Archive of Our Own

Rehearsal was in full swing at the Phoenix Wonderland stage. But amidst the fervour of the performance, Tsukasa felt a dull ache in his jaw. At first, he ignored it, attributing it to stress or perhaps a minor muscle strain from practicing perhaps a little too vigorously. However, as the pain persisted and intensified, he found it increasingly difficult to focus on his lines.

Rui, ever observant, noticed the subtle shift in Tsukasa's demeanour. He watched as the blonde’s brow furrowed in discomfort, his hand instinctively moving to touch his jaw.

"Tsukasa-kun, are you okay?" Rui asked, approaching Tsukasa during a short break.

Tsukasa forced a smile, though it was strained. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little soreness in my jaw, that's all."

"I see...maybe you should get it checked out," Rui suggested gently, concern etched into his expression. "It could be your wisdom teeth coming in. My cousin had similar symptoms, and it turned out he needed them removed."

Tsukasa's eyes widened in realization. "You think so?"

Rui gave him a solemn nod. “And if it is your wisdom teeth, it's better to address it sooner rather than later." 

"Yeah, Tsukasa-kun! You should listen to Rui-kun,” Emu chimed in, bouncing up to the pair. “It's better to be safe than sorry!”

Nene, who was following behind Emu, nodded in agreement. "And if it's really bothering you, it could affect your performance.”

Tsukasa hesitated for a moment, seemingly weighing his options, before slowly nodding. "Maybe you're right...I'll see if I can get it looked at."

That was two weeks ago. 

Rui was busy adding the finishing touches to a new invention in his workshop when he suddenly heard his ringtone go off. He glanced down at his phone, furrowing his eyebrows at the unknown number before deciding to answer the call anyways.

“Hello?”  

“Rui, sweetie, I’m so sorry to bother you,” the worried voice of Tsukasa’s mother came through the other end of the line. Rui’s heart suddenly began beating very fast. “Tsukasa’s surgery took a little longer than expected, and I have to leave to take Saki to an important appointment with a specialist. If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind picking him up from the dentist and looking after him until we get home? It shouldn’t take more than a few hours!”

Rui immediately dropped the screwdriver in his hand. “O-of course, Tenma-san. I’ll head over right now.”

“Oh, thank you so much, dear,” Tsukasa’s mom breathed a sigh of relief. “Tsukasa is very lucky to have such a caring friend.”

Rui suddenly felt a twinge in his chest, a wave of heat rushing to his cheeks. ‘I’m the one who’s lucky,' he thought to himself.

After exchanging a few more details, Tsukasa’s mom hung up. Rui rushed to slip on a pair of shoes and hastily grabbed a cardigan before bolting out the front door.

Arriving at the dentist’s office, Rui was promptly greeted by a nurse who began to lead him through a maze of long white hallways. Her voice was brisk as she ran through a list of post-op instructions.

"Tsukasa had his wisdom teeth removed, so he's going to be a bit out of it for a while. Make sure he bites down on the gauze to control the bleeding and keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't try to talk too much. Also, he shouldn't be eating or drinking anything hot for the next few hours, so stick to cold foods and liquids." 

Rui nodded along as she spoke, trying his best to focus on the nurse's instructions, though his mind kept wandering back to Tsukasa. He couldn't shake the nervous knot in his stomach at the thought of seeing him in such a state. Would he even recognize Rui? Would he be happy to see him? Surprised? Disappointed, even? What if Rui wasn't able to care for him properly?  

"And most importantly," the nurse continued, snapping Rui out of his thoughts, "make sure he gets plenty of rest. He's going to be groggy for a while, so just let him sleep it off."

"I understand," Rui replied, though his mind was still preoccupied with worry.

He followed the nurse around a corner before she suddenly stopped in front of a door, turning to face Rui with a faint smile tugging at her lips. Rui tilted his head in curiosity.

“I think he will be very happy to see you. He’s been babbling about you nonstop since he woke up,” she whispered, adding a wink at the end. Rui’s eyes widened. 

The nurse chuckled softly at his reaction before slowly opening the door to the recovery room, revealing a very delirious Tsukasa—slumped in a chair with a glazed look in his eyes. His normally vibrant demeanour was replaced with a groggy, bewildered expression. His cheeks were puffy and stuffed with gauze, while his normally meticulously styled hair was rather dishevelled. As soon as Tsukasa spotted Rui, his eyes lit up in surprise.

“Huh? Rui?” he slurred, clearly still very high from the medication. “What’re you doin’ here?” 

Rui took a hesitant step forward, trying to maintain his composure despite the fluttering in his chest.

“Hello, Tsukasa-kun,” he smiled, crouching down beside the chair. “Your mom had to take Saki-kun to her appointment, so she asked me to look after you for a little while. I hope that’s alright.”

Tsukasa’s confusion quickly morphed into a broad, goofy grin. “Really? You’re here for me? Ah, Rui…my knight in shining armour,” he giggled, a sound that quickly turned into a hiccup, which only made him giggle more.

Rui felt his cheeks heat up as he heard the nurse quietly laugh behind him. He moved to rest his elbows on the armrest of the chair, placing his chin on top of his hands. “Knight in shining armour, hm? If that's the case, then that would make you the princess, no?” 

“No way! I’m a prince, duh...” Tsukasa declared, puffing out his chest proudly before falling into another fit of giggles.

Rui couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across his face as Tsukasa continued to laugh to himself. “Well, Prince Tsukasa, let’s get you back to your palace, shall we?”

“Wait…you’re coming with me?” Tsukasa asked, his laughter stopping abruptly as his eyes widened.

“Of course,” Rui grinned. “I told you I’d be looking after you, didn’t I?” 

“For real?!” Tsukasa beamed at him. Rui felt his breath catch in his throat. “Ah…Knight Rui, you’re really too kind…”

The nurse, trying to maintain her professionalism, bit back another laugh. “Alright, Prince Tsukasa, let’s get you up and out of here.”

Tsukasa nodded eagerly, wobbling slightly as he attempted to stand up from the chair. Rui and the nurse swiftly grabbed onto him to prevent him from face-planting on the floor.

“Whoa...the ground is moving," Tsukasa muttered as he took a hesitant step forward.

“That’s just you being unsteady, Tsukasa-kun," Rui giggled. "Here, lean on me.”

“Rui, my loyal knight, don’t let me fall!” Tsukasa said dramatically, wrapping his arms around Rui’s neck.

“I won’t let you fall, Your Highness,” Rui replied, playing along as he supported Tsukasa’s weight with an arm around his shoulders.

As they made their way down the hallway, Tsukasa kept up a steady stream of chatter. “Do you think we’ll encounter any dragons on the way to my palace? If we do, I’ll protect you with my…my mighty sword!”

Rui couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sure you will, Tsukasa-kun. But let’s hope we don’t run into any dragons today.”

Tsukasa giggled to himself, the sound reverberating through the hallway before he turned to Rui again, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “When we get to my palace, can we rehearse for our next show? I want to try out this new idea I have for a scene where I do a triple backflip and—” 

“Absolutely not,” Rui interrupted, his tone firm but amused. “You just had surgery, Tsukasa-kun. No triple backflips today.”

Tsukasa pouted, his lower lip jutting out. “But I can do it! I’m a star!”

“I know you are,” Rui said soothingly, “but even stars need to rest sometimes.”

Tsukasa sighed dramatically, then his eyes lit up with another thought. “Rui, do you think...do you think we could build a spaceship? And then we could go to the moon! I’ve always wanted to go to the moon.”

Rui smiled, shaking his head in amusement. “Maybe one day, Tsukasa-kun. But right now, let’s focus on getting you better, okay?”

“Kay…” Tsukasa agreed reluctantly, then he perked up again. “Can I at least call you Commander Rui?”

Rui laughed, nodding. “Whatever makes you happy, Tsukasa-kun.”

“Yay!” Tsukasa cheered softly, almost tripping over his feet. “Thanks for being my Commander, Commander Rui.”

“It's my pleasure,” Rui chuckled, tightening his grip around him as the nurse shook her head in amusement.

As they exited the dental office, Rui couldn't shake the feeling of Tsukasa's gaze burning into the side of his face. He briefly glanced to his side, meeting Tsukasa’s wide, unfocused eyes with his own, noticing the dopey smile plastered across the blonde’s face. Rui felt another deep blush creep across his cheeks before he quickly looked away, opening the passenger door for Tsukasa to get in.

“Such a gentleman~” Tsukasa giggled, plopping down in the seat with an exaggerated sigh.

Rui simply shook his head in response, leaning over Tsukasa to make sure he was buckled in properly.

Once Tsukasa was settled in the car, Rui closed the door and took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. He ran an anxious hand through his hair before finally getting into the driver's seat, finding Tsukasa still staring at him with that same intense gaze. 

"Ready?" Rui asked, turning the key in the ignition.

"Yes, Commander!" Tsukasa replied enthusiastically. "Prepare for liftoff!"

Rui couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he pulled out of the parking lot, preparing for a long drive.

In reality, it was only about 10 minutes to Tsukasa’s house from the dental office, but Rui knew it was going to feel like an eternity with Tsukasa’s antics. Out of the corner of his eye, Rui could see that Tsukasa was still staring at him with a dazed look on his face, which was beginning to make him feel somewhat self-conscious. He could feel his cheeks heating up more and more under the scrutiny until he couldn't take it anymore.

“Try to get some rest, Tsukasa-kun. It'll help the medication to wear off,” Rui instructed, his voice coming out slightly more shaky than intended as he tried desperately to focus on the road ahead.

Tsukasa didn’t respond. Rui hesitantly glanced over, noticing Tsukasa’s unblinking stare, and assumed he hadn’t heard him. "Tsu—"

“You’re so pretty, Rui…” Tsukasa suddenly slurred from the passenger seat.

Rui nearly swerved off the road.

“T-Tsukasa-kun...that's...," he stuttered, struggling to regain his composure as he felt his body temperature rise significantly. "You should really try to relax. You're still rather out of it.”

“But I wanna talk to you," Tsukasa pouted, his eyes half-lidded but focused intently on Rui. "You’re always so busy with your gadgets and inventions, n' I finally I have you all to myself...”

Rui tightened his grip on the steering wheel, trying to ignore the hammering of his heart against his ribcage. His mind raced, searching for a way to defuse the conversation. “Tsukasa-kun, you really shouldn’t talk so much,” he said, his voice tinged with desperation. “It’s not good for your recovery.”

“But I have so much to say,” Tsukasa whined. “Like how much I appreciate you. You’re always looking out for me, even when I’m being difficult. You know, when we’re performing, I always feel more confident knowing you’re there with me...and you’re just so...so beautiful...I could stare at you all day...”

Rui's head swam, his hands growing clammy on the steering wheel. “Tsukasa-kun, please…”

“No, really!” Tsukasa insisted. “You’re like the best director ever…and you’re like...so pretty. Like a prince!” He reached out to touch Rui’s hair, but Rui gently caught his hand and guided it back to his lap.

“I appreciate the compliment,” he chuckled, sending a nervous glance towards the blonde. “But I thought you were the prince, no?”

Tsukasa furrowed his brow in concentration, his mind seemingly working overtime as he pondered Rui’s words. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, Tsukasa’s expression suddenly brightened. 

“I know! I’ll be the prince, and you can be the princess!”

Rui’s eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks flushing an ever deeper shade of red, if that was even possible. “Tsukasa-kun, I don’t think that’s quite—”

“No, no, hear me out,” Tsukasa interrupted, his words tumbling out in a rush of enthusiasm. “You’re definitely pretty enough for it. And plus, we can rule the world together, you and me! We’ll have castles and dragons and...and unicorns—”

Rui couldn’t help but laugh at Tsukasa’s wild imagination, his heart swelling with affection. “That sounds like quite the adventure, Tsukasa-kun,” he chuckled. “But I think ruling the world might be a bit a tad…ambitious, don’t you think?”

Tsukasa pouted at Rui’s response, before his expression softened, his gaze turning earnest. “Maybe not the whole world,” he conceded, his voice growing softer. “But we can still rule our own little corner of it, right?”

Rui's heart fluttered, a flush creeping up to his ears. This boy was going to kill him. But before he could even begin to formulate a response, he noticed a drop of blood trickle down from the blonde’s lips.

“Ah, Tsukasa-kun, you need to be careful,” Rui reminded him, reaching over to wipe his chin with a tissue. “Just keep biting down gently, okay?"

“M’kay,” Tsukasa mumbled around the gauze, his eyes drooping slightly.

The car was silent for barely 10 seconds before Tsukasa spoke again.

"You know, I’ve always admired you, Rui,” he declared, paying no mind to Rui's prior advice as he leaned his head against the window and rambled on. “You’re so smart and talented…I love watching you work. You’re like a magician with all your gadgets. I remember the first time I saw one of your creations, n’ I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this guy's a genius!’ And your voice…it’s so calming…and your eyes. Did you know they’re like…super sparkly? Like the stars! And…and you always put others before yourself…like today, you’re here taking care of me when you could be doing a million other things. You’re so selfless, Rui. I really, really admire that about you...”

Rui's heart hammered wildly, each beat reverberating across his chest as Tsukasa continued to shower him with compliments.

See, Tsukasa was no stranger to talking—he could fill the room with his vibrant energy on any given day, whether he was excitedly sharing anecdotes about him and Saki, brainstorming show ideas, or simply diving into some random trivia he stumbled upon online. But this was different. It was like a dam had burst open, unleashing a flood of words aimed directly at Rui, each one hitting its mark with the precision of a skilled archer. Whether intentional or not, everything Tsukasa said seemed to make Rui’scheeks burn even brighter than they already were.

“I’m truly flattered, Tsukasa-kun, but you really need to—"

“Rui…” Tsukasa suddenly cut him off, turning towards him with a nervous expression. “Do you think I’m a good actor?”

Oh...that was a rather unexpected question.

“Of course, Tsukasa-kun," he reassured quickly. "You’re a fantastic actor."

“And singer?”

“The best.”

Tsukasa hesitated for a moment, a look of contemplation crossing his features.

“...Do you think I’m handsome?”

Rui's felt his entire body tense up, another rush of heat spreading across his face as he fumbled for the right words.

“I—”

Then, suddenly, Tsukasa’s expression fell, a wave of tears welling up in his eyes.

”I knew it,” he murmured, his voice cracking with sadness as he looked at his reflection in the car's side mirror. “Of course you wouldn’t think I’m handsome. Look at me, I'm a mess.”

Rui’s chest tightened, making it hard to draw a steady breath as he watched a few tears slip down Tsukasa's cheeks.

“Tsukasa-kun, no, that’s not what I meant,” he rushed to reassure him, reaching out to gently squeeze his hand. “You’re not a mess. You’re just...recovering from surgery. Anyone would look a little rough after that.”

Tsukasa sniffled, his lower lip trembling as his tears continued to spill out. “B-but you don’t understand, Rui. I...I need to be perfect. A star needs to be handsome and talented and…”

“Tsukasa-kun,” Rui interrupted softly, voice filled with compassion. “You are perfect, just the way you are. You’ll always be a star in my eyes, so you don’t have to worry about those kinds of things.”

Tsukasa’s eyes widened in surprise, his tears momentarily forgotten as he gazed at Rui with a mixture of awe and gratitude. “R-really?”

Rui nodded, a warm smile spreading across his face. “Really. And you’re very handsome, for the record. So let’s just focus on getting you home and comfortable, okay?”

“Okay,” Tsukasa sighed contently, leaning back in his seat.

As Rui pulled into Tsukasa’s driveway, he couldn’t help but feel a mixture of relief and nervousness. The drive had been…interesting, to say the least. Luckily, Tsukasa seemed to drift off for the remainder of it. But now the real challenge lay ahead: getting Tsukasa inside and settled.

Rui parked the car on the side of the street. He took a deep breath as he unbuckled his seatbelt, glancing over to see Tsukasa still sound asleep, his head lolling to the side. Rui allowed himself to appreciate how cute Tsukasa looked for a few seconds before he got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side.

“Tsukasa-kun,” Rui whispered after opening the door, nudging his shoulder gently. “We’re here.”

Tsukasa groggily cracked his eyes open, his gaze softening as met Rui’s eyes. “Ngh…Rui, m’ so tired,” he groaned before a small smirk crept across his face. “Carry me?”

Rui almost choked on his own spit. “Tsukasa-kun, I don’t think that’s a good idea—”

“Please? S’not that far,” Tsukasa pouted, his expression pleading. 

Rui sighed, his heart aching as Tsukasa reached out to grab his cardigan. “I don’t want you to get hurt…”

Tsukasa tightened his grip on the fabric, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he looked into Rui’s eyes. Rui felt his resolve wavering as he looked down at the blonde.  How could he possibly say no to him when he looked like that? The idea seemed cruel. Unjust, even.

Rui eventually nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Alright, fine. Just…hold on tight, okay?”

Tsukasa’s face lit up with excitement. “Yay! Thank you, Rui!”

Rui just hummed in response, carefully slipping his arms underneath Tsukasa’s legs and back, lifting him with surprising ease. Tsukasa instinctively wrapped his arms around Rui’s neck in response, clinging to him tightly. Rui felt his knees waver beneath him for a moment before he quickly regained his composure and nudged the car door closed with his foot.

Okay…he could do this. 

“Wow, Rui. You’re so strong…maybe you really are a knight after all~” Tsukasa hummed, leaning his head against Rui’s shoulder as he carried him towards his front door.

“Just…don’t move. I don’t want to drop you,” Rui mumbled.

His face felt like it was on fire, the heat spreading across his face and all the way down his neck. He really hoped that Tsukasa couldn't see how red his cheeks were.

“You won’t drop me, I trust you,” Tsukasa whispered, his breath warm against Rui’s skin.

On second thought, perhaps this was a terrible idea, after all. 

Finally, Rui reached the front door, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine at the feeling of Tsukasa breathing against him. “What’s the code, Tsukasa-kun?”

“Oh,” Tsukasa murmured, tightening his hold around Rui’s neck as he thought for a moment. “Eight…seven…uh, two…n’ five, I think.”

Rui punched in the numbers, fumbling slightly before the door finally clicked open. He pushed it with his hip, whispering a quick, “Pardon the intrusion,” as he stepped inside. He skillfully kicked his shoes off before navigating through the entryway, carrying Tsukasa over to the living room couch. 

“Okay, I’m going to put you down now,” he whispered, gently lowering Tsukasa onto the cushions. 

But as he moved to pull away, Tsukasa’s arms suddenly tightened their hold around his neck, pulling him down.

“Tsukasa-kun!” 

Rui felt a rush of heat and mortification flood through him as he found himself lying half on top of the boy. 

“Stay,” Tsukasa whispered, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “Just for a little while…please?”

Rui's breath caught in his throat, a whirlwind of thoughts swirling through his mind while it simultaneously seemed to go completely blank. The effects of the anesthetic had seemed to unveil a rather shocking revelation—Tsukasa was incredibly clingy. And with that realization, Rui knew he was in deep trouble.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered, brushing a tentative hand through Tsukasa’s tousled bangs. “I just need to get your medicine and some ice for the swelling, okay?”

Tsukasa grumbled at that, shaking his head in defiance. Rui couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at his stubbornness.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

Tsukasa lifted his head slightly to gaze at him skeptically. “…Promise?”

“Cross my heart,” Rui affirmed, his smile warm.

Tsukasa’s pout deepened as he deliberated the situation, before he reluctantly loosened his hold on Rui. With that, Rui carefully extracted himself from Tsukasa’s arms and rose to his feet.

“Stay right here, I'll be right back.”

Rui quickly made his way to the kitchen, thankful that he knew his way around relatively well, as this definitely wasn't his first time in Tsukasa's home. He rummaged through drawers and cabinets until he found a clean towel and a few ice packs. He also made sure to grab the container of pills the dentist had handed him earlier, as well as a cup of water. Balancing everything in his arms, Rui made his way back to the living room. Tsukasa’s eyes were closed, but he had a furrow in his brow—clearly still upset about the whole Rui leaving him to get supplies situation. Rui couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"I've returned, Your Highness," he hummed, dropping the armful of supplies onto the coffee table.

“Missed you...” Tsukasa sulked, watching intently as Rui knelt down on the floor beside him.

“I was gone for thirty seconds, Tsukasa-kun.”

“Thirty seconds too long,” Tsukasa groaned, clumsily reaching out towards him. "C'mere..."

Rui chuckled again, gently taking Tsukasa's outstretched hands in his own and lowering them back down. He ignored the dejected look Tsukasa gave him, before carefully placing an ice pack against each of his cheeks. Tsukasa winced at the coldness.

“You need to hold these here, Tsukasa-kun. It'll help with the swelling,” Rui explained softly.

“Fine..." Tsukasa sighed, reaching up to hold the ice packs in place. "But only because you’re cute when you’re bossy.”

Rui’s heart fluttered in his chest as he held out a pill and cup of water to Tsukasa. “The dentist said you need to take one of these every 3 hours. They’re painkillers, I believe. But don’t swish the water around in your mouth, okay?” he instructed, gently.

Tsukasa nodded, obediently taking the pill from his hand and popping it in his mouth, before grabbing the cup and swallowing it down with a small sip of water. After Rui inspected his mouth to ensure that he’d actually swallowed it, Tsukasa smacked his lips together, his expression twisting into one of distaste. “Tastes funny…”

“I know,” Rui hummed, offering a reassuring hand on Tsukasa’s leg. “You’re still bleeding a little, Tsukasa-kun. I need to replace the gauze in your mouth.”

“Bleeding?!” Tsukasa’s eyes widened in alarm, his hands flying up to touch his lips. “Rui! Am I…am I dying?” 

Rui couldn’t help but chuckle at Tsukasa’s dramatics, shaking his head. “No, no, Tsukasa-kun, you’re not dying. You just had your wisdom teeth removed, remember?”

“Oh,” Tsukasa breathed, a wave of relief washing over his features. “Right…why did I do that again?”

“Because they were causing you a lot of pain,” Rui explained patiently, softly guiding Tsukasa’s hands away from his face. “Now, let’s get that gauze changed before you make a mess, okay?”

Tsukasa complied, opening his mouth so Rui could carefully place fresh gauze on the extraction sites. “Bite down gently on these,” he instructed, his hands lingering on Tsukasa’s jaw for a moment longer than necessary.

Tsukasa did as he was told, his eyes never once leaving Rui’s face as he ensured that the gauze was properly in place.

A wide grin spread across Tsukasa’s face as Rui leaned back, causing him to raise a questioning eyebrow.

“You’re a really good nurse…" Tsukasa mused, reaching out to pat the top of Rui’s head. "Thanks for taking care of me, Nurse Rui~” 

Rui felt his pulse quicken at the contact as he reached up with a cloth to clean around Tsukasa’s lips. “Well, you’re proving to be quite the cooperative patient,” he smiled.

Tsukasa’s grin widened at that. “Do I get a lollipop for being good?”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to have candy after oral surgery, Tsukasa-kun,” Rui laughed, placing the cloth back on the table.

“Damn,” Tsukasa sighed, looking truly depressed for a moment before his mood quickly shifted back to cheerful.

“Then, how about a kiss?”

“T-Tsukasa-kun—”

“Please, Nurse Rui? Won't you kiss it better?” Tsukasa pleaded, reaching forward to clumsily brush his thumb against Rui’s bottom lip.

Rui suddenly felt very lightheaded. 

It was certainly a tempting offer. Tsukasa was right there, looking so distraught, all because he wanted Rui to kiss him. But no...he couldn't do it. Tsukasa was obviously still heavily impaired, and would certainly regret everything tomorrow...if he even remembered anything, that is.

“M-maybe when your mouth isn’t full of blood, Tsukasa-kun,” Rui finally settled on as an excuse, though he couldn’t deny the pang of sadness that spread across his chest.

“Hm…I guess that's true,” Tsukasa agreed, much to Rui's relief. He pulled his hand back from Rui’s face, touching his fingers to his own lips thoughtfully. “Plus, I can’t really feel anything, n’ I wanna feel your pretty face when I kiss you.”

Oh.

Rui used every remaining ounce of willpower he had left to push the comment aside, reaching forward to adjust the ice packs against Tsukasa's cheeks. “How are you feeling? Any pain?” he asked, studying Tsukasa's expression carefully.

Tsukasa shook his head, his eyes still bright despite the puffiness of his cheeks. “Nope, I feel great! All thanks to you, Nurse Rui!”

Rui felt a flutter in his chest at the praise. “Are you hungry?”

Tsukasa shook his head again, before suddenly bursting into laughter. 

"What's so funny?" Rui questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“M’ just...happy,” Tsukasa grinned, a giddy look spreading across his face. “Happy that you're here, looking after me…you're so good to me, Rui…I don’t know what I did to deserve you…”

Rui felt his pulse quicken at Tsukasa's words, his cheeks tingling with heat. "It's nothing, really. I’m just doing what any friend would do."

“Not just any friend…you're special,” Tsukasa grinned, reaching forward to clasp Rui’s hands in between his own. “I like you so much, Rui.”

Rui's breath caught in his throat as Tsukasa's words hung in the air. For a moment, he felt as though the ground had disappeared beneath him.

‘No…’ Rui thought to himself. ‘He obviously didn’t mean it like that.' Tsukasa likes him as a friend, nothing more. That’s the way it was, and the way it would always be.

Rui let out a shaky exhale, before plastering on the most realistic-looking smile he could muster, despite the knot forming in his stomach. "I like you too. You're a wonderful friend."

“No!" Tsukasa exclaimed, before his expression suddenly turned shy, a pink flush creeping across his cheeks. "I mean, I like like you...a lot. Like, a lot a lot. I love you, Rui.”

Inside, Rui could feel his heart pounding harder than it ever had before, almost painfully so—but he couldn't let himself get carried away. To hope was a dangerous thing, he reminded himself.

“Tsukasa-kun, I—” he began, but the words died on his tongue. “You’re…you’re not thinking clearly, it’s just the effects of the medication making you confused.”

“I’m not confused!” Tsukasa insisted, his eyes wide and earnest as he squeezed Rui’s hand tighter. “I know I’m all loopy from the drugs n’ stuff, but I really mean it! You’re…you’re incredible. And amazing, and talented, and suuuper pretty…oh, and handsome, too. You’re even cute sometimes…well...when you wanna be. And whenever you’re near me I feel all like…nervous...but in a good way! And I feel safe whenever you’re around and…and…”

"Tsukasa-kun,” Rui cut him off, his own feelings threatening to win over his sense of logic. “You can’t say things like that when you’re not in your right mind. You…don’t know how much it hurts to hear you say those things and not mean them.”

“I wouldn't say it if it wasn’t true, Rui. Why…” Tsukasa's expression fell, his bottom lip trembling slightly. “Why won't you believe me?”

Rui bit his tongue. Part of him wanted to believe Tsukasa’s words, to revel in the possibility that they held even a shred of truth. But another part, the more rational part, screamed that it couldn’t possibly be real—that Tsukasa was still under the influence of the medication, his words nothing more than a delusion.

When Rui finally mustered the courage to look up and meet Tsukasa's gaze, he could only watch in horror as a stream of tears began to cascade down Tsukasa’s cheeks.

“Oh no, no, please don’t cry,” he panicked, reaching forward awkwardly to rest a hand on Tsukasa's knee. “I’m sorry, Tsukasa-kun, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“But…you don’t believe me, Rui,” Tsukasa sobbed, his shoulders shaking with the force of it. “You don’t believe that I love you!”

Rui’s heart felt like it was being torn in half. He knew Tsukasa was in no state to be making such declarations, but the hurt in his eyes was far too real to ignore. Every fiber of Rui's being was screaming at him with conflicting emotions.

As Tsukasa's gaze bore into him, Rui's heart broke a little more with each passing second. He knew he should say something, do something—anything to break the tension hanging between them. Swallowing hard, he tentatively reached out and gently brushed away Tsukasa’s tears, his touch light against his cheeks.

“Alright…I believe you, Tsukasa-kun,” he whispered, his voice shaky. “I just…I don’t want to get my hopes up. Not when you’re not feeling like yourself.”

Tsukasa’s sniffled, shaking his head. “M’ sorry, Rui. M’ such a mess. You shouldn’t have to deal with this…”

Rui shook his head adamantly, his heart aching. “You have nothing to apologize for, Tsukasa-kun. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now than here with you, mood swings and all.”

Tsukasa sniffled again as he slowly looked up at Rui, eyes shimmering with a glint of hope. “Do you mean that?”

“Mhm,” Rui nodded, moving his hand from Tsukasa's cheek to run it soothingly through his hair. “Every word.”

Suddenly, without warning, Tsukasa surged forward, wrapping his arms around Rui’s shoulders. Rui felt a wave of heat rise to his cheeks as Tsukasa hugged him, every nerve ending in his body seeming to light up with the contact. 

“Tsukasa-kun!” he gasped. “You need to be careful, you just had surgery!”

“Don’t care,” Tsukasa murmured into his shoulder, squeezing Rui even tighter as if trying to emphasize his point. “Love you.”

Rui sighed as the last of his resolve crumbled, his heart swelling with affection as he wrapped his own arms around the boy. “I love you too, Tsukasa-kun.”

But instead of a response, Rui was met with the sound of soft snoring. He looked down, a fond grin spreading across his face as he saw Tsukasa sleeping peacefully in his arms.

“What am I going to do with you?” he whispered, a soft chuckle escaping him. 

Gently, he lowered Tsukasa onto his back, taking care to adjust the stack of pillows behind his head for added comfort. Carefully untangling Tsukasa’s arms from around him, Rui reached over and grabbed a blanket from the end of the couch, draping it over Tsukasa and ensuring he was snug and warm. He then retrieved the ice packs that had fallen on the floor and gently tucked them under Tsukasa’s chin, ensuring his gauze was still in place in the process. 

Once he was satisfied that Tsukasa was properly taken care of, Rui felt the weight of his own exhaustion begin to settle upon him. His eyelids began to feel heavy, and he swayed slightly where he sat, glancing around the cozy living room.

As he considered finding a place to rest, Rui's gaze lingered on Tsukasa’s peaceful face. 'Maybe just for a moment,' he thought to himself, before carefully lowering himself into the small space between Tsukasa and the back of the couch, draping an arm gently over his middle. Was this too much? Probably. He rested his head in the crook between Tsukasa’s shoulder and neck, breathing out a soft sigh. As Tsukasa brought his own arm around his back, Rui felt himself slowly begin to drift off.