Chapter Text
Tsukasa exhales again at Rui’s side, white puffs of air rising into a clear grey sky. His hands are moving animatedly, mimicking falling confetti and rising balloons and everything he wants to add to their Christmas show. The houses pass by them in a blur, Rui’s eyes are focused on the sidewalk instead. He really doesn’t want to reach Tsukasa’s house, doesn’t want to have to say goodbye.
“Rui, say something. You’ve gone oddly silent on me, and I can’t have that happening. I need your brilliant mind to help me come up with ideas!” Tsukasa turns to face Rui, and then he’s short of breath, because oh God.
The cold air’s made Tsukasa’s cheeks and nose pink, eyes bright and clear and somehow sparkling with warmth as he smiles brightly, and it’s the smile that really does it in for Rui. He could never get tired of seeing Tsukasa smile like that, a smile that takes up his whole face and makes his cheeks glow.
There’s a strange sensation in his chest, like Tsukasa’s reached inside and scooped out his stomach, and all that’s left is his heart rattling around his ribcage.
“I’m glad you think I’m brilliant, Tsukasa-kun,” Rui winks, letting a sly smile creep over his face to hide how much he’s blushing. Maybe he can pass it off as the cold.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be helping me brainstorm, not teasing me!” Tsukasa cries indignantly, and Rui opens his mouth to respond with some witty remark—
“Ahh!” Rui’s hand darts out instinctively, preventing Tsukasa from falling. He’s surprisingly light.
“Sorry, I slipped on some ice,” Tsukasa brushes off his winter coat and gives the offending ice a withering glare.
It’s so charming and utterly adorable and wow, Rui is really gone for this boy, that he acts without thinking.
One lanky arm with purple fingernails wraps around Tsukasa’s shoulders, and the other snakes around his waist. Tsukasa jolts, suddenly very stiff. Had Rui… made him uncomfortable?
“W-what are you doing? Rui?” Tsukasa says, one soft hand coming up to grasp at Rui’s hand. He bites back a shiver at how warm it is, sliding over the chapped and calloused skin of his hand.
“We wouldn’t want our star actor breaking an ankle on some ice, now would we?” Rui whispers, almost directly into the curve of his ear.
Tsukasa’s immobile for a little bit, hand still wrapped loosely around his, and Rui’s really starting to worry that he’s done something wrong, made Tsukasa uncomfortable, but then Tsukasa relaxes in his grip. Rui notices that he doesn’t move away.
He sucks in a breath. Hope is dangerous.
“Well, how am I supposed to walk like this? I’d bet that the chance of me slipping is even higher, what with you wrapped around me like some monkey.” Tsukasa attempts to take one step forward, and Rui follows.
What comes next is a penguin waddle of sorts, stepping in synchronisation, arms still wrapped tightly around each other. Tsukasa’s warm, so warm, Rui thinks, and buries his face into the junction of Tsukasa’s neck and shoulder.
Again, Tsukasa freezes.
“Why did you stop moving? Are you alright?” Rui asks, the sound of his voice muffled by Tsukasa’s coat. He really doesn’t want to look up.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” Tsukasa assures him, but Rui doesn’t miss how his voice is a little strained, a little higher than normal.
Tsukasa smells really nice, all clean citrus-y shampoo and vanilla scented chapstick, and Rui’s struck with the urge to press a little kiss to the soft skin of his neck. Just thinking about it, Tsukasa’s skin under his lips, arms wrapped around each other, fingers intertwined, has his heart racing. His breathing is going a bit uneven, shaky breaths releasing clouds of cold air. Rui’s fingers tremble as they enclose Tsukasa’s hand in his once again.
“Your heart rate’s increasing,” Tsukasa comments, and Rui is really, really grateful that he can’t see his face right now, because he’s sure that he’s blushing beyond excusable amounts. “And your breathing’s become really weird.”
Maybe Tsukasa will finally pick up on how Rui’s heart races whenever the boy is around, how he wants to wrap himself up in Tsukasa and never let go. Maybe he won’t have to admit these embarrassing feelings out loud.
“Are you really that worried about falling on the ice?” Tsukasa adds, voice dipping back into a teasing tone, and Rui isn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.
Or maybe, Rui can do it himself. He can, he can, he can do it.
“Actually, it’s you.” Rui says, trying his absolute hardest to keep his voice steady. “You’re the one making my heart beat faster.”
“Oh— oh.” Tsukasa nearly trips again, except Rui clasps his hand again, using the momentum to gently spin him around so that they’re face-to-face.
Now it’s possible for him to see Tsukasa’s face, and he starts, because Tsukasa is flushed. His eyes are averted, staring down at their intertwined hands, eyebrows creased together in worry. He’s clearly debating something, worrying his lip between his teeth. Rui really just wants to take his face between his hands and… and…
“Thanks for walking me home, Rui,” Tsukasa says, still uncharacteristically shy. He looks up, and his eyes are filled with so much warmth that Rui loses all feeling in his legs, brain fuzzing over, unable to form any thoughts.
Rui lets himself look, traitorously, at Tsukasa’s mouth, pink and soft in the winter, before looking away.
“Look, we’re at your house already,” Rui gently drops Tsukasa’s hands, opting instead to put them in his pockets, but he can’t escape the tingling feeling of warmth that covers them. He has to fight the urge to press his hands against his cheeks, and see which one is warmer.
“Right…” Tsukasa leaves to go towards his house, and Rui can’t keep his eyes off of him, still bright and eye-catching even in the middle of winter. “See you tomorrow, Rui!”
Rui doesn’t think he can form actual, comprehensible words right now, so he gives a little wave instead, fighting down the rising wave of warmth that threatens to surge forward.
He already can’t wait to be with Tsukasa again.