Reki woke up slowly, noticing a warm presence holding his hand and every once in a while warm lips on his cheek. Once he was awake enough to keep his eyes open and sit up he looked over and saw Langa.

The blue haired boy looked over at him and immediatly smiled sadly, "hey baby..." He said as he tucked a piece of Reki's red hair behind his ear.

"Hi.." Reki said, avoiding eye contact. He wasn't sure why. He felt nervous. He didn't want to tell him what happened. He didn't want him to feel bad or worry.

Langa took his hand and pulled up Reki's chin, "hey. I love you." He was teary eyed, "and don't you ever forget that okay."

Reki sniffled, holding back tears. He tried to wipe his nose but found that an oxygen mask was in the way. Soon tears were flowing down his face.

He took off the mask and pulled Langa into a kiss. In front of everyone. His sister sat there with her jaw dropped, somehow she hadn't figured out that the boy Reki had been sneaking out to go skate with was this kid.

Langa heald the back of Reki's greasy red hair and heald the kiss. They broke off and Langa wiped the tears off of Reki's face.

"I love you too." The red haired boy mumbled. His leg was in a thigh high, straight, red cast. He was in a hospital gown but he felt his chest wrapped in soft bandages. There were tubes going into his arm from a pole.

Langa sat next to him and continued to comb his fingers through his hair while they sat there in comfortable silence.

"Hey I got you a new headband." Langa said after a few minutes. Reki looked over, the oxygen mask back on his face.

"Oh! I see you saw my new bald spot." Reki joked darkly, taking the headband. It was a dark blue with a fun design on it, a nice change from the worn black one he found in the women's section at Walmart.

Langa laughed awkwardly, aware of the spot but unaware of how it happened.

"how did that happen?" He asked.

"My dad decided it was a good idea to ✨throw me across the room by my hair✨" Reki said, trying not to remember everything that came after that. He felt exhausted.

"Oh no. Well that wasn't very nice of him was it." Langa said sadly. Reki almost smiled, "you have no idea."

"You're right, I don't. I'm sorry I can't help you more." Langa said. He was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed.

Reki grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him down next to him, "it's okay. Does it look good on me?" He asked. Langa smiled at the way the new headband heald back his floppy red hair, "it looks great."

Joe walked over to them, "can I talk to Reki alone for a minute?" He asked. Langa nodded and climbed out of bed.

"What?" Reki asked curiously, sad that his heat source was gone. Hospital blankets were literally just thin white sheets.

Joe knelt down at his eye level, "what are we gonna do? I can't send you back home, but if we get legal people involved something bad will happen..?" Be asked, not know the extent of what "bad" meant.

Reki looked at him seriously, "he said he would- he said he would kill us." Joe's eyes widened.

"It's not safe for you to stay there anymore." Joe said, "so what can we do?"

Reki sighed, bringing his hands up to his face and pushing his palms into his eye sockets, "I don't know." He said shakily.

"I- don't know. I don't know what to do anymore." He said. "Hey. It's okay, we are gonna figure something out." Joe said.

"I can stay at a homeless shelter by myself but my sister's need to be somewhere safer." Reki said. Joe shook his head, "no. You are in a cast with what sounds like an extremely broken leg, you can't walk let alone defend yourself."

Reki glanced at his cast, then back at Joe.

"Look. Maybe you guys could stay with me and cherry for a while-" Joe said. Reki heald back a laugh, "dang I knew y'all were dating but I didn't know you lived together." Reki said.

Simultaneously the two men flashed their wedding rings on their left ring fingers; they had done it from across the room at that phrase, without even realizing they were in sync.

Reki smiled a little.

Langa piped in, "Reki if you need a place to stay for a few days I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind having you guys over. She loves company."

Reki nodded slowly, "if you don't mind. That would be wonderful."

"And we are in the same neighborhood so if you need to go back then it's not a big deal." Langa said. Joe nodded, "okay. That sounds like a good plan. One of these nights you all should come to the restaurant and I'll cook you all up a good meal on the house."

Reki smiled a bit, "thank you. All of you. You're so amazing for helping us out."

Cherry had been playing with the twins for the past 6 hours they had been in the emergency room, he was a natural with kids. (surprisingly)

His sister was fast asleep in the hospital bed next to him. He was glad she was getting the rest she deserved.

Langa looked up from his phone after a few minutes, "my mom said it's fine. She's working on the guest bedroom right now, we have some extra mattresses." He smiled.

Reki smiled back at him, "thank you."

•••

Later that night, Reki and his sister's went to Langa's house. They were warmly welcomed by Langa's mom with a big dinner, even though it was very late, around 1am now. She knew they hadn't eaten.

Reki and his sister stared at the table in awe while the twins shoveled food in their mouths.

Reki smiled to himself and made his plate before eating. He ate until he was full.

"I'm stuffed." He said. The twins had fallen asleep with their heads on the table.

Reki wheeled himself backward and grabbed one of the twins, flinching as he sat her on his lap. Langa's mom rushed over, "here kiddo, let me take them." Reki looked up as she heald the twins, "thank you." He said.

Langa's mom shook her head, "no problem sweety that's what I'm here for."

Reki was slightly in awe at her kindness. His parents had never been as loving and kind as she was, even before they started to fight all the time. They weren't as nice as Langa's mom even before they started fighting.

The twins and his sister's went off to the guest bedroom, Reki himself was exhausted. Langa elbowed him lightly, "you're sleeping in my room."

Reki felt his face go beet red, "uh- Langa, I'm not sure I'm ready for-" Langa realized his mistake and felt his face flush red as well, "I DIDNT MEAN IT LIKE THAT-"

They both burst out laughing. Langa's mom walked in, looking clueless to what was so funny.

"Are you two ready for bed?" Langa's mom asked calmly. Langa was surprised, usually she would be freaking out a little at this point. She knew she tried hard to keep it subtle, even though it never worked well, so he just pretended not to notice.

Langa looked to Reki and Reki nodded, "I'm exhausted." It was nearly 2am.

"Okay. Sleep well. Let me know if you need anything and I'll help you out okay? And by the way, niether of you are going to school tommorow. Goodnight." She said.

"Goodnight mom." Langa said.

"Gnight Mrs. Hasegawa. Thank you so much. For everything. " Reki said.

Langa wheeled Reki to his room, there was a separate mattress set up. Langa helped Reki out of the wheelchair and onto a mattress, they propped his broken leg up onto a pillow.

The moment their heads hit their pillows they were fast asleep. One of them a little longer than the other.

It was about 4am when Reki jerked awake, deep in sobs. He felt like he couldn't breath, the room was spinning around him. He was overwhelmingly nauseous. He was terrified.

In less than a moment Langa was by his side, "hey. I'm right here, it was just a dream it's gonna be okay."

Reki looked forward, his eyes wide in panic. One hand was over his mouth and one was clutching his stomach.

"I can't breath." Reki wheezed. Panic was taking over his body. "My mom'll be here soon. It'll pass soon." Langa tried.

"I don't feel safe." Reki said, "c-can you turn-" he could finish his sentence before sobs took over his words, but Langa understood. He got up and turned on the lights. The corners weren't dark anymore.

Mrs. Hasegawa peeked in the door, "hey it's me." Her voice was comforting. Langa and his mom knelt beside Reki.

"Do you wanna try breathing with me?" Mrs. Hasegawa offered.

Reki shrugged, he was out of it.

"Let's try it okay kiddo? Doesn't hurt not to." She said. They tried for a few moments.

"I can't." Reki voiced, tears were streaming down his cheeks, "I feel scared and it won't go away." He sobbed.

"Hey. That's okay. Itll go away in a few minutes a I promise." Mrs. Hasegawa said. She turned to Langa.

"Sweety could you go grab that one icepack?" She asked. Langa nodded and jogged off to get it. He was back quickly with a soft sided ice pack, he knelt beside Reki.

"Here, put the soft side on your neck. The cold distracts your senses and helps you calm down." Langa said. Reki took it with shaky hands, tears dripping off his chin and onto his shirt.

He put it on his neck and focused on the cold. After a few minutes, with the help of the icepack and holding Langa's hand, he was calmed to merely a few hiccups.

Langa rubbed his thumb over the back of Reki's hand. "Are you ready to go back to bed?" Reki shook his head, "no. I don't wanna go back to bed." Ms. Hasegawa had gone back to bed a few minutes ago.

"Do you wanna come sleep next to me." Langa offered innocently. Reki smiled, still holding the ice pack to his neck, "I'm convinced that deep down you just wanna see my big dick."

He watched with glee as Langa turned bright red. "Not right now." Langa said.

Reki laughed, "are you admitting that you have imagined my big d before?"

"Yes. Now do you want to cuddle or no." Langa said, trying to shut down the topic.

"We can try but I dunno this cast isn't very fun to sleep with." Reki said.

"Ah we'll wrap it up in a blanket and prop it up on a pillow and I'll hug your top half." Langa said, scooping Reki up and gently plopping him on the bed.

Langa took his shirt off and hopped into bed. Reki smiled and poked his belly.

"HeyyyY" langa laughed, poking Reki back lightly. Reki smiled and let Langa engulf him in a hug. They both fell asleep for the rest of the night.

At around noon the next day Reki woke up next to Langa, who was drowsy, but awake.

"Hey your finally awake." He said. Reki nodded, "yeah."

"You need a shower." Langa said. Reki laughed, "I know." His smile faded a bit and his eyebrows furrowed as aches came from his leg and and aching stabbing pain pointed all over his back.

Langa helped him sit up. The redheaded boy cringed in pain, "ow."

"Sorry." Langa said. Reki gave him a nice kiss on the chin, "it's okay. Lemme just get to my wheelchair and then I can go take it."

Soon enough Reki was outside of the bedroom, the twins were still asleep.

His sister was eating her breakfast slowly. Reki looked suprised when there was bacon, waffles, and apple juice on the table ready for him.

"Good morning Reki. Make sure you take your medicine this morning." She put the pills next to his plate. He wasn't hungry.

He wheeled himself over to the table and took the medicine with the sickeningly sweet apple juice. He felt nauseous.

"I'm not very hungry right now, I'm sorry." He said, putting the apple juice down while watching Langa shovel waffles dripping with syrup into his mouth.

He just sat there quietly, thinking about what he was gonna do next. His thoughts came zipping to a quick end as a knock on the door sounded through the cozy house.

Ms. Hasegawa got up to answer it, she could tell the Kyan kids were tense, "it's probably just a package, I got it don't worry."

She opened the door only to find Reki's mom standing at the door. "Hey. Have you seen Reki and his sister's? We have some tense arguments at our house and they havnt come home this time. I'm very worrie-"

She spotted her kids from behind Ms. Hasegawa. "oh! They are here. Thank God." She breathed a breath of relief.

Reki was frozen in place. He didn't wanna go home. Langa was looking towards the door as well.

Ms. Hasegawa looked anxious, "may I... Talk to you for a minute? Outside?"

Reki's mother nodded nervously, "yes.."

The two stepped outside. "Is it safe for you and your kids to be living in your household?" She asked.

"Of course!! My husband can be rather violent at times but he always means well." Reki's mom said, "it's nothing to worry about."

Ms. Hasegawa's eyebrows furrowed, "do you know how Reki broke his leg?"

"His leg is broken? Oh my does he have a cast is he okay?" Reki's mom worried. Langa's mom sat there confused, she was there? Why didn't she know about it?

"Were you not there when it happened?" She asked.

Reki's mother shook her head politely, "no I left because he needed some space to cool off. The kids were in their bedrooms they were fine."

"I don't think it's safe for you or your kids to be staying with your hus-" she began. But Reki's mom interupted her with loud yelling, "YOU WILL NOT TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY KIDS. MY HOUSEHOLD MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN YOURS BUT AT LEAST I HAVE A HUSBAND."

Langa's mom stood there in shock. Behind the closed front door Langa was frozen in place, teary eyed.

Reki was paused from tugging Langa's sleeve and staring at the door, agape.

His sister's mouth hung open, mid waffle bite, the half eaten food hanging loosely in her fingers.

"Langa I'm so sorry she's not the best person. Don't listen to her." Reki tried to say, but the damage had been done to the little blue haired family. Tears were dripping down their faces, both framed with blue hair.

Langa silently left to his bedroom, closing the door behind him, Reki called out after him. But it was too late before his mom burst into the house and took them all home.

"home."