Work Text:
Rui, occasionally will admit he might not be the brightest.
It’s not like he wasn’t incredibly skilled when it came to creating or programming, but sometimes maybe, just maybe, he needed to take more time to think.
Because having sent an email out of concern of being sent two gift card codes instead of one, he had accidentally sent “~” instead of “!”
…accidentally flirting with that poor customer support person.
Not his proudest moment.
Not nearly as bad as the fact he got a response of “ could you possibly send your number? It might be easier to chat over call…”
Yeah… so now Rui had a choice.
He had no idea who was on the other side, but possibly it could be fine! Or he could be making the biggest mistake.
Rui simply sent his number and casually leaned back in his chair, sighing softly.
He was at least going to get one hell of a story out of this.
But why not have a little fun?
Once his phone rang he of course picked it up, hearing a distant “OH FUCK!” Followed by still distant laughter.
“Hello? I assume this is customer support?” Rui had a slight hum in his voice, hearing now two people laughing quietly in the background. Seems he was at least entertaining some people.
“Uh- yes hello there Kamishiro-sama, we received your email about the gift cards,” The poor man on the other side sounded super uncomfortable, as Rui heard the same voice from earlier in the background yell ‘GROW A PAIR TENMA!’ Leading to the poor man, Tenma, sputtering slightly. “I’m sorry, but how much did you order exactly for your gift card?”
“2,000 yen, why?” Rui was confused for a moment, hearing the man on the phone check something.
“We sent you two codes for 1,000 yen each, since we don’t have any 2,000 yen cards…” The other man let out a small sigh, making Rui pause. Huh.
Well that was stupid.
But hearing another background voice pipe up, he knew it wasn’t done, saying “ASK HIM ABOUT THE SQUIGGLE!”
“Is there a problem over there?” Rui held back a chuckle, hearing the other man let out a semi adorable squeak.
“Um, well we just were a little confused at the… use of tilde (the ~ is a tilde) in the email…” Rui was so close to breaking, and could’ve ended it all by saying it was a typo.
But what did he have to lose? Especially hearing the other phone be put onto speaker mode.
“Well, most dating apps these days are such a hassle, and so many men are unemployed on them, so let’s call it taking a chance to talk with a cute guy who I know for a fact is employed!” Rui knew that one landed well, hearing the man he had been talking to supposedly choke on air, and the other two background people completely lose their shit. “I still don’t know the name of the person I have the pleasure of speaking with.”
“T-Tsukasa Tenma. Pleasure to meet you Kamishiro-sama,” at this point Rui was completely leaning back, already growing amused with this man, Tsukasa Tenma, and his reactions.
“Lovely to meet you Tenma-kun, if I might be so bold to ask then, is this your personal cell or a work phone?” Rui had a fairly decent theory, but still needed to make sure. Hearing a voice attempt to be quiet, chime in saying ‘told you using your personal cell was a good move Tenma!’ Was an answer, but wanted to hear the other.
“…y-yeah, if you don’t mind me asking in return, would I possibly be able to save your number? I…” Tenma trailed off, making Rui muffle a small laugh, playing with his hair while waiting. Scratch any previous thoughts, this wasn’t an accident anymore, and in fact the best choice of his life.
“Are you asking me out on a date, Tenma-kun?” Might as well make it easier for the other, hearing a small flustered sound, before a small confirmation. “Well, assuming you live near the Shibuya area, I’d be happy to meet you at a small cafe. I can send you the info over messages when you’re out of work, if you’re so willing.”
There was a bit of silence, before the lower of the two background voices spoke up quietly. “How the fuck did he get a date from doing his fucking job?” And the higher of the background voices yet again lose their shit.
“T-that would be lovely, I’ll talk with you later then?” Rui let out a small hum of acknowledgement, and swore he could hear the nervous smile in the others voice. “Alright then, well I have to get back to work so uh… talk then!”
And at that the other hung up, leaving Rui alone in the now silent room for a moment, before he ended up wearing a bit of a goofy grin.
Looking back at the phone he quickly saved the number, before covering his hand and cheeks with his hand.
Tsukasa Tenma, huh? Such an interesting person from how little he’s seen. Even worse case scenario, he definitely gained one hell of a story.
☆彡
As soon as Tsukasa hung up, he face planted onto his desk, letting out a small groan. Not even a second later he heard the two who had been live commenting and losing it over his conversation walked over, with one patting his back.
He could guess it was Mizuki who patted his back, because it was as a more still joking comforting motion, and not Akito who would’ve just hit him over the head.
…Speaking of that, feeling a sudden pain on his head let him know Akito did just that.
“Ow! Akito!” Tsukasa looked up, frowning slightly at the slightly younger male, making him roll his eyes.
“Come on, you can’t be that stupid. You just got a date… somehow… at least don’t be stupid and save his number.” Tsukasa did actually realize that would be smart, so he quickly pulled his phone out and made a proper contact, writing in his name.
Rui Kamishiro, such a pretty name really, and he ended up smiling slightly to himself. Honestly, for a man he’d never met he was fairly excited for the date.
Mizuki broke the silence, shaking Tsukasa from behind. “Tsukasaaaaaaa! Come on, you should’ve told me the name! I know that man!” That made Tsukasa nod for a second, before quickly turning his head to look at them.
“Wait wait, you know him?!” Mizuki nodded, as Akito just kinda watched bored, sitting on Tsukasa’s desk.
“Yeah! He was an old middle school friend! He decided to go with online school after though, instead of in person, but we stayed in contact! Hold up, I might have a photo!” Tsukasa was now very focused on Mizuki, as they scrolled through their phone before smiling, and showing Tsukasa the photo. “Tada! That’s your new date!”
“...jesus christ-” Tsukasa barely muttered this, before letting out another heavy sigh and covering his face. “You mean to tell me not only is he a massive flirt, but also hot?”
“Sure, if that’s your type Tsukasa!” Mizuki laughed slightly, before turning their phone off. “Hun, you sure as fuck aren’t ready for a date are you?”
“He’s going to fuck it up,” Akito finally chimed in, rolling his eyes and looking at Tsukasa. “I still don’t get how he managed to land a date, let alone how he’s gonna make it through.”
“I love the confidence you two have in me,” Tsukasa sighed, going back to resting his head on the desk, and hiding his face with his arms. “Still though, I am nervous…”
“Don’t worry Tsukasa, Rui is super chill! You’ll be fine, just don’t die too much from Rui most likely teasing you, ok?” Tsukasa simply raised a thumbs up, making Akito and Mizuki start laughing again. “Alright, we’re gonna let you get back to work, good luck over there!”
“Tenma is going to die on that date, isn’t he.” Akito simply asked, making Mizuki almost snort.
“Oh, certainly.”
Tsukasa simply let out a muffled sound, before pausing and sitting up, looking at his phone again.
He would have to wait until after work to message Kamishiro, but meeting in person would be really nice.
It really made him pause, still not sure how this really happened. Just because he had gotten confused about the email, Akito had somehow convinced him that it was intentional. Tsukasa doesn’t know anymore, but still thought it was likely a typo. But…
If Mizuki knew Kamishiro, even if it was a mistake this… still could be nice.
Tsukasa never was that good at flirting, so even if it was an unintentional flirt that led to more intentional flirting over the call (there was no way it was unintentional there, not with the tone Kamishiro had, Tsukasa was certain), going on a date wouldn’t be so bad.
It could at least be nice, you know?
☆彡
Rui was already finished with his work for the day when he got a message from Mizuki.
Hearing they knew Tsukasa was certainly nice, but being sent a photo of Tsukasa was even better.
Rui was never one to believe in dating for looks alone, but god was he cute.
Being sent a different one, taken when Tsukasa was on the phone with him blushing, only made Rui decide this wasn’t a mistake and simply was fate.
To say Rui was excited was definitely an understatement, if the blush creeping across his face was anything to go off.
After a bit though, Tsukasa… Well technically Rui should be thinking of him as Tenma, but Tsukasa was a much nicer name, messaged him to inform Rui that he was out of work.
And thus the planning and teasing began.
It started simple, with Rui sending the location he had in mind with the address, getting a very positive response, before they started to just learn more about each other.
As much fun as teasing him over text would’ve been, when Tsukasa asked to call he couldn’t refuse!
Tsukasa picked up rather quickly, letting out a rather happy “hello!” As a greeting. Honestly that was adorable, as Rui had to really do his best to make sure he didn’t laugh at his potential new boyfriend? Weird thought, but not inaccurate.
“Hello Tsukasa-kun!” The response was instant from Tsukasa, letting out a slightly surprised sound.
“F-first name already?” Rui could practically hear the other blushing, making him finally just let out a soft laugh.
“Of course! We are planning to go on a date tomorrow, it feels right, doesn’t it?” Rui hummed softly after that, hearing Tsukasa attempt to start talking before pausing, and then sighing slightly.
“Alright then, Rui, if you’re ok with that?” Rui was not prepared for Tsukasa to jump straight to just plain Rui, but was in no way complaining, letting out a soft hum of approval.
“So, are you sure you’re ok with that cafe? If you want we can try to figure out somewhere else,” As much as Rui did enjoy teasing this man currently, he did want it to actually be a nice date, so felt like he had to ask.
“No, it works fine with me! My sister told me about it a bit, so I’m more than excited to go!” Tsukasa really did sound excited, and Rui was very glad he only had to wait till tomorrow to actually meet this seemingly ball of sunshine.
And before Rui knew it he had spent most of the afternoon chatting with Tsukasa, before eventually it hit a late enough point where both sides decided to actually get some rest. Almost like they had a date planned the next day.
As Rui was about to fall asleep though he simply paused, staring up at the ceiling before grabbing his phone and calling Mizuki.
He knew they’d be awake, and hearing the other pick up it seemed they knew why he was calling.
“You don’t know what to do for your date with Tsukasa, do you?” Mizuki simply asked, not even starting with a hello.
“Precisely, what does he even find interesting?” Mizuki snorted at that, letting out a laugh and shifting.
“Alright idiot, let me tell you the most important thing you need to know, so you don’t scare yourself. Tsukasa has absolutely zero game.” That made Rui almost laugh, quickly muffling it and sitting up in his bed.
“I could guess with how nervous he was when attempting to ask me out? How much of that was you helping encourage him?”
“Most of it was me and Akito, but no really. Tsukasa has horrible luck with landing a date, mostly because a lot of people just see him as a really good friend. Which means he’s also really susceptible to flirting!” Mizuki giggled slightly, able to hear Rui perk up at that. “Which means literally keep up what you were doing and you’re probably good!”
Rui let out a small sigh and hum, and heard Mizuki let out a small huff. “Look, Rui. Tsukasa is a super sweet guy, and even if you might be just a tad insane he’ll like you for you. Don’t worry so much. And if Tsukasa is an asshole to you I’ll torture him at work!”
“Mizuki… Don’t torture him, i’m already going to be attacking him with flirting!” that made them laugh, and Rui couldn’t help but smile as well.
Yeah… it was going to be a nice date, Rui could feel it.
☆彡
The time for the date soon arrived, and Tsukasa was more than just a little nervous. They had settled to meet about a block from the cafe at a bus stop, and currently Tsukasa was sitting on a bench a little anxious.
Despite Mizuki in the morning sending him multiple texts to help hype him up, he still was just a bit worried about it.
Messing up was not an option, especially since one of his co-workers knows his date, so if it goes Really Bad his life could become hell.
And Akito would never let him live this down.
Looking up though he saw Rui in the distance, making him smile softly to himself. Once Rui got a little closer he noticed Tsukasa as well, and quickly ran over.
Tsukasa also realized Rui was certainly a bit hotter in person.
…And tall, well that just wasn’t fair.
“Pleasure to finally meet you in person Tsukasa-kun,” Rui did an over dramatic bow, making Tsukasa laugh softly.
“Pleasure to meet you as well Rui, shall we get going?” Tsukasa was simply met with a nod from Rui, seeing him quickly pull his hair back into a low ponytail.
Correction, that was hot.
Tsukasa was a simple man, and seeing another guy with a low ponytail was certainly something that he found attractive.
In that moment of dazed silence though, Rui had grabbed Tsukasa’s hand and gently kissed the back of his palm, smiling softly to Tsukasa.
Lest Tsukasa’s heart be still.
He knew he was blushing at that point, and made no effort to hide it when he saw Rui’s smile somehow grow, noticing it.
“We shall indeed by dear prince, let us be off,” Tsukasa knew this was going to end with him very flustered, with the small stutter he let out at the nickname before quickly following Rui.
But… he couldn’t really complain. When was the last time a guy actually paid this much attention to him?
Quickly though, the two fell into light banter, once again seeking to learn more about the other. Tsukasa was happy to tell Rui about learning piano to one day teach it like his mother, and to talk about his sister and her band.
Tsukasa was more than happy to learn about Rui though, and even if a fair bit was something he wasn’t quite used to hearing, it was still interesting.
I mean, designing and building robots from home was a pretty cool job.
Currently the two were just sitting in the cafe together, both enjoying their drinks. Tsukasa had simply gotten a hot chocolate, where Rui had gotten chai tea.
Looking a little closer at the other boy, Tsukasa could make out now some freckles dusting the other’s face. It was cute, and made Tsukasa smile a bit to himself.
Which was overall poor planning as he had been staring at Rui the entire time, which only made the engineer laugh softly. “Am I that interesting to look at, Tsukasa-kun?”
Tsukasa quickly flushed up again, about to apologize before hearing Rui start to laugh a bit harder. Not mocking, just a soft, genuine laugh. It made Tsukasa end up smiling brightly in return, hiding his face slightly before finally speaking up.
“I just noticed you had freckles is all…” Rui’s expression shifted to a surprised one, nervously rubbing the back of his head. “I-I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing! It’s… actually really cute! I just got a bit distracted by it, that's all!” Tsukasa didn’t want to make Rui feel self conscious, but seeing the boy shift from a nervous smile to wearing a blush that could almost match Tsukasa’s let him know that Rui at least didn’t think that way now.
Rui looked away for a moment, covering his mouth and cheeks in clear embarrassment, which only made Tsukasa let out a small giggle, going to take a sip of hot chocolate. It turned out to be a poor choice though, since as he did he heard Rui mutter. “God you’re adorable.”
And Tsukasa choked on his drink, face flushing bright red from a mix of embarrassment but also choking on a hot drink, as he looked up at Rui. Rui, at that reaction had muffled a small laugh, and grabbed a napkin to gently wipe off Tsukasa’s face from any of the drink that might have spilled.
Which then led to a semi awkward moment, with Rui gently wiping Tsukasa’s face before just… holding him for a moment.
If Tsukasa wasn’t red before, he certainly was now.
Rui then let out another small laugh, letting go and sitting back in his seat. “Your hair clips are adorable as well, sorry for not commenting on them earlier.”
“No it’s… fine,” Tsukasa was still recovering, so it took him a minute to even get that out, but then seemed to perk up. “Oh! These? My sister got them for me! She’s started to travel with her band more, so she’ll occasionally buy me things from around the world!”
“Ah, I see. You really must care for your sister, don’t you?” Rui had a rather soft smile, leaning on one arm while listening to Tsukasa.
“Uh huh! When we were a lot younger she was constantly in and out of the hospital, so now that her health has recovered a lot whenever she’s in town we try our best to hang out!” Tsukasa smiled brightly, taking another sip of his drink.
Whatever fear he had earlier, it had died down by that point.
Maybe this wouldn’t end so badly.
☆彡
After they had finished at the cafe, Rui knew damn well he couldn’t leave it at that. So he then invited Tsukasa to walk with him, as the two ended up at the mall.
They then went shopping together, got dinner at the mall, and caught a movie before finally parting ways.
Rui was only vaguely aware he made it home, as he flopped onto his bed with the dumbest grin ever. He and Tsukasa had agreed to wait for at least one or two more dates before deciding what exactly they were, but…
Rui found himself strangely hopeful. Huh.
He hasn’t been like that for a while after a date.
Maybe it’s a good omen.
Grabbing his phone he sent Mizuki a quick text, not wanting to deal with a call.
Oi, Mizuki. You didn’t tell me Tsukasa-kun was that adorable in person!
It wasn’t even a minute before Mizuki was typing back.
Ooo! So it went well? ALSO WAIT TSUKASA-KUN?
Yes Tsukasa-kun, I took him on a date. I'm not using his last name! But yes, it went well, don’t bug him tonight though since he seems a bit tired.
Kk, I’ll bug him at work on Monday!
Rui sighed, setting his phone down at that and looking up at his ceiling again.
Certainly an interesting person, he’d have to thank whatever luck brought him and Tsukasa together.
☆彡
Tsukasa was quick to realize he shouldn’t have come to work, because once he went on break Mizuki and Akito were right there.
“So Tenma, how did your date go?” Akito had a small smirk, making Tsukasa just want to ball up and die.
“It went fine, we went to a cafe and then to the mall, where we shopped a bit and then got a quick dinner, before watching a movie!” Akito and Mizuki both blinked, before Mizuki let out a cheer.
“Let’s go! Tsukasa and his No Bitches curse has been broken!!” Akito and Mizuki high fived, as Tsukasa quickly flushed up and sighed.
“You don’t need to phrase it like that! Just because I have horrible luck with men doesn’t mean you have to make it sound that bad…” he sighed, which only led to the other two laughing. “But we’re not… together yet. We wanted to wait until a few more dates to decide since we know literally nothing about each other. I’m… a bit worried you know? What if it doesn’t work out?”
There was a pause, before Akito rolled his eyes and hit Tsukasa over the head again. Not hard enough to actually hurt long, but still hurt a bit. “I long to be as stupid as you, it seems so much easier! Tenma, this man took you out, and then once the first part was done you were brought along for more. He made the date longer, because he wanted to be with you. He likes you.”
Mizuki nodded, before ruffling Tsukasa’s hair. “Yep yep! My best friend is certainly in love with you, no need to worry!”
Tsukasa lightly batted their hand away, sighing softly, but his smile betrayed any hint of real annoyance.
Before he could get a word in though, Rui called and made all three of them jump. As Tsukasa fumbled to grab his phone Mizuki and Akito both did a fist bump, as Tsukasa picked up.
“Hello Tsukasa-kun!” Literally the first thing said, making Tsukasa just smile softly to himself. After the date the two had still called on Sunday, so Tsukasa had grown a little more used to the other.
“Hello Rui, what has you calling at this time?” Instantly both Akito and Mizuki spoke up, both looking at Tsukasa and yelling ‘RUI?’
Tsukasa quickly shushed them both, as Rui pretended not to hear the peanut gallery. “Well, even though we did just have one on Saturday, my mind can’t stop thinking about you,” Tsukasa flushed instantly, not just at what Rui said, but with the comments Akito and Mizuki were making about them definitely having kissed. Tsukasa simply flipped them off as Mizuki started making kissy faces. “So, if you’re up for it I’d love to go on another date. If you’d be open.”
The entire room paused, before Akito and Mizuki both looked at Tsukasa nodding for Tsukasa to respond.
“Um, well I’m free tonight or tomorrow after work, so around 5-5:30pm we could meet up?” Looking back to his friends, Tsukasa was met with thumbs up from them both. Bastards they may be, they can be supportive at times.
“That works for me Tsukasa-kun! Do we want to go to the mall again? It’s only like a 5 minute walk from my house after all,” Tsukasa was back to smiling like an idiot, nodding slightly to no one and then speaking up.
“That sounds great!” Tsukasa then paused, and before anyone else could say anything spoke up again. “If you live so close, I could maybe just swing by your place then and we could walk together?”
Mizuki and Akito both let out a small cheer at that, making Tsukasa suddenly a bit more embarrassed. But hearing Rui softly chuckle on the other side made him suddenly feel a lot calmer.
“That sounds fine with me, I’ll send you my address in a bit. I’ll see you tonight then..?” And even though there were technically two answers, like hell Tsukasa was going to pick no.
“I’ll see you then, talk to you later Rui!” He heard a small hum from Rui, before the other hung up, and Mizuki tightly gripped his shoulders.
“You’ve broken the No Bitches curse for good!!!!” Akito simply started clapping, as Tsukasa hid his face with a sigh.
“Shut up, I just… I think this one might work out, you know?” Looking up slightly he saw the two had shifted to a bit more serious expression, waiting for him to continue. “All my past dates often just wanted to talk about themself, but Rui was… I mean he actually wanted to learn about me as well. It felt like he actually… cared? I don’t know how to word it but it… the date actually felt like it was meant for us, not just one of us.”
“Tsukasa, I’m going to be real clear here. You’re so whipped.”
Tsukasa really couldn’t deny that, and simply smiled and nodded, before Akito and Mizuki got to work giving him advice.
☆彡
Rather quickly their second date came and passed, before the third arrived, all in the span of a week.
And Rui knew he had fallen hard.
The time spent talking to Tsukasa always made him smile, and he found himself wanting to be around the other man more and more.
Rui doesn’t remember a time when he had fallen nearly so hard so fast, but every time Tsukasa started laughing, smiling, or getting flustered Rui’s heart would speed up with it.
Funny, how the sunset colored boy made him feel like he was under the heat of a thousand suns.
Quickly reminding himself he was still in the middle of a date with said boy, Rui looked back at the other who was adjusting one of his hair clips. Today Tsukasa had worn a few simple ones, but also a small flower one. It was cute, Rui would have to make sure to buy Tsukasa flowers if they became official.
Oh, right. He had meant to ask about that, it seems he simply got distracted by the other boy. Not that he could really be blamed for it, after all Tsukasa was the one who suggested the same cafe that they had their first date at, because he wanted to try the chai Rui had ordered. Tsukasa’s defense had been that Rui seemed to really enjoy it, and he was curious, which honestly would have made Rui fall for him right there if he hadn’t already.
“Tsukasa-kun, could I ask you something?” Rui did finally speak up, seeing the other make eye contact and remove his hands from his hair.
“Hmm? Sure! Isn’t the point of these for us to still be learning about the other?” Tsukasa gave a semi nervous smile, which only made Rui smile back. Tsukasa really was too cute, it was in no way fair.
“It’s not quite about you, more so us,” Tsukasa simply tilted his head to the side, not quite catching on. “What exactly are we? We said we’d wait until a few dates to decide, but this week we’ve gone on three, and called every day.”
The other boy ended up averting his gaze, looking down at his drink and pausing for a moment. Maybe it wasn’t a great plan to ask in the middle of a date…
Before Rui could apologize though, Tsukasa did speak up. “I mean… What would you like us to be?” Although Tsukasa’s head was still down to his drink, he did shoot a glance up to Rui. Tsukasa’s face was red, which Rui felt a little bad about.
“Well, I’m not sure about you but…” Rui did reach over to Tsukasa, to gently take his hand. Gently rubbing the back of Tsukasa’s palm, he managed to get the other to finally look up to him fully, before yet again kissing the back of his palm. As the other flushed a little more from that, Rui then flipped his hand and kissed the inside of his palm, and then his wrist. Tsukasa was pure red at that, which gave Rui that last bit of needed confidence. “I’d love to be able to call you my boyfriend, but if you’re not ready for that we can stay as we have been for now.”
Tsukasa was silent, most likely overheating his poor brain, before using the hand that wasn’t being held to cover his face. There was a pause, before Rui noticed a smile from under Tsukasa’s hand.
Uncovering his face, Tsukasa nodded before moving closer to Rui, pressing their foreheads together.
“That would be lovely, although if you keep doing that I might not live long enough for you to be able to tell anyone,” Rui simply laughed softly, reaching up to cup Tsukasa’s face.
“You’re actually the most adorable man I’ve ever met,” Tsukasa just rolled his eyes, before shutting them for just a moment. “Although you’re rather warm, the red on your face does match the rest of your color palette though.”
Tsukasa opened his eyes at that, pouting slightly at Rui. His face was still red, but now slightly annoyed. It really just made him look cuter though. “And who’s fault is that?”
Letting out a hum in response, Rui pressed a soft kiss to Tsukasa’s forehead, before looking down to give a loving smile to Tsukasa. “Mine, but I don’t feel bad if that’s what you’re hoping for.”
Tsukasa did process the forehead kiss, smiling back with just as much love in his expression. “I never said I did.”
The two stayed silent for a moment, both just happy to have confirmation from the other, before Tsukasa finally spoke up. “Can… Can I kiss you?”
It was Rui’s turn to pause before his brain overheated as well, which seemed to scare the other.
“I-I mean we don’t have to! I just… you looked really pretty and i-if we’re properly boyfriends I was just wondering-“ before Tsukasa could continue, Rui leaned down to quickly steal a kiss. It wasn’t much, just a very soft and quick kiss, but effective enough.
It did manage to paint the two with a beautiful red blush though, that showed no sign of dying down.
If one of them ended up asking for another, it didn’t matter who, because both were happy to share many more.
☆彡
Tsukasa decided he hated his friends.
Because the next day at work Mizuki and Akito shared a look when he walked in, and the break became hell.
Because suddenly the minute he rolled his chair back, Mizuki and Akito were right there to block his escape plan.
Mizuki then casually pulled their phone out, showing him a picture of him and Rui with their foreheads pressed together, and he didn’t need them to swipe to know they likely had more.
“Ok ok what do you want!” Tsukasa quickly asked after they showed him the first, hiding his face before Mizuki could show more.
“Honestly just to tease you, but this opens up a lot of options, Tenma.” Akito simply responded, enjoying Tsukasa’s suffering way too much.
“I’ll get you a date with Touya if I need to, good god why were you watching?” Tsukasa did at least hear Mizuki put their phone away, so he looked up to see Akito flustered from Tsukasa’s comment, and failed to play it off.
“Well I was watching because I was bored, but that was too good of blackmail to pass up! But I don’t want anything yet, I just wanna make sure you know I have it!” Tsukasa sighed, pouting slightly. “But how was the date? Clearly not that bad!”
“I mean… It was basically perfect? I know I don’t have a good track record so anything could be perfect, but he was just… really sweet?” Tsukasa was back to smiling, starting to blush slightly, which led to Mizuki and Akito sharing a semi soft look.
“I mean, can’t be as bad as the date you had with a guy who after said he figured out he was definitely straight.” Akito simply responded, hearing a snort from Mizuki and a sigh from Tsukasa.
“Well I mean this one ended with me getting a boyfriend instead of me wondering what I did wrong, so yeah,” Tsukasa did go back to a small smile though, looking up at his friends. “Thank you though, I don’t think any of this would’ve happened without your help.”
“Hey, we know your track record well enough, so of course we were happy to help,” Akito did offer a genuine smile, something so rare, but enough to help reassure Tsukasa. “It’s not like you were ever going to land a boyfriend without us.”
“We got your back Tsukasa! Just don’t forget I was friends with Rui first so if you mess up I’m taking his side,” Mizuki’s tone was playful, and they ruffled his hair again making him laugh.
“I’m not planning to mess up! Don’t worry,” The three of them ended up all laughing, before Tsukasa finally decided to turn the tides. “Although I think it’s time we get Akito with Touya!”
“Hell yeah! When are you gonna tell your little book nerd you like him?” Mizuki leaned over to Akito, seeing him quickly grow defensive.
Before he knew it the focus was off his love life and instead onto Akito’s, but if Tsukasa was quietly messaging Rui as well? That was for him to know, and no one else.
☆彡
After a few weeks of them officially going out, and Rui possibly spoiling his boyfriend just a little, they started to meet at Rui’s house.
Well, apartment, but it was big enough that it was more than enough room for him to keep his work stuff and also have a place to live.
It was funny the first time, because Tsukasa was so clearly nervous, but now that he’s been over a bit he’s much more comfortable.
Mizuki might tease them both about going to his place after only dating for like a month, but it was much more comfortable to watch some cheesy romance drama while laying on Tsukasa’s lap than going to a movie theater.
And the benefit of being at home meant they could be as snarky as they want.
Tsukasa had told Rui he was a fan of some romance stories, but with how much fun they had making fun of the bad ones he could tell Tsukasa at least had some taste.
The situation they found themself in currently was with Rui resting his head on Tsukasa’s lap, as the two were watching some random drama on tv.
The fact Rui had to deal with being recommended these now because they’d already watched a few different series and finished was truly remarkable.
The only difference was today Rui had decided to not put up with contacts, and just settled for glasses.
It wasn’t too different though, it just meant that he had to explain to start when Tsukasa arrived, but the other didn’t seem to mind.
“Oh boy, here we go,” Rui muttered, and looked up at the tv with a sigh. “Here we go, another ‘I saw you talking with a hot girl for 0.5 seconds and now think you’re cheating on me because I'm not as good as her’ scene, isn’t it.”
Tsukasa let out a small hum to confirm Rui’s statement, as the man on the tv started talking. “Oh, wait, that's something new! The man in a panic admitted to cheating with a different girl, not the other hot one.”
“Huh, I didn’t think this show would know how to do something different!” Rui looked up at Tsukasa, seeing the other looking down at him, before they both started laughing.
“Maybe we’re being a little too harsh to these shows…” Tsukasa barely managed to get that out, as Rui wrapped his arms around Tsukasa’s waist and nuzzled into his stomach.
“Maybe, but it’s much more entertaining, is it not?” Rui knew Tsukasa couldn’t disagree, and even though he refused to move away from his boyfriend did at least focus back on the audio.
“The girl is crying now, no surprise here, let’s wait to see what horrible choice she makes…” Rui simply hummed, able to tell almost exactly what was going on now.
“Let me guess, the guy just fell to his knees begging her to stay but she turned away and ran off?” Tsukasa let out a small “yep” which only made Rui start to laugh again. “Our girl is gonna run off to sleep with some stranger just to get back at him, isn’t she?”
“...Ding ding ding, she ran right to the bar.” Rui just kept laughing against Tsukasa, hearing the other pause and start to laugh as well. “Rui- Rui wait please look up-”
Reluctantly, Rui did let go to roll back and face the tv, but quickly realized why Tsukasa was losing it. “At what time did she change her outfit and for what reason was it that?”
Reaching up, Rui grabbed the remote to pause it so they could get a better look at the characters outfit, and rather quickly both started to completely lose it.
“I cannot figure out her thought process to think of ever wearing that!” Tsukasa brought a hand up to muffle some of his laughter, starting to tear up from laughing so hard. “There is no way that’s comfortable!”
“I think there’s more skin showing then fabric, oh my god yeah she’s sure looking to get someone to fuck her-” Rui heard Tsukasa start laughing even harder at that, which was honestly the most adorable thing ever . “Maybe not the hot guys she’s hoping for, but she’s going to get some straight guy hard-” At that Tsukasa let out a muffled snort, and that made Rui look up a bit surprised.
Scratch what he said earlier, that was the most adorable thing ever.
Tsukasa did go silent, a little bit embarrassed, before Rui just quickly started tickling his sides.
“Ah! R-Rui!!” Tsukasa did try to squirm away, but Rui was easily able to pin him to the couch and continue attacking his boyfriend's sides. It might have been a little rude, but hearing Tsukasa laughing and occasionally letting out a small snort was worth it.
He did take mercy after a minute or two though, and ended his tickle attack, settling to just leaning over Tsukasa as the poor boy tried to catch his breath.
“What was that for?” Tsukasa finally asked, looking up at Rui with a small pout. Rui still wasn’t quite sure what to thank for having made that typo that one day, since it led him to the most perfect boyfriend imaginable. Being able to look down and see the most kind, but adorable man in the world was certainly a blessing.
“You’re really cute is all, and hearing you snort might just be the most adorable sound i’ve ever heard is all,” Tsukasa went bright red at that, pushing Rui away with a little flustered huff. Tsukasa did sit back up, but despite his “annoyance” made no complaints when Rui went back to resting his head on the other's lap.
The two resumed the show, and Rui made sure to be extra snarky about the dress, if only because it never failed to make Tsukasa laugh.
After a bit though, Rui found himself starting to not pay as much attention to the show, simply just pausing to enjoy the situation he found himself in.
He was able to be just like this, laying on Tsukasa’s lap and half watching a show, without any problems. Tsukasa seemed fairly comfortable as well, the most important part, just to be there.
Rui didn’t know exactly what Tsukasa had gone through dating wise, but from what Mizuki told him, Tsukasa hadn’t had much success.
It was a little awful hearing how bad some had been though, so for Tsukasa to be so happy and calm with Rui, well it made Rui feel like he had to be doing something right. He didn’t want to become another bad mark in Tsukasa’s book after all, not with how sweet the boy had shown to be.
Rui honestly couldn’t figure out how someone as amazing as Tsukasa had only found the worst of men.
Rui quickly was brought back to the real world when he felt Tsukasa reach down and gently stroke his hair. Looking up he saw Tsukasa was still watching, so it was possibly unintentional, but the simple motion made Rui end up smiling softly.
God… when was the last time someone played with his hair?
Had to be a while ago, but the habit never really died with how often Rui ended up fidgeting with it himself.
But feeling Tsukasa do it was… surprisingly nice.
“Tsukasa-kun?” Tsukasa did look down, realizing what he was doing and quickly pulling his hand away, about to apologize before Rui gently shushed him. “Woah hey… don’t worry so much ok? I’m not upset, I was simply just confused.”
“R-right sorry, I just…” Tsukasa did reach back down to start gently running his fingers through it again, making Rui let out a small content hum and shut his eyes at the motion. “I had just thought it looked rather soft… and I guess without realizing it started to play with it? It is really soft though…”
It seems the fact Rui had let out the hum did reassure Tsukasa enough though, as Tsukasa was more than happy to keep playing with it while they went back to watching the drama.
“Tsu-Tsu?” Rui eventually did look up again, deciding to also test out a nickname. The semi surprised look that quickly changed into a smile and blush let him know it was effective, but he also got a nod to confirm he had the other’s attention. “I might be reading this a little long, but by chance do you want to style my hair?”
“Well… not exactly style since I’d probably want to wait to have a bit more supplies and all to do anything fancy, but uh… if you don’t mind I'd love to braid your hair?” Rui simply nodded, and got off the couch to sit on the floor in front of the other.
Tsukasa did gently finger comb his hair first, before separating it out and starting to braid it.
Rui knew it probably wasn’t the most intimate experience in the world, but found himself smiling like a dork nonetheless.
The two once again found themself making comments on the show, before both groaning at how the two made up.
“That man better give some really good dick to make her take him back.” Rui muttered, hearing Tsukasa let out a small snort from behind him, starting to finish up the braid before tying it with a hair tie he had on his wrist.
“Do you see that man? Please there’s no way he ever had a girlfriend if he didn’t.” Tsukasa gently wrapped his arms around Rui’s neck, resting his chin on the top of the other’s head. The fact Tsukasa didn’t ask to do that was a sign he was growing more comfortable, and made Rui somehow smile brighter.
Looking at the time though he realized it was very late, and paused the show. “Tsu-Tsu, it’s almost midnight.”
“Mmm, my body has made me aware.” Tsukasa muttered this, pressing his face into the top of Rui’s head. “I have something for you tomorrow though, so don’t let me forget. There’s a reason I kept the braid semi loose at the top…” Rui nodded, before gently reaching back and wrapping his arms under Tsukasa, and then standing up, basically carrying Tsukasa on a piggy back.
Rui quietly carried Tsukasa to his room, pausing to look up and get consent from Tsukasa to actually do so. Even if it was just to go to bed, he didn’t want to make Tsukasa uncomfortable, but with the slight tightening of the arms around him let him know Tsukasa was ok with it. Reaching the bed he set Tsukasa down on it, and walked over to his closet.
“Hmm, well these might be a bit big for you but it should be fine for the night, if that’s ok with you?” Rui looked back, seeing Tsukasa nod before rubbing his eyes. The boy was clearly tired, but seemed like it hadn’t caught up to him until now. Smiling softly, Rui set the close beside Tsukasa, while holding his own. “I’ll go get changed in the bathroom, tell me when to come in, ok?”
He got a sleepy nod from the sunset boy, and ruffled the tired boy’s hair before walking into the bathroom and getting changed. He changed quickly, but took a minute to just fully process how insanely lucky he was.
Sure, most people don’t even get a date over email to customer support, but meeting the perfect guy was even more insane.
Rui was certain that this had to be something involving fate, and he’d have to thank whatever blessed him with Tsukasa.
Hearing a small muffled sound from Tsukasa though, along the lines of he could come in made him snap out of it, and walked back into the room.
Tsukasa seemed rather comfortable in the sleepwear though, so that was nice to see, as Rui walked over and quickly pulled Tsukasa into a hug. The sunset boy simply laughed softly, and pulled Rui back to actually lay down.
Cuddling up together, Tsukasa ended up with his head on Rui’s chest, with Rui starting to gently play with Tsukasa’s hair. The two enjoyed the silence for a moment, before Tsukasa finally spoke up.
“Um… Rui?” Tsukasa tilted his head up, making Rui look down and tilt his head slightly to the side. “I… I don’t know how to say this but… thank you.”
“Hmm? I’m not quite sure what to say to that Tsu-Tsu, but why? I’m not complaining, just a little lost on why you had to say this,” Rui saw Tsukasa look away, frowning slightly.
“It’s just… I’m not sure how much Mizuki told you but I’ve never… really had a good boyfriend,” Tsukasa did gently lean into Rui’s touch as he went back to stroking Tsukasa’s hair, before continuing. “Plenty of them just were with me to be able to say they had a boyfriend, but never really cared, and others…” Tsukasa shifted to a much sadder expression that almost broke Rui’s heart. “Others I was just a toy on the side. It was never just me that they were with.”
Rui frowned slightly hearing all that, gently pulling Tsukasa closer as an attempt to comfort him. Tsukasa did nuzzle into Rui’s chest, taking a moment to calm down.
“But you… you haven’t been like that at all,” Tsukasa looked up at Rui with a soft smile, pausing for a minute to plot out the words. “You seemed to actually care about me, and took time to learn about me. I mean… on our first dates it wasn’t just about either one of us, we were both learning about the other. It… it felt like it was actually meant to be for us , not just one of us. It… it feels like you actually care, something I’ve never felt before. That’s… that’s probably why I’m so nervous in this relationship, because I don’t want to lose you.”
“Tsu-Tsu…” Rui gently pressed a kiss to his head, seeing Tsukasa get a small smile at that, and a small blush. “I can’t figure out why those men were so rude to such a perfect guy like you, but I guess I should be a little greatful. After all, if they hadn’t broken up with you I might not be able to call you mine,” Tsukasa did laugh softly at that, which was the goal. “Alright but honestly, it’s ok, I find you adorable, and the most perfect boy I could ever ask for. I’m happy to go at whatever pace you need, but don’t be afraid to be a little daring ok? I’ll let you know when I’m actually uncomfortable.”
“Alright then,” Tsukasa did shut his eyes, still laying on Rui, but gently pulled Rui a bit closer. “I love you.”
That was the first time Tsukasa had just said it by himself, without Rui saying it first, and only made Rui smile oh so softly down to him. Pressing another kiss to Tsukasa’s head, he gently nuzzled into the sunset colored hair. “I love you too Tsu-Tsu, get some rest now.”
Falling asleep cuddled up with your lover was probably the best way Rui could ask to end that day, yet still found himself excited for the next.
☆彡
When Tsukasa woke up, he was lucky enough to see Rui right there with him, quietly looking down at Tsukasa with a smile.
Tsukasa let out a small hum, reaching up to gently cup Rui’s face. “Morning Rui, how long have you been up?”
“Just a few minutes, you’re adorable when sleeping though,” Tsukasa pouted, lightly pinching Rui’s cheek before then noticing the brain.
“Oh! It stayed in well, that’s good!” Tsukasa quickly sat up, surprising Rui a little. “I have something to finish the look! Come on!” Tsukasa hopped out of bed, hearing Rui mutter something about not understanding how much energy he had, but did follow him.
Tsukasa ran over to his bag he had brought, before pulling out a small plastic bag and turning back to Rui. He was still tired, as seen by the man rubbing his eyes and holding back a yawn.
“Tsu-Tsu, I’m going to have to introduce you to the concept of a lazy morning…” Rui’s tone was mostly teasing, but did make Tsukasa smile a little and walk over. “Alright my beautiful little sunrise, what is it you have for me?”
Tsukasa noticed Rui was holding his glasses, but hadn’t yet put them on. Honestly, Rui was beautiful with or without them, he just hoped the gift would match.
“Close your eyes! It’s a bit of a surprise, although, bend down a little…” Rui gave an affectionate eye roll, and did as Tsukasa asked. Quickly Tsukasa pulled the little hair clips out of the bag, and ended up reaching up to gently put them in the other’s hair. The fact the braid was loose at the top meant it looked all the better with the hair clip, and made Tsukasa smile. Stepping back he did quickly take out his other hair clip from the night earlier (he really should’ve done that before bed, but too late now) and replaced it with a small sun hair clip, keeping the star one as well.
At that Tsukasa then booped Rui, making the man open his eyes. Rui first looked at Tsukasa, noticing a different hair clip, but Tsukasa then pulled out his phone and used it like a mirror to show Rui the hair clips.
Rui paused at that, bringing a hand up to gently feel the hair clips. Tsukasa was a little nervous, just watching for a reaction, before seeing Rui’s face go red, and smile softly.
“Tsu-Tsu, did you get us matching hair clips?” Even though it was phrased like a question, Tsukasa could tell Rui knew the answer, he simply nodded, and quickly pulled Rui into a hug. “That’s actually the sweetest thing ever, you understand right?” Tsukasa felt Rui press his face into the top of his head, making him laugh softly.
“I thought it would be nice for us to have a little reminder of each other even when we aren’t physically together!” Rui let out a muffled sound, but the fact he had wrapped his arms around Tsukasa in return was a good sign. “You’ve already bought me a bunch of accessories, I just thought it was time I repay the favor!”
Rui did step back from Tsukasa, but grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the couch gently. Resting his head on Rui’s shoulder, he saw Rui pull out his own phone’s camera, and hold it out.
“I’m sorry, but I have to get a photo of this, smile Tsu-Tsu!” Rui pressed a kiss to Tsukasa’s head, which made it just that much easier to smile, as Rui got a photo. He then actually got one with them both looking at the camera of course, but the first one was probably just as cute.
Funny, how the two had met over such unusual circumstances, but as Rui started to pepper him with kisses, Tsukasa realized it was perfect for them.
A strange relationship for sure, but nonetheless perfect for them.