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Tsukasa was relatively easy-going. He understood social cues, and always had an appropriate rebuttal, albeit a very loud one, to any circumstance.
But it seems like today just wasn’t his day.
He was aware of the days where his spirit and charisma, concepts that usually came naturally to him, became more of an act then anything else. On those days, every word was laced with a hint of uncertainty as his throat clogged trying to think of immediate retorts to the day’s challenges. He likes to think those around him wouldn’t be especially wary of this sudden change in atmosphere, after all they probably enjoyed it with now everyone he met seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon the revelation that he might, ‘ finally be quiet this time.’
Tsukasa tried to ignore the sudden heaviness in his chest, in favor of perking his head at the mention of his name.
“—kasa?”
“..Sorry where we’re we? I blanked out for a second there,” he smiled sheepishly.
“No, it’s alright. The cold’s getting to me too,” the boy clad in a sweater and knee high trousers pointed. Rui looked around, observing the surroundings of the stage, muttering an offhand comment about how his breath was starting to become visible. “Shall we take a break then?”
Too tired to think of anything and deciding it was fine to let loose for a while, Tsukasa only hummed in response. He must’ve blanked out again (it’s probably the cold now that he thinks about it) because shortly after he spots Rui jogging back to him; two bottles in his hand.
“I figured you might want a drink, you seemed to be quite out of it today, Tsukasa-kun,” Rui commented amusedly.
“I always put in 12,000% of my effort, Rui, and you know that!” Tsukasa scoffed indignantly, before sighing in defeat, “but sometimes even a star needs his rest.”
“Ah~ I see, so this was what it was about,” Rui purred. “Then, perhaps we should cut practice short today!” he proposed.
Before Tsukasa could even open his mouth to respond in a very loud retort, Rui cut him off, “In this condition, you wouldn’t get anything done either way. And we wouldn’t be falling behind as both Emu and Nene are absent today as well,” he elaborated.
Tsukasa hummed. In hindsight, Rui was right —he always was— but a stubborn part of himself forbid him from taking a rest even as he body dearly needed it.
As if sensing his internal dilemma however, Rui quickly walked over and snatched the scrunched up script from Tsukasa, waving it above him in an almost mocking manner.
“No,” he affirmed. “You are taking a break, either for your mentality or for the weather,” gesturing to the desaturated sky on the brink of a viscous downpour.
“Fine,” Tsukasa resolved, “but at least help me clean up. I don’t wanna leave the stage like this if we’re not going through with rehearsal,” as he stood up to stretch.
Throughout it all, the absence of his usually loud voice making comments about anything and everything made itself increasingly apparent. So much so that it even began to make Rui uncomfortable. That man has no shame.
After a while of their accidental silent treatment, Rui spoke up tentatively, “Tsukasa-kun, are you, perhaps, angry at me?”
“Huh? Wh-Why would I be angry?” he turned to face the other, nothing the dejected look on his face an feeling immediate guilt.
“Well,” Rui scratched the back of his neck absentmindedly, “You just seemed very quiet and I assumed you were upset I forced us to end rehearsal.” Rui seemed to be looking anywhere but Tsukasa’s face, suddenly finding the floor a very interesting topic to stare daggers at.
“No I—!” Tsukasa sighed, unsure of how to properly emulate his complete and utter exhaustion just from waking up. “It’s been a long day and, yeah, maybe I needed that break a little more then I thought.”
“So you..aren’t mad at me?” Rui questioned, tone sounding confused nonetheless.
Tsukasa opened his arms invitingly, “C’mere you big baby.”
Rui was still confused, but he wouldn’t ever miss out on a chance to hug someone, especially Tsukasa. In his words, the latter was like, ‘ a large warm pillow that hugged back .’ The freezing temperatures made it all the more easier to snuggle up against the blonde, arm enveloping his lower back as his own arches due to his height.
“I’m not gonna get mad at you for something like this,” Tsukasa confirmed. “I’m just..not feeling it today. It’s not your fault, Rui.”
Rui hummed against the crook of Tsukasa’s next, finally relaxing and adjusting his weight to the latter.
They decide to leave the park with little fanfare after that, Rui finally understanding that perhaps, Tsukasa was simply more tired, and opted to grant his request by allowing him one day without his usual antics. What a generous indIvidual he must be.
The walk back to their respective houses was similar, only allowing small comments on the scenery, but otherwise, complete silence. The silence between them was comforting however, contradicting every instance where Tsukasa blanked only to be met with awkward conversations. It was nice.
The train ride back was empty without the usual petite girl beside them, after all, Nene had a game launch to attend and couldn’t afford to miss it —stating that it was a limited copy— and her sudden enthusiasm scared Tsukasa so much he allowed her to skip without much opposition. They currently sit next to each other, Tsukasa staring off to who knows where and leaning slightly beside Rui, smushed between another row of seat dividers. Their hands briskly touch as they exit.
It seems both parties were acutely aware of this fact, as shortly after leaving the station, Rui makes an effort to intertwine their pinkies together. He sees Tsukasa tense and look over, observing the expression he can only make out as hopeful , before continuing their delicate entanglement and further clasping their fingers together. He has to subconsciously move closer in order to get fully comfortable however, yet it still leaves them both in comfortable silence, only this time, with slightly warmer palms.
Now, they would usually separate at the fork in the road, with Rui and Nene taking one route as Tsukasa bids them goodbye on the other. Rui was in the process of pivoting his feet to leave, hand loosening and almost pulling away before the grip on his palm tightens and Rui can do nothing else but look back.
Silently Tsukasa start pulling Rui in the direction of his house, completely ignoring the lack of disagreement from the taller boy. Though, Rui has to make an effort to keep up with the blonde, as it seems his steps have greatly increased in speed since them first leaving the theme park. ‘ He must be really tired huh ,” Rui offhandedly comment.
Tsukasa wordlessly unlocks his door with the dexterity of an expert locksmith, as he gestures inside, motioning for Rui to remove his shoes, and leading them both up towards the stairs. Suddenly, something blonde is sticking its head out from inside the kitchen, quietly observing the pair that just arrived home. Saki is dressed in a peach apron, her usual pigtails absent in favor of a singular ponytail situated with a colorful scrunchie. She immediately notices Tsukasa’s company, taking a second to comprehend the outlandishly bright purple hair and freakishly tall height, before gasping and eyeing her brother. From his position slightly behind the blonde, he can’t make out his expression, but from the way his shoulders slightly hunch up, almost hiding the way his ears are currently red as tomatoes, Rui can only assume it’s something amusing.
“Right— Saki! That’s enough of that,” Tsuaksa laughs in his usual volume, perhaps even louder. It sounds forced. “We’ll be up in my room if you need anything!”
“Have fun~!” Saki yells bemusedly from down the stairs, seemingly retreading back into the confines of the kitchen.
Tsukasa grumbles quietly, before opening his door and stepping aside for Rui to enter.
“Behold! My glorious room,” Tsukasa speaks, using his inside voice. It seems his short interaction with Saki revived what little energy he still had, or maybe it had something to do with the way he inches towards his bed with every syllable. “Ah—! Rui,” he called suddenly, “You can place your bags by the couch over there, and help yourself to the bathroom while I prepare your bed.”
“My my, I wasn’t prepared for a sleepover of all things,” Rui chuckles. It certainly wasn’t unwelcome however.
Though, it seems Tsukasa doesn’t share the same sentiments, pausing in place. “It was quite sudden, huh..”
Rui hums, he was already there, and it seemed too late to back out, so he made do with his situation. “Do you have spare pajamas I can borrow?”
Tsukasa thinks dejectedly, “I don’t think any of them would fit you, but would a hoodie do? I happen to have quite a couple oversized ones,” he proposes.
“A hoodie would be appreciated, thank you,” Rui smiles. Tsukasa looks more energetic then he had been the entire afternoon, the flush on his cheeks only serving to finish off his look. Rui’s smile widens because of that.
In the midst of his very confusing evening shower, Rui hears a polite knock at the door, followed by the notice that, ‘ his clothes would be left outside.’ He feels oddly warm upon sliding into the so-called oversized hoodie. To him, it just seemed like a perfect fit.
When Rui exits the bathroom, damp towel in hand as he finishes drying his hair, he’s met with a fully made bed..and Tsukasa sitting on the hastily assembled futon. He stands there, completely oblivious as to where he would be sleeping, before Tsukasa decides to help him out a little.
“You,” he points directly at Rui’s chest, now standing eye-to-eye (or well, shoulder-to-eye), “—will be sleeping on my bed!”
“I simply can’t, it’s your bed—!”
Tsukasa shushes him, “I invited you here out of the blue, at least let me do this for you.”
“You can’t just sleep on the floor!” Rui replies distraught.
“Rui, I swear, it’s alright, the futon is not that bad—only the highest quality for a star like me!” Tsukasa smiles proudly.
“And a star needs the highest quality mattress there is, that being, the bed,” Rui enunciates.
Tsukasa clicks his tongue in disapproval, “You sure are stubborn today,” before grabbing his hands once more and practically dragging him to the bed. He lays him down, blatantly ignoring Rui’s weak attempt at escape, before wrapping him in blankets and kissing his forehead. Rui seems to quiet after that, and now satisfied, Tsukasa moves to turn off the lights and snuggle under his own, singular layer of blankets.
Rui is left to bashfully get comfortable under the blankets. The hoodie has flustered him enough, with how every inch of it smelled like citrus and rosemary and just Tsukasa . Now, in a bed tucked under heaps of blankets and having just been kissed by the aforementioned person, Rui feels as though his face has gone aflame, proceeding to hiding himself further within his fort of fabric. That is, before the steady shuffling of blankets beside him alerts his gaze.
Tsukasa knew sleeping on the floor was a bad idea. Call him spoiled, but even the futon failed to nullify the cheap springy feeling and rock hard texture of his flooring. On top of the fact that it was currently extremely cold, his singular blanket failed to provide any sort of insulation whatsoever, making him toss and turn in every shape he knew how just to find a position comfortable. His tiredness now entirely forgotten.
By then, Rui was already aware, and getting progressively more worried when the shuffling doesn’t stop. Knowing Tsukasa, his ego would probably deter him from asking for help, meaning he’d likely stay shivering on that uncomfortable spring mattress until sunrise. Having enough of watching his friend(?) suffer like this in his own home, Rui reached out a hand and lifted the comforter.
“C‘mon, get in,” he called.
“Wha—“
“You’re shivering, that much is certain, just get in. It’s getting cold,” he quietly adds.
Seeing as how Tsukasa was likely not winning this one, especially when his brain was practically begging him to snuggle up against Rui, he relented, sliding onto the bed and having Rui be the one to tuck him in this time.
They remain there, flushed against each other, before Tsukasa moves to rub his head against the other’s shoulder, getting comfortable. Rui takes it as a sign to progress, and steadily wraps his arms around the other, using on hand to slow thread through blonde locks. He even feels soft hands snake through in between his arms to rest against his back, reciprocating his affections. Underneath the warmth of several warm blankets and an even warmer Rui, Tsukasa finally gives in, and falls asleep in the arms of his director, and dearest friend(?)
Once Rui confirmed that Tsukasa is sleeping; via his slowed breaths and limp muscles, he ceases his petting to brush aside the blonde’s bangs, and press a kiss to his forehead, mirroring the scene just minutes prior. And with that, he too succumbs to the warmth of a star, nestled between his arms and fully embracing him back.
They awake gradually, the absence of the morning sun making their arousal to seem colder, only to be dispelled once either of them store and snuggle themselves further within the arms of each other. Rui is the first one to remain mostly conscious, looking down at the blonde with a newfound gentleness in his gaze. When he checks his phone, he finds school is canceled for the day due to the snow, unconcerned for the news and return his attention to blonde now casually blinking awake.
“Good mornin’ Rui,” he mumbles against his hoodie.
“Fufu, and good morning to you, my star,” he kisses him once again on the forehead. That seems to have gotten easier. “Did you know school is canceled today?”
Tsukasa exclaims, “Uwah-! Really? How so?”
“They say it must’ve snowed last night.”
The smaller hums, seemingly disinterested in the news, pressing himself closer to Rui. “Ah~ well, I didn’t really want to go to school today either,” he drawls, clearly still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Rui gives him time to adjust, providing the same steady patting motion from the night prior, only this time, periodically mixed with forehead kisses to keep the blonde from falling back asleep.
Once it seems he’s fully lucid enough, Rui pauses his patting to simply look into Tsukasa’s eyes, correlating every instance he’s seen when they sparkle, to how they look right now; comforting, half-lidded, bright, and an emotion he couldn’t quite place. Perhaps it’s was fondness, a fondness for the director, for their troupe, or their profession in general. Or perhaps it was something a little more personal, something undeniably Tsukasa that he chose to share only to Rui.
A cough emanates throughout the room, pulling him from his stupor to look back at Tsukasa’s entire face, now flushed pink.
“You’re staring director, I wonder what’s got you so enticed.” The downwards intonation implies he knows exactly what was on Rui’s mind. He’s smiling and he knows it. The sly bastard.
Rui rolls his eyes endearingly, but can’t help but let them wander to the source of that sound, falling to observe the curvature of the other’s lip before shooting his eyes back up in embarrassment.
“I can’t help but want to get closer to things that peak my interest, no?” He plays along, leaning forward with a smug smile.
“Well then why not? Take it, if you must,” eyes falling closed, placing complete and utter trust in the director to progress their little scene onwards. The arm that was previously resting on the small of Tsukasa’s back now caress the side of his cheek, brushing away his bangs and carefully longing the curvature of his earlobe. He leans forward ever so slightly, breaths now intertwined with only one wrong move spelling the end for both of their flustered faces. He notices Tsukasa part his lips ever so slightly, licking them over and awaiting any further command. Rui takes a deep inhale, and closes he gap shortly after with little interference.
There are no quick, handsy movements, no soft sounds emanated through the privacy of a shared bedroom; no, it is simply just them. There are no fireworks that sound, or revelations to be had, Rui is just kissing Tsukasa, and Tsukasa is kissing back. They part after a couple seconds, blissful and yet, somehow solemn, like it was always meant to be. The moment remains, a delicate second of silence seems to stretch on for what seems like miles, before the conjoined breaths of the pair are halted in steady balls of laughter.
Perhaps it was the morning somnolence, or the sheer circumstances that allowed for such a moment of even occur, but even as Tsukasa starts full on cackling beside a just-as-amused Rui, the flush on their cheeks tells of a story either can attribute to pure sleepy courage.