Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I promise you ma’am, we do not have sushi here.” Reki stands behind a register as he talks -borderline argues- with the woman standing on the other side. The restaurant is nearly empty as it’s close to closing and it’s hours after dinner time. Only the buzz of the lights and dishes clinking in the back can be heard, well until this lady came along and ruined the calm atmosphere.

“Well why not?” The older lady shrieks and rests her hands on her hips, her eyes shooting daggers at the poor boy.

“This is an Italian restaurant.” Reki deadpans, he can’t help but rub his nose bridge, his stress threatening to come out in a less customer friendly way.

The only other customer in the building watches with an amused look as he takes a bite of his pasta.

The lady scoffs, her eyes narrowing with disdain. “Well, you just lost a customer,” she sneers, her voice dripping with self satisfactory sass. With a dramatic flourish, she grabs her purse, the chain handle clinking with finality, and storms out of the building. Her heels echo sharply against the tiled floor. The door swings shut behind her with a resounding thud, leaving a tense silence in her absence.

Reki lets out the breath he’s been holding. The day has been a long one. Full of obnoxious and rude customers. Reki feels as if his head is going to explode with built up frustration. Though as much as he hates work, home isn’t much better so he tries not to complain much. Not to mention there was a customer who left him a hefty tip earlier that day.

A green haired man, Reki’s boss, signals him to go take out the trash. Reki’s shoulders shrink further, not excited at the assigned task but nods as he leaves the front counter.

It’s about 8:40 pm meaning Reki is nearing the end of his shift. Reki wrapps his hands around the overloaded bag’s sides and pulls with a some struggle. After calculated tugs, to not rip it in the process, he gets it out and ties it up.

“Eugh.” Reki grimaces as the smell of the garbage wafts at him. He carries the big and lumpy bag in one hand, far from his body as he walks to the back of the establishment. Reki groans, noticing the droplets falling from the sky. “Just great, that’ll be amazing to walk home in.” Sarcasm lacing his words.

He makes his way to the dumpster, soon holding up the lid to toss in the rotten bag of the day’s rejected food. As the lid slams shut he sees a figure in the corner of his eye. He turns fully to examine what it could be.

There’s a guy about the same age as him, leaning against the side of the building. He seems to be lost in thought.

“Hello?” Reki peers at him with questioning eyes. He tries to make out the other’s features in the dark. His eyes adjust slowly, learning each detail one at a time. ‘Blue hair’ Reki notes. There’s not many street lights that illuminates behind the restaurant.

The blue haired guy slightly jumps at the sound. He whips his head to Reki, straightening up in the process, as if building a wall between the two, not wanting to show any vulnerability.

Reki tilts his head. “What’re you doing here?” He watches the other intensely, unsure if he’s dangerous or not.

Reki doesn’t get a response right away, being only met with awkward silence as the other just pulls out a cigarette. After a few seconds of silence, the stranger finally spoke. “The rain interrupted my walk.” He points with the roll of tobacco towards the rain being blocked by the overhang of the buildings roof above them. “Waiting for it to clear up.”

Reki nods his head in acknowledgement. “Seems reasonable.” He looks at him a moment, getting a little distracted by trying to figure out what the guy looks like. He shakes out of his unwarranted concentration. “But don’t stick around too long, my boss will think you’re a lingering hobo.”

“Tell that to the rain.” He reaches into his pockets, his hand coming out empty. He quickly shoves the cig in his mouth, so he can check his other pocket. Soon he’s patting around his waist looking for something.

“What’re you looking for?”

The blue haired guy sighs. “My lighter..” he turns to the redhead again. “Do you possibly have one?”

Reki pats his pockets, He digs into one of
Them. Jingles of random trinkets and junk fill the crisp air. He pulls out a small red one. “Yup, here.”

“Light it for me?” The blue haired guy requests with a hint of shyness.

Rekis face scrunches in confusion. “What, Why?”

His expression drops further. “You just had your hands all over the trash, I don’t really want to touch that.”

Reki rolls his eyes. 'Grateful much?' he mumbles as he steps closer. They're only a short distance apart now. With a swift motion, he brings his hands to the other's cigarette, flicking the sparkwheel with one hand while shielding it from the wind with the other.

The seconds they wait for the flame to catch they accidentally meet each others gaze. Reki’s heart skips a beat before averting his gaze leading him to back up from the other.

Reki didn’t catch sight of the color of the other’s eyes, but for a weird and uncertain reason, he wishes he did.

The other smiles and inhales the cigarette deeply before speaking, the smoke coming out along with his words. “Have you smoked before?”

Reki sighs. “Yeah, before my parents caught me.” A blush creeps onto his cheeks. It’s embarrassing to admit to someone who seems so free that he’s still shackled by his parents.

He chuckles a bit. “It’s better that you don’t anyway.”

Reki smiles. “Yeah, but then why do you?”

He turns away and puffs his cigarette, not answering the question.

Reki frowns a bit. “Ah, I won’t press further.” He takes a deep breath, inhaling the damp air. “Well, uh, I gotta get back to work. See ya around?”

The guy nods, taking another drag from his cigarette.

Reki makes his way back to the back door, cracking it open. He hesitates for a moment. “Hey, what’s your name?”

“Why do you want to know?” He doesn’t ask with malice, he asks it as if it isn’t a majorly defensive response to something so little.

Reki shrugs. “Don’t know, ‘cause?”

The other gives a barely noticeable grin. “It’s Langa.”

“Langa.” Reki repeats to himself. “Alright cool, Bye!” The door shuts behind him as he gets sucked back into work.

Langa shakes his head. ‘He didn’t even give one back?’ He turns back to the view of the rain, still processing the interaction he just had.
Maybe the rain interrupting his stroll wasn’t so bad.

-

Reki washes his hands before returning to his ‘beloved’ front counter. He tries hard to focus but the thought of the boy he just met keeps weighing on his mind. There was something about Langa that was so alluring to Reki.

Luckily, only a couple and a teenager come in before Reki’s shift is over. After taking their orders, he promptly unties his apron and hangs it with a few others.

Reki gets an idea and quickly goes to the closet with the cleaning supplies. He finds some sanitation wipes and grabs the red lighter out of his pocket. He wipes down the item, making sure to get every spot. Once finished he gives a satisfied smile and shoves it back into his pocket.

He enters the break room to toss on his yellow hoodie before waving his Boss goodbye.
He’s not prepared to walk home in the rain but how else is he gonna get there? His hand wavers on the doorknob of the back door before hesitantly pushing it open. Unexpectedly, yet fortunately, Reki sees the blue haired boy still there. The cigarette Reki once lit is now down to a bud.

Langa notices the sound of the door shutting, turning his attention in the direction of it. He sees the other, a small smile forms on his lips. “Still raining.” He mumbles a bit awkwardly.

Reki looks up at the sky, the moon not even peaking through the dark clouds. "A little harder too," He pulls up his hood, bracing himself for the displeasure of a cold, wet walk home. The chill already creeps through his clothes, running up his back.

“Yeah.” Langa stands straight again, he looks Reki up n’ down. “You walk to work?”

Reki nods. “Unfortunately.”

“I could drive you home.” He says with sincerity that Reki, or anybody, wouldn’t expect from a stranger.

Reki lights up, forgetting anything about ‘stranger danger’ or whatever parents teach you. “Really? Dude thanks!” He pauses. “Wait, you have a car? Then why have you been standing here for over twenty minutes?”

“I was on a walk that got interrupted, remember?” Langa shoves the bud in his pocket, not wanting to litter.

“So you drove to go on a walk?” Reki’s lips quirk up a bit, amused by this guy.

“Yeah, the area around my house isn’t very walkable.” Langa thinks of what Reki’s, so obviously, curious mind would ask next. “I didn’t wanna go back to my car already, so I just stood here. Watching the rain is kind of nice.”

“Oh, makes sense.” Reki shoves his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Well, should we go now?”

Langa nods. He walks up to the edge where the roof doesn’t cover anymore. He sighs before stepping into the rain.

Reki follows behind him.

-

They follow the sidewalk side-by-side but not too close as they’re still not fully comfortable with each other.

The rain and wind only get worse. Reki is shivering but tries to hide it. He doesn’t know why, but he feels a need to impress Langa and seem cool.
Reki tries not to stare at Langa, though he’s incredibly intrigued by him. He can only make out Langa’s hair and clothes, not much of his face. Langa is wearing a white button-down and black jeans, Reki wonders how he’s not cold. There’s something about Langa that feels closed off and Reki can’t help but want to crack him open.

As they walk toward Langa's car, Reki's shoes splash in a puddle, making his feet damp. He sneaks more glances at Langa, who seems somewhat unfazed by the weather. The car is only a block away now and Reki silently hopes they get there soon. The awkwardness and cold is starting to eat at him.

As Reki turns to look at the scenery around them Langa takes the chance to watch the other. He notices the other trying not to show his shivering and feels a pang of concern whilst also finding it humorous. He’s impressed by the other’s determination to act tough. Langa’s mind wanders to Reki’s appearance. He notices his bright hair and hoodie. In Langas mind the other doesn’t look like someone who would work in such a serious restaurant, he’s not, boring. For lack of better words. Reki seems like a burning fire, pationate, and a talker too. Someone Langa should hang out with to keep him feeling alive, but he doesn’t feel like he would be much good for Reki, or anyone.
After inspecting the other, Langa remembers that he doesn’t know his name. “Hey, uh,”

Reki turns back to Langa, locking eyes with him. “Hm?” Reki smiles a bit, finally getting a real glance at Langa’s eyes due to the better lighting where they are now. ‘Icy blue like his hair, of course.’ Reki jots down the info in his head like he’ll need it for an upcoming quiz.

“You never gave your name back.”

Reki clumsily smiles brighter, feeling silly for forgetting to give something so simple. “It’s Reki”

Langa returns a smile and nods.

They continue to look at eachother for a few seconds before Reki perks up, remembering something he did for the other. Langa tilts his head slightly, anticipating what Reki is going to say.

Reki digs a hand into his pocket and takes out the familiar lighter. He holds it out to Langa. “I wiped it down for you. I have no use for it so don’t feel bad taking it. Just make sure not to lose it.” He grins.

Langa’s curiosity turns into surprise. he hesitantly takes it from the other’s hand. “Thank you.”

Reki nods. “‘Course man.” He thinks again, unsure if he should ask the question that came to his mind. He decides it’s not too weird. “Do you want to like hang out tonight?” Even through the awkwardness, Reki thinks learning more about Langa would be worth his time. As he asks they arrive to Langa’s car.

Langa smiles. “Yeah, sure. What do you want to do?” He unlocks the doors and sits inside, Reki sitting in the passenger seat.

Reki thinks of the possibilities for a moment. “We could go anywhere, I’m not picky, but uh..” he rubs the back of his a little embarrassed. “I need to check in with my parents first.”

Langa chuckles. “Alright.” He starts the car and pulls out of the parking space. “Show the way?”

Reki nods, pointing to the first turn. Reki looks around the vehicle, looking for anything that shows who Langa is. There’s a snowboard keychain hanging from his review mirror and what looks to be a picture of him and his parents nestled into the sunvisor of the passenger seat.

Chapter Text

“Okay, we’re here. Just park over there.”

The rain has died down to a gentle sprinkle by the time they arrive, the thick clouds past them.

“Alright.” Langa parks next to a grey house. Before looking at Reki, waiting for the next move.

Reki gives him a smile before exiting the car. “I’ll be quick.” He shuts the door behind him.

To Langa’s surprise Reki doesn’t go into the house they parked next to. Reki runs across the street to a brown house facing away from the car.

Langa gets out of his car to call after the other. “Where are you going?“

Reki turns around, panicked. “My house, stay there okay?” He runs around the fence to the front of the house.

Langa just stands there confused before he decides to lean against his car to wait for Reki.

-

Reki enters the front door, the warmth of his home engulfing him. His mother sits at the dining table with a book and tea.

She turns to Reki after hearing the door shut. “Hello, Reki.” She places the book down in front of her.

“Hi mom.” He looks around. “Where’s dad?”

“Oh he’s fast asleep, he had a long day at work.”

Reki grins a little bit due to his plan becoming much easier. He fakes a yawn and stretch. “Well me too so I’m gonna go to bed right away.” Reki makes his way to his room but is stopped in his tracks by another word of his mom.

“Alright but, honey, your shoes?”

Reki looks down to see that he’s still wearing his wet, dirty outside shoes. A sweat crawls onto his forehead. “Ah, sorry mom, I’ll take them off in my room.” He hurries into his room but not without hearing his mom telling him to clean the carpet in the morning.

He quickly moves to his window, opening it as quietly as he could. After what feels like ten minutes of trying to open it without making a noise, it's finally agape enough to where he can fit through. He carefully goes out feet first, making it into the back yard. He doesn’t bother to close back up his window and just heads for the fence.

Langa perks up once he sees Reki again, though he’s surprised that he’s crawling over the fence from the inside instead of where he originally went in.

Reki runs over to the other. He catches his breath, hands resting on his knees. “Ready to go?” He stands straight, looking at Langa.

Langa looks at him, the house, then him again. “Did you sneak out?”

Reki bashfully smiles. “Yeah, it’s crazy that I’m eighteen and still can’t go out late.”

Langa nods with a small smile. “You’re lucky.”

Reki tilts his head. “What? How so?”

“I mean it’s cool that you have parents to look after you.” Langa turns to his car.

“Oh, yeah I guess so.” Reki follows behind, thinking about what Langa's sentence could really mean. ‘Does he not have parents?’

Langa turns back briefly. “Ready?”

Reki nods.

Langa reaches into his pocket for his keys, but ultimately comes out with nothing, even after looking through every pocket. “Uh Reki.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“I don’t think we’re going anywhere.” Langa pears into his car window, noticing the silver metal of his car key still inside the ignition.

“Did you lock the car?” Reki stands beside Langa, looking at the same thing.

“It auto-locks.” Langa sighs.

“Oh, damn.” Reki can’t help but feel a laugh bubble up in his chest, soon spilling out.

Langa looks at him trying to hide his own smile. “Hey, it's not funny.”

“It’s totally funny.” Reki chuckles. “We’re lucky the rain has stopped.”

Langa looks up, just now noticing the absence of the rain. He chuckles. “Yeah that’s true.” Langa turns to watch Reki’s face as he continues giggling, his eyes linger onto the others lips, entranced by the shape and color of them. They look nice, warm.

Reki notices Langa’s gaze causing Reki to blush a bit, his laughter faltering. Langa’s eyes shoot back up to Reki’s eyes, pink dusting Langa’s cheeks

They just stand there looking at each other. Langa swallows nervously, the air between them thick with weird tension. Reki's heart beats faster as he tries to find something to say, but Langa's gaze leaves him speechless.

Something about Reki makes Langa feel warm inside, maybe it’s his ability to be so sincere, even when they don’t know each other well. Or maybe it’s his openness that draws Langa in. But no matter what, it makes Langa somewhat uneasy. He doesn’t want to open up, he doesn’t want to let others in. Even with those thoughts, Reki’s energy manages to slowly push them at bay.

Reki clears his throat. “So, what should we do?” He doesn’t leave eye contact with the other.

“Wanna walk?”

“What about your car?”

Langa glances at it, thinking. “I could leave it here?” He hesitates.

Reki looks at the house behind it. “Uh, I guess so.” He chuckles. “Hopefully no one complains.” He instinctively grabs Langa’s hand and pulls him along, not thinking about it too much. “Let’s go before my mom looks out the window.”

Langa stutters behind him, surprised by the touch. “Wait, Reki,” Langa spurts as he matches Reki’s speed. “Are you sure this is okay?”

Reki glances back, a playful grin on his face. “C’mon, it’s just a walk! Plus, I don’t want my mom to see us standing around like idiots.” He gives Langa’s hand a little tug, encouraging him forward.

Langa nods. “Alright.”

-

They walk for a while, reaching the outskirts of town. They don’t say much except for the generic small talk. Reki tells Langa a bit about his day at work, Langa listening attentively.

At one point Reki asks if Langa works as well.

“Yeah, I work at a skate shop, it’s not really my style but it’s closest to what I used to do.”

Reki lights up. “Dude, I used to work there! Y'know I used to love skating, but I don’t really have much time or energy for it anymore.” Reki chuckles a little. “You used to not be able to catch me without my skateboard.”

Langa smiles. “That actually explains a lot about you.”

Reki turns to him. “What's that supposed to mean?” He laughs.

Langa just replies with a shrug. “Just does. Why’d you quit at Dope Sketch?”

Reki’s face drops a bit. “My dad said I needed to get a more ‘serious’ job, or whatever.”

“Oh, that’s shitty.”

Reki shrugs. “It’s fine.”

-

They head down a quiet, tree-lined street, the soft glow of streetlights casting gentle shadows on the pavement. The rain has left the air fresh and cool, and the sound of their footsteps echoes softly in the stillness of the night. As they walk, they pass by quaint houses with cozy, lit windows, each one telling its own story. The blossoming leaves glisten with leftover raindrops, and the distant sound of crickets adds to the serene atmosphere.

Reki leads Langa towards a small park, where a narrow path winds through tall, whispering trees. The moonlight filters through the branches, creating a magical, dappled pattern on the ground. There’s a bench near a small pond, the surface of the water reflecting the night sky.

“Ooh we should sit here.” Reki makes his way to the bench, swiping away the pooled water. “It’s a bit wet but nice, yeah?”

Langa smiles. “Sure.”

They sit on the bench together and watch the ripples of the pond in front of them. Reki leans back against the bench, a content sigh escaping his lips. “You know, I don’t get to go out for fun much. Its nice.” he says, glancing over at Langa.

Langa nods, his gaze fixed on the pond. “Yeah, it’s peaceful.” he pulls out a cigarette along with the lighter Reki gave him. He promptly lights it and take a puff before offering it to Reki.

Reki kindly rejects. “No thanks man.”

Langa nods and reaches in his pocket again, pulling out a little strawberry candy. He offers that to Reki instead.

“Ooh I love these, thank you” he takes it out of Langa’s hand, unwrapping it and tossing it into his mouth. After a minute of sucking on the sweet candy, one of their previous conversations comes to mind. “How come skating is not your style?”

Langa blows out smoke, away from reki so it doesn’t get in his face. “I only really ever snowboarded. Skating’s cool but I’ve never thought about trying it.”

Reki gets reminded of the snowboard keychain in Langa’s car, it makes sense now. “How do you snowboard in Okinawa?”

“I moved here from Canada, only a few months ago.”

Reki’s eyes widen in initial shock but they dim down once he really thinks about it. “So that’s why your accent is kind of funny?”

Langa blushes, looking away. “I guess so.”

Reki sets his hand on Langa’s knee, leaning to look closer at Langa. “Sorry I didn’t mean that in a mean way.”

Langa grins. “It’s okay, I’ve heard it a lot.” He glances at the hand against him, the warmth nice.

Reki leans back against the bench, his hand not moving. “So why did you move here?”

Langa looks back at the pond, his face growing solemn. “My dad died.” He plays with his feet in the dirt below them. “My mom wanted to go back to her hometown but right now she..” He trails off, overthinking on what to say.

Reki listens carefully, not wanting to interrupt the other’s important words. Reki feels grateful Langa is willing to share this much with him. His thumb subconsciously rubs Langa’s knee comfortingly.

Langa lets out a long sigh. “I don’t- I shouldn’t talk about it.” He takes another long draw of his cig, seemingly getting lost in his thoughts.

Reki tilts his head, concerned. “Oh, it’s okay man. You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to.”

Langa gives Reki a small smile. “Thanks.”

Reki returns the gesture. He turns his attention to the stars, thoughts coming to mind. “Do you think it’s fate that we met?”

Langa is surprised at the random question but studies it in his head, looking for a decent answer. He taps off the soot on the tip of his cigarette. “I think fate is wherever or whatever life brings you, so yeah.”

Reki nods. “Yeah, that’s a good way to describe it.” He turns to Langa. “I’m glad life brought me to you.”

Langa’s heart swells a bit at hearing Reki say those words. It’s been a while since he’s talked to someone like this. It’s weird how some random boy could make him want to unfold, to let down his walls. “Me too.”

They sit there for a while, watching the water and sky above them. There’s an odd comfort as they're together. Feels as if their two lost puzzle pieces, who happen to fit perfectly together. They only just met but it’s like they’ve traveled lifetimes intertwined.

Reki steal a few glances at Langa too. He watches as Langa takes a hit from his cigarette and Reki can’t help but find it kind of hot. The way he holds it so leisurely between his slender fingers is very much attractive. Reki finds a lot of things about Langa attractive. His hair, face, stature. Reki’s mind reels at wondering what he would look like in bed. He plays with his headband, face warm with the thoughts that plague his mind. He stands from the bench. “Shall we walk more?” Maybe that’ll keep him from doing something embarrassing.

Langa nods. “Yeah.” He extinguishes his cigarette on the trashcan near the bench before dropping it inside."

-

They walk side by side once again, pointing out little things they see in the bushes or trees.

One time Reki points out an unnaturally fat squirrel, earning a laugh from Langa. They decide to give it dumb names such as “chunky cheeks” and “round belly.” Reki ends up clutching his stomach laughing, which breaks out into a cough. Langa pats the other’s back, trying to help Reki get his air back whilst giggling himself.

The sounds of laughter and chatter start to slow as they get closer to town. Reki glances at Langa, his eyes sparkling with happiness. As much as Reki hates to admit it, he doesn’t have much of a social life. His parents kind of guard him too much and he finds himself putting all of his energy into work. Tonight, when he saw Langa, it’s like his mind got consumed by him. His wish of cracking Langa open is slowly getting granted. Reki isn’t just happy about that though, he truly likes Langa, a lot.

Cars of late night drivers can be heard, replacing the sound of crickets and cicadas. The night is alive with a gentle hum, creating a cozy, peaceful backdrop for their evening stroll. Reki and Langa soak in the atmosphere.

Langa taps Reki. “Do you want to get food?”

Reki grins. “Where are we going to go at this hour?”

Langa looks at their surroundings. “There’s a 7-eleven nearby”

“Oh, right, that sounds good.” Reki pats his stomach. “I am pretty hungry.”

-

They open the wide doors of the twenty-four hour store. The fridges buzz along with the fluorescent lights. Reki and Langa enter the section with ramen. They both chose a cup, Langa grabbing an onigiri as well. They cook the noodles with the appliances supplied by the store. Once finished they pay the clerk and return outside.

Both of their warm cups let off steam into the chilly air. The smell alone makes their stomachs growl.

“Mm, ‘this is good.” Reki comments through chews.

Langa doesn’t even respond, too busy engulfing the food.

Reki smiles once he sees why he didn’t get a response. “Guess you like it, huh?” he chuckles, watching Langa nod enthusiastically while taking another big bite.

They finish their food a few minutes later and throw away the packages in an outside trash bin. Reki checks his phone, wincing at the time. “Langa.”

“Hm?”

“I’m sorry to eat and dip but I gotta get home, got work tomorrow.” Reki can’t help but be disappointed. He wouldn’t mind if he had to abandon sleep if he got to hang out with Langa all night.

Langa nods. “That's alright, I probably should get going too.”

“Okay ill get us a cab.” Reki offers.

They patiently wait for their ride, falling into a gentle silence.

Langa replays the night in his head—Reki’s smiles, laughs, and even his quiet moments. A warmth spreads onto Langa’s cheeks as he thinks about the moment he found himself gazing at Reki’s lips. He nervously plays with his hair, feeling a mix of embarrassment and awkwardness. He’s glad Reki didn’t react badly when he noticed, but at this point Langa doesn’t even believe Reki would even hurt a fly. He glances at Reki. The redhead is rocking on his feet, looking lost in thought. Langa’s peeks at the other’s lips again, as if trying to make sure his memory was correct. Langa’s heart flutters, at the thought of ever kissing them. But is that too forward? They only just met so how could he already want to kiss him? Langa shakes it off mentally and tries to focus back on waiting for the taxi.

Reki thinks about the night too. A smile growing on his lips. Everything went better than he thought they would, since he just met the guy. There were awkward moments sure, but he never felt uncomfortable. Lange has a deepness to him. Makes Reki want to pick him apart until it’s just Langa. There's also a rawness that Reki realized Langa wants to keep hidden and Reki wants to embrace it. Also, hard to admit for Reki but, there’s a sexiness to Langa as well. He tries to ignore it since he feels it’s a bit too soon. But god, Reki can’t help but gawk at him when he isn’t looking. When he caught Langa staring at his lips it was hard not to lean in, but the fear of Langa thinking it’s too soon kept him away.

The cab pulls up and they get in the back. Reki quickly whispers to Langa, asking where the destination should be.

“Let’s go to your house and I’ll walk home.” Langa replies quietly.

“Are you sure?”

He nods sincerely.

Reki tells the taxi driver where they’re going, the man nods and starts the car.

-

As they’re being driven Reki tries to decide if he should ask Langa out. ‘It’s not too soon right? Like that’s what dating is for?’ He’s dated before but that was in highschool, which sure, he was in a year ago but it feels completely different now. Like he has to be more proper or something. Maybe he doesn’t have to put a label on it, they could just hang out, hold hands, maybe kiss a bit, maybe more? ‘God am I a horny teenager or something? Well,, yeah, technically.’ Reki shakes his head, ashamed at himself.

Reki spirals a bit more thinking about it before he jolts out of it due to a sensation on his hand. He looks down, viewing Langa’s hand placed on top. Reki’s face turns practically beet red as Langa moves to intertwine their fingers. He looks up, unexpectedly meeting Langa’s gaze. A smile sneaks onto Reki’s face when he sees how nervous Langa looks.

Langa’s heart pumps fast, he has no idea what possessed him to do that. It came naturally, hell, subconsciously even. Though he didn’t think about it, or hesitate, he doesn’t feel any regret. “Is this okay?” He moves his fingers a bit.

Reki gives a light squeeze, validating the touch. “More than okay.”

The driver pulls over in front of Reki’s house. All the lights are out, meaning Reki’s mom is now in bed. Langa pays before they shimmy out of the car.

They stand in Reki’s front yard, unsure of how to say goodbye.

Eventually Reki speaks up. “Could I, uh, get your number?” He messes with his headband.

Langa smiles. “Sure.” He pulls out his phone to show the other.

Reki jots it down into his contacts. He shows Langa his number as well. After Langa is done writing his number down, Reki pockets his phone and returns his attention to Langa. “Well, this was nice. See ya.” He smiles. He gives Langa a quick wave before turning around.

“Bye.” Langa waves back and watches Reki enter his house.

After Reki’s tucked inside, Langa makes his way around to the back where his car is.. or was. “Fuck” Langa mumbles as he looks at the empty space where his car should’ve been parked.