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There were two universal truths for college students that Langa had come to discover during his first semester that still rang true for his very last one: ‘8AMs’ were a product of Satan himself and coffee (or any form of caffeine, really) was man’s true best friend. So it came as no surprise that he stopped by the coffee shop every Monday morning before class and when he needed a pick-me-up. It definitely was not because his boyfriend worked at said coffee shop. Not at all.
The bells above the door jiggling repeatedly, the clattering of dishes, the whistling steam coming from coffee machines, and the chattering of patrons enjoying their afternoon were the typical sounds of the coffee house on the weekend. It would normally be distracting for a student who was there to concentrate, but it was nothing more than a dull buzz in Langa’s head – ever present but easy to ignore. There was a much bigger distraction that kept his attention drawn away from his studies.
Langa sat at the bar, papers and books strewn about. He was probably crinkling some of them under his propped up elbows, but that didn’t matter. He wasn’t planning on looking at the papers anyway. The writing was barely legible and the doodles that Reki had drawn on them became so abundant that they bled from the margins and covered some of the words. They were sweet, and Langa loved them, so it didn’t matter that they covered up the notes about his upcoming exam.
Langa watched Reki as he made drinks behind the bar. He seemed to float as he maneuvered about, weaving around his coworkers as he made casual conversation with them, the subtle sunshine smile never leaving his face. His voice sometimes broke the monotony of the background buzzing, making Langa feel warm from the familiar sound. His headband was crooked on his head from when it had to be pushed back after almost falling into his eyes, and it was so endearing that Langa didn’t know if he wished for it to stay like that or if he wanted to fix it for him just so he could have an excuse to touch Reki’s soft hair that smelled like warmth and brightness and home and everything that was Reki. Maybe he could give his forehead a soft, lingering kiss that would make the barista blush and grumble something under his breath about being embarrassing even though he leaned into it.
The long sleeves of his button up shirt that never lost the coffee scent no matter how many times it was washed were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his forearms that made Langa want to squirm whenever he would go to pour a drink or write a name on a cup. Langa turned his attention away briefly to read his own misspelled name on his cup (an inside joke that continued even after they started dating) before looking back to see Reki flash a smile in his direction.
“The last thing those papers need on them is your drool from making heart eyes at Reki,” Miya mumbled from beside Langa, his eyes never glancing up from the handheld in front of him. “Don’t you have a final you should be studying for?”
“That’s not important.”
“Graduating college isn’t important?”
“No,” Langa sighed, turning his attention to the boy (now the same age as Langa was when he first stepped into the very coffee shop they currently occupied) sitting on the stool beside him, “Getting drool on the papers. I mean, look at them.”
Miya did not look at the papers, but he gave a small huff in response, and that was pretty on brand for him, so Langa wasn’t bothered by it in the slightest.
“Shouldn’t you be studying too?” Langa asked as he took a sip of his almost empty drink. The same ‘Reki special’ that he had been getting since he first started to frequent the shop.
“Already have.”
“Well aren’t you just a sweet little model student,” Reki cooed as he set a fresh muffin in front of Miya. “For your efforts,” he said with a smirk before turning his attention to Langa. He had some weird sixth sense when it came to giving refills and treats to the two sitting at the bar even if he was in the middle of a rush or had been hiding in the back for a while. After almost four years, Langa still hadn’t figured out how he always knew, but it was sweet and Langa really didn’t need to know the logistics behind it to appreciate the gesture.
He leaned over the bar, resting his weight onto those damn forearms that looked to have whipped cream and mocha smeared on them in some places. Maybe, if he was lucky, Reki would let him lic-
“Go do your job and let your boyfriend study, slime,” Miya said with a mouth full of muffin.
“Go do your job,” Reki mocked, reaching over to ruffle the younger boy’s hair. “How about you stop talking with your mouth full, yeah?”
Miya rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the game he was playing. He continued to munch on the treat he had been given, mouth closed this time.
Reki turned his attention to the other person at the bar, picking a marker from out of his apron pocket as he swiped some loose sheets of paper that Langa hadn’t touched since he first pulled them out of his bag.
“You should follow his example, Lan-gwah,” he said offhandedly as he added another doodle to one of the crumpled up pieces of paper with the blue marker – snowflakes even though it was almost summer time. “He’s a shit,” he paused to give a sideways glance to the ‘shit’ in question, “but he’s a good student. Plus, you can’t be a big, bad business owner if you don’t actually get the degree.”
“Alright, teacher,” Langa said as he watched Reki continue to doodle flurries of snowflakes on the already minimal blank spaces on the paper.
“You can’t call me that unless I actually get the job.”
“You will, though.”
“Maybe, but I don’t wanna get my hopes up.” Reki said with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Kids love you for some reason, so you’ll be fine,” Miya chimed in, still not looking up from the game he was playing. He didn’t seem to have noticed Reki’s subtle jab at him from a minute ago. “Probably.”
This time Reki’s smile was the kind Langa was most familiar with – the kind that was warm and bright and made him fall a little bit more in love everytime he saw it. Reki turned away quickly, though, mumbling something about having to stock more cups or whatever he was supposed to be doing since he was still on the clock.
無限
The late spring wind still had a little chill to it as it blew, making Langa wish that he had brought a jacket with him. He hadn’t expected to stay at the coffee shop so late into the evening, but Reki was a much needed distraction from the little studying that he did get accomplished.
He watched as Reki struggled to get the key in the front door lock of the shop, biting back a giggle at his boyfriend's struggle.
“Reki -“
“No.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“I don’t need help,” Reki pouted before the lock finally clicked. “See!”
Langa draped an arm over Reki’s shoulder as he turned away from the door, using the momentum to bring him in for a proper hug. “Mhm,” he breathed into the crook of Reki’s neck as he squeezed him just a little bit tighter.
Reki melted into the embrace, goosebumps rising across his skin as he felt Langa’s breath against his neck. “Not that I don’t appreciate this, but why the attention all of the sudden?”
“Missed you,” he mumbled before pulling away enough to plant a soft, lingering kiss on Reki's temple.
“You were here with me all day!”
“Doesn’t count when you’re working and I’m working…”
Reki’s eyes widened almost comically at Langa’s statement, and he blinked a few times before saying, “Dude, I love you very much and I love that you keep me company, but you didn’t get any work done today, and you know it.”
Langa pulled away, rolling his eyes at the statement, but not denying it. He reached down to grasp Reki’s hand, interlacing their fingers before beginning the walk back to their on campus apartment.
They walked in comfortable silence for a little while, watching the fallen cherry blossom petals glide across the sidewalk as though they were dancing. It reminded Langa of the fall leaves that did a similar routine when he would go to and from the campus to the coffee shop during his first semester. The same brisk air surrounded him now, and the feeling was so similar but also different. It didn’t carry the same longing and loneliness as it had four years ago – not when he had someone to walk alongside him.
“Park?” Reki broke the silence as they were nearing the campus, clearly not ready to go home yet.
“Yeah,” Langa said softly as he gave his boyfriend’s hand a squeeze. “We can watch the sunset together.”
“Like our first date!”
“Second date. Joe and Cherry had to crash the first one because I busted my ankle trying to impress you,” Langa said with a pout even though there was a trace of fondness in his eyes as he recalled that night.
“I thought you said that one didn’t count because neither of us knew whether it was actually a date or not at the time.”
“I don’t know,” Langa sighed, “I don’t think it’s fair to say it wasn’t when we both know now that we wanted it to be one.”
“But then that means you got hurt on our first date, and that’s sad,” Reki whined, leaning into Langa’s side as they continued to walk.
“Yeah, but I realized I loved you on that date. That’s not sad,” Langa said with a soft smile.
“Love at first date?” Reki smirked as he playfully bumped into Langa’s side as they walked.
“That was awful. Even for you,” Langa said even though he was holding back a giggle.
“You laughed, so…”
“That was a pity laugh.”
“Pity laugh my ass, you tried to hide it!” Reki whined as he stepped away from Langa, only keeping a loose grip on the other’s fingers as he broke into a run, leading him to the tallest ramp of the skatepark that could be seen from a distance.
The little squabble was forgotten as the two raced over, giddy like children who were let loose on the school grounds. Their laughter was replaced with pants as they scrambled up the ramp, laying flat on their backs as they fought to catch their breath.
“Holy shit…” Reki breathed out, “We’re gonna skate every single day during the break,” he paused to catch his breath, “We’re so out of shape. It’s embarrassing.”
“Yeah,” Langa agreed breathily, “I’ve missed it.” He closed his eyes as breathed, listening to Reki do the same from close by. “College sucks. There’s no time to do anything.”
“Few more weeks until we’re all done and graduated, though,” Reki said as he sat up, turning so that his legs dangled over the curve of the ramp. He continued chatting about his finals and the goings on of the coffee shop, probably. Langa had stopped listening when he looked up from where he was still laying to see Reki for the first time since they had climbed up the ramp. His red hair looked to be glowing against the fiery orange backdrop illuminating his profile, making Langa’s heart squeeze in his chest as he took in the sight. After so many years of being together, Langa was still in awe of his boyfriend. How it looked like he was the sun himself as they sat on a ramp at the skatepark on a random Sunday evening, and how the sight would surely burn itself into Langa’s memory. How his face twisted up when he was annoyed and how it lit up when he was excited and the way he talked with his hands, so animated and alive. His contagious enthusiasm which made Langa want to listen to him talk about how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west like it was the first time he had ever heard it before. And maybe Langa would argue that it wasn’t true because the sun was wherever Reki was.
“You’re not listening to me, are you?” Reki huffed, trying to seem annoyed even as the flush on his cheeks darkened when he realized that Langa had been staring.
“No,” Langa freely admitted as his lips curved into a sly grin.
“I was saying,” Reki said loudly, looking Langa directly in the eyes to ensure his attention was being held, “Joe said everything’s looking good as far as the apartment. They’ll be moving into their house like right at our ‘get the hell off our campus’ day, and it’ll be ours!” Reki finished, excitement coming off of him in waves. “Then the wedding will be right after!”
“Glad they’re making it official. They’ve basically been married since I met them.”
“I take full credit for being their wingman,” Reki boasted, “Mixing up their drinks on purpose ended up being a very good decision on my part.”
Langa finally sat up from where he had lain down to catch his breath, scooting over to Reki’s side to lean up against him. “Just like misspelling my name on all my drinks?” he asked as he felt Reki melt into the touch and lay his head on Langa’s shoulder.
“That was probably the best decision I have ever made,” Reki said with so much conviction, his eyes full of so much love that it made Langa feel like crying.
“That 8AM, three hour long math class wasn’t all that bad now that I think about it,” Langa said softly, like he was thinking out loud rather than talking to Reki.
“Liar,” Reki said fondly, “You hate math. And getting up early.”
“It was an unfortunate necessity that brought us together, so I can’t be too mad about it, now can I?” Langa said before using his free hand to draw Reki’s head from off of his shoulder so he could kiss him properly.
“Like you rolling your ankle trying to impress me?” Reki said against Langa’s mouth before they broke apart for air.
“You were sad about that like two seconds ago! What happened?”
“It was an unfortunate necessity that brought us together, so I can’t be too sad about it, now can I?” Reki recited, the smugness on his face only growing as he spoke. “I realized I loved you then too, I think,” Reki continued after resting his head against Langas shoulder again, his voice much more serious this time.
“You think?”
“If we count the time before I knew what it was, then I can’t remember not loving you.”
Langa looked down at his lover, whose eyes still sparkled in the dim glow of the sun that had almost set completely. Reki, who never let him forget how much he cared about him. Sweet, beautiful Reki who loved him even though he blushed too easily and didn’t always know the right things to say. Warm, brilliant Reki who was so beautiful that it made Langa feel so light and fuzzy and so in love. “How am I supposed to say anything as remotely romantic as that was?”
“It’s not a competition, dude. Just let me be sappy!”
“Fine,” Langa relented, not having it in him to argue with his boyfriend after such a confession.
A comfortable silence fell between them as they watched the sun disappear below the horizon, giving the stars a chance to be admired. The constellations reminded Langa of the splattering of light freckles that could be seen on Reki’s cheeks, especially during the summer when they were sunkissed. The moonlight, Reki thought, made Langa look ethereal – a beauty that was indescribable.
“You think we’ll bicker like Joe and Cherry when we’re married?” Reki asked after the bout of silence, so casually that it gave Langa pause because he had said it like some kind of afterthought, not like he just alluded to wanting to spend the rest of their lives together. But if Langa had learned anything from his time knowing Reki it was that things didn’t need to be over the top to be important. Coffee cups with misspelled names and stupid drawings, a special drink with a silly name, talking about anything and everything without reservation, the feather-light touch of gentle hands on an injured foot, driving with the windows down in a borrowed car, talking into the night as the moon shines against the sea, landing an ollie for the first time, or simply being with that special person were all things that Langa would likely never forget – things that he never wanted to forget – as silly or unremarkable as they may seem.
Their first ‘I love you’ was said in much the same way, unthinkingly and so natural that it left no room for question – an indisputable fact. The Earth revolves around the sun, humans are mortal, Reki loves Langa, Langa loves Reki. There was no ‘Aha moment’, time didn’t stand still, fireworks didn’t paint the sky in the distance, but Langa still felt like he was in a dream, and that was enough. Their love was made up of so many little moments and memories that multiplied as the years went on until it felt like there was no threshold for the feeling – an infinity.
“Marry me, and we’ll see.”
“Like, we kind of do that now but it’s more like teasing and –” Reki paused mid sentence, his mind just now registering what Langa had said. He picked his head up from Langa’s shoulder so he could look at him properly – to search for any trace of mischief or doubt. After not finding any, his eyes went wide, and his mouth was slightly parted in shock, and it was too cute to be funny.
“...Are you asking?” Reki said, so quietly that Langa wouldn’t have heard him if not for the close proximity.
“I don’t have a ring or anything yet, but…”
“Yes.”
“Actually?” Langa asked, his expression mirroring his boyfriend’s from a short while ago.
“As if I would say no, you dumbass,” Reki said wetly, burying his face into Langa’s chest and clinging onto him. Langa swung his legs back over the edge of the ramp so that Reki could come closer. He brought his arms around Reki’s back, drawing him into his lap, leaving no space between their bodies.
They stayed like that for a while, Langa rubbing small circles into the small of Reki’s back through the flimsy button up he was still wearing from work, the smell of coffee, salt, and Reki’s shampoo surrounding them as they held each other on the ramp. Reki pulled away enough to rest his forehead against Langa’s, raising his hand to rest against his chest where his heart was. Langa smiled at the gesture, bringing his own hand up to wrap around Reki’s and gently coaxing his fingers into forming a loose fist before drawing it up to his lips. He placed three lingering kisses over the ring finger, making Reki tear up all over again.
“I love you, too,” he responded, leaving his own three kisses in Langa’s hair.
Reki loved him.
Reki loved him.
Reki loved him.
Reki loved him.
And he loved Reki just as much. Always.
無限
“How much you wanna bet that they think we don’t know?” Shadow asked, nudging Miya from where he sat next to him at the table. Not waiting to hear the response, he took a swig from his flute of champagne, diverting his attention to the boy’s in question who occupied the dance floor before taking off to go bother them. The younger boy rolled his eyes before taking a sip of his own sparkling juice.
“It’s cute that they’ve been waiting to share until after today,” Joe mentioned as he gave his now husband’s hand a squeeze from where it sat on the tabletop, making his heart dance as the ring gleamed against the low lighting in the reception hall.
“If only it weren’t written all over their faces,” Cherry sighed, despite the hint of a smile tugging at his lips as he watched the two (plus Shadow) on the dance floor.
Reki and Langa looked to be in their own world as they danced, so much so that Shadow abandoned his mission of heckling them and headed over to the open bar to talk to Oka.
“Your kids are growing up and marrying each other. It’s every parent’s dream,” Miya teased as he slumped down in his seat.
“I don’t have any children,” and, “I’m happy for them,” were said in unison by the newlyweds.
“Joe!” Reki interrupted, slinging his arm over the older man’s shoulder. “Cherry,” he said with a nod in his direction, “Congratulations!”
“So you and Langa aren’t attached at the hip?” Miya wondered aloud, not sparing Reki a glance.
“You’re so funny,” Reki said dryly, causing Joe to snicker.
“I’m hilarious, I know.”
“As I was saying,” Reki continued, turning his attention back to the couple, “Congratulations! I am very glad that I switched your drinks on that fateful Monday morning because now I get to see some of my favorite people be happy together,” he paused to collect his thoughts and not because he could feel tears threatening to well up in his eyes. “You both have done so much for me. Thank you for being my first supporters with my art and for me finding myself, and thank you for stopping by the coffee shop to see me even though you lived on the other side of town.”
Langa had returned to the table in the time Reki was giving his impromptu speech, taking the empty seat next to Miya to listen to the rest as he snacked on some leftover cake.
“I still haven’t paid you back for the bandages and painkillers you bought for Langa four years ago, but, rest assured, I have been saving every penny that has come my way since then.”
“I think all the free drinks we’ve received from you are more than enough compensation,” Cherry remarked, shaking his head in fond exasperation, causing everyone at the table to smile.
“I really thought that that was going in a different direction, but thank you. Seriously.” Joe said with such sincerity that it made Reki even more emotional.
“Yes, thank you, Reki.”
“Let’s toast!” Shadow said, appearing from out of nowhere with a very embarrassed looking Oka in tow.
“Did you even hear any of that?!” Miya groaned even though he picked up his mostly empty flute of juice.
“To the newlyweds?” Langa suggested as the table reached for their drinks.
Shadow raised his glass, pausing to let the others follow suit. “To falling in love in a coffee shop!”
“To falling in love in a coffee shop!” everyone repeated, some with more fervor than others.
Reki and Langa met each other’s eyes from across the table, smiles creeping onto their faces as they took sips from their glasses.
“I hope you two don’t mind if we recycle that toast for your wedding,” Joe said with a smirk that morphed into something genuine after seeing Reki and Langa’s reactions. The initial shock turned into embarrassment and then into smiles that were so bright that even Miya couldn’t hide the slight upturn of his own lips – a happiness that was contagious.
With four years of college under his belt, there was a lot that Langa had learned. ‘8 AMs’ only get more hellish as the semesters go on and caffeine was still a gift from the heavens. He still didn’t feel like he could pass as a functional member of society, but does anyone honestly feel that way? He still didn’t know any secrets of the universe, but he did continue to learn about the many forms that happiness could take on. The sound of Reki greeting him as soon as his feet crossed the threshold of their apartment, the distinct smell of autumn that had become associated with the time when they first met and the scattering of cherry blossoms that reminded them of their anniversary, the countless sweet (and sometimes stupid) notes that get tacked onto the refrigerator, staying akwake until the sun starts to rise as he watches Reki and Miya play video games together, laying in the park looking at the stars, landing his first ollie and promptly getting tackled by Reki who is probably more excited than he was about it, and a wedding toast the second time around, to name a few. But his favorite form of happiness would forever be Reki Kyan.