Archive of Our Own ^beta

The first thing Tsukasa is met with when he wakes up is the gentle tickling of Rui’s hair against the nape of his neck, urging him to absentmindedly reach up to swipe it away in his grogginess.

As he stretches out his limbs he notices the hands still loosely draped around his waist, holding him just tightly enough to keep him in place. 

He carefully lifts Rui’s arms to reposition himself onto his side, facing the other, and gently rests Rui’s hands against his hips. 

As the sunlight slowly seeps in through the drawn curtains and closed blinds, Tsukasa finds himself relishing in the moment more than he may have realized. 

Rui is so beautiful. 

It’s honestly quite unfair. 

His lashes are dark and long, even without the help of eyeliner they still frame his eyes perfectly. His cheeks are a rosy pink. His hair is smooth and shiny and even now, in its unruly state, Tsukasa is able to slowly comb his fingers through it with no resistance. 

He tucks a long strand of hair behind Rui’s ear, and lets his fingers slowly linger along Rui’s jawline. 

Then Rui begins to stir. He nuzzles against the pillow and brings the heels of his hands up to his face to rub his eyes. 

As Rui’s eyes flutter open, he is greeted by his lover. With warm hands cupping his cheeks, he barely has enough time to say good morning before he’s being kissed. 

He melts against Tsukasa’s touch, exhaling quietly against his lips as he allows himself to be pulled closer. Tsukasa loops his hands around Rui’s neck, and every time he pulls away to breathe he finds himself too eager to quit, leaning in for seconds time and time again. 

It’s addicting. The softness of Rui’s skin against the palms of his hands, the way Rui’s hair curls around his fingers as he holds him close, the way Rui leans into his every touch, the chill sent through his entire body as Rui slowly slips a hand under his shirt. He can’t help but want more. 

He feels Rui’s hand under his chin, tilting his head to the side as he’s drowned in another kiss. 

It’s warm, and Tsukasa thanks whatever god is listening for every moment that he gets to spend with Rui. 

He feels guilty about making Rui wait even just a second for him to come to a realization. 

He gently runs his fingers through the hair at the nape of Rui’s neck, and sighs quietly against his lips. I love you, Kamishiro Rui. He hopes that Rui knows, too. 

Despite Tsukasa’s obvious neediness, Rui is the first to pull away. 

“Good morning.” He offers, finally. 

Tsukasa snickers, placing one more kiss against Rui’s cheek. “Morning.” He echoes. 

He throws his legs over the side of the bed, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. 

Rui’s heart skips in his chest as he notices the shirt Tsukasa is wearing is far too big to be his. The sleeves are too baggy, it’s far too long, and the collar is far too wide. 

“That’s my shirt.” Rui says, trying to shield his face with his hand. 

For a brief moment, Tsukasa looks a bit embarrassed. And the all-too-amused expression on Rui’s face is certainly not helping. 

“You’re so cute.” Rui continues, and Tsukasa becomes fully red in the face. 

Rui can’t help but laugh. He rolls out of bed and onto his feet, swiftly wrapping his arms around Tsukasa’s waist. Tsukasa hardly puts up a fight as Rui’s head comes to rest against his shoulder. 

“I love you…” Rui mumbles, pressing a kiss against Tsukasa’s neck. 

“I love…” Tsukasa begins, but falls short as Rui closes in on his neck. “Oi, stop it…” 

Tsukasa protests, playfully trying to push Rui back by his shoulders. “That tickles—“ 

“Mm…” Rui hums, showing no intention of easing up. 

As he places another kiss against Tsukasa’s neck, they both begin to laugh like idiots. Tsukasa’s arms wrap around Rui’s neck as he’s lifted off his feet and spun around in circles. 

Tsukasa is soon drowned in a myriad of kisses, and Rui shows no signs of mercy. Tsukasa can’t help but burst into laughter, pushing against Rui’s shoulders in a sorry attempt to free himself.

As the laughter eventually subsides, Tsukasa is slowly lowered back to the ground. He pushes himself up onto his tiptoes, cupping Rui’s face in his hands and giving him one last kiss on the lips. “Come help me make breakfast, will you?” 

Tsukasa makes his way to the kitchen, and Rui follows close behind. He pulls a pan from the cabinet and warms it up on the stove. As he cracks an egg into it, he feels Rui’s hands around his waist. 

“You’re not helping.” Tsukasa says, and Rui leans down to rest his chin against his shoulder. 

“Would you like me to leave?” Rui asks, a playful twinge to his voice. “I just like watching you, is that so wrong? I see how it is…” 

Rui loosens his embrace and begins to take a step back, but Tsukasa quickly reaches for his hand and pulls him back. 

“Oya?” Rui hums. “So I am helping, after all?” 

“No.” Tsukasa responds, curt. “But… You can stay.” 

“You’re too kind…” Rui laughs quietly, mostly to himself. His arms tighten around Tsukasa’s waist, and he leans down to press a kiss against his cheek. 

Rui watches silently until Tsukasa is finished, and the second the stove is turned off Tsukasa is spinning around to face him. 

Rui leans down to close what little space is left between them, feeling Tsukasa’s hands gently coming to rest against his chest. 

Rui’s every move is needy and desperate, and he kisses Tsukasa like he hasn’t seen him in years. 

Eventually, and despite his best efforts, he allows himself to be pushed away.

“Too early for this…” Tsukasa mumbles, turning his back to Rui as he tries to catch his breath. “Just… get the bowls…” 

Rui does as he’s told, fetching two bowls from the cabinet and placing them on the dining table. Tsukasa empties the pan into the bowls, and returns to the sink to wash it out. 

Rui waits patiently for Tsukasa to join him at the table before he starts to eat. 

As Tsukasa takes his first bite, the collar of his shirt—or rather, Rui’s shirt, falls slightly over his shoulder and exposes his collarbone. He makes no effort to fix it. 

Rui can’t help but stare. 

Tsukasa is cute. Really, really, painfully cute. 

His hair is still messy, and there’s visible bags under his eyes. He brings a hand to his mouth as he yawns (albeit, somewhat obnoxiously— not that Rui minds, though).

“Tsukasa…” He coos, and Tsukasa looks up to meet his eyes. “Can I tell you something?” 

“Hm?” 

Rui rests his chin against his palm, and he takes a moment to think to himself. 

He likes to believe that it was love at first sight when they met at seventeen. And even now, he falls more in love with Tsukasa every second of every day. 

As he stares across the table at him, Rui can’t help but smile as he feels waves upon waves of fondness wash over him. 

“I really want to marry you.” He says, his gaze never faltering. 

“Yeah?” Tsukasa can’t help but smile. He lays his hand palm up on the table as an offering for Rui to take it.

Rui obliges, taking Tsukasa’s hand in his own. “Yeah.” 

“Then I expect you to ask me properly.” Tsukasa responds, perching his elbow atop the table and leaning against his free hand.

Rui slowly brings Tsukasa’s hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against his knuckles. “Will you say yes…?” 

“I might…” Tsukasa looks down at their hands, and repositions his fingers so that they’re interlocked with Rui’s. “I’ll have to think about it…”

Tsukasa’s eyes linger on his barren ring finger for just a second too long, and Rui takes notice. “I’m working on it. I promise.”

Tsukasa exhales, reluctantly letting go of Rui’s hand. “Alright, alright, just eat. You can propose to me later.” 

He notices the pout on Rui’s face as he continues eating, but refuses to acknowledge it. 

After cleaning up the dishes, Tsukasa makes his way to the bathroom to shower. 

As he slips his shirt over his head, he feels cold hands against his back. Normally, that would elicit quite a reaction. But Tsukasa was used to this by now. 

“I told you to quit sneaking up on me like that.” 

Rui wasn’t entirely free from being scolded, after all. 

Rui offers no apology, instead leaning down and placing a kiss between Tsukasa’s shoulders. He slowly runs his fingers down his lover’s arms, and rests his forehead against the nape of his neck. 

“You’re beautiful.” Another kiss is placed against Tsukasa’s back. “You know?” 

Tsukasa turns to face him and pushes himself up onto his toes, giving Rui a brief peck on the lips. The look in his eyes is soft and affectionate, so much so that Rui feels he may be melting. 

“I know.” Tsukasa says with a wink. “Now let me shower, will you?” 

After they each wash up and ready themselves, Rui finds that Tsukasa has already slipped on an overcoat and is waiting patiently for him by the front door to their apartment. 

“Ready?” Tsukasa asks, slipping on his boots and pulling the laces tight. 

Rui nods. “Mhm. Let’s go.” 

Rui holds out his hand for Tsukasa to take, and he accepts. As the door clicks shut behind him, Tsukasa locks it and proceeds to lead him out of the building. 

Both of them have a day off, and decided they would use it to go out on a date. Which wasn’t something they got to do very often anymore considering just how much they were both working now. 

As they walk to the train station, Rui feels Tsukasa rest his head against his shoulder. He leans down to kiss the top of his head. 

They board a crowded train car, just crowded enough to make Tsukasa press against Rui’s side so he wouldn’t bump into anyone. Rui rests a hand against Tsukasa’s back, pulling him close and holding him there as he feels Tsukasa latch onto his arm so he doesn’t fall when the train begins pulling out of the station. 

Their first stop is a bakery, one that Rui had read about after seeing Emu’s online posts adamantly recommending it. 

Rui returns to her posts for inspiration before looking at the menu. There was a picture of Emu and Saki with a comically large parfait positioned between them. Plated in a large bowl, layers upon layers of fruit were separated by thick whipped cream and chocolate syrup. 

The caption on her post reads: “ Saki-chan and I could barely finish this on our own!!!!! Nene-chan we need your help!!!! Please come home soon!!!!!😢🍓🍨✨”

Tsukasa peeks over Rui’s shoulder, and points at the photo on his screen. “There’s no way we’d be able to finish that...” 

“I agree…” Rui giggles. 

Apart from the over-the-top parfaits, the bakery had various cakes and pies on display. They also offered various different juices, teas, and coffees. 

“How about one of these?” Rui points to the display of pies; lemon, raspberry, apple, cherry, assorted berry, and assorted citrus. 

Rui turns to face Tsukasa. “And please share it with me, dear… I hate it when you make me eat all alone…” 

Tsukasa scoffs, ignoring Rui’s pouting and puppy dog eyes. “Alright, alright… But I’m getting one to take home before we leave.” 

They eventually decide on a lemon cream pie and two strawberry matcha lattes. Rui wasn’t normally one to drink matcha as he didn’t like the earthy (green) flavor, but he hoped the strawberry would help to cancel it out. 

As they sit down to eat, Tsukasa takes a knife and cuts off a corner of the pie. 

“Here.” He says, and Rui closes his eyes to accept the bite. If he had a tail, it would most certainly be wagging right now. 

After they finish the dessert and spend far too long talking quietly among themselves, Tsukasa holds out his hand for Rui to take as he leads him back outside. 

They decide to stop at the mall next, Rui wants to look for some new books and Tsukasa wants to look for sewing supplies to repair his old stage costume. 

It’s the evening by the time they’re finished shopping, but the sun is still shining outside. They board the train to return home, and Rui wonders if Tsukasa would be upset if they conveniently missed their exit. 

As the train pulls into the station, Tsukasa stands from his seat to disembark. Before he can make his way to the doors, he feels Rui’s hand close around his wrist and pull him back. 

“Rui, what’re you doing…? This is our exit—“ 

Rui continues to tug until Tsukasa sits back down beside him. “Is it…? Hm… No, no, I don’t recognize this platform…” 

“Rui, come on. Let’s just go home—“ 

“Tsukasa…” Rui interlocks their fingers, and rests his head against Tsukasa’s shoulder. “The beach isn’t too far from here. Won’t you humor me for a bit?” 

Tsukasa sighs, defeated. He leans against Rui, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He’s so easy. “What am I supposed to do with you…?” 

The ride to the beach is about 30 minutes out of the way. By the time the train arrives at the station, the sun is fully below the horizon and the sky is a deep orange. 

Before stepping into the sand, Tsukasa steadies himself against Rui to take off his shoes and socks. After Rui does the same, he drags Tsukasa onto the shore. 

Tsukasa jumps as the tide rolls in and washes over his feet. “Rui, if you make me fall in the water you’re sleeping on the couch tonight…”

Rui laughs, reaching for Tsukasa’s other hand and taking it in his own. 

Rui takes a minute to really relish in the moment. The water is fairly warm, and the sky has faded into a gentle pink. 

He stares quietly at Tsukasa, who looks very pretty under the glow of the setting sun. 

He takes a step closer, releasing one of Tsukasa’s hands to gently cup his cheek instead. 

Tsukasa pushes himself onto his toes, and kisses him. 

A gentle breeze blows between them as the water continues to wash over their feet. And yet, it feels like time stands still. 

There is something so familiar about Tsukasa’s touch now. It’s something that Rui has grown very used to. 

He’s grown used to the fruity smell of his hair, the sweet cologne he always applies, the smell of coconut on his skin thanks to the lotion he always uses, the waxy taste of his lips from always applying chapstick. 

Everything about Tsukasa feels so familiar that Rui can’t seem to imagine a life without him. 

No matter how far he plans into the future, Tsukasa is always there. A solid constant, a confidant, a best friend, always by his side no matter where he finds himself. 

They both slowly pull away from each other, staying close enough for their foreheads to touch. Rui can feel Tsukasa’s hand against his neck, gently combing through his hair with his fingers. 

When he meets his eyes, he sees the stars. 

Tsukasa’s gaze is painfully fond, and he’s smiling— a big, wide, goofy smile. 

“I love you, Kamishiro Rui.” 

Rui doesn’t respond immediately, so Tsukasa repeats himself. “I love you.” 

Rui leans down, embracing Tsukasa tightly and lifting him up off of his feet. 

“I love you, Tenma Tsukasa.” He mumbles against the other’s neck. “I love you.” Again. “I love you.” And again. 

If only for a moment, they are the only two people on earth. This lovely sunset framed by an equally beautiful seascape is meant only for them. Any and all noises except for their shared laughter and the crashing of the waves soon fade to nothing as they embrace. 

It’s brief, but it feels like time has slowed down to a crawl.

Even so, the moment is over too soon.

Tsukasa is slowly lowered back to his feet, and they proceed to spend another hour in the sand, watching the sky fade from a fiery pink to a deep, dark blue. 

“Shall we go now, dear?” Rui asks. 

“Yeah…” Tsukasa nods through a yawn. “I’m tired…”

Tsukasa tries his best not to fall asleep on the train ride back, but his eyes increasingly grow heavier. 

He manages to keep them open until they’re home, and as soon as he steps inside his shoes are kicked off and his overcoat is draped haphazardly over the sofa. “Alright, time for bed.” 

Rui follows, slipping off his own shoes and hanging up his coat neatly on the coathanger. “I’m going to stay up for a bit to read, so I’ll join you later.” 

Rui leans in for a kiss, but Tsukasa backs away. “You could do that in bed, you know…” 

“The light keeps you up, dear.” Rui says, leaning down and giving Tsukasa a peck on the cheek. “You’re tired, so just go to sleep alright? I’ll be there soon.”

He turns away and fishes one of the books he had bought earlier that day out of his bag. As he falls down onto the couch, he can hear Tsukasa’s footsteps slowly leave the room. 

About ten minutes later though, the footsteps return. He turns to see Tsukasa, the throw blanket that’s usually draped across their bed is bundled up in his arms and he’s changed into sleepwear. 

“What are you…” Rui doesn’t get to finish his sentence as Tsukasa quietly sits down next to him, draping the blanket over both of them and nuzzling against his side. 

“Couldn’t wait, hm?” Rui teases, feeling Tsukasa’s hands wrap around his forearm. 

“Shut up...” Tsukasa mumbles, burying his face against Rui’s side. 

Rui laughs quietly in response, leaning against the top of Tsukasa’s head. “Goodnight, dear.” 

By the time Rui is finished reading for the night, Tsukasa has fallen asleep beside him. Rui quietly sets the book down on the coffee table, and stands up as carefully as he can. He switches off the light and returns to the sofa, slipping his hands under Tsukasa’s legs and against his back to lift him up. He carries him to their bedroom and gently lays him down, lifting the blankets over him. 

He changes into his sleepwear, and climbs into bed. As he situates himself under the covers, he feels movement beside him. Tsukasa rolls onto his side in his sleep, and presses himself against Rui’s chest. His arms wrap weakly around Rui’s waist, and their legs become tangled together. Rui returns the embrace, slowly combing through Tsukasa’s hair as he drifts off to sleep. 

Tsukasa is awoken by a warm beam of sunlight shining through the blinds the next morning, but as he blinks himself awake he realizes that he’s alone. 

Right, it’s Monday. Rui is back at work. 

He picks up his phone from the bedside table, and finds a message from Rui. “ Back at work. Love you. See you later. :-) ”

He should be used to being alone. But now that he knows what he’s without, he’s found himself becoming just as clingy as Rui. Maybe even more so.

He rolls out of bed, and makes his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for himself. He eats silently at an empty dining table. 

This was no good. 

Rui always goes to work. They spend plenty of time away from each other. He’s not that clingy. 

He just misses him a little bit. 

That’s only natural. 

He just needs something to do, something to take his mind off things. 

After washing up and getting dressed, Tsukasa takes the train into the city to run some errands. First, he wants to go to the record shop to look for a CD to gift Nene for her birthday. Then, he’ll pick up some groceries to prepare tonight’s dinner with. 

As he arrives at the record shop, and begins to flip through the displays, something catches his eye. There’s various recordings of musicals and stage-plays, from children’s tales to famous broadway adaptations. 

Rui would probably like this. He thinks. 

But quickly catches himself. No, I am not here for Rui. He can come get it on his own…

Eventually he picks out a few gifts for Nene, a Magical Mirai CD and a DVD of an American broadway adaptation of The Little Mermaid. He assumes she’s probably seen it before, but a physical DVD would make a nice keepsake, right? 

He then stops by the market to pick up some groceries. As he considers what he should cook later, he finds his thoughts wandering again. 

Rui probably wouldn’t like it if I switched the ingredients… 

I’m sure Rui would notice if I tried to sneak something in… 

I should make the kind Rui likes… 

These are Rui’s favorites…

Rui. Rui. And more Rui. Tsukasa Tenma is a lost cause. He’s too far gone to be saved. 

Eventually, he swallows his pride, buys ingredients for the dishes that Rui likes, and returns home to unpack the groceries. 

Once he’s finished, he checks his phone to see a message from Emu. “ Tsukasa-kun!!!!!!! Cafe time!!!!!!!!! Come hang out with me and Saki-chan!!!!! ”

Tsukasa takes his coat from the coat-hanger, and swiftly departs just as quickly as he’d arrived. 

This is good. Another distraction. It’s exactly what he needs. 

He walks briskly, passing through alleyways as he cuts through residential neighborhoods to reach a fairly quiet local coffee shop. 

It isn’t a very big place, with only enough room for a single table in the waiting area, and it rarely has more than two or three customers at a time. Emu only likes it because they sell a very sweet jelly-filled donut, which she always gets. 

As Tsukasa walks up the steps to the cafe, he can already see Emu excitedly waving her hands. “Tsukasa-kun~!!!”

Saki joins in. “Onii-chan~!!!”

Tsukasa frantically motions for them to quiet down, and sits down at the one table in the room. Emu and Saki join him. “You’re not going to get anything, Tsukasa-kun?” 

Tsukasa shakes his head, but soon regrets it. A drink might help him relax a bit… He backtracks. “Well— maybe… I haven’t decided…”

Emu’s eyes immediately narrow, and Tsukasa can feel her staring straight through him. 

“What’s wrong with you?” She asks, bluntly. 

Saki mirrors her expression. “Yeah… What is wrong with you?”

Tsukasa has only said five words since he arrived, how could they possibly know that something was amiss?! 

“What do you mean…?” He attempts to play dumb, but it doesn’t work. 

“You’re thinking about something. I know it. You’ve got your pensive Tsukasa-kun face on.” 

“I…” Tsukasa sighs. Defeat. “If I tell you… Then you can’t laugh, okay?”

Emu and Saki share a brief glance, both already feeling the urge to start giggling but ultimately repressing it. They each nod their heads. 

“Rui is back at work and…” Tsukasa mumbles, his voice gradually trailing off. “I just… miss him… That’s all.” 

…

Saki tries her hardest to surprise her giggling but eventually fails. She offers ample apologies as she tries to catch her breath. 

“Saki, stop laughing…!!” Tsukasa pleads, but it doesn’t stop her. 

“Onii-chan… And to think you had me worried for a second, there. You’re so dramatic…” 

“And I thought Rui-kun was the clingy one…” Emu says. “I think you’ve set a new record, Tsukasa-kun.” 

Tsukasa buries his face in his hands, embarrassed. He feels Saki’s hand against his back, patting him lightly in an attempt to comfort him. 

He can’t help but miss his boyfriend while he’s away all day at work. What’s so wrong about that…? Emu and Saki are so cruel… 

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Emu says, and Tsukasa nods— though, he’s not entirely sure that he’s prepared for the question. 

“When are you and Rui-kun gonna get married?”

Initially taken by surprise, Tsukasa flushes red. 

But that’s a fairly normal thing to ask, isn’t it?

They had been dating for just over three years now. 

Tsukasa thinks quietly for a moment. 

Yeah… 

When are we gonna get married…?

“You aren’t helping, Emu.” He mumbles. “I don’t know… Soon, hopefully…” 

Emu leans down, forcing Tsukasa to meet her eyes. She’s smiling wide and bright. “Hang in there, Tsukasa-kun.” 

Tsukasa can’t help but laugh, leaning back in his seat. He glances over at Saki. “You know, onii-chan…”

There’s a seriousness to Saki’s tone, Tsukasa leans forward to give her his full attention. “It’s easy to tease you but… I’m honestly really happy.” 

“I’m glad it’s Kamishiro-san.” She turns to Emu, who silently agrees. “Because I know he’ll take care of you whenever I can’t.”

Tsukasa sighs, a bit embarrassed still but ultimately relieved.

The barista calls the girls’ names, and the conversation shifts to something unrelated as they nurse their drinks. 

Tsukasa feels his phone buzz in his pocket, and he takes it out to find a message from Rui. “I’ll try to get home early tonight. :-)” 

Tsukasa smiles at his screen. He’s made it abundantly clear that he hates when Rui stays especially late at work. When Rui first started out, he would leave early in the morning and end up staying late so often that Tsukasa felt like he was living in their apartment alone. 

“Curry for dinner. Be on time.” He replies. Rui sends back a sticker of a cute cat holding a heart. 

Saki and Emu share a look, but Tsukasa doesn’t notice. 

After they’re finished at the cafe, Emu and Saki drag Tsukasa into the city. He expects to be brought to a clothing store or maybe even a perfumery. 

Instead, they drag him into a jewelry store. 

“Why are we here…?” He asks, as his sister releases his arm from her grasp. 

She tilts her head to the side, trying to act confused. “I want to get new earrings…?” 

“Yeah, me too.” Emu says, nodding her head one too many times. 

“Guys, this isn’t funny…” Tsukasa sighs, initially turning back towards the door. “I already told you, we’re not—“ 

Saki cuts him short, grabbing him by the shoulders and holding him in place. “Just let me look for a minute, okay? I won’t be too long, I promise.” 

Tsukasa reluctantly agrees, finding himself pacing by the front doors as Emu and Saki mumble amongst themselves over display cases of fine jewelry. 

Saki doesn’t like stud earrings. She likes the cheaper earrings that have Hello Kitty characters on them. Or the dangly ones made of plastic that still look real enough to be mistaken for something more expensive. She likes a cute and flashy earring. Not the boring luxury brands. 

They’re just bullying him, at this point. Forcing him to see all the engagement rings and matching wedding bands that he can’t quite afford to invest in yet.

As he migrates away from the door, his curiosity gets the best of him. He glances into a display case housing rows of beautiful diamond rings. 

Sure, he would love to have one. Who wouldn’t? 

But besides the monetary issue, he really wanted Rui to be the one to ask him. 

He knows that Rui is working hard and setting aside funds to buy him a ring someday, and he’s willing to wait however long that may be. 

He is not buying a ring today, that’s for absolute sure. 

He looks to the left of the rings, and finds various bracelets on display. Some have diamonds, others are made by famous designers. Though, there are also matching sets of two bracelets that cost significantly less. One had a charm of the moon dangling from it, the other had the sun. 

“Excuse me, what are these bracelets for?” Tsukasa asks, pointing to the pair. 

“They’re for any occasion! A promise bracelet is especially perfect for couples who aren’t quite ready for an engagement yet.” 

Is that so… 

…

“How much for the two?”

Still a bit pricey, but overall much more affordable than a ring. Tsukasa is a bit embarrassed as they exit the store. Seeing as he’s the only one who bought something, that would mean that Emu and Saki’s plan had worked. 

Thankfully, neither of them decide to boast about it. Tsukasa decides that he won’t speak a word more about it either. 

He bids them farewell at the train station, and heads home. 

Once he arrives home, he takes the box with (what would soon be) Rui’s bracelet in it and hides it in the pocket of his coat hanging on the rack. Once that’s taken care of, he decides to gather the ingredients to make dinner. 

As the sun slowly sets, Tsukasa feels his phone buzz in his pocket as he starts to cook. “On my way home now.” 

He smiles, and slips it back into his pocket, humming quietly to himself as a pot sizzles on the stove. 

As he prepares to plate the food, he hears the door unlock behind him.

“I’m home.” Rui calls, and Tsukasa steps out of the kitchen to greet him with a kiss. “Something smells delicious.” 

“You’re right on time.” Tsukasa says. “Come on, let’s eat.” 

Tsukasa returns to the kitchen, and Rui trails close behind him. He eagerly peaks into the pot, but a seriousness overtakes him when he notices large slices of carrots mixed into the sauce. 

“Why is there—“ 

“Don’t even say it, Rui.” Tsukasa interjects, not even sparing a look in Rui’s direction. “After I went through all the trouble of preparing us dinner…” 

The show begins. “I make it special just for us… I spend so much time mincing up the onions and garlic so that you can’t even see them in the sauce…” 

“Tsukasa—“

Tsukasa drapes a hand dramatically against his forehead. “And he won’t eat it because of a little carrot…! How cruel… Ah, I’ll never cook again…” 

He glances back at Rui, who was standing perfectly still and visibly clenching his jaw. “I… I’ll eat it, alright…?” 

Tsukasa smiles, pushing himself up onto his toes to kiss Rui on the cheek. “Thank you, Rui.” 

He quickly turns his back to Rui to continue plating the food, leaving Rui to prepare himself for the impending onslaught of carrots…

They finally sit down to eat, and Tsukasa pretends not to notice Rui picking around the vegetables for a few minutes. 

The food is delicious, of course, and by the time Tsukasa is almost finished he notices the stack of carrots in the corner of Rui’s plate. 

“Alright…” He sighs, leaning across the table and scooping up one of the carrots with his spoon. “Ahh…” 

Rui closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Tsukasa tries his best to refrain from laughing. “Ahh…” He repeats. 

Rui opens his mouth. “A… Ahh…”

He bites down on the carrot. The texture is not something that he enjoys, but the curry sauce is so savory and delicious that it almost makes up for it. He swallows it thickly, without fully chewing it, just to get it down. 

Tsukasa snickers, scooping up another. “Another one, come on. Ahh…” 

The cycle continues a few more times, until nearly half of Rui’s carrots are gone. 

Once Rui regains composure, he stands from his seat at the table and carries their plates to the sink. “I’ll take care of the dishes, alright?” 

Once Rui disappears into the kitchen, Tsukasa springs to his feet and runs to the coat-rack. He quickly retrieves the little velveteen box with Rui’s bracelet in it from his coat pocket and returns to the table, hiding it in his lap. 

He’s wearing the matching bracelet, but had concealed it under the long sleeves of his sweater so that Rui wouldn’t notice it. 

When Rui returns to the room, Tsukasa motions for him to sit back down next to him. “I saw Emu and Saki today and…” 

He reveals the box, sliding it to Rui across the table. “Well, I got you something…” 

Rui’s eyes widen at the sight of a little black box. 

Tsukasa notices, and shakes his head. “It— It’s not a ring.” 

“I’m expecting you to handle that, when the time comes…”

Rui’s expression softens, and he chuckles. “Sure, my dear, I’ll handle it…” 

He opens the box to find a beautiful silver bracelet. The chain is separated by black and white beads, and dangling in the middle is a charm in the shape of a crescent moon. “Oh, it’s so beautiful…!” 

He gently lifts it out of the box and loops it around his wrist. When he looks over at Tsukasa, his sleeve has been rolled up to reveal the matching bracelet with the dangly sun charm on his wrist. “They were a set.” 

Tsukasa helps Rui clip the bracelet onto his wrist, and his hand lingers in Rui’s. “It’s… It’s not a ring but…” 

“Until we get a ring, just consider this a promise.” 

“A promise?” 

“Mhm.” Tsukasa looks up to meet Rui’s eyes. His golden, catlike eyes are soft and welcoming. “That I’m only yours and always will be.” 

Rui leans forward, pressing his forehead against Tsukasa’s as he interlocks their fingers together. 

“I love you.” Tsukasa says quietly, feeling Rui’s free hand come to rest against his cheek and pull him into a kiss. 

“I love you, too.”

Despite Tsukasa’s eyes being closed, he can see fireworks. The loud pounding of his heart is replaced with bright explosions. He feels Rui smiling against his lips, and as Rui’s hand slowly caresses his cheek he can hear the jingling of the silver charm on his wrist. 

“Ah… sorry…” Tsukasa pulls away, but Rui stays close. 

“For what?” Rui asks, and Tsukasa hangs his head. 

“For… Being cheesy…” 

Rui laughs. “There’s no need to apologize for that…” He positions his hand under Tsukasa’s chin and lifts his head up. “You know that I love it...” 

“Stop teasing me.” Tsukasa mumbles, staring down at the table. 

“It’s the truth.” Rui leans in and kisses him on the cheek. “Look at me, my love.” 

Tsukasa meets Rui’s eyes. His expression is serious, but genuine and soft underneath. “Thank you, Tsukasa, really. I love it a lot.”

“…Good.” Tsukasa sighs, releasing tension in his shoulders. “I’m glad…” 

Rui leans in one last time, and closes the distance between them. Tsukasa’s cheeks are rosy and warm against Rui’s cold skin. He feels Tsukasa grip his hand just a little bit tighter as he tilts his head to the side. 

It’s over too quickly, and Rui promptly stands up from his seat at the table. He stretches his arms above his head, and yawns. “Alright, time for bed…” 

Tsukasa looks up at him, a bit shocked at the quick change of pace. 

“Won’t you join me, dear?” 

Tsukasa pouts, puffing his cheeks. “No. Just for that.” 

“Whatever do you mean?” Rui places a finger against his chin, glancing over his shoulder. 

Tsukasa crosses his arms. “You know what I mean… I already told you, stop teasing me…”

“Ah… My beloved won’t come lay with me… Making me go to sleep all cold and alone… How terrible…” Tsukasa can’t help but laugh as Rui dramatically clutches his chest and pretends to wipe a tear from his eye. 

He silently follows him into the bathroom to wash up. As they lay their matching bracelets on the sink, it really does feel like home. 

Sure, they aren’t married yet. And they probably won’t be for a while. 

But this is okay for now.