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The soft taps of midnight rain knocked on the garage door of Rui's room, creating a peaceful rhythm that filled the air. Comfortably, the silence took over the two boys that occupied themselves with their tasks, though sometimes stealing a glance at the other to make sure everything was okay.
Rui's fingers worked around one of the props he had built for their next show as he reached for the screwdriver next to him. Calmly, he unscrewed the loose screw to the side, taking another one from the pile of parts that scrambled his desk. He should really tidy it up, before he would no longer see the wooden structure. Rui made a mental note for his future self as he continued to mingle with his robot.
Rinse and repeat, fix one part and take over to the second. Rui's mind repeated the words like a mantra for no particular reason, fighting to keep his gears clicking and turning. His eyes were closing on their own, which was to be expected after the long day he had.
He had spent the whole night planning his blueprints, arrived at school and began his classes, proceeded to help the greening committee with planting new seeds around the school, meeting up with his troupe at the Wonderland SEKAI to finally rest in the quiet adobe of his home. He did present his idea for a new choreography, didn't he? Unable to uncloud the tangle of his thoughts, the inventor sighed. Yes, he would love to use some sleep right now.
Popping his joints up, Rui let out a yawn he couldn't hold in anymore.
"Tired much?" A quiet chuckle rang from his left, followed by the rustle of the paper.
Rui let out a chuckle, turning to Tsukasa who was resting comfortably on his sofa. "A little bit," his fingers let go of the screwdriver, instead moving to hold his head he had leaned against his crossed legs. "But I want to finish this one before calling it a night."
Tsukasa grumbled, his nose scrunching a little. "You mean 'before overworking myself and blacking out'?"
"No, I promise I won't stay up that late." Rui hummed amusedly with his typical feline-like smile. He had been caught red-handed by none other than his dear lover.
"Rui." Tsukasa sighed, putting his notebook down, as a glimpse of newly sketched costume designs slipped past the inventor's gaze. "It's already past midnight."
The sound of a duvet being shifted up filled Rui's senses as he turned away. "Then I will just make sure to rest before the moon does."
A pair of hands snuck their way around his shoulders from behind, radiating off the warmth that Rui longed to feel. "Rui, please. Don't make me tackle you to the bed myself."
Rui found himself laughing quietly under his nose, looking up to see Tsukasa hovering over him. "Using your muscle training against your own boyfriend?" Even now, he just couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease the star.
"What can I say? Can't a future star worry about his director?" Tsukasa mused up, putting his cheek against the top of Rui's velvet hair.
The strings in his brain laced together even more, leaving a tight knot that Rui failed to unbuckle. He needed to finish his construction on time, what kind of director would he be if he didn't? To see the frowns of the audience, the disgust on Nene's, Emu's, and Tsukasa's faces at his malfunctioned work. No, he can't risk losing them, not after finally reaching their happy ending. What if it failed and accidentally hurt someone? Would they stare and whisper among themselves just like when he was a kid? The ever-growing pressure tightened its grip around his heart, its hectic beats drumming in Rui's ears without any respite.
The world around him unblurred with a tender pressure of warmth against his forehead. Rui could feel the shackles of his mind losing up, though he was completely sure his face was resembling a tomato right now with the way it burned after the peck Tsukasa gave him.
"I can hear your brain over-steaming from here and I'm perfectly sure it's rather not any of your robots." Tsukasa's hand gently glided down to Rui's cheek, his thumb linking the moles on his skin absentmindedly.
"Ah, I'm sorry my Star...perhaps I've gotten a little bit too carried away just now." The corners of his lips weighed a gentle grin, as his hand came to rest on top of Tsukasa's. Rui had hoped that eased the star's worry, but the latter seemed unconvinced.
"If you need a little more time to finish your robot, then I'm more than ready to change the date of our spectacle. I'm sure the girls will understand." Tsukasa's eyes carried an unmistakable willingness, the tenderness accompanying it melting Rui's heart in an instant.
Once Tsukasa's words fully clicked, the feeling of dread mixed into Rui's veins. Postponing the show was on the dead-end of his 'what-if' scenarios, though it was as gruesome as the other ones. Rui loudly swallowed, calmly shaking his head. "No, it would be too much of a burden to move the date now."
Rui could hear Tsukasa sighing in reflection, the boy's hand leaving Rui's cheek to tangle his fingers around the inventor's. "Then at least let me help you out with it. Two heads are better than one, right?"
To say that Rui's heart exploded with the warmth provided by Tsukasa's words was too little, as Rui was sure he could hear his own pulse rumbling in his ears. The eyes of the other boy were etched solemnly on their linked fingers, darting away from Rui's gaze.
"I can see your ears burning bright red, Tsukasa..." Rui couldn't help but sneer softly, his tone brimming with affection for the actor in front of him.
"No! You don't!" A huff escaped Tsukasa's lips, as he urged to cover his ears. "Seriously? Teasing me in a moment like that?"
Rui chuckled, shaking his head innocently. "Sorry, sorry...although I need to ask...why?" His heart ached, the need to know the answer overgrowing him. "Why would you risk losing your audience over something as a performance machine?"
"Why?" A look of confusion flashed past Tsukasa's gaze, his eyes locking on Rui's, as they hardened with sincere seriousness. "I've come to learn that putting on a good show is not the greatest value in being a chairman, Rui. It's the smiles of my troupe that I cherish and want to nurture the most."
Tsukasa's lips curled slightly upwards, as he closed his eyes with a hum. "And because I care for you. How could I not as your boyfriend?"
A perching feeling spilled over Rui at these simple words, his heart beating a tune louder. Yet he couldn't help but return the soft smile. Truly, he would never not marvel at the way Tsukasa's eyes crinkle a bit every time he grins.
"Ah! There it is!" Tsukasa laughed, a prideful spark lingering in the marigold irises. "My favorite smile!"
That's right. He's no longer alone. There's nobody to spread false rumors, nor to writhe his brain with abysmal lies and offense. Whenever he falls, Rui knows there's someone to catch him, his friends, his troupe, and his dear star. The star who turned his benighted world to one filled with gleeful laughter and never-ending shows. And Rui couldn't have been more grateful for the wonders the future has brought him.
"Alright, my Star. You've certainly managed to steal my heart once again. I accede." Feigning innocence, Rui's hands moved up, throwing them into the air.
Clearly confused, Tsukasa blinked a couple of times while still keeping the corners of his lips up. Though, Rui couldn't miss the way his eyebrows just slightly furrowed at his words. "So, you accept your sentence of actually going to sleep?"
Rui nodded amusingly, giving Tsukasa the satisfaction of winning. "We shouldn't burden our bodies anymore and rest, don't you think?"
"Of course! C'mon, the bed won't tuck you under the duvet on its own!" Practically yanking Rui from the chair, Tsukasa plopped them on the soft mattress, letting out a content sigh. "See? It's not that bad."
No, it was quite the opposite. Rui wondered if he even needed a blanket when Tsukasa radiated so much warmth akin to a personal heater.
"Indeed it is...I wonder when we will melt into a puddle with that perching aura of yours." Rui let out a lilt hum, as his arms reached to cradle Tsukasa against him. He would be a liar if he said his arms did that involuntarily on their own.
"Ugh!" Grumbling, the star turned to face Rui, seemingly fed up with the teasing at such a late hour. It was to be expected and Rui couldn't blame him for that. "Cut it off. Although a star must always provide warmth, it's one of the unspoken stardom duties!"
No matter how many times Rui heard the same words, it never failed to make his heart flutter. He wasn't sure if the couple of twinkling stars that started to spark next to the boy's head were the result of the admiration he felt for Tsukasa, or maybe the lack of sleep his mind reminded him of.
"You never cease to amaze me, my Star." The smile that hung on the corners of his lips widened a bit more, as Rui allowed himself to bask in Tsukasa's presence.
A weary chuckle reached his ears, with a couple of lilac strands being cradled to the side by Tsukasa's fingers that with utmost care combed through his hair. Rui felt the gentle pressure of the stray locks being tucked behind his ear, though his focus was completely glued to the irises of the boy who was holding him so close to himself.
The golden pools that remained Rui of a sunset, staring back with a tender stare. The gaze that never judged, and quite the opposite, always reached a hand whenever Rui needed it the most, no matter the situation they were in.
All while the rain gently wept against the garage door of his room, lulling the boys into a soft embrace. Maybe Tsukasa thought of it as connecting a constellation, as the tips of his fingers grazed delicately against his cheek, connecting the moles scattered on his skin. At the same time, Rui subconsciously counted the freckles that adored Tsukasa's face, for what felt like a thousand times since they started dating. Just how many pecks would it take to cover all of them? Rui wasn't sure, but he knew one thing - the view before him will be cherished in his memory till the day he can no longer cough up a breath.
"Hey, Tsukasa?" A silent mutter flew past his lips. "I love you, and thank you for everything."
A tinge of a rosy hue splattered across Tsukasa's cheeks, as his mouth slightly parted. Yet soon, a tender laugh reached Rui's ears with Tsukasa's forehead leaning against his own.
"It's only reasonable of a star to return the favors and care his dear director showed him before. And still does, of course." Shuffling a streak of the cyan hair astray, Tsukasa's hand gently cupped Rui's cheek, not long before he affectionately nudged his nose against the latter's. "I love you too, Rui."
And who was Rui to not smile and veer forward, all while he fondly held Tsukasa against himself.
Their breaths mingled together, his chapped lips meeting Tsukasa's soft ones, as they linked in a placid kiss. It wasn't fervorous, nor ardent, yet both of them could feel the shared emotions behind it.
If Rui had to assign one word to describe how he felt right now, the answer wouldn't be that hard to find.
He felt loved. And he wouldn't trade that warmth for anything.
Before Rui knew it their lips parted, as he was left with his chest rapidly wavering against Tsukasa's, but he was no different. With a slothful hum, he tucked the blanket over their tangled silhouettes, casting a comforting shell around them. There's nothing better than being able to fall asleep in his boyfriend's arms, is there?
The question hung up in the air unsolved, as they huddled against one another with dreamy grins weighting on their faces.
"Night, Rui..." Tsukasa yawned, his body drowsily draping over Rui's with his eyes fluttering close.
Truly, a sight to behold. "Goodnight, Mon Ange, sleep well..." A hearty chuckle slipped from his lips, as he pulled closer to the heavy-eyed star. For once, he had also felt tired, but he wasn't complaining. Not when he felt so secure in Tsukasa's grasp.
"Rui..." Tsukasa mewled, presumably flustered by the pet name, yet too tired to properly scold Rui for it, opting to just clung closer to the inventor. The complaint ended as quickly as it started, turning into a snore rather than a coherent sentence.
Admittedly, Rui craved for more of these moments, to be able to make more peaceful memories like this evening. To be able to fall asleep and wake up next to Tsukasa, to share a day together. And who knows, maybe a future like this isn't that far away?
Rui leaned his head against the golden locks of the boy sleeping so soundly in his arms, feeling his own eyelids turning heavy. The shallow breaths of Tsukasa’s were soon accompanied by the other’s, as Rui allowed his mind to wander into the dreamland.
And if they woke up in the morning with their limbs tangled and bodies even more snuggled against each other, it's only for them to know, as the rain and fairy lights above gently lulled them to sleep.