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Reki stretches, letting out a yawn as he eyes the clock.
He and Langa had planned to go to the skatepark after school (as if they don’t do it anyways) and it hung over his head the entire day. No, he DIDN’T want to learn about trigonometry or whatever, he wanted to skate with his best friend! Speaking of, the blue haired boy had been staring- almost glaring at the sky for the entire day. He wonders what thoughts pool behind his azure eyes.
Seemingly not realising how his eyes had lingered across Langa’s profile, a voice scolds him from the front of the classroom.
“Kyan, focus on your work!” His teacher snaps, and he hears a slight snicker from his classmates around him. Nothing from Langa though, he doesn’t quite know why that bothers him as much as it does.
After seemingly HOURS (20 minutes), the piercing ring echoes out through the school, sending students piling towards the doors. Sounds of books slamming shut, loud chatter and the squeak of school shoes rebound off the walls, Reki winces a little and shields his ears with his hands, before his eyes return to the desk next to him. Soft, blue hair cascades down his friend’s face, his head still turned to the window. He still hadn’t moved?
“Langa, the bell went!”
No response.
“Langaaaa?”
Reki’s brow furrows. He stands, then propping his arms on the desk in front of Langa. He was close enough to smell a faint vanilla scent, most likely his shampoo.
“Hey, earth to space boy, you in there?” A tanned, freckled hand grasps his friend's shoulder, and he feels him jump a little in his seat. Langa’s eyes flitter, zoning back into reality. His face tinges a little pink, just along the edges of his cheekbones. Reki doesn’t notice.
“Yo, you okay, man? The bell went like, five minutes go!” Reki whines, not wanting to spend longer in the classroom than he needed to. He yearns for the skatepark. There was a little bit of concern that dripped through his voice though.
“Oh,” he quickly shoves his books and pens into his bag, before hoping to his feet. They nearly bump heads. Nearly. “Sorry,”
“Don’t apologise, stupid. You ready to go?”
He nods in response, and they scuttle off through the crowds.
As soon as they’re off the school grounds, Reki chucks his skateboard out onto the path and shoots off, chanting a “Race you there!” over his shoulder. Langa quickly follows. Swerving around the corners, hopping over any small twigs just for the thrill, they’re about halfway to the skate park when the redhead feels a tap on his shoulder. Then another. Then a lot.
He lets out a frustrated groan, stepping off his board. “Why now?!”
Langa stumbles to a stop, seemingly not paying attention, and nearly runs straight through the boy in front of him. His usually bright blue eyes look a little... troubled? Is that what he’s feeling?
“Do you wanna wait at mine ‘til this passes?” Reki hums, the rain starting to seep into his clothes, leaking little splatters on his mustard yellow hood.
“Yeah, that’d be nice,” the boy’s lips twist up a little, grateful for his friend’s optimism.
Sadly, Langa had checked the forecast this morning.
As they hop back on their boards to (unsafely) speed to shelter, Reki is talking up a storm, as usual. Something about how ‘S’ might be cancelled if this weather keeps up, and how he was excited for his next beef. The words barely soak into him though, running off him like water on a duck’s back. Reki seems to notice this, while his friend is trailing a little further behind him. He chooses not to mention it, for now at least.
Pulling up their boards outside of Reki’s house, they’re met with a concerned look from Reki’s mother.
“Of course, you boys got soaked. Did you even bring the umbrella I left out for you, Reki?” Masae Kyan scolds, earning an eyeroll from her son.
“It’s fine, mum. It’s just water!”
“I don’t want you tracking water across my clean floors!” She sighs, turning on her heel, “Wait there, I’ll get some towels.”
As she walks off, Reki huffs. Mumbling a “I don’t know what the big deal is,” through pursed lips. Meanwhile, Langas having a battle with the cream-coloured sweater he decided on wearing that day. It wasn’t cold enough for a jacket, so he just opted for a lighter piece of clothing. Tugging it over his head, the white button-down pulls up slightly, showing pale, untouched skin. Reki doesn’t know why his ears flood with warmth at this, or why his eyes seemed to latch to the sight. Maybe he’s caught a cold from being out in the rain.
Shuffling back to where she left them, Masae hands the boys two towels, a yellow one for Langa and a pale blue one for Reki. They both begin to dry off, chucking wet clothes into a pile in the hall, which Reki will chuck in the dryer “later”. Langa’s eyes dart, his voice still silent in his throat. They dance across the droplets of water that laced his friend’s crimson hair and jaw. Langa knows why his own face begins to bloom.
Then, they slump off to Reki’s room.
The walls are lined with posters, cut outs of magazines, taped-up sketches and some printed photos which his mum had hung in there years ago. A photo of when Reki first got a skateboard for his birthday, one of when the twins were born, and one of their whole family. Red hair flops onto the white sheets, followed by another disgruntled grumble. Then more grumbles.
“Why did it have to rain today? Of all days? I want to skate!! I don’t want to be inside, inside is boring!!” Reki rants, muffled by the pillow he had been screaming into.
Langa plops himself on the edge of the bed, humming in response. Then, there’s silence.
Reki HATES silence. When there’s silence, his brain kicks into overdrive to try and figure out WHY there’s silence. And how it ALWAYS ends up being his fault. And while his best friend was usually quiet, this was a new low. After giving into the hail of self-doubts which slam at his brain, he rolls onto his back, then props himself up next to the boy beside him.
“Okay. Right. What’s going on in there?” He tries to conceal the worry in his voice, but the weight of it cracks in his words, “You’ve been zoned out ALL day,” And I'm worried that it’s because of me. That part is left unsaid.
Langa’s eyes don’t quite meet the amber ones which seemed to burn through him, as he speaks.
“I don’t know.”
Langa knows why, and Reki knows that he does. He’s a horrible liar. When Langa lies, he's eyes flitter away from the conversation, and his voice turns more monotonous, almost empty. His hands always fidget, squeezing his fingers, in an attempt to self-regulate.
“Ah, okay.”
This response does WONDERS for the guilt Reki feels, going from just thoughts to a pool that twists in his gut, eating at itself. Reki doesn’t push. If Langa wanted to tell him, he would, right?
The feeling in his stomach only swells with the following silence. His hands begin to tremble, his jaw tight and his breathing slightly unsteady. Reki needs to shut it down, he needs a minute to recalibrate.
“Um. I’m gonna go have a shower, you all good to stay in here?” He shuffles himself upright, then standing. Their eyes don’t meet.
“Okay,” Langa hums, seemingly lost in his own mind again. Before he has the chance to overthink it, Reki swipes some dry clothes off his dresser and walks out, not closing the door behind him.
Langa is left alone. He picks at his nails, trying to calm himself down. He almost called out to Reki has he left the room, but the words seemed to swell in his throat, not leaving his lips. The room had gone cold.
After a minute or two of blue eyes nearly staring a hole through the tatami mats which lined the floor, he stands. He opens and closes his hands, trying to ground himself, to not fall back into the state he’s been in all day. Looking around the room, his eyes catch on a spot outside the window. A lamp post, with bushes that line the path and a long staircase. He didn’t realise how close that spot was to the house. The spot where he himself had made a dumb decision, which stranded him on his own. His hand still stung, months later. Watching the person that he admires the most be hurt by his selfishness had torn a part of his heart he didn’t know could hurt. The fact he let him think he was lesser, how he didn’t tell him how important he was to him. His thoughts are whirlwind in his mind, and he slumps down on the floor, leaning against the wooden bedframe. His knees tuck to his chest, pale, misty eyes squeezing close as he tries to muffle the pathetic sobs that chase his scattered breathing.
Reki managed to shut his brain up, miraculously. He trusts Langa to tell him things. And if he doesn’t tell him, it’s not his fault. He quickly messes up his hair, walking out of the bathroom in a black t-shirt and yellow shorts. “Alright, the showers free, there’s an extra towel in there if you-”
He stops in his tracks, eyes splitting wide at the shaking boy curled into himself.
“Langa?”
He receives a sniffle in response.
“Langa, hey. What’s going on?” His voice drips warm and sweet, like honey, his words warping and wobbling as he speaks.
Langa lets his eyes peek from behind his arms, which he folded over his knees. Rekis heart stammers as their eyes finally meet for the first time that day. When did his eyes get so... elegant? Fragile? He can’t put words to it. All he knows is he never wants to see the pain that pooled in his eyes ever again.
He kneels beside him, opening his arms to his friend. No, not just his friend, his person.
“Do you want a h-” Baby blue hair blurs past him, diving straight into Reki’s chest. He really hopes Langa doesn't hear how his heart hammers at his ribs. Shit, he should probably say something.
“Hey, I’m here. It’s alright, I’m not going anywhere,” The words cause Langa to wrap his quivering arms even tighter around his chest.
They sit in silence, but it’s a different type of silence. The type that silences the thoughts that plague the anxious minds. The type that feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket. The type that makes time seem to slow. Sort of swaying, he just holds the boy, shushing and humming in means to comfort.
And oh, Langa’s heart soars. His breathing begins to return to a regular rhythm, sniffles getting less and less frequent. How simple, that merely touch and a soft tune from the one he adores can rid him of his worries. He forgets to stop the words that fall out of his mouth.
“Your voice is so pretty...”
It’s nearly a whisper, but it seems to ring in the red-head's ears. Pretty? Him? What? Heat blossomed to his cheeks, gliding across his nose and ears as well. A stammer leaves his mouth, but it’s not proper words. Reki’s heart yearns. Maybe a few things click in his brain, but that’s an issue for future Reki.
A quick silence, before he stutters, “You really think so?”
“...Yeah.” Langa responds, a slight tremble in his voice still.
“Thank you... Do you um-” What is he thinking? What?
Blue hair lifts to reveal a slightly puffy-faced boy, whose eyes seemed endless. When did Langa get so breathtaking? The words seem to get lost.
“What were you going to say?” he asks, voice so beautifully innocent. Again, eyes lock, and a rose colour flushes across Reki’s freckles. He wants to look away so badly, but he’s almost trapped in a trance. He could feel Langa’s warm breath against his own lips, smelling like sweets. It sets off some kind of yearning in his heart. He finally pulls his eyes away, almost curling into his own shirt in attempts to hide.
Another brief quiet, then a gentle “Reki?” from the taller.
“Do you want me to sing to you...?” He stumbles over his own words, then begins to panic, lame excuses flailing about, “Sorry if that’s weird? Or stupid? I just thought it might be comforting to you or-”
“Please?”
“What?” Reki looks back at Langa, golden eyes wide, scanning his face for something... he might now know what he’s looking for.
“Um...I think it’d be nice...” The voice is muffled, as Langa now tucks himself to Reki’s chest.
“Okay um” He shifts slightly, immediately missing the warmth. Reaching for his phone, he continues, “I’ll play something on my phone, I can’t really sing without a melody...”
Langa just nods. Or maybe he’s just nuzzling into Reki’s shirt, enveloped in the smell? I guess we’ll never know.
A soft tune then fills the room, mixing with the quiet rain that patters against the window. He coughs, before ever so tenderly joining the tune.
“Yo te doy lo que quieras, yo me voy donde quieras ♪”
It’s the same tune he was humming before, but Langa did not realise it was in Spanish. Oh yeah, Reki is mixed. He reminds himself, before all his thoughts seem to fade out.
“Y si me voy,
Quiero que to amor
Este conmigo hoy,
Si me voy ♪”
He is absolutely entranced by him. Even though there a slight wavering in his voice, Langa could never be happier. It takes all of his strength not to run his hands through his scarlet hair, which was still damp from the shower.
Reki’s voice is slightly rasped and breathy, but so incredibly gentle at the same time. It sounds like honey, He thinks. He has to put some of the tune down an octave, as his voice can’t go that high. The deep shake of his voice sends his heart reeling.
“Para de pensar, empieza a disfrutar
Vamos a brindar, pisamos en el mar
Soon pronto, voy a estar, de tu lado hasta allá
No vayas a dudar que soy tuyo hasta el final ♪”
On the other hand, while Langa is flush to his chest, Reki’s head is absolutely spinning. Does Langa really like my singing that much? Do I sound nasally? God, I hope my voice doesn’t crack. And similar thoughts bounce around his brain.
He continues to sing, gaining a little bit of confidence with each verse. By the end of the third verse, they’re swaying to the tune, and Reki’s fingers twirl through pale sapphire hair, unconsciously.
“Yo te doy lo que quieras
Yo te doy lo que quieras
Yo me voy donde quieras
Voy, voy, voy, voy ♪”
Then, the song fades out, leaving a comfortable silence. The swaying slows and Reki coughs, again. His face is beet red.
“I uh... hope that made you feel better? I’m not the best singer so-”
Langa deadpans him mid-sentence, as if to tell the boy to stop talking bad about himself.
“...Sorry,” Reki mumbles, turning his head.
“I think you have the most beautiful voice I’ll ever hear.” Affection is spilling from his lips, the once shaky voice replaced with a feathery, but somehow clear tone.
“What?!” He flails.
“I said, I think-”
He cuts him off, words racing off his tongue, “Iheardwhatyousaiddon’tsayitagainplease,”
“But you-”
“Langa!” Reki raises his voice slightly, his heart cannot take this, as it hammers in his ears. He pulls his arms up to hide his face, peeking through after a second, with a stumbly, cracked voice, “You really say the most embarrassing things...”
Langa isn’t really listening.
His mouth is slightly agape, eyes dancing across the beautiful boy who was still in his arms. God, how he wishes he could stare at him forever. The thought of “my words made him this flustered” makes his entire body tingle with hope. To be honest, Langa had an inkling of a feeling, that his feelings were reciprocated. He has for a while. But to be honest, just yearning for a person, and being able to be by their side is one of his favourite feelings. No matter what they were, labelled or not, Reki was his person, and vice versa. That would always be enough for him.
Then, he remembers what got him into this embrace in the first place.
Yeah, he should probably explain that.
“Reki?”
“Hm?” A still deep red face peeks out once again.
“About earlier,”
Immediately, Reki shifts, no longer hiding. A slight relief waves through his limbs. All his focus was on Langa. But then again, when was it not?
“I saw the forecast this morning. Thats why I’ve been out of it all day,”
“What???”
Trying not to giggle at the confused face that he is only inches away from, he elaborates, “Whenever it rains, it reminds me of when we fought. It reminds me that I made those mistakes.”
Reki’s face instantly switches from confusion to a mix of guilt and understanding, he nods. Langa continues.
“Then earlier, when you went for a shower, I looked outside and saw the spot where it...happened.” His crystal eyes don’t quite reach the others, but instead trace his cheeks, ears, nose, jaw...
Their breathing is quiet, almost rhythmic with the beat of the rain which hisses against the roof.
“Thank you for telling me, I’m s-”
“Don’t apologise, Reki.”
He huffs, before turning away slightly, glancing at the window. The sun was only just starting to set, a slight glow of orange pouring through the clouds.
“I was so worried, Langa.” His words are soft, soaking into Langa’s heart so gently. He has never felt more loved.
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“Hey!” Reki whips back around, grabbing his face and pulling it closer, to face him. Their quickened breaths taunt each other's lips, “If I can’t apologise, neither can you!”
The way that his calloused hands hold his face so firm yet full of care catches Langa so off guard, he nearly squeaks. The heat blossoms on his ivory skin, before surprise fades to the most loving look anyone could ever give. His smile meets his eyes, while the gentle glint from the window dazzles the side of his face. He raises a brow, playfully.
“You truly are amazing, Reki.”
He watches the once determined expression give way to a wash of the most beautiful shade of strawberry red. It nearly matches his hair. As fast as Reki’s hands clasped him, they release as he scrambles away, an incredibly nervous laugh escaping his chapped lips. “Aha- Yeah- Um- I'm uh-” Langa thinks that this is the most adorable sight, “You should go have a shower now!! You like warm showers, right? I’ll go get that started!”
And with that, the red-headed boy has scrambled out of his room, rushing down the hall.
As dense as Reki was, there was only so much time he could spend in the river that just so happens to be in Egypt (De Nile... or rather denial in his case.) Rushing to the bathroom and quickly closing the door, he stares at his deeply flushed face.
Oh my god I am in love with Langa Hasegawa.
He quickly splashes water at his warm cheeks, then leaning on the sink. Part of his brain tells him that he needs to shove those feelings so far down they never get seen, and a few months ago he would have done so. But somehow, somewhere in his chest, a spark of hope burns. Reki’s brain is running a mile a minute, processing.
Not only did he just cuddle his crush, but he also sang to him.
Not ONLY did he sing to him, he sang a LOVE SONG TO HIM.
NOT ONLY DID HE SING A LOVE SONG TO HIM, BUT IT CALMED HIM DOWN.
AND HE GOT COMPLIMENTED ON HIS VOICE.
Pacing back and forth around the tiled room, he is simultaneously ecstatic and absolutely distraught with embarrassment. Snapping him out of the absolute spiral, a firm knock shakes the doorframe, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“You okay in there?” A melodic voice asks, seemingly innocent.
“YEP, YEAH I’M GOOD ONE SECOND-” He swiftly turns on the shower to what he would consider warm, shakes his head around (as if that’s gonna get rid of the thoughts), then opens the door. He is calm. He is SOOOO calm. Langa smiles sweetly, tilting his head slightly, as if asking what’s going on. Good GOD he's adorable. Anyways.
“Should be warm in a minute!”
“Could I get some clothes to change into? Mine are kind of soaked still,”
OHMYGOD LANGA IS GOING TO BE WEARING HIS CLOTHES, “YeAH,” His voice cracks, then he coughs, trying to make his voice sound cool and chill and not like he just figured out he has a raging homosexual crush on his best friend, “Uh. Yeah, I’ll um. Grab some.”
Reki slips past him, trying to ignore the fact that his arm brushed against Langa’s hand (and failing). He quickly returns with a pair of blue sweatpants and a baggy, mustard-coloured T-shirt.
“These are a bit big on me, so they should fit you fine!” Reki grins, trying to mask his racing heart with a bright smile.
“Thank you, Reki,” Langa takes the clothes, brushing his hand against his friend’s “accidentally”. Before he closes the door, he sees the beautiful crimson rush to his cheeks again.
Reki takes this opportunity to reach out for help. He needs to get the the thoughts out of his head, especially the ones about Langa in the shower.
Reki, sent 4:29pm
> MIYA HELP
Miya, sent 4:30pm
> what the hell do you want slime
> actually i dont want to know
> dont tell me.
Reki, sent 4:31pm
> I THINK I LIKE LANGA.
The typing bubble pops up and disappears a few times.
Miya, sent 4:32pm
> are you serious
Reki, sent 4:32pm
> THIS IS VERY SERIOUS
> WHY WOULD I JOKE ABOUT THIS
Miya, sent 4:33pm
> you are literally the last person to figure that out
Reki, sent 4:33pm
> WHAT
Miya, sent 4:33pm
> anyways, why did you urgently need to tell me this
Reki, sent 4:34pm
> WHAT DO I DO
Miya, sent 4:34pm
> idk tell him or something
> he so obviously likes you, idiot
Reki, sent 4:36pm
> REALLY?!
Miya, sent 4:37pm
> god you are stupid.
Reki, sent 4:37pm
> HEY >:(
> RUDE
> anyways so like how do i tell him
> do i tell him like now or do i wait or
Miya, sent 4:38pm
> why the hell would i know?????
> im going back to my game.
Reki, sent 4:39pm
> YOU ARE NO HELP
With that, he tosses his phone across his bed and grabs a pillow to muffle his screams. Then, his door creaks. He flings himself back up, trying not to have a guilty look spread across his flushed face.
Oh, it’s just his mum.
“Reki, are you okay in here? I heard screaming.” Masae asks, one hand on her hip, the other on the door handle.
“I’m grEat,” He croaks.
“He probably figured out he liked Langa. Took him long enough,” A smaller voice snarks from behind.
“KOYOMI!”
“Oh, I’m so right on that.” His sister chortles, then skips back down the hall.
Now, his mum is just starting at him, with a knowing look. Reki sighs, then nods, looking away.
“I was gonna come in to ask if Langa wanted to stay over, the storm doesn’t seem like it’s gonna let up any time soon.”
He feels his face blow up again, his thoughts being written across his face in bold text.
“Alright then, I’ll go start on dinner then,” She starts down the hall, then pokes her head back around the frame, “Oh, and the futon is getting cleaned, do with that what you will! Just keep it down!!”
This earns a VERY embarrassed squawk from Reki.
Minutes later, Langa wanders out from the bathroom, a towel draped over his half-dried hair. Once again, Reki’s heart gets caught in his throat. The pants that he gave him fit fine, but the shirt. Oh, the shirt. It sat off Langas delicate shoulder, just slightly, showing his defined collarbones. The sunny yellow made his eyes and hair stand out breathtakingly, and even though it was baggy, he could still see the outline of his chest and waist. His stomach was doing flips.
Reki, lock in. Stop staring.
“Feel any better?” He manages to speak, barely.
Langa nods, still drying off his hair, “Yeah, your clothes are comfortable.”
OH MY GOD.
“ANYWAYS UM,” He glances away, ignoring how those words made him want to explode, “My mum said it’s gonna keep storming all night, so you’re welcome to stay over!”
Langa takes a second, brief surprise washing over his face. Then he does that smile he does, the one that’s a mix of appreciation and just pure joy. The one that makes Reki’s heart go all BOOMBOOMBOOM in his chest, “I’d love to, I’ll go get the futon.”
Ah. There it is. “Well, um... about that.”
He hums in response, curious.
“The futon is currently getting cleaned, so you can um,” he thinks for a second, to try and save his poor heart, “I’ll sleep on the floor, you can take my bed!”
Reki watches as his friend’s face drops slightly, looking kind of confused.
“Why don’t we just share?”
“YEAHTHATSFINEWITHMEIDONTMIND,” He stammers out, a little bit too quickly, earning an adorable giggle from the blue-eyed boy. It is not fair how pretty that man is.
The next few hours fly by, with a lot of reddened faces and laughs. Langa is Reki’s home, he hopes that the other boy feels the same way.
The chatter continues as they eat dinner in Reki’s room (Reki convinced his mum to let him eat in there, because Koyomi would absolutely tease him the entire dinner), sat across the tatami mats, with a video playing off one of their phones.
“God, sometimes I think you just like me for my mum’s cooking! You ate that FAST, man!” He jokes, with a mouth full of food.
Langa pauses, with an ever so slight glint of mischief in his eye.
“I like you because you’re amazing, Reki.”
He rolls his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. “I know, I know-”
“I mean it,” putting his full attention on the redhead, he scoots slightly closer, “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”
Langa HAD to be doing this on purpose at this point, Reki figures. That conclusion doesn't stop the crimson blossoming across his face, however. He leans back on his arms, trying desperately to create distance, the slight feeling of hot breath melting against his skin and sending shivers down his spine. This just makes Langa chase further.
“If I hadn’t met you, I don’t think I ever would have been this happy. You make every day so much brighter, every room you’re in springs to life when I see you’re there. I want to be by your side infinitely.”
Reki doesn’t hide. Reki doesn’t move at all, actually. He just stares, stars dancing across his amber eyes, which are locked on the boy in front of him. Langa was only inches away, the teasing feeling of warmth hissing at his lips. He had put his hands over the redhead’s, noting the fact of how small Reki’s hands were.
Langa parts his lips ever so slightly, his eyes half-lidded, then...
He sneaks a piece of chicken from Reki’s plate and shoves it in his mouth. He leans back, before stating, “I do like the food though,” with a mouth full of it.
His brain takes a second to buffer, before blurting, “DID YOU DO THAT JUST TO TAKE MY FOOD?”
He earns a shrug in response. Then, he starts laughing. His laugh sounds like windchimes on the warmest days of summer. He would listen to it on repeat for HOURS if he could.
This boy was going to be the death of him. Reki Kyan, died of his crush getting so incredibly close to him, only to steal his food.
To be honest, Langa nearly kissed that boy right then and there. He only changed his mind because having your first kiss with food in your mouths is less than ideal.
The night continues, with the two of them sat on Reki’s bed watching whatever videos they could find. A yawn leaves Reki’s mouth, followed by a small stretch. His shirt lifts ever so slightly, Langa notices this.
“What time is it?” His voice is warm and sleepy.
Closing the video briefly, Langa responds, “10:48. You tired?”
“Maybe a little?”
“You wanna go to bed?”
“Mmmmm,” The redhead pauses, “Yeah...”
They both sit up, Reki murmuring a quick “ow” as he adjusts his posture, before standing up fully. The shorter adjusts the sheets, fluffing the pillows and switching off the main lights, before laying back down, next to his person. His person. The lamp on Reki’s desk casted a gold glow across the room, shining against Langa’s complexion. The warmth lined his jaw and collarbones in a way that sent him reeling, trying not to stare.
After a few minutes, Reki shifts to face the other way. Then back again. Then again.
A soft voice breaks the delicate silence, “Can’t get comfortable?”
He knew him so well. “Mhm. Back sore.”
Reki’s back was facing him at this point, he could barely make out the lines of muscle from his shoulders. A thought passes his mind, then he rolls over to face him. He traces his lower back with his fingertips, rubbing small, soothing circles. A shocked noise escapes the boy’s lips, before he begins to stammer.
“What...are you doing?”
“Back rub. Might help it stop hurting,” he hums, slightly breathy.
The bed shifts slightly, as the redhead adjusts himself.
“Is this okay?”
A very, very quiet noise of affirmation can be heard, muffled into a pillow. Reki’s voice was higher, and in the dim light, he could see the tips of his ears glow a gentle pink.
So he continues. Every so often, his back would shudder slightly under the touch, each time making a small smile curl on Langa’s lips.
It doesn't take long for gentle snores to be heard, yet he continues making small shapes across his beloved’s back. Being such an intimate moment, he feels himself start to drift off as well, dancing in the warmth and comfort of the boy beside him.
Reki has a dream. Not a WEIRD dream, well maybe it was a little weird. Not bad weird. After waking up abruptly, he traces over the details of what his mind decided to make him think about.
What would it feel like to kiss Langa? He thinks it’d be soft and gentle. Caring kisses peppered across his face, feeling the warmth of his lips. But what if it wasn’t? What if it was deeper. He has only seen kisses in movies, but even the idea of a more passionate kiss made him all shy. To kiss him so intimately, to feel his body press against his own, to trace a sneaky finger beneath the collar of his shirt, maybe to even feel the graze of his tongue against his chapped lips-
OKAY THAT IS ENOUGH OF THAT.
Slapping himself back into reality, he processes where he is. It’s warm.
Ah right. He’s in his bed, with his best friend who he also has a crush on cuddled up to him, with a hand resting on the dip of his waist, slightly over where the hem of his shirt ends.
He’s what???
Langa’s face is pressed to his back, he can feel his hot breath through the fabric of his shirt. A shiver runs down his spine. He needed to get out of this position, or he may just explode.
Very, very slowly, he lifts the gentle hand off his waist, then tries to gently manoeuvre himself over. By some miracle, he escapes. Then, scuttles off to the bathroom to try and regain control over his brain.
After his face is (mostly) back to normal, he begins to walk back to his room, stepping quiet to not wake anyone up. However, it’s a little late for that. As Reki opens the door, the light from the hall illuminates a now awake Langa, tousle-haired and sitting up.
“Where’d you go?” His voice is almost sad, something pulls inside of Reki’s chest.
“Bathroom. Sorry for waking you, man.”
Earning a hum in response, the sleepy boy reaches for his phone, getting absolutely flash banged by the brightness. Reki sits back down, his shoulders touching Langa’s. Warm.
He leans over, checking the time. 3:52am. Jesus. To be honest, he didn’t really want to go back to sleep. He sits idly, bouncing his leg.
“You coming back to bed?” His voice is quiet and raspy, and something about that sentence makes all the flush run back to his face again.
“’m not tired anymore.”
“Do you want to do something?” Again, if Langa asks another question like this, his mind WILL get the better of him.
He coughs, swatting away the thoughts of what “something” is.
“Like what?”
“Hmmm...” Pushing messy blue hair from his eyes, he sits up, closer.
A small idea pops into Reki’s mind. It might not be a good idea, but it's far too late (early?) to have good ideas.
“We could go outside?”
The boy freezes for a second, before responding with a very faint “Okay.”
Chucking on a jacket and pulling his headband back over his head, he stands by the door, watching Langa do the same.
“Ready?”
He nods; his blue eyes averted.
As they step outside, it’s slightly colder than expected. The rain is softer, making rhythms on the pavement. Taking a breath in, Reki runs out into the quiet streets, spinning on his heel to look back.
“You coming?”
He’s standing in the exact spot where they fought. A small, anxious feeling sweeps over Langa, yet as he looks up, he sighs, letting himself relax at the sight. Reki was stood, smiling at him. The streetlamp shone down against his vibrant hair, seemingly glowing in the dull night.
It’s different now.
He follows, then they decide to sit on the curb, not far from where they once-
It’s different now.
The rain melodically patters over the metal rooves, a soft mist around the roads. Reki’s legs are spread out as he sits, looking up into the gentle drops that scatter around them. Mind you, he’s still wearing shorts. The rain decorates his skin like delicate beads, and Langa has to draw his eyes away from his thighs.
“I thought that maybe,” Reki starts, Langa turns his head towards him, “If we have good memories in the rain, you won't think as much about the bad ones.”
This sends his heart flying. The redhead’s voice is endlessly gentle, laced with adoration. And if that wasn’t enough, he keeps talking. His eyes averted, this time.
“I also thought um,” He murmurs, shifting to face him more directly. There’s a new wavering in his voice, however.
“When I swatted your arm away, which arm was it?”
Confused, the blue-eyed boy lifts his right arm. Gently, Reki holds his arm, guiding it closer to him, before placing the most careful, gentle kiss on the spot he had hit. He shies away, tilting his head down, avoiding the expression that could be waiting for him.
“There...” His voice trembles, as if he was about to cry, “It’s better...now...”
Starstruck. Langa is absolutely star struck. His heart has never hammered so loudly against his chest, it's as if it wanted to leap out. He opens his lips to speak, yet nothing comes out. The silence isn’t uncomfortable, however. After a minute, red hair shifts, amber eyes finally looking back up at him.
“I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable, I-”
He can’t hold himself back anymore. In one motion, Langa dives towards the boy who fills his entire heart with these giddy feelings, pressing his chapped lips against his own. They both tumble back onto the pavement, pale, slender hands holding so tightly onto Reki’s tanned face. To say he was happy was the understatement of the century. His entire soul was just overjoyed, bursting at the seams. His mind overflowed with just the feeling of their lips together.
As he finally pulls away, Langa was basically on top of him. Tears are scattered across his freckled cheeks, mixing with the rain. Their breath mixes.
“Langa, I-”
“ I love you,” The words spill from his pale lips, as if he had been waiting lifetimes to say them, “I love you so much, Reki.”
Wide, amber eyes, begin to squint as a smile spread across his lips, “I love you too,” His words stumble, barely audible. Soon, their hearts overflow once again, laughter filling the early air. If he could stay in this moment for the rest of his life, Langa swears he would never get sick of it. The look of pure bliss that shone from his face. The smile that is there because of him. No one else. Pulling him closer, peppering kisses all along Reki’s nose, cheeks and forehead. Reki feels a little bit of deja vu.
“Langa!!” His voice is warm, bubbling with laughter, “Stop!! That tickles!”
He doesn’t stop, only presses more kisses to his skin. Tracing down his jaw, now decorating his neck with soft pecks. A small gasp escapes Reki’s lips, before he impatiently smashes their lips back together, dragging the blueberry boy by his collar. It doesn’t take long for them to form a rhythm, hands gripping onto each other's bodies. Daringly, Reki allows himself to guide his hand to Langa’s waist, slithering beneath the sweater he threw on earlier. A soft, but deep, and very embarrassing sound hisses from Langa’s lips, causing him to draw back, wide eyed. They stare at each other for a moment, before the taller buries himself into the other’s collar.
Maybe Reki can let himself be a little confident, tonight.
“What was that? ” he cheeses, through a sly grin.
“Nothing.”
His hand traces back beneath the thick fabric, and he feels the boy tense against his own body, grumbling in response, “Not out here.”
“What?”
“Not out here,” He repeats, firm, shifting to make eye contact. Theres a dangerous look in his eyes, as well as a deep, crimson blush splashed across his nose. Reki fights back the heat which rises up his neck again. The addicting sensation of their bodies against one another is almost overwhelming. But in the best way possible, of course.
Langa sits up after a bit, then stands, a hand outstretched.
“Should we go inside, love?”
Their hands connect, guiding each other back home.
“God, I’m gonna have to get used to that.” Reki mutters, hoping that it wasn’t heard.
A small smile curls on pale lips.