Work Text:
“Reki,” Langa’s pouting, I mean, Reki can practically hear it in his tone. Normally, Reki would tease him or pinch his cheeks, because literally how can someone as stoic as Langa be so cute sometimes, but right now he just can’t.
No way.
Instead of an answer, he lets the wheels of his board fill the silence. “If you don’t hand in those assignments you’ll fail the class…” it’s really hard keeping his eyes away from Langa’s face, especially when his voice dips a little bit more into the whiny areas, it’s something he definitely picked up from Reki.
Do they really hang out that often? Yes, an inner voice supressed deep within Reki’s mind tells him.
“And if you the fail the class then you won’t graduate,” the wheels cannot drown out the desperation of Langa’s tone, “and if you don’t graduate then we may never see each other.”
That causes Reki to bail.
Rubbing his head, which was weird because it was his knee that took the brunt of the fall, he sees blue slowly creep into his vision and the expression he’s wearing should be considered ridiculous, but Reki’s stupid heart just can’t help itself.
“Ten years will pass, you’ll have a beard, I’ll forget to cut my hair without you, and we’ll, like, forget what we looked like…” Langa’s face genuinely pales at the thought.
Reki sighs, “That just won’t happen.”
“It will if you don’t hand those assignments in!”
Ignoring the concept of them drifting apart, really, it’s hard to believe that someone like Langa would ever let that happen, hands reach up to finally pinch Langa’s pouty expression off his lips.
“Dude I’m not gonna fail.” He lies, Langa frowns more at this, well to the best of his ability.
“I heard the teacher, you’re super far behind.” Reki winces at that because unfortunately, that was very true.
“He didn’t mean it like that-“
“-Reki Kyan, you have until the end of the semester to make up those assignments or you can’t graduate. What else could that mean?”
“You have a fantastic memory!”
“Rekiii.” Langa whines, taking the hands from his cheeks and holding them tightly. They’re warm and slightly sweaty, but it feels so good. Goosebumps start to creep up Reki’s spine.
The redhead averts his gaze because he can’t help but feel a little guilty. I mean, it’s not like he didn’t try to get his work done, because he really did try, honest! He had this whole plan once and even made his mom keep watch of him as he sat at the table and just…stared.
Literal holes filled his paper and the table around it before a single pencil stroke touched it.
And, ok, he got some assignments done that night, but the urge to just watch skating videos on his phone, text Langa, or do literally anything else was enough to make him give up on finishing everything else.
Homework and studying was so booooring, Reki would rather get his teeth pulled than annotate twenty pages of some book he couldn’t care less about.
And let’s say he really was motivated and made some plan to just get it all done. The next day he’d wake up and genuinely just lay in bed, unwilling to move, before getting a text from Langa asking if he wanted to go skate. Its as if his body gets restrained by god knows what to just not. Do. His. Work.
So it’s fair to say that Reki gave up.
“I want us to go to university,” together is implied with Langa’s frown. Reki hears it all the same.
“And I want to be able to do adult-ish things with you like grocery shopping or doing laundry together.” He can feel Langa’s fingers shake as they hold his and honestly it’s hard to believe that someone like Langa can get so passionate about him.
His heart stupidly flutters, ‘you guys are literally dating,’ his brain tries to argue.
“Dude, believe me when I say I want to pass and go to university with you and do all the cheesy things adults do, but-“ Reki’s words get jammed behind the lump that’s forming in his throat, because what if Langa doesn’t believe him??
Subconsciously, he knows that Langa would never judge him, but he can’t help but think of all the what if’s every second of the damn day.
“I’m listening.” Langa’s stare is fierce yet patient, the walls surrounding his core quickly crumbling to his gaze. Reki can’t bring himself look away.
Anyone else might feel as if it’s too much, feel too vulnerable and exposed, but Reki is drawn deeper into Langa’s eyes, letting the world fade around him as he sighs and attempts to swallow down the lump in his throat.
“But it’s like, I don’t know, my body just doesn’t want to do it.” Langa tilts his head, confused, but still eager to listen. “Like there’s just so much I have to do, and I know how to do it and that I have to do it, but my body doesn’t move at all no matter how hard I try.”
He feels Langa’s fingers slowly trail up from one of his hands to the pulse of his wrist, tracing delicate circles around the area.
“So let me help you.” It comes out as a whisper, strong but still quiet, Langa never breaking eye contact or his movements. Reki’s flinches at the statement, eyes scanning blue to find something negative within them, yet he can’t. Of course he can’t, it’s Langa he’s talking about, the same Langa that wouldn’t let him get away no matter how far and fast he ran.
“I-It’s fine,” a weak excuse, “I mean, it’s a lot of assignments and you have your own work to do right?”
Langa leans forward, “I want to help you.”
“B-But-“
“Let me help you?” He’s so stubborn!
Seeing that there’s really no room for argument, Reki pouts and now it’s Langa’s turn to pinch his cheek.
“Fine…” Reki gives in, “but I’m practically a lost cause. I have stuff to turn in from months ago bro…”
“It doesn’t hurt to try.” Langa says with such determination it makes Reki grin stupidly.
“I can’t believe you sometimes.” Langa lets a lopsided smile take over his lips and it’s so bright and beautiful and—oh god, Reki doesn’t think he’ll ever get over the giddy feeling of seeing Langa just smile at him.
Or look at him, or hold his hand, or kiss him throughout the day.
Reki is hopeless.
“I’m determined to bring you with me to University, I can’t imagine you with a beard.” Reki playfully slaps his shoulder which makes Langa slightly loose his grip on his cheek.
“Dude, I’m not growing a beard.”
Langa chuckles again and rubs his thumb across the smooth plains of Reki’s face, paying extra attention to his jawbone. “Don’t worry,” His voice drops, Reki’s breath hitches, “I’d still find you attractive with a beard.” It’s embarrassing how Reki flushes due to such a simple compliment. He should be used to Langa saying things like this, direct yet so sincere, but his body still involuntarily shivers at the statement and an overwhelming heat takes over his face that makes him feel lightheaded.
‘Langa thinks I’m attractive,’ his heart chirps and his face overloads with color.
Langa analyzes Reki’s reaction, the pieces slowly coming together as he just stares for a second, two, before— ah, that might help Reki with his assignments.
Keyword: might, because it’s probably the stupidest, most selfish, bizarre idea he’s ever conjured up in his entire life and logically it shouldn’t even make sense, but well, nothing came normally when it involved him and Reki.
Something Reki can’t quite recognize flickers within Langa’s eyes. Something that makes him feel so exposed, as if he was put under a microscope and the sensation literally makes him squirm.
“Ah, but you could shave your entire head and I’d still find you cute so maybe it’ll be ok.” It’s like Langa’s fishing for something, and Reki can’t help but take the bait, hook line and sinker because— wow, he’s blushing hard. Langa selfishly holds his head in place as he watches, determined.
Reki tries to refute, stammer up an excuse with his tongue that feels heavier than any weight he’s held before, but suddenly there’s a softness on his lips and his brain quite literally short circuits.
He can only focus on Langa and the erratic feel of his heartbeat and all of his thoughts flutter away as he feels Langa’s thumb press more into his cheek, the touch delicate and careful and—oh my god.
His eyes flutter shut and, really, he thinks he’ll never get used to kissing Langa because it always feels so surreal. The slight chapped feel of his bottom lip, the remnants of the soda he drank not too long ago. Reki groans when Langa pushes against his lips even harder, but the sound gets swallowed up and Reki feels his knees buckle at the thought of Langa being so desperate to explore him, even if it’s something as small as kissing.
Langa tilts his head, reeling Reki in again and again and finally it happens.
A pleasant buzzing sound tickles his skull as he feels everything shut down within his body and Reki— poor Reki, he just melts, his brain only logging the sensations of Langa, Langa, Langa.
The way Langa’s lips fit perfectly against his, the tremble of Langa’s breath, the way Langa’s hand slipped into the pocket of his jeans, tugging him closer closer closer.
And when Langa finally pulls away for air, Reki chases, and maybe that’s something he picked up from Langa over time, but it’s probably ok for him to be selfish once in a while.
He vaguely registers Langa’s lips quirking up into a smile as he quickly captures them again while trying, and failing, to suppress his elated sigh that tickles Langa’s lips. Every kiss with Langa was different and this time was no exception, a warm feeling blossoming within the depths of his gut, rearranging his entire being and—seriously, is it normal to get like this during a kiss? It’s almost greedy the way he keeps yearning for Langa’s reactions and swallowing each sound he makes.
A hand latches onto his waist, teeth prod at his bottom lip, a thumb dips behind his ear, and suddenly it’s too much and not enough at the same time and—
Reki’s whine doesn’t get swallowed up by Langa because he pulls away. It should be embarrassing—really, his face was so red and his heart wouldn’t stop pounding, but the ringing that continues to buzz throughout his skull was almost addicting, lulling him into a trance.
“Reki,” he barely—or rather, doesn’t register the words at all. They’re so fuzzy, it’s like he’s having an out of body experience.
“You’re so cute.” Langa pulls on the line he casted with confidence.
“H-Huh?” Reki’s throat is alarmingly dry so he swallows, “Oh, uh, yeah.” He’s been hooked since the beginning.
Langa reels him in, “I figured out how to help with your homework.” Dizzily, Reki nods.
He’s a fish out of water, his mouth— beautifully red and slightly wet, gapes awkwardly.
“Y-Yeah?” His voice cracks, but his brain and body is still rebooting so he really can’t bring himself to care right now.
Langa grins and his eyes hone back to his lips so, so greedily.
“Yeah,” Langa whispers before diving back into Reki’s lips. What? He’s a weak man.
And if Reki comes home that night, slightly dazed and aloof, nobody comments on it.
-
The next day, when the sky is blue again and the world isn’t as quiet, Langa waits with a too wide smile on his face for Reki.
It’s silly how excited he is for later. He feels as if he’s about to combust with all these feelings piling up within him.
“You’re freaking me out.” Reki— wait when did Reki appear? He’s holding his fist out, waiting for their fist bump.
Langa brings his fist up, “Good morning Reki.” It’s laced in his voice, the smile that he really isn’t trying to hide, and Reki can’t help but grin back at him.
Maybe his joy is contagious, Langa is about to erupt.
“Morning Langa.” Reki wants to ask what has him in such high spirits. Normally Langa looks half asleep and a little dazed around this time of year. It’s cute watching his sleepy eyes struggle to open once he hears the grinding of wheels come his way.
Although Reki also enjoys the soft sleepy smile, it does stupid things to his stomach like make it twist and turn in delight.
“Are you ready for later?” Langa can’t help himself, he’s so excited. Reki sighs, groaning a little as he kicks his board down.
“Dude why would I ever be excited about doing work?”
“Well I’ll be there.”
“I might not be able to take my eyes off of you then.” Pink paints Langa’s skin.
“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” And he means it, because he has a plan.
A flawless plan.
A plan that kept him up a little too late last night and took his literal breath away just thinking about it.
Langa accelerates on his board until he’s side by side with Reki. Their fingers brush, “You’re definitely going to graduate Reki.”
He feels a slight tug on his pinky and his heart skips a little, “if I don’t then you have to buy drinks for a week.”
“I already do that…”
“Two weeks?”
“No, one is fine.”
Making it through the school day has never been harder than it was today. The classes seemed to drag, the voices seemed so monotone, and Langa’s brain just couldn’t help but wonder.
Reki, after school, Reki, university…
His brain sits on the last thought for a bit. What would he and Reki do once they’re out of school, old enough to graduate but too young to really classify as an adult? It’s hard to think of anything different, maybe they’d go on study dates—
Nah, probably not.
Reki would distract him with a skateboarding video and they’d spend the entire time talking instead of looking at a single book or paper.
Langa’s eyes slowly drift.
They’d probably travel a little more, hold hands and venture off in whatever city they happen to land in. Find new areas to skate around, small nooks and crannies to possibly explore. Would Reki want to rent out an apartment? A small studio where he can still work on his boards way into the night.
Maybe he’d ask Langa to stay with him as he gets sucked up into his work, making idle chatter because Reki loves the sound of his voice. It’s true, Reki sleepily told him that once when the time was irrelevant and he accidentally gushed on and on about a specific skateboarding trick the redhead told him about. “Your voice is so soothing. I’m glad I’m the only one who gets to listen to you like this.” Langa remembers choking afterward.
And, ok, Langa prefers to listen, but if Reki really wanted him to talk, he’d talk until his throat hurt and his mouth was dry.
His brain slowly drifts back to the small place they could call home for a semester or two.
A small world where they could do whatever they want, love however they want.
Langa feels a fire light within him and maybe he’s being too ambitious. Realistically, they’ll probably stay close enough to home where they can commute and there would be sleepless nights not because of a project Reki is working on but because of assignments that just kept on piling up, but Langa can’t help but yearn. He yearns to hold Reki close at the ass crack of dawn. To complain about stupid professors and the increased workload. He yearns for so much with Reki and he won’t know how it’ll turn out until they’re there and in order to make it there in the first place they have to graduate first and—
Ugh. He needs to graduate with Reki.
A note smacks his chest, Langa scrambles to pick it up.
‘Are you ok dude? You’re staring…’
He’s staring? Of course he’s staring? they’re in class after—
When he looks up he realizes his body has completely shifted, his eyes making direct contact with Reki and he sees red blotchy patches littering his skin. Quickly, Langa moves back into his default position, ignoring the drum in his chest and the burning on his cheeks.
He scribbles something quickly and carefully hands Reki the note back.
It earns him a flustered smile and if Langa wasn’t in class he’d pull Reki into some sort of embrace.
A hug, a kiss, whatever his brain could choose first.
He’s just so full of Reki and the thought of being apart in different worlds for even a second made him uneasy.
Pictures of Reki with a bushy beard floods his head again, an overwhelming unease consuming Langa and it’s not due to the fact that he subconsciously thinks Reki would look terrible with beard, he really meant it when he said he’d enjoy Reki in any shape or form, but it’s the concept of change.
Change that was so sudden. Something he wouldn’t have the chance to spot because they’d really be apart, and it’s silly to really feed the thought of them not seeing each other for years, but Langa doesn’t know what the future holds.
He feels a lot safer knowing he has Reki, a beacon of light and everything nice right by his side and they could conquer anything together no matter what was thrown their way.
So knowing that there is a threat of that not happening, yeah, no he can’t stand that.
He doesn’t want to see Reki with a beard suddenly, he wants to see it take shape and form overtime. He doesn’t want his brain to take time and get used to it, he wants his brain to already be aware of its existence.
Langa feels the fire ignite fully within the depths of his core, hotter and brighter, borderline unbearable. He’s going to help Reki graduate if it’s the last thing he does.
Or he’s literally failing with him.
When the bell rings for lunch, Langa couldn’t be more excited. It’s his favorite part of the school day, freedom from a stuffy classroom and food and also Reki!!!
What more could he ask for??
He must be jittering with excitement and nerves because Reki laughs softly before mumbling, “Dude,” he watches Langa’s determined eyes stare back at him, “are you that excited to do work?”
“Since it involves you, yes.”
Reki sheepishly takes a bite into his food, “ok you sap.”
“I mean it,” Langa takes another bite into his sandwich with a soft frown, “I’m really happy that I’m spending time with you.”
“It’s homework…?”
“It’s homework with you.”
Reki grumbles something, Langa keeps going.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I want to see you in it, always. I don’t care if it’s not exciting or we continue doing exactly what we do every single day, I just want to see you there with me. So yes, I’m super excited to do homework with you if it guarantees that future.” Langa watches as Reki’s eyes widen in shock. Why couldn’t he believe that? He’s so awesome, it’s hard to stay away from someone like him.
There’s a pleasant silence that floods the space between them as Langa takes another bite into his sandwich and then another for good measure.
“Thanks.” It’s whispered and when Langa looks up the amber eyes have drifted away. “I know this is entirely my fault and if I asked for help earlier I wouldn’t be in this situation now,” Reki swallows and plays with the hem of his hoodie, “and I may not seem like I care about graduating and maybe I didn’t before I met you, but I also want you in my future, even if it’s something small like just skating together, I also want you there.”
Reki flares up, “o-of course I care about graduating now, I mean, you’re helping me and I’m going to try hard and—“
Langa doesn’t mean to kiss him, honest, but he’s so overwhelmed with these emotions and they’re not in class anymore.
“You had something on your face.” Langa lies while pulling away.
“Uh huh…” Reki mumbles before taking a bite into his food again.
Some time passes between them as a comforting silence fills the air. Suddenly, there’s a gentle pressure that forms on Langa’s shoulder as Reki leans on him with a small dopey smile.
“Infinity, right?” Reki grins and it’s so carefree, so warm.
“For infinity.” Langa chants, unable to stop the grin that spreads across his lips as well and all of his worries float away as if they were never there at all.
Of course they do. Reki always seems to quell his anxieties. “If you don’t eat faster the bell will ring.”
He quickly shoves his sandwich into his mouth. Ok, maybe not all of them.
After lunch ends and the school day creeps to a close, Langa can barely hold his excitement.
His leg bounces a little and he wonders if that’s a habit he picked up from Reki over the past years.
Do they really hang out that much? Absolutely, his brain helpfully quips.
When the final bell rings and students begin to pack up for the day, Langa practically shoots out of his seat. Reki yawns, stretching so, so slowly and it’s evident that he’s not as excited for this as Langa is.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Reki teases once he notices how close Langa is to his desk and how prominent his frown became.
Feeling the wind catch in his hair and hearing Reki slowly trail behind him causes a warmness blossom in his chest because Reki has no idea what Langa has planned for him.
He almost chuckles, but that’d be a little creepy so he settles for a smile instead.
Containing himself from rushing straight into the doors of the Kyan household is a lot harder than it looks especially when Reki looks at him with such confusion yet intrigue because seriously what could possibly be so exciting about guiding your boyfriend through homework.
“Do you want any snacks?” Reki stalls once they enter, Langa fights the urge to give in. Maybe a sweet treat wouldn’t kill him, but if he eats one sweet treat he’ll have to eat another and his mom makes these cookies that are practically to die for and—
“I ate plenty at lunch.” Langa says, shocked at his own self restraint. Reki groans in defeat and drags Langa to his room.
Dropping his bag off at the corner of the room, Reki pulls out some pajamas for Langa to lounge around in because they might be here for an awkward amount of time.
A dreadfully, long, awkward amount of time.
“I’ll go change in the bathroom, just get everything ready, ok?” A smile dances on his words and it really is contagious because Reki finds himself smiling back.
Humming in acknowledgement, Reki digs through his drawers, fishing out an alarming stack of crinkled papers that definitely seen better days. It mostly composed of English work, that being his least favorite class, with one or two papers belonging to math.
It’s an unpleasant sight, he didn’t think it was this bad. Some of them have doodles rather than actual sentences. Some of them have a few lines written on them before it seemed like he gave up, ‘I’ll just do it tomorrow,’ is a sentence he definitely mumbled before shoving them deep into the drawer.
Reki decides to quickly change into more comfortable clothes as well, a loose t-shirt sounding much more lovely than a restricting hoodie.
Slowly, Reki realizes that there isn’t much left he can do to prepare himself and the dread of actually having to do the work creeps its way up from the base of his feet. Why do work when they could be doing literally anything else like skating.
Reki didn’t want to do this, not one bit, and that unease settled itself deep into his chest.
“I brought some snacks,” Langa guiltily mumbled once he finally returned. Turns out his stomach was a strong opponent. Reki sighs, grabbing a bag of chips from the pile that now rested on his bed.
“I don’t know if I can do this.” Reki frowned, his voice soaked with stress as he plopped down at his desk. Langa followed, standing beside him. “It’s just so much work and I just can’t.” The sentence is fast, almost like it was squeezed out of his lungs.
“I believe you can, you’re not alone this time.” Langa whispered before focusing his attention on the stack of papers. “We can tackle this together, you and me,” Langa knelt down, wishing he grabbed an extra chair in his pursuit of food.
It’s ok, he probably won’t need one soon.
Langa smiles. “Besides, I think I have a method to help you focus.” Reki quirked up at this, the unease in his gut getting replaced by curiosity.
“Are you gonna feed me for each assignment I complete? Nice try, but I tried that with my mom and it totally didn’t work.” Reki mused. He was definitely the wrong audience for something like that. Maybe if he had to help Langa study he could use that on him.
“Nope, actually something way better.” Langa stands, Reki’s eyes follow.
Langa tugs his chair to the bed so he can also take a seat and now Reki’s really confused because his work is actually in the other direction.
This all seems counterproductive.
“Uh,” Reki coughs because he’s actually pretty close to Langa now and he can’t help his racing heart. “I, uh, this is all too confusing, the desk is—“
“—Reki.” And the redhead freezes.
There’s something different about Langa’s voice, a sudden change in the tone. Reki's brain halts at it, slamming on the brakes because what is happening? Langa was bringing him snacks two seconds ago and now he feels as if he’s on the literal edge of his seat as he draws closer to Langa who’s wearing the most attractive smirk Reki has witnessed in his entire life.
Reki isn’t sure if he’ll be able to focus after whatever was happening and Langa probably had the right intentions, but he seriously can’t do his work with his too-hot-boyfriend suddenly looking at him like that.
A cold hand drags itself across the surface of his face, a lone finger landing on a spot that makes him squirm right behind his ear. He doesn’t realize the hand is bringing his face closer until he’s hyperaware of the fact that Langa has his pajamas on and they’re hugging each part of his body lovingly.
Doesn’t realize Langa’s getting closer until he feels the faint puffs of air tickle his lips and face, sees blue lashes flutter as if they’re struggling to stay open.
Reki’s heart pounds alarmingly quick, he can hear it in his ears, feel it vibrate his entire being. Langa is inches away now, so close and yet so far and—
“Please.” It’s whispered, so tiny and frail and in all honesty it was supposed to stay in the deepest parts of his mind, but Langa jumbled everything up and nothing makes sense anymore. Langa’s treating him despite the fact that he didn’t do anything and now his brain is spewing out his deepest darkest thoughts instead of suppressing it like it’s programmed to do.
Langa can’t help the goosebumps that wreck his body because of the needy phrase that seems to spill from Reki’s lips without hesitation, but he has to stay focused.
He has a plan to follow after all.
They draw closer, closer, closer and Reki can slowly start to smell Langa, an earthy smell evading his nose and he loves it so much. He loves the concept of it leaking into the pajamas he lent him, into the sheets he sits upon, possibly onto Reki himself.
Hazily he wonders if Langa likes the way he smells too, maybe a little bit of him will leak into Langa’s everyday life too.
Reki flusters more.
They’re close enough for Reki to feel the graze of Langa’s quivering lips brush against his, close enough to feel the rush of Langa’s heart and for a split moment Reki worries Langa can feel his too, pounding and vibrating his entire core.
Suddenly, Langa pushes his lips into Reki’s and he swears he feels himself exhale a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding and Langa sighs too.
Reki’s brain slowly begins to sink into a feeling of warmth, forgetting about any stress, about any anxiety, about any fears—
And, almost immediately, it was ripped away.
The lips, the closeness, the cold hand that lingered for way too long— gone before he could process it.
“Reki.” Langa pants and his voice still makes Reki squirm as if he’s caught in a web. Langa can’t help his smirk as he observes Reki, can’t contain his excitement because the chance to finally test out his plan was finally here.
Langa composes himself, “If you work really hard tonight, we can continue kissing.”
And, ok, seriously— it should be dumb, borderline cliche. Reki seen it in tons of romcoms that his sister totally forces him to watch. He’d fake a gag whenever something cheesy like that would flash across the screen, ‘there’s no way someone would actually be able to focus like that,’ is something he’d tell his sister with smug smile on his face ‘cause he ruined the moment and Koyomi throws a pillow at him for it.
It was a stupid dumb plot that was aimed to make teenage girls squeal and normal people hurl and yet—
Oh.
Reki lets out a shaky sigh.
He thinks he gets it now.
Langa looks at him with those eyes, eyes that light up a fire within the depths of his gut, but this time it feels equivalent to a forest fire as it takes over his entire body.
“You think you can do that Reki?” Oh god. Reki swallows, hard.
Can he do that? Can he even focus on his work with the constant urge to just kiss his boyfriend until he’s struggling to form a single thought gnawing at the back of his mind? Reki’s brain almost kicks into overdrive because he has to be able to do it. He has to get his hands on Langa and kiss him senseless, until his own thoughts go quiet and his lips turn numb and—
Oh.
It’s a damn good motivator.
“Y-Yeah?” His voice cracks, curving his sentence into a question as he scrambles to his desk. His pencil shakes as he looks at the first piece of work.
It was something he dreaded, a text analysis with a short paragraph to read, but…
As Langa sits on his bed, eyes never leaving his figure, quietly but eagerly observing him, Reki figures it really, really cannot be that bad.
And when he lifts his eyes to look at the paper instead of Langa it suddenly isn’t.
The words come easy in his brain, flowing onto the page. His fingers twitch to write instead of grabbing his phone to watch skating videos. His mind wanders, of course it does with his heart racing like that. Langa notices, of course he does, Reki’s fingers moving slower and slower as he looked dazed at the paper. So, with an alluring smirk plastered on his lips, he gives Reki some encouragement, “you’re working really hard Reki, I know you can do it!” And without fail Reki fumbles for his pencil and continues working, missing the amusement that plasters Langa’s face.
Admittedly, Langa doesn’t know how to flirt, at least he’s pretty sure he doesn’t. Just thinking about certain pick up lines felt awkward on his tongue. Reki gawked at him when he shared this information, face turning a bright shade of crimson almost instantly, “I-I think you’re a natural at it then,” his voice, shockingly quiet and almost fragile, squeaked out. Langa didn’t know what he meant back then, but watching Reki crumble in his chair with every compliment that tumbles out his mouth helps him put the pieces together.
It’s impressive how he didn’t notice sooner. The loud, outgoing Reki going quiet and red at the mere mention of his own talents. Reki, who would smother Langa in bone crushing hugs, flustering under a slight graze of fingers.
And that same Reki feels the wind get knocked out of his chest as he suddenly feels Langa brush some of his hair behind his ear, teasing his skin with the contact. His breath hitches when Langa looks over his shoulder, half his torso ghosting Reki’s back, strands of his hair tickling the side of his face. Reki really doesn’t remember hearing Langa shuffle out of his bed and he definitely doesn’t remember Langa getting so close to him.
Was he that engrossed in his work? No. He was too caught in his head again.
Was Langa watching him? Did Langa just know??
It was too, too hot and he had to contain his blush from spreading down his neck and all over his body.
“Oh, seems like you got something wrong here.” Langa whispered— did he whisper? Reki wasn’t sure; he really, really wasn’t sure. It all just sounded too close and too intimate and too much.
He jumps when a hand plants itself on his shoulder, steadying itself as Langa’s body presses closer. Reki can feel the thumping of Langa’s heartbeat and Reki thinks his brain is permanently fried because he just freezes at the sensation.
He can’t help but wonder if Langa can feel his racing heart too.
Langa picks up the neglected pencil, Reki watches with bated breath. “You put ‘best’ here,” Langa is so close, Reki worries that he might go into shock, “it’s actually supposed to be ‘favorite’, an example being, Reki is my favorite person.”
Reki chokes, “L-Langa!” his face exploding with red.
“It’s true.”
“You’re such a sap!”
Langa leans down further, their faces directly parallel to one another. Reki knows if he looks over at Langa his brain is going to self destruct. If he even catches a glimpse of Langa’s eyelashes as they slightly flutter while reading over his work, fixing some of the grammatical errors with those cold fingers that always manage to send shivers down his spine, Reki will cease to exist.
So of course, he looks.
And Langa— oh god, Langa is gorgeous. His hair frames his face as if it’s a painting, the artist being any god that could wield a paintbrush so elegantly. His eyes were so blue, so inviting, like a snowstorm that keeps pulling you closer, closer. It was borderline hypnotic. Reki trailed down to his lips— were they always that pink? Chapped yet so very addicting. Maybe he should buy chapstick, layer it upon his own lips before transferring it onto Langa’s time and time again.
Would Langa like that? To feel fingers tug him impossibly close as he smears chapstick across both their lips repeatedly? Reki shuddered at the mere thought.
“Reki? Are you listening?” Langa was so quiet, it was doing things to the wires of his brain.
“Y-Yeah. Of course man.” Reki swallowed but nothing could get rid of the lump that planted itself within the walls of his throat.
“I was saying that here,” a finger points the page, but blue eyes never leave amber. “You misused a word.”
Langa’s eyes trails down to his lips, the curve of his neck, and back up into his eyes.
Was Reki alive? Did he fall asleep while studying?
“You put ‘excitement’ here.” There was a sultry tone to his voice as he stared deep into Reki’s eyes. The hand on his shoulder slowly slid down to his arm, the touch featherlight.
“It doesn’t make sense given the context, but ‘passionate’ would work better here.” The English language should not be that hot, but Langa curves something within his voice and Reki can’t help but yearn to have it engraved within the depths of his brain. A broken record of him speaking like that over and over again until he gets sick of it.
“Do you know how to spell it out in English?”
Reki shakes his head, eyes wide yet focused. Langa looks away only to write it down and looking at Langa’s questionable handwriting should not make his heart race the way it is right now.
“You’re ‘passionate’ about skating,” Langa’s eyes trail back up, “you’re so good at it too. The way you effortlessly glide down any track is so, so cool.” Reki can’t tell if he’s red anymore, it got so hot and his brain is completely fried at this point he doesn’t even know what expression is gracing his features.
Langa smiles and Reki stutters out a breath, shaky and fragile as he sees Langa somehow get closer, but not close enough.
He’s always craving more when it comes to Langa recently.
“Do you know what I’m passionate about?” Reki shakes his head, he doesn’t mean to look at his lips but Langa darts his tongue out and he can’t help but follow the motion.
“You of course.” Nobody— and really, nobody should be able to make Reki’s brain malfunction the way Langa is right now. He lets out the breath he wasn’t aware he was holding and feels the room pleasantly blur a little.
“I’m so passionate about you, about loving you, about doing my all for you.” Each word tickles Reki’s lips as he fights his body from digging his fingers into the fabric of his shirt and pulling him in wildly.
“I love you.” Seriously! English should not be that attractive!!
Reki’s voice is tiny as he speaks, “w-what did you say?”
A cheeky grin, “maybe you should pay attention in English class more.”
And maybe he should. He really, really should if it meant being able to listen to Langa speak in English all day and to understand him on an even deeper level and—
Fuck.
He won’t be able to recover from this. Maybe every time he looks at Langa he’ll combust into a million flames until he burns from the inside out.
“Unfair.” Reki shakily retorts, pulling his best pout.
“You’re right. I’ve been a little unfair tonight.” And before Reki could even process the words, lips lock over his with desperation, a certain hunger that shakes him down to his core. Reki feels his body sigh with relief, hands he tried so hard to keep to himself rushing up to just touch Langa.
Twisting into the fabric of his shirt, tangling themselves into the strands of his hair; It was as if he needed to anchor himself, fearing he might float away if he didn’t. Reki’s sure he’s kissing Langa as if it hurts, kissing him as clumsily as he did during their first kiss, extremely inexperienced if you compare it to their last.
But with his heart hammering against his ribcage and the fire in his stomach becoming borderline unbearable, he really can’t bring himself to care. He needs this. He needs it so bad he might crumble and burn if he doesn’t let Langa just consume him in this very moment in time.
Reki feels Langa’s fingers graze his face and his heart soars while his stomach twists under the intensity of all these emotions.
Unfortunately, Langa pulls away again, leaning back just enough so Reki can’t follow, watching in amusement as Reki frowns.
“You’re so passionate about everything Reki.” A slight pause, “I can feel it with the way you’re kissing me.” Reki jolts as if he got shocked.
“You’re so-!”
“—And with the way you’re holding on to me. It practically radiates into everything you touch.” Langa’s smile is almost as embarrassing as the words that keep spilling from his mouth because it’s just so bright and he looks so in love and so very happy.
Reki’s heart almost leaps out his chest.
“It even spreads into your skating style. I meant it when I said it looks like you’re flying out there.”
“O-Ok, um, your skating style is impressive as well.”
“It leaks into the boards you create too.”
“A-Anyone can make a board.”
“you study people down to the bone. You could tell my wheels needed a quick fix because my foot started to wobble slightly while riding. That’s incredible.”
“Speaking of studying, m-maybe we should get back to that?”
“But I’m teaching you about the word passionate and how it fits you? Is this not helpful?” Reki holds back a groan, because it’s not! Reki feels like he’s going to burst from the seams! Turn into literal dust if he hears one more example tumble from Langa’s lips which are still too far by the way!
“You even taught me how to feel that same passion for things again; for skating, for loving you, I’m so full of it.” Reki wants to shut him up, He can’t take this, it’s too much. His brain is sizzling, literal smoke pouring out his ears, but he can’t bring himself to look away or run. He’s trapped by Langa’s gaze.
“You’re so talented.”
Reki’s going to die, “L-Langa.”
“And smart, and capable and-“
“R-Really I get it! I just-! I c-can’t-!”
“-I love you with my entire being, with my soul even, thank you for being you and for never dimming your light for anyone and for letting me take part in your life and-“
Hands rush to Reki’s own face as he breaks, a strange sound tumbling out his lips. His body shoots back as he leans deep into the chair as if to get away, as if every single part of him is laid bare for Langa and he feels so vulnerable and—
There.
That’s what Langa was waiting for.
Langa leans in fast, kisses him like he’ll die without doing so, loving the squeak that tumbles out and gets caught between their lips. He wants to hear it again, inject it into his blood and never forget it. Is that selfish? Langa doesn’t mean to be selfish, but he can’t help it when it comes to Reki who’s kissing him as if he, too, will explode in the next ten seconds. It’s safe to say that Reki’s gone, flustered beyond belief, brain shutdown and his body practically going boneless, and this is what Langa was waiting for since last night.
To reward Reki, kiss him stupid and let his thoughts fly far away for hopefully a very long time. Maybe he should’ve waited longer, maybe he should’ve let Reki get a little bit more done for the night before pouncing at him so impatiently. There were so many maybes! Langa is so, so tired of the maybes!
So sue him if he wants to kiss Reki a little earlier than scheduled.
Reki damn near whines as he digs his hands back into Langa’s scalp, running his fingers through his hair as an apology when he hears Langa groan. As Langa tightly holds him, Reki’s positive he can feel it too, the passion he couldn’t stop talking about, feels it from the way his lips tremble against his and the increasing speed of his heartbeat. To hear Langa say he filled him with such an emotion, that someone like Reki helped Langa discover how to love things as hard as he apparently does.
God. It literally reconstructs his entire brain.
When Reki shifts, Langa moves with him almost in perfect sync. When Reki groans, Langa swallows it up. Reki gasps when he feels Langa bite on his bottom lip, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to permanently alter something within his brain.
Reki stutters out a sound, he doesn’t know what it was or if it was loud enough, but Langa flushes a bright pink and the tips of his ears turn a hot red. The hand planted on his bicep shakes and he pushes a little harder into Reki’s mouth, the chair leaning back due to the sudden force.
It’s so much, Reki can’t hold himself together anymore. He’s crumbling in Langa’s hold, unaware of where Langa starts and he begins. Something swipes at the pulse point stationed on his neck and he keens, the sound so frail and needy. It’s an embarrassing sound, one that almost makes him pull away in shame, but Langa holds him tighter, kisses him harder, anchoring him in place because Langa loves anything that comes from Reki. Loves his weird noises, even the supposed embarrassing ones; cherishes them deep within his racing heart.
Langa doesn’t study much and Reki’s still surprised that he’d go this far to help him out with homework. Homework that Langa would whine all day and text all night about. Reki would stress the importance of staying up to date with it all despite the fact he wasn’t following his own advice, staying on a call until Langa finally finished his assignment.
Langa doesn’t study and he hates homework and yet Langa just knows. Knows when something might fluster Reki too much, knows when he’d prefer for the ground to swallow him whole. It’s as if he studied each and every facial expression that washes over his face, took notes on what it meant when his fingers suddenly began to twitch or when his foot began to tap.
Reki holds Langa tighter at the thought, shivering when Langa lets out a guttural sound and presses against him even harder somehow, desperately trying to become one with him.
Reki’s the one who has to pull back for air, harshly panting because it’s just so stupid that humans constantly need to breathe and Langa waits; waits for Reki to pull himself together, waits for their eyes to meet in a silent confirmation.
When they do, Langa charges back in. He misses Reki’s lips at first, kissing the side of his mouth instead with a little too much vigor than necessary. It tingles all the same.
It feels like hours pass with Reki having problems keeping his hands to himself and Langa pouring everything he has each time their lips touch. Langa finally pulls away when Reki looks completely flushed and his lips move at a much slower pace than earlier. It’s safe to assume that Reki’s brain overloaded, his body almost falling out of the chair if Langa wasn’t still holding him.
Langa lets out a breathless laugh. Its music to Reki’s ringing ears.
“That’s why the word passionate would fit you more.” Reki blinks once, twice before remembering what was going on before he was kissed stupid. To be honest, Reki completely forgot about the homework. His brain didn’t even recognize they were in the room still and instead drifting to Langa’s red lips. A dorky grin takes over his lips.
“Uh huh…” Reki breathes.
Langa runs his fingers behind Reki’s ear again with a cheeky smile. Reki shivers all the same.
“Think you can finish more work?” It’s a tease. Langa’s such a tease to Reki’s poor overworked heart.
Reki flusters, “I don’t—“
“I personally think you can.”
“Stop that.” Reki borderline whines.
—
“Each and every missing assignment from your class.” Reki grins to his English teacher. Langa’s standing right beside him with a proud smile, looking more at Reki rather than anything else.
“Everything’s completed?”
“Not a single question missed!”
“And it’s all in English?”
“I’m practically fluent now!”
The teacher smiles, accepting the stack of papers. “I’m proud, I really appreciate you putting the effort in and stepping up, and thank you for helping him out Hasegawa.” Langa snaps up at this.
“Wha—“
“—just a hunch. Anyways I hope you boys have been making time to study for your entrance exams ‘cause you two will be graduating soon.”
Reki pales.
Entrance exams! How could he forget about that?? What university did he apply to anyway?!
Reki glances at Langa, Langa looks just as panicked.
Reki wants to groan, run his fingers through his hair and yank something out, but he doesn’t.
He doesn’t because he knows he has Langa, and maybe they can’t makeout every time Reki gets a bunch of work done, but he’s certain that with Langa next to him, they’ll be able to get through studying all the tedious things together.