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Langa is content.
He likes his new life in Okinawa, loves all the time he spends hanging out with Reki, enjoys every moment that he has on his board, really loves hanging out with Reki-
Ok, maybe he just loves Reki.
But besides the point, he’s really content with his life…and with Reki…
At least up until now.
It was as if this weird bubble started to form between them and suddenly Langa is starting to notice the little things a bit more often. Their shoulders brushing against one another, softer looks getting directed towards him….
One time he felt Reki’s pinky brush against his. It was a quiet day at Dopefresh, and they were literally mid conversation, Reki gushing about a trick he saw online and how it was so cool and…
Honestly, Langa was trying to pay attention, but Reki was just so animated and seriously, Langa couldn’t focus.
He jumped when he felt the slight touch at first, but it was totally nothing-
Then suddenly, Reki slowly wrapped his pinky around Langa’s, his face a bright red, whispering a soft, “is this ok?” Into the air.
It was more than ok.
Langa was about to crack and break. Scream every emotion that he tried so desperately to hide away in an effort to keep things normal around him and Reki. He couldn’t help it, not when Reki looked at him like that. From laughing to suddenly staring at him with such a soft look in his eye, something entrancing him as Reki gushed about a trick Langa finally pulled off and how it looked like he was literally flying on his board.
The brush of their shoulders as Reki got closer, closer, closer and Langa finds it harder to breathe.
“You’re amazing Langa…” It’s quiet, a contrast to Reki’s personality, but Langa realizes that he’s had a lot more quiet moments with Reki recently and that’s enough to make his heart swell.
“It’s all thanks to you Reki.” Selfishly he likes the way Reki’s cheeks bloom in color.
“R-Right as if you weren’t the one controlling the board, man.”
“A board that you created simply by studying me.”
Normally Reki brushes him off with a breathy laugh and gets right back on his skateboard to ‘run away’ from the conversation. This time though, Langa thinks he really lets the words sink down to his core, blue eyes watching fingers fidget with his hoodie.
Langa could never forget how cool the air was that evening, with the moon peeking up over the clouds. He also couldn’t forget the explosion that went off deep within the pit of his gut, the prickling feeling that shot up from the base of his spine to the crown of his head once Reki spoke.
“Since you’re always so damn nice to me, let me treat you to lunch next week.”
Langa would be a liar if he said he clearly remembered the rest of the conversation. One moment he was at the skatepark with his best friend, and the next he was staring holes into his ceiling trying so hard to grasp the events of the night.
Obviously it was casual, I mean they always eat out together. Sometimes they even fight over who pays!
So why did this feel so different?
Maybe it was the fact that Reki offered to pick him up, and instead of it being spontaneous Reki asked for his availability and told him that he should dress nice and that he’d find a spot instead of just crashing at Joe’s restaurant or a random ramen spot like they usually do…
He vaguely remembers his voice cracking out an okay and he barely cherished the heartfelt laugh Reki released out into the air as he walked him home (which was also crazy!! Reki’s house is closer to the skatepark!!!! Why walk him home tonight!!!!!)
Just as his heart finally calms down, he hears his phone go off.
Of course it’s a message from Reki, Langa’s heart rockets in speed once again.
Reki 22:45
Hey man! Hopefully next Saturday is ok?
Reki 22:45
I assumed it was but u kinda mumbled something and I couldn’t tell
Reki 22:46
R u ok btw? That fall looked nasty dude
Maybe that’s why Langa couldn’t remember anything, it was his brain suppressing that he embarrassingly ate shit looking at Reki on the way back to his house.
Langa 22:48
Saturday is good. I would make an opening in my schedule regardless for you and free food.
Langa 22:50
Also I’m okay. Just a small scratch on my knee :)
Reki 22:51
Ofc nothing would stop u from free food
Reki 22:52 reply
K that’s good!
Reki 22:52
wish I got it on video tho like you actually flew
Langa 22:55
I can’t believe you’d laugh at my misery like this…
Reki 22:56
Isn’t this the same guy that laughed at me the other week for slamming into a pole
Reki 22:56
And then took a photo of me with the red mark
Reki 22:57
And THEN sent it to the entire gc…
Langa 22:59
I have no idea what you’re talking about..
Langa 23:02
[Photo]
Reki 23:02
DUDE.
Reki 23:02
IM NOT TAKING U OUT ANYMORE???
Langa 23:04
:(
Reki 23:04
Ugh don’t do that you’ll make me change my mind…
Langa 23:06
Reki… :((((((
Reki 23:07
FINE…Ig….
Langa 23:09
:D
Reki 23:10
Ur lucky I’m super nice
Reki 23:11
Dude the spot I found btw is literally going to blow ur MIND, ur gonna love it
Reki 23:11
Remember to dress nice :)
Reki 23:11
Wait not too nice please don’t show up in a suit
Reki 23:12
Like something other than our usual attire!
Langa 23:14
Noted, don’t wear the usual long sleeve with jeans
Reki 23:15
U get me so well dude
Reki 23:15
Anyways I got cursed with the early shift tmr so I gotta sleep
Reki 23:15
Goodnight dude
Langa 23:16
Goodnight Reki!
—
Langa. Was. Doomed.
The next morning, or rather afternoon, felt like a fever dream and that was probably due to the fact that he couldn’t sleep at all. The conversation kept replaying in his mind like a broken record. A record that the remaining cells in his brain were desperately trying to stop because he couldn’t function with it playing.
His omelette was extra crispy, his shirt was backwards, and his shoes accidentally landed on the wrong feet.
If his mom noticed his weird behavior— and the bags that fell beneath his eyes— she didn’t mention it.
But seriously, what could it possibly mean?!
Take him out???
Dress nice????
Was this still casual????
Langa had to hold himself back from running to Reki’s house, climbing through his window, and asking him what they were. He swept the same spot for the fifth time in a row, not even noticing his face heating up in concentration.
“I never knew you were so serious about cleaning,” Reki mused.
Stupidly pretty Reki behind the counter with a smug smile on his face. It was as if he knew he was destroying Langa from the inside out. Filling every empty spot with thoughts of him, squeezing his heart to the point where Langa was a bit concerned for his health.
If Langa had no self control he’d drop the broom and kiss that cute stupid smile off his face.
“Me neither.”
—
“You are one of the dumbest people I’ve ever met.” Miya groaned getting off the halfpipe.
He and Miya were at S to help cheer Joe on for his beef. Something important was getting bet on but he couldn’t quite remember what it was. Reki couldn’t make it tonight cause his mom needed him to watch the twins which caused Langa to accidentally gush about their upcoming outing (date? Friendly hangout?) something that he struggled to keep to himself lately.
(Poor Sketchy, hearing all the details about his inner turmoil the second Reki clocked out for the day, the same Reki that held eye contact with him for a few seconds longer when bringing up how much he’ll miss him at S tonight.)
To say that Miya was about to slam his head into the nearest wall would undermine his true feelings.
“Thanks for your input.”
“I mean it’s so obvious he’s asking you out? Why do you need me to spell it out for you.” Miya practically groaned it out.
“Yeah, but we always go out together…” He couldn’t count all of their hangouts on both of his hands. Everyday was filled with Reki Reki Reki, he was nervous his other friends might think he was intentionally neglecting them.
(He tried to make up for it with Joe one day, but the older man found it so weird that he just assumed he and Reki got into a fight.)
“And everyone in a three mile radius already assumes that you’re dating.”
Langa’s skin turns a bright red and Miya smirks.
Bullseye.
“That can’t be true.” Langa pouted.
Miya sighed, it was a heavy one too. One that made Langa think that maybe he was thinking about this too hard, but he couldn’t help it. What if he got the wrong idea and suddenly Reki keeps him at a distance. Close enough for things to feel normal, yet far enough away that Langa would physically feel their relationship failing.
He didn’t want that.
“I just don’t want to ruin anything,” He fiddled with his board a bit.
Reki meant so much to Langa to the point that it hurt. He wouldn’t know what he’d do without Reki. Without the constant in his life. Without the bright smiles and consistent touches.
He almost lost it once, he’d rather die than waste this second chance.
Miya quickly softened up — well not a lot, but enough for the average person to notice.
“Trust me when I say there’s no way you can mess this up. Just make sure to tell me how this ‘hang out’ goes.” Miya kicked his board up, preparing to continue practicing. Langa watched as he walked back towards the halfpipe, his brain a mess and his heart seemingly starting to fail on itself.
But Langa supposed everything might be ok.
it was Reki after all, they always found a way when it came to one another.
—
Finding a ‘casual outfit’ was harder than Langa thought it’d be.
“Mmm…that might work…” So much harder that he had to call in back up.
“Turn around for me sweetie.” Nanako mumbled, clearly deep in thought.
Langa turns with a flushed face. He mentally noted that putting Reki, date, and outfit in the same sentence would cause his mom to activate whatever this was.
This being about two hours of breaking apart his closet, a threat of going to the mall to find a quick outfit, and creating a realistic scenario of a perfume section during the holiday seasons.
Langa thinks his head hurts more in this moment compared to any injury he’s ever gotten.
“You look perfect.” He could hear the smile in his mom’s voice, “My little boy all grown up.” She sniffles a little.
Langa turned around with a pout and a blush, “M-Mom.”
“Should we head out to grab some flowers?”
“I don’t-“
“Wait, that might be too cliche, maybe some jewelry instead?”
“That’s a little-“
“Do you think gold or silver fits him more?”
“I think that I’ll take my leave from this conversation.” The answer was obviously gold, but Langa’s face was so red he was moments away from passing out.
Thoughts of Reki wearing a necklace that came straight from him rapidly started to flood his mind. Would Reki like something like that? Would it be something that he would never take off because it was so special? His mind wondered how it’d look while he skated, the way it’d probably fly out of his shirt when he was skating really hard, and how it’d compliment any outfit he’d throw on…
The cold water from the sink couldn’t help him anymore.
“One last thing,” Nanako softly says— when did she even follow him?
She presses a bottle of cologne into his hand with a smile. “Don’t overthink things with Reki tomorrow. From the way you talk about him you really do care about him and I’m sure he cares about you too.”
Nanako’s smile is sweet, something nestling itself deep within her eyes. Something that tells Langa that she understands his fears, his anxieties. Tells Langa that she was in his shoes before and knows.
“Just be yourself! Show him how lucky he is!” She pinches Langa’s cheeks and with a giggle before offering to cook dinner, his favorite dish, to prepare him for the big day.
And if she saw Langa smile at her words, she didn’t mention it.
Later that night when Langa has his entire outfit laid out on a lone chair in his room, his buzzing phone pulls him out of his thoughts.
Reki 20:44
Hey dude!
Reki 20:44
Tmr I’ll pick u up at 2 if that’s ok
Langa 20:46
2 is perfect, I can’t wait to see you :)
Reki 20:47
Awesome!
Reki 20:47
And I missed u too, so happy I get you all to myself tmr
Reki 20:48
Anyways I’m going to bed Goodnight dude!
Langa’s heart soars.
Reki was literally going to send him into cardiac arrest.
—
From the moment he woke up he felt his heart shaking within his rib cage. Felt a light fluttery feeling within the depths of his stomach that was threatening to explode into something greater if Reki’s name was even thought of.
Brushing his hair for the third time, ironing his clothes again just in case a wrinkle appeared while he was asleep, fixing the bracelet his mom let him use so it sat on his wrist at the right angle.
Doomed couldn’t even begin to describe Langa’s mental state right now.
Every word his voice would crack. Every step his legs would shake. Every breath of air would result in less coming back in.
He remembers his mom giving him breathing exercises, but that really didn’t help the second Reki’s contact photo popped up on his phone.
It didn’t help when he heard a knock at the front door.
And it really didn’t help when he nearly fell face first onto the hardwood floors.
Regardless, Langa made it to the front door, putting himself together with glitter glue and tape just in time. The door suddenly felt heavier, but it opened and—
Wow.
Langa thinks his brain shut down the second he made eye contact with Reki.
Reki, who always wore clothes twice his size, was standing in front of him wearing a white short sleeve button up with a plain black tee beneath it. Reki, who refused to leave the house without a headband, didn't have it on today, the headband resting on his wrist instead as a makeshift bracelet. Reki, who would shove literally everything into his pockets, “ugh we really don’t need a bag dude,” had a fanny pack that laid comfortably on his chest.
And to add a touch of himself, he had shorts on, nice baggy orange shorts that complimented his outfit so well.
It brought Langa into a daze. Seriously, what couldn’t Reki do??
“Hey dude!” Reki was so unbelievably Reki that Langa couldn’t help his lovesick smile.
“Reki!” He couldn’t stop smiling even if someone told him to, Reki— his happiness— consumed him so much.
He felt like crying and their date (Langa is still unsure if it’s a date) hasn’t even started yet.
“Wait, hold on. I have something for you!” Reki’s other hand came from behind his back, a beautiful bouquet of flowers appearing right before him.
Langa froze.
He totally forgot to get Reki something despite the fact his mom literally offered—
His heart got caught in his throat. What if Reki wanted something in return as well?
They haven’t even left the house and Langa ruined-
“Before you’re like, ‘oh my gawd Reki I didn’t get you anything!’ Don’t worry, this and everything else is on me!” Reki pushes the flowers further into Langa’s chest, “today I’ll be the one to spoil you.”
Langa’s face explodes with color. “O-Oh.” A slight voice crack, Reki doesn’t seem to notice. “Thank you Reki!” Shaky hands reach out for the flowers, “they’re beautiful…” You’re beautiful, gets trapped deep within the inner gates of his heart and mind, instead getting replaced with, “you look really nice Reki.”
It doesn’t take much to break down Reki’s composure, eyes darting in multiple directions and the tips of his ears turning a light red.
“You too man! Really, I feel like I need to go home and change.” Langa pouts at this.
“But I like your outfit Reki…” His ears turn even more red, it’s cute, Langa’s mind unhelpfully tells him.
“O-Ok dude, go put the flowers away and then let’s go. It’s quite the drive.” Langa nods, gooey smile dancing on his lips. Reki’s taking him out and it’s out of town and it’s something that’s going to blow. his. mind!!!
If Langa woke up from a dream right now he wouldn’t even be surprised.
After saying goodbye to his mom, who gave him a smile and a thumbs up, they finally made it out of the house and into the Okinawa heat. Reki hopped on the moped that Manager Oka definitely let him borrow and handed a helmet to Langa.
“Ok get comfortable, I was serious about the drive.” Langa nods, jumping on behind him. Hesitantly he holds onto Reki which immediately causes a laugh to pour out of him. “You can hold on tighter y’know?”
Oh.
He immediately hugs Reki’s waist, leaning his head on his back.
The quiet rumble of the moped is all Langa hears as they head off, the cool air putting him at ease.
This wasn’t too bad, albeit they barely left the house and Langa’s voice cracked probably five times by now, but everything just seemed to click into place. It was always so natural with Reki. They engaged in casual conversation soon after, Reki whining about having to miss S a lot this week and barely being able to see Langa up until today.
Langa filled him in on Joe’s race, how he watched Joe make the rookie face plant into the dirt road and Langa couldn’t help but fall in love with the rumble of Reki’s body whenever he’d laugh.
It didn’t take long for him to realize that Reki put on some sort of cologne. A strong but welcomed citrus smell wafting through the wind around him and suddenly Langa doesn’t know what he was so nervous about.
Sleepless nights for literally what reason, it was Reki.
The same Reki that he spent majority of his time with, attached to the hip.
The same Reki that told him that he wanted to be with him for infinity.
Date or not he’s just happy he’s with Reki.
Langa doesn’t realize he dozed off until he feels the soft rumble of the engine shut off and hears Reki’s sweet voice reaching his ears.
“Ok dude.” Reki can’t contain his excitement, really, Langa can hear it within every word.
“So I know that you’d probably eat anything-“
“Well I actually really hate brocc-
“-And I know how much you really love poutine.” Reki grabs his hand, Langa feels a zap of lightning shoot through his body.
Reki leads them to one of the windows on the building, a piece of paper taped onto it.
“All. You. Can. Eat-”
“Poutine?!” Langa’s jaw drops open.
“Yeah man! All you can eat! I knew you’d like it! I was surprised a place like this existed near us.” Langa’s neck snaps to Reki, his hand unintentionally squeezing Reki’s in an effort to control himself.
Reki brought him to unlimited poutine.
This could NOT be casual.
“Reki, you’re so amazing!! Thank you!!”
“Awh shucks man you’re flattering me.” Langa literally starts shaking and Reki knows he has to get them inside before Langa genuinely explodes from excitement.
They’re seated pretty quickly despite the busy atmosphere and Langa faintly remembers Reki telling the hostess about a reservation, but his brain is literally mush at the moment. Reki Reki Reki poutine poutine poutine, it bounces within the confines of his skull.
When they’re seated, Langa realizes their hands are still connected and a really selfish part of him wants to keep it that way, the warm and slightly sweaty feeling of Reki’s palm bringing extreme comfort to him.
And it turns out Reki feels the same way too.
Unfortunately, they have to let go to actually look at the menu— or rather, for Reki to look at the menu. When a kind waiter walks up to the table, Langa has to hold himself back from yelling about the unlimited poutine. Reki ends up ordering a milkshake, deciding to indulge with Langa in the poutine boat.
“Is it really a boat…” Reki meekly asks to which the waiter laughs with a nod.
The milkshake comes rather quickly and a giant smile that could literally blind everyone in a 10 mile radius forms on Reki’s face. Langa can't help but get lost in it to the point that Reki has a soft blush that sprinkles itself on his cheeks. Regardless, Reki presses the straw up to his mouth, slow and steady. Langa can’t help but catch his tongue reaching the straw before his lips did and— was he wearing lip gloss??
He gulped watching two fingers steady the straw, feeling a burning sensation on his ears as Reki eyelids drooped and he maintained eye contact as he sip sip sipped the milkshake.
Slowly.
Sensually.
Langa definitely died and this is heaven.
“You’re looking at me like you’re gonna eat me alive.” Reki’s face is red but his voice has this rumble to it that brings Langa to the edge of his seat.
“Did you want some?” Langa doesn’t know if he means some of the milkshake or something else…
He nods regardless.
Reki chuckles and pushes the glass towards him. He spins it around so the straw faces him and suddenly Langa realizes that this is so intimate.
They shared drinks before, literally last week when Reki forgot his water bottle, but this.
This was different.
He presses the straw against his lips and feels the layer left behind by Reki’s, his brain helpfully telling him that Reki is one hundred percent wearing lip gloss.
A slight glance upwards confirms the suspicion for his heart, pinker lips pointed in his direction as he takes one, two, three—
“H-Hey! Don’t drink it all!!”
Langa reluctantly gives the milkshake back with a smile.
“It’s really sweet Reki.”
“We can order one for you too-“
“Just like you.”
Langa watches as Reki’s cognitive functions begin to fail on him in real time, he also pieces together what he just said and feels that nervousness and increased heart rate return in its full form.
“Wha- d-dude! You can’t just-!”
“I meant in the sense that-!”
“Poutine boat?” Both parties startle at the waiter and Langa couldn’t be happier.
For both the food and for his sanity. The boat is gigantic by the way, the platter covering half the table. Langa looks up from it, a twinkle in his eye as he barely stops himself from drooling.
“Thank you Reki!” He rushes out before diving straight in.
He doesn’t know what’s better: Reki bringing him out today, unlimited portions of massive poutine, eating poutine with Reki.
He’s in heaven.
Not even half a minute later another platter hits the table, this one being a bit smaller yet filled with an absurd amount of gravy and other things on top of the fries.
“Dude I never understand where all that food goes.” Reki muses as he dips more fries into his mouth.
Langa looks up with such a dorky smile, “well I have to take advantage of the all you can eat.” He stuffs more fries into his mouth, “did you want to try the loaded poutine with me? I never even heard of that before.”
Reki nods but is quickly startled by a fork making its way across the table.
“Tell me how it tastes,” his mouth is partly full but not full enough for his speech to be impaired. Reki leans forward, once again his tongue coming out before his lips as he takes the fork into his mouth.
Reki loves eye contact recently, Langa is too drawn in to break it.
A flutter of his lashes, “that’s really good! I’m sure you’d like it.” A pop of his lips, “it’s savory in all the right ways, the flavor is less overwhelming than it looks.” A lick of his lips.
Langa was about to explode.
The rest of the meal goes exactly how you’d expect it would , Langa orders two more platters and Reki taps out after finishing two halves of two separate boats. The third one Langa tackles all by himself as Reki watches while keeping conversation. Langa could listen to Reki speak for hours and never get tired of it.
He’s helpless.
Sometime at the end of Langa’s feast, Reki leans over the table to wipe some crumbs off of his face, his warm fingers holding his face still as he brushes around his lips. He swiftly tucks some of Langa’s hair behind his ear before sitting back down and if he wasn’t blushing before he definitely was now.
Leaving is like a bittersweet goodbye, Langa longingly looking back at the all you can eat sign with a pout.
“Don’t worry,” Reki softly laughs, “I can take you back here again sometime!”
If Reki notices Langa tripping over his shoe, he doesn’t mention it.
Hoping back on the moped, Reki sighs. “Hey…do you have some more time to spare?” And who is Reki kidding? Of course Langa has time. He always has time for Reki, he could literally call him at the crack of dawn and Langa would come running.
“Yeah of course.” It comes out as a breathy sigh and Langa hoped Reki couldn’t hear the longing that laced every word.
“Ok cool…I have one more stop for us.” Langa nodded, taking in how the sun really framed Reki’s features. It was like he was literally molded by the sun itself.
Reki soon brought them to a small ice cream parlor, a sheepish smile dancing on his lips. “I felt bad you never got your milkshake.” Reki mumbled as he parked the moped, holding out his hand for Langa.
The hand that Langa did not hesitate to grab.
“Order whatever you want, this is still my treat.”
“You bought enough for me today Reki…”
“Hey! I’m taking you out! I got it!” Langa pouted at that to which Reki couldn’t help the chuckle that flew out his mouth. “Take me out next time if you want to pay for everything.”
Ok.
That was NOT casual.
Langa’s body erupted in flames.
Reki wanted to do this again, Reki wanted him to take him out next time.
Maybe Reki didn’t want this to be casual either.
“Of course I’ll take you out Reki.” He watched with amusement as the boy turned red all over from head to toe.
“I’ll take you out today, tomorrow, whenever you ask me to.” Langa gripped both of his hands and really he would’ve liked to be more romantic and not do this in the parking lot of an ice cream parlor, but nothing was really normal when it came to them two.
“I want to keep doing this, I want to go to your house and pick you up and take you across the city for something you mentioned in a fleeting moment. I want to see your reaction to things I planned out for you as well!”
Reki froze, eyes darting all over Langa’s face and his lips parting slowly in shock. “I enjoyed every second of today, you were so sweet in wanting to take me out. Thank you Reki, you always go above and beyond and I can’t appreciate you enough.”
“I-I mean anyone could find poutine-“
“But anyone isn’t you. You found this for me, you planned everything, you bought me flowers and drove me forty minutes across town, you treated me and you’re still treating me and I…”
Langa felt his lungs squeeze, a small part of him still afraid to take the leap. To fall into the unknown.
But it’s Reki and with Reki everything will be ok, he knows it.
“I really liked it, I really like you Reki. Thank you for today.”
Langa could feel his heart soaring, his brain breaking apart and honestly the tape he used to piece himself together earlier today was slowly falling apart.
But he wouldn’t shake. He wouldn’t let his voice crack or his legs wobble.
He was sure of himself. Even if Reki got the completely wrong idea, the feelings were like a sleeping volcano, he needed to get them out or he’d genuinely explode.
“Next time I’ll get you a gift and I’ll make sure to take extra shifts at work to buy you anything you want and-“
“Langaaa.” Reki wheezed.
Langa hadn’t noticed that Reki was so red he looked as if he got sunburned. His legs were shaking and his hands were a combination of both observations.
“D-Dude you’re literally about to kill me…” His voice was raspy and weak and Langa couldn’t stop the lovesick smile from spreading across his lips.
“Sorry.” Langa breathed out, yet not an ounce of remorse was in his tone.
Reki took a few minutes to catch his breath, but he didn’t yank his hands out of Langa’s hold nor did he look at him with disgust or pity.
Actually, call Langa delusional, but he swears Reki was looking at him with love.
Nothing more, nothing less.
“I like you too.” Reki finally got out and Langa felt his brain break and fall apart.
“I don’t know if it was obvious especially with this date and everything.”
Ah.
It was a date.
Langa flusters at that.
“I, um, just was trying to take you to the beach after this? And kinda confess to you down there? But you beat me to it…”
Langa relished the feeling of warmth that bloomed within his body, letting it take over the core of his being, staring lovingly into Reki’s eyes as it took over.
Reki’s breath hitched and suddenly he gripped Langa’s hands a little tighter.
“Langa…” Reki practically whispered. If Langa wasn’t hyper focused on all that made up Reki he definitely would’ve missed that.
“Can I kiss you?”
Yeah, Langa can only hold himself together so much.
He nods so fast he thinks he heard something crack. Hands unclasp themselves from his and Langa misses the warmth they brought for only a millisecond because Reki's hands gently cupping his cheeks feel so much better. He feels the slight shake within those fingers, the warmth practically bleeding into his skin and Langa starts to believe that he was sent down from the sun itself.
Slowly Reki covers his vision, red hair, red face, barely visible freckles that many probably wouldn’t realize. The fact that only he would get close enough to Reki to notice them makes his brain melt into mush.
The citrus scent from earlier slowly begins to fill his nose. It’s overpowering in the best way possible and stupidly he wonders if Reki can smell the cologne on him too.
He stupidly wonders if Reki’s slowly falling in love with what he smells like too.
When their lips finally touch, Langa physically feels his body shut down. Reki’s lips are so soft and he can faintly taste both the milkshake and the poutine. Sweet and savory both at once, somehow both tastes perfectly paint Reki as a person.
Once his brain boots back up, he realizes that maybe he should kiss Reki back and— wow what a difference it makes. Langa can hear them, the fireworks people always emphasize when it comes to kissing someone for the first time. He can hear them and becomes hyperaware of all that is Reki.
His scent, his thumb slowly moving across his face, the puff of his breath whenever they break apart only to chase one another back into another searing kiss. He can feel the shiver that shakes Reki as he places a hand on the curve of his waist, feel the heat that Reki holds as he somehow gets closer.
Langa’s a mess, everything about him bursting from the seams, the pieces he repaired time and time again breaking apart to the point that Langa’s sure he won’t be able to put himself back together again. Sure that there will always be a piece of Reki within him that’ll have to hold him together, that’ll make him who he is as a human.
Forget the tape, Reki might have to fill in any cracks he can’t quite fill anymore.
Selfishly, Langa hopes Reki also has to rebuild himself. Allow pieces of Langa to fill in any empty spaces that he can’t quite fit anymore.
Langa’s been rearranged in ways he couldn’t even fathom and, as Reki brings his face even closer to chase trembling lips, he hopes Reki has too.
When they pull apart, he isn’t sure if Reki caught him or if it was the other way around, but someone needed support afterwards. Hands left his face and fell back into his own, squeezing them as if to make sure this was really real.
“Is this ok?” Reki whispered, his breath still catching up to him.
“It’s more than ok.” Langa whispered back.
—
“Thanks again for today.” Langa said with a dopey smile. Reki took Langa’s helmet with a soft smile, something that pierced straight through his ribs.
“Of course dude, anything for you.” Langa isn’t sure his mental filter is up and running yet, his lips not being able to cage up what flies out,
“I really like you Reki and you looked really gorgeous tonight. Have a good night and get home safe.”
He watches with a smug smile as Reki erupts in red, mentally noting that red really does suit Reki lovingly.
“G-Go home!”
Langa laughs as he turns back around towards his house. His hand just makes it to the doorknob—
“Langa,” it’s whispered, but he still hears it.
“I think you looked beautiful today as well.”
Now call Langa delusional, but he swore Reki said 'I love you too,' to him here as well, yet when he brought it up over text he denied any mention of it.