Chapter Text
“I. Like. Girls. I’m not gay! Or bi! Or anything! There’s nothing going on between Langa and I, okay? Stop pestering me about it.” Reki railed, having lost all patience with Miya.
Miya put his hands on his hips, “I saw you two kissing, that’s not ‘nothing.’”
“It was nothing. It didn’t mean anything. It never meant anything. I have a girl I’m talking to, anyway…”
“You’re so far in the closet, you’re hanging out with the skeletons.”
“Whatever, Miya, you don’t know me.”
“Well, I’m glad Langa knows now, at least. Who you are. ”
“What–?”
Reki turned, and behind him, Langa stood, staring like a deer in headlights. He quickly turned on his heel and ran, unsure where, but somewhere else on Crazy Rock where he could be alone.
Or maybe he would just leave Crazy Rock, go home.
Reki didn’t shout after him or chase him. Langa guessed, why would he? Their relationship meant nothing. It never had meant anything at all. Reki had some girl he liked better.
The kiss they shared the other day, the magical, whirlwind kiss that picked Langa off his feet and into heaven– was nothing to Reki.
He found a small crevice and slipped in, kneeling down with his head in his knees. He hadn’t felt so alone since his dad died. The numbness and pain crept back into him, deadening his emotions and freezing any life in his heart.
This was how it should be. He was SNOW. The Ice Prince. The cold, cold King of “S” that beat Adam because he just didn’t care about his own safety. Reckless, unafraid. Numb.
Jump off a mountain to try to feel a spark of excitement. Because the only person that makes you feel alive doesn’t care anymore. And if you die, oh fucking well.
It’s more important to appear straight to Reki, than to be together.
Langa kicked the ground. This damn homophobic society. Reki was so caught up in it. He thought he had to play the part of some player host, picking up women here and there. He probably wanted to copy Joe.
“Langa?!” He heard Reki calling out.
Langa scoffed. How dare he try to look for him. How dare he pretend to care. Langa scooted back further into the crevice and hid.
“Langa, please?” Reki’s voice sounded broken and it begged.
Good. Feel broken. Like he made Langa feel. Every time he hit on a girl in front of him, every time he said some girl was hot, every time he pretended he felt nothing for him. Langa felt more and more broken.
It was a long time until he stopped hearing Reki call, and crept back out of the crevice. “S” was almost empty, so he figured he better go home. His eyes were red and puffy and cheeks stained with tears. He hoped no one would see him or notice him as he walked toward the gate.
But waiting at the gate was a familiar face.
“SNOW? What’s wrong?” Adam asked as he leaned down and looked into Langa’s face.
Fuck. He didn’t want to deal with Adam right now.
“Nothing…” Langa said deadpan.
“Clearly, something is.”
“It’s… none of your concern, Adam.”
“Sure it is, we’re friends, right?”
“I guess… but I don’t know. I still don’t know you well.”
“Then… let’s get to know each other. Let’s go get something to eat.”
Langa’s stomach growled. He was starving. He figured if nothing else, him going out with Adam to eat would piss Reki off and that sounded very appealing right now.
“Okay… A&W?”
“Sure, come, get in my car.”
Langa ate silently, listening to Adam ramble. He had toned down his costume a little, but still looked very much in disguise. Sunglasses, hat, thick jacket.
Who the hell was Adam anyway?
Langa interrupted him. “Who are you? What’s your real name?”
“Uh– well. I’m a well-known public figure. My given name is Ainosuke, if you want to use that…”
“I’ll probably just keep using Adam. But I was wondering who I was having dinner with. I don’t know anything about you except that you're a really good skater and completely insane.”
“Hmm. There’s not much else, really.”
“I see.”
“What about you, Langa? Why do you look so sad tonight?”
Langa sighed and pushed his poutine around with his fork.
“I was dumped? I guess? It hadn’t even really started yet, though.”
“The redhead?”
“It’s even obvious to you, huh? I don’t know why he can’t accept it.”
“It’s taboo not just in the greater society, but in the skater society, too. We’re supposed to be manly and tough. Reki struggles with that. He doesn’t think he’s manly enough. Being gay, that just adds to his troubles.”
“I never thought of it like that. It’s still stupid though. I don’t care what people think, I don’t know why he does so much.”
“Well, Langa, you’re special. You’re talented. Attractive. People respect you for those things alone. Reki doesn’t have those things in the same way you do. But I do think he should treat you better… that or you need to give him up.”
“Give him up?” Langa repeated, dazed. “I don’t know… if I could do that.”
“What if you found someone new? Someone like… me?”
“Aren’t you, like, ten years older than me?”
“Does that kind of thing matter to you?”
“I guess not. I’m 21 now… so it doesn’t really matter.”
“Then what do you say? Go out on a date with me next weekend.”
“I don’t know. I still feel…” Langa trailed off and looked down with a sigh.
“I still feel really strongly about Reki.”
“It’ll just be an innocent first date. No commitment. Maybe… it will make Redhead jealous.”
Langa felt a flare of anger through his numbness for how he’d been treated. Make Reki jealous? Get back at him? Maybe that would be a good plan… It would at least feel good.
“Okay. Where are we going?”
“I’ll pick you up at the train station stop by your apartment, then I’ll take you to a surprise location.”
Langa shrugged. “I have nothing to lose.”
“That’s what your date wants to hear.”
Langa shrugged again and looked away out the window. He didn’t really care. He didn’t care about anything.