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On Cowardice & Fake Boyfriends

Summary:

Shortly after starting college, Langa’s new rich stepdad decides to arrange for him to marry his boss’s daughter. Langa asks Reki to pretend to be his boyfriend, to show he’s already taken and can’t marry her. But the proponents of the marriage really have their hearts set on it, and won’t give up that easily.
Is Reki going to have to marry Langa to get them to leave him alone? Well, Reki really wouldn’t mind that too much… He's been pining after Langa since high school. But Langa came out as ace, making Reki think he had no chance. Misunderstandings abound.

Notes:

Hello All, I'm continuing to write completely overdone tropes for fun! Hope you enjoy them!

Chapter 1: Innate Coward

Chapter Text

The college campus was blooming with cherry blossoms; there were young couples holding hands everywhere; the sunset lit up the distant ocean and made it glow like a bright blue jewel.

This scenery, this moment… if only Reki could take Langa’s hand and say how he felt. Langa, walking right there in front of him, back to their dorm. Slightly taller, perfect silky blue hair waving in the breeze. Ass looking really good in those jeans…

If only Reki could grab his wrist and spin him around and say “Langa, I’ve loved you since the day I met you. Please, be with me for infinity, as more than friends.”

But Reki was an innate coward, too afraid of rejection to say anything. Reki looked down at the ground, bumping into Langa when he stopped walking. He looked back up to see why he had stopped.

“Sorry,” Langa said with his adorable accent, “I just thought it was a really pretty day. With the sakuras and ocean… I was looking around.”

“Oh, that’s okay. Sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“The campus is really beautiful today, I can’t blame you.”

“You’re really beautiful…” Reki sighed quietly.

“What?”

“Let’s go back to our dorm.”

Their beds were across from each other on either side of the room. A desk was next to both of them, and in the middle a little loveseat and TV.

It was decorated, of course, completely with skate merch and memorabilia, with a few pictures of friends and family here or there.

Reki loved it, and loved sharing a room with Langa. He was pretty sure Langa enjoyed it too, especially since during high school he was always home alone. Now he always had Reki to keep him company.

And Reki relished in getting to be so close to Langa. It’s not like they were ever anything but clingy, but living together meant Reki was always touching, hanging on, or cuddled up with Langa.

Their little loveseat in the middle of the room, where they watched TV or played video games, was Reki’s favorite place to be. If Langa was there, with him, anyway. What little extra space there was on the loveseat was ignored, and they would sit right up against each other.

Sometimes one would fall asleep on the other’s shoulder, and that was fine. Sometimes their hands would touch and they’d leave them there, just resting on each other. And that was fine, too.

All the closeness was a little hard on Reki, though. Every time he wanted to take it further. He wanted to hold Langa’s hand or caress him gently or kiss him passionately.

He always had to hold himself back, always a hair’s breadth away from ruining everything by losing control and professing his undying love.

It wasn’t that Reki didn’t think he had any chance, it was that he knew he didn’t. Langa had told him he thought he was asexual one night in high school. It broke Reki’s heart, but he knew he had to be supportive. Thinking of his own unrequited love was selfish.

Eventually, he actually looked into asexuality, and found out that some asexual people are not a romantic and indeed, still wanted relationships. 

A flame in his heart was lit again, and he wondered which Langa was. He tried to read him, tried to figure it out, but ultimately couldn’t. And he was too afraid to ask (innate coward.)

So, now, he was stuck wondering if Langa would even consider dating him; or if Langa was off the market for good. At a crossroads or seeing if it could go further, or just hiding in the corner staying friends. He, of course, had stuck with the latter the past couple years (innate coward.)

So, being such a coward, Reki was surprised at what he did.

Reki was getting back from a class and Langa’s mother, Nanako, was over at their dorm, having a heated discussion with Langa.

First, Reki was going to turn around, go somewhere else. But, for whatever reason, he instead leaned against the door to listen in. Something made him curious.

“Akito has made plenty of sacrifices for us, Langa!” Nanako shouted.

“For you, maybe. I barely know him. And he wants me to do this for him? Hell no!”

“He is your stepfather, Langa, you will respect him. And it’s not like you were ever going to marry on your own accord.”

Marry?! Reki thought. Langa’s stepdad wants him to do what, exactly?

“I’m not marrying some girl just so ‘dad’ can get some stocks or whatever.”

“It’s a higher up position in the company, Langa. It would be very lucrative.”

“You never cared about that stuff before you met Akito. You’ve changed, Mom.” Langa said venomously.

“People do change, Langa. For instance, maybe this girl will grow on you, and you can change,”

“There’s nothing wrong with how I am. It doesn’t need to change.”

“You changed for… him .” 

“That’s different. He’s special.”

“But he’s never going to return your feelings. If he was, don’t you think he would have by now?”

“But–”

“So, you should just say yes to this arranged marriage, and let the girl grow on you. You don’t have anyone else–”

“I do! We’re dating now!”

“You only care about him, and he’s–”

“Reki is my boyfriend now!”

“He is?” Nanako sounded very surprised.

“Yes. Reki, Reki’s my boyfriend now, so I can’t agree to this marriage, even if I wanted to.”

Reki probably looked like his jaw was dropped to the floor. Did he miss something? Langa was lying. He never lied… it must be really important to him to get out of this arranged marriage.

But why did he pick Reki to be his “boyfriend?” Maybe he expects Reki to play along? Of course he would. Will. Whatever Langa needs. Reki rarely heard him sound so upset.

But briefly, so fast he almost missed it, it seemed like Nanako brought up some mysterious “he” that Langa “changed” for. What was that about? Does Langa… like someone else?!

It felt like hot pokers stabbed through his heart. Reki truly believed if Langa ever liked anyone, it would be him. He never considered being rejected because there was someone else.

But that wasn’t what was important right now, it was that Langa was in trouble and Reki needed to help him.

He opened the door, cutting off whatever Nanako was saying.

“Hello, Hasegawa-san, Langa.” 

He walked over to Langa and kissed him on the cheek.

“Missed you,” he said sing-song.

“I… I missed you too.” Langa said with uncertainty.

“I guess you’re not lying, Langa.” Nanako said, putting her hands on her hips. “Well, though I’m disappointed our plans fell through, I am happy for you Langa. I wish you well.”

She blew a kiss and then left out of the door Reki had left open.

Langa looked at Reki agape. “You saved my life, dude.”

“It’s no problem.” Reki brushed it off.

“No, seriously, I don’t know how much you heard but… Oh god, how much did you hear?”

“I came in when your mom said something about your stepdad making sacrifices for you.”

“Oh god. So you heard that I–”

“Like someone? Yeah… I guess I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me. But I understand. It must be confusing for you…”

Langa stared at Reki, like he was thinking a million things at once. Reki looked away awkwardly.

“If you ever want to talk about it…” Reki shrugged.

Langa shook his head. “You think I like someone else…?”

“Yeah, that’s what your mom said, right?”

“...how do you feel about that?”

“Uh… it’s fine? Of course I don’t care. You’re my best friend. I support you no matter what.”

Why did Langa look completely dejected? Like he just got a knife through the heart?

“Are you okay?”

“Ye-yes. I like someone else.”

Now Reki felt the blade in his chest, but he hid it from Langa.

“Cool, cool. I didn’t think you’d ever like anyone.”

“There was no way I couldn’t like him.” Langa said sadly.

“You sound like… it didn’t work out or something.”

Langa shook his head.

“Oh… I’m sorry. That sucks.”

Langa’s phone rang and he sighed deeply before hitting answer.

“What?” Langa said after answering.

Reki heard shouting on the other end of the line.

“What do you mean we’re faking it?... Mom knows, ask her about it… You’re being completely ridiculous… God, hang on.”

“Reki?” 

“Um, yeah?”

“Will you come to our house during holiday break to ‘prove’ we’re dating?”

“Yeah, man, of course.”

“Really? Thank you…”

“He said fine,” Langa shouted into the phone. “So we’ll see you then. Bye!"