Chapter Text
Heavy thunder rumbled in the distance as Langa finished scrubbing the last dish in the sink. He set it aside to dry as he glanced out the window, anxiety nagging at him. Thick droplets of water threw themselves down from the sky to patter against the glass, which made him hum quietly in worry.
"Heavy storm tonight, huh?" his mom called as she walked into the room.
"Yeah. It's not bad now, but apparently, it's supposed to get a lot worse later...I hope it's not too muddy tomorrow," the blue-haired boy fretted.
"Oh? Any special plans?" she asked.
Langa nodded. "Reki and I were gonna go out for a while...I hope we'll still be able to skate."
"I think the forecast was saying this could last a few days," his mother recounted with a frown. "I hope you two will have time in between the showers."
"Same," he agreed, turning his attention back to the rain that continued tapping rhythmically against the window. "I guess if anything we could walk, but..." He sighed quietly.
As if directly on cue for the conversation, a sudden vibration in his pocket shortly followed by a cheerful ringtone pulled Langa from his thoughts. My phone? That's weird, why is he..? Curious, he pressed the answer button with his thumb.
"Hello?" he said into the microphone.
"Langa..?" a familiar voice asked softly.
"Reki, hey! What's up?" the blue-haired boy replied, shifting the phone to his other hand and putting it against his ear.
"Nothing..! I just uhm..." his voice trailed off, and for a moment Langa almost thought the call had ended.
"...Hello?"
"Still here!"
"Are you okay?"
"Nah, not really," Reki mumbled, his voice sounding weaker with each word.
Panic turned Langa's spine cold. "Do you need help? I can come--"
"No, you won't be here in time, it's okay."
"What..?"
A quiet groan sounded from the other side of the phone, quickly followed by a curse under Reki's breath. The soft patter of rain could be statically heard through the speaker, filling the growing gap of silence that was starting to gnaw a pit in Langa's stomach.
"I'm really sorry, I don't think...I'll make it tomorrow," Reki finally mumbled.
"Why? Did something happen?" Langa asked, growing more worried by the second. "What's going on?" he added when silence once more filled the other end of the call.
"Just...hurt...Hey, you know I love you right..?"
"What? Yes, of course I do, Reki, I love you too, what are you talking about?!" the blue-haired boy fretted hurriedly, pressing the phone closer to his face as if it would help him hear Reki's quiet words any better.
"Is everything okay?" Mrs. Hasegawa asked, having realized the panic in her son's voice.
"I-I don't know, it's Reki, he's--" he rambled in response, only to be cut off by the redhead.
"Hey, um, Langa..."
"Reki, what the hell is going on?" he repeated, his whole body on alert at this point as he headed over to the front door and started hurriedly slipping his shoes on.
"I have to go now, 'kay?" the redhead's voice muttered from the other end of the call, sending further panic to scatter across Langa's entire being.
"Wait--"
"Goodbye Langa."
"Reki!"
The line went silent, and eventually, a click signaled the end of the call.
"...I'm going out to find him," the blue-haired boy declared.
"But the rain--"
"I have to do something! He sounded hurt, and maybe cold, I think something really bad happened!" he countered.
His mother sighed. "Do you need me to drive you?" she asked nervously as Langa grabbed his umbrella that sat by the door.
"...I don't know," he sighed back. "I don't even know where he is, I just...I have to go find him before the rain gets any worse."
Thunder rumbled gently outside as if to prove his point, causing Langa to grip the handle of his umbrella harder. With a quick deep breath, he pulled out his raincoat and draped it over his arm as he walked to the door to leave.
"I'll be back soon, I promise," he swore.
"I know...Just, be careful, please," Mrs. Hasegawa pleaded. He nodded firmly in response and headed out.
--
Reki...Reki...Where's Reki..?
The red-haired boy was easily the only thing pressing on Langa's mind as he hurriedly ran across street after street, almost forgetting entirely to check for cars or slow down to prevent him from slipping on the wet ground beneath his feet.
He counted himself lucky that not many people seemed to be out driving in this weather anyway as the wind started picking up, and he was more than glad he'd grabbed his coat before leaving the house. But did Reki?
More than anything he felt anxious.
Anxious about what happened, if Reki would be okay, if he really wouldn't get there in time as the redhead had said.
Eventually, Langa had to pause to catch his breath, suddenly regretting not agreeing to let his mom drive him as he stared at the downpour around him. But what about Reki? He sighed to himself.
This is like back when the tournament happened, I hate this, he mumbled in his head. "I just have to find him and then..." his whispering voice trailed off at the sound of sirens off in the distance, their blaring dampened by the sounds of the rain.
No.
No, no, please.
Dread and adrenaline coursed through his veins as he started sprinting in the direction of the sirens, praying to whatever deity mattered that it wouldn't be Reki. That he would reach the area and it would just have been a waste of his time and that he would still find the redhead elsewhere.
With how fast he ran, the blue-haired boy almost thought he didn't even need his board as he slid around another street corner.
The sounds of the sirens had died out, but by now he could hear the chatter of a group of people mixing with the sounds of what seemed to be walkie-talkies. At last, he turned the final corner, and red and blue lights stained his vision for a moment as he frantically looked around.
A small group of three officers were standing in front of a small crowd, their police tape lining the scene as health workers behind them splashed around trying to examine someone.
And then Langa's eyes landed on the someone in question.
"...Reki..?" he whispered to himself.
There was no doubt in his mind, it was him. It had to be.
On the ground, soaked in the rain, battered and bruised, not moving, with his eyes closed while surrounded by police and at least two more health workers. But Langa knew that red hair, bright yellow hoodie, and dark blue headband anywhere. It was him.
"Reki!" he shouted, shoving his way to the front of the hovering crowd to try to reach the other boy.
The people gasped and muttered as he pushed them out of the way, but he didn't care. They didn't matter right now. All that mattered was reaching him.
"Hey, wait, back up!" An officer quickly blocked his way over with their arms, their demeanor seeming slightly panicked at the sight of Langa.
"Let me through, I-I know him, that's my boyfriend! Reki!" the blue-haired boy begged with an outstretched arm, trying to look over the officer's shoulder to get another glimpse of the redhead.
His umbrella fell from his hand and to the ground, splashing slightly as it landed in his struggle to get past the police officer.
"I'm going to have to ask you to back up," The officer pleaded. "We haven't even been able to contact his parents yet--"
"I can do that!" Langa realized, hurriedly fumbling his phone out of his coat's pocket. The raindrops that fell onto the screen made it harder to dial the number, but once he had it ringing he shoved the phone toward the officer. "Here, take it, that's his mom!"
They called after him one more time as he quickly dove beneath the police tape, his footsteps echoing in the rain as he ran toward Reki.
His knees screamed at him as he landed roughly on the hard road and quickly crawled over to the red-haired boy's body, but he didn't care. He just needed to know if Reki's heart was still beating, even if not as loudly as his seemed to be.
"Hey," Langa called softly as he grabbed the other boy by the shoulders and pulled him into his lap, brushing the wet hair out of his face. "Hey, Reki, wake up."
Nothing.
He shook him lightly, then moved his hand down to cup the redhead's chin in his hand. "Come on, wake up!" he tried again, desperation making him louder.
More muttering and whispers erupted from the crowd behind him, much to the dismay of the officers who were trying to soothe them. The word "dead" floated to Langa's ears and pierced his heart, freezing him to the ground he knelt on.
No.
No, he can't be.
"Reki...Come on, Reki!" He yelled, shaking the redhead harder as if it would manage to wake him up.
"Kid, please," one of the health workers called as they hurriedly walked over and kneeled next to him. "He hasn't been responding, I don't think that will do anything," they explained.
"...What?"
"I'm so sorry, I don't think..." The way their voice trailed off sent tears streaming down Langa's face.
"No...No, no no, please, he can't...You have to--Please," he begged, though he knew it was pointless as he pulled Reki closer; embracing him in a one-sided hug. "Please, please you have to...You have to get up," he whispered.
Reki was supposed to be as tough as he was stubborn. He was a skateboarder for crying out loud, he'd gotten hurt before. He'd broken bones, he'd bled, cried; who knows what kinds of injuries he sustained previously. Hell, he'd dealt with two different terrifying races against Adam, so why..?
Why won't you move? Why aren't you breathing?
Langa was glad the health workers and police seemed to be unsure of what to do with him, since it meant that they didn't even try taking Reki's body from his trembling arms.
The thought of them stealing him away, that this was the last time Langa would ever get to hold him...They would have to pry Reki from his cold dead hands when he finally went to join him in the afterlife.
At least, that's what he was thinking until he heard the screech of tires from behind and the anguished cry of Reki's mother at the sight of the two boys as she stepped out of her car.
Footsteps splashed in the growing puddles, and eventually, Langa felt the pouring rain above his head stop as Mrs. Kyan held an umbrella over him and Reki. He slowly looked up at the woman, his face soaked with tears and rain.
"He's..." he tried to start, but his throat closed in on itself, the words catching themselves in strangled sobs.
The dark look in her eyes made him realize she already knew, which somehow felt worse.
He had let them call her. He'd let them tell her to come and see her son lying dead in the rain. Langa couldn't help but feel guilty for that, even though he knew they would've had to anyway.
"I'm sorry...I'm so..."
"It's okay...It'll--It'll be okay, it's going to be okay," she soothed quietly as she lowered herself to sit on her knees with him, her gaze never leaving Reki.
"I..." his voice trailed off as he tightened his hug on the redhead. He swallowed harshly. Too many words were trying to bubble up all at once, it made his throat hurt.
With a shaky sigh, he turned Reki in his arms so that his mother could see his face. She stiffened at the sight of his unusually pale skin, her demeanor wilting.
Langa held his breath. If it weren't for how cold Reki was and the fact that he couldn't see the gentle rise and fall of his chest, he'd almost mistake him for simply being asleep with how peaceful he looked.
Almost.
"Oh Reki..." The brunette woman whispered as she gently placed a hand on his cheek. "Oh, my boy..."
The heartbreak in her voice made Langa want to vomit.
He finally released his breath in a shuddering exhale, unable to tell if his vision was blurring from tears or if he was just zoning out, but he could faintly hear the muffled voices of one of the healthcare workers and a police officer. He assumed they were talking to Mrs. Kyan, so he just focused on cradling Reki instead.
As much as he wanted to look away, to avoid staring at his lifeless face, he couldn't bring himself to.
Especially when he thought back to how bright and happy this same face had been just earlier that day.
They had been smiling, laughing, just skating around as usual. The blush on their faces turned them varying shades of pink, but they didn't care. They were just happy to be having fun with the other.
And now here they sat, Reki in Langa's arms, rain pouring around them while the blue-haired boy mindlessly tuned out the chatter around him. Laughter was the farthest from being on his mind, and Langa doubted he could even try mustering up a smile right now.
Everything felt dull.
Quiet.
Nothing was bright anymore.
He only finally snapped out of it when he felt a hand placed gently on his shoulder. Lifting his gaze he was met by Reki's mother, the look in her eyes sympathetic but drowning in sorrow that reflected in her tears.
Time's up then, he realized, his heart squeezing itself into a knot.
Sighing, Langa slowly stood, holding Reki firmly in his arms so that he wouldn't drop him. He knew he would have to let go eventually, but for some reason, there was only one other person he could even think about handing the other boy to. He glanced at Mrs. Kyan, who had gently taken one of Reki's hands in hers.
She finally met Langa's gaze and slowly nodded.
Hesitantly, he handed Reki over to her.
It was odd, seeing the shorter woman gently lift up her son even though he was easily a head taller than her, yet she held him close as if he were only an infant, burying her head in his shoulder while hers trembled. Langa could've sworn he heard her muttering under her breath to the redhead, promising that he was okay, that she was here for him.
"I've got you," she whispered as she carried him to the ambulance, somehow still balancing her large black umbrella in her hand to keep the both of them from getting any wetter from the rain. "You can rest now."
His stomach clenched at the sight.
Langa felt weaker somehow. Like his arms were too empty without Reki in them; he felt colder too. But it wasn't as if he could ask for him back. He was gone now.
He was gone for good.
Another shiver ran down Langa's spine as he watched the scene start to disperse. The officer he'd shoved past earlier calmly came over to return his phone and the umbrella he had long since stopped caring for. He thanked them quietly, but his words felt hollow, his voice foreign.
"Ah, by the way, you got a few text notifications," they quickly added as they were walking off. "I didn't read them, but I couldn't respond either. Just...thought I should tell you."
Texts..? Oh.
Langa weakly lifted his phone to read the messages his mom had sent, a shot of guilt running through him at her panicked tone.
'Are you okay?'
No.
'Is Reki okay???'
No...
'It's been hours!! Call me!!!! Please!'
"Hours..?" he mumbled.
With a quiet hum to himself, he glanced back at the ambulance. Reki had already been loaded in, and he realized Mrs. Kyan was walking back over to her car, a dark expression clouding her face.
"Ah," she muttered when she noticed the blue-haired boy. "I uhm...have to go with them, I'm sorry dear, I can't give you a ride home," she apologized with a bow of her head.
"No, it's okay...I can walk," he replied quickly. He hadn't even thought to ask for one.
After saying a quick goodbye to Reki's mother, and the other boy himself, Langa started the trek home.
The rain was worse now, as the forecast had predicted, and the cold seeped in through his wet clothes. He'd returned his umbrella to its spot over his head, but at this point, there was almost no use for it. He shivered as he retrieved his phone from his pocket and quietly dialed his mother's number.
"Langa!? Hello? What happened?" her panicked voice quickly rang into his ear.
His throat still felt constricted, his words crushed between sobs that threatened to come out if he dared try to speak, but he managed a simple "I'm on my way home."
"Did you find out what happened? Is everything okay?" she fretted further.
"Yeah...no, it's...I'll tell you when I'm home," he replied quietly, barely able to hear his own voice over the echoes of his footsteps in the downpour that still surrounded him.
"...Okay," his mother answered after a pause that felt too long for comfort. "I'll have a warm towel ready for you, just stay safe. See you soon."
"Uh-huh..."
"Bye, I love you," she added.
"Love you...too," Langa muttered in response, before hanging up the phone and stuffing it back into his coat pocket. Reki's words from their call echoed in his mind for a moment, but he quickly shoved them away.
What's the point in thinking of that right now..? he sighed to himself.
But man, what he would give to hear the other's boy just one more time.
--
As promised, his mother welcomed him home with a large, thick, warm towel that she handed him once he'd shed his drenched coat and muddy shoes at the front door and stepped further into the house.
"Straight from the dryer," she chimed with an uneasy smile. "You'll need to take a bath too, I don't want you getting sick or anything."
Langa just quietly mumbled a 'yeah' as he dragged the towel through his hair. He hardly felt the heat from it, as if he were still outside in the cold hard rain clinging to a body that lacked any sense of warmth.
He shivered at the thought.
"...Can I take my bath first?" he asked softly, staring at the soft white towel in his hands. "And then..." his voice trailed off. And then I can tell you what a horrible night it's been.
"Of course," his mother replied calmly. "I'll make us some tea, take your time."
He nodded lightly before heading off to clean himself. Usually he didn't care for especially hot baths, but he felt the need to scorch his skin to feel any semblance of warmth. To feel anything at all.
Everything else was too cold, almost like he was back in the snow-covered mountains that he'd given up on the last time he lost someone close to him.
The thought made him nauseous.
Mrs. Hasegawa had said to take his time, but every second Langa spent sitting there thinking back on it all was another second he wished he would've been dead on the ground with Reki. At least then he'd still be with him.
He shook his head of the thought with a sigh as he pulled a clean shirt over his head. By the time he shuffled out of his room and back into the kitchen, his mom was on the phone talking in hushed tones with a worried expression on her face.
"I...I see...Okay, I'm so sorry...Take care Masae," she muttered as Langa took a seat at the table, absentmindedly grabbing his tea with a blank expression.
"...Reki's mom?" he asked quietly.
His mother nodded solemnly. "She uhm...told me," she said hesitantly.
Langa tried thinking of a response, but when he opened his mouth all that came out was a pitiful sob. Tears returned to his eyes and shook his shoulders. His vision blurred once more, but this time he felt his mother's arms wrap around him gently, one of her hands brushing through his hair like how she used to soothe him after a bad dream as a child.
Only this wasn't a bad dream.
It sure as hell felt like one, but this was just reality. The reality that Reki Kyan no longer existed in.
"It'll be okay," she whispered.
No. No, it won't be.