Frozen Rose (Langa x reader)

Chapter 40

(Y/n)'s POV

I clutched Langa's hand as he laid unconscious in the hospital room. The sun's first rays filtered through the gap in the curtains, shining upon Reki's sleeping form on the couch. I had been too restless to sleep all night.

The door slipped open, startling me as I hurriedly stood up and greeted Langa's mum. Reki, woken by the commotion, also stood up despite his still groggy state. I gulped, slowly letting go of Langa's hand.

"The doctor said he only sustained a mild concussion. He'll wake up soon."
"...I see..." she started.
"I'm sorry for causing all this trouble. I shouldn't have taken your son there. I have connections to the yakuza so I'll understand if you want me to leave him alone. Please don't blame-"
"How did he get hurt?"
"...we were caught in the middle of a fight. Langa...got hit in the head when he was trying to leave with me."
"So he protected you."

I stifled a wince. Shame coated my cheeks, overtaking everything from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I managed to look up, meeting her gaze head-on. Her eyes widened a fraction before tears erupted down her face.

"M-ma'am..."
"I was so worried. He has such great friends with him...I was worried he'd be all alone. If he went as far as to protect you even though he'd get hurt, you must mean a lot to him," she exclaimed, smiling through the tears.
"I..."
"Thank you for staying with him."

I was left taken aback as she pulled me in for a warm embrace. Reki offered a thumbs up when I looked to him, stunned by her reaction. She eventually let go, wiping her tears away as she did so.

"I'm glad he's alright. I have to go to work now. Please look after him for me," she said.
"Of course."

She bent down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead before taking her leave. I sat down again and folded my arms over the bed before leaning my head against them. Reki moved to the other side, staring intently at Langa's face.

The doors barged open, much to my surprise. Yuu hopped over, kneeling by my side as he peered curiously at our sleeping friend. A coat was suddenly draped over my body and a part of Yuu's. I turned to see Cherry walking towards the couch with Joe setting down a bag of food.

"You look like a zombie. If you're not gonna rest, at least don't catch a cold," Cherry scolded.
"Alright mum."
"You're at a hospital. Why didn't you get your cut treated?" Joe added.
"It's not serious."
"A bullet cut your skin."

I turned a glare towards Reki, who feigned an unbelievable interest in the potted plant. He most likely texted them last night. I slid my arms through the sleeves of the dark grey coat in case it fell off only to realise it was Cherry's own. The sleeves went way past my hands.

"I heard you beat up the guy so bad they couldn't tell who he was," Yuu exclaimed quietly.
"...I did."

Fingers gripped my arm. I hurriedly turned to see Langa wide awake, a grimace on his face before the pain subdued. His eyes were on me, trailing the oversized coat to the cut on my cheek.

"You did what?" he asked.
"Nothing serious. Anyway, are you feeling okay?"
"Are you okay?"

I felt his hand slide over my mine through the fabric before a small smile slipped onto my face and I nodded.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Reki threw an arm around my shoulders, emitting an energy akin to that of the sun. Yuu was dragged into the hug before he elbowed our red-haired friend but it was done to no vail.

"Joe, you brought food, right? Hand some over, I'm starving."
"Only if you get that cut treated, sweetheart," he replied with a wink.
"Tch, fine."

~A few days later~

Miya and Shadow stood beside me as we watched Langa eagerly try out new tricks on the ramp. The moon glistened with a soft glow, almost as if cheering for him...for that iridescent illumination.

People watched, raptured by his skill made better with his snowboarding abilities. I noticed Reki staring at the can in his hands. His expression was forlorn but it was soon replaced by a nonchalant smile once he met my gaze.

"Wanna have a beef?" Miya asked.
"You're on-"
"(Y/n)!" Yuu called from the distance.

I saw him hurrying towards us with dad somehow trailing behind him and gawking at everything in sight. Shadow levelled a wary look towards the unfamiliar man who was clearly not a regular nor a skater.

"What's dad doing here? How did he even get in?" I quietly hissed at my younger brother.
"I made him a counterfeit pass. Mum was annoyed. She'd only let me out if dad accompanied me," he replied.
"Oi Rose, who is this?" asked Shadow.
"*sigh* He's my dad."
"Eh?!"
"So is this some kind of secret skateboarding tournament?" dad exclaimed.
"Sorta, yeah so don't say a word to anyone," I replied.
"Sir, you're back again," Joe said as he walked over with an annoyed-looking Cherry.

I zoned out of their conversation, focusing my gaze on Langa. Almost immediately, his eyes were on mine before a happy smile graced his face as he landed gracefully with perfect posture.

"That was an indy grab. Damn, the kid's gotten good," commented Joe.
"I'm not about to get left behind. Rose, the beef," Miya started.
"Oh yeah, let's go."
"What's happening?" dad asked.
"You're about to see your daughter skate seriously. Better get some front row seats," Joe replied.

Miya and I headed to the start line, where crowds had gathered and people were already taking bets. They became intoxicated with the thrill of skateboarding and I was no stranger to that.

A cheeky grin plastered itself onto my face as people took shots of us. Yuu had a steady hand on dad's arm lest he wandered off to some unknown area yet he seemed too interested in the crowds here to leave.

"What are we betting?" Miya asked.
"Hmm...loser becomes the winner's pet for a week."
"Fine with me. Let's get started."
"Don't worry, (Y/n). I'm rooting for you, don't be nervous," dad exclaimed.
"Oh my gosh...how embarrassing can you be?..."

Miya snickered at our interaction. I poked my tongue out before we both positioned ourselves as the lights started off. The anticipation rose in the air, drenching everything in a syrupy coat of muffled silence. The lights flashed green.