To Infinity and Beyond - Reki Kyan - 1215 fanfiction

Episode 5

The next week was absolutely wild. I would talk Erika's ear off during lunch, and then run off to meet Langa later, even when Reki was working, to hang out and help practice his Ollie. I insisted that Reki's old board was in serious need of repair surgery, and let Langa practice on my board too. Mine was a bit bigger than Reki's, so it helped with Langa's balance too. 

Now that Langa and I had sort of, just a smidge, bonded, we were able to have more decent conversations. He even helped me with my English homework one night, and I helped him with his Japanese Literature, and then the two of us had to scramble to hide it when Reki texted me saying he got off work early and was on his way to meet up with us. 

For the first time, we laughed together, and I felt like I was finally making friends that I could really connect with. Sure, Erika and I were close and I loved hanging out with her, but at the end of the day she went home to be herself and I went home to be myself, who was completely different from the girl she knew at school.

Sometimes I wonder how Erika would feel if I was like I usually am, with my unimpressive aggressive personality and my tendency to fall asleep or swear, and all my other baggage. But, I just figure, she's gotta have all that too. 

At the end of the day, though, I kept on getting reminded why I was falling in love with Reki, and I kept on getting happier. I kept on laughing louder and jumping higher and letting lose more. I brought all the bread and cookies and cannoli's my mom would make on the weekends and it'd just be the three of us. Three skaters, skating for that feeling in our hearts.

-

Langa's new board was really well made, and Langa even let me test it out. Reki told him to think of a design to put on the bottom since he was officially a-okay with the board itself, and I pushed forward, managing to place my feet in the straps without issues. Langa's feet were a little bigger than mine, but it still worked pretty well. I eased into a turn, not taking it too fast, and moved side to side. I was actually really impressed. It was crazy smooth and the board felt like any new board would - like I'm some kind of evolved person. 

Then, when I tried to move my foot, I forgot it was temporarily stuck in place, and then I completely lost my balance. I yelped and crashed, and blinked up at the sky. The clouds were shitty, boring to look at, just like that day...

"Are you okay?" Reki leaned over and my eyes relaxed. He blocked the bright light of the sky from my face and I smiled wearily as I looked up at him. He was so much prettier than any type of cloud.

"I'm good. Langa, I can assure that your board will never leave you. You can put your trust in it."

"Ah, thanks, I guess."

Reki scoffed a laugh and I sat up to remove the board, handing it back to Langa. I would never be riding it again.

I went to turn and get up, but paused and took a moment to look at the hand Reki was holding out for me. I don't think I've ever held his hand before... was it soft, or a bit rough, or somewhere in between?

I reached up and put my hand in his, as we got our grips on to each other while he helped pull me up, I focused on the feeling of his skin on mine.

His fingers were soft, the edges of his palms a bit rough. Overall, it was somewhere in between.

"It's been a while since you fell." Reki smiled, "Seems I'm always around somehow."

I smiled back, looking up from our hands as I finally let go, "Oh dear, Reki, you're bad luck is rubbing off on me." I joked.

"Wha- hey!" He gasped dramatically, "I don't have bad luck - I just- well..."

I stifled a laugh and he quickly turned on the defensive, "Hey! Stop laughing!" He cried, going to grab me to shake me or pinch my cheeks like he always did to Langa when he would make a dumb blunt joke or not make any comment at all, leaving things awkward. 

It was another one of his cute perks, but instead of just letting him pinch my cheeks like I sort of wanted him to, I quickly jabbed my fingers into his stomach and he curled over, falling to his knees slowly.

"I-I've been shot!"

I laughed, "Oh come on!"

"No- Yuri, you gotta call an ambulance! This strength, you're strength... I'm seeing the light!"

"Shut up already!" I was grinning, shoving him lightly as I lost my breath from laughing.

Reki reached out a 'shaking' hand, "Langa, help me!" 

Langa blinked, turning to push off on his board and skate away, "You're so weird."

-

The next day, Langa and I met up with Reki at his place. I'd met Langa on the way there, and as we walked to his backyard garage, Langa showed me the designs he was thinking of getting on the back of his board. He'd told Reki already that he wanted something cool looking, white, and had sketches of wolves all over the page of the sketchbook Reki lent him yesterday.

"I think that looks awesome." I complimented, handing him back the sketch book, "I don't know if Reki can pull something that detailed off, though."

"Well, even if it's not perfect." Langa shrugged, "I just like the wolf. Reki!"

"Hey guys!" Reki waved with a small glance over his shoulder, "I've been working on your board all day!"

"I've got some sketches here." Langa began, holding up the sketchbook with a spark in his eyes that I hardly ever got to see, "I was thinking-"

"Look, super cool just like you wanted, right?!" Reki was grinning as he held up the board, and as Langa froze in his place, slowly decaying from the edges, I gave his shoulder a nice pat before walking over to Reki.

"I think it's awesome!" I agreed, and while I did think it was cool, it really was more 'cute' then anything else, "If it's got anything to do with skating, you're already practically a pro, aren't you Reki?" 

He blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Hardly..."

"It's like a... a yeti?"

"Yeah!" Reki's eyes lit up again and I settled, letting him go off, "Have you seen all the cool stories and conspiracy theories online! It's a totally Canadian authentic monster! Langa, do you think they really exist?"

"No." He snapped, finally coming to. 

-

A few days later, Langa was getting even more used to his board, and even managed a small Ollie - as Reki told me over text in all caps. He ended up falling on his ass again after landing it, but it was major progress. The next day after school, we met up like we always do and Langa was at it again, covered in dirt by the time I arrived.

"Jeez, you guys race here or what?"

"You're the one who goes home to change." Reki replied, unravelling his previously crossed arms as I approached them.

I cringed, "You'll never be seeing me skating in that uniform."

He sweat dropped at the look in my eyes, "Is that so? N-not that I wanted to see- or- I mean-"

Langa cried out and Reki and I turned expectantly to see him slid a bit on the dirt in his fall. 
Ah, he landed on his hand again - I told him to avoid that. I grabbed my bag as Reki asked if he was okay.

"AH! BLOOD!" I blinked at Langa's outburst, and he stuttered, shivering as he gripped the wrist of his injured hand, "I-I drew blood!"

"You're overreacting." Reki stated, watching as Langa broke a sweat, and then, out of nowhere, passed out, "Is he good?!"

I walked forward and slapped his cheek slightly, "Langa? Hey, you're perfectly fine."

"I can't believe it. I never expected this to happen."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled none the less, "Sit up so we can clean it. Take a breath, Reki's right. No need to overreact."

Langa sat himself down on the bench and I dumped my water on a small tissue and cleaned off the blood from Langa's fingers. I stood in front of him, holding his hand as I spreading on some polyisoprene on the cuts and then unwrapped the band aids. Reki sat beside Langa, watching carefully, 

"You sometimes bleed when you snowboard too, right?" He asked.

"Almost never. It's mainly bruises or broken bones." Langa replied as I finished.

Reki hummed, "But for skating, it's like a rite of passage. The more you bail, the better you get! Right, Yuri?"

I smiled, "Yeah! I even got a scar!"

"WHAT?!"