SK8TEMBER'21 SERIES

You make me feel safe.

The six of them still didn't know what the heck were those mud ghosts —or people? They weren't even sure— that scared the shit out of them on their way to the hot springs, but Reki thanked the Gods for having Kojiro with them in the hostel.

Or that's what he thought, but then he saw him grabbing his backpack, ready to go where Kaoru was staying.

"You can't leave us, Joe!!" Reki pleaded, hugging Kojiro's arm with all his strength, trying to make him stay with them. Kaoru was doing the same with his other arm.

"Like hell I'm sleeping alone tonight!" Kaoru shouted.

"Dude, stay with us then!" Reki pleaded to Kaoru, too.

Kaoru considered the situation for a second.

"Like hell I'm staying at this shit hole of a place!" he said, hugging Kojiro's arm even tighter.

"That's rude, not everyone is as rich as you to afford to stay in a manor." Shadow joked, amused by the situation.

Kaoru didn't get it was a joke.

"I'm here for business! And I'm getting my husband with me whether you like it or not!" he said with a final hard pull, making Reki release his hold on Kojiro's arm.

"I'm sorry, kiddo." Kojiro said, waving at them with an apologetical smile.

"No, guys, come back... " Reki said, extending his arms dramatically, watching how Kojiro and Kaoru left.

"What if the mud people come back?" Miya asked flatly, siping from his green tea.

"Shut up, dude!" Reki shouted, closing his eyes and covering his ears with his hands.

Langa put his hands over Reki's, trying to get his attention. Reki lowered them, and Langa gave them a light squeeze.

"Don't worry, Reki, I'm sure we'll be fine." Langa assured him.

"Or not." Shadow said, mimicking Miya's flat voice.

"Shut up!" Reki shouted again.

Everyone fell asleep pretty fast, except for Reki. He was fully awake, covered to the nose with the blanket, looking at the window in fear of the mud ghosts coming back. When he felt something touching his shoulder under his futon, he screeched in fear.

"Don't kill me, please!" Reki pleaded, covering himself to the head.

"Reki, it's me." Langa said, uncovering him.

Reki sighed in relief.

"Oh my God, dude, are you trying to kill me?" he asked with a trembling voice.

Langa smiled softly at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Can't you sleep?" he asked, Reki shook his head. Langa smiled again, getting his futon closer to Reki's. "Then I'll stay awake until you fall asleep."

"Thank you." Reki felt a lot better feeling his best friend so close to him. But now that Langa was this close, Reki blushed at the thought that he wanted him even closer.

Since his disastrous beef with Adam, Langa had been more protective over him than usual, and don't get him wrong, he loved that; but precisely because of that, Reki also had started to notice he felt other things for his best friend.

He noticed how easily his heart beat faster than ever every time Langa held his hand; he noticed how he blushed even more than usual every time Langa praised him; he noticed how he craved for Langa's spontaneous hugs.

That's why now, having him so close to him, Reki felt a mix of those feelings.

He wanted him closer; he wanted to be held; he wanted to feel protected.

And he wanted to kiss his best friend.

Reki blushed at the realization. And like if Langa were a telepath, he inched closer, unsure of his next move.

"Can I sleep with you?" he asked in a whisper that made Reki shiver.

Reki looked at him, mesmerized at how beautiful Langa looked with the moonlight bathing his snowy pale skin.

"Yeah." he answered softly.

Langa got under Reki's futon, and Reki feared he could hear how fast his heart was beating.

They were facing each other, Langa was smiling softly, and Reki was glad it was dark enough to hide how much he was blushing.

Langa intertwined his hand with Reki's, stroking tenderly the back of his hand with his thumb.

"Feeling better?" Langa asked.

No. Reki thought, feeling his heart about to rip his chest apart. He was scared to answer, feeling how shaking his voice would sound.

After a few breaths, he finally managed to say something.

"Yeah, thank you." he said whispering, feeling really proud to have said it without sounding as nervous as he felt.

But Langa got a lot closer, and his heart couldn't stand it, beating like crazy. Their noses were touching, and Reki could feel Langa's breath against his lips. He was sure he was about to pass out.

His eyes were fully adjusted to the dark, and now he could see how Langa was looking at him intensely; focused on something that was on his mind. And Reki wasn't sure if he was the only one in that room capable of hearing his loud heartbeat.

Langa released his hold on Reki's hand to slowly lift it until he placed it on Reki's jaw, stroking his cheek delicately.

Reki exhaled a shaky breath against Langa's lips. He was dying to kiss him, and he was starting to think that Langa wanted that too.

Hesitating, Langa got their faces impossibly closer, his lips ghosted over Reki's, mingling their shaking breaths.

"Reki... " Langa whispered, getting agonizingly and slowly closer, closer, and closer, like that moment was happening in slow motion, and finally, he closed the gap, sealing their lips together in a slow, soft kiss.

Reki placed his hand on Langa's cheek, deepening the kiss, but keeping it slowly, tenderly.

He didn't want that kiss to end, so they kept kissing until breathing was a difficult task.

Much later, when they finally broke the kiss, they smiled feeling like idiots, trying not to laugh out loud of pure happiness.

"I've been wanting to kiss you for so long." Reki admitted.

Langa beamed at him.

"Me too... I like you so much, Reki." Langa confessed, getting closer again to peck him on the lips.

Reki smiled brightly.

"I like you too." he said, hugging Langa tightly, hiding his face on his neck.

They finally fell asleep, tangled in a hug that made him feel more safe than ever. He was so, so happy, that he had forgotten completely why he was so scared earlier.