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Mao's fingers hurt. His knuckles are red and the only pair of gloves he owns are fingerless. He hates blowing his spending money on Trickstar costumes that he'll only wear once, when he could be buying things he actually needs. Like, he doesn't know, gloves maybe.
He lets his hair, as rouge as his ice-bitten cheeks, fall messily into his face. Japan is cold during this time of the year, and Mother Nature for some reason enjoys giving Mao the finger with her unrelenting bellows of cold winter air. He blows onto his numbing hands before outright pounding on the door in front of his face.
He's cold. He's hungry. And Ritsu is late.
"Isara…!" Rei looks surprised when he answers, but his features soften into his usual languid expression soon afterwards. "Isara-Kun." He says Mao's name again, like he hadn't said it right the first time. "Ritsu is asleep."
"Could you please wake him up?" Mao knows he's basically asking for Rei to be clawed at by Ritsu for waking him, but he doesn't really feel like being pulled into bed like last time. His hair tickles his face as it sways when he tilts his head.
Rei smiles a half of a smile that only drunks, gamblers, and con artists give. It's hereditary. He thinks, shoving his hands into the pockets of his olive green trench coat.
"Do you want to come inside?"
"No…" Mao answers Rei slowly, very slowly because he's cold. He's absolutely freezing.
Rei steps aside, and that shatters Mao's resolve quickly, his body breezing past Rei before he can even formally invite him with a 'Come in.'
He doesn't feel like unlacing his shoes, so he opts for sitting on the step where the carpet begins. Rei shakes his head, stepping out of his slippers and uttering a small 'He'll be down in a minute.' Mao verbally thanks him, rubbing his still-chilly fingers together and blowing on them again.
The Sakuma house is surprisingly traditional, with a touch of modern decor. A picture catches his emerald eyes. Ritsu, he thinks, hair as short as it is now but thick and framing his face, round from youth, with a set of big red eyes to match his childishly wide smile. Mao snorts.
He's missing teeth in random places, except for his canines, those are as sharp as ever, but strangely big for his small baby face.
Mao hears a distant laugh; it's more of an anguished forced sound in the form of a chuckle. Rei. Mao thinks, his posture straightening on impulse.
"And stay out shitty Aniki!"
Ritsu. Mao thinks, sighing.
A minute or two roll by and Rei's back downstairs, surprisingly unscathed despite the commotion.
"I told him you were here. I guess he was angry about getting a face full of his Oniichan and not his beautiful princess~"
Mao blinks, his cheeks tinting pink as he looks down and away from the older male in front of him,"He's late… That's his punishment." Is all he manages to get out, his gaze darting up to meet Rei's before retreating back down to his lap.
That ignorant half smile. Mao only got a glance, but he could see it as clear as still water.
Rei tilts his chin up and manages a soft laugh. Why is he so handsome? Mao finds himself wondering, emerald eyes watching Rei disappear into the fluorescent lighting of the kitchen.
"That's pretty gross, Maakun."
Mao turns to face his childhood friend, his smile sardonic and his hair mussed. The redhead smacks his teeth, turning away with a blush,"I don't know what you're talking about Ricchan."
"You know."
Ritsu is still smiling, but when Mao looks at him his nose is scrunched, eyes slanted as if he's smelled something horrid.
There's this moment of silence between the both of them, ruby red piercing into a hard green. Their eyes exchange more words than their lips ever could, and to Mao's surprise, Ritsu looks away first.
"You know how I feel about Anija."
"Ah," Mao nods, and now it's his turn to look away. "I know your circumstances, you don't have to act like you hate him around me you know."
"Who says I'm acting?"
The older boy stifles a chuckle when Mao shakes his head,"…Listen… Maakun…" Ritsu's voice is calm but serious, a tone the redhead has only learned to get used to hearing on stage.
"I know how you feel about Anij—"
"I'm hungry."
Mao and Ritsu are staring at each other again, the raven haired male's lips cracking out into a smile when he sees how flushed his friend's face is. Mao isn't the type to evade issues, but Ritsu is one of his best friends, he'll understand.
Just this once… Mao doesn't want to deal with it.