The winter's wind shook the trees as Langa lay staring up at the beige ceiling of Reki's Bedroom, eyes tracing the lines where the walls interlock as he attempts to fall back to sleep. His teeth chatter and after a long moment he let out a huff.
No matter how long he spent living in the snow, he'll always be sensitive to the cold. It's the bane of his existence, a mockery. What type of snowboarder- no what type of Canadian gets cold this easy, it's ridiculous, absolute bullshit on all parts.
He's trying, he really is.
But finally, it's too much. If he stays like this he's certain he'll die from the cold.
He crawls out from under the pathetic blanket he was given to use and reluctantly gets to his feet. As quickly and quietly as possible he shuffled his way to edge of friends bed. "Reki" he whispers to the sleeping mess
Nothing.
"Reki"
This time he says it louder but still Reki's eyes stay closed, Langa takes in a long, shaky breath then slowly places the palm of his hand against his friend's shoulder. With as much care as possible, he gently shakes.
"Reki "
He lets out a breath of relief as he watches Reki's eyes flutter open, gently like the delicate wings of a moth, in the way one's does when they're reaching for the last strands of consciousness that evades their sleep rampant mind.
Long lashes cast soft shadows against his relaxed features, vibrant amber spilling out between the cracks of their curling masses, as he slowly comes to.
He blinks up at Langa through those lashes, eyes unfocused and heavy, and Langa's chest tightens.
Reki is so beautiful like this.
In all fairness Reki is always beautiful. It's a fact. Something to take in and understand without question.
But right now, as the ghost of a smile caresses his lips in the same way Langa yearns too and the hair that he longs to run his fingers through spills across his pillow in a tempting appropriation of an autumn's day? He's absolutely breathtaking
"Langa?' Reki questions sluggishly, voice rough with unuse, eyebrows pulled together.
"Are you ok?"
Langa swallows down the words he wishes he could say, the ones that threaten to burst out of him at any time, the words he whispered to himself when he's alone if only to make sure the dam holding them back doesn't crack and spill.
If the dam breaks he'll drown. Dragging Reki and their friendship down with him.
That can't happen
Not again
He refuses to submerge back into that cold and lonely place he was in before Reki.
But he can feel the phantom hands ready to shred into him and fill his chest back up with ice, the bad kind that knocks the wind out of you when you fall on it and leaves you with the worst kind of bruises.
Reki is the sun that thaws out that ice
If he disappears, Langa is sure it will slowly creep back
That can't happen again
Langa won't let it happen
"I'm fine, 'm just cold" he manages quietly
Reki's sitting up now, fingers catching on his hairtie as he pulls it from his wrist. Once he's finished pulling his hair up into a ponytail he yawns, then pats the space next to him gently
