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Rain pelts down onto his skin like bullets. But Rui doesn't care. He's going to do it this time, he doesn't care.
his hands tremble as his grips the railing of the school roof, socks completely soaked as his shoes are carelessly in a pair beside him.
it's not funny. The teasing remarks thrown his way are never funny. The insults written on his desk aren't funny. The cruel punches thrown his way aren't funny.
He sniffles pathetically, raising his hand to wipe away the blood running down his nose like water.
Everyone's gonna be so disappointed in him. How he turned out. His mother will be devestated. But it's too much, the cruelty he's suffered through has caused him to reach his breaking point.
Rui prepares himself for the jump, heart beating rapidly in his chest. Would Mizuki ever want to come up to the roof after this?
However, before he can do anything, the door to the roof opens with a loud creak. Rui freezes.
Maybe I'll get pushed off, Rui thinks to himself in a slightly hopeful way. He doesn't think he can do this without a little help.
But that little help never comes. Instead, a loud and boisterous voice squeaks, and he can hear the boy run towards him as he grabs Rui's sleeve..
"KAMISHIRO!? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?"
His heart drops. In front of him is Tenma, a loud, irritating boy in his class. As annoying as he is, he's incredibly kind to Rui. They've talked, once or twice, by themselves. Hell, they even worked on a project together before. The purple haired boy can't recall what it was about right now, not when he was caught in the act of trying to end his life.
Tenma grabs his sleeve roughly, looking at him with a horrified expression. His hair is all wet as the downpour of rain intensifies, showering the two in terribly cold water. The sight reminds Rui of a sopping wet cat.
"Tenma-kun..why haven't you gone home yet?" The taller of the two asks, his voice quivering. He looks in front of him, dull, yellow eyes staring down in front of him.
It's a long way down. It'd end me for sure.
"I was in the library. While I was leaving, I saw you heading up the stairs.. I'm thinking it's a good thing I followed you up here." His voice breaks as he says the next part, and Rui doesn't know why. "Don't..don't do this, Rui. It's not worth it. It's never worth it."
The blonde haired boys voice is so quiet Rui doesn't believe it really is him. Tears cling to pretty blonde lashes, and Rui feels a feeling of guilt wash over him. He shoves his arm out of Tenmas hold, and looks to the side.
"Why? Why does it matter to you? Just go home. It's getting late." Rui attempts to sound like he doesn't care, but he can't help the fact that tears are welling up in his eyes. His breathing goes heavy. He shakes.
"..I don't want to do this anymore. Don't make me do this anymore. I'm tired of being ridiculed. Everyone wants me dead anyways.. So why does it matter to you?" Rui whispers, and with that, hot warm tears begin to fall down his face, a harsh contrast to the cold wet rain that drenches his entire body.
A hand clasps his, and despite the freezing cold weather, Tenmas hands are warm. Warm, and incredibly soft. Rui tries to ignore the way they fit in his larger ones perfectly.
"That's not true. I don't want you dead... And I don't think that underclassman that hangs with you from time to time does either." Tenma says, before turning around Rui so that they face each other. The shorter boy sees the blood and bruises on Rui's face and he just looks heartbroken.
Rui just doesn't get why he cares, They aren't close. They aren't friends, he doesn't think. He likes hanging around Tenma. He just doesn't get why he'd feel the same.
Rui is ugly. He's cold. He cuts off people before they can get close. Look at him and Nene. Closer than peas in a pod as children, and now look at them now. All that is exchanged is a an occasional text. They say hi if they see each other pass. Nothing more, nothing less.
But Tenma is different. He doesn't treat Rui differently. He treats him like one would an average friend or classmate.
..and that, makes Rui feel weird.
"Kamishiro..put on your shoes. I'll take you to my house. Let me clean you up. I cannot let a dear classmate of mine jump off a god forsaken roof! How selfish even are you!? You do know your life is valued, right!?"
His voice finally goes back to it's normal voice. But he's speaking in an angry tone. Rui looks down to the floor, embarrassed. His wet hair falls in his eyes, and Tenma raises a hand to Rui's face, tucking a strand of purple hair behind his ear.
Rui opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, Tenma speaks up,
" And don't you dare say it isn't! Because I, for one, would like you alive and breathing, thank you very much!"
Rui flushes. Tentatively, he puts his school shoes back on, wincing at the wet sloshing sound made as he makes sure they fit alright.
Tenma smiles, eyes sparkling like stars as he looks at him. He loops an arm through Rui's, and drags him to the door of the school roof. "Do you have your bag? Or is it still in the classroom?" The blonde asks, looking up at Rui as if he hadn't just stopped him from killing himself.
"I-in the classroom.." Rui says, averting his gaze as his face flushes a baby pink. He hopes Tenma just thinks it's because of the cold.
The two leave a wet trail behind them as they leave from the roof, and Rui winces as he thinks of the poor school janitor having to mop up the mess that is entirely Rui's fault.
Not a word is exchanged as They head to get Rui's bag, but the silence is comforting. Rui is glad Tenma isn't bombarding him with questions about his actions, or threatening to tell a faculty about anything.
The two head down to the entrance of the School, and Rui watches as Tenma struggles to get his umbrella out of his school bag. It pops up quickly, and Rui's eyes soften as he sees the Princess Peach design on the boys umbrella. Tenma shuffles close to Rui, umbrella sheltering both of them from the bullets of water that never cease pouring down. They're close enough their shoulders are touching.
"by the way, you can call me Tsukasa..you know..and..maybe I can..call you..Rui?" Tenma- No, Tsukasa says, blushing as he looks to the side. Rui thinks he looks cute. He likes the way Tsukasa..says his name.
"But...wouldn't that..make us ...friends?" Rui says awkwardly, staring at the shorter boy like a deer in headlights.
"well...you look like you could use a friend.. And I could too, you know?" Tsukasa is positively pink, pointedly staring at the ground, and Rui feels warm all over.
"Well then," Rui says, in a squeaky voice he has quite literally never spoken in before, "Let's go to your home, Tsukasa-Kun." His name sounds foreign on Ru's lips, but Tsukasa beams. He grins, and grabs Rui's hand as the two step out into the never ending rain, and head on their way to the lonely home of Tsukasa's.
"Well then, let's go, shall we, Rui?"