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Rehearsal was going well, as it always does at the Wonder Stage. Today’s rehearsal consisted of just Rui and Tsukasa. Not that the others were unavailable, they were just simply not necessary for the current scene being worked on.
The two were working hard, putting their all into each practice; they had to if they were to create shows that consistently brought a smile to the audience's unsuspecting faces. Currently, however, Tsukasa was distracted. He couldn't tell you why, but he just simply couldn’t take his eyes off of Rui’s jacket. Whenever it flowed swiftly around his body during a certain spin, how it hung off of his arms when Rui had to pause and check his script; Tsukasa’s eyes followed every action.
This was not star-like behaviour, he reprimanded himself.
As they worked through their rehearsal, he managed to stay focused. Ignoring the way the hood of the jacket jumped during a particularly intense scene. Nope, Tsukasa was completely focused, he tried convincing himself. At some point, Rui ended up taking off his jacket, complaining that he was too hot. Tsukasa sighed in relief, thanking any God that had been listening to his pleas.
Except, hold on. He’s still distracted! Still, in the back of his mind, in the corner of his eye, was Rui’s jacket sitting idly on the side of the stage. One sleeve draping over the edge, and the other piled against the torso. The thought of him in the other’s jacket then came to mind. It would be too big for him, obviously, the sleeves falling well past his hands. And it would smell of Rui of course, but what would that smell like? It looks so soft too, so comfy.
“-kasa? Tsukasa?” Rui called. “Are you alright? You missed your cue.”
It was then that he realised that he’d stopped paying attention. His gaze snapped to Rui before slipping, just for a moment, towards the lone jacket. Rui followed his gaze, confused. “Is there something wrong with my jacket?” He asked. Tsukasa suddenly realised that he had been jeopardising his precious rehearsal time all over a dumb jacket. A jacket that wasn’t even his!
“Ah! No, of course not! It’s just..” Come on Tsukasa! You’re a world class star, you can certainly think of a believable excuse. “Um.. your jacket seemed as if it was about to fall off the stage. I was… simply concerned about it getting ruined!”
Rui didn’t look convinced, his eyes narrowing with scepticism. Still, he went over to his jacket, quickly checking his phone, as he was already there. Upon doing this a sheepish expression dawned on his face.
“Apologies Tsukasa, it appears I’ve missed a call from my mother. Do you mind if I step aside to call her back? You can continue on without me.”
“Of course, my dear director! I would hate for her to be worried about you.”
With Tsukasa’s permission, Rui turned the corner to be positioned behind the wonderstage, absentmindedly tossing his jacket on the steps. Out of earshot, but not too far away that Tsukasa couldn’t get him if need be.
Now Tsukasa was alone, alone with that damned jacket. With the absence of Rui, the jacket just seemed all the more noticeable, like it was calling to him. How odd. Despite his better judgement, he felt himself slowly drift towards the jacket.
No! He needed to rehearse! He couldn’t be a World Class Star if he can’t even ignore a simple distraction. A distraction that didn’t even intend to be one in the first place!
To Tsukasa’s defence, he did manage to get through a few of his lines before he gave in, utterly defeated. It felt weird, having all his attention focused onto this singular jacket, owned by one of his dearest friends. He sat next to the jacket, eyeing it wearily, before moving his arm out, approaching the garment as if it were a wild animal, slow and steady. As if Rui would turn the corner any second and catch him slacking off.
Eventually, his hand did reach the jacket. It was soft in his hand, just as he had thought. And with the remembrance of that thought came the rest of it. How his arms would drown in it, how it would swallow him whole. By the time he came to the conclusion that no , he shouldn’t put on his friend’s jacket, one arm was already in with the other on its way.
Well.. in for a penny in for a pound.
Oh, oh this was better than he thought. It completely swamped him. All encompassing is the phrase that first came to mind. The weight was something he hadn’t considered. It wasn’t light but wasn’t so heavy it would drag him down, it was more comforting than anything. This, combined with Rui’s aroma infused in the jacket made it feel like a hug from the other.
And that, somehow, despite everything else, made Tsukasa feel hotter than the sun. The simple thought of a hug from Rui made Tsukasa curl in on himself and hide inside the fabric. It just didn’t make sense! The two had physical touches all the time! Whether it was a small tap on the arm for attention or a comforting hand on a shoulder. But it never made Tsukasa feel like this, it never made his face flush or his heart race. It doesn’t make sense…
—
A few feet away, Rui had finished his phone call and was making his way back to Tsukasa. He hopes he hasn’t hindered rehearsal too much.
As he rounded the corner of the stage, he was confused on the lack of a loud voice reciting lines. He expected to see Tsukasa on the stage, making grand motions as he acted like his life depended on it. What he didn’t expect was to catch Tsukasa positioned on the side of the Wonder stage, snuggled up in his jacket on the steps.
What a sight to come back to.
From an outsider’s perspective, the jacket looked awful on him. It was the wrong size, making him look small, and the neon colours clashed with his warmer tones. But Rui wasn’t an outsider, Rui was Rui. And in his humble opinion, the sight of Tsukasa in his jacket was one of the best things the young boy had ever seen. It made him feel something; something new and strange. A sort of… possessiveness, perhaps? Rui definitely didn’t dislike it, that’s for sure.
Rui decides to step a little closer before making himself known.
“Tsukasa,” he called out, “is that my jacket you’re wearing?”
Within an instance, Tsukasa’s face whipped up to look at Rui before quickly looking away again with a flushed complexion. Ah, Tsukasa suits red, Rui thought before he could stop himself. The other jumped up before speaking.
“Ah! Well.. I- um..” Tsukasa was stammering, which was new. The boy always spoke confidently and loudly. It was an interesting change of pace, one that Rui finds himself wanting to see more of. And with that thought in mind, he decided to entertain it.
“Tsukasa~” He teased as he stalked towards the flustered boy. When he got close enough, he started fiddling with the jacket, his jacket he reminded himself. Fixing the hood here, straightening it out there. It seemed to make Tsukasa all the more embarrassed and he chased that feeling. “If you wanted to wear my jacket,” He purred, “you could’ve just asked.”
Tsukasa’s eyes, which were flittering all about, caught on Rui’s. “I could’ve?” His voice was barely above a whisper, full of uncertainty. “Why, of course!” Came Rui’s reply. “We wouldn’t want my future star to be cold now, would we?” They were so close, noses only a few inches from one another.
And then, suddenly, it was as if a switch was flipped inside of Tsukasa. He quickly jumped back onto the stage’s steps. Rui couldn’t help but feel disappointed at the loss of proximity. “Yes! Aha!” Tsukasa exclaimed abruptly and perhaps a bit too loudly. “We wouldn’t want me to be cold, no! Which is the reason why I put on your jacket!” It sounded as if he was convincing himself more than anything, highlighted by the fact he wouldn't look Rui in the eyes. That wouldn’t do, not at all. But before he could do anything about it, though, Tsukasa was already backing away.
“Well! It is awfully late!” It was 5 pm. “I must be getting back home, wouldn’t want Saki worrying about me!” He laughed nervously before shucking off Rui’s jacket, leaving it on the edge of the stage, picking up his phone, and running off.
Rui watched wordlessly as the other beelined to the staff exit. Rui wouldn’t lie and say he didn’t enjoy the moment they had, no matter how brief it was and how abrupt it had ended. Seeing Tsukasa in that jacket, his jacket. The jacket that he wears everyday, outside of school of course. He’d never thought that something so simple as Tsukasa wearing his jacket would make him feel this much. It was fascinating; he must see it again.
As Rui gathered his things, so he himself could return home, he noticed a lone jacket left on the benches in front of the stage. Tsukasa had left in such a rush, he had forgotten his own jacket. Well, what kind of a friend would he be if he didn’t return it?