki curled his hands into his sheets. 

Not good enough . He thought bitterly. I'm not good enough .

"That's not fair. I think you're amazing."

Reki might not have gotten whiplash the first time, but he swore it happened this time. "You can't just say something like that after I dumped all my insecurities on you."

"But you are. You're funny and you're nice. The way you light up when you're trying to solve a problem and you accomplish it brightens a room. You're always willing to help others and the way you look in the setting sun has made me have to bail more than I want to say. But I'll tell you the number if it'll make you believe--"

Reki slapped his hands over Langa's mouth. "Enough! I get it okay."

Langa pulled his hands down and placed them on the bed between them. "I want to be your boyfriend, Reki."

"But that'll change everything. Not to mention I don't even know. . ."

"What changes?"

Reki bit his lip until he felt Langa squeeze his hands.

"What changes?"

"Just, everything! Going on dates, hanging out all the time, sharing clothes, spending the nights at each other's houses, getting gifts and the expectation of all that public affection."

Langa pouted.

"What?"

"Don't we do all that stuff? I'm wearing your shirt right now, plus I have a toothbrush here and you have one at my house too. And you bought me the little yeti keychain you saw a while back. And you always hang off of me in public anyway."

"But that's different!"

Langa groaned. "How."

"It just is!"

"Reki, I can't figure out how to move forward if you don't help me."

"There's nothing to move forward about. We've cleared up the confusion and we can move on from this. We can clear everything up with the others next time we see them at S."

"But I'm still confused."

Reki pulled his hands away. "There's nothing to be confused about. You thought we were in a relationship, but we're not. Now it's out in the open and there's no more miscommunication."

"There is though."

Reki huffed. "What's the problem?"

"I'm in love with you?"

.

.

.

"Huh?"

"I said I'm in love with you. Why else would I want to be your boyfriend?"

"I thought you meant it in the English way! Like, this is my boy-friend. My friend, who's a boy, not like, 'I want you to be my romantic partner.'"Reki shoved him. "Don't give me that look like I just said something crazy!"

"I don't think you're crazy."

"Good, because I'm not and even if I was you're ten times crazier than I am."

"I know."

"Great, we're on the same page."

"We're not."

Reki shook him back and forth violently.

Langa stopped the shaking by holding Reki's shoulders. "I asked you a question and you haven't answered. Just tell me your answer and we'll be on the same page again."

"What question? You haven't asked me a question?"

"I said I want to be your boyfriend."

Reki flushed and looked away. "That's not a question, that's a statement."

"But it has an underlying question of asking if you want to be mine."

Reki could say a million things to that. Should say at least a hundred of them.

"I don't want to lose you as a friend. You're my best friend, Langa. I can't lose that."

"That won't happen."

"You can't be sure. Things get messy with relationships."

"No Reki, it won't happen."

"How do you know?"

"Because I love you and I don't plan on stopping."

And what could Reki say to that? "But you--"

"No."

"You might like me now but in the future--"

"No."

"We might change as people and--"

"No."

"You might find out you don't really like me if we're together in that way."

"Absolutely not."

"Maybe I'm a really bad kisser!"

"Are you?"

Reki flopped forward onto Langa's chest. "I haven't kissed anyone before, dude. How would I know?"

"I don't think you would be."

"You're biased." Reki grumbled.

"Because I'm in love with you?"

"Stop saying that!"

There was a silence again.

"I'm not leaving your side, Reki. We promised to skate for infinity. There's no we without two people."

Reki couldn't tell if his heart stopped or skipped a beat. Maybe it did both. Maybe he had crashed on his race with Shadow and this was all one big coma dream.

But he didn't race Shadow and he could feel Langa's heartbeat. Feel his warmth.

"I'm scared." He whispered.

"Just like learning a new trick. It's scary until you get it. Right?"

Reki sat up.

Did he want to be in a relationship with Langa? Was he right? Would anything really change? Based on everything he himself had said, they were already a couple. It's probably why their friends had made the bet in the first place. And if he thought about it, really truly thought about it, he would be crushed if someone else started dating Langa. If they couldn't do everything they did anymore because he was with someone else. If someone else got one of his bone crushing hugs or got to see him when he first woke up.

Oh. That was the problem, wasn't it? Reki had been in a free fall for a while now. It was a matter of if he would stick with it and possibly crash, or if he would bail with dignity before he got hurt. But Langa was right. Learning a new trick was scary and unless you tried to stick to it, you would just keep bailing, never knowing what you were really capable of.

"You're not stupid, Langa."

"I'm not? What do you--"

It was a spur of the moment. The scariest thing he had done since racing Adam. Scarier than even that. If he had a heart attack at the very moment, it wouldn't surprise him.

And then Langa kissed him back.

Langa kissed . Him . Back .

"Are we boyfriends now?"

Reki laughed. "I just kissed you!"

"I'm not making the mistake of assuming again. So, are you my boyfriend?"

Reki pulled his hood down in embarrassment. "Yes. I'm your boyfriend."

"And I'm yours?"

Reki kicked him in the stomach. "I'll make you go home."

"You're gonna kick your boyfriend out?"

"Laanngaaa!"

-

They stayed up late. Again. Because they were incapable of learning their lesson. So Langa was tired. Again. And hanging off of Reki like gravity would pull him into the Earth if Reki let go.

"Langa, you're heavy. I know you're not asleep so stop leaning on me so much. You're gonna make us fall."

Langa simply made himself more comfortable on Reki's shoulder.

"You're insufferable. I should get on my board and skate on without you."

Langa mumbled something in his half asleep daze that Reki didn't catch.

"Excuse me, can you and your friend move?"

It was two middle school girls. Reki barely recognized the uniform as the rival to his sister's school.

Reki fumbled for an apology and to move Langa out of the way.

"He's not my friend." Reki blinked. Langa was dead to the world 5 seconds ago. "He's my boyfriend."

The girls blinked at them and then at each other. "Congratulations? Excuse us."

Reki let himself fall into a crouch on the floor.

"Reki?"

"Nope. That was the most embarrassing thing ever, you can skate to school on your own."

Reki hopped on his board and started skating away as quickly as possible, thankful the girls had already turned so he didn't have to face them again.

"Reki, wait!"

Reki couldn't help the smile on his face as Langa, his boyfriend , chased after him.

Miya is going to owe Shadow so much money.