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It was a packed night at the underground skating scene commonly known as “S” by its attendees. The notable newcomer, Snow, would be skating against longtime beloved skater, Joe. Both with their own dedicated fanbases, it was no shock just how many people turned up. It was one of the most anticipated nights in a while. The two had competed before a few years ago and this would be a sequel to that unforgettable beef.
“We love you Joe!”
“You’ll get him this time!”
“Joe’s hot body will surely melt Snow!”
A cluster of fan girls and boys cheered. Tears hysterically falling from eyes, signs with slogans being held high up amongst the crowd. Joe’s popularity grew as the years progressed, much like his own muscles.
“Snow always shows us who's best!”
“Don’t worry, Snow, you got this!”
“Snow is the coolest!”
And opposite the opposing fanbase was another hoard of fan boys and girls cheering for their favorite skater. Snow’s fans might not have been as flashy as Joe’s, but they still showed up for him. Hoping their cheers fueled him.
“Langa, as proud and happy I am for you, I gotta admit- seeing all these people fawn over you really grinds my gears sometimes,” crossing his arms over his chest, Reki stared down a particular group of fans who were flashing eyes at the adored skated, “you’re my boyfriend!”
“Yes, Reki,” Langa placed a hand on Reki’s flushed cheeks, forcing the shorter boy to look at him, “You’re my boyfriend and my biggest fan. I'll never let anyone forget that.”
As much as he tried to resist, the pouted lips crept into a shy smile and Reki couldn’t help but twist a string of his boyfriend's hair around his finger, “They better not.”
Grabbing onto Reki’s hand and intertwining their fingers, the couple made their way to the starting line. The hoard of crowd trailing behind with their cheers. Reki, still unable to shake the tinge of jealousy he felt as people gawked over his boyfriend, quickly looked behind them and stuck his tongue out in a mocking manner. That made him feel better. At the end of the night, Reki was the one who'd get Langa all to himself.
It was almost time for the race to start and anticipation was brewing in the air. Spectators were lined up all along the track. Everyone wanted to be there to witness this.
“We meet again,” Joe was already at the starting line, two fan girls hanging off each of his arms.
“Are you sure you want to lose to me a second time?”
“You’re funny, kid. I’ve watched you skate from the beginning. I know all of the tricks you keep up your sleeves. Me? I’ve still got some hidden moves you don't know.”
“Hidden under what? You’re shirtless.”
“When you’ve worked as hard as I have for these muscles, you take every chance you can to show them off,” a cocky grin came over his face as Joe flexed his muscles. The girls hanging off his arms nearly fainted.
A loud buzzer sounded, alerting the skaters to get into their places. Cheers sounded through the crowd, they were getting hyped to watch their favorite skaters race another.
“Good luck, baby,” Reki cupped Langa’s face and paced a quick and soft peck to his lips, “You’ll get more of that after you win.”
“Ugh- gag me,” a tall man with his lengthy pink hair pulled back rolled his eyes as he watched the younger couple.
“I’m with Cherry, no one wants to see all that,” a small teen boy, who was probably too young to be attending in the first place, made a face of disgust.
“Oh shut up, Miya,” Reki snapped back, “Isn’t it past your bedtime anyway?”
“Aren’t you failing a course you need to study for?”
The two got in each other’s faces, bickering with one another as if they were brothers. Miya had always felt like that annoying little brother who you also would protect with your life to Reki.
“Enough,” roared a man whose muscles almost rivaled that of Joe. He was much more intimidating with his face fully covered in paint, “If you two don't shut up you’ll be walking home!”
Reki grumbled as he stepped away from the smaller boy, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned his attention to Langa and Joe. That’s what he was supposed to be focused on, anyway.
“Skaters, on your marks!”
“Can’t wait to see you in my restaurant washing all my dishes for a month,” Joe readied himself and glanced over to Langa, a smirk on his face as he reminded him what was at stake.
“Won’t be happening. In fact, you’ll be giving me free meals for a month,” Langa returned the look to Joe.
There was a countdown sounding and a repurposed streetlight transitioning between the colors as an alert to the race starting.
3…
2…
1…
And they were off!
The cheering reached enormous roars as the two beloved skaters set off. They were neck in neck at the beginning, both wanting to conserve their tricks and energy for later in the race would it would matter the most. For Joe, this was redemption. For Langa, it was just another fun competition doing what he loved most.
Standing amongst the crowd, Reki kept his eyes on the screen to keep an eye on his boyfriend. There was no doubt in his mind that Langa was able to win this (again), but at S, there were no rules. Anything and everything could happen, something that Reki knew all too well. Still, despite the dangers, the thrill was fun and the thing that kept Reki and Langa running.
In the race, Joe had edged ahead of Langa. The fans were going crazy, cheering on Joe, hoping that he would finally get his redemption. Of course there was still more racing left to do, and with one of his talented tricks, the crowd watched as Langa soared through the sky, higher than the average skater would dare to go, and surpassed Joe.
“Damn it, come on Joe!”
“Oh, isn’t Snow just so gorgeous? He looks like a Prince! Take me away, Prince Snow!”
Those words struck a chord in Reki, and jealousy surfaced once again. Of course he agreed that Langa was gorgeous. To him, Langa was a cozy winter morning. Soft, pale skin that almost glistened in the sunlight. Icy blue eyes that somehow brought him warmth when he’d gaze into them. Frosty blue hair that delicately fell into place to frame his face. But that was only the obvious beauty of Langa. To Reki, there was so much more beauty that only he had the privilege of experiencing.
That beauty included a small mole at the bottom of Langa’s neck that was usually covered by his turtleneck. His almost always slightly chapped, pink lips, because he was bad at wearing chapstick, but Reki loved to kiss him anyway. Langa was taller than Reki by a couple inches, and his hands were bigger. Reki loved the way Langa’s slender fingers felt brushing against his own skin. And god, his thighs. With how often they skated, Langa developed strong, muscular thighs.
But of course, that was just the outside beauty of Langa. These people cheering for him didn’t know him. They didn’t know the inner beauties that made him who he was. At times Langa came across as very stoic, and almost apathetic. It took a while for him to warm up to others, and Reki was able to creep his way in within weeks of knowing him. And once he was there, he realized just how tender and thoughtful Langa actually was. It was hard to make Langa laugh, and when Reki did, he felt so accomplished and his prize was the beautiful sound Langa made when he did.
“Hey,” a red faced, jealous Reki made his way to the person who had the audacity to comment on his man, “He has a boyfriend you know.”
“Oh really? Well, when he wins tonight I think I could change that,” the girl flipped her hair, arms crossed over her chest as she looked Reki up and down.
The jealousy was now transferring into rage building up inside of Reki. Redness was spreading across his face all the way to the tips of his ears as he made his way closer to the girl, “Oh yeah? You wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Aren’t you his boyfriend,” another girl, presumably her friend, raised a brow, letting out a chuckle, “I don’t get why. He’s way out of your league, ginger.”
Those words hit Reki like a ton of bricks. It was true, Langa felt way out of his league. Better looks, better personality, and insanely better at skating. Reki struggled with feeling inferior to Langa in so many ways. Even years later, while he felt secure in their relationship, and he knew Langa was just as infatuated as he was, there was always a trickle of insecurity that would try to bubble its way up.
“Oh I’m sure the true way to get to Snow is to bash on his best friend and boyfriend,” Miya had chimed in, noticing how riled up Reki was getting. If he didn’t intervene now, Reki might have exploded, “So I suspect you two shut your mouths or I’ll go tell Shadow someone was talking shit on his friends.”
The mention of Shadow made the girls’ faces turn pale. While people who knew Shadow knew that he was a total buffoon, he dressed up in a way that terrified others. And when it came down to it, he did care about his friends and wouldn’t hesitate to stick up for them.
“Ugh, whatever. Joe’s more my type anyway,” the original girl rolled her eyes, linking arms with her friend and making their way to another area of the crowd.
Making a face at the girls once they turned their backs, Reki couldn’t help himself and flipped his middle finger at them. With his arms crossed over his chest and his face still written with jealousy, he tried to turn his focus back onto the race, watching the screen above him.
The two were closer to the end than he thought. Langa was still in the lead, but Reki knew anything could change at an instant. Knowing he wanted to be there to greet him at the end, he started pushing his way through the crowd to the finish line. Reki was going to be there for Langa. Reki was going to be the first person Langa saw when he crossed that finish line.
The finish line housed the most rambunctious bits of the crowd. People were eager to witness who would cross that line first. And with both skaters having dedicated fanbases, it was more chaotic than your typical beef.
“Come on, come on, come on…” Reki muttered to himself. He was standing at the end of the finish line, knowing that at any moment he would see Langa and Joe barreling towards him.
Joe and Langa were neck in neck, both determined to cross that finish line first. The echoing cheers only fueling each of their desires to be the champion. The end was finally in sight, and at this point it was anyone’s win. Was Joe going to get his redemption finally?
At the finish line was Reki, a wide smile on his face as he watched his boyfriend just inch past the finish line before Joe. Another win for Langa. Of course! Reki never doubted him. He ran over to Langa as he slowed to a stop. Not even letting him get off of his board before wrapping his arms around his neck in congratulations.
“You did it again, Langa! You won!” Reki excitedly cheered.
The roar of cheering finally reached its height as it was announced that Snow was the winner of tonight’s beef. Angered by the results, some of Joe’s fans began to boo, but the roars of Snow’s fans outnumbered them.
“We love Snow! We love Snow!” the crowd chanted in unison.
“People love you,” Reki grinned at his boyfriend, brushing some of his long hair out of the way so he could see his face better, “but I love you the most.”
Still breathing heavily and high on adrenaline, a tired but bright smile formed on Langa’s lips. Without another thought, he cupped Reki’s face in his hands and pulled him in for a sweet kiss. It was the first time they had been so public with their relationship at S since getting together. Sure, they’d hold hands, kiss here and there, and it’s not like they hid it. But all eyes were on Langa after finishing the race. The attention of everybody there was on him, but the only person he cared about was Reki.
“Okay, okay,” Miya yelled out, “Stop with the kissing and go get a room or something!”
Reki let out a small laugh against Langa’s lips before pulling away. All of the jealousy he had felt earlier in the night was completely lifted. Sure, his boyfriend was loved and of course that meant people would be fawning over him. Yet here he was, kissing Reki in front of an enormous crowd. If that didn’t send a message to others letting them know that their beloved Snow was off limits, then he didn’t know what would.
“Well, kid, you did it again,” Joe made his way over to Langa, draping his arm across his shoulders, “Can’t say I’m happy about it, but if I’m going to lose to someone I guess I can handle losing to you.”
“Thanks, Joe. And hey, you were closer this time. Maybe the third time’s the charm?”
“I think I need to train a little more before I decide to take you on yet again.”
Soon Joe’s dedicated fangirls found their way to him. Tears were streaming down their faces as they clinged onto Joe, pulling him away from Langa.
“Oh Joe! Don’t worry we still love you!”
“Ladies, ladies! Don’t worry! I can handle a loss every now and then.”
The girls continued to sob as they clung onto their beloved skater. Joe was the one who lost, yet he found himself being the one to console the girls over it.
“You might have crazy fans, but at least they aren’t like that,” Reki laughed.
“Are you saying you aren’t crazy for me?” Langa playfully gasped, acting as if he was offended.
“Hmm,” tapping his finger against his cheek, Reki shrugged his shoulders, deciding to tease Langa, “do you want me to be?”
Reki stepped closer to Langa, almost closing the small gap between them. Feeling like he was unable to control himself, Langa’s eyes dropped down to look at Reki’s lips. He wanted to kiss him so badly. And he didn’t want to stop. His face was getting warmer than it already was, and he was glad that he had just finished a race or else the redness in his cheeks would have been more noticeable.
There were so many people around them, and so many eyes still on Langa. But what he wanted to do with Reki, he couldn’t do it in front of all of these people. His eyes crept back up to Reki’s, and Langa felt weak in the knees. That look Reki was giving him, Langa knew he would break soon. They needed to get away.
“Maybe we should, uh, go somewhere, er- you know… more… private?” Langa stuttered out. He was already starting to lose focus, his gaze continuing to drop back down to Reki’s mouth.
Reki bit his lower lip as he tried to hide a smirk, knowing exactly what he had just done to Langa. He had him wrapped around his finger, and he knew how to use that to his advantage at times.
“I think I know a place,” he spoke softly and took Langa’s hand in his.
Getting through the crowd was rough. People kept coming up to Langa and congratulating him. Usually Langa didn’t mind, but right now all he wanted to do was be with Reki. Alone. Every time he was able to get out of a conversation, another person tried to push their way in to talk to him.
Finally the crowd was getting less dense, and fewer people seemed to care or let alone notice as the couple continued on their way.
Langa and Reki had been dating for a year now, but Langa both felt like they were perpetually stuck in that honeymoon phase everyone warned them about. Langa was obsessed with Reki. Before dating, they were best friends. Every day he spent time with Reki, be it skating, doing homework, or working at Dope Sketch together. And he never got tired of it.
When they started dating, even more territory opened up. Now there wasn’t just talking and hanging out. There were other things involved, things that made Langa’s heart race and made it feel like they were supposed to be doing those things all along.
Their first kiss illuminated Langa, and he never stopped chasing that high. And lucky for him, Reki seemed to feel the same way. Neither could get enough of each other. They tried to keep the public displays of affection to a minimum. They wanted to keep those moments sacred and to themselves. But damn, sometimes, like right now, Langa struggled with holding back.
Finally they reached an area that was scattered with cars, motorcycles, and mopeds where attendees would park. S was a place you could only come when you were invited, and it was off the beaten path. It was far enough out of the way that most people drove or found a quicker way to get there than walking. For Reki and Langa, that usually involved a ride from Shadow.
They came across the familiar, small, and slightly beaten up black car.Reki pulled on the back door handle, and just as he suspected, the door opened. A proud grin on his face as he climbed into the backseat.
“Shadow never locks his car,” tugging onto Langa’s shirt, he pulled Langa into the backseat with him, “Now I can have you all to myself.”
Langa’s entire focus was on Reki, staring at his lips for only a brief moment before letting his own lips meet his. It was a gentle, soft kiss, one that was fueled by the infatuation they had for one another. Every single time they kissed, Langa felt like there was nothing else in the world. Just Langa and Reki.
“Langa- mmm” Reki muttered against his lips, “You did so good,” grabbing Langa’s shirt collar to pull him closer, letting their chests rest on one another.
“I had my biggest fan to cheer me on,” Langa whispered back between kisses.
Reki was Langa’s biggest fan. From the very beginning of his skateboarding endeavors, Reki was always there to support Langa. Had it not been for him, Langa wasn’t sure if he would have learned to have fun again. The happiness he felt when he was around Reki was euphoric, and something he would never take for granted.
Reki was now pinned against the car door, and Langa just wanted more. More kisses, more touching, more Reki. Langa placed a hand on the nape of Reki’s neck, his fingertips gently twirling the ends of his hair. The kisses were getting rougher, deeper. The two were begging for one another, small notes of pleasure sounding as their lips moved in sync.
A shiver ran down Langa’s spine as he felt Reki’s hand gently rest against his cheek. Langa somewhat had an infatuation with his boyfriend’s hands. Throughout the years, he spent so many hours watching those hands. Reki was a talented crafter, and Langa found him in awe as he would watch him create. With all of the time Reki spent making things, his hands became calloused and Langa was obsessed. Even with how rough they might have seemed, nothing illuminated Langa quite the way Reki’s touch did.
“Mhm,” a small whine slipped from Langa’s lips, “I really… really love you,” he whispered breathlessly. Langa brought his hand from Reki’s neck and placed it atop of the hand that was on his cheek. Gently bringing Reki’s hand away, he let their fingers slip between one another, becoming intertwined.
The kissing was feeling heavier, and Reki gently brought Langa’s lower lip between his teeth. This caused a quiet moan to escape Langa’s lips before he even registered what he just did. With their fingers interlocked, hands pressed against the window, Langa found himself squeezing Reki’s hand. Yet another way for him to let Reki know he really, really loved him.
“What the- GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CAR!”
The thundering yell interrupted the couple and once Langa pulled away from Reki, he was already missing him. Glancing behind him, he saw Shadow standing outside the car. The door had been left wide open by Langa, his mind had been totally focused on Reki earlier. Oops.
“I was wondering why my backdoor was open, but I wasn’t expecting to find you two in here making out! Get the hell out, you can walk home tonight!” Shadow continued yelling at the two and you could almost see the steam coming out of his ears.
Langa fumbled and opened the door that Reki had been pressed against. The two stumbled out of the car and Langa nearly face planted onto the ground. Shadow continued to holler at the boys, shaking his fist at them. Reki grabbed onto Langa’s hand and began running down the road with him, hand in hand.
“Sorry not sorry, Shadow,” Reki yelled back as they left Shadow in the distance.
The pair had gotten far enough away from Shadow, and it felt like they were the only two in the world once again. Slightly frustrated that their make-out session had been interrupted, Reki abruptly stopped. Still holding onto Langa’s hand, he pulled him into his body, causing himself to be pushed up against one of the cliffs. His hands quickly made their way to either side of Langa’s face, pulling him in for another kiss.
“Mm- Reki,” Langa happily sighed against Reki’s lips, his arms snaking their way around his waist, “Don’t you think-” he breathed out between kisses, “we should keep walking?”
“Noooo,” Reki whined. He was tired of walking already. He didn’t want to go home, to his home, to be away from Langa. Reki wanted Langa. He wanted to kiss him and feel his touch, “Just want… to keep… kissing you,” he whined again, pressing multiple kisses against Langa’s lips.
Reki let his arms fall from Langa’s cheeks to wrap around his neck, pulling his boyfriend even closer to him. It still wasn’t close enough for Reki, he needed there to be no space left between the two. And then it was like Langa read his mind. He felt Langa’s hands grab his legs, lifting him off of the ground. Reki immediately wrapped his legs around Langa’s torso, a small giggle slipping out between their kisses.
Reki’s back was against the cliffwall, his legs wrapped tightly around Langa and their torsos finally closing any speck of space that was left between the two. They were far enough away from crowds or any busy streets that Reki knew they wouldn’t be interrupted this time. Their kissing became longer, deeper.
Reki could feel Langa’s tongue run against his lower lip, and he let a small moan slip out. Parting his lips, he let Langa’s tongue slide into his mouth. Langa let out a small whimper as he felt his tongue meet Reki’s. Reki’s heart was racing and his head was spinning. More, he wanted more of Langa.
“L-Langa,” Reki whispered, tightening his legs around Langa’s torso, “M so in love with you,” he breathed out.
Langa’s heart still fluttered at those words. They had been said before, and many times. The two never hesitated to let the other know just how they felt. Still hearing it now, with how close they were, it made Langa realize how passionate they felt for one another. The kisses were getting a little sloppy, and Langa knew with how far they were not going to walk after being caught by Shadow, they were going to need to stop before things went even further.
“I think,” Langa murmured against Reki’s lips, stopping his kisses but making sure his lips stayed pressed against Reki’s, “you should stay the night. My house is closer. My mom’s out of town so we can be alone. And comfortable.”
Letting out a heavy sigh Reki pouted and pulled his lips from Langa’s, staring into those beautiful icy eyes that he loved so much, “I’m so tired of walking,” he pouted.
Langa laughed softly and pressed a quick kiss to Reki’s forehead. Slowly letting go of his legs, he let him get his feet back on the ground.
“How about I carry you?”
“What? All the way back to your house? No way!”
“Reki,” Langa pleaded, “You can ride on my back. I can carry you.”
Reki was feeling pretty exhausted, but he knew Langa was probably feeling it even more so seeing he literally just finished a race.
“Are you sure? I mean you just had a beef and all-”
“Reki. Let me carry you,” Langa turned around so his back was to Reki, he bent down low enough to the ground so Reki would be able to hoist himself onto his back.
Feeling reluctant and guilty, Reki knew that Langa would continue to bicker and insist that he carry him the rest of the way. He decided to oblige and climbed onto Langa’s back, his legs dangling on either side of him. Langa stood back up and tightly grabbed ahold of Reki’s legs to help keep him secure.
“There,” Langa smiled and began the trek back towards his house, “it’s not that bad at all.”
“I guess not,” Reki smiled and let his head rest next to Langa’s on his shoulder, “My big, strong, handsome Langa,” he murmured before placing a kiss on his cheek.
Langa tightly held onto Reki’s legs as he continued to walk to his house. He knew it was going to take longer carrying him than walking side by side, but Langa didn’t care. He would do anything for Reki. Reki was his biggest fan, after all.