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Loud music aggressively beats on the ears, causing the Ritsu's heart to skip a beat for the thousandth time. I wanted to hide in a secluded place and finally inhale the oxygen with a full chest, which was so lacking in the room.
Ritsu sighs wearily as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the wall. he did not expect something worthwhile from graduation, but he did not think that it would be so boring and dreary.
Kouga and Adonis were playing rock, paper, scissors to see who would be the first to taste the strange-looking snacks, while Rei and Kaoru sat next to each other, laughing. This makes Ritsu smile faintly.
Off to the side, Arashi and Mika are flirting awkwardly, while Leo, Tsukasa, and Izumi give their friend a thumbs up. Ritsu mentally wishes Arashi good luck, not forgetting to punch himself in the forehead for not being with them now, but he doesn't want to share his acid and ruin such a wonderful evening for all the graduates and guests.
Should he stay in his room and sleep through everything? Maybe.
Melancholy sets in, and ritsu wants to get out of here as soon as possible before he starts thinking too much again; to think about the future he so fears and despises ever since their relationship with ray has deteriorated. Thinking about his older brother makes Ritsu mumble angrily, frowning and closing his eyes.
— Ritsu-u, why are you standing aside?
Looking up, he sees a smiling Mao in front of him, holding out a glass of champagne to him. Ritsu nods his thanks and accepts it.
— Hello to you too, Maa-kun, — he forces himself to smile. — I didn't expect you to decide to come to me.
— Why? — Mao asks, not understanding the words spoken to him. — It's your graduation too, Ritsu, I couldn't help but come over.
Ritsu loves it in Mao; he had always been that way: kind, polite.
— You have a Trickstar, Maa-kun. You should spend time with them, not with me, — Ritsu retorts, taking a sip of champagne, which was very welcome right now. I wanted to feel on my tongue something other than bitterness.
— Is something bothering you?
Here it is – a question on the forehead.
Or a shot right in the heart, so much so that the hand did not flinch.
— Maa-kun, we are at a party, did you forget? this is not a good place to have this conversation. — He looks away. — and time.
Time flies by at the speed of light, and ritsu was convinced of that today when he realized that this might be the end. today they celebrate graduation, and tomorrow – a break in relations between them? to hope that he and Mao would be connected at least something after graduation – stupidity, and nothing more, at which one could only laugh bitterly.
Mao Isara – star.
Though, no.
Mao Isara is the whole galaxy, and for Ritsu he became the universe; became a new life and the very reason for a real good morning.
— Let's go.
And Mao gently takes his hand, leading him somewhere. Ritsu doesn't think about the place, but thinks about how soft and warm Mao's palms are. It seems that even the softest pillows cannot be compared with the softness of his hands.
He squeezes mao's hand as fresh air hits his nose. Did they go to the balcony? Very clever.
— Now no one will bother us, — Mao laughs and raises his head, directing his gaze to the starry sky. Today the bright lights were extraordinarily magical.
Ritsu sees dim stars in Maou's eyes. As dim as his hopes for the future.
For the future with Mao.
— I don't want prom to end, — Ritsu begins, biting his lip. Next to Mao, it was impossible to keep your feelings and true emotions under lock and key. Although, what's the point if he was seen through anyway? He does not know. — Tell me, maa-kun, what are your plans for the future?
This question seems to take Mao by surprise, as he raises his eyebrows in surprise and then sighs.
— The future is scary, you know, — he chuckles, shifting from foot to foot. nervous. — I have many plans for it, but I don't want it to come so soon.
The future sucks, and this isn't the first time Ritsu has seen it. Adult life is probably terrible and full of unnecessary problems, which the ritsu already has enough of.
What is the point of everything if mao is not around? There will be no one who can continue to light his way with his mere presence; the one who helped him to his feet and taught him to walk again.
Mao made his heart beat again.
— A bright future awaits you, maa-kun, — a sincere grin escapes Ritsu's lips. There really is so much waiting for him that Mao can't imagine how much ritsu admires him.
But in this "bright future" there is no place for Ritsu.
— I’m glad you think so, Ritchan, — he smiles, his cheeks flushed a soft pink. Ritsu wonder how fast his heart is beating now?
— I don’t think, I’m stating a fact, stupid Maa-kun.
Mao doesn't answer and takes a last sip of champagne, then sets the glass down on the round glass table. Ritsu wants to say now everything that is spinning in his tongue, in his mind and in his soul, but for some reason he is silent, thinking that this is extra information that Mao does not need to know about. definitely not now.
And when?
— I would like to have you in my future, Ritsu.
And the Ritsu seems to be falling apart.
— You can’t talk about it so easily, maa-kun, — he snaps, pursing his lips and frowning. there was a feeling that Mao did not understand the seriousness of these words, and this made the ritsu tremble either from a slight cold, or from unbearable sadness.
— But I'm telling the truth! — Mao says this with a heaviness in his chest.
Ritsu wants to believe it, but he can't. And his tongue does not obey at all. The only thing he can do is purse his lips until it hurts.
And as Mao tightens his grip on the ritsu's hand, he realizes that his pain is being felt too.
— I've been thinking about this for a long time and, you know... I wanted to offer you to rent an apartment together after graduation, — Mao lowers his head, not finding the courage to look Ritsu in the eyes.
But this was only a plus for him, because Ritsu's eyes became terribly glassy, and his eyelashes visibly trembled. In his eyes one could read not only surprise, but also a lack of understanding of these words, which, it seems, flew past the ears, but reached the depths of the soul.
— Maa-kun...
Ritsu does not come immediately, but very, very slowly; second by second, as if the mind is clouded.
— Are you sure you won't regret it? — he whispers in a drooping tone, lowering his head and closing his eyes. There was a desire to hide from the whole world, and especially I wanted to fall through the ground without hearing Mao's native voice. A tear rolls down his cheek, then another.
But his cheeks gently clasp and raise his head, causing the scarlet eyes to open wide and look into the face of Mao, which expressed only concern, love and devotion.
— I love you.
Ritsu doesn't notice how he drops his glass and it shatters like his heart lock. He clings to mao so hard that he at first forgets about the existence of breathing.
Mao hugs Ritsu tightly, nuzzles the top of his head and inhales the sweet scent. To tell you a secret, Ritsu specifically bought strawberry-scented shampoo, hoping that Mao would like it. He was not wrong.
Ritsu doesn't cry, certainly doesn't cry; he just frantically gasps for air, squeezing Mao's clothes with his palms, wanting to merge with him into one.
— Me too… — he pauses, inhaling deeply through his mouth, — I love you too, maa-kun.
Mao laughs demurely, and Ritsu's heart skips its thousandth beat again.
And will miss until the very night, while both confess their love to each other so many times, because the future belongs only to them.