Real-Life Fairytale; a renga oneshot book

If I was your boyfriend pt.3

Reki and Guilt are old friends. They meet up on the regular, at work, at school, at home. By now apologizing should be second nature. But it's hard.

He doesn't want to bring it up in case Langa's not even thinking about it, because then he'd only make it more awkward. But the guilt rolls around in his stomach and he knows he has to do something to make it up to him.

He reasons that if Langa thinks that Reki thinks that kissing him is gross he'll just have to touch him enough to show that he doesn't think that.

The next day Reki sits extra close to him at lunch. Well, he tries to. As soon as his arm brushes against Langa's, Langa subtly adjusts himself so that they're sitting a little further apart. Which shouldn't be a big deal, but it so obviously is.

The sun beats down on them from above. Sweat drips down the back of his neck. If his hoodie wasn't such great padding when he inevitably falls off his board he would have left it at home today.

"I brought calamari," he says, opening his lunch box.

Langa stares at it hungrily, like he always does.

"You want some?" Reki picks a piece up with his chopsticks.

Langa looks at it longingly before declining. Declining?

Reki's mouth falls open in shock. "Huh? Are you sure?"

Langa nods hesitantly. He lips twitch down. He avoids Reki's analyzing gaze.

Reki holds it up to his mouth anyways. At last Langa looks at him.

The hesitation is all to plain to see. "Maybe a little." Langa takes the proffered bite. But he doesn't want Langa to feel any hesitation.

Langa chews happily on it. "Thanks, Reki." He smiles sweetly and Reki's palms feel sweaty. Because of the sun.

"No problem." His throat feels scratchy. "Do you want another?" Reki plucks up a piece from his bento.

Langa thinks for a moment too long before nodding. He opens his mouth expectantly, so Reki obliges. He loves how happy Langa looks when he's eating. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, Reki has to hold himself back from feeding Langa his entire lunch.

But the distance between them remains, no matter how many times Reki tries to subtly fall into Langa's side. He doesn't know what to do to close it.

---

Reki figures his best chance is at S.

When another guy challenges 'Snow' to a race, Reki patiently waits at the end watching on the screen as Langa absolutely obliterates him. Langa skates unlike anyone he's ever seen, it's so uniquely him and it's so beautiful.

At the end (which Langa won by a landslide, literally,) Reki throws himself at Langa and pulls him close to his chest. But instead of hugging him back like he usually does, Langa's arms remain stiff by his sides. He doesn't want to let him go but they're rapidly approaching the maximum amount of time a hug can last before it gets weird so he lets his arms fall.

Langa steps back first.

"You were amazing," Reki gushes. He's not even trying to flatter him because it's true.

Langa smiles shyly and swallows. "Thanks, Reki."

He takes another step forward to grab his arms and tell him what he thought about all the flips he did (which are all variations of incredible,) but Langa quickly steps away.