[Team 1] Yeti in a Hawaiian Shirt

~1000 words of Sk8 Renga fic, Langa has a ~mysterious secret~

Langa woke up alone.

Of course.

Reki would never want to—

“Oh good, you’re awake!”

Langa turned, meeting amber eyes and a bright, cherry grin.

“And you changed back!” Reki continued, “Good! I just went and grabbed a waterbottle cause of th heat but I was worried about how I was gonna carry you home… Or how I could explain it? Would you be too big to be a carnival prize? Maybe a foreign mascot? Or a really fluffy sweater?”

“In this heat?” Langa sat up, feeling something fall to his lap.

Oh, his shirt.

Reki let out a noise that sounded like somewhere between a screech and a groan before his face turned red and he hurriedly turned around, tossing the waterbottle behind him towards Langa. “Dude! Put your clothes on!”

Langa caught the bottle. It was nice and cool. “Oh. Okay.”

Langa put his clothes on slowly, lost in thought. Reki didn’t run away? Did scream?

Didn’t call Langa a monster?

It had been instinctual to catch Reki in his arms, the redhead having fallen off his skateboard after hitting a pebble. But he only had a moment to process what was happening before—

Pop!

He was suddenly dying in the Okinawan heat, more so than usual, as fur covered him head to toe. His fangs poked out of his mouth and his everything became a little muffled as fur covered his ears. His horns ached a little more than usual.

Especially as Reki’s momentum caused Langa to fall over as well and he hit his head hard on the sidewalk.

And between that and the sudden heat, Langa had passed out. Only to wake up on a bench, so Reki must have dragged him over and somehow lifted him.

“So is that like… a Canadian puberty thing?” Reki asked, turning cautiously to see if Langa had put his clothes back on. And Langa had mostly done so, though he still needed to button his shirt. “Do all Canadians turn into… fur monsters?”

“Um… I don’t think so?” His dad hadn’t mentioned that this happened in other families. Just theirs. “I think it’s just our— my dad’s family.”

‘Oh?” Reki took a seat beside him on the bench.

“Yeah,” Langa picked up the bottle squeezing it into his hands. “It’s like… a family curse or something. When we’re hugged by someone, we transform.”

“So… your dad was a fur monster too?”

“A yeti,” Langa corrected before shaking his head. “No… the transformation can be a little random. Dad turned into a bear.”

“Oh?” Reki’s voice did that high pitched thing again that always brought a smile to Langa’s face. Today was no exception. “Wait… what was that thing you said in class the other day? That you were really good at out running bears?”

“It was a game we’d play,” Langa said.

“Dude, seriously?”

“Dad said it was good practice.”

Reki burst into laughter, trying to cover it unsuccessfully behind his hand. “You must have been such a cute baby yeti.”

“Hmmm.” Langa wasn’t so sure. His mom thought he was pretty cute. But… she was his mom.

“You’re not… weirded out?”

The question escaped Langa’s mouth before he had even truely thought it. But, now he desperately wanted to know. This was a bit bigger than just being Canadian. Or being habitually reckless. Or being gay. What if this was the straw that broke the camels back with Reki?

“Of that? Nah,” Reki shrugged. “I mean, it is weird. But it’s not like… it doesn’t make me feel weird? If that makes sense. It’s just unusual, but you’re the most unique guy I know, so…”

Reki trailed off with a blush and another shrug. “Besides. Maybe it’s more common than you realize? I think Koyomi was watching an anime about it the other day? The characters turn into members of the zodiac or something.”

“Yeah I don’t think that show is a documentary.”

“You never know!” Reki laughed. “But dude, seriously, it’s okay. You don’t… have to be scared. I’m not weirded out, I’m not mad. I’m just worried. Okinawan heat is not good for all that fur.”

“No kidding.” Langa finally opened the water bottle and took a long sip. “Mom and I talked about it before. But I told her it’d be fine. And we usually keep the apartment pretty chill.”

“I noticed,” Reki shifvered and curled inward, as if remembering the cold temperatures.

Langa longed to wrap an arm around him to warm him up, but hesitated due to the face that if he did, he’d be stuck in yeti form again.

And it was hot.

“Actually can…” Reki trailed off, a blush staining his cheeks again. “Can i— never mind.”

“What?” Langa tilted his head.

“It’s just, uh…” Reki laughed nervously. “Can I see your yeti form again? I, uh, didn’t get a great look since I was surprised at the time, and— Sorry, that probably sounds weird.”

“Uh…” Was it weird? Langa wasn’t sure. But it didn’t sound weird to him. “Sure… but maybe at home?”

“Oh yeah,” Reki laughed again, a little high pitched. “The heat and all.”

“Yeah, but… I know Japan likes their mascots, but I don’t think a Yeti fits in with the Okinawa… vibe?” Langa wasn’t sure if he was using that word correctly.

“Oh! Right.” Reki grinned, rubbing the back of his head. “Oh, do you have a comb too? I just… I notice your fur was a little tangled. That can’t be comfortable. I can help you brush it out!”

Langa groaned, probably sounding like his yeti form. He hated brushing his fur. It was all knots.

Reki’s laughter calmed him a bit though and he found himself not getting too irritated.

Clapping the back of his shoulder, Reki offered up a large grin. “Don’t be such a fur-baby, it’ll be fine!”

Next up is knittenkitten! your line is "don't be such a fur-baby, it'll be fine!"