#I mean the formatting of this whole fic is kinda stupid but it's so fluffy that it makes it worth it

[reki-of-the-valley]

Time Zones

Hi @rainbowrider1290 💛 Technically this was supposed to be a surprise Christmas present but um. We're a month later and I already showed you the first two parts. But at least the third part is new so that can be a surprise? And I hope you like it 💛

Read it on ao3 here!

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1 - Departure

Kyan Reki

And then ofc Nanaka started crying because she wanted to bring the kitten home to show Chihiro but obvs my mom said no so now she’s pouting

(Feb 6, 22:33)

Hasegawa Langa

Isn’t Koyomi allergic to cats or something?

(Feb 6, 22:33)

Kyan Reki

Yup

A bit

Nothing deadly but she does end up with a stuffy nose and sometimes teary eyes

So no cats.

Anyway I really have to go to bed

Gotta be up real early tomorrow

(Feb 6, 22:35)

Hasegawa Langa

Right you said you had to do something for Joe?

(Feb 6, 22:36)

Kyan Reki

Yup!

And then my mom needs to me do some chores and errands for her

I prob won’t be able to text you tomorrow at all unless I find some time during breaks or whatever

(Feb 6, 22:37)

Hasegawa Langa

Don’t worry about it

What time do you have to be up?

(Feb 6, 22:38)

Kyan Reki

Like 5? Joe wants me at the restaurant latest 5:30

(Feb 6, 22:38)

Hasegawa Langa

Wow

Yeah you wouldn’t catch me doing that

(Feb 6, 22:39)

Kyan Reki

I know dude

You’re barely functional before 10

But anyway gn man

Or have a good day?

What time is it there?

8? Almost 9?

(Feb 6, 22:41)

Hasegawa Langa

Yeah

(Feb 6, 22:41)

Kyan Reki

Aww you got up before 10 to actually talk to me

That’s so cute man

You’re clearly still in bed rn aren’t you?

(Feb 6, 22:42)

Hasegawa Langa

You think I’m getting up on a Sunday?

I’m going back to sleep as soon as you do

(Feb 6, 22:43)

Kyan Reki

Of course you are

Well then sleep well

I’ll talk to you as soon as I can?

(Feb 6, 22:45)

Hasegawa Langa

Good night Reki

I love you

(Feb 6, 22:46)

Kyan Reki

I love you too

<3

(Feb 6, 22:48)

Reki sighs as he clicks his phone shut. He hates lying to Langa, but this time, it’s for a good reason. He can’t tell him the truth; that would ruin the surprise. And a little white lie never hurt anyone. At least, he hopes it won’t hurt anyone. In the end, he’s doing this for Langa. If he told him what he was really doing, then he wouldn’t be able to surprise him. If he told Langa the whole truth, then his surprise would be ruined and Reki has not been planning this for weeks with Nanako for it to fall apart right before the moment of truth.

As expected, the night is restless. Reki tosses and turns, his head filling with worst-case scenarios. What if he’s forgetting something? What if he wakes up at the wrong time? What if he mixed up the days and missed his flight already? He’s freaking out, even if he knows it’s futile. He knows these are all useless insecurities, but he can’t help himself as he scurries out of bed and opens the suitcase resting in the corner of his room. He just needs to make sure everything is there, from the old coat of Langa’s that Nanako told him to borrow to his many charging cables. He knows it’s all packed up – he taped onto his suitcase the list of things he’s put in to make sure everything is in there – but he can’t help the surge of stress. Everything has to be perfect when the time comes to be dropped off at the airport.

The night is restless, but he somehow manages to fall asleep. It isn’t much, and Reki isn’t sure when he finally fell asleep, but as he slams his alarm off, he knows he got at least a few hours of sleep. Maybe if he had gone to bed earlier, he would have faked a full night's worth of sleep, but he knows that that’s only wishful thinking. And anyway, he would have been miserable if he didn’t get to talk to Langa at least a bit; he’s already going to go a whole day without being able to text Langa all the dumb things he’ll see for the first time. He knows that if he hadn’t had those few minutes of talking to Langa before bed, he wouldn’t have been able to resist sending him pictures of everything he’ll see on his long day of traveling. Ideally, Reki thought his first time taking a plane would be with Langa, but this will have to do. He won’t be with Langa, but he is going to see Langa at the end of the long trip.

It's barely five in the morning when Reki finally manages to pull himself out of bed, but the house doesn’t sound any different from the other days. He can hear the usual hustle and bustle, from his mother shouting in the kitchen to the twins running around the house, their kiddish giggles bouncing through the halls. It’s as noisy as if it were midday, the day coming to life as soon as the twins manage to rub the sleep out of their eyes. And once the twins are up, everyone is up. Once the twins are ready to play their day away, everyone is aware of their presence.

According to his mother, that childish energy runs in the family, Reki having been the exact same at their age, if not worse. Apparently, he was up with the sun, dashing off to his parents’ room to jump on their bed until they were awake. And on the days where he did let them sleep in, he’d be in the living room, playing with whatever toy he could get his little hands on, sometimes playing with things that weren’t toys. Apparently, he had more energy than both twins combined, but now that he’s grown, he doesn’t have that energy. He’s ready to pull the blankets over his head and fall back into a deep sleep, but he knows he can’t. He can’t be late today. He can’t waste a single minute and the moment he pulls his hoodie on and his eyes lock onto the suitcase, he’s wide awake. The red of his bags jolts him awake, a mixture of excitement and anxiety bubbling in him.

It’s today. He’s getting on a plane today. He’s getting onto a plane for the first time in his life and it’s to go see Langa. He’s going to see Langa. He’s going to see Langa for real. He’ll be in the same room as Langa.

The excitement immediately takes over as he wheels his suitcase to the living room. Well, the anxiety is definitely still there – Reki can’t find it in himself to eat, the nerves twisting his stomach into knots – but he can’t stop smiling. He can’t stop smiling as he thinks of Canada, of the snow Langa’s shown him as he walks down the streets, of the Snow that’s waiting for him on the other side of the world. It’s so close, he can almost taste the sweetness he’ll be greeted with. Or at least, the sweetness he hopes he’ll be greeted with.

“Aren’t you gonna eat at least a bit?”

Koyomi looks up at him, her breakfast half-finished. She’s still in her pajamas and her hair is a mess of tangles, but she makes no sign of hurrying to get ready. They have to be out of the house in less than 20 minutes, but no one seems to be in a hurry. Reki is the only one who seems stressed by this, his anxiety now really flaring up as he digs through his carry-on for the third time that morning. It alternates between excitement and anxiety as he checks the time on his phone, practically counting the seconds that pass.

“M’not hungry.”

“You’re going to be on a plane for like 22 hours. Reki, you have to eat something!”

Reki blinks at his sister before zipping his bag shut once more and getting up from the ground. “I’ll buy something to eat when I’ll be in Tokyo or something. I have like two hours to kill there, so I’m sure I’ll have time to wander around the airport and eat something.”

“But you should—”

“I’m not hungry, Koyomi.”

The girl puts her hands up before retuning to her breakfast. Her eyes grow in what seems to be shock and annoyance, but Reki doesn’t have time to concentrate on that. He doesn’t have time to argue with his sister who seems to want to put up a fight, not when his phone is buzzing in his hand, an influx of texts bombarding his inbox. There’s no way he’s going to choose to bicker with his sister over texting his boyfriend, the boy who has him smiling like a fool. There’s no way he’s choosing early morning fighting over answering the boy he’ll finally get to see after being apart from for too long.

Hasegawa Langa

Good morning Sunshine

Hope you slept well

(Feb 7, 04:57)

Have a good day

Text me if you can

(Feb 7, 05:20)

Kyan Reki

Did you set an alarm to make sure you didn’t forget to text me?

Also sorry I didn’t text you back sooner, I didn’t get a notification for some reason?

I’ll text you when I can I promise

I’ll talk to you soon <3

(Feb 7, 05:23)

“Reki, we’re leaving.”

Reki practically bounces up at the sound of his mother’s voice. They’re leaving. They’re headed for the airport. Reki is leaving the island, leaving the country, and he’s going to get to see Langa. He’s going to get to spend time with Langa, with his boyfriend, with his best friend. It’s actually happening. Reki’s going to see the snow he’s heard all about and he’s going to get to snuggle with Langa as they watch cheesy movies like they do in said movies. He’s going to see Langa and it’s going to be perfect. It’s going to be absolutely perfect.

“Reki!” Koyomi brushes past him, hauling one of his bags towards the car. Her eyes narrow onto him for a moment before turning away from him completely. “If you don’t want to miss your plane, I’d suggest you get a move on it.”

The adrenaline kicks back in as he grabs his suitcase and runs past Koyomi with it. He feels like a little kid as he hauls his suitcase into the trunk and takes his spot in the car. Reki can’t stop the bounce in his leg, even as Koyomi whines behind him, threatening to hit him if he doesn’t stop. He can’t stop his excitement; he can’t remember the last time something so big happened to him. Well, maybe there was the day Langa said he liked him back or when they shared their first kiss or said their first ‘I love you’s, but it’s not the same kind of excitement. That had been a giddiness shared with another person; this is an excitement specific to Reki, a feeling he can’t quite express and share and do it justice. This is Reki’s moment, the giddy mixture of novelty and of pulling off the biggest surprise he could think of.

“Where are we going?”

They’re halfway there when Nanaka speaks up. She’s staring out the window, seeming lost. Then again, they never go this far; it’s understandable that she doesn’t know where they are.

“Don’t you remember, Honey?” Masae’s voice captures the attention of all of her children. “We’re bringing your brother to the airport.”

“Airplanes?”

Chihiro’s little voice has Reki giggling as he shifts in his seat, twisting to look at her. “Yeah! I’m gonna be on an airplane!”

Her brown eyes light up as he beams at her. “You’re gonna fly in the sky?”

“Yeah! I’m gonna be up in the clouds and it’s gonna be awesome! And I’ll—”

“Reki, can you please sit properly?”

He shrinks in his seat, mumbling out an apology to his mother, but he still turns his head to smile at Chihiro. She seems more amazed than Nanaka, Nanaka who lost interest in the conversation as soon as she got her answer. She’s far more interested in the many things zipping past them, pointing out the things that catch her eye. But Chihiro? She seems more than impressed with the idea of Reki being up in the sky, flying from place to place. She excitedly whispers something to Koyomi who giggles and nods, but Reki can’t hear what’s being discussed, not that he minds. This is probably one of his last chances to text Langa for a long time.

Kyan Reki

You doing anything for your birthday?

Or like. I know it’s weird with the time differences but also I was thinking

Maybe we could sorta do something together? Like watch a movie or something?

I know it’s not the same thing as doing something /together together/ but I just

I wanna do something special for your birthday, man

So thoughts?

(Feb 7, 05:48)

Hasegawa Langa

I’ll always have time for you <3

But a movie sounds good

And if you fall asleep during it that’s fine

(Feb 7, 05:53)

Kyan Reki

You’re the one who falls asleep during movies dude

Not me

(Feb 7, 05:53)

Hasegawa Langa

Because it’ll probably be pretty late for you by then?

And I do not.

(Feb 7, 05:54)

Kyan Reki

You passed out cold when we were watching movies at Christmas

(Feb 7, 05:55)

Hasegawa Langa

That was once!

And because I was still jetlagged!

(Feb 7, 05:55)

Kyan Reki

There was also before you left

You used to fall asleep all the time

(Feb 7, 05:56)

Hasegawa Langa

I did not but whatever

We clearly don’t remember the same things

(Feb 7, 05:57)

Kyan Reki

It’s fine dude

You’re cute when you sleep so

(Feb 7, 05:57)

Hasegawa Langa

ANYWAY

When do you want to do it?

My mom has a thing planned for around dinner time so that’s no good for me

But you’ll be asleep by then anyway so it doesn’t matter

Unless you want to do it that next morning (in Okinawa time. Still my birthday back here)?

(Feb 7, 05:59)

Kyan Reki

Yeah that sounds good

Movie at your 8?

And no one should fall asleep

(Feb 7, 06:00)

Hasegawa Langa

Sounds good for me

I miss watching movies with you

Like. Actually with you

(Feb 7, 06:02)

Kyan Reki

You just miss cuddling, you clingy monster

But cool cool

I gotta go now but I’m glad we have something planned for your birthday

Would have felt bad if I didn’t get to do anything for your birthday

(Feb 7, 06:04)

Hasegawa Langa

Just a happy birthday text and a phone call would have been enough

(Feb 7, 06:04)

Kyan Reki

Still

I miss doing stuff with you

(Feb 7, 06:05)

Hasegawa Langa

I miss you

(Feb 7, 06:05)

Kyan Reki

You know I miss you loads

I’ll talk to you soon?

(Feb 7, 06:05)

Hasegawa Langa

The sooner the better my love

(Feb 7, 06:06)

Kyan Reki

Sap

Ily too

(Feb 7, 06:06)

Hasegawa Langa

Love you Reki

Have fun today with Joe

(Feb 7, 06:07)

Kyan Reki

Fingers crossed

(Feb 7, 06:07)

Hasegawa Langa

<3

(Feb 7, 06:07)

The airport is terrifyingly imposing. It’s huge and there are people all over. Men in suits and women in heels walk around like they own the place, seeming far too used to the environment. They seem so in their element, so unlike Reki who’s shaking ever so slightly. Thankfully, his mom and sisters are there, but it doesn’t quite calm his nerves. He’s still terrified of the adventure to come, an adventure that he’s going to do all alone.

It’s a little reassuring having his mother tell him what to do for now. He may legally be an adult but that doesn’t change the fact that mothers just know best. Or at least, when it comes to facing the big and new world, they seem to have things a lot more under control than Reki does. He much rather just do as his mother instructs him than have to ask around; it’s a lot less embarrassing and nerve-wracking. Just following her instructions means Reki doesn’t have to second guess anything, which he appreciates; he’s stressed enough about being on a plane for the first time and all alone at that. And when all the formal things are done and Reki just needs to cross the gate, he’s feeling a little surer of himself. Standing at the gate, a gate that once crossed means he’ll be crossing the world to be with Langa, it has his excitement flaring up, taking over all the anxiety he’s been feeling all morning.

“Reki’s going on a plane?”

He nods as he crouches to be Chihiro-sized. “That’s right. I’m going to see Langa for a few days.”

“So you’re coming home tomorrow?”

He doesn’t mean to snort as he pulls his little sister in a hug. He’s not laughing at her as he presses a kiss to her hair. He’s not making fun of her but he can’t help the laughter that spills because, even though he’s tried to explain it to her on multiple accounts, she just doesn’t quite get it. “No, not tomorrow. In 10 days.” He takes Chihiro by the shoulders, grinning at her. “In 10 sleeps, I’m gonna be back home and I’ll bring back a present for you!”

“A present?”

“Yup! And maybe even Langa’s gonna buy you something for me to bring back to you. Would you like that?”

Brown eyes triple in size as the girl turns to their mother. “I wanna get Reki a present before he goes!” Chihiro rushes to their mother, clinging to her leg. “Please, mommy?”

Reki’s eyes lock with his mother’s. He doesn’t know what to say to her; he doesn’t need anything, but he also doesn’t want to say no to Chihiro. She’s rarely this insistent about anything, he doesn’t want to turn her down now. And their mother doesn’t seem keen on refusing her little demand, simply taking her and Nanaka’s hands in hers.

“We can go find a little present for Reki in the airport.”

“My flight’s in an hour, so—”

“I’ll wait here with Reki.”

Reki almost jumps the sound of Koyomi’s voice. She had been so quiet this whole time, eyes glued to her phone. It’s not uncommon at all for her, but with all the commotion and the stress, Reki almost forgot she was even with them. She had blended into the masses that pass by them, just another person walking up and down the large, echoing halls. She was just another person, at least until she was dragging Reki to a corner to sit, away from the strangers who brushed past them.

“You’re gonna bring something back for me too, right?”

“Well,” Reki leans back into the wall behind him, “depends what you want? I was probably just gonna bring back a toy of some kind for Nanaka and Chihiro. Wasn’t planning on getting anything super touristy or whatever.”

Koyomi’s weight is comfortable against his arm, her head resting against his shoulder. Reki knows that it’s not for nothing, that she’s not being affectionate out of her good graces, but he can still enjoy it before she ruins it. He can pretend that his sister loves him for no other reason than they’re siblings and not at all because she wants something from him.

“Can you bring back the most Canadian thing you can find? So I can actually prove to my friends that my amazing and awesome big brother that I love so much really did go to Canada to see his boyfriend?”

“Laying it a little thick, dontcha think?”

Koyomi huffs as she straightens out and shoves a laughing Reki aside. She shoots him a glare as she crosses her arms over her chest. She shifts on the floor, turning her back to him.

“I see how it is. Anything for Chihiro and Nanaka, but when it comes to me? Nothing.”

Reki wraps his arms around Koyomi and drops his chin on her shoulder. He grins as he always does as she glances down at him. They both know they’re exaggerating their reactions, Reki teasing her as he always has and Koyomi being dramatic about it as ever. It’s instinctual for them to act this way, that push and pull that’s so particular to siblings.

“You are the worst little sister, you know that?”

“And you’re the worst brother.”

They both break into giggles as Koyomi shoves Reki away once more. He falls back, his back hitting the wall as he lets the laughter bubble out of him so freely. It’s fun, this playful bickering. It’s fun being able to fall back into that after having spent so much time genuinely fighting and ignoring each other. It’s fun being able to be playful again, find that relationship they had when they were little kids. It’s wonderful, even, being able to be siblings that don’t despise each other; Reki’s seen siblings hate each other and he would hate for him and Koyomi to fall into that trap.

“I can try to bring you back the most Canadian thing I’ll find, but I don’t think they’ll let me stuff Langa in my suitcase. I can try to bring back some maple syrup though.”

Koyomi gags at Reki’s bad joke but she doesn’t linger on that. Instead, she grins, but unlike Reki whose grin is filled with happiness and sunshine as Langa says, hers is filled with mischief. Her smile screams trouble, a feigned innocence far scarier than ghost stories and the likes.

“Well, you see, I was actually thinking you could maybe bring me back like, a moose or a beaver or something like that?”

Reki blinks as she bats her eyelashes at him. She’s doing that thing she started doing when she was eight, that thing she had seen work on tv. It never actually worked on Reki, her false innocence being far too evident to him, but that never stopped her from trying. It never stopped Koyomi from trying to coerce her brother into giving her what she desired.

“I am not getting you a wild animal.”

She huffs as she crosses her arms over her chest and slumps back against the wall. “You suck then.”

They sit there in silence for a moment, but it isn’t long before Reki’s giggles break that quiet. And when Reki starts to laugh, it’s only a matter of seconds before Koyomi is joining in, her muffled laughter mingling with his. It never stays very serious between these two, Reki’s natural happiness going hand-in-hand with his sister’s playfulness. There are moments when their emotions cause them to clash, but most of the time, they can laugh their difference and arguments off, especially when they’re as ridiculous as this one.

“Reki?” The boy hums as he rests his head against his sister’s who has found its spot on his shoulder once more. “Don’t be stupid down there, alright? No skateboarding in the snow.”

“I see how much faith you have in me.”

“I wanna make sure you come back alive because, next time you go to Canada, I wanna come with you and Langa. I want to see the snow he talks about all the time and I also want to see the colorful autumn leaves we see in pictures. And I want to see a real beaver.”

“Alright, alright.” Reki chuckles as he nudges Koyomi. She looks up at him; her eyebrows are knit together before smoothing out as a smile grows at the same time as Reki’s voice. “I’ll be careful and I’ll be sure to send you a bunch of pretty pictures of the snow. And maybe of a wild Canadian animal. Though I’m pretty sure I’m just gonna see like, squirrels and birds.”

“And make sure to have fun. Don’t spend your entire vacation thinking of us.”

“I’ll be too busy d—”

“I don’t want to know!” Reki rolls his eyes but joy takes over as Koyomi twists to hug him. “Enjoy yourself, enjoy your time with Langa, and stay safe. I don’t want to hear that you got a concussion from slipping on ice.”

“I love you too, Komi.”

“Hugs?”

Reki looks up, big brown eyes fixated on him. And he laughs as he pulls Nanaka onto him, hugging her and Koyomi at the same time. It’s only a week and a half but he knows he’ll miss his little sisters. He’ll miss annoying Koyomi, teasing her and stealing her stuff on purpose, and he’s going to miss the twins always wanting to show him their latest works of art. He’ll miss being in his noisy house, but then again, he’ll be with Langa. And once with Langa, his head will be elsewhere. With Langa, he’ll be swimming in his affection for the boy, far too focused on making sure Langa knows just how much he loves him. By Langa’s side, there’s no way Reki will feel homesick.

“For you.”

A smile breaks across Reki’s face as he takes the pink toy Chihiro is handing him. He grins at both girls before pressing a kiss to each of their cheeks as a thank you. And as he presses kiss after kiss, the girls giggle and squeeze between him and Koyomi, snuggling into the pile of siblings. Four Kyans on the floor of an airport, laughing and snuggling like they never do at home.

“It’s a penguin,” Chihiro says matter-of-factly.

“And penguins like Canada!” Nanaka beams as pats the plushie’s head. “Because it’s snowy and cold!”

Reki’s eyes lock with his mother’s who’s just watching her children with a smile. She shrugs and he knows what that means; it means that the twins had been stubborn and did not want to hear that penguins are actually not from Canada. He knows that the shrug means that their mother gave up and just let the girls pick whatever it was that they wanted for their brother. And that shrug, it has Reki wiggling out from under the twins, leaving them with their older sister as he makes his way into his mother’s arms.

He's taller than her now, but it doesn’t take anything away from her hugs. He still adores her warmth, finding comfort in her arms. And as she beckons him down to press a kiss to his forehead, Reki can’t refuse. He just smiles as his mother reminds him to be safe and that she loves him. He smiles as she pats his cheek, tears in her eyes. He smiles, but he feels himself choke up as well, her emotions rubbing off on him.

“My baby’s all grown up. My big boy is finally traveling the world.”

“I’m just—” Reki chokes on his laughter as he quickly wipes a tear away with the sleeve of his hoodie. “I’m just leaving for 10 days. You’re making it sound like I’m moving down there or something.”

“Who knows, maybe one day you and Langa will move to Canada. And I won’t get to see you every day.”

“I’m not going anywhere, mom. At least, definitely not any time soon. I’m coming back soon.”

One last tight hug before his mother completely lets go of him. One last squeeze before she’s pushing him away and telling him to get going if he doesn’t want to miss his plane. One last kiss on the cheek before truly letting him step away from everyone. One last wave to his family before Reki disappears behind the gates that mark the beginning of a big adventure.

-

2 - Layover

Reki’s thankful that all he has to do is follow people around because he knows he would be lost otherwise. His head is spinning from having been on a plane for so long – his many short-lived naps did nothing to help his exhaustion, even if he knows that he got at least five hours of sleep during his long flight – and the novelty of everything is making him even more lightheaded. He’s following the masses which he had quickly learned is the easiest way around but his eyes catch on everything in the American airport; he can’t help but stare at the liveliness of the place, the people walking around as if it weren’t past midnight on a Tuesday. Well, maybe that’s because it isn’t, but in Reki’s mind, it is.

It's rather amazing to see all that surrounds him. It feels like he’s walking through a giant shopping mall, the type he sees in the American shows and movies he watches with Koyomi. Everywhere he looks, there’s shiny merchandise on sale and pretty girls trying their best to attract customers who are willing to spend far too much. If he wasn’t so tired, maybe he’d fall for their charms. Or maybe that’s the exhaustion talking because the moment he finds himself thinking that, he remembers why he’s here: Langa.

A burst of energy courses through Reki’s body as his eyes catch on a little sign wedged between two shop windows. Free Wi-Fi. Reki has free Wi-Fi which means he doesn’t have to spend the next four hours wandering around aimlessly all on his own. With Wi-Fi, he can spend a good part of it talking to his boyfriend, having him distract him and keep him awake. It’ll be hard to contain his excitement about everything, to deny himself the pleasure of rambling about all that he sees, about all the English that surrounds him, but Reki’s fairly certain he can hold it in for a few more hours. In just a few more hours, he’ll be in Langa’s arms, pressing kiss after kiss to the face of the boy that he loves. In just a few more hours, he’ll be able to tell Langa all about his long trip across the world.

After a bit more aimless wandering, Reki finally finds a place to sit, a few rows of seats placed by a little food stand. Initially, the plan was to text Langa as he ate something, fill himself with a bit of food that has to be better than whatever it was that he was given on the plane, but as he strolled through one of the food courts, Reki found himself with a loss of appetite. Normally, he has no problems with late-night snacking, but now, as everything is really settling in and mixing with his undeniable fatigue, he can’t find it in himself to eat. It's just like back home, that choking feeling he felt as he watched his sisters eat. Just thinking of eating is making his stomach twist in knots. He just wants Langa, beautiful Langa who always knows how to make him feel better.

So that’s what he does; Reki finds a spot to sit, slightly isolated from the passing masses, and pulls his phone out to text Langa.

Kyan Reki

Bro I'm so tired rn

I'd be so down to sleep

(Feb 8, 00:54)

Long minutes pass without a response. He knows he shouldn’t worry about it – he shouldn’t expect Langa to always bend to his every whim or always be available to him – but he still finds himself with yet another flare-up of anxiety. It’s the exhaustion making him worry, Reki knows this. He knows he becomes even more anxious and worried when he's tired but he can’t help it, the tightness in his chest.

His eyes flicker around the room before settling on an abnormally large clock. It indicates that it’s nearly 11 in the morning and if he remembers correctly, he’s finally in the same time zone as Langa. If his foggy brain isn’t playing tricks on him, Langa’s in the same time zone as New York. And if the mental math is also correct, the subtraction Reki’s been doing for months now, Langa should be up and about. He can’t possibly still be asleep at 11 in the morning. There’s no way—

Hasegawa Langa

If you’re tired why are you texting me?

Reki, go to bed

(Feb 8, 01:07)

Kyan Reki

Can’t

Not home

(Feb 8, 01:07)

Hasegawa Langa

Oh. Are you at S?

Say hi to everyone for me

(Feb 8, 01:08)

Kyan Reki

Nah

Haven’t gone to S in like 3 weeks

(Feb 8, 01:09)

Hasegawa Langa

Then where are you?

(Feb 8, 01:09)

Kyan Reki

Working on stuff for someone I haven’t seen in awhile

Hopefully I’ll get to go to bed in like 4 hours

I think I got 4 hours to kill until I can try sleeping?

(Feb 8, 01:11)

Hasegawa Langa

Reki

It’ll be 4 in the morning

Are you working on another board?

Why are you working on something this late?

Can’t it wait until tomorrow morning or something?

You should really go to bed, Reki

(Feb 8, 01:13)

Kyan Reki

I already started so I can’t do it in the morning

If I stop now it’ll mess it up

(Feb, 01:14)

Hasegawa Langa

What? Why?

(Feb 8, 01:14)

Kyan Reki

I promise to tell you all about it tomorrow

I’m too tired to explain

Just… Talk to me to keep me awake?

(Feb 8, 01:15)

Hasegawa Langa

Do you want me to call you?

(Feb 8, 01:15)

Kyan Reki

That

That would be nice I think

Yeah. I miss your voice dude

(Feb 8, 01:16)

Reki’s smile blooms like the flowers around his house, completely naturally at the sight of a bit of light. Except, flowers need sunlight; Reki needs the light from his screen, one of the many pictures he’s taken of Langa invading it as his phone buzzes in his hand. The smile is huge as he answers the call, pressing the phone to his ear.

Normally it would be a video call but Reki can’t risk having Langa guess where he is. It breaks his heart to deny the access but as soon as Langa’s voice comes through, his heart is mended back together. Langa has that power; Reki can’t help but smile and laugh when it comes to Langa, Langa who makes everything so wonderful.

“No video today?” Light laughter, beautiful laughter that is all Langa’s. “Afraid that I’ll distract you too much that you’ll forget about your board?”

It’s in moments like these that Reki wishes that he could be with Langa. It’s when he says things like that, those little bouts of teasing playfulness, that Reki wishes he was in the same room as the boy. He wishes he could be next to Langa to shove him aside as his own cheeks heat from the comment. He wishes he could be next to Langa to kiss the mockery off his lips.

“Yeah right, you wish. I know you’re pretty, but you’re not that pretty. My babies come first, but I guess you’re a close second.” Echoed laughs mingle, laughter Reki knows will be in the same room very soon. “Sorry about the no video thing, man. The internet’s been a pain for a few days now and it just doesn’t reach the workshop super great. We’re gonna have to look into that soon, but for now, you’re gonna have to deal with just my voice.”

Another lie and Reki finds himself biting the inside of his cheek. He’s feeling that mixture of happiness from being able to talk to Langa but there’s also that hint of guilt, the wrongness associated with not telling him the truth. He wants to smile but it feels wrong; he shouldn’t smile while lying through his teeth, even if that lie is to conceal a surprise. He’s doing nothing wrong. Reki is doing absolutely nothing wrong. He’s not being bad and deceitful, the reminder rings in his head, but sometimes it’s hard to remember that. It’s hard to not blurt the secret out, tell Langa everything he’s been hiding. It’s hard but it’s not impossible. It’s hard but Reki’s going to power through this.

“Good thing I love your voice then.” More of that shy laughter, muffled, breathy laughter that has Reki grinning like a fool. “But yeah, I can tell the internet’s shit; you’re super echo-y. You really can’t go back to the house and, I don’t know, maybe get some sleep? I know I’m not there to force you to bed, but it really would be good for you to get some rest.”

“Ah yes. The clingy monster technique of getting me to go to bed. Cuddle me and trap me in bed.” There's a pause in the conversation, a pause which gives Reki the opportunity to stare at nothing, at what would be Langa if he was in front of him. His eyes narrow onto that nothing but the smile grows as the lightness reappears in his voice. “Sorry dude, but you’re not here so you can’t do anything about it. But you could tell me about what’s around you right now? Like… What’s it like outside?”

“You want me to talk about the weather?”

“Sure, man! I mean, you don’t have to but also, I really just need to hear your voice.”

Reki can practically hear the smile in Langa’s voice. There’s that light laughter that hangs in his words as he agrees. And as Langa starts talking, completely taking over the conversation, Reki sighs contently; Langa never talks much, but once he starts, it’s hard to shut him up. Once Langa starts talking, really talking, his chatter becomes the center of Reki’s world.

It starts as Reki asked; Langa talks about the snow outside his window, the snowflakes swirling in the wind. Apparently, it’s not too cold out, not with the sun warming the winter air, but the snow is unstoppable. Clumps of fluffy snow hang in the air and Reki can’t help but imagine the view from Langa’s bedroom window. It probably looks straight out of a picture book. It probably looks beautiful, the snow against the windowpane. It probably looks like a Christmas miracle, not that snow is exactly a miracle, according to Langa.

It starts as Reki asked but the chatter quickly shifts away from the light snowstorm. The rambling about the warm sun shifts to Reki, Reki who’s Langa’s Sunshine. The snow outside becomes the many places Langa would bring Reki if he were with him. Everything turns to Reki and the love Langa has for him. Because Langa can’t go one day without telling Reki about all the things he loves about him. Langa can’t go a single day without making him flush, his cheeks hotter than any sun.

“There’s a park by the apartment and the city decided to make an ice rink in it for the winter and since Valentine’s is coming up, they planned all these stupid couples event things.” Langa’s voice drains out and Reki feels his heart sink, though he isn’t quite sure why. He doesn’t know why he feels the squeeze in his chest, but he has a vague feeling it has something to do with the smallness of Langa’s voice. “Reki, I’d bring you there every day if I could. I… I don’t know if you know how to skate, like ice skating because I know you’re an amazing skater but the other kind, not the one with ice skates, and just… It feels like something you’d really like. Especially outside. I feel like you’d be so amazed by everything around you and you’d look so beautiful all bundled up. And if you don’t know how to skate, then… then it would just be a better excuse to have you hold my hand. And that way, everyone would know that I have the cutest boyfriend. Because you are. You’re just the best boyfriend in the whole entire world – no! Universe! – and there’s so much I would love to show you. Just wish you could be here with me.” There’s a beat of silence, one that Langa quickly breaks. “Reki? You still with me?”

“Yeah.” A yawn escapes Reki but his words come out louder now. He’s exhausted, but he’s never too tired when it comes to Langa. “Yeah, I’m still here. I’m just… I love you, you know that, right?”

“How could I ever forget? But I love you too.” A smile stretches across Reki’s face as Langa’s voice comes through, that soft English that has his heart flipping in his chest. “I love you so much, Reki.”

Usually, people find more ease in speaking a language than reading or writing it. Usually, talking comes more naturally than the other parts of learning a language. And Reki is by no means a bad conversationalist when it comes to English. Especially with Langa around, Langa who has always had the bad habit of mixing English and Japanese. With Langa around, Reki quickly grew used to speaking the language. His high school English grades quickly skyrocketed once Langa entered his life to the point where his teachers suspected him of cheating; it was, however, just the effect of constant exposition to the language and the boost of confidence Langa provided when he praised Reki. So Reki is fine on all three levels – speaking, reading, and writing – but that doesn’t stop him from flushing whenever he speaks. Whenever he hears his voice, the way it comes out higher than when he speaks Japanese and the accent that coats his words, it embarrasses him. It’s embarrassing to not sound like Langa but it doesn’t stop him from trying. It doesn’t stop him from saying the words right back.

“I love you, Langa.”

Reki never stops trying because he knows that his words always have Langa laughing that happy laughter, light and sweet. He’s not mocking Reki; he’s smiling that grin that doesn’t need to be seen to know that it’s there. He’s laughing out of love, his happiness breaking from his lips in the form of a downpour of giggles.

“God I love it when you…”

The switch back to Japanese sounds so natural when it comes to Langa. He has that ability to flip back and forth between the languages, sometimes in the same sentence. He has the power to make it sound completely normal, something Reki has yet to achieve. Langa’s breaks, the way he moves in and out of the English and Japanese, weaving the different words together, it has always impressed Reki. But the most impressive thing is to watch Langa and Nanako talk to one another; now that is impressive workmanship of a true bilingual.

“The things I’d do to be able to kiss you right now.”

Reki giggles into the phone as he pulls his knees to his chest. He feels ridiculous, he feels like a child, but he can’t help but feel giddy. He can’t help the laughter because Langa doesn’t know that soon he will be able to kiss Reki. Soon, Reki will be able to claim that kiss Langa is promising him.

“I’d cross the ocean to be with you right now if that means anything to you.”

More giggles as Langa sighs. He muffles them this time, afraid of having drawn attention to himself. He can feel the girl behind the counter of the food stand staring at him. Or maybe she isn’t at all, but the paranoia has settled and Reki can’t shake the feeling of being observed. He always feels like he’s being watched in open areas like these, judged for his uneven laughter or for its pitchiness. He doesn’t like feeling judged for it so he hides it whenever he feels it get out of control. He hides it around everyone except Langa, Langa who’s told him a thousand times already that he loves his laughter. He never hides around Langa, Langa the only person who’s told him that he loves him just the way he is, Langa who’s laughing along with him.

“And you dare call me the sap?” The laughter calms, the choked giggles turning to a soft chuckle. “But same. I’d really do anything to be with you.”

“Soon?”

Reki bites the inside of his lips as the word comes out. It was a slip, his excitement getting the best of him. He tries to disguise it as a question or a suggestion, a coverup in hopes of not ruining the surprise, but he isn’t sure if he succeeded or not. Langa has his airhead moment, but he’s a lot sharper than people give him credit for. If he really wants to get to the bottom of something, Langa can do it; it’s just that most of the time, he doesn’t care enough to investigate.

“I’m gonna be with you as soon as I can, Reki. And that’s a promise I will never break.”

Another yawn escapes Reki as he curls up in his seat. It’s silent between the two now, the conversation having died down, but Reki knows Langa is smiling just like he is. Or at least, he sure hopes he is; he had that lightness in his voice, that tone he takes only when he’s smiling.

And Reki? Well, he’s definitely grinning into his hoodie now, nose buried deep in the collar of his sweatshirt. He can’t bite it down anymore. He can’t help but smile as his ears heat up at the sound of Langa’s voice once more. He can’t help the blush that arises as the English comes through once more, Langa’s voice teasing and so attractive. Reki can’t calm the blush, not when Langa’s voice has dropped as it always does when he falls into his native English.

“You’re tired, Sunshine.” Reki scoffs at the name but his nose is still buried deep in the thick yellow cotton of his hoodie. He scoffs but they both know how much Reki loves the pet name. They both know that Reki can’t resist the name, even if it’s used teasingly, the playful tone of voice going with it. “You’re tired and you’re gonna be grumpy in the morning. And when you’re grumpy, you become this snappy little thunder cloud instead of my beautiful, bright summer sun. So how about you go get some sleep, my Love? Go sleep and promise to dream of me?”

Reki groans as he finally straightens out. He rolls his eyes but he knows it’s pointless; no one except the people walking by him will see his reaction. He’s alone, but it truly feels like Langa is right next to him. It feels like he’s already in the same room at Langa, even if he’s still hundreds of kilometers away. But he’s only hundreds of kilometers away instead of thousands. He’s so close now, even if it sounds like there’s still so much distance separating them.

“You…”

Reki sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose. If there’s one thing he’s come to realize, it’s that Langa only becomes this obnoxious when he’s speaking English. It’s as if he has these two personas, a more composed and calmer one when he’s speaking Japanese and a shit-starter one when he’s speaking English. Or maybe it’s that he doesn’t know how to be this cocky bastard in Japanese. Maybe there’s still some sort of language barrier, one that prevents him from being this playfully irritating. It would make sense; Reki knows that, while he’s fluent enough to be conversational, he can’t manage quite the same edges and subtleties as a native English speaker like Langa. He hasn’t quite yet mastered the cocky bastard-ness Langa teases him with, but one day he’ll get it. One day he’ll match Langa’s energy. He just needs to try and practice his English, which he’s adamant about doing whenever Langa pokes fun at him in the language.

“Would you like that, Weather Boy.”

“I’m pretty sure it ‘Wouldn’t you like to know, Weather Boy.’”

Reki groans once more as Langa laughs on the other end. He really is a cocky bastard, but he’s Reki’s cocky bastard. He’s his lovable idiot, the boy he fell in love with the day the snowflakes began to fall in Okinawa, the boy he loves enough to cross the world for. He loves Langa more than anyone in the world, but that doesn’t stop him from huffing as he falls back into his familiar Japanese.

“I really don’t give a shit, man. I’m tired and—”

“Sleep, Reki. You need to rest that wonderful body of yours and close your beautiful eyes. Your board isn’t going to go anywhere and if you really don’t want it to be alone for some odd reason, rest your head on your workbench and close your eyes for a bit. I know you can do it; if you can fall asleep at S, then you can nap in your workshop.”

“That was once!”

“Once is enough for me to know that you can fall asleep anywhere now. So good night, my Love. I’ll be right here, waiting for you to text me when you wake up.”

Reki sighs as he curls up in his seat. He won’t deny that the exhaustion is really settling in now, his restless sleep really having done nothing for him. So he doesn’t fight Langa or his heavy eyes. He doesn’t protest as he yawns once more.

“Fine, fine. But just, before I hang up, one thing.”

“I love you too, Reki. And I miss you loads.”

Light laughter fills the air once more as tears of fatigue form at the corner of Reki’s eyes. “Well, yes, I love you and miss you, but that’s not what I was going to say. Just wanted to tell you that I did order you something for your birthday and I just got the confirmation that you should receive it this afternoon. Like, your afternoon.”

“Reki…” Silence, but it’s not filled with disappointment or anything. There’s a fondness that hangs in that silence. “You shouldn’t have. But thank you. Whatever it is, I know I’ll love it.”

“I sure hope you do because it wasn’t cheap, man.”

“Now close your eyes, my Love. Close your eyes and I’ll be waiting for you in your dreams.”

“Disgusting.” Laughter mingles; Reki hasn’t laughed this much in so long. “But I can’t wait. So for real, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Good night, Reki. And sleep tight, my Sunshine.”

With one last goodbye, the call disconnects and Reki snuggles and buries his nose in the collar of his hoodie. The seat is far from comfortable, even worse than the airplane seats, but he’s so drained that he’s out like a light. He’s out cold and when he finally opens his eyes again, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, it’s because a woman is taping his shoulder. If it weren’t for her, a woman he almost mistakes for his mother, he would have missed his last flight. If it wasn’t for the kindness of this stranger, a woman who seemed very worried for him, then he might have missed his chance to be with Langa.

So he thanks her over and over before dashing off, finally boarding the last step leading him to the end of his journey.

-

3 - Arrival

Reki feels his heart pounding in his chest. He’s been standing in front of an apartment building door for the past five minutes, freezing in the snow, but he can’t bring himself to knock. If he thought leaving the airport was scary, this is even scarier. The address matches the one Nanako sent him, but he’s still nervous. He doesn’t want to knock on the wrong door in a foreign country. He doesn’t want some random person to open the door and force him to explain that he just has the wrong address. He doesn’t think he would survive that humiliation.

With a deep breath, Reki finally musters up the courage to ring. It has to be the right door. It has to be since it is the correct address and the door seems familiar enough. It has to be the same door as the door he’s seen a handful of times whenever Langa video calls him on his way home. And as he presses the button, the door clicks unlocked and Reki slips in.

Though he is a little calmer now, the warmth of the building flooding through him, he’s not yet completely relaxed. His heart is still pounding in his chest as he stares at the stairs in front of him. This is the last step to the surprise he’s been planning for well over a month. He just needs to climb one last flight of stairs and he’ll be there; he’ll be in the same room as Langa in just moments. Once he finds it in himself to climb that last flight of stairs, he knows he won’t be able to contain himself much longer. Once he climbs that last flight of stairs, he knows everything, all his fears, all his anxiety, it’ll have all been worth it. Langa will have made it worth it.

A smile quirks at the corner of Reki’s mouth as he peels a piece of paper off the door. It’s a little comforting to read Japanese after having been surrounded by English for the past couple of nerve-wracking hours. It’s comforting to recognize Nanako’s handwritten, the characters so elegant and clean, so unlike Langa’s handwriting. It’s comforting to know that he’s expected by people he cares so deeply for and who evidently care for him as well.

‘The door’s unlocked, just come in. But don’t make noise. -Nanako’

One last deep breath gives Reki the courage to open the door. It creaks ever so lightly as he slowly pushes it open, but his presence almost goes unnoticed. Nanako doesn’t react right away, her attention riveted on her cutting board. It’s only when Reki shuts the door and pulls off his boots, now standing in the entrance slightly awkwardly, does he get the woman’s attention. She smiles kindly at him, her eyes shining the same way her son’s do. Just being in the same room as Nanako warms Reki’s heart; finally, he's back with people he knows.

“Langa, baby! Could you get the door for me?”

A muffled groan is heard through the closed bedroom door, but as always, Langa complies with his mother’s wishes. He leaves his room, though reluctantly, but the moment his eyes meet Reki’s, the boy freezes. The indifference on his face melts away; his eyes grow wide, lips parting as if he wants to say something but finds himself unable to do so. He just stands there, gaping and staring.

“What’s up, dude?”

Reki knows that his voice cracked, emotions bleeding through his words. He knows he doesn’t sound as confident or chill as he wanted to sound, but that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t even matter that his bag is hitting the floor with a thump or that his suitcase is tumbling back. Nothing matters, nothing except Langa who’s crashing against him, arms circling around his neck as he clings to Reki. Nothing matters except for Langa breathing his name, blue eyes filled with crystal tears. Nothing matters except Langa.

Reki’s surprised they didn’t crash into the wall given how he stumbled back as Langa’s body crashed against his. He’s surprised that they aren’t on the floor, a messy pile of limbs and emotions, but he doesn’t linger on that surprise. He doesn’t question his steadiness, even if he feels his knees buckle under the weight of his boyfriend and of his feelings. He doesn’t question anything, only focusing on Langa. All that pulses through his body are thoughts of Langa, how he feels in his arms, how warm he feels against him, how he feels with his nose buried in the crook of Reki’s neck. Reki doesn’t think of anything else as he buries his nose in Langa’s hair, trying his best to not let out a choked-up sob. He’s been waiting for so long for this moment. He’s been waiting so long to cling to Langa, cling to him as if he'd disappear the moment he slips out of their embrace. He’s been waiting so long to be here.

Through the silent tears, Reki sees Nanako. She makes herself scarce, quickly patting her son’s back and sending Reki one of her reassuring smiles. “I’ll be back later tonight,” she says. “Give you boys time to catch up.”  And she doesn’t wait for either one to say anything before grabbing her bag and coat. She slips out of the apartment, but not without giving them one last fond look. And Reki flushes under her gaze; he knows that Nanako is very happy for them, she’s expressed more than once how glad she is that Langa’s back in good spirits, but it still doesn’t make it any less embarrassing. She is still Langa’s mother; there’s something a little flustering about being so openly affectionate with Langa in front of her.

“Reki?”

Reki’s attention is quickly turned to Langa, Langa who is lifting his head from his shoulder. Puffy red eyes stare back at him as he takes Reki’s face in his hands, delicate fingertips tracing constellations with the stars scattered across Reki’s cheeks and nose. He knows his face is also damp with tears, but Langa doesn’t seem to mind. He’s just wiping the stray tears away in a similar manner as Reki. If Langa is brushing away the drops from the starry sky imprinted on Reki’s skin, then Reki’s wiping the rain away from the blue sky before him. They mirror each other in their mess of emotions.

“Reki? This… You’re really here.”

“I’m really here, dude.”

Reki feels his heart flutter in his chest and his stomach flips as Langa presses his lips to his. It’s not their first kiss, far from it, but it feels so new. It’s the first of many, the first after a long month of nothing but promises. It’s the first of so many kisses, kisses Reki can’t wait to share with his boyfriend.

If he felt weak in the knees before, it’s nothing compared to now. Instinctively, his arms circle around Langa’s neck, Langa who has now pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. He feels so soft under Reki’s touch, porcelain skin under calloused fingers. Langa feels so soft, cold snow melting under the warm sun. He melts, his cheek pressed against Reki’s hand which has come back to cradle his face. Langa melts, but not as much as Reki who’s melting into the kiss.

“I…” Langa’s breath is warm against Reki’s lips as he pulls back ever so slightly. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

“I did say that your birthday present would arrive this afternoon, didn’t I?”

Another kiss is pressed to Reki’s lips, a kiss that has his head spinning. It’s more smile than it is kiss, but those are some of his favorite types of kisses. Langa’s happiness is one of the sweetest things Reki’s ever tasted, sweeter even than all the ice cream they had gotten when they were back in Okinawa. The only thing sweeter than his happiness is his love itself, the love that seeps through everything he does, from the way he looks at Reki to the way his voice slows, an octave lower as he whispers sweet words against the lips he’s just been kissing.

“You did. You really did and I never would have guessed…”

“I know it’s technically not your birthday yet here, but back home, it’s already tomorrow, so,” Reki kisses the tip of Langa’s nose, giggling ever so lightly, “happy birthday, man. I hope you’re not too disappointed or hate your present too much.”

“Hate it?” Langa’s eyes widen once more, that deer-in-headlights look he has whenever he doesn’t understand something taking over his face. “Reki, why would you think I would be disappointed or hate it?” His hands find Reki’s face as he presses their foreheads together, his blue eyes falling shut. “Reki, you’re the best present a guy could ever ask for. There’s nothing better I could have ever asked for. I just…” His eyes flutter open and Reki feels the butterflies in his stomach, butterflies he thought he had long gotten over. “I love you. I love you so much, Reki. I love you so much, Sunshine; please never forget that.”

“I love you too, Langa.”

Light giggles break from Reki’s lips as Langa kisses him over and over, whispering that ‘I love you’ into every inch of skin he can touch. How he had missed Langa’s touch, the way he would hold onto him, nimble fingers fiddling with the stray locks of hair at the base of his neck. How Reki missed the feeling of having Langa all to himself, a privilege he never realized he had until it was taken away from him temporarily. So there would be no wasting of this time; Reki was going to take advantage of every second of these 10 days to come. Nothing could stop him from kissing Langa, clinging to him once more. Nothing except maybe an involuntary yawn.

“You’re still tired, Sunshine.”

Reki scoffs but his smile is huge. He can feel the ache in his cheeks, but he won’t stop smiling. He can’t stop smiling, not when Langa is finally right in front of him. “Maybe just a little.”

“Would a nap make you feel better?”

Reki hums, pushing himself up to meet Langa’s lips in a kiss once more. Silky blue hair slips between his fingers, silky blue hair he’s missed so much. He’s missed Langa so much. “But I just got here. And anyway, you—”

Reki feels his breath hitch as his coat is peeled off his body. Langa leaves a phantom touch on his body, from his shoulders down to his fingertips. And as the puffy coat falls to the ground, fingers lock with his, cold hands clasped with his now sweaty ones. A shiver shakes his whole body as Langa presses close, whispering something that turns Reki’s face redder than his hair.

“We could cuddle until you fall asleep.”

Pretty laughter breaks from Langa’s lips as he presses a kiss to Reki’s cheek, Reki who is so very enthusiastically nodding. His laughter is by far the prettiest sound Reki has heard all day, that breathy giggle he loves so much. This laughter, if he’s lucky, he’ll hear it every day of his life. This laughter, he knows it’ll be one of the many things that will make him fall in love just a little more with every passing day. This laughter, it’s one of the best sounds in the world, even if it’s drowned out by his gasp, Langa sweeping him off his feet.

The only thing Reki can think of that’s better than Langa’s laughter is the sound of his own when it mingles with the one of the boy he loves so much. Because together, they’re better. Together, as they flop down onto Langa’s twin-sized bed, they can take on every challenge life throws their way. Together, they can take on the world. Well, they’ll be able to take on the world right after a long-needed nap.

[daisylincs]

Today is, officially, the last day of 2020 - so it's literally just in time that I'm getting to @aosrecweek's amazing challenge. But that does go to show the nature of this crazy year a little bit, right? Time has just been INSANE, and I honestly cannot believe it's so close to over.

That said, I want to put it out there that everyone - absolutely everyone - who created something in this mad year, is a SUPERHERO. Like. We could have hidden away in dark corners, curled into little balls, and lost touch with our creativity entirely - but instead, we made some of the most fantastic content I have ever seen. And, excuse the language, but that is fucking amazing, of each and every single one of us. We're bloody INCREDIBLE, you guys. We really are.

Now, the rules of this challenge dictate that I've got to start with some of my own things, then repeat with the same number of creations by other people. So I'm going to do that, and I apologise for the sheer length (and self-plug-iness) of what is about to follow - but, bloody incredible, remember? I really mean that. 💜💜💜

My Own:

you could call me babe for the weekend - 19k of Spideychelle being oblivious, mutually pining IDIOTS while being snowed in. And, you know, fake dating. (This thing was SO MUCH FUN to write and though, yeah, it got completely out of control, as evidenced by the 19k, I still really love it.)

'tis the damn season - my first attempt at writing a multi-chap, and, yeah, it only has one chapter as of now, but I really love said chapter. Basically, it's Daisy and Mackelena being friends, and honestly just the BEST friends - I adore the style I managed to achieve in this thing. Plus, the Skimmons I have planned up next is going to be da bomb.

the closest thing - Philindaisy plus fake family. Also; amusement parks. And for a fangirl like me - well, it was pretty much a dream come true to write!

oh valley of plenty - in this fic, I basically told myself, so AoS won't give us Huntingbird in the finale? Fine. I'll just do it myself then - in the fluffiest way possible. And that's exactly what I did - making them, and their kids, be best friends in Perthshire.

maybe life should be about more - a very angsty Skimmons and Daisy-centric AU, focusing on the internalised homophobia Daisy has experienced through her life, and shaking it off (and eventually, y'know, getting together with Jemma.)

and it's dark in a cold december (but i've got you to keep me warm) - Fitzsimmons just make such a supreme pairing for hurt/comfort, what with how insanely well they understand each other and care about each other, so I'm really glad for the Fitzsimmons Secret Santa giving me the chance to write this! Basically, this follows our science duo through a stressful mission on Christmas Eve (so yes, it's a mission fic!!) and realising that the two of them can do anything together.

july second - ahhh, one of my personal favourites to write! Daisy birthday surprise fluff will always be top-notch for me, especially for all the team-as-family fluff you can add in, especially especially that this is set in Staticquake times! Also, it's from Hunter's point of view, which will forever be the most insanely fun thing to write, I do think.

i just wanna be with you - man, I'm such a big royal fan, so getting the chance to write a modern royalty AU for my OTP was nothing short of amazing!! This is Princess Daisy and her fiancée Lincoln Campbell at their official engagement interview

see the line where the skye meets the sea - shameless season 1 bby Bus Kids fluff, featuring movie nights, singalongs and... so much fluff your teeth will rot. Also I'm really freaking proud of the pun in the title okay

'cause all that you are is all that i'll ever need - Huntingbird waking up together fluff (because, fight me, Huntingbird in their sweet moments is one of the sweetest things you will ever get to read or write.) This is also my, fluffy, take on the origin of the Franny's Saloon keychain.

we love you, we love you (and we hope you love we too) - aha, my first polyship fic! Also my first try at some actually fancy HTML formatting (forever thanks to Kat for explaining.) Both of these things combined to form a fic that even I think is ridiculously fluffy and funny, and kinda amazing, at that.

and man I don't know where the time goes (but it sure goes fast like that) - Another Bus Kids movie night fic, but this one set post-season 7, and reflecting on how far they've come. A little bit more hurt/comfort-y than it's pure fluff prequel, but still super fluffy and soft. And, of course, with a happy ending.

she shares my dreams, i hope that someday, i'll share her home - snowy Fitzsimmons fluff, complete with them falling in love at the Winter Olympics, as you do.

then you walked in and my heart went boom - 16k of Dekesy for the wife, and remarkable for that, because literally a month ago from this, I hated Dekesy with my entire soul. Then I started reading Kat's fics, and, well, fell in love with them... so much so that I wrote sixteen thousand words of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, bed sharing holiday fluff for them.

a love like that - a Fitzsimmons Cinderella AU, featuring my two favourite science babies, in true science bby style, falling in love over science and how stupid the whole courting thing is. Also, Daisy makes a brief appearance, and she's the freaking best.

ever after - ah, probably the one single fic I'm proudest of. A post-season 7 Daisy character study focusing on her emotional rollercoaster re: losing her family/things never being the same again, which just achieves... an emotional level that I have never managed to replicate again. I was full-on sobbing while writing it, and, guys, it also part-holds the Closest To Making Kat Cry prize.

blue - Daisy character study spanning snapshots of seven seasons, and before - but tied together by something blue in every moment. Researching for this, and finding all the blue moments, was very interesting, and immensely satisfying, especially since all the moments where a little bit of blue was present actually combine to chronicle Daisy's journey on the show remarkably well.

who is that girl I see - the one time I decided to write straight angst, and straight angst with no happy ending. Melinda May post-Bahrain, folks.

take my hand, take my whole life too - aww, the first thing I wrote that I really and truly loved. A Staticquake and Fitzsimmons Actors AU, featuring a proposal on set and INCREDIBLE amounts of fluff and softness.

hold out your hand, 'cause friends will be friends - the wife's favourite, and, as second fics go, pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. It's a Soulmates AU for Staticquake and Mackelena, with the focus being on DaisyMack friendship, and lots of denial, angst, and guilt about finding their soulmates. (They figure it out eventually, don't worry - it's me, of course I made them happy.)

Fitzsimmons + Fake Dating moodboard - Fake dating will always be FAB, and picturing it out in a moodboard - especially for my clueless bby best friends in love - was the best, and super satisfying.

Staticquake + Orange moodboard - One of the cooler ideas I had for Trick or Treat (which I still have not finished, heaven help me) was to make a series of moodboards for my OTP plus different colours. This orange one is just so light, and cheerful, and happy, and honestly I kinda adore it.

This Philindaisy + Family Moodboard - making moodboards can be insanely frustrating when you just can't find the photo that fits exactly right. With this one, however, I found all the pics I needed pretty insanely fast, and, better, the whole thing just worked, and really nicely so, too.

This Bus Kids + Baking Cookies moodboard - there's absolutely NO faults to be found with tiny, adorable Skye, Fitz and Jemma concocting choc chip cookies - but I'm actually doing a tiny cheat here, because, cute as my moodboard here is, the accompanying fic by my love @eowima is the SWEETEST and best thing you could ever wish for!!!

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - Day 3 of Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week focused on an emotion, and I picked confidence and power, because honestly, it's nothing short of amazing how confident and powerful our gorgeous girl has become.

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - One of the times I wish I could gif, because this quote about struggling though never giving up just suits Daisy perfectly. The photos I found are cool, though, and I mean, it's Daisy, so that's already absolutely fabulous.

Other People's:

I managed to find twenty-six of my own things that I liked enough to put up there (because, yes, I'm that big a dork, 26 things for me being 26 is the way to go :D) Anyway, now that gives me the amazing chance to spotlight twenty-six of my favourite creations by my FANTASTIC mutuals! 😍

To start, my wife - Kat said I couldn't put everything she's ever written on here, so, ugh, I guess I'll just do my top five then. *grumbling* Everything by Kat is on here in spirit, though!!

Chasing Cars (even after the story ends) by @aleksandrachaev - the epic Dekesy roadtrip AU and incredible Daisy character study itself, which, I do believe, finishes today!! Words aren't enough to describe how freaking AMAZING this thing is, or how spectacularly well characterised. Just: if you haven't read this yet, you are missing out. You will laugh, you will groan, you will want to wrap Daisy in a very tight hug, and you will probably cry, too. This fic just has it all, really!

there goes the maddest man this town has ever seen by @aleksandrachaev - the post-season 7 Deke-crashes-the-Framework-Zoom-call fic I didn't know I needed (but spent the next two weeks rereading every single night.) It is absolutely INCREDIBLE, with all the Deke & Team feels we missed in the final outro scene, and honestly just the most fantastic writing. I cannot recommend it enough!

To Box It Up And Start Again (everything must go) by @aleksandrachaev - bloody hell, this BROKE me. Deke never really got to say goodbye in canon, but Kat gave him the chance to do it here. And, my freaking GOODNESS, she made it so incredibly bittersweet and heart-shattering. 10/10

i am a leaf on the wind by @aleksandrachaev - a little bit of a stretched-out, reflective moment in the season 7 finale. As Daisy lingers on the edge of death, she reflects on all the lives she could have had - and, man, what a study in bittersweetness!! This entire fic is utterly incredible, and something I think all Daisy fans should read.

Falling Into Place by @aleksandrachaev - here's a tiny cheat from me (sorry, babes, lmao) because technically this isn't one fic, but a series of three. Way too amazing to miss out on, though!! Set mid-season 7, this has the Chronicoms go after a young Mary Sue Poots to kill Quake before she can become a problem for them. They stop the Chronicoms, yes, but not without a TREMENDOUS dose of feels and hurt/comfort. There's also a wonderful little dose of Dekesy friendship, and then an adult adoption (!!) that honestly made my entire day to read. Actually, that's true for the entire series - I really canNOT yell about it enough!!

destroyer of worlds by @bobbimorseisbisexual - a study in incredible parallels between Jiaying's daughters. Utterly breathtakingly done, this will give you ALL the feels for this small and complex Inhuman family.

Muscle Memory by @robotgort and @bobbimorseisbisexual - a Huntingbird!! Bones!! AU!! And also a collaboration between two of the most fabulous Huntingbird authors in the fandom - honestly, what more can you ask for?! This will make you laugh, and gasp, and wince, and keep you guessing at each new plot twist (and also screaming at your screen for Hunter and Bobbi to get their acts together and TALK ABOUT IT.) In short: it's completely and utterly amazing, and I cannot, cannot recommend it enough!!

You Belong Among the Wildflowers by @libbyweasley - a freaking incredible Scis & Spies Regency AU! I only just started reading, but I was hooked all the way through, especially on the way Libby writes all four characters' complex relationships (and their attraction, and their history!) Everything about it is just completely stunning, and I for one cannot WAIT for these beautiful idiots to figure out they all belong together.

Family Snapshot by @tomatobookworm - if it's family fluff you're after, especially Staticquake family fluff, look no further! This tremendously soft and utterly amazing fic follows a day in the lives of a pregnant Daisy and her husband Lincoln, and their not-so-little family of Inhumans, both adopted and biological. There's also shopping with Grandma May, lots of feels, lots of shippiness, and just AMAZINGNESS all the way through!!

Best Day Ever by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - Jemma and Daisy want to adopt a pet, and make a very special trip to Wisconsin to do it. Also, whether he knows who he is or not, Jemma has an important question to ask Cal - and just, AHHHH, everything about this is utterly stunning! For starters, Aubrey's writing is FANTASTIC, and the scene she sets is absolutely beautiful, and so very bittersweet. I was actually misting up a little with happy tears towards the end of this - really, I cannot recommend this enough, to any Skimmons fan.

so why don't we go somewhere only we know by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - more Skimmons (platonic this time, though), more hurt/comfort, and, yes, again, more absolutely INCREDIBLE writing. This one is canon compliant, following a shaken Jemma struggling to sleep after Maveth, and how Daisy finds a way to help her out. Incredibly sweet, tender and BEAUTIFULLY written, this one was an instant favourite the moment I read it!

Unspoken by @anxiouslynumbme - a birthday fic for yours truly, and, honestly, one of the most STUNNING Staticquake introspectives I've read. It follows Daisy and Lincoln in a beautifully tender missing moment in season 3, with them both realising their feelings, and just... AHHHHHHHH, everything about it is utterly incredible!! I cannot, cannot recommend this gem of a fic enough

the thing about water droplets and ruffled hair by @que-mint-tea - here's another fic that proves, once and for all, how good Kat's Dekesy is, because it managed to convert T to write some Dekesy smut. And, oh my GOSH, what Dekesy smut - so goshdarn angsty, but so FANTASTICALLY characterised and written that it leaves you more than a little breathless, and gaping at your screen. The first chapter initially left us on the most HORRIFIC cliffhanger, but then T fixed it, and it's just... this thing is really a whole new level of emotional writing, raw and gripping and intensely perfect for both of these characters. My haw still drops whenever I think of this thing, and how utterly AMAZING it was, so yeah. Fic rec!!!

beautiful stranger, there you are by @justanalto - I do believe I still owe Serena a long and very gushy comment on this thing, because, MAN, does it ever deserve that!! Pipsy and fake dating, with the most HILARIOUSLY incredible writing, plot and characterisation, and honestly just a giddy "askhdfkhsfh" whenever I think back to how much I enjoyed it. Yup, it was that good.

Jumping to conclusions by @eowima - a very special one, because it marks my love Océane's first venture into writing AoS fic! It's an AU of 1x06 (the Fitzsimmons episode of s1) where Fitz does actually jump out of the plane to save Jemma. Realisations of feelings, and some of the most genuinely FANTASTIC Fitz characterisation I've read in a while, follow - and, yup, I was shouting at my screen for them just to get together already. Amazing stuff, really!!

Look into your eyes and the sky's the limit by @eowima - okay, this. This. Another gift for me, and one that I will probably treasure forEVER, because it is just?? so?? utterly?? perfect?? Just for starters, the title is a Hamilton reference - and then the theme of Hamilton references continues into the fic itself, I'm delighted to say. There's also the most BEAUTIFUL, playful Skimmons friendship, and teasing, and then of course the bet about who can make out with their crush first... Staticquake & Fitzsimmons perfection. And all rendered in Océane's delightful, best-thing-ever-to-read writing!! I'm going into a giddy keyboard smash just THINKING about this, so yeah, cannot recommend it enough.

lullabies and clear blue skies by @springmagpies and @bobbimorseisbisexual - okay, I never thought I'd catch myself shipping FitzBobbi, let alone shipping it this hard, but... wow. Maggie and Al teamed up to completely blow me away, and MELT MY WHOLE ENTIRE HEART with the sheer cuteness of this!! It features Fitz, Bobbi and adopting two daughters, and it's just the most tender, beautiful development through that little family - I love it so, so much.

We made all the wrong choices by @browneyedgenius - the winner of the AoS Angst War 2020, how could I not include this one? It is such a well-deserved win, though, whoa - I was sobbing, full-on sobbing, at least twice while reading. It follows the season 5 team through the events of the time-loop, after they failed to save the world - and, oh my gosh, it ripped my heart right out of my chest, but beautifully so. Everything about this fic just hits so hard, and it's written so well - yeah, really a most AMAZINGLY deserved win, for an utterly SHATTERINGLY incredible fic.

I threw stones at the stars (but the whole sky fell) by @nazezdha321 - this is Z showing us all how to write a backstory for a minor character, and write it so well that everyone's hearts break all over again when she dies. This one is about Victoria Hand, and it builds a stirring and profound childhood for her, also making her rise through the ranks of SHIELD and just her entire character mean so much more. Really, fic-wise, this is goals, and I take my hat off to you, Z, 1000%, for writing it.

in which the universe is put together by @besidemethewholedamntime - Rebecca's emotional writing, particularly Fitzsimmons' emotions, is incomparable, and she proves it all over again in this fic. If follows Fitz and Jemma before, after and during the bloodwork, and I just... wow, honestly. The emotion!! And the characterisation!! Absolutely stunning, and honestly all I could wish for in a we-had-time fic.

Agents of SHIELD Season 8 by @egumal - THIS. This, this, this, oh my gosh - as fix-it fics go, this has to be the most spectacular one I have ever read. What it does is find a way - a potentially canon compliant way, too - to bring back Lincoln Campbell, and reunite Staticquake. Basically: just about as season 7 finishes, the Astro Ambassadors get an unexpected visitor from another timeline, who asks them to come help out against Hive. Case in point, Daisy meets her lost love again (... but he has no idea who she is) and also has to relive the Fallen Agent drama. It all gets even more complicated when Kora restores Lincoln's memories, and Daisy meets the full team Deke has assembled around him in the 33 years (for him) that they've been apart... in short, this is one of the most thorough, well-written and downright SHOCKING plot-twist-wise fics that you will ever read, and honestly, saying "I can't recommend it enough" is an understatement. This thing is thd BEST, plain and simple!

Black Roses aren't real (but you and I are) by @ohwriteiforgot - ahhhh, a fic that will always have an incredibly special place in my heart, because it introduced me to one of my best fandom friends. The main focus is on Clintasha, it's true, but it's also a crossover with AoS in the sense that Clint was adopted by Coulson and May. Also, Daisy is his little sister, and their bond is gold. Also - there's Staticquake!! And flower shops!! And rivals to friends to lovers!! All I'm going to say is, what more can you ask for?!

A book to shield my story by @maybebrilliant - Staticquake High School AU, ahhhhhhhh!! There are only two chapters out so far, but the way this is shaping up is making my DAY - with Daisy as the new girl who meets Lincoln and his group of friends, and, though her foster parents are absolutely shit, starts to find actual happiness in a school for the first time in her life. Also - THE REFERENCES. Guys. I'm crazy for those, and in this book, so are my favourite dorks, Daisy and Lincoln - and let me tell you, it's nothing short of the best thing ever.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @heysteverogers - AoS really has been the most INCREDIBLE journey through the years, but what's really made it special is the company - and that's summed up perfectly in this gorgeous gifset. Also, the graphics on this are just, ahhhh, stunning - I'm in awe, and I've spent very long periods of time just looking at this thing in a state of heart-eyes.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @jemannesimms - combining Auld Lang Syne and the final scenes of my favourite show was a raw emotional - but utterly brilliant experience - for me. It's just so absolutely beautiful, and perfectly suited to the team, and their goodbyes!! Breathtaking editing work here, too.

This Daisy as Peter Parker and May as Tony Stark moodboard by @agentsofcomedyandchaos - ahhhh, a crossover of two of my favourite fandoms!! And what a lovely one, too - the colour scheme, quotes, and just the whole FEEL of this is absolutely genius, and I am guilty of being inspired by way too many fic ideas by it. Stunning stuff!!

And... whoa, that was long, but I really do feel that we deserve a bit of a proper pat on the back after creating such magical content in such a messed up year. So that's the note I'm going to leave you with for 2020, my friends: hell-year or no, look at the absolute beauty we were still able to create!! We really are freaking amazing, guys.