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“Ritsu.”
“Maa~kun.”
“Ritsu—“
“Maa-kun.”
“Riiiiitsuuuu, what.”
“Maa-kunnn.”
“....Ritchan.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Ritsu grins and blushes. Warm, he feels so warm all over for once, Mao notices about Ritsu, who’s hands and skin are normally ice cold to the touch.
It’s graduation, they’ve just graduated from Yumenosaki earlier in the day. Just as Ritsu kept nodding off on Mao’s shoulder the whole time during the ceremony, he’s wide awake now.
A bottle of red wine spirits to celebrate is already more than half way gone. Mao sits up, hands planted behind his back to keep him upright and steady, while Ritsu’s head rests on his lap.
They’re laying in the grass, under the stars, Mao begins to wonder—what happens now? Normally, he would begin to stress and worry about even the mere thought of what the future holds, and now that they’re both done school and on to their adult lives is enough to give him stomach ulcers. Normally, a million thoughts should be running through his head, but right now, he feels at peace.
“Maa-kun is the brightest star...” Ritsu says quietly and breaking the silence and Mao out of his daze, out of no where with a slight grin on his tugging at the corner of his mouth, like he’s telling Mao a secret.
Mao wants to ask what he means by that, but Ritsu continues.
"You shine brighter than these stars, Trick...Star...You're the brightest star. It hurts to look at it sometimes.”
Ritsu’s words sound thoughtful, even as they are slurred a little bit.
“But you’re not a star...because you're the sun.” There’s a speck of awe twinkling in his eye, perhaps it’s the reflection of a lone star.
Mao kind of wants to laugh, if this is what Ritsu is like, drunk and near rambling nonsense more that usual.
“Ritsu...the sun... the sun is a star. You should have payed more attention in class.” Mao’s words trail off hopelessly, a reminder that it’s way too late for that, it has been too late for that no matter how many years ago he tried, but old habits don’t die easily. Ritsu hums.
“But, it is the brightest star... Is it not? Don’t be so modest.” Ritsu scolds, default condescending tone with a hint of playfulness laced within, only Mao can recognize it if he listens close enough.
When he comprehends what Ritsu is actually saying, Mao feels his own face heat up.
“Well—that’s...” He really is at a loss for words when he looks down at Ritsu.
Half of a flawless, porcelain face is covered by the fabric of Mao’s hoodie, draped partially, the other half of his face illuminated silver from the night sky.
Moonlight.
Mao nearly gasps, without a doubt. If Mao is the sun, then that means Ritsu is the moon.
Dramatic drunk thoughts, he tells himself, would be beyond embarrassing to even think about if he were in the right state of mind, to the point where he would die of shame for admitting it out loud.
But, then again, he does remember hearing before that liquid courage is a real thing, red wine digging up some innermost, secret ideals and making them seem like they truly make perfect sense right now.
The world seems completely still for a moment at the realization. Mao’s hand reaches to rest on Ritsu’s forehead, pushing his bangs back and he sighs.
“Ritsu.” Mao doesn’t hide the affectionate tone in his whispering voice. Cold moon—even was the name that was given to him.
“Mao,”
Mao completely stops breathing at that, it’s sounds too foreign to him, Ritsu calling him his given name, for the first time in years, probably the first time ever in his life if Mao can recall. Ritsu pauses, and he hopes that it isn’t because Ritsu can’t feel how hard his heart is pounding underneath his ribs just from that simple thing.
“I'm gonna... Make you my vampire bride one day."
It may be the first time he’s ever been drunk in his life, but it's not the first time Ritsu has said something along those lines. It’s the first time he's ever said it so seriously, though. Slurred words full of determination, Mao almost envies how easy Ritsu could just say something like that, if liquid confidence is real...
“...Then do it." Is all Mao says back, equally slurred and no where near as confident as Ritsu sounds. They may both be inebriated but he knows damn well Ritsu would never back down from a challenge like that.
“Don't say that." Ritsu laughs a little bit.
"No, you don't say that, don't say things like that!" If you don't mean them. Mao can’t help but to whine, painfully flustered at this point.
“I'm not joking, Maa-kun."
“Well, then neither am I... Ritchan.”
We don’t make promises we can’t keep—he doesn't say it out loud because he's sure Ritsu already knows.
Ritsu turns on his back, head still on Mao’s lap and grabbing his hand, Mao lets him intertwine their fingers.
“One day, I'll marry you," Mao can’t tell if Ritsu’s face got redder with saying that or if it’s just the alcohol. “If you’ll let me...” He adds, as an afterthought, glancing away and uncharacteristically sheepish.
Mao laughs a little bit. “You really think, we’re gonna remember this conversation in the morning?”
“You’re the one who forgets things...” Ritsu pouts and buries his face in Mao’s hoodie sleeve and Mao feels his heartbeat stutter at something so cute. If Ritsu really means this then it’s ok to admit it, he’s known all along, how Ritsu feels about him. Mao could never forget the childhood promise they’ve sworn to each other—
“But, if we’ll remember...who knows?” Ritsu closes his eyes, “Well, if we don’t, we still had this conversation and that’s all that matters. As long as you know.” Ritsu’s words become more slurred and whispering by the second.
Mao doesn’t have time to contemplate if he should or shouldn’t, his heart racing so fast, hands beginning to sweat, eyes fluttering closed from nervousness.
It’s really not that big of a deal, it’s the most expected thing he can do. He cranes his neck, as he places a simple, soft kiss to Ritsu’s lips, his one hand caresssing the side of his face, gently.
“I love you, you know, Ritchan.”
Mao already knows, Ritsu is already nodded off, just like that and within the blink of an eye, a twinkle of a star, and more than likely didn’t even hear what Mao had to say but that’s alright—because Mao will remember this conversation in the morning.
He will remember the courage he finally worked up to finally say it to him after all his years. As they say—drunk actions but sober thoughts. Overbearing honesty, but he won’t be coward about it next time.
Ritsu is his moon, his stars, his entire world. Probably just the same as Mao is his sun, his rays of illumination, his everything.
Just because they’re drunk, and probably will have the worst headaches in the morning, he knows that, he always has known. He and Ritsu will be together, forever, no matter how.
So, he scoops Ritsu up, in between Mao’s legs, his back resting against Mao’s chest, wrapping both his arms around Ritsu and holding him close, burying his face into the back of Ritsu’s hair. Their fingers intertwine tighter, Ritsu never let go of his hand even as he fell asleep. He sighs, as he looks up at the few remaining stars above, disappearing quickly, the sky beginning to turn purple and red.
The sun should be coming up soon.