#while normal reki was like pretty much all about himself not being good enough | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lils-of-the-valley · 3 years

Text

Kiss It Better

It was 1 am and I just wanted to write dumb skater boys kissing. I miss writing kisses and they should kiss and be happy and in love. They are in love, but they should also kiss. (Also I'm on mobile so I hope the read more works)

Edit: I forgot to put the AO3 link here Can y'all tell how exhausted I am?

Reki was no stranger to injuries. Really, it was concerning the number of times he had ended up in an emergency room after a skateboarding accident. But the pain barely fazed him anymore, especially not the minor pain of scrapes and bruises. At this point, it was a daily occurrence, either from bailing while skating or from ramming his hip into the corner of a table. The latter was a little more frustrating though.

“Dude, you don’t have to make such a big deal out of it!”

Big blue eyes stared blankly at Reki before diving back into his backpack, rummaging through it. Reki sighed as he leaned back against the concrete, propped up on his elbows, his head hanging back. Langa was being dramatic as ever, making a huge deal out of what was essentially nothing more than a little scrape on Reki’s left hand. Sure, there had been a bit of blood, but the cut was barely visible! It wasn’t anything to panic over. Yet, Langa had insisted that Reki stayed put, right where he had fallen, while he hauled the backpack back to Reki before plopping himself down onto the concrete. He sat cross-legged in front of Reki while he dug through the bag, muttering something about alcohol pads and bandages.

“Those band-aids are for you,” Reki said, his eyes fixated on the swirls of reds and oranges and purples in the sky. The sun had started to set, it seemed. “Since you can’t stand the sight of your own blood. Unlike you, I can handle it. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t need patching up.”

“And I say you do.”

The firmness of Langa’s voice drew Reki’s attention back to him, his piercing blue eyes sending shivers down the boy’s spine. There was something demanding in Langa’s voice, something protective, something… pleading? Langa was worried about him? Given the way he was looking at Reki, it had to be. And Reki couldn’t refuse him, not when he was looking like that.

“Fine!”

Reki huffed as he finally let his body flop down onto the ground. Langa seemed content with the answer, returning to his scavenger hunt through Reki’s bag. This meant that Reki would have to occupy himself without his skateboard since he wasn’t allowed to get onto it until he was fully patched up. Thankfully, the ever-changing clouds in the sky were distracting enough. A bunny. A dolphin. A flower. A-

“Found them!”

A blue sky stared back at Reki, startling the boy. Langa hovered above him, holding a few sealed bandages in front of Reki’s face, a boyish grin contrasting his usual reserved and serious expression. A boyish grin that made Reki’s inside twist, his throat turning dry. He knew he could touch, that Langa wasn’t some porcelain doll that would shatter under his calloused fingers. He knew he could touch, that Langa would never refuse him the pleasure of passing his fingers through the silky blue hair, the pleasure of touching that beautiful pale skin, the pleasure of feeling those soft lips, but still, Reki resisted. Still, Reki held back.

He pressed his palm to Langa’s chest, pushing him away ever so slightly as he pushed himself up on his elbows once more, his eyes avoiding Langa’s general direction.

“Again, I don’t actually need them. The scrapes will be gone in the morning; no use in wasting band-aids on that.”

“But I want to do it for you.” A beat of silence. Then Langa was ducking his head, the blue silk falling in his face and drawing Reki’s eyes back to him. “You know, since you always patch me up after I bail? I want to do that for you. I want to take care of you, Reki.”

Oh! Reki’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, now that was adorable.

How was Reki supposed to turn Langa away when he sounded like that? Looked like that? How could Reki refuse Langa who seemed so small, so vulnerable, and oh so adorable? It was simply impossible. So Reki gave in, gave in like he always did because it was Langa asking and Langa could get him to do anything.

“Fine! Fine!” Reki sat up, presenting his scraped hand to a starry-eyed Langa. “But only because you’re cute.”

“No!” Was that a pout? “You’re the cute one.”

Reki couldn’t help but giggle at the boy. To think that the stoic and socially awkward boy he had met only a little over a year ago could end up being an absolute dork, a dork pouting because he was called cute. Reki never would have believed it if someone had told him that this would be his normal. Reki never would have believed it if someone had told him that Langa would turn out to be this dorky yet adorable boyfriend. His dorky yet adorable boyfriend.

“Well? Are you going to patch me up or are you gonna stare at me all wide-eyed until the scrapes disappear on their own?”

Langa blinked a few times before quickly turning his attention to Reki’s outstretched hand, a ghost of a touch fluttering over the scrapes. Hesitantly, he glanced between Reki’s face and his hand before carefully pulling out an alcohol swab from the makeshift first-aid kit Reki carried everywhere he went. It was pretty obvious that Langa was not in his comfort zone, not used to be the one cleaning wounds. His hands shook ever so slightly as he wiped Reki’s hands clean, but it was the gesture that counted. It didn’t have to be perfect because as long as it was from Langa, then Reki would smile ever so softly as he watched him put on a band-aid with the utmost concentration. It was the kindness and the care that had Reki fall a little more in love with the boy in front of him. It was the little things that made his heart melt.

“And,” Langa pressed one last band-aid to Reki’s palm, his long fingers passing over the fabric before curling around Reki’s, “all done. All clean.”

“Thanks, man.”

As Reki pulled his hand back, Langa’s grip tightened as he tugged the hand back towards him, surprising Reki. He felt his whole face heat up as Langa planted a kiss right in the middle of his palm, slow and careful. Reki barely felt the kiss, but he could see it happening. And he could feel it in his face, the fire that had ignited in his cheeks, in his ears, in his brain. And when Langa’s eyes met Reki’s, lips still pressed against the calloused tanned skin, a smile played on his pretty lips, a smile that drove Reki crazy.

“Kissing it better,” Langa clarified. “You always insist on the magic of kissing it better.”

“You…”

Reki huffed, finally managing to pull his hand back and holding it defensively to his chest. Langa knew what he doing to Reki. He knew that he was the reason why Reki’s face must have matched his hair. He was fully aware that it was entirely his fault and the bastard still had the audacity of looking smug about it.

Reki felt his stomach flip as Langa crawled over him, his weight in Reki’s lap while his arms caged the boy. Something glinted in those blue eyes, something Reki had never seen before. Something that terrified him, but also strangely… exciting?

“Well,” Langa licked at his lips as he glanced down at Reki’s lips, sending an electric shock down the boy’s back, “I could always give you a real kiss if you like.”

Reki’s mind short-circuited at the thought of having Langa’s hot mouth against his. He wanted, he wanted it so badly, but his body tensed at the mere thought of it. He wanted, he wanted with fiber of his body, but he shouldn’t. He couldn’t.

“I’ll be real good, I promise.”

“Okay!” Reki half-shouted in embarrassment. He had felt his eyes go wide at Langa’s suggestive tone. He had felt the twist in his gut. His face, his whole body burned as he pressed his hands to Langa’s mouth, pushing him away. Langa laughed against his hand, pretty and muffled. “Man, you can’t just say that to me! You-! I-! Dude! No!”

Reki’s hands dropped onto his lap, squeezed between his thighs while Langa straightened out, still sitting on Reki’s lap. He was laughing, hearty and unguarded, which made Reki’s heart flip. His face was also flushed, his pale skin tinted with reds and pinks. He was so beautiful. Langa was just so beautiful.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he managed to huff out, finally calming his laughter. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Something twisted in Reki once more, though this time it felt more guilty than anything. He just wasn’t particularly good with PDA. Sure, he knew he was an extremely tactile person, his hand constantly brushing against Langa’s, their shoulders bumping as they walked side by side, but everything he did, it could be interpreted as just bros being good ol�� platonic buddies. He had always been a touchy-feely person, especially with Langa, but still, it wasn’t easy being affectionate in a romantic sense. Just holding hands made his hands all sweaty and gross, his nerves getting the best of him. And god forbid they actually kissed in public-! No, Reki wasn’t ready for that. It was just too much. Just the thought was overwhelming him.

“Sorry.” Langa’s voice had gone quiet as he shifted on Reki’s lap. Reki could see he was reluctant to move but ready to do so regardless. “I really didn’t mean to…”

“S’fine, dude. I’m just… public.”

The wind caught in Langa’s hair, pushing it out of his face as he quickly glanced around the dark skatepark. How was he so effortlessly beautiful? How was Langa so damn beautiful all the freaking time? How was it that even under the shitty streetlamp, he still looked like a prince straight out of a fairy-tale? And when he looked at Reki like he was also beautiful, as if he were the only person in the world, it made him melt. Those blue eyes were only for him. Only Kyan Reki would ever get to look into them like this, see the way they sparkled like snowflakes under a bright sun.

“There’s no one around?”

Oh. Was that hope in Langa’s eyes? In his voice? Was it desire? Want? Need? Langa who, despite being reckless and shameless, was always so reserved and good, did he really want to kiss Reki that badly? And since there was no one around… Maybe it would be alright? It wasn’t like they would be interrupted or caught. No one came around this part of town, especially not at this hour.

Reki’s eyes skirted over the deserted skatepark once last time before finding Langa’s eyes once more.

“Just one.”

“Really?” Excitement, that’s what made Langa’s voice just a tad higher than usual.

“You get one kiss. That’s it.”

A grin broke across Langa’s face once more, a grin that made him glow. “Isn’t that what you always say?” Reki sent Langa a look of disapproval to which he answered by putting his hands up defensively. “Fine, fine, just one. If you can stop.”

Reki sighed at the boy before tugging him closer by the collar of his shirt. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

A breathless laugh broke from Langa’s lips before pressing them to Reki’s. Langa was like a drug; his kisses were the most addicting thing Reki had ever come across and it only took one for him to be hooked. His taste filled Reki, his sweetness hazing Reki’s mind. It wasn’t the first time he kissed Langa – it had already been weeks since their first kiss, clumsy in the middle of a shitty movie – but it didn’t mean it didn’t feel completely new each time. It had been weeks since that first kiss, but Reki just couldn’t get enough of his boyfriend’s mouth, of his kisses, of his touch. Especially not when Langa was licking at the seam of Reki’s lips, asking to be let in.

Everything happened in a blissful daze: the arms wrapping around Langa’s neck, the beckoning him closer if that were even possible, the slight fumbling to get comfortable, and the falling back onto the concrete, legs tangling as they always did. Sure, the cold ground wasn’t nearly as comfortable as a mattress, but with Langa’s arms acting like a pillow for Reki’s head, it didn’t matter. Everything was good, so good. It was so good, the feeling of Langa’s short, hot pants between the kisses. It was so good, the mumbling against each other's mouths, their names filling the little air between them. But nothing beat having their lips pressed together, wanting, needing the other. Nothing could ever beat that feeling.

Reki wasn’t proud of the whimper that left his lips as Langa pulled back completely, sitting up. The smirk was a cruel temptation. Langa was no fool; he knew damn well that he was torturing Reki as he shifted in his lap, his whole weight pressed into Reki’s thighs.

“You said one kiss, so,” Langa shrugged, lips pressed in a thin line.

“That was more than one, you fucking tease,” Reki muttered as he propped himself up on his elbows for what felt like the hundredth time that evening.

“Pulling out the big, bad words, huh?” A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as he leaned in to press a chaste kiss to Reki’s lips. Another whimper. Maybe even a moan. Reki wasn’t sure; he just knew he wanted more. “Wanna come over instead? Get some food, put on a movie, probably not watch the movie at all but it doesn’t matter since my mom isn’t-!”

“You stopped kissing me because you’re hungry?”

Laughter fell from Reki’s lips like the stars against the mid-August sky as his forehead hit Langa’s shoulder. He should have known. Langa had seemed hungry for both love-filled kisses and actual food.

Instinctively, Reki’s arms wrapped around the body against which he was pressed, feeling the light rumble of laughter and potentially of an empty stomach against his own body. Langa was warm. He was comfortable. He was safe. Langa was… home.

“Can we watch Spirited Away in your bed? No offense man, but your couch is shit to make out on.”

“You…” Langa shifted, causing Reki to peel himself off of him and look up at him. “You want to watch a kid’s movie while we make out?”

“It’s a good movie! And I’ve seen it like a hundred times, so I won’t be tempted to actually watch it.”

“No. I know you.” Langa’s hands found their way to Reki’s cheeks, holding his face ever so gently. “You’re gonna end up watching it. Again. For the third time this month.”

“Look! Look, it’s not my fault it constantly plays at my place! Chihiro just… she likes the movie because the main character has the same name as her. And I like it because… it’s good, man. Don’t hate on a good movie!”

Langa inhaled sharply, his eyes closed and his hands pressed against his lips. He looked like he was praying to whatever God was out there to hear him. “I can’t believe my boyfriend wants to make out with me while his little sister’s favorite movie plays in the background.”

“Well,” Reki shrugged and flopped back down on the ground, crossing his arms behind his head, “we could also not make out, I don’t care. It would be your loss, man.”

“No!” Langa was once more caging Reki with his arms, but this time, it wasn’t Reki that was panicking. “There is no fucking way I’m letting you off the hook that easily. You-!”

It was always so much fun cutting Langa off with kisses when he got a little too chatty. Every time, it would catch him off guard, his eyes growing three sizes for a fraction of a second before squeezing them shut. And his pale cheeks always turn a bright red, a color that, surprisingly, didn’t often blossom under his skin. Langa was almost always the one initiating the kisses, so having Reki be the one pushing himself up to catch his lips, it always left him a mess. Reki’s surprise kisses turned Stoic Langa, Cold Langa, Ice Prince Langa into this mess of dork, this stuttering and blushing mess of boyfriend.

Reki traced the line of Langa’s jaw, his eyes following the movement of his fingers. He had quickly learned that Langa melted at the touch, which made it a lot easier to convince him to do whatever it was Reki wanted. “You pick the food and I pick the movie or no more kisses for you.”

“Can it at least be Howl’s Moving Castle? I know you like that one too, but at least I won’t have the image of your little sisters seared into my mind while I try to kiss you senseless.”

“Fine, fine.” Reki’s fingers hooked Langa’s chin, beckoning him closer to press another kiss to his mouth. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Reki.” One kiss. “So much.” Two kisses. “Infinitely.”

#i still hate tagging shit #but here we are #sk8 #sk8 the infinity #renga #reki x langa #langa x reki #langa hasegawa #hasegawa langa #langa #kyan reki #reki kyan #reki #fluff #like pure fluff #lils writes

27 notes · View notes

fandomsnfluff · 3 years

Text

sk8 headcanons

lol this doesn’t need much of an introduction given the nature of my blog, and this was also unprompted, but who needs cuteness to be asked for anyway? unfortunately i don’t really have ones for joe, cherry, and shadow yet but i was too excited to post for the main three so i hope this is good enough for now!!!

reki

omg he’s such a ray of sunshine i love him sm ;;o;;

like we all been knew but there’s no way this lovely boyo isn’t ticklish i mean come ON

he is HYPER sensitive on EVERY inch of his body, he just screams and kicks out when anyone so much as threatens him with it

anything works on him, obv armpits/sides/other torso places are the easiest to reach and the least awkward (at least for most ppl in my experience), but knees (especially the backs), thighs, and the bottoms of his feet are super ticklish too!

CRAZY loud and pitchy laugh and his voice cracks a lot, it’s cute af like we all been knew 🥺 it’s incredibly addicting to listen to and just makes his tickler laugh along with him and want to continue to torture him (langa)

definitely gets tickled by langa the most often, he’s just in love with his laugh and thinks the redhead is the cutest thing when he’s all vulnerable like this

honestly whenever i watch this video i think about reki aksjhfskjfhsd

langa

an absolute baby tbh

he’s actually pretty sensitive himself!!! definitely not as much as reki tho

he can tough it out for quite a while, but he can get pretty giggly if you get his armpits or sides!!

it is relatively difficult to get him to burst into laughter tho. unlike reki, who explodes with laughter at the slightest touch, he just squirms and squeals for a bit, but if you want to get a TRUE reaction, go for the lower extremities

however if you’re his mom he will be DESTROYED from the very moment it all starts

grew HIGHLY sensitive to reki’s touch, especially with how close they’ve been getting with one another; as time goes by his reaction goes from a slight giggle to full-on chest laughter

reki likes to tease him about how ticklish his knees and feet are, and he just responds with a “shut up” as the redhead proceeds to trap him with snuggles ;o;

miya

ofc this little cutie is ticklish!!!

it’s difficult for the others to decide who’s the more ticklish one between him and reki lol

it is WAAAAAY too easy to get him to burst into laughter, so much as merely pressing a finger into his side will make him double over with a squeal

he’s not big on physical touch anyway and he never has been, so when it comes to all the close contact, his nerves probably just go into complete overdrive and pushes him so far within seconds that he can’t help but scream in laughter

his laugh is like a little girl’s tbh, it’s all pitchy and squeaky and completely out of his normal speaking range (i mean have you heard his va laugh???). he just lies there squealing, begging for mercy, like he can’t even fight back. it’s a great tactic for reki to wreck him with for being a little shit

he’s insanely ticklish everywhere, but do not DARE to so much as go ANYWHERE near his armpits, sides, or feet. like he will DESTROY you if you come near these spots, he does NOT fuck with them.

#sk8 the infinity #sk8 headcanons #anime tickling #sk8 #headcanons #reki kyan #langa hasegawa #miya chinen #my posts

22 notes · View notes

fantastic-rambles · 3 years

Note

You made great points as to why a final Adam/Langa race would happen. It makes a lot of sense narratively, but I do hope they’ll choose a more subversive path in which he does forfeit/quit whether that be during Tadashi/Langa or Adam/Langa. I still hope for Tadashi/Adam to occur since they’ve also built him up as an equal. They’ve made a point that in other races Adam has purposely stayed behind to match the speed of other races, regardless of whether they start together, if he was interested by them. But Tadashi matched Adam’s time exactly in the qualifying rounds. And considering how much Adam has insulted Tadashi about being beneath him, I’d find them going head to head pretty satisfying. Makes me want to see a race where both are going all out since we’ve never seen either of them particularly intense about winning. Adam because of his persona and wanting to mess with his opponent and Tadashi because of his reserved nature. Either way I’m sure it’ll be good.

And I hope that Reki is more secure in himself when facing Adam like you mentioned. If he doesn’t want to go against him again, what do you think would happen? I’ve seen ppl say Reki will probably agree for Langa’s sake and the opportunity to skate, but what if he holds his ground about not enjoying skating with Adam? Do you think it’s possible that could be what causes Langa to forfeit/quit. (That would make Adam so mad lol). It’s probably not likely since they’re our main protagonists, but I think it would a cool demonstration of their character growths. Reki because he wouldn’t skate if it’s not going to be fun for him and Langa because it goes back to the original broken promise + prioritizes the relationship that makes him happiest about skating in the first place. Also, they can get away from what could be considered unnecessary, dangerous behavior that show condemns (when Manager Oka tells Reki that he’s enjoying pain because he’s unhappy with himself). Obviously skating is good for Langa and Reki, but the illegal and dangerous races at S could be framed as self-destructive. Especially when you consider all the injuries and strife surrounding it. I think if the characters were to come to this conclusion at some point (with or without quitting yet) it may make sense plot wise since the whole political scandal/jail thing makes me nervous about S continuing. Considering that Tadashi is the main man in charge of keeping cops away and he currently wants to end Adam’s time there, I wouldn’t be shocked if a confrontation with the law happened there like it almost did that one ep when the race got interrupted.

Oh and don’t worry about rambling at all! I love any long analysis on Sk8. Plus, I can get like that too and definitely edited this to make it more understandable lol.

Yeah, I would love Adam/Tadashi, but I feel like Adam/Langa is more likely. (And technically, Tadashi beat Adam by 2 seconds, though Adam also wasn’t taking it seriously then.) Though I do feel like Langa is probably at a level that Adam finally can skate all-out against him, if it comes down to the two of them.

When Adam insults Tadashi, I feel like it’s coming from all those years of resentment/lost trust (again, not an excuse for Adam’s behavior, but an analysis of it), and I also feel like Tadashi feels that he deserves them (and he himself sincerely believes that he’s below Adam). It’s obvious to me that Tadashi feels guilty for contributing to making Adam what he is today/for not standing up for or supporting him when Adam was younger, and he has been trying to make up for it by obeying Adam completely, no matter what he personally thinks. Because he couldn’t voice his opinion when Adam’s board was being burned, which was probably one of the most painful/significant experiences Adam has ever had, he feels that he doesn’t have the right to voice his opinion now: all he can do is try to pull Adam away from the self-destructive path that he’s on by betting his ability to skate on a race. In terms of skill, yeah, they’re equal, but in their interpersonal dynamics, there’s a huge gulf, which I think would make it very difficult for Tadashi to “save” Adam because Adam has lost all of his respect for Tadashi or his opinions.

I don’t think that Reki will end up not skating against Adam. But if he did, I don’t think that’s enough for Langa to refuse as well. My scenario for Langa forfeiting is that Reki gets wrecked against Adam, which outrages Langa and/or makes him have to choose between going to the hospital with Reki or staying to skate with Adam, and he chooses Reki over Adam. To me, Reki’s growth would come from the parallels between the two times that he skates against Adam: in the first, he’s completely crushed by the difference in ability and runs away, and in the (theoretical) second, he accepts that he will never be a star skater, but he can still enjoy skating even if he doesn’t win.

And I frankly was really pissed by Reki trying to force Langa to promise not to skate against Adam. Yes, he has a reason for it and he’s worried about Langa, but what about Langa’s own feelings? It’s obvious that Langa has fun taking on challenges, and Adam is the ultimate challenge, not just for him, but also for everyone else. If we want to talk about it in terms of relationships, which it seems most of the fandom does, I saw that as a possessive partner trying to forbid their partner from going out and having fun with their friends. Would Adam be a terrible “friend” to hang out with? Absolutely. But if Langa enjoys spending time with him, what gives Reki the authority to forbid him from doing so? So if I’m being entirely honest, my opinion of Reki plummeted after Episode 5 and just kept going downhill until the most recent episode. xD

I don’t think that “S” itself was particularly dangerous initially, other than for Shadow. Most of the skaters that we see seem to play fair and engage in contests of pure skill, even though it’s always been an “anything goes” sort of thing. Of course, it could be because the best skaters won’t get thrown off by petty tricks so it’s not worth trying them, but in the end, the result is the same. It’s only when Adam reappeared on the scene (from other people’s reactions, it seems clear that he’s been missing for a while since nobody could capture his interest) with his Langa-obsession that he started to contribute his own brand of madness, but that’s limited only to him. Unless someone is skating against Adam or Shadow (or that gang in the prelims), the majority of races are just normal races on a challenging track. Yes, they’re illegal (though it boggles my mind as to why: can’t Adam just buy it and turn it into “private property” so that he can do whatever he wants on it?) (though I guess it’s understandable since buying it would be a matter of public record and he’s keeping his skating life and public life separate) (but then can’t he get someone else to buy it for him?), but part of the attraction of skating is developing new things (like when Reki is gushing about ollies) and figuring out how to “skate anywhere,” so challenging locations like an abandoned mine and factory are places that people can do that. Like taking a turn with what Miya/Reki did by riding the board sideways, and improving on it by instead using a Caspar Slide. Or the various ways Langa goes through the factory (dropping down a broken beam, skating down the railing, using Joe’s momentum on the other beam to push himself forward, etc.). I think that Adam must have chosen that place for a variety of reasons, but one would have been its ability to promote improvisation/the evolution of skating in the hopes that he could find someone who would excite him. Which is why he’s so disappointed by Cherry’s “overcalculated”/boring skating.

After Adam gets arrested, though, I think that “S” will shut down simply because it’s Adam’s influence that’s kept the police away for so long. Tadashi takes care of the logistics, but that’s because that’s what Adam’s told him to do. But I don’t think Tadashi will betray him just to get it closed. (I also don’t think he phoned it in the first time, as I’ve seen other people speculate. I do think that the explanation is as it was presented: the prosecutor was suspicious about an area that was taken out of the patrol route, so she used her authority to override Adam’s bribes.) We’re talking about someone who will go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit to protect his boss. He’s not going to call down the police and risk them getting caught up in the net and in trouble.

#sk8 #sk8 the infinity #skate the infinity #sk8 adam #shindo ainosuke #ainosuke shindo #sk8 snake #kikuchi tadashi #tadashi kikuchi #sk8 snow #sk8 langa #hasegawa langa #langa hasegawa #sk8 reki #kyan reki #reki kyan #analysis #long post #mine

17 notes · View notes

lameykindaworld · 3 years

Text

Skateboarding and Snowboarding Aren’t the Same

Summary: Langa teaches Reki how to snowboard

Rating: General Audiences

AO3 Link

“Alright, how does it feel?” Langa asked.

“Umm…” Reki shifted the weight on his feet and moved around a bit.

When Langa had offered to teach him how to snowboard, Reki had jumped at the idea. However, now that he has a board attached to his feet and is slowly growing cold, he isn't sure how to feel.

“I guess it feels okay.”

They currently are standing on the flats near the lodge. He was borrowing one of Langa’s old boards and also his helmet. When Reki asked what helmet Langa would wear, Langa had only laughed and said, If I crash on the bunny hill I deserve it. Trust me, you’ll need it more than me.

“Try moving around a bit. Waddle and stuff. Get used to it. Then I can teach you how to actually move around on the flats,” Langa instructs.

Reki wiggles his feet a bit, he doesn’t fall. He twists his body and board, he doesn’t fall. He tries to jump, and right as he started to feel like he landed it, his board slipped out from under him and he fell. Reki lands on his butt with a curse, and when he looks up, Langa is smirking at him.

“What’s with that look?” Reki demands, getting back onto his feet.

“Oh nothing, just enjoying your pain.”

Reki sputters, “What? Why?!”

“After having you witness me trying to skateboard for the first time, it’s nice to see you struggle a bit.” Reki shoves Langa hard, but it only results in him losing balance. Flapping his arms in an attempt to save himself, he feels himself losing the battle to gravity. In a frantic attempt to save himself, he grabbed Langa to steady himself. That only made Langa smirk more.

Damn him.

After Reki is steady, Langa goes and grabs his board. He comes back over a second later and starts strapping in his right foot. “Okay, enough screwing around. Unstrap your right foot and we can practice moving on the flats.”

Reki lets out a sigh, he hopes falling won’t become too much of a habit. He reaches down and starts working on freeing his right foot. “So when are we going to use that fancy chair lift thing you were telling me about?”

Langa thinks for a second, “Maybe after lunch.”

“After lunch?!” Reki exclaims, it was 9 in the morning, they had just started!

“Well, we have to get you turning and stopping on the magic carpet before you can ride a chairlift. Otherwise you will find yourself careening down a hill with no way to stop. Also I am not sure what the learning curve will look like with your skateboarding background.”

Well, then.

After he gets his foot out, Langa shows him how to use his free foot to push himself around. For Reki, it was a bit of a learning curve to have his front foot attached at a 90 degree angle to the board, but he eventually figured it out. Surprisingly it was easier to push with his foot in front of the board rather than the behind like he would do for skateboarding.

Soon enough he was comfortably moving around across the snow.

“This isn’t that bad--” Reki couldn’t even finish his sentence before he hit an icy patch, he lost his balance, and the board flew out from under him. “Ow…”

Langa only snickered, but after a couple more minutes, Langa announced Reki was ready for the magic carpet.

•••

The magic carpet turned out to be a very small section of hill that was fenced off for the beginners. A small conveyor belt that you step on and brings you up the hill, giving it the magic carpet name. That was all fine. However, every single other person there besides Langa and Reki was either a child, a parent, or a teacher. Not only that, but Reki kept having to dodge small children that came careening down the hill.

“Do we really have to start here? I feel like I am accidentally going to clothesline a child,” Reki complained.

Langa shook his head, “Yep. So come on.”

Langa glides over and onto the magic carpet with ease. When Reki tried to do the same, his board started moving before he could really process what was happening. He feels gravity take control and soon he’s falling over into the snow mound on the side of the magic carpet.

“What are you, a newbie?”

Reki looks up and makes eye contact with a small boy on a pair of tiny skis. “Uh… yeah.”

The little boy shook his head and shoved Reki’s board off the carpet. Reki stared, flabbergasted, as the kid easily stepped onto the conveyor belt and went up the hill. Halfway up the hill, the boy made eye contact with him and stuck out his tongue.

Reki groaned, that 5 year old really just showed him up.

“Come one Reki!” He heard Langa call from the top, “If it’s easier you can just take off your board and walk up the hill.”

That sounded like a much better idea.

After walking up the hill, Reki straps the board back on his feet and starts learning how to actually snowboard.

He learns to stop on both his front and back edge. Then he works on turns which take forever. More often than not, when Reki tries to turn, he ends up careening down the hill barely being able to stop himself from running into a child.

“Reki, you aren’t doing it correctly.”

Langa is a bad teacher.

“Like I don’t know that,” Reki yells back up the hill before falling on his back in the snow.

A second later, Reki hears the recognizable sound of a snowboard stopping and looks up to see Langa.

“You need to shift your weight from toes to heels, then to turn the other way, go from heels to toes. With your skateboarding background it shouldn’t be that hard.” Langa crouches down next to him and pokes him on the forehead.

Reki groans and curls in on himself. “It’s different when you have a board that will go every which way! I keep turning in circles…”

“Come on.” Langa grabs Reki’s arm and starts pulling him up. “Once you get the turns down we can go take a break and get hot cocoa.”

Now that’s more like it.

•••

An hour later Reki can finally turn somewhat consistently and stop without falling over. Which in his books, is a success. So that means he now finds himself squished next to Langa in a crowded lodge drinking hot chocolate.

“Hmmm.” Reki lets the steam from the cup warm his face. The lodge is a huge building with plenty of room, yet the entire cafeteria area, and waiting areas, are full of people. Reki and Langa had tried to find a table to sit at in the cafeteria, but every table was in use. That left them to check the lobby where they found a spot at a small bench that was more of a seat and barely fit both of them.

“Mhmm,” is all Langa said in reply. Langa’s face was frost bitten and red, his hair all messed up from his hat. He looked all raggedy, it was cute.

“So what do you think of my progress?”

“Well, it’s a little different than I expected. What normal beginners are good at you failed, but what beginners usually fail at you succeeded. I guess your muscle memory is to blame,” Langa said, shrugging and taking another sip of cocoa. “Though, if you feel up to it, we could go to the chair lift now and eat a late lunch to avoid crowds. It’s about 11 now, so we could go back out and eat lunch at 1:30 or so.”

Reki felt his heart leap. “The lift!”

“Yep.”

“But you said after lunch?”

“Well, you can stop fine and you’ve crashed plenty while you skateboard, so I figure you are more of a harm to yourself than others so we should be fine.”

•••

Thirty minutes later and Reki was not fine.

Firstly, Langa spent five minutes explaining how to get on and off the chairlift. In theory it made sense. When he got on, Langa asked the attendant to slow down the lift, so he got on fine. However, when they got to the top, the chairlift did not slow down. While getting off Reki panicked and screwed up, resulting in himself crashing into Langa. They both fell to the ground in a heap and the whole chair lift had to be stopped.

Next, he went down the hill. It was all fine and dandy till a little kid on skis came barreling down the hill and cut him off. To avoid crushing the child, who was easily a third of his size, Reki had to bail. Which meant falling on his butt to stop quick enough, and the force of the action hurt so bad it was for sure going to bruise.

Finally, right as he was gaining speed in his turns, Reki’s legs froze up. It was probably his fifth time going down this run, and he finally felt he was getting the hang of it. However, he chickened out on a turn and found himself careening nose first down the hill. He probably wasn’t going all that fast compared to his skateboarding, but without the ability to bail and a board attached to his feet, Reki was terrified.

“Langa!” Reki yelled as he tried to stop, he couldn't get the board to turn, he felt frozen. Everytime he tried to stop, the board would wobble and Reki would freak out.

“Put your weight on your heels!” He heard Langa yell from somewhere behind him.

Oh yeah!

He shifted his weight and the board went horizontal to the slope, but with that much speed, and not enough control, his back hit the ground followed by his head. He felt his head rattle in his helmet as he spun around multiple times before coming to a stop.

“Ow…” he muttered, closing his eyes. t makes more sense now that you mostly get bruises and broken bones…

A second later he heard Langa stop beside him. “Are you okay? That was a pretty hard crash.”

Reki just groaned and shook his head. “I think I’m done now.”

#sk8 the infinity #reki kyan #langa hasegawa #sk8 #fanfic #fanfiction

13 notes · View notes

shabre-legacy · 5 years

Text

Stolen Home (Leikael’s Story) Chapter 4

I don’t have a title for this one yet, I can’t seem to think of something that works. This is gonna be a long one. I wrote a lot here. I always appreciate feedback, even if it’s criticism, I’m trying to get better. With that out of the way, here’s the story

*Waking up in the morning was not fun, saying it sucked would be being kind. Her head was pounding and she felt like shit. She rolled over and froze, she was in a bed, it wasn’t her bed on her ship, where was she? She blinked up at the ceiling as she tried to sort through the fog in her head. That’s right, Ord Mantell, Viidu’s warehouse, Corso’s room, she’d come back completely drunk and looking for bench, but Corso either wanted something from her that she wasn’t going to be giving, or he was just that damn nice that he just gave her his bed, and then had slept on the floor between the door and the bed. It seemed sweet, but she’d put money on the former, no one was that nice, he was probably just playing the long game. She’d seen it before. He’d just have to figure out what she’d taught others, she didn’t put out just because people were nice and gave her stuff. She looked around, she’d managed to unbuckle her belt and drop her blasters before she’d collapsed, but had forgotten to grab a blaster to put under the pillow like she normally would. Apparently, Corso had gotten up earlier than she. Her blasters and belt had been neatly placed in clear sight on the workbench and on the small nightstand next to her was a tall cup of water, still cold it looked like. She groaned and sat up, her head still spinning and drained almost the whole cup. She grabbed her blasters and shoved on her boots before stepping out of the room and running straight into an overly cheerful Corso. He was sitting on a bench, just past the door to the room, the angle so that he could see the door, but not inside, eating some sort of something. All she could really smell was Caff. He smiled at her, “Hey, you’re up earlier than I thought you’d be.”

She groaned, A MORNING PERSON. She hated morning people, though mostly when she was hungover. “Not sure I’m alive yet.”

He laughed at that, “You were pretty wasted when you made it back last night. Speaking of, you probably want to wash up after yesterday's runs. Most of the boys are still out getting Caff, so if you move quick, you should have the ‘fresher to yourself for a few minutes.”

She had to smile at the prospect of a shower, even if it was a communal one, maybe it would help her feel less sick and make her head hurt less.

She nodded at him “Thanks.” and dragged herself, her pack feeling like it weighed as much as a bantha, to the ‘fresher. A few minutes later, feeling much more alive, she was pulling up her hair as she heard voices in the main warehouse. Viidu’s boys must be back from breakfast. She moved out of the room quickly and crossed the room, spotting Corso sitting at his workbench, tinkering with something, as she passed. She paused and leaned against the door. Her head had cleared a lot during her shower and as soon as she found some Caff, she’d be good to go. “Hey, I don’t often say this, but thanks... for last night… and this morning, you didn’t have to be nice, so thanks.”

He half turned to face her, the project of his desk seemed to be some type of disassembled blaster, probably. “Of course, couldn’t let ya just crash on a bench round here. If you’re lookin’ for Caff, the Cantina usually has a few pots out ‘bout this time..”

Ok, could this kid read her mind? Or maybe he just had enough experience dealing with people with hangovers, didn’t really seem the type to have many of his own, course she still didn’t really know him that well. “You might just be a lifesaver Corso Riggs.” She beamed at him, might as well keep the kid happy while they were working together, a few smiles usually worked on most men and he was nice so it wasn’t even really acting. He was a friendly sort, and sweet, he might actually be one of those few in the galaxy who could be called a good man, a smile was easy enough, and seemed to come far too easily around him, “see ya for the meeting in a bit.” She gave a quick wave and headed out to get Caff. As she walked, she pulled out her datapad. She had a few new messages from various contacts and some members of the old crew, those rogues were family, and one from Natamai. Leikael was a bit concerned, she’d figured Nats would be busy with whatever she was up too. The last message she’d gotten, said Nats had gotten a message from one of her contacts about some kind of job and grabbed a shuttle off Nar Shad.

She quickly placed her order, got her Caff and found a place to sit, glancing through the short message. ‘Hey Flip, hope that delivery went well. Braden’s dead. I’m working with his kid now, slicer named Mako, seems smart. Got to schmooze a Hutt to get my force-damned sponsorship to the Great Hunt. Also I’m competing in the Great Hunt. That was Braden’s job offer. Chat later, got killing to do. ~ Viper’ It was kinda adorable how she still used the nicknames they’d gotten when they were first reunited on Nar Shaddaa. Sure, they were stupid ass gang kid names, not even proper gangster/criminal names, but silly teen nicknames, and they had been replaced by the nicknames other crews, other friends, new family, gave them. But they still held that air of dark nostalgia of a time when all they had was each other. She chose to only remember the good parts of that time, nothing worth memorializing had happened anyways, so there was no record, except silly kids nicknames, and a couple scars.

She sighed and typed out a quick response. She didn’t like that she had to admit that this job had gone so wrong, but at least it’d be fixed soon. ‘Hey Vipes, The Great Hunt, really? Sounds big. Heard it’s run by Mandalorians, you should have fun at least. Try and be a bit nice sometimes. Sorry to hear about Braden, he’d be glad you’re looking after his kid though. Delivery went to hell. Kriffing force-damned space ape stole the Siren. Working to get her back, got a plan. Be safe. ~ Flip.

She sent the message quickly and wandered back to Viidu’s office, getting there just as everyone started to stir across the Fort. Syreena had spotted her and told her to just head up and she’d let Viidu know, so she took a moment to reorder her pack and adjust her holsters before reclining a bit. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Viidu and Corso wandered in and the planning began.

She looked across the table at them as Viidu sat down for another large meal. “Alright, I want to get out there and get this done before it gets too late in the day. We’ve got the basic plan down, any tips on getting into this Separatist fortress?”

Viidu swallowed and stared at her, “Well, getting into Mannett point will be extra tricky. For one thing, you have to swim there.” She raised an eyebrow at that. She could swim still, probably. She’d learned to swim by 4 like most kids on planets like Ord; so that wasn’t a probably, it was more the why was swimming now a requirement? She glanced quizzically between the two men, silently asking for an explanation.

“When the separatists invaded, they blew up the only bridge leading onto the island. Turned it into their private resort.” Well, that seemed like a spectacularly stupid idea. What idiot was leading these guys? They should just shoot that person for incompetence.

“You’ll be walking into the Rancor’s den, captain.” Hadn’t these guys learned by now, she loved a challenge, and she loved showing off. There wasn’t a Sep on this planet who was anywhere near a match for her.

She couldn’t help but brag a bit. “I’ll do it blindfolded, just for fun.”

Viidu was either a very cautious man, or he didn’t think a woman could handle a job like this. Or maybe it was just her specifically he doubted, no matter which he apparently didn’t feel reassured by her confidence. “Don’t get cocky. That place is crawling with people who’d like to blast that grin off your face. If you download the separatists computer files onto this datapad and bring it back here, we’ll handle the rest.”

“I’d rather go with you, Captain. My vibroblade’s pretty good for choppin’ separatists off at the knee. I call it “Hewie” So Corso was a fighter after all. And had a real dislike for the Seps, something she could work with easily, though it was annoying that she kept learning things about the handsome and charmingly sweet man with the far too cute country accent. She’d never heard a mantellian accent sound as attractive as it did coming from him. Nope, she shut that thought down quick as well. Distance was her friend and she would keep it so.

“Forget about the separatists, Corso. I want that slicer kit here before the Captain comes back” Efficient, two would get through Mannett Point faster, but with more notice. Splitting the work and using a single infiltrator. Each task might take a bit longer, but the time saved overall would balance that out.

“I’m on it, boss. Good luck at Mannett Point, Captain.” Corso nodded to her, and walked out.

Viidu sighed and shook his head. “Last thing I need is Corso turning ‘one man army’ out there. Kid will just get himself killed for nothing. Separatists wiped out his family a couple of years ago. Corso took it personal.”

So that was the cause of the hate, she could understand that one. Losing your family was almost enough to break a person, sometimes anger was all that’d keep you going. “I don’t blame him for wanting revenge.”

“Mixing personal grudges and business is like dropping a thermal detonator into a fuel dump.”

Of course, as her life was going these days, she didn’t even get a chance to respond to that one before Syreena walked in with more bad news.

“Viidu, there’s someone named Rogun calling on the holo. He sounds upset.”

“Oh that’s all I need! Stall him for me, sweetheart. Remember the plan: Disrupt mannett point’s power relays, get inside Reki’s old home and use those schematics to enter the separatist base. When you’re in, slice into the separatist computer and download everything onto my datapad. Good luck.”

She sighed, “don’t worry so much, I got this.”. And spinning around she walked out of the office and jumped off the balcony, because she was bored, mostly. She didn’t like not having her own space. It was making her itchy. She tucked into a roll as she hit the ground and jogged out of the office and through the fort. Another run through this goddamn dustball. The sooner she could get her ship and get off this kriffing planet the better.

Shadows were tricky things during the day, always changing and unfortunately that meant there weren’t many for her to hide in as she slipped onto the beach and made her way to the edge of the water. Unfortunately there was no good way to get across, nowhere covered enough to redress so she could stay dry. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about cold on top of everything else. She slipped into the water and started making her way across to the island. Swimming was kind of difficult, it’d been years. It was an old, out-of-practice, but remembered skill. Things were easier when she finally slipped ashore. The Seps felt so secure that they’d just left speeders lying around, between them and the usual barricades and crates, there was enough cover as long as she stayed quiet.

Luckily, for Leikael, being a smuggler meant that she could do damn good work being quiet and hiding. Getting into the fort wasn’t all that hard, but then she realized why. Droids! Kriffing war droids all over the damn place! Damned things were tough to take down with her small pistols and loud as a misfiring swoop bike. Every time she shot one down, she’d have to dive to cover in another spot, because the kriffing droid would draw attention from the kriffing separatists and she just wanted to catch a kriffing break. Didn’t the galaxy care that her ship had been stolen and she just wanted it back.

It didn’t seem like she was the only one trying to get in here though. She caught sight of what appeared to be a lone republic soldier shooting their way through a few times, but hadn’t managed to get a good look.

Eventually she managed to make it to the last power relay and reset the damn thing. Now all she had to do was break into that creeps place, which would be much more satisfying if it wasn’t the exact thing that he’d told her to do. She’d never been a fan of doing what people told her and if she couldn’t avoid men like Reki, she preferred not helping them or screwing them over. She’d met far too many in her travels. They were everywhere in the galaxy, but this was how to get her ship back so there was nothing to be done. Maybe she could shoot some holes in the walls or something.

She slipped around the corner, quickly firing a few shots, clearing the path to the door and ran inside. Ok, step one done. Now step two get the information to get other information. Ugh, so much work and not even fun work. She started working the code that Reki had explained and it was so much duller than she’d thought, and she’d almost fallen asleep before. She groaned aloud “I became a starship captain so I wouldn’t have to do homework” It wasn’t quite true, but it also was. Flying a starship didn’t require all this dull dull DULL work. What kind of twisted mind actually enjoyed this?

Quickly falling into her skills, fighting, sneaking, bluffing. Leikael slipped through their base. This part was actually kind of fun. The adrenaline rush was thrilling. She’d fallen in love with thrills and risks years before and this was the kind of challenge that she enjoyed. Get in, get something that people want and get out. Only one person even tried to talk to her and she was able to bluff him easily. She was smooth, when she wanted to be anyways. Getting out was almost as easy, until she got to the outer area just past the damn wall. Of course, in theme with the whole kriffing trip to this rock, some idiot spotted her, decided she didn’t belong and brought in a whole bunch of his buddies to stop her.

Kael moved quickly, trying to get out before they pinned her down, but she just wasn’t quite fast enough and the beach area she could get to was completely covered.

She quickly leapt behind another stack of crates, looking around frantically. ‘There has to be another way off this damned island, there has to’. She felt the excruciating burn as one of the Seps got lucky and managed to get past her enough to shoot her. The kriffing shot had grazed her side and slammed into her upper thigh, another one caught her cheek, and a third hit her arm. Damn it all! She was in serious trouble, there were Seps coming from every direction it seemed. ‘There’s nothing for it then, it’s this or death and I am NOT dying here!’ She took two breaths and summoning what strength she had left, ran at the bridge, firing the whole way, creating a hole she could run through. Her arms spun through the air and she fell into the dark water, disappearing below its surface and vanished from view.

Several hours later, the sun was starting to hang lower in the sky and the clouds promised rain as Leikael dragged herself to the gates of Fort Garnik. She was injured, bleeding (if slower than she had been), covered in mud and completely exhausted. As she tried to head inside, she was stopped. ‘I’m too tired to deal with this’. The guards at the gate were different from before and she hadn’t interacted with them before. They tried to direct her into the Refugee camp and simply refused to listen when she tried to tell them she was working for Viidu, which had gotten her access with no questions before. She must look worse than she thought, but she was too frustrated with these rookies to try and explain shit. They just kept telling her that refugees weren’t allowed in unless there was an emergency and she needed to stay in the camp. She got more frustrated and so did they, until she was shouting. “Don’t believe me then just call and ask him, or his security guy Riggs!” She probably threw in a large number of expletives and probably insulted them too, but she wasn’t paying attention anymore. Her cheek was burning and the throbbing in her side and her leg were now impossible to ignore. She was having trouble standing because of it and honestly just wanted to crawl back to her ship and it’s cozy, comfortable, safe, rooms.

Corso was busy in the warehouse when his Holo chimed. He’d gotten the slicer kit, and then went about the rest of his work while waiting for the Captain to get back from Mannett Point. He was starting to worry more than a little at this point. She should have been back hours ago, she’d left early in the morning, and it was now late afternoon. He knew Viidu was worried too, if only for what they were gonna do if they couldn’t get those blasters to Rogun before he wore out his patience. He shoulda gone with her, what had Viidu been thinking, sending her in alone, and why in siths hells had he gone along with it? Sure, Viidu was his boss, and the Captain, Leikael, she’d wanted him to call her Leikael, was more than capable, but still. She was one person, with small blasters, and blast it, the woman was small. He had no idea how she’d be able to handle a situation if her blasters failed on her.

He shook his head and turned back to his work. There was always something to do here, it kept him busy and usually focused, but today, he just couldn’t pay much attention. When he wasn’t imagining how he’d pay Skavak back for stealing his favorite blaster and stabbing him in the back, he was worrying about Leikael. When his thoughts weren’t occupied with one of those, well they weren’t the most proper of thoughts. He’d woken up early this morning and when he’d gotten up, he’d ended up taking a moment to just look. Leikael had rolled under the blankets at some point and he couldn’t stop staring at the incredible woman fast asleep in his bed. She’d looked comfortable and peaceful, her dark hair had worked it’s way out of it’s restraints and fanned across the pillow. He’d picked up her blasters and placed them on the work bench with his own when he’d been spreading the camping pad out the night before. With it rolled up and tucked away again, well, if he’d not been aware of the events of last night, the situation might have looked very different. He couldn’t help the slight thrill he felt at the sight before him. He’d quickly squashed it though, he’d been raised better than that. But the sight continued to pull his attention in a rather inappropriate direction the rest of the day. Nope. He wasn’t going there. She was someone he was working with and he would respect that professional relationship regardless of what his treacherous brain might have to say about it.

He pulled out the Holo and answered it. It was one of the newer soldiers in the fort. He’d met him in the Cantina a couple weeks before. People got to know each other in a fort like this, or at least recognize those who were here frequently. The soldier apparently was dealing with some situation down at the gate. “We’re not sure if she’s a Sep or a Refugee or what, claims she works for your boss. Could you come down to the gate for an ID.” It wasn’t a completely uncommon request. Every now and then, someone would show up claiming they were working for the boss and he’d have to go down and verify that he’d never seen them before and they weren’t on the payroll. He was hoping that this time it’d be Leikael returning and that she hadn’t died on that island.

His hope turned out correct as he approached the Fort wall and saw her standing there blocked by three guards. She was swaying and seemed to be avoiding putting weight on one leg. She was soaked, covered in blood and mud, with torn clothes and he could see at least 2 blaster wounds from where he was, there were probably more hidden, she really didn’t look in good shape, but she was alive, that was what was important. Everything else could heal. He quickly stepped over. “Hey there, Captain, looks like ya made it back in one piece.” He looked over to the soldier who’d called him “She’s with us.” They nodded and stepped aside as Leikael started limping forwards. Corso stepped forward, she must be more injured then he’d thought. He reached over and helped take some of her weight. “Let’s get you to the medcenter. Things must have gotten rough.”

She laughed quietly, but there was a strained, hollow quality to it. “Ya, well, that drop from the bridge didn’t do me any favors either.”

Corso looked down at her a little shocked, “Ya jumped off the bridge?”

“It was that or the kriffing beachfront shooting gallery.”

He sighed, “ Guess that’d be the better option then, shoulda gone with ya though.”

This got an actual smile out of her. “Didn’t need backup, got out alive and that’s good enough.” They reached the medcenter and by this point, Corso was practically carrying her, she seemed to be having a lot of trouble walking. He left her in the care of the med droid and promised to let Viidu know she was back and if she needed help getting back to the warehouse, he was just a call away. He moved quickly back to the warehouse, the boss would want to know that Leikael was back and he still had a few things to take care of before he was done for the day. Best to get them out of the way, seemed like things were getting even more unpredictable then they’d been before she’d shown up. At least he wouldn’t be getting bored soon.

Leikael laid back on the bed in the medbay as the med droids fussed at her. A few doses of kolto and some bandages and she was almost good to go. The cut on her face wouldn’t even scar, which was nice, she already had one prominent scar there, another one probably would make it worse. The only one causing real trouble was the thigh wound, but she had a pressure bandage on and it wasn’t deep. Another few minutes for the kolto to finish sealing the wound and she’d be good to walk, by morning she’d probably be able to run, it’d hurt, but that was what pain hypos and stims were for. She sighed and tried to relax, but even as tired as she was, she still hated med centers and wasn’t really made to sit still. She could really only relax on her baby, and the Siren was no closer to being found then she was yesterday. At least, she wasn’t stuck there much longer and as soon as she was given the all clear, she was allowed to change out of her ruined clothes. She didn’t have many clean clothes left. She hadn’t packed for a long stay. She limped carefully to the warehouse and tried to mask her limp as much as she could, nobody else needed to know she was injured. She thought she managed it fairly well and was nearly back to her cocky, sarcastic self by the time she arrived.

Though, she figured out real quick when she arrived that the warehouse workers here were just as boorish as anywhere else. Some of them had cornered Syreena and clearly weren’t backing off. She rolled her eyes, of course they had to do this while she still needed Viidu’s help so she couldn’t just shoot them. But breaking a nose or two, she could probably get away with that, but they needed to move away from Syreena first. She was quick though, so she wandered over and leaned against a crate, making sure Syreena saw her, and as soon as the man speaking to her ‘Brocko’ or something stupid, noticed her, she spun a quick tale about Rogun. She’d been around enough to know how things worked when a gangster took over somebody’s operations. To the victors go the spoils and unfortunately in the underworld that included everything and everyone involved in any operation. Of course, her little tale sounded just enough like truth that they stepped back and started moving away. She stepped in front of Brocko as he moved beyond an arms reach of Syreena. “Listen up, space ape, you go after her again and it won’t be Rogun or Viidu you’ll be running from.” She punctuated her statement with a fast, hard punch to the face. He stumbled back into one of his buddies and when another moved toward her, she took him down with a well aimed kick. She stepped past them and took Syreena’s arm, leading her away as she called over her shoulder. “Let that be a lesson, you’re lucky I didn’t feel like shooting you today.” They moved over to the stairs and Leikael took a moment to make sure that Syreena was ok, they chatted for a moment and she sent the girl ahead of her while she watched the guys limp away, sending angry glares back at her. She returned them with her best self satisfied smirk and when they vanished from sight, deeper into the warehouse, she turned and headed upstairs herself.

The meeting went pretty quick, with Viidu clearly relieved to see her after how long she’d been gone. She handed over the data so his people could start going through it and he said he had a plan for the next day when she was healed up. She’d smiled and agreed to meet first thing in the morning and tanked Corso for his help. A few minutes later, she was heading to the Cantina for a meal and a drink. Her leg was still throbbing, if not nearly as bad and she’d need something to help her relax, even as tired as she was, there was something about almost dying that left her wired. Well that and not having her own space.

Of course she didn’t have the energy for dancing that night, so she just sat at the cantina bar and tried to ignore the pain from the various injuries. Jumping off that bridge was turning into a worse idea by the hours and she couldn’t afford to take more pain hypos right then since she needed to save them for the next day. The bartender and waitress were different then they’d been the previous night, but that was expected, probably too many people for what jobs were available. After an hour or two, she’s feeling pretty good and started to consider heading back when the bartender made his way over and started talking. They chatted for a couple minutes before he asked her name, but as soon as she said it, his face changed, becoming more somber. “Shabre eh? Any relation to Tov, Zesr or Nodeu Shabre?”

She had to admit, she was surprised to hear her cousins names. She hadn’t spoken to them since she was 6 and honestly thought they were off planet. Figured any survivors would have left quick after the war ended. “Yeah, my cousins, haven't talked in years though, why?”

If he could look more serious, he would have. “You haven’t heard then? Sorry to break the bad news to ya, but they were hit by Seps last week. They were holding the siege on Talloran when Seps hit their units. All three went down in the fight.”

She blinked slowly. Her mind racing to try and catch up. Sure, for the longest time, Nats had been her only family. They had no contact with the rest of the family and by the time they could, they didn’t know how anymore. But still, it… it hurt. She’d thought she was past this. No family left but Nats, everyone but the cousins dead and the cousins so distant at that point, they might have well been strangers, but now they were gone and she’d never got to tell them she was alive, or that she was free, or that she had a ship. She’d never even gotten to say goodbye to them. She was now truly alone. No blood left but Nats. Her cousins were gone. She swallowed hard, feeling the tears she’d held back the last few days threatening the corners of her eyes with this new wave of tears that wanted to flow. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried to compose herself. “Thank...thank you for telling me” Her head suddenly felt too heavy and fell forward to rest her forehead in her hand. “Damn it. Kriffing Seperatists… Kriffing stupid planet. Force-Damn it.”

The bar-tender clearly had experience with people processing the loss of family. There were too many lost on the once peaceful, mostly farming world. He simply patted her shoulder and poured her another drink. She stared at it for a moment before downing the whole thing. She ended up sitting at the bar for another couple hours, many of those around her had heard the conversation and she’d had more than a few of them send her sympathy drinks. Eventually, she just had enough of people and just wanted to get away. She took a breath and forced herself to her feet and dragged herself back to the warehouse, maybe Corso would let her crash on that camping kit, she wasn’t going to just assume he’d give her the bed again. Of course, the man was.... Was something… couldn’t think what. He’d just seen her, smiled, shook his head at her getting drunk again and simply reminded her to put her blasters up before insisting she take the bed and rolling the camping pads out in front of the door again. Once again, making sure she was safe without her asking him to or even seeming to expect something for it. She couldn’t figure him out. Ugh, no more thinking for her, thinking hurt too much. Everything hurt too much today. She lay in the dark and tried to sleep, but sleep just wouldn’t come.

Eventually, she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore and they started leaking out. No matter how tightly she squeezed her eyes, she couldn’t stop them. She hadn’t cried in ages, but everything all together was just too much. Her shoulders started to shake and quiet sobs choked out, barely audible, but still loud enough to hear in the dead stillness of night. She heard rustling and the bed dipped as someone sat down and a hand gently rested on her shoulder. “Hey, hey, shhh, what’s wrong?” Corso said, softly and a bit awkwardly, gently rubbing her shoulder. Of course, she’d woken him, but she just couldn’t give a damn just then. She couldn’t care much about anything. “What happened tonight?”

She forced herself to sit up and leaned back against the wall. He was very close to her in the small bed and hadn’t put a shirt on when he’d gotten up. In any other situation, she might have noticed more, but she just hurt too much. She felt so lost and alone and scared and honestly gutted with everything over the last few days. “Sorry, stress and alcohol make me weepy, didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I know. Are you gonna be ok? You’ve been up to a lot last couple days”

“Yeah, I just almost died today, and I make a point to avoid that and I couldn’t and it hurt pretty bad, and my ship is my home, its...it’s everything and now she’s gone and I don’t know if I’ll manage to get her back, and I don’t like being here, I really hate this planet, and if all that wasn’t enough, I just found out that the last of my cousins were killed last week and I didn’t know and I never got to....” She choked off as a fresh round of tears overwhelmed her.

She felt the bed shift and an arm wrapped around her shoulders. “That’s hard, I know what it’s like to lose family. You learn to live eventually, but that doesn’t make it hurt less.” Maybe it was the alcohol, no, she was absolutely going to blame everything on the alcohol. But those words, soft and quiet and heartfelt, they let her finally break and she sobbed. Turning into him and wrapping her arms around his chest as she finally broke down and cried out all the pain she’d been carrying, her family, her ship, almost dying, how alone she felt, everything poured out as tears streamed down her cheeks and she shook in his arms. He didn’t say anything else, just quietly held her as she sobbed. At some point they shifted, so they were more comfortable, as the tears just kept flowing. Eventually, the tears stopped at they both drifted off, neither was really aware of when that happened. The night and Leikael’s tears creating a heavy blanket of quiet surrounding them in that moment.

#my writing #stolen home #leikael shabre #fanfics #the smuggler and the farmboy #corso riggs #swtor #natamai shabre

7 notes · View notes