Work Text:
1.
Tsukasa lays in his bed the night after Rui returns to the troupe. He can’t sleep, he’s thinking too much. About their next play, what he’ll write for it, plans for costumes and blocking. He really should get to work on it soon, school will take a lot out of him too and he needs to have time for it.
But he’d be lying if he said that productivity was the only thing on his mind. What do take him for, a productive member of society? No, of course not, don't be ridiculous.
The scene that keeps replaying in his mind is not one for the show he should be working on. Instead, it's that small pink girl, eyes welling up with tears as she explains her motivations, her past, why that stage is so important to her.
And why she's willing to give it all up, just for the happiness of people she just met.
She's so passionate. She has so much love for the world around her, the people around her, and it's so clear in the short time he's known her. Its inspiring, honestly, seeing how much she cares.
There's something about her that he can't quite put his finger on, though. He isn't quite sure when he started feeling it. Maybe it was her energy while practicing their scenes together, or seeing her eyes light up in the Sekai, maybe it was just her.
Maybe Tsukasa would never figure out what exactly caused that tight feeling in his chest when he thought about her. That warm flush through his whole body when she beamed up at him. The way he could feel his heart hammer in his chest when she hugged him-
Oh.
Oh no.
C’mon, he barely knows the girl! Why is he getting all… like this so quickly?
Pfft, he gets little crushes on people all the time, it'll pass eventually, right?
2.
It, so far, has not passed. And now he has another problem.
"You need to be more careful, you've damaged your suit more times this week than any of the rest of us have combined since we started." Tsukasa stitches up the hole on Rui's coat.
Rui gives him an awkward little cat-smile, rubbing the back of his neck, "I keep on getting my sleeves caught on some parts while fixing Robo-nene! You can fix it though, right?"
Tsukasa groans, "For now I can, but at some point it's going to be more thread than fabric." He has to hand it to whatever friend of Rui's made the jacket, though. None of the rips have been on the seams, those have all been holding up surprisingly well.
"Alright, alright, I'll be a little more careful going forward." Rui laughs, and Tsukasa feels a familiar tight feeling in his chest.
He's choosing to ignore it. He has to ignore it, he doesn't have the energy to try to decipher what it could mean. Or, more accurately, he knows exactly what it means, and doesn't have the energy to confront it. Either way, he's ignoring it.
"You could just try taking the jacket off," Tsukasa suggests, trying to split his attention between sewing, talking to Rui, and definitely not thinking about the heavy feeling in his chest, "I'd figure having less loose fab- AAGH!"
Rui perks up immediately at Tsukasa's yell, concern washing over his face, "What happened? Are you alright?"
Tsukasa holds his injured finger so he can get a better look at it, and Rui takes this as an invitation to look it over too, "I'm fine, just poked myself with the needle, not even bleeding!"
Rui looks to confirm that fact, and when he sees no blood, he breaks out his faux pitiful expression, looking up at Tsukasa with deceptively innocent eyes, "Awh, do you want me to kiss it better?"
Tsukasa pulls his hand away to cover his bright pink face, coughing awkwardly into his hand. There really is no denying his feelings, is there? Maybe it might help him get over his feelings for Emu at the very least.
3.
Nene looks gorgeous when she's on a stage. She always does when she's completely in her element, shining and dazzling the audience. But there's something particular about tonight, and Tsukasa can't stop staring from backstage.
Maybe it's the costume, the blues and pinks compliment her green hair a purple eyes really well, and the gems catch the spotlights really well. Maybe it's the hair, Saki helped style it, in two careful braids that connect around the back of her head, with tinsel woven in to catch even more of the light. Maybe it's her voice, pretty and light and almost melodic as she speaks, she really has a way of carrying herself on stage that floors even Tsukasa.
"- My Prince!" Nene calls out, holding out her hand expectantly.
Ah, that's his cue! Tsukasa walks on stage and takes her hand with a princely smile. He bows before her, and-
Forgets his line. World future star, Tsukasa Tenma, Prince Pegasus, entirely flubs his line. Because Nene's looking at him with her beautiful, shining eyes, and he almost forgets how to speak entirely.
Nene's expression shifts, to confusion, then to frustration, then to worry, all in the span of a couple seconds. She leans in close to his ear and Tsukasa feels his face flush pink.
"Don't worry, fair girl," she whispers, quiet enough for no one in the audience to hear them.
"Don't worry, fair girl! I'll help you get your necklace back!" Tsukasa calls out, getting the jumpstart he needs to continue the scene.
Nene smiles back at him, and while to the audience that looks in character, Tsukasa recognizes that smile, and that same tightness returns to his chest.
There's no way to ignore it anymore, not when it's so strong around all of them. He's going to give himself a heart condition if he doesn't try to confront it.
Or at the very least, he's going to make a fool of himself on stage.
4. (Bonus)
Nene is sick, so practice is canceled today. It happens to coincide with a day that Saki doesn't have her own practice, so he's able to walk her home. It's easier to catch up when you actually have an excuse to catch up.
"How's your… thing with you and Ichika going?" Tsukasa asks, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants.
"My thing? You mean my relationship? With my girlfriend? Who I'm dating?" Saki asks, incredulously, "it's going good, but…" she stops walking for a moment, "Have I told you about Shiho yet?"
Tsukasa feels a pit in his stomach, "No, you haven't. What's happening with Shiho?"
"Well, she… asked me out?" Saki kicks a rock and starts walking again.
"WHAT? When she knows you and Ichika are together?" Tsukasa feels his blood boil. He thought Shiho was a nice girl! He always got along with her older sister! Why would she do that?
"I mean- I talked to Ichi about it! And she's totally fine with it!"
"Fine with what?"
"Me going out with Shiho!"
"So you're breaking up with Ichika?"
"What? No!" Saki looks bewildered, "I'm going out to with both of them!"
Now it's Tsukasa's turn to look bewildered as he stops in his tracks, "That's an option?"
"I figured you knew! I thought you already had that going on with your troupemates!"
"WHAT?"
"I thought you all were together?"
"Don't you think I would've told you if I was dating one person, let alone three!?"
"I didn't want to pry!"
Tsukasa groans, smoothing his hand down is face, "Well, I'm happy for you and your girlfriends."
And now he has a lot more things to think about.