Under The Stars. It's Infinite [Reki x Langa]

Chapter Ten | I Hated It

The darkness swallowed our screams and we hit the ground with a loud crash, bang, and clang. My head hit the bar in front of me, the bar that was supposed to keep us safe. I couldn't feel my legs, and I wasn't sure where we were. The world around us was cold, lending me nothing but pain in my lungs as I sucked in a harsh breath to clear my head. My arms moved around hesitantly, and I felt something icy to my left.

Langa.

"Langa...? Hey, Langa. Are you okay?" My hands ran across my friends face, light breathing, icy skin. In no way was that a good sign. Panic washed over me. If Langa was unconscious, how was I gonna get him out of here? Or even, where the hell were we? My eyes drew closer to Langa again, and I let out a sound that was between a groan and a sigh. "Well, we aren't staying here..." It took a few minutes of wiggling and shuffling, but I managed to drag my body out from the beam that kept our bodies in place of the cart, then I carefully pulled Langa out towards me. With not much choice, I hoisted him on my back and adjusted my weight balance as we started walking.

Langa wasn't the lightest person in the world, which made sense with him carrying so much muscle, but I had three little sisters to thank for my ability to work around that. I still carry them around, sometimes all at once if I'm in the mood. I've carried Koyomi on my back for at least 3 hours before, so I was confident I'd be able to walk with Langa on top of me.

Trudging through the darkness, listening to my footsteps echo against the walls that I could hardly make out, I shuffled Langa on my back. He was less heavy and more a little awkward to carry. Because he was just that little bit taller than me, I guess it was a bit more of a struggle. If I had an extra hand, then I would get my phone out for light, but my arms were both supporting my friends body, and I didn't wanna risk hurting him when he was already unconscious.

The silence grew around us, and it was not getting any more comforting. I was slowing my pace of walking, and I wasn't even sure where I was supposed to be going. Whether I was supposed to find a real exit, or if I was going to end up at a dead end, I wasn't sure. Langa wasn't waking up, but he was still breathing. I was worried about falling or tripping over with him attached to me, I could only see so far in front of me, and I had to switch between staring at my feet, or staring ahead to make sure I wouldn't run into a wall.

After what I could assume was about 30 minutes of walking, I dropped Langa softly against a wall I had stopped at, checking his pulse to make sure he was still alive. He was really cold, still ice skin. I wasn't sure what to do, there was no way for me to make a fire or something similar down here, and when I did finally check my phone, there was no service. "Perfect..." I flashed my phone light at Langa, his face unmoving, but peaceful. I was so worried he had hit his head when we fell or hurt a limb or something. I know my head was aching from hitting the beam, so I was a little concerned if he wasn't waking up. Thinking for a moment on how to warm Langa up, I stripped myself of my jacket, then my jumper, redressing him in that a top of his mint green turtleneck. He was less stylish now, but at least his body would start warming up quickly.

I sat down for a moment, laying Langa in my lap so he wouldn't fall over. His breathing was regular, but his face was still really cold. It was so different from how he usually was. Langa had radiated heat from all over the moment I'd met him. When I was close his heat was inviting, and when he was gone there was always something missing of the sort. Shining my phone on his face, he was so pale. I wasn't sure if he was used to that sort of thing or not. Was he usually that pale? Or was this bad?

"Please be okay..." I tightened my grip on Langa and moved his head closer to my shoulder. I thought that maybe sharing body heat would warm him enough to wake him up, but nothing of the sort happened. After a few more minutes, I came to the decision to keep walking. The dark was not my specialty, but if I just stayed here forever, then Langa could be in serious trouble.

There was difference in this cool air. Nothing like that above the surface. It was grabbing and whispered along the walls that danger could lurk around corners. I knew the darkness wasn't something I was fond over, for supernatural reasons... but I was starting to miss the stars that lit up the sky, and the moon that shone down paths for us to skate on. The quiet but welcoming air that ruffled your hair and raced along your skin. The darkness here did not have stars or the moon to lay a path out. It was isolated and echoing. Alarming and warning you to turn back before you were never seen again.

It was threatening.

Breathing in slowly, I heaved Langa on my back once more, determined to get out of this damp and dark cave looking area. It was the least I could do right now. I kept my friends head on my shoulder, unconsciously bouncing every time I took a large step or changed my walking speed. "We can get out of here. I know we can." I whispered the words aloud to give myself some self confidence in the situation. But I did hope Langa would hear it and wake up.

Time seemed to pass on infinitely where I was walking and stopping and walking again. I hated the idea that I was walking too slow or Langa had stopped breathing. It was scaring me. But after a certain amount of time, I decided against taking breaks, for his sake. I would stand for a moment, then keep going, but I didn't have the time to sit down and relax. I was getting tired, irritated, and really worried.

Soft thudding stuck to the walls as my feet carried Langa and myself through the dark, it wasn't getting any lighter in the tunnel, and it just seemed to keep going. I wondered where we would end up at the end if there was one. I switched my focus to Langas' breathing. It was soft, calming, peaceful. My chest tightened, and I caught myself thinking. Thinking that I would hear his breathing early in the morning, or late at night. Next to me while I slept or across from me at the dining table. Maybe just sitting around casually in the living room or together as we walked down the street. It was selfish of me, but I wanted it. Langa was who I wanted around me more than anyone else in my life, and that thought scared me.

"...eki...?" Whispered breathing hit the side of my neck, then coughing. I stopped walking and held my breath. "Reki... What's going on...?" My stomach flipped as I processed what was happening. "L-Langa...?" I hadn't heard his voice in so long, it felt like an eternity had gone by. I hated this feeling. I hated it because I loved it. I hated it because I had an idea of what it was. I hated it because it made me want to tear up, wrap my arms around my friend and never let go.

"Langa...!"