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Tsukasa will always remember the day it happened.
Rui and Nene were dancing for a scene in their new play. He and Emu were taking a water break. And he knew Nene was dating Emu, he knew it wasn’t possible, but-
Thoughts crossed his mind, thousands of them. He loves Nene, doesn’t he? It would all make sense. It would all work in one beautiful harmony. That was why Rui was so protective over her. That was why-
And then Tsukasa started coughing. Emu looked at him funny. Rui and Nene stopped dancing to look at him.
He simply excused himself to the bathroom. That was the day of the first petal. It fell out later in the day, in his bathroom sink.
And he knew he couldn’t ruin things for Rui.
So he didn’t tell a soul. He didn’t even plan to get the surgery done. He just decided to wait it out.
Because what’s a depressed star to the world, anyway?
Tsukasa started to track other cases of the same disease, and he estimated he had until the day after his next new show at Phoenix Wonderland.
Around 1 month.
That entire week he took his eyes off Rui. Maybe- maybe it would go away. Maybe it would all go away if he just pretended he didn’t see Rui.
He didn’t even bother to notice Rui’s hurt expressions every time he was ignored. Every time he was shunned. He just kept going.
The next week, it got worse. Ignoring Rui didn’t work. Nothing worked. All he did was school and rehearsal, and then he went home and cried, cried for hours.
What force of nature could turn a star into a black hole, he wondered. What sort of force decided to bring the hero to his knees, all hope lost.
And everyone in Wonderlands X Showtime saw it. They saw that something was wrong. But Tsukasa would never open up. No matter what.
One day, during the second week, Rui cornered him during lunch at school. “Tsukasa, you’ve been acting weird, and I-”
And something activated in him. The cornering made him blush furiously. The closeness made his heart race. And then? He started coughing.
He couldn’t move. But Rui couldn’t see- Tsukasa couldn’t ruin it for his director- he wasn’t allowed to.
So he forced his legs to run to the bathroom, where a bloody flower, half full of petals, was deposited in the toilet and promptly flushed.
The third week?
Emu cornered him. She said she wouldn’t let him go till he said what was wrong. She even brought the other two, who were both worriedly staring at him behind her.
And his eyes widened, pulse quickened, when Rui searched his soul with those cat eyes that were oh so perfect-
And he doubled over, coughing on the floor, staring up, frightened. None of the group moved. It felt like time was slowed down.
He felt the flower in his throat. He couldn’t- he couldn’t do this in front of them-
But he couldn’t stand. He didn’t have it in him. Suddenly, the group crowded him. Asking him if he was okay. Asking him if he needed anything. Asking so many questions that Tsukasa’s brain hurt.
And then Rui moved his hand to Tsukasa’s back, and finally, adrenaline gave him enough strength to run away.
He didn’t know where he was running, anymore, ending up at a park somewhere, staring at the stars with all the hurt in the world.
He didn’t want to be one of them, not anymore. He just wanted to go, so he could leave his friends be of his stupid mess of a self.
And then there Rui was, of course he was, sitting next to Tsukasa. There was that worried look on his face again, the caring one, that made Tsukasa’s heart race.
“Get away from me, Rui.” He stood up quickly, staring down at Rui’s face, his eyes accidentally locking on Rui’s lips, his heart racing.
“Why are you pushing us out? What’s wrong, Tsukasa-?” Rui stands with him, searching him with his eyes, trying to find something. Anything.
And then Tsukasa coughed up a flower, right in front of him.
His face overflows with panic, staring at Rui with his face paled, and he runs again. He runs so far he doesn’t even know where he is anymore, and he sits down and sobs, and coughs, until another flower comes up. 7 petals. His time is almost out.
And he wanders the city. He sees diners, restaurants, places he went with Saki, his troupe, all of them.
He wonders what it’s gonna be like when he’s gone. Will it keep moving? Will it all slow, staying just in the moment he was gone?
Maybe someone would remember, he thinks as he feels Rui’s hand meet his shoulder, holding him in place.
“Tsukasa. I hope I’m not wrong. Was that flower- because- of me?” Rui looks at him, his eyes wide, his face only looking at Tsukasa.
And Tsukasa blushes, a hoarse sound of agreement coming from his damaged vocal cords.
“Tsukasa. I’ve loved you all this time. Why were you- why were you pushing us away? If you told us, I could’ve told you- you could’ve known that I feel like this earlier!” Rui sobs, holding Tsukasa in his arms quietly, as Tsukasa freezes under the embrace.
“Rui-“ He croaks out. “I love you too. I’m sorry.” He leans into the hug carefully, feeling Rui’s embrace like its home.
“We need to get you to the hospital. Then apologies are in order, okay? I wouldn’t want my new boyfriend to get hurt, so, can I carry you~?” Rui smiles at him softly, offering a hand.
And Tsukasa nods, his consciousness slowly waning, his vision fading in and out, the world turning too rapidly.
The last thing he feels before it’s gone completely are the comfortable and safe arms wrapped around his person, carrying him to the future.
The future he never once thought he would have for the past 3 weeks, not even for a second.
Rui, meanwhile, carries his own future in his arms. He wouldn’t have made it if not for seeing Tsukasa like this. The future would’ve come without them.
Rui saved Tsukasa.
Tsukasa saved Rui.
The sun saved the moon.
The moon saved the sun.
And the world kept revolving.