Work Text:
I want to see you, is what Tsukasa texts him at exactly 12:03 am, when the moon is out and the stars are shining. Followed by a series of rather energetic emojis, but that was hardly anything out of the ordinary for him.
Rui’s lying on his bed when his phone lights up with the notification, and he immediately opens the app to read it. A smile graces his face subconsciously, as it usually did when Tsukasa did or said anything to him, and despite just how late it was (and the fact that they did have school in a few hours), he starts typing a response back. Even if he did try his hardest to fall asleep, just thinking about Tsukasa filled him with happiness that kept him wide awake. Rui’s lips are curved upwards as he rereads his reply and hits the send button.
it’s quite late, my dear, why are you still up?
The typing bubble pops up only a few seconds later.
:((( I miss you!!! You cant stop me from doing that!!!! Can I come over????
why not just call me? ;-P
UUHHHHHH
tsukasa-kun-???
…Rui, I think its a little too late for that.,,,..,.
?????
The director frowns at his phone in confusion. Through his window, from outside, Rui can faintly hear the familiar sound of a bicycle bell ringing, and he tosses the bed covers away quickly to run to his window. His eyes widen as he pulls away the blinds to look outside, and covers his mouth in shock.
Tsukasa, starry eyes and bright smile and open arms and all, was standing on the sidewalk right in front of his window. His slouched posture perks up once he sees Rui appear, and waves wildly at him, before pointing at the tree right next to Rui’s window, running over to it and starting to- wait. That couldn’t be any good.
Tsukasa is halfway up the trunk of the tree when Rui opens the window, ignoring just how cold it was at night. His hands clutch the sides of the window, knuckles turning pale with his face filled with shock and worry at Tsukasa’s attempts to get up the trunk. “Tsukasa-kun, what are you doing?”
“Climbing the tree!” Tsukasa chirps, as if it were perfectly normal to do something like this at- Rui glances behind himself to check the clock- 12:18 in the morning. Surprisingly, he makes it up the trunk, and cautiously holds onto the upper branches for support as he walks across the larger arm of the tree, and once he gets close enough, Rui grabs his arm to pull him inside the window. Landing on the other’s floor with a small oof, Tsukasa exhales deeply, getting up and dusting off his knees. He turns to shut the window and grins, shrugging off the light jacket that he was wearing. “Haha! Hey, Rui.”
Rui rubs the bridge of his nose, making his way towards his boyfriend tiredly, cupping his cheeks with both hands and examining his face. “Tsukasa-kun. That was extremely dangerous, you know?” A kiss to Tsukasa’s nose, and Rui wears a loving smile. “You could’ve gotten hurt.”
“You make me do worse things in our shows,” Tsukasa teases, but the matching smile on his face is enough to tell that he’s joking. “Plus, I really, really wanted to see you! I don’t know why, but it was a weird feeling and I suppose there was only one way to get rid of it.” Grabbing the collar of Rui’s hoodie, he pulls him down to kiss his lips gently, raising his own hands to cup Rui’s face as well. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Rui can feel his face warming up a little, moving his hands to place them over Tsukasa’s. It was undeniable that he’d let Tsukasa stay over any day, solely because he felt lonely without the blonde by his side. “Of course I don’t.”
They share a fond look; Tsukasa’s eyes are full of light even at the darkest points in the night, and Rui could pick out every freckle that dotted his cheeks like stars. In a way, Tsukasa could be described as a star himself, if not the makings of one. The amount of time that Rui could spend admiring his lover was an embarrassing amount (surely Nene would gag in disgust if he admitted such), but it was the truth, the whole truth. Tsukasa Tenma was, with all due fairness and the least amount of bias possible, incredibly stunning.
He’s brought back to his senses when Tsukasa runs the back of his hand against his cheek before removing both of his hands from Rui’s face with a small chuckle. “Rui! You look as if you spaced out again! I can't have you space out on me, you know.” Tsukasa is smirking smugly, now, as he makes himself comfortable in Rui’s bed and pats the space next to him like it was practically his own.
If only you knew what goes on in my mind, Tsukasa-kun, he refrains from responding, walking over to the curtains and shutting them. Rui is embraced with open arms as he lies next to Tsukasa on the mattress, leaning into his partner’s chest with ease and wrapping his arms around the other’s torso; well, that does it for him. Not only is Tsukasa stunning, but he’s quite literally the embodiment of perfection, at least from Rui’s perspective. Smiling into the cloth of Tsukasa’s shirt, Rui feels his eyes close peacefully.
“You’re not asleep, are you?” Tsukasa whispers loudly, loud enough for him to hear, and Rui debates on answering, at least until Tsukasa starts speaking once again. “Ah… maybe my visit was too sudden. I’m sorry, Rui.”
He can feel Tsukasa’s hold around his shoulders tighten slightly, pulling him as close as he could possibly be. Tsukasa’s face buries into Rui’s hair. What is he doing? “You’d feel bad if I told you this, and I don’t want that to happen. But-“ the boy takes a deep breath, “- I don’t know what to do, Rui. I feel helpless. I was writing- no, I was trying to write another show and it goes well, usually. But I couldn’t think of anything. Nothing! Isn’t that just… pathetic?” Tsukasa’s voice is quiet, words spoken quickly as he breathes into Rui’s hair, arms still not letting go. “Who am I supposed to be if I can’t write, Rui? Who am I supposed to be if I can’t make other people smile?”
When Tsukasa’s chest starts rising and falling, and his words are choked out in the form of pure sobs, Rui realizes he’s crying.
The stars fade into the darkness of the sky.
Tsukasa keeps going, his piled thoughts releasing themselves one by one, spilling into the open air’s quietness. “I wanted to be a supporter for everyone, for Saki and Touya and Nene and Emu and- and you , Rui. What good am I in the world if I can’t bring happiness to those who need it? I can't make others happy if I’m not happy myself, no? I need to be stronger. But I’m not changing at all.
“When I met you, you helped me become stronger and wiser, so I could do these things. You, Rui- you’re the reason why I continued to do what I do. And whenever you praise me for the most basic things, I just… melt.” Rui’s eyes widened in response, swallowing down a lump in his throat, and he continued to listen. “And for that, I’m sorry. That I can’t be the star you deserve, or the person that you really wish to have,” Tsukasa breathed, laughing softly and sadly, “But my love for you- I love you, Rui. And no matter how pathetic I’ll humanly be, that won’t change. I won’t allow it to.”
The intensity of the room changes as if nothing had ever happened when Tsukasa silently brushes Rui’s bangs back with his hand and presses a chaste kiss to his forehead, pulling the blankets properly over the both of them. A few moments pass, and based on the way Rui watches Tsukasa’s chest rise and fall, his eyelids unmoving, it seems as if he’s fallen asleep.
Rui’s head is filled with things, from Tsukasa himself to the things he’d just admitted under the impression that Rui was asleep. Had he really been carrying these things on his shoulders, without the intention of ever letting him know? Rui deeply exhales, considering the situation; Tsukasa’s heart was full of love for all, but it was fractured, certainly. The world looked up to the stars at night, but who would care for the stars in turn?
He raises his hand to run through Tsukasa’s hair, the other hand resting in the small of the other’s back, forehead leaning on Tsukasa’s chest. “You are the person I’ve truly loved for years, Tsukasa-kun, whether I was aware or not,” he murmurs. “You needn’t worry about expectations or happiness. I’ll be there to support you, always, my star. Every step of the way, I’ll be your support.” There was nothing more to say than that, what with Tsukasa’s current state, and Rui had all of his life to say anything else he needed to. All the time in the world was his and Tsukasa’s, the stars of the show, the protagonists of whatever story the universe had in store for them.
And every passing minute, Rui would spend loving the stars, especially the one he had in his arms.
You’ve done so much for me , he thinks, and his eyelids feel heavy with the night slowly falling, so let my happiness be yours, Tsukasa.
I’ll care for you.