Work Text:
On December 24th, while the air cooled outside and most families within Shibuya had settled down to enjoy time with their families, Rui remained hard at work.
While most Christmas eve’s he’d find himself alone, sleeping early to prepare for his plans the following day, huddled in piles of blankets to keep his body temperature the same as a furnace, this year was.. different, to say the least.
Late in the night, the entirety of Wonderland x Showtime had received rather frantic messages from their star.
Tsukasa had left an abundant amount of frightened texts, saying how he had “so much to do!” for Saki’s Christmas party, and not enough time to do it before all her friends would arrive. He promised her he’d handle the hard stuff for her, as a way to let Saki enjoy the party more- a way to make up for all the Christmases she’d missed in the past.
When Rui saw the messages, he couldn’t help but smile. Of course Tsukasa-kun would be so thoughtful. His chest felt whole and warm, Tsukasa really was an amazing older brother. Really, he was amazing at everything. Every little thing he did was filled with immense love for his sister, his friends, acting in general.
It was impossible for Rui not to fall in love.
The faithful day it had happened, the day he came to the realization of the love he felt for Tsukasa, they were alone.
Phoenix Wonderland had just put on the show of the century- everyone worked their hardest preparing, spending long hours of the night in rehearsal after rehearsal. Honestly, the amount of dedication put into it began to take a toll on Rui. Was he doing enough? Would he make them proud? The smile Tsukasa had shot him before the show, however, was enough to calm his worries.
They sat on the stage together after the guests had all cleared out. Emu and Nene went to get celebratory cake for everyone- something that was very clearly Emu’s suggestion, but the endearing look in Nene’s eyes told Rui she really didn’t mind. As the pair left, Tsukasa began to kick his legs.
“So! Rui- what did you think?”
He turned to the other boy, legs still dangling off the stage. Tsukasa was still sweating from the performance, but the adrenaline rushing through him put his clear tiredness to shame. Rui couldn’t help but laugh at the eagerness in his voice.
“Ah, about Emu’s cake suggestion? I’m a bit too tired to eat an entire cake right now, but her clear passion for the subject makes the idea all the more worthwhile..” He placed his hand under his chin, a clear way to tease Tsukasa. The other boy knew he was joking, apparent with the way he lightly hit Rui’s shoulder- but Rui still found toying with Tsukasa to be something of a favoruite pastime.
After the light slap to his arm, and a small laugh from Rui, Tsukasa gave a huff. “You know what I mean! About the performance!”
Having to clarify himself gave Tsukasa a small rose dust across his cheeks, embarrassed to have to ask in such an upfront way. The expression surprised Rui, making his heartbeat a little bit faster than before, but surely, it was nothing to worry about.
He decided he would give Tsukasa what he wanted then. After all, his acting really did take his breath away. Rui adjusted comfortably on the stage, moving a bit so the hard wood would refrain from digging into his skin. Tsukasa-kun’s performance..
“Wonderful as always, Tsukasa-kun. The way you entered the stage with such a clear presence- my, you must have had the entire crowd swoon for you! You truly are a star.”
The conversation fell silent.
With the way Rui had spoken, so clear and thought out, like he had not a single doubt in a word he said- had he really thought that much about Tsukasa’s performance? Honestly, he had even surprised himself. Tsukasa really did have a certain effect on him.
Judging by the widened eyes Rui was so used to getting lost in, Tsukasa must have been just as shocked, if not more. His hands lightly grasped the fabric of his usual performance wear, the kicking of his feet slowing to a halt. If he was blushing badly before, it must have been even worse by now.
“T..that’s right! I’m a star, after all, so I expected nothing less!” His faux confidence quickly tried to cover up his deep seated embarrassment, but it was no use. Ultimately, it was clear just how much Rui had impacted the boy. Not in a bad way, of course, but instead.. a rather.. well, Rui couldn’t quite place his finger on it.
A silence fell on them once more, but it wasn’t long before Tsukasa spoke up to break it. His hands fiddled nervously together as he desperately looked anywhere but Rui.
“But, um, for the record.” He paused, stammered even. Rui watched every turn of his lips with great intensity. “Rui.. youdidsupergoodtoo! Like.. really, really good. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. So.. Yeah!”
Then, Tsukasa did the most Tsukasa-like thing he could. After gaining Rui’s attention with his blushing face and stammering lips, he shot him the biggest smile he could muster.
Rui could see it. The raw happiness in Tsukasa, the way he seemed so unbelievably impressed with Rui’s performance, the way the world seemed to stop turning as soon as Tsukasa looked at him with such a confident face. Did he mean it? He had to. Tsukasa wouldn't lie about this- Rui felt his heart swell.
That day had been marked as possibly the best day of Rui Kamishiro’s life.
It was the day he fully realized how much Tsukasa had actually meant to him, the day he realized how he wanted nothing more than to spend his life with the future star.
So really, how could he say no to an act as simple as party decorating?
Rui Kamishiro:
I’ll be there as soon as I can, Tsukasa-kun.
He sent his text reply as soon as he could, noting that Emu and Nene sadly admitted they were both currently busy. As soon as his message had read delivered, his phone was already buzzing with a notification.
Tsukasa Tenma:
thank you so much! youre really saving my life here!
With a smile on his face, and a sudden enjoyment for the holiday season, Rui made his way over to Tsukasa’s house.
-
It had been fourty minutes by now.
In those fourty minutes, Rui had managed to burn an entire batch of gingerbread, accidentally spill red and green paint all over the Tenma’s sofa, and overall had probably ruined Christmas.
Other than that, it was going great.
Cleaning up the paint splatters, he and Tsukasa had managed to get into somewhat of a paint fight. Tsukasa was so focused on scrubbing the red out of the couch, as to make it look like he and Saki didn’t murder somebody directly before the party, he had hardly noticed Rui idly painting on the back of his arm.
Technically, using paint already on the floor was cleaning, after all! He smiled as he did so, having to hold back an outrageous amount of laughter when Tsukasa had finally noticed. The boy in question ended up freaking out, jumping out in shock and placing his wet arm directly into the couch sofa.
He looked discouraged at first, but his pride soon regained as he had the amazing idea to splatter paint in Rui’s hair, claiming “I’m just dying it for the holiday season!” as his best excuse.
Rui really didn’t mind, of course. The paint would wash out easily, and the excited yet childish look in Tsukasa’s eyes made the entire interaction worthwhile. As he continued to laugh with the other, running around the living room and creating more mess than what they began with, Rui felt a strong desire to stay like this forever.
He really wished he could.
Soon enough thought, the energy died down. Tsukasa fell back on the now worse-off couch, complaining about the new mess they'd need to clean. Rui could only bring himself to laugh, handing Tsukasa a paint splattered sponge, and suggesting they get to work soon.
Tsukasa took the sponge with ease, a confident smirk residing on his painted face.
“Alright! Cleaning time!”
-
Exactly one hour, and an entire soap bottle later, the couch looked.. somewhat clean. Rui would have to issue a formal apology to the rest of the Tenma’s after he left, but for now, they had done a pretty decent job of cleaning up after themselves.
Finally, the last thing to do before the party started- fix the gingerbread Rui had destroyed!
With the kitchen airing out enough to no longer smell like a furnace, Tsukasa decided the last thing they’d do before the party was to remake the gingerbread cookies, and this time hopefully actually get to the icing stage before they got ruined.
“Alright! First off, the recipe Saki left says one cup of sugar.. surely, that isn't right. Cookies are sweet! Rui, it’ll be fine if I add a bit more sugar, right?” It most absolutely wouldn't, since Tsukasa couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of ‘too much of a good thing’, but why would Rui break his heart like that?
The way Tsukasa fumbled around the kitchen was perhaps the cutest thing Rui had ever seen. He checked the recipe every so often, but having banned Rui from touching everything within it, he remained doing most of the work himself.
Rui sat silently, humming along to whatever horrible idea Tsukasa decided would improve the cookies. His head rested gently in his hands, allowing his full attention to whatever cute thing Tsukasa was doing at the time.
The way his face turned surprised when a cloud of flour flew up into the air, or the confused look he held when re-reading over the recipe. At this point, Rui had decided that no matter what his precious Tsukasa was doing, it’d be endearing. It’s like every movement he made was one bestowed to him from the gods of sheer adorable-ness.
Yeah, Rui was whipped.
He gave a small, content sigh, turning up to look at Tsukasa now stirring a giant bowl. The action was done rather carelessly, managing to send dough flying out in every which way, but the concentrated look and the furrowed brows on Tsukasa’s face was enough to put any thoughts of correcting him aside.
Ah, but then Rui noticed something.
“Tsukasa-kun.. I believe you have a little something on your face.”
Rui pointed innocently to the left side of his mouth, a way to indicate to Tsukasa where the gingerbread batter had landed. Tsukasa paused for a moment, using his free hand to awkwardly rub half of his face.
“Did I get it?”
“No.. wrong side.”
Tsukasa shifted, now placing the bowl and spoon down, properly wiping the other side of his face. By some unruly force of nature, he still managed to miss. Gracing just a pinch above where the spill was.
“Now?”
His gaze was confused in a way it shot right through Rui’s heart, head tilted slightly, giving Rui a look that read please correct me if I’m wrong.
He felt his lips curve upwards, pushing off his stool as he gracefully walked across the kitchen island. Rui tilted Tsukasa’s face upwards a bit, only now being aware of the height difference the two of them held.
To kiss him, would I need to bend down? Certainly.. I wouldn’t mind..
What embarrassing thoughts. Rui tried to clean his mind, turning his full attention back to Tsukasa, who now felt slack in his hold. He waited, simply entrusting Rui to lean up whatever spill he had gotten on his face so he could get back to work.
“Fufufu.. Tsukasa-kun, what would you ever do without me?”
He tried to fake his confidence, tilting Tsukasa’s head a bit to the right so he could get a better view of his mouth. The moment felt tense, yet natural. Well, that was to be expected in a position such as this- holding Tsukasa with such care and tender, being meer inches away from..
Without a second thought, Rui gently grazed the area by Tsukasa's lips with his thumb, awkwardly scooping up a bit of the gingerbread dough, and placing it in his mouth. Tsukasa continued to sit silently in his grasp- clearly, he didn’t see a need to pull away. He trusted Rui, after all.
Yet as soon as the gingerbread entered Rui’s mouth however, the over-sweetness of the dough hit him. They were.. certainly something special! He gave a small cough, retracting his hands from Tsukasa’s face, and instead moving them to cover his mouth for the sake of decency. At this action, Tsukasa perked up in fear.
“Rui! Are you okay? Was there something wrong with the cookies- I’ll get the garbage!”
Rui gagged awkwardly, trying to force the gingerbread down his throat- he used his hand to usher Tsukasa away. He couldn’t let him know how absolutely god awful these cookies were, it would crush him. Instead, Rui simply cleared his throat and smiled down at Tsukasa.
“Nope! I assure you, no issue here, Tsukasa..! The cookies were rather wonderful.”
If Tsukasa could see how fake his smile was, he clearly didn’t seem to care. Having calmed down with the thought of Rui being safe, and the praises sung to him for his baking, he was now rather content with the situation. Tsukasa happily grabbed the bowl once more, scooping up some batter in the process.
A spoon was then pushed against Rui’s lips.
“Here, eat some more! I probably made too much anyway- so as the world's future star, I command you to enjoy my gingerbread to your heart's content!” Tsukasa’s passionate laugh filled the kitchen, as he waited for Rui to open his mouth.
While the scene in front of him was certainly one of the cutest things Rui’s ever seen, and made his heart absolutely melt with how proud of himself Tsukasa seemed to be, he knew that one more bite of that gingerbread batter would probably kill him.
He needed a way out of this..
Luckily, as Tsukasa waited patiently, a sound of footsteps followed into the room. A girl was humming, gently carrying herself down the stairs, decked out in full Christmas attire. Rui’s eyes widened- Could it be..?
“Tsukasaaa, have you seen our party poppers? They’re not in the storage room like dad said they were..”
The girl managed to slide her way into the kitchen, pigtails bouncing left and right as she walked. Both Tsukasa and Rui turned their attention to her, though Rui could feel the spoon still hovering by his face.
As soon as the girl caught wind of the situation, though, she gasped. Rui was quick to realize that this was Saki Tenma, Tsukasa’s younger sister. They’ve never spoken in person, but he’s heard enough about her through Tsukasa’s rambles. From her taste in gyaru fashion, to the band she formed with her childhood friends. Also, there’s the small detail that the party they were setting up was hosted by none other than her.
When met with the sight of Rui, Saki happily clapped her hands together and ran up to approach him. She grabbed him rather harshly, and spun him around to get a full view of him. The sight was certainly something, and Rui felt himself beginning to laugh at Saki’s deep interest in his presence.
“You must be Kamishiro! I’ve waited so long to meet you- you’re just like Tsukasa described!” Saki began to hum happily as she continued to scope out Rui. It’s clear Tsukasa was embarrassed by now, as he’d removed the spoon from the others face, and was now trying to desperately change the subject from whatever Tsukasa had said about him.
Rui, however, found this opportunity too good to ignore. He gave a polite smile to Saki, yet he knew Tsukasa could see through it.
“Ah, really? Well, I would simply love to know what Tsukasa-kun says about me. Would you care to tell?”
Out of the corner of his nearly-closed eyes, he picked up on Tsukasa's sudden jolt towards Saki. He waved his hands frantically, trying to convince her that there was really no need to continue on, but with what Rui knew about Saki, she was playing right into his hands.
“Oh! Well, he says you’re superrr handsome and stuff. And you’re a good actor too! One of the best he’s ever seen- he shows me clips of your performances a lot, you know.” Rui smiled at the thought of Tsukasa excitedly showing Saki clips of their latest play- he almost felt slightly embarrassed.
With a swoon-filled sigh, Saki smiled back up at him. “You just be a really amazing boyfriend, Rui-kun. I have to say, I’m almost jealous!”
Boyfriend?
The thought made Rui’s mind suddenly swell. Boyfriend? Him? Tsukasa’s boyfriend? It sounded like a near dream come true, but surely, there’s no way Saki actuallt thought that he and Tsukasa were..
Then, his eyes shifted over to Tsukasa. The other was flushed head to toe, painted stained arms fiddling with rolled up sleeves- for the first time ever, Tsukasa was unnaturally quiet.
Well, Rui would have to lighten the mood somehow.
“I thank you for your kindness, Saki. I really do try my hardest for my dear Tsukasa-kun.. I’m rather glad he feels the same.”
He places his hand over his heart to sell it, but in reality, it’s nothing but his genuine feelings. The soft smile he gives to Saki when talking about Tsukasa could not be more real than it already was. He loved Tsukasa so much it hurt, after all.
With that answer, however, Saki seems satisfied. She smiles and waves them off, before running back upstairs to prepare for the guests. (Which are arriving very soon, and the gingerbread is very not close to being ready.)
“Listen.. Rui, I appreciate you wanting to make Saki happy- but, um, you didn’t need to lie..”
Tsukasa’s face is still flushed as he speaks, hands nervously fidgeting with the ribbon on his apron that he had Rui so carefully tie for him. It’s clear he’s mainly feeling embarrassment, with no sense of clear discomfort whatsoever, and Rui can’t contain how much love he feels for the boy in front of him right now. He turns back to him, shooting Tsukasa the most charming look he possibly can.
“Ah, but Tsukasa-kun, none of what I said was a lie. I truly do my best for you.”
Tsukasa paused once more, eyes shooting towards the floor. Had Rui gone too far? Does Tsukasa think he’s weird? God, so many thoughts ran through his head. So many things he wanted to tell Tsukasa . So many worries. So many confessions.
You brighten my day, Tsukasa-kun.
One thought..
You’re my star, Tsukasa-kun.
After another..
I want to spend my life with you, Tsukasa-kun.
And then the doorbell rang.
Both boys turned towards the noise, attention focusing on the sounds of Saki tumbling down the stairs, attempting to open the door before either of the two had the chance to. The kitchen fell silent as they heard Saki happily invite her friends in- some being people Rui recognized, others he did not. Oh well , he thought to himself.
Right now, only Tsukasa truly matters to me.
Tsukasa looked up at Rui, his expression clearly giving away that he wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, the words couldn’t seem to fall out. Rui looked at him with his foggy gaze of curiosity and love- watching the boys every move.
He fidgeted once again. Something was on his mind- but he dare not say.
“We should go put these in the oven, right?”
Instead, Tsukasa changed the topic so easily- like any previous conversation ceased to exist. Taken aback, Rui could only nod. Getting to help Tsukasa again was conversation enough, he supposed. He would never complain about getting to spend more time with the boy he loved.
So happily, he slipped on the oven mits and helped Tsukasa slide the deformed gingerbread men into the oven. He had also offered to help wash dishes, but a shorter girl with light brown hair said she wouldn’t mind helping Tsukasa instead, to which he greatly accepted. Though saddened to have to leave Tsukasa alone with another, maybe Rui could treat this as a good time to clear his head.
He walked back into the now clean living room, awkwardly plopping down on the couch. Rui felt out of place here, if he was being honest. He often felt out of place in most spaces- feeling like his actions were too ‘weird’ for most, but now, alone at a party, holiday songs blasting in his ears, he felt nearly lonely.
Suddenly, his mind once again began to wander. He observed the room around him carefully- it looked.. different. Of course, he had been to the Tenma’s house before, but with the holiday decorations up, and the dimmed lights to accommodate a more party-like feel, the entire atmosphere felt completely changed.
Surprisingly, with the now high energy tone of the living room, Rui found himself feeling like he stood out even more. A lone boy sitting by himself at a party- completely unaware of the world around him. God, he probably looked like a fool.
Rui fiddled with the hem of his eccentric casual clothes, hoping that maybe if he looked busy, people would think he was less of a loser. His eyes fell to the floor, making him completely unaware of the sudden weight next to him.
The couch dipped down- and he startled. Rui flashed his head to the side, only to be met with a calming smile. A familiar sight indeed, he could feel himself relax.
“Hello, Kamishiro-senpai. Were you invited to this party too?”
Touya Aoyagi continued to smile warmly back at him, hands gently placed on his knees in a rather formal manner. Really, it wasn’t surprising to see Touya here. He remembered hearing Tsukasa talk about him before as if he was somewhat of a third sibling to him- another cute habit of Tsukasa’s that Rui couldn’t help but fall for.
He waved back at him, the familiarity of the meeting seeming to make Rui brighten up to his usual self.
“Aoyagi-kun, it is certainly good to see you. Ah.. but I suppose I wasn’t invited. Me and Tsukasa-kun simply helped decorate. I’m sure you could tell, yes?”
He motioned to the leftover paint on the couch, causing Touya to slightly turn towards it. His smile only widened, a gentle laugh escaping him. “So you have.”
Their conversation continued after that, a small exchange of idle chatter- mainly catching up on what was happening with each other's lives. Rui talked about the trouble he and Tsukasa had gone through setting up, and Touya talked about different types of music he had been listening to at the time. It was a helpful distraction from Rui’s feelings for now, but it was short ended as soon as Touya quickly checked his phone with a shocked expression.
“I apologize, Kamishiro-senpai, but I need to go soon. It was hard enough getting permission to go to this party, so I need to give Akito his Christmas gift right now if I wish to deliver it at all..”
Akito, right. Rui wasn’t at all familiar with him, but he knew about him from Tsukasa. He was.. Touya’s boyfriend, right? The thought sent an embarrassed pang through Rui’s chest. Boyfriend..
Here goes nothing.
“Aoyagi-kun, before you leave, may I inquire how you and Shinonome-kun got together? I realize this is somewhat of an.. embarrassing topic, but I must say, I’m interested.” Touya seemed caught off guard with Rui’s request, but nonetheless he nodded and readjusted on the couch. Akito could wait longer, it seemed.
“Akito..” Touya’s words came out mumbled, but there was an unmistakable fond look on his face. The same look Rui often had when thinking about Tsukasa- at least, that’s what Nene told him. Lidded eyes, a soft blush, it all seemed rather familiar to both boys present.
“Akito is my partner. He brings out a side of me I didn’t realize I had.. I’m incredibly grateful for him.” His words touched Rui’s heart. The gratitude one held for another was something he knew oh-so well. “I love a lot of things about him, too. The softness of his hair, the way he fits into my arms.. he’s somewhat brash at times, but the passion and flare in his eyes is something special.”
With a satisfied look, Touya pushed back onto the couch. It seemed the topic of Akito opened up a rather talkative side to the rather soft spoken boy. While he technically didn’t answer Rui’s questions, simply seeing Touya so happily talk about the love of his life set Rui’s heart ablaze. He felt exactly the same as he did, he figured.
He had to tell Tsukasa.
“I admire your passion, Touya-kun. Ah.. but look at the time, I suppose I shall let you continue on your journey. Happy holidays.”
“Happy holidays to you too, Rui-senpai.”
The two exchanged a wave, and Touya began to head out. With a quick hug goodbye from Saki, and a promise to invite him over for dinner sometime, Touya continued out the door- stopping only for a second to appreciate the wreath so happily hung on the outside of the Tenma’s door.
“Rui!”
A certain voice came rushing from the door to the kitchen, the boy always on Rui’s mind appearing from within the crowd. Of course, Rui stood up in a fit of shock, curious as to why Tsukasa was running towards him at such a fast pace. The way he bent over and began to pant sent a worryfull look to Rui’s face.
“Tsukasa-kun? My, could you not wait to see me that much? Really, there’s no need to run.”
With a soft laugh from Rui, Tsukasa finally looked up at him. He straightened out his back, and returned to his prior awkward position he had used back in the kitchen. Quietly, (an odd occurrence, considering Tsukasa never did anything quietly whatsoever,) he pointed over to the stairwell.
“Can we talk? Away from everyone. Just for a second.” With such a serious expression falling over Taukasa’s face, Rui couldn’t help but feel more worried and upset than he had before. Did he do something wrong? Was Tsukasa tired of his antics?
Still, no matter what negative thoughts rushed through his head, he followed the shorter boy to the corner of the party. The lights were still dimmed, but enough light stemmed from the upstairs that Rui could make out at least some parts of Tsukasa’s face well enough.
And god, what a face it was.
With the colorful lighting of the party, Tsukasa’s face looked extra soft. His skin spotless and smooth, hair falling gently to the sides of it- still adorned with face, and his eyes . Rui loved Tsukasa’s the most. The way they shined like a thousand stars, the colour of what could only be described as a morning sunrise. Every little expression Tsukasa made had his eyes shine even brighter than the last. Really, Rui could stare at them forever.
“I want to talk. About.. earlier.”
Oh, right.
Rui gulped, suddenly a hundred times more aware of every little negative thought swirling in his head. His hands felt cold, and if anything, he almost felt like fainting. Still, he tried to keep himself composed in front of Tsukasa, looking down at the other with an anticipating expression.
“With what you said earlier.. about how you meant everything- does that mean..” He trailed off, returning back to his original scrunched up and nervous position. Tsukasa looked adorable, but Rui hardly had time to swoon right now.
He had two choices.
Number one, completely lie and say he was simply teasing Tsukasa, and they’d return to the party forgetting any of this had ever happened.
Or number two, shoot his shot and risk ruining everything with Tsukasa- but at least then, he’d know how Rui felt.
Though every bone in his body told Rui number one was the way to go, his heart told him he should just do it. He should just tell Tsukasa. Tell him the way he makes his heart race, tell him how Rui wants to spend every moment of his life with him, tell him how much Rui loves Tsukasa.
He thought back to Touya, the fond smile that graced him when talking about Akito. Rui wants that. He wants Tsukasa to look at him that way, of course, but more importantly- he wants to look at Tsukasa that way. He wants to shoot him innocent romantic smiles, only for Tsukasa to notice and shoot one back. To be able to be romantic with Tsukasa and for once finally have the other boy aware would be a dream come true.
And so, he decided, this would be it.
Rui let out a small laugh, a totally failed attempt at calming his nerves, and cupped Tsukasa’s face. The other boy looked up at him, confused and blushing- Rui wanted to kiss him right there and then.
“It’s true, Tsukasa-kun.” He gives another laugh, taking in the way Tsukasa’s eyes widen.
“Every moment we spend together feels like I’ve been blessed by the gods, after all. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel incredibly lucky to have you in my life. Your actions inspire me, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’m in love with you.”
Tsukasa seems speechless.
He goes limp in Rui’s hold, and they fall into an unsettling silence. Rui felt.. strange. This was it, he supposed. He should just pack his bags and leave, never to show his face in Shibuya again. Maybe he could start life somewhere in Harajuku? His eccentric fashion sense would certainly fit in there. No one would be able to recognize him.
Millions of thoughts ran through Rui’s head, but before he could select any of them as his best possible option, he heard soft sniffles coming from Tsukasa.
When he looked back down again, the other boy was full on sobbing. His stupidly beautiful eyes now welling with tears, his words were barely audible whatsoever. The only thing Rui could somewhat make out was a distorted version of his name.
“Ruiiii…”
His crying continued, leaving Rui in a confused sense of shock. Should he.. leave? Get help? Stay with Tsukasa? Something told him the ladder was the best option.
He cupped the boys face even tighter- though he was careful not to cause any actual harm, and lightly kissed the area under his eyes. The skin felt warm and wet, but the action of kissing Tsukasa, even if it wasn’t on the lips, was distraction enough for Rui. He kissed the boys tears away, continuing to do so until Tsukasa could finally form some sort of sentence.
When he did, he gave Rui the biggest hug he possibly could, nuzzling his head into the other's chest.
“You mean so much to me, dummy. Of course I love you! After all you’ve done for me.. how could I not..”
Of course, Rui returned the hug. He wrapped his arms around Tsukasa, and pulled him closer to him until they were decently chest-to-chest. The two took comfort in each others warm hold, until Rui pried his eyes away from Tsukasa and looked up at the stairwell above his head.
Mistletoe..
He laughed the comforting laugh Tsukasa had come to love, and gently tapped said boy on the shoulder. When Tsukasa’s puffy eyes looked up at him, he pointed gently to the mistletoe.
It was cliché, and he knew it, but courtesy of a Christmas tradition most likely set up by Saki, Rui gently placed his hand on Tsukasa’s face. He had to bend down a bit, but gracefully, he placed a soft kiss on Tsukasa’s lips.
Warm.
It was his first thought- Tsukasa was a very warm person, after all, so it only made sense for his lips to be warm too, but this was on a whole new level.. as soon as their lips met, an explosion of warmth blossomed in Rui’s chest. He felt at home, like after years of searching, this is where he belonged. In Tsukasa’s arms, against his lips.
When they both pulled away, they couldn’t help but continued to stare longingly at each other, entranced by the sheer amount of love they both held- though it was clear they were both slightly embarrassed.
Ah well, it wasn’t like Rui really cared, anyway. He’d embarrass Tsukasa everyday if he had the chance. Seeing his face burst into a fiery shade of red, insisting Rui stop with the teasing was one of Rui’s favourite parts about Tsukasa, after all. He wouldn’t change it at all.
Shooting one more glance up at the mistletoe above them, Rui could only laugh. It was fair to say Saki’s party was a success, then. As he held Tsukasa in his arms, whispering about how much he loved and cared for him gently in his ear, he could only come to appreciate Christmas a little bit more.