Archive of Our Own

- ✧ -

The skies are clear as ever today, vibrant blue beaming over Kamiyama highschool, alongside the scorching sun of early September.

There is a pair of classmates sitting on the school rooftop, as it was just about time for lunch break.
It's just the two of them here though, only accompanied by echoes of other lively students enjoying the moment of free time outside.

Last breezes of summer air gently flow through their hair with the thrill of the start of a new year of learning.

“Oh come on, Rui! Does your mom really not make you lunches, or what?” Tsukasa pouts, as he desperately tries to save his bento from the prying pair of chopsticks, only anticipating for a moment of distraction to steal another piece of cooked meat.

“What can I do? I already ate mine, Tsukasa-kun! Don't be so cruel! won't you spare a few bites for a starving teenager?~” The purple haired boy teases, a familiar smug smirk on his face.

“Oh don't try to fool me with those sweet lies of yours! You never finish your bento!” The blonde protests, trying his hardest (and failing) to keep the lunch out of the director's reach.

“But I'm telling the truest truth, my dear Tsukasa-kun! How can you not believe your best friend like that? I'm truly hurt!” He fakes a whine, clutching at his chest dramatically.

“Oh yeah? Let's see then!” Tsukasa leans over to rummage through Rui's backpack, and quickly finds what he's searching for.
He lifts up the lid and…

“I knew it! You can't fool me, you sneaky liar!”

“Oh but what are you talking about, Tsukasa-kun? The box is empty!” Rui lifts up his hands in defense.

“Don't act stupid! You still have all of the fried vegetables left!” Tsukasa argues, frowning his brows.

“That does not count as food for me, I do not deem this stuff edible.” The purplenette protests.

“Vegetables really aren't as bad as you make them to be. You didn't even try it! I'm sure your mom has gone out of her way to make this as delicious as possible!” The blonde tries to reason with the stubborn boy.

“Well then, why don't we do a bit of bartering? I take your fried pork, and you can take whatever’s here–” He suggests, already sneaking out a hand to the other lunchbox.

“NO!” Tsukasa shoo's his arm away, “You need to start eating your vegetables, Rui! You won't grow strong and healthy if this keeps happening!”

“Awww, it's nice of you to worry so much about me, but I assure you I'm completely fine, Tsukasa-kun! Last time I checked you are still shorter than me.”

“You little-!” Tsukasa pouts, “I don't know how the heck all of that sugar made you such a giant, but it still doesn't change the fact that you won't have any energy with no greens! And yellows! And reds! And whatever other colors vegetables are!”

“Actually, sugar provides energy to the brain-” Rui raises a finger up, ready to deny anything positive about his most hated food.
If he could, he would very happily do a presentation to all the scientists of the world on why we, as a society, should collectively stop using vegetables in the culinary world.
He lacks one small detail though - a scientific backup to deem them as unsafe for consumption. If not that, he would be already standing on some podium, spilling out his ideas to the world's geniuses.

“Oh, don't bullcrap me with your science stuff! The truth still is that you need vegetables to maintain a stable diet. Come on, at least try!” The blonde pleads, slowly starting to lose hope in humanity.

“Only if you feed it to me~”

“...Hah?!”
Tsukasa stiffens up, and his cheeks flush with a slightly red tint.
He looks quite cute like this.

How amusing.

It's just too tempting to tease him at any given occasion, the reactions the blonde makes are just too entertaining for his own good.
It's been like this for quite some time now - Rui gently pushing at some boundaries, just enough to make the line tighten, but not enough to break.
Testing the waters, just out of pure curiosity how much he can slide off as a silly joke between friends, without making the other too uncomfortable.

“Fufu, I'm just joking Tsu-”

“Ugh fine! …If that's what it takes to make you eat a damn vegetable then I'll do it.” Rui looks up to find a glowing face, radiating with newfound determination.

Oh.

He actually agreed to it.

That's a surprise, Rui certainly did not plan on actually swallowing a vegetable today.

But Tsukasa-kun is actually willing to feed them to him…

Well, all things good come with a price, right?

“Oh? I see the world's future star is up to the challenge then?”

“HA HA HA! Of course I am! Any challenge! This is nothing for someone like me!” Tsukasa takes the pair of stolen chopsticks from Rui, and picks out a bite-sized piece of the meal.

He makes sure to not drop anything onto the ground, assisting with his other hand under them as he shifts closer, reaching out to the other boy.

“...I can't believe I'm actually babying you like this right now.” He sighs in which is barely a whisper, bringing the chopsticks to Rui's mouth.

Ah, and there it is again.

Rui can hear his heart thumping loudly as the boy leans in closer.

Thump, thump, thump.

He gently takes the food off the utensils with his teeth.

He feels a weird twist in his stomach, fluttering that is recently becoming a bit too familiar for his liking.

Such a weird feeling.

“Bleugh…” Rui sticks out his tongue in an exaggeration of just how disgusted he is.

The mushy texture of the cooked vegetables with the slippery skins make him shiver every time.

“...Are you serious? I guess you truly might be a hopeless case…” Tsukasa sighs in final defeat.

“Told you~ I don't need something like vegetables in my life.” the director teases with a sly grin, before a loud grumble erupts from between them.

“...Take it,” The blond hands him his own bento box, “I don't want you starving in class.” he explains as he starts eating the other's leftover vegetables.

“...Oh! I knew the amaizing Tsukasa-kun had a heart for starving kids after all! Thank you for the meal, fufu!” and with that, Rui digs into the desired meat, ready to fill up his hungry stomach.

“Of course I do! Even for liars like you. At least use the energy to pay attention in class!” Tsukasa gives him a faint flick on the forehead.

“Yes, yes, understood!~”

Tsukasa is a very caring person.

Even if for some people at first glance it might seem otherwise, the aspiring star will do anything if it means helping out the ones close to him.

He's willing to help out anyone actually, whether he knows that person or not.
But he will always take the extra step for the people he cares for.

And that might have left a bit of a chokehold on Rui's heart recently.

- ✧ -

“Well, look who the cat dragged in!~” Rui exclaims with a smile, as he opens his garage-bedroom door to the sight of Mizuki.

“Quite literally, you feline-coded bastard.” They respond with an unamused look, carrying a big shopping bag, alongside a few big rolls of what Rui assumes must be cloth, “I have like 20 minutes before my train back, so you better make this quick!”

“Alright, alright,” Rui puts both of his hands up, admitting defeat “Make yourself at home!” he steps out of the way, making room for the pinkette to come through the door with all the enormous baggage on their shoulders.

“I'll put my things here for now, okay?” Mizuki asks, swiftly taking off their shoes.

“Sure, sure, put it wherever there's room. Ah, where are my manners! Do you wish for anything to drink?” Rui turns on his heel to the nearby cabinet with an overdramatic gesture.

“I'm afraid they left the moment you decided to host any guests in this hell of a mess your place is. Water will do just fine, I guess…” They sigh, carefully tiptoeing their way through the maze of screwdrivers, nails, and many other mechanical parts they don't even know how to name.
They reach what seems to be a desk, just absolutely littered in whatever junk the purple haired boy is messing around with as of lately.

“Rui, how the hell am I even supposed to do anything here? I barely have any space to move around, all the more if I'm supposed to help you out!” They scold him. After all this time, in some parts he still hasn't changed the slightest bit, has he?

“Oh, my apologies, let me just-” Said boy quickly navigates his way through the obstacle course, already way too familiar with it, only to shove everything off the desk straight onto the floor in one big swipe, followed by a loud thunk of metal and ringing of various small robotic parts rolling all over the room.

“...I don't think I am going to even try to comment on that.”

Rui finishes up his ‘cleaning’ by setting down the glass of water, “Huh?”

“Nevermind. Anyways, could you hand me that costume of yours? Let's just get this done with.” Mizuki lets out a disappointed sigh one last time.

“Ah, yes, yes, here it is, in all of its glory! Well, all of its glory and a rip right there, on the edge.” Rui hands over the cloth, and points out the damaged corner.

“Hmm… Looks like just some minor tearing. I can quickly fix it up by hand for the time being, but it would be good to give it a proper stitch up on a sewing machine.” Says Mizuki, preparing a needle and a thread, “So?”

“So what?” Rui glances up at them, visibly confused.

“What happened between you and Tenma-senpai, that you couldn't just ask him to fix this?”

Ah. The elephant in the room.

Of course Mizuki would notice there's something going on.

How does he even begin on explaining it?
He takes a chair, and sits down before the other teen.

“Well, there has been some… tension between us lately.” He starts, the usual smirk not leaving his features.

“Tension? Between you two? Did you guys fight over something stupid again or what?” Mizuki raises an eyebrow.

“Not at all, actually, nothing particular happened. I don't even think Tsukasa really noticed any changes.” The boy continues.

“Then what's the problem here? Because I don't see one, if you say Tenma is just the same as always.”

Argh.
This feels so dumb to explain.

“I believe that's because the problem is more… on my side. It's just that-” he takes a deep breath, “I'm rethinking how exactly I feel about him these days.”

“Yeah, and?” Mizuki ties a knot, before taking a look under the desk lamp to make sure everything has been stitched properly, “What did you come up with?”

Silence.

Mizuki looks up, waiting for an answer, but is only met with the sight of Rui's face turned away to the side, eyes anywhere but his interlocutor.

“Well-” his voice wavers, “It might be that they are not just-” he struggles, “They might be something… else than just platonic…” his usually smug facade finally falters from the embarrassment.

God, he feels like he's some shoujo manga highschool girl, gushing about her what-might-be-a-crush.

(he's all of the above. Well, except maybe the girl part, but he tries his best to ignore this issue for now as much as possible.)

“Okay, I know that, more importantly, what are you planning on doing with that?” The pinkhead crosses their arms, unbothered.

“I don't think– …Wait, what do you mean you know?” Rui finally turns his head, facing a particularly unimpressed Mizuki.

“...Well, it's not especially hard to notice that you've… changed since meeting Tenma, y'know. All for the better, of course.”

“...You think so?” He gives a faint smile, doing everything in his might to try and swallow down the inevitable blush, quickly creeping up his face.

“It's pretty damn obvious for someone who has known you for quite a while. I don't live inside your head, so I can't be sure what's going on in there, but there's no denying you seem much happier around him.” Mizuki takes a sip from the cup of water, “And whenever I see one of you two at school, the other is usually also nearby. Well, you get called the weirdo combo for a reason after all, but I must say it's nice to finally see you getting so close with someone.”

And Mizuki's right.

A lot has changed in Rui's highschool years. He came to grow close to all of the troupe members, but by far, the one who's always at his side turned out to be Tsukasa.
It all happened so seamlessly, he transferred to Kamiyama, met a boisterous blonde on the rooftop, joined a troupe, and then suddenly his days were filled to the brim with cheerful and loud presence of said boy.
It might as well be the closest Rui has ever been with another person.

“But some time ago, I noticed the way you look at him. He was just babbling away his nonsense per usual, but I don't think I ever saw someone look so enamored like you did at that moment.”

There was also something else the blonde managed to spark up in Rui's chest.

“Not gonna lie, It still weirds me out that out of all people, it's you getting swoon by that blonde! Never thought I'd see that side of you, but here we are.” Mizuki sets the glass aside, and rests their chin on their hand.

“It's not like I wanted it this way…” Rui sighs, gazing up at the ceiling in thought.

It still feels so foreign - he, Kamishiro Rui, experiencing the troubles of being infatuated with someone?
If he was to tell this to his middle school self, he's pretty sure he would get laughed at in the face.

It's no surprise though, these types of topics were always something so distant for the purplenette. The closest he's got to romance until now is reading Shakespeare's work, but nothing more.

“But you do like him, don't you?”

Those words take Rui off guard.

“Ah, you can't let it die down, can you, Mizuki-kun?” he looks down on the cluttered floor, hair covering his stupid face, which is starting to turn pink again.

The truth is, he can't just keep on running away from this.
He can deny all the questions, he can try and shove his feelings away, squeeze them into the darkest corners of his heart, bury them deep enough for no one to see.

But he can't ignore the way his heartbeat picks up whenever the blonde is around.

“I guess that's one way to call it…”
God, he must look so stupid right now, face flushed, partially covered in his hands in a desperate attempt to save him some pride, his usual smug composure long lost by now.

But if Mizuki's the one to see it, then it's fine. They know him well enough to know just how much of a loser he actually is.

“So…” the pinkette starts, “What do you plan on doing with all of this?”

“Nothing.”

The pinkhead lets out a long hum, before finally standing up.

“Well, my job here is done,” They turn to pick up their things, before facing Rui one last time, “...but if you ever need an ear to listen, I don't mind lending you one.” They smile fondly, before reaching for the doorknob.

“Thank you, Mizuki-kun.” Rui smiles back.

- ✧ -

Months flew by, and Rui got pretty used to the fact that his best friend had made his way into places he didn't even know he had in his heart.

All of the little things have turned out to be much more hazardous than one might think - the wide smiles, loud laughs, the simple words of appreciation, contagious determination on stage, the glow in his eyes, the gentle touch of his fingertips, oh they all have slowly yet surely made Rui swoon.

But honestly, how could it be any different?
How could one not feel warmth sprouting in their chest upon hearing that loud, clear voice?

...Well, apparently it's not a common opinion.

He was resting in the audience seats at the Wonder Stage with Nene, while Emu was fiddling with the prop boxes backstage.

They were waiting for the blonde to arrive, since he unfortunately had to come later due to an utmost emergency concerning his sister (she was mad about Tsukasa forgetting his lunch, and demanded for him to get it back, and as Tsukasa is, he couldn't do anything else than listen to his sister and beg for forgiveness).

And so, they wait in silence, Nene occupied with her console, and Rui simply enjoying the early morning breeze.
They don't usually practice on Sundays, but with quite a few shows coming closer in big steps, they all agreed on using any spare time to polish everything out.

It doesn't take long before the familiar, boisterous voice is heard by all Phoenix Wonderland.

“SORRY FOR THE WAIT-! BUT ALAS, I'M HERE!!!” The blond boy finally arrives, in all of his usual glory, although he's a bit out of breath, and his hair just the tiniest bit disheveled; a clear evidence of his hurry.

“How are you so full of energy even at 8 in the morning on a Sunday…” Nene frowns, before letting out a yawn. It is certainly not in her weekly routine to be up this early on a weekend.

“What a question! A future star should always be at his 12000%!!! No matter the time, weather, or any given situation!” Tsukasa puffs his chest out, hands on his hips “Right Rui?”

“Fufu, wouldn't expect anything less from you~! Good morning, our star.” Rui smiles at the other's classic unmatched energy.

“Good morning, Rui! Let's make this day a productive one!” He beams at him with that bright smile of his, and it's already enough to make Rui's stomach to do a little flip.

“I'll just leave my stuff and I'll be right back, all ready for your orders, director!” The blonde shouts as he turns on his heels.

Rui watches with a fond gaze as the other runs off towards the backstage, feeling the steady beat in his chest.

“Seeing Tsukasa-kun so full of energy makes the day all more colorful, doesn't it, Nene?”

“...No.” the girl doesn't bother to take her purple eyes off the screen “Talk for yourself," she adds, “I don't know how you manage to not get the least tired of his screaming all day.”

Oh.
So not everybody thinks that.

Rui looks up at the sky in thought.
It stares back at him with vibrant blue, vivid enough to make his eyes hurt.

Could he ever get tired of Tsukasa?
He can't even imagine that - if anything, he'd be more worried Tsukasa might be done with Rui long before that.

How could Rui ever have enough of him when every moment they share makes him feel truly alive?

No matter what they're doing, whether they're performing in front of many people, or just sitting beside each other in a comfortable silence with Tsukasa rereading the scripts and Rui tinkering away at his inventions, it only makes the purplehead feel like it's only now that he isn't just simply existing anymore; but rather genuinely living his life to the fullest.

How could Rui ever have enough of the person who finally managed to make his loneliness go away?

Laughable.

It took so long to finally feel like he belongs somewhere, to be heard, to feel like his thoughts and ideas matter, to be someone important. He would be a fool not to appreciate what he always longed for.

Rui glances at the stage.
The place where it all started, where it all broke down, and where they all worked so hard to concur their differences and put it back together, to find their ways to work as a group.

As friends.

A spot so important nowadays, before merely an abandoned structure, now overfilled with countless memories and a plethora of emotions, whether it's joy, excitement, sadness, or anger.
It all holds so much meaning, it's something dear to heart, all because they lived through it together.

The idea that was so alien for Rui for the most part of his life, yet holding so much weight now, that it won over the biggest opportunities for his own growth.

It's so absurd it almost sounds funny.
But it's undeniably true - Rui has indeed changed.

Joining Wonderlands×Showtime was a groundbreaking decision, opening so many gates, so many ideas, so many dreams to chase for.

But the biggest change must be that it awakened new feelings in Rui.

Learning how to trust, and how to be trusted by others, the joy creating with someone can bring, how to care for all of his troupe mates.

But there was one particular person that stood out the most.

And that said person just walked onto the stage, dazzling as always, ready to give their practice all he has.

“Ah, Rui, There you are! I’m ready to go!” The blond says, shining so brightly, Rui almost needs to squint his eyes.

“Wonderful! Let's waste no time then, and start rehearsing. What were the scenes you struggled the most in particular again?” Rui responds with his usual cat-like grin.

“It was mainly scenes 43... and 47! Wait, I'll find them in the script…” Tsukasa reaches for the sheets of paper nearby, and starts shuffling the pages, in search of the troublesome lines, “Ah, there it is!” He hopps off the stage, and hands over the scripts.

Rui eyes the lines quickly.

“This moment in particular. I just can't seem to get the expression quite right…” The blonde bends over from behind, and taps the paper. Their faces are now only mere centimeters away.

“Ah, I expected that this part might cause some worry,” Rui hums, “but I thought it could be a good opportunity for a little challenge. What do you think, future star? Are you up for the task?” he smirks, glancing over at the other boy.

“Of course! Nothing a future star like me can't do! HA, HA, HA! If I managed to succeed at my role as Torpe, then this will be easy as it is!” Tsukasa strikes a pose, his voice booming with confidence, “I just thought a little guidance from the director himself can help me elevate this role to the best it can be!”

Rui can't help but giggle at his enthusiasm, “Fufu, how silly of me to expect anything less from you, dear troupe leader!”

“...Are you two done dancing around each other, or should we start with Emu without you guys?” A head of seafoam green hair peeks out from behind the curtains, with an annoyed look.

“What's got you so impatient, Nene? Just a few minutes ago you were yawning all over the place!” Rui smirks.

“We were supposed to start an hour ago. I am simply reminding you two that if we want to get done with everything by 7pm, you should move your asses.” She glares at him unamused, before disappearing into the abyss of the backstage again.

“Fufu, whatever you say, stage diva!” Rui chimes.

The day flows by, with their usual practice going just as smoothly.
It's not hard to lose track of time when they're all together like this.

And so, before they can even notice, the sun is already high up in the sky, throwing its blinding beams at them.

They were in the middle of a short break, just a small breather, when Tsukasa approached the director.

“Rui! Could I talk to you for a second?”

“Ah, well, of course. What seems to be the matter, Tsukasa-kun?” he turns around, setting aside his water bottle.

“You texted me about an issue with your costume the other day, would you mind showing me what's wrong?”

“Oh, right. It has some minor tearing down here,” Rui explains, holding up the damaged corner of his coat, “I asked for Mizuki-kun to stitch it up for the time being, but they said it still would be best if you could do some larger fixes.”

“Hmm, I see…” Tsukasa rubs his chin as he crouches down beside Rui, taking a closer look at the fabric, “Could you put your arms up for a moment? I want to take a closer look at the seam.”

Rui silently obliges, moving his upper limbs out of the way.
He watches as the blonde boy inspects the cloth in his hands, brows furrowed in concentration.

Adorable.

His fingers start moving up along the seam, reaching Rui's hip. They are gentle, just barely touching the threads.

Oh God, he does not have a clue just what is he doing to the purplenette at this moment, does he? His heart is beating loudly in his chest, blood rushing in his body abrupt.
Rui tries everything in his power to steady his breathing, whilst observing each and every little move of the other boy.

The gentle touch slowly moves up to his waist, making Rui suck up a gasp, and he just prays to the God's above to not make a weird sound in his throat.

It's fine.
This is fine.

It's when Tsukasa reaches right below where the sleeves start, that he stops, before standing up with a grin.

“A-ha! There it is! A thread must have snapped around here, that's why it started to part. I'm no professional tailor, but this shouldn't take me more than a day to work with!” he is dangerously close to the other, his face mere centimeters away.

“...That's good to hear.” Rui clears his throat, trying to sound as normal as possible. He swallows the mortifying flush creeping up his neck with his usual cat-like grin, not sure whether he should feel relieved or disappointed at the loss of touch.

“Rui-kun! Tsukasa-kun! Are you guys ready to keep WONDERHOY-ing?!” Emu skips over to them with a wide smile on her face, eyes sparkling, “Because I'm all ready-steady, tummy full of refreshing water and Nene's special wonderhoy-pork-buns!”

“Of course!” Tsukasa huffs, puffing his chest out, “This was barely just a warm up! No need for breaks! Now I was just- er- preparing myself to go all out on you guys! Yes! HA-HA-HA! Wait, did you say pork buns?!”

“Yes!!! Nene made me super-duper-special-surprise-buns today! They were sooooo delicious!” The pinkette beams, throwing her hands up in exclamation.

“That Nene!… How could she not give me some too?” Tsukasa whines, suddenly feeling the grumble of his empty stomach. Pork buns suddenly sound so heavenly now… “HEY, NENEEEEE! DO YOU HAVE SOME OF THOSE PORK BUNS LEFT??”

“H-huh? No? And why the hell would I give one to you?” The girl jolts up from where she sits, to nobody's surprise - engrossed with her video games.

“What? But you gave some to Emu! Pleeeeeaaase?” The blonde pleads, clasping his hands together.

“No. Emu! You weren't supposed to tell anyone… Of course now these vultures aren't gonna leave me be…” she grumbles under her nose.

“Oh how can you be so cruel, Nene! Rui, do you hear this?” Tsukasa sighs dramatically, whipping his head over to where Rui was standing, only to find the spot empty. “Rui?”

Rui in question, had promptly used the opportunity, and evacuated himself to the restroom for the time being, to try and regain his composure.

He stares at the reflection in the mirror, and is met with a crushing realization.

His whole face was flushed red.

He brings his hand to his cheek, poking it gently, just to make sure this isn't an illusion.

To his dismay, it most certainly is not.

God, this is ridiculous.

Tsukasa was just examining the seam, there was nothing for Rui to get so worked up about.

Oh, but he was so close.

Rui ducks his head down at the mere memory, leaning over the sink with a sigh.

This was really starting to become a problem.
Rui could deal with a little heartbeating, slight embarrassment and the prickling at his cheeks whenever the other smiled so brightly, but this is slowly getting overwhelming.

He wishes he could just shut him up sometimes.
(Most preferably with a kiss.)

Every little touch seems to burn, every little grasp just reminds him of just how much he wants more, even if he tries his best to ignore it.

The way things are now are just fine.
Their relationship can just stay as it is, there's no need to risk something Rui yearned to have for years just for the sake of this stupid feeling, he already decided that much.

- ✧ -

The slight rustle of leaves, echoing sounds of crowds in the distance and the beaming light of oranges and yellows is what accompanied the end of today's Wonderlands×Showtime’s practice.

There's no rush - nobody is quick to leave, the four of them just enjoying each other's company whilst packing up their things.
As usual; Rui shutting down all of his robots, Emu and Tsukasa goofing around and Nene playing on her console, looking up from time to time to snicker at the former two.

“This is so WONDERHOY!” Emu exclaims in excitement as Tsukasa gives her a piggyback ride.

“HA, HA, HA! Of course it is! I told you I'd have no problem picking you up!” Tsukasa laughs triumphantly.

“Whooooaaaaa! I'm so tall now!” Emu wiggles her legs, her attention way overtaken by her current position to pay any mind to Tsukasa's words.

“This is nothing for a future star like me! What star would be struggling to pick up someone so small like you? Because surely not me!” The blonde puffs his chest out prideful as ever, walking the girl around.

“You're kinda right, this isn't that much of a challenge for someone like you… You're our troupe leader after all!” Emu agrees, scratching her chin in ponder, “Could you pick up someone bigger than me though?”

“W-what!? Of course-!” Tsukasa shouts, visibly slightly offended.

Rui takes a second off his robotics to take a quick peek at the two, and can't help but smile a bit. It's so nice seeing the group so bonded with each other, really. They only seem to grow closer by each day, he ponders as he looks back to his robots, parking up the few creations he has left.

What a fool he once was, thinking that performing alone was his best option.
He can't thank everyone here enough for allowing him to be himself.

Rui is pulled away from his thoughts when he suddenly feels his feet flying off the ground.

“Oya?-”

He opens his eyes and is met with the view of no one other than Tsukasa under the blazing sunset sky. Speak of the devil.

“See Emu? I told you I'm stronger than I look!” The said boy shouts, meanwhile Rui is suddenly very aware of every inch of their bodies touching.

But before he can actually react, he is interrupted by the pinkhead.
“Oh, a bee! Hello Miss bee!” She points at their direction, and with the span of mere seconds, Rui is back on the ground.

“AAAAARGH- GET AWAY FROM ME!” The blonde screams, “SORRY, RUI!” He starts running circles, much to Nene's entertainment.

Normally, Rui isn't too keen on being dropped on the hard ground without a warning, but right now he couldn't be more thankful.
He uses the spare moment to turn back to his belongings, and oh, then it finally hits him.

He has just been held by Tsukasa.
Bridal style, if it wasn't already enough.

He ducks his head under his hands.
And he realizes - his face is once again - burning.
Not only his face, his whole body suddenly feels hot, and his heart is beating obnoxiously loud, to the point it's almost deafening.

It's not like it's a surprise for Rui that the troupe's star can be classified as quite athletic.
Considering he can always pull off all the wicked tricks and scenes the purplehead is known for directing, the blond might as well be the strongest from the group, this should be pretty damn obvious.

So this really was nothing to be getting all flustered about, right?

That would be the case if you weren't Rui.
Because Rui is- uh- his feelings about the other might vary a bit from undeniably platonic.

In other words, he is horrifically head over heels for Tsukasa.

“...Goddammit.” the director curses under his nose, before he stands back up, finally regaining his composure enough to join the rest on their goodbyes for the day.

This kind of situation has become way too common for his liking.

That's not how it's supposed to be, it's Rui who's supposed to say stupid, embarrassing stuff, he should be the one making Tsukasa a bit bashful, not the other way around.

But what is he even supposed to do about it?
He's helpless!

Rui is torn away from his thoughts, when he feels a tug at his sleeve.

“Hey, Rui! I need to get one thing from the convenience store, would you mind if we stopped by?" Tsukasa points at the building beside them.

It's slowly starting to get dark outside.
After the troupe decided they're done for the day, they parted their ways, with Nene and Emu having a plan to go to some cafe, if Rui remembers correctly. He didn't pay much attention to it at this point if he's being honest, the two girls becoming pretty much inseparable started being something ordinary.

When did they become so close, again?

Well, Rui probably isn't the best example to be speaking out about this matter, with himself walking home with Tsukasa by his side right now.

“Oya? I guess we could.” Rui perks up, glancing at the building that must be a convenience store, judging by the glowing neon lights, and a big sign stating ‘open 24/7’.

They walk inside, with Tsukasa immediately shooting towards the snack aisle.

Rui decides it won't hurt if he checks out the refrigerator areas.
He takes a quick glance, before tracking down the colorful shelves of different canned soda.

They seem to have quite a variety of drinks here…

Rui eyes down the options, waiting for something to catch his eye.

Jelly grape soda?... He recalls Nene treating herself to one before, maybe he'll give it a try, just to see if it's any good.

He takes the can in his hand.
It's vivid purple, with a questionably looking humanoid grape drawing, the letters printed on with a metallic shine.

It can make one's eyes hurt.

“Ah, there you are! I almost started thinking you left without me!” Tsukasa speaks up from behind “Wait, don't tell me you're going to buy this…” he grimaces, noticing the sugary drink in Rui's hand.

“Look Tsukasa-kun! Doesn't this grape look so silly?” The purple haired boy skillfully avoids the question, smiling as he shows off the can.

“I'd say it looks rather concerning,” The blonde states with more of a judgemental stare at the graphic, “You really consume well over enough sugar already, give your body a break…”

Rui looks back at the display.

There's a yellow one too…

“Say, Tsukasa-kun, do you like lemon flavored stuff?”

“What? Uhh, I guess? They're fine…” Tsukasa tilts his head in confusion over the sudden question.

“Then I'll take one for you too!” Rui grins, taking another can, “My treat by the way,” he gives the other a wink, before turning to the self-checkout.

“Wait-! Huh?? Hey, don't just ignore me!”

After paying up, they sit down on the nearest bench.

“You really didn't have to…” Tsukasa mumbles, still looking at the yellow drink in his hands.

“But I wanted to. Take this as a sort of... thank you.” Rui replies, taking a sip of his own beverage.

“A can of soda surely is an interesting way to thank someone…” Tsukasa sighs in defeat, opening the drink, “What would you even be thanking me for though?...” It's more of a rhetorical question, but it piques Rui's interest.

What could he thank Tsukasa for?

Well, there's plethora of options; he could thank him for being such an amaizing actor to work with, he could thank him for all the times he shared his bento when Rui forgot to bring his own, he could thank him for putting up with his antics at school even if it resulted in them both getting into trouble, he could thank him for being his friend, he could thank him for shining so brightly everyday, he could thank him for…

Well, to put it short, a lot of things.

But instead, Rui decides on responding with a simple:
“For just simply being there, I guess.”

Tsukasa just looks at him a bit wide-eyed, visibly surprised by this answer, for whatever reason.

He didn't say anything weird, did he?

Before Rui can start to get actually worried, Tsukasa breaks the tension with a small huff.
“Well, I could say the same then. But wouldn't it mean we're even then? Aaand now I owe you a can of some ridiculously sweet, questionable liquid too...” He squinted at that last part.

Rui just can't help the playful tug on his lips, “Fufu, if you're so eager to do so, then who am I to stop you, dear star?” he says slyly.

“You little!” Rui earns a soft shove at his forearm, “I guess I dug myself into this one on my own…” the blonde laughs.

But it isn't just any laugh; oh no, this one is a bit different - it's not as loud and prideful as usual - it's much more casual, it feels almost… vulnerable.

Rui would be lying if he said it didn't make his poor heart skip a beat for the umpteenth time, and if that wasn't enough, the other looks at him with the softest smile.

“What did you buy at the convenience store, by the way?” He asks, mostly to try and distract himself, before he gets a heart attack, or really says something stupid.

“Hm? Oh, it's just some snacks Saki asked me for. And what future star would I be if I let down my dear little sister?!” The blonde shifts to his usual manner within seconds.

“Ah, this most certainly makes sense, then.” It's honestly endearing. Saki truly is lucky to have such a caring older brother, “By the way, are you going to finish this?” the purplenette asks, pointing at Tsukasa's unfinished drink.

“Ah, you can have it. It's a bit too sweet, even for me, sorry! I feel kind of bad for not enjoying something you gifted me…” he rubs his neck, a bit sheepish.

“Pay it no mind Tsukasa-kun, I bought it without asking you first. I just thought it reminded me of you in a way.” Rui swiftly grabs the can, more than pleased to enjoy what's left in its content.

“...Are you implying I remind you of bright neon yellow?... And there goes all my time and effort to keep my precious hair at its best!”

“I'm just messing with you, Tsukasa-kun~!”

“You better be! It's strawberry blond for heaven's sake, you color blind idiot!” He pouts, running his hand through his locks. They look so fluffy.

It's so comforting when they're together like this.
Just the two of them, enjoying each other's company.

Rui looks up at the sky,
“It's starting to get dark out much earlier, doesn't it?”

Tsukasa follows his gaze,
“Yeah, you're right… The stars start to show up quicker this time of the year… Saki will be happy about this…” he ponders, “Ah, that reminds me!”

The yellow eyes observe as the blonde shuffles through his pockets, then fiddles with something on his phone, before shoving the screen into the purplenette's face.

“They're holding a special September fireworks festival this weekend! Would you like to go?”

“A fireworks festival?... I guess we could.” Rui holds his chin, looking at the article on Tsukasa's phone.

“Great! Then we're set! It's going to be so much fun, trust me!” The other boy beams with excitement.

A fireworks festival…
That surely sounds interesting, Emu and Nene will probably enjoy this too.

And how can just Rui say no to Tsukasa when he makes that face?~

It's long after him and Tsukasa have parted their ways home when Rui realizes an important point.

A fireworks festival.
…Rui has never attended one before.
You're supposed to dress a certain way right? At least that's how they always show it in the media…

Rui picks up his phone from the table beside the couch he was laying on.

“Good evening Mizuki-kun! Do you maybe have a minute?~”

It's a matter of seconds before he hears a familiar ‘ding’.

“Huh? What's the matter?”

His fingers run along the keyboard, typing out the answer.

“Well, I'm in a bit of a predicament.
You see, Tsukasa-kun has invited me to a fireworks festival, but I have no idea what should I wear for this sort of occasion! I was hoping you could give me some pointers~”

Rui almost drops his phone on his face when he sees Mizuki calling him.

“If it isn't Mizuki-kun! What got you calling me so suddenly?” He picks up, sitting up.

“TENMA HAS INVITED YOU TO A FIREWORKS FESTIVAL??!”

Rui flinches at the volume, distancing the phone from his ear.
“Well, yes. Could you help me out a bit?”

“DID HE REALLY JUST ASK YOU OUT?! HOLY SHIT-” the caller keeps shouting.

“It's- not a date, Mizuki-kun.”

“What do you mean it's not a date?! That's like- the most basic date scenario ever!”

“Emu and Nene will be there too,” To his own surprise, Rui's voice drops the tiniest bit at that.

“Ah. That's a shame. No offense to Kusanagi or Ootori, obviously.” Mizuki finally calms down a bit, “Still, I never hear you talking about stuff like this!”

“Fufu, if it's our dear Tsukasa-kun wishing for my presence, then who would I be if I declined?” Rui replies with a huff.

“Right, right. Speaking of which, how are things between you two recently? Tell me everything!” It has become quite often that Mizuki tends to question Rui about the blonde.
They may or may not be a little too invested in their relationship, a bit too much for Rui's liking, but who is he to complain? He can only be grateful for an ear to lend to talk about his romantic peripeteia.

“I swear he is going to give poor old me a heart attack one day!” Rui whines dramatically, hand on his forehead.

“You certainly don't have it easy! There, there, lover boy.” Mizuki comforts him.

“I'm telling you, sometimes I'm really starting to think he's doing it on purpose. Except I know him well enough to know he's just dense.” He turns around on the squeaky couch. His phone is laying on the table right beside him, the call left on speaker, “I thought I was going to die when I told him about the costume you fixed last time.”

“Oh, oh?” This visibly picked the pinkette's interest up, “Do tell me more!”

“Oh my, don't even get me started-” He can already feel the heat rising up his cheeks, “I- He like- was looking at what's wrong with the seam, and slowly traced his fingers against my side-”

Mizuki just snickers from the other side of the call.

“I know he probably didn't think much of it, but I swear to the Gods above, I thought I was going to explode.” Rui whines.

“Oh boy, you're down bad!” The other giggles, clearly amused by the whole ordeal.

“Tell me something I don't know. If anything, it's me who should be doing such moves, not him!” The boy groans.

“Hehe. I'm starting to suspect why you have such troubles sleeping at night~”

Rui sits up straight, clutching the pillow next to him.
“Well- Wait, what do you mean by that?”

“Who knows what's happening behind the curtains of the night in that little devilish head of yours?” The seamstress just laughs.

“P-Pardon-? Just what exactly are you trying to imply right now.” The purplenette raises an eyebrow.

“First you're blabbing about how you wonder if he has a muscular build considering his strengths, then you're freaking out over a little touch, and now you're whining about how it should be you doing it. What am I supposed to think?”

“Okay, true. But just what does this have to do with my insomnia?” Rui is desperately hoping Mizuki isn't trying to say what he thinks they are.

“Oh come on, don't play dumb! I won't judge you for having indecent thoughts sometimes, ya know.” They finally explain.

“...Excuse me?!” Rui almost chokes on his words, “I am- This- This is NOT what's happening-!”

“Wait, you seriously never thought about it this way?” The pinkette just sounds surprised.

“No?!” Rui nearly shouts at the phone, his whole face burning up.

“Oh.”

“Just what the hell do you suspect I think about at night?...”

“Well, I don't know, I thought at this point you at least have imagined what he looks like without a shirt on or something… Not to even mention the… other stuff.”

And as if this wasn't already enough, to Rui's demise, his stupid brain automatically envisions Mizuki's suggestion.

How wonderful.

“...Mizuki, I am going to kill you one day.” he groans into his pillow.

“Woah, woah, there mister! What's up with the sudden bloodlust?” They have the audacity to just chuckle at him.

This was certainly not on Rui's bucket list today, and wasn't supposed to ever be.

Unfortunately for him, he is guaranteed to pull an all-nighter, because there's no way that he will fall asleep anytime soon.

His middle school friend surely did storm up quite a few questions in the director's mind.

What could Tsukasa's touch feel like?

Sure, it's not like they never touched each other, they had plenty, playful bumps, pats in the back or accidental brushes were something Rui experienced on a daily basis - it was hard not to, considering just how much time they spent together.

That was not the touch Rui had in mind.

What if it was more… intentional?

What if Rui took Tsukasa's hand into his? How would his palm feel against his own?
What if he gently stroked the sun-kissed cheek? How would Tsukasa react? Would he flinch? Would he scrunch his brows? Would he be thrown off?

Or what if not?

What if he blushed, his face turning red, just like it does when Rui points out a cowlick the other didn't notice in the morning rush?
What if he didn't turn away, what if he accepted it, leaning into it, a bit bashful?

When they change in the locker rooms, what if Rui didn't look away awkwardly, but faced him?
What if he took a step closer to the other boy?

What would it feel like if he touched his bare chest?
Would it be warm, burning against his fingertips?
Would it be firm and a bit sculpted from the amount of work and dedication the star puts into the production of their shows?
Would Tsukasa relax, or tense up at the contact?

If Rui was to embrace him, would he feel his chest pounding against his? Would he feel the other's muscles moving against his skin?
If he was to whisper his heart out to the blondes ear, as he caressed his fluffy hair, would he shiver? Would his breath hitch? Could his gaze soften, overflowed with desire?

He stared at the ceiling, only a dim reflection from the moon spreading a glimpse of blue light along the walls.

All these questions were pointless, Rui knew that.
It's not like thinking about them would lead to any conclusions.
They were merely just thoughts, wishes detached from reality,
desires of his broken mind.

Nonetheless, it was enough to make his head spin, blood rushing vigorously through his veins, warmth spreading throughout the body.

It's driving him insane.

- ✧ -

The day of the festival approached in big steps, with the Sunday evening coming around so soon, too soon.

It's half past seven when the familiar sound of knocking erupts from outside Rui's room.

“The door is unlocked!” The boy just shouts from the other side of the room.

“Well, well, good evening mister! Ready for tonight?” The familiar chirpy voice of the pinkette beams whilst coming in.

“Hello there Mizuki-kun!” Rui turns around to face his guest, only to be met with a sight of not one, not two, but three big bags nearly squishing down his middle school friend.

“Oya? What's all this for?” He gestures at the baggage.

“What do you mean 'what's it for'?! Hello! It's your big date night today!” Mizuki deadpans.

“Ah, I believe I've already told you, it's not exactly a date-” Rui starts, but is quickly cut out by the other.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, if you could be just gracious enough to help me unpack all of this.”

Just as asked, Rui doesn't take long to twirl around on his desk chair, and hop to Mizuki.
“I can't help but ask though, what did you even pack there? I thought you were going to just help me pick something from my closet!”

“Like hell. I'm closer to becoming the pope than getting something appropriate out of your clothes.” The pink haired friend starts shuffling around the bags.

“Awww, I thought you liked the way I dress! You said it was unique…” Rui fakes a depressed pout.

Mizuki, already used to the act, doesn't dwell on it much, “I'm not saying I don't, but let's be real here - I highly doubt you own something even remotely close to a yukata!”

“Wait, don't tell me…” The golden eyes widen by just the tiniest bit.

“What did you expect when calling for help a fashion designer? If it revolves around clothes, of course I'm gonna give it my all!” They exclaim excitedly, and pull out a big piece of fabric.

It takes a few seconds for Rui to realize that Mizuki is holding nothing else than a whole summer kimono right in front of him.

“Oh, wow… Where did you get this?” He doesn't even bother to cover his surprise.

“I have my ways... I needed to do some digging to find one that would suit you best, so you better not waste this occasion!” They puff out their chest proudly, as Rui takes the clothing in his hands.

It's an intense dark blue, the color almost indigo, with a gold floral embroidery pattern all over it.

“D'ya like it?” Mizuki grins, like the answer isn't already obvious. After all, they were the one to pick it - of course it would be a perfect fit.

“It's beautiful. Thank you, Mizuki-kun.” Rui smiles.

“Well then, let's get started! How much time do we have? Like an hour? We better get going!” The pinkette starts looking around the other bags, “Go get changed, and I'll help you with the obi belt. Then we gotta work on your hair!” They shoo him away, already too invested in their spirit.

It's always nice to see people be so passionate about what they love.

And so, Rui doesn't waste any more time, and goes to change into the garment.
It fits almost perfectly - just a tad bit short on his ankles, but who is he to complain? The fabric is also so soft and comfortable to touch.

…Could it be that Mizuki went out of their way to put extra care to that?

Ah, the vivid blue shade of it is really nice to the eyes.
…Would Tsukasa-kun like it?

When Rui returns to Mizuki, they're already all spread out on the floor with various hairdressing items, the purplenette struggling to remember the name of at least one of them, besides a hairbrush (which he also struggles to even recognize).

“Sit down, sit down! Welcome to the Amia salon!” Mizuki snickers, all too excited.

“Well, well, you certainly are in your spirit, Mizuki-kun. Are you sure this isn't too much?” The boy says, plopping down on the floor beside them.

“Oh just stop talking already and let me work! It's a special occasion, after all!” Mizuki grimaces, “turn your back to me, please!”

The other does as ordered, so the pinkette can start working their magic.
Rui isn't exactly sure what Mizuki has in mind, but for now he can feel the soft spikes of a hairbrush running through his messy hair.

“Oh wow, you actually washed your hair for this, congratulations.” Mizuki teases, “Still, didn't bother to brush it out after. My, I don't think I've ever seen hair this tangled!”

“Oh, forgive me for not owning a hairbrush, miss Amia!” Rui sighs with an exaggerated manner, “Yowch! This hurts!”

“Not my fault! Seriously, how come you haven't become bald yet?” The fashionista asks, more of a rhetorical question if anything, “You like… totally don't care about your hair. Or your looks overall, but somehow still manage to not look like death itself. What demon pact did you sign?”

“No demon pact was signed, Mizuki-kun! It's all natural~!” Rui smirks in his usual manner.

“Yeah, that nest on your head sure does look... natural.” The pink eyebrows furrow, “Thank God I took my detangling spray with me!”

“Fufu, you sure are an expert about this!” Rui chuckles, closing his eyes. He can feel the motions of the brush becoming more and more fluid with every stroke.

“Ofkay- Nowh don't mofh for a momenth-” Mizuki mumbles out, holding something in their teeth.

The purplenette does his best to stay still, and after a few pulls at his scalp, he is handed a small mirror.

“What do you think of this?” The pinkette asks from behind.

The golden eyes flick to the mirror in front of him.
His hair is loosely pulled into a small ponytail, a few front strands enveloping his face.

“Well, it surely is something I have never seen myself in before… But I do quite enjoy it!” he says, still examining the reflection. “Mind if I do my eyeliner real quick?”

“Ah, yeah, sure! I'll pack things up in the meantime.” Mizuki says, “Do you need me to lend you one?”

“Ah no, I have one here.” Rui explains, opening a small drawer below his desk, and takes out a small black bottle.

“Oh, so you have finally bought your own!” The pinkette notes.

“I guess I did…” Rui hums, opening the vial, and bringing it up to his face.
He swipes a few gentle strikes across his eyelid, before switching to the other side.

“You sure got better at it too. I remember how messy it was when you first tried!” Mizuki snickers from behind, chin propped up on their hand, as they sit cross-legged on the couch.

“Oya, oya, shall I remind you how your first attempts at make up looked like?” Rui turns around with a smirk. He knows better than anyone else how Mizuki's first approach to this subject looked like - hell, he was the guinea pig after all.

“I was still way better than you!” They scoff, the tiniest smile tugging at the corner of their lips at the reminiscent of the memory.

“But I work with machinery, not makeup.” Rui calls back, fixing up some finishing touches.

“Yeah, I can see. Damn, your nails look like shit.” Mizuki notices.

“Oh well, what can you do?...” the purple haired boy shrugs, closing the bottle of eyeliner.

“Ah, well…” Mizuki pauses for a second before continuing, “I actually have some unopened nail polish I just recently bought. We could try it out if you're up for it… No pressure of course.”

Rui hums, before turning around on his chair.

“We can try.”

“Oh? Okay then, let me show you the colors I have.” Rui takes a seat on the floor next to Mizuki once again, as they present him with their little collection.
“Which ones catch your eye?”

Rui examines the tiny vials before him.
There's black, a muted pink, something close to burgundy (or at least Rui guesses that's what it is), and…

“I like these two.”

“Oh? Interesting choice!” Mizuki looks at the two bottles Rui is pointing at - a light yellow and purple.
“Complementary colors can offer a unique combination! What do you think of a switching pattern?”

“Sounds good to me. You're the boss after all.” Rui says. He observes as the glossy liquid carefully covers his nails.

“Still, I didn't expect you to actually agree to this. What's with the sudden change?” The other asks, eyes fixated on their current task, careful to not go over the edge.

“I think you'd agree that this is better than leaving them be, wouldn't you, Mizuki-kun?” Rui smirks.

“Avoiding questions as always I see…” Mizuki sighs, gesturing for Rui to give the other hand.

He only chuckles under his nose in response.

“There, all finished!” Mizuki announces, after finishing the last coat, “now just wait for it to dry for about 15 minutes.” they add, twisting the nail polish close.

“You sure are more skilled in this than I ever was…” Rui looks at his hand under the light of an old dim lamp hanging from the ceiling. Each nail is thoroughly coated, but not even one goes over the edge.

“It's to be expected when me and Ena have our little nail salon sessions every now and then. Wait till you see what she can do! She's way more skilled at doing different patterns than me!” The pinkette explains.

“Ena? She's the artist from your group right?” Rui recalls hearing that name a few times before.

“Yep! And a skilled one at that.” They beam with a gentle smile at him, “How much time do we have left?”

Rui takes a look at his phone, “Ah, I'll need to be going in about ten minutes.”

“Damn, time sure does fly fast! Well? Are you ready to meet your date?” Mizuki makes a notable emphasis on the last word specifically.

“Mizuki-kun, I recall already telling you it's not exactly a date…” the purplenette points out, doing his best to not look a bit disappointed at those words.

“Then I'm looking forward to the day I'll need to help you get ready for a real one then!” Mizuki just smirks with a wink.

“Mizuki-kun that's not-” Rui trails off, “I'm not exactly sure it's ever going to happen.” he gives a smile. Judging by Mizuki's reaction, it was not a convincing one.

A sheepish one if anything.

“Why are you so confident about that, Rui?” They sigh, “You can't know for sure unless you try.” Their voice is calm, communicative. It's not tipped with any judgement or tease, just genuine question.

Rui takes a breath, fighting everything in him to not turn away his gaze, “It's not that simple Mizuki-kun. I can't just- try.”

“Why not? You don't have a definite ‘yes’ nor a definite ‘no’. Why not take a chance?” The pink eyes stare at him intently.

Rui takes a breath, “Because, Mizuki-kun, it's not- normal. I can't just take a chance and risk losing what I wanted for so long, and I think out of all people, you do understand that.” The words come out a bit harsher than intended.

It takes a few seconds to realize what he just said, and the way his hands involuntarily grabbed at the fabric on his sides, so much his knuckles have probably turned white.

“Ah, I'm not saying that you- I didn't mean- crap, I'm so sorry Mizuki-kun, I wasn't thinking when I said that.” he squats down, burying his face in his hands.

It was really not what he thought, he didn't want to say those words, but they just spilled out from his mouth in the heat of the moment, and probably out of hidden frustration.

There he goes again, hurting people he cares about by accident.

“Hey, Rui,” The familiar voice lowers to his position, “It's alright. I get it.” It's calm. There's no hint of anger or bitterness.

“I apologize, I really didn't mean that. It's just-”

“It's okay Rui, I'm not mad, nor am I hurt. You are right - I am different. I know my situation is a bit different than yours, but trust me when I say that I get you. I know that fear you're feeling.” Mizuki says, still calm and gentle, “But you know what? Even though I'm still just learning that…” They suddenly stand up, which gets Rui to finally look up.
“Every day, I get more and more hope that there are people out there that will accept me. That will love me no matter who I choose to be.”

“You do? Well, then I'm really happy for you.” Rui can't really see Mizuki's face right now, as he faces their back when he also stands up.

“Weird, right? All those years… and only now do I start feeling like maybe it doesn't need to be so bad. That maybe, just maybe, there's a chance. That there's a person who truly loves me for who I really am. And I decided I'm not going to let it go this time.” they turn on their heels and smile, “That's why I don't want you to run away. Not this time, at least.”

“Easier done than said, though. Still, I think it's going to be much longer until I even consider taking a step, whatever it may be.” Rui huffs slightly. But he can't deny - Mizuki's words do have some truth to it.
Makes him think - is he even deserving of such caring friends?

“Listen, you don't need to do it anytime soon. Heck, you can even do nothing if that's what you truly want. Just don't deny everything at the start, okay? Go there, and have the time of your life!” Rui feels a strong pat on his back, before Mizuki rushes over for their luggage, and just before heading out the door, they turn around one last time, “Sweep him off his feet, loverboy!”

And just like that, the pink pigtail is gone, leaving Rui standing in the middle of his room.

Well, he should be going out too, shouldn't he?

With nothing else left to do, he swiftly takes a pair of keys and some money, and with a quick glance at the mirror, just to make sure everything's in place, he leaves the house.

Soon enough, he is standing in the destined spot, surrounded by colorful stalls and the sounds of the busy street.

The night air is a bit breezy, but still hot despite the sun coming down lower with each passing minute, letting the darkness flash out all the glowing lanterns around.

He looks around for Tsukasa, suddenly too aware of his own presence.

Is his yukata in place?
Did his eyeliner smudge?
Is his hair all intact?
Or was this all too much?

With a few more glances, he suddenly locks eyes with the all-too-familiar amber irises.

“RUUUUIIIIIII!!!” The blonde boy beams with a wide smile, waving his arm around wildly, as he runs towards the other.

“Hello there, Tsukasa-kun~! did you wait long?” Rui gives a much less energetic wave back.

“Oh, worry not, Rui! You're right on time!” Tsukasa assures, and Rui finally has the chance to take his presence in.

And suddenly, he feels almost stupid for worrying about being overdressed, because Tsukasa - in his true Tsukasa fashion - did not hold back on the task of presenting himself accordingly to any given occasion.

He's wearing a dark orange yukata that fades into magenta at the ends, embroidered with a pattern of white sparkles - like the stars showing up on an evening sky, all tied together by a golden obi belt.
His hair was no different - slicked back with a touch of gel, a few unruly strands falling on his forehead.

Quite a sight, to say the least, if Rui is to give his opinion.
“I see you went all out into fitting just right into the spirit of the event with your attire.” Rui points out with his usual Cheshire-cat smile.

God, how does this guy manage to look so good in whatever he wears?

“HA-HA-HA! Glad you noticed! What kind of a star would not put extra care into dressing the right way? I see you yourself took upon that task, Rui! It looks good on you!” He says, with the most casual expression out there. Just flatly spilling out words that make Rui feel like his heart will burst out from his chest in any second.

Thank God Nene will be with him, because otherwise he might just theatrically fall and die right on the spot.

“Thank you, thank you, I just imagined it might be nice to put extra work into getting the most of it. After all, it's my first time attending an event like this~” well, that isn't exactly a lie, is it? There's no need to point out that Mizuki was the one who did 90% of the job, “Switching the topic, do you know when the others will arrive?”

“The others…?”

“Well, Emu and Nene, right?”

“...Huh?”

Ah.
That's when it hits him.
Tsukasa never really said anything about Nene or Emu tagging along, Rui just assumed that's what would happen, per usual.

Oh lord, this situation sure did just shift about 180 degrees.

Yes, it's stupid - it's just a typical fireworks festival, and they both agreed that it would certainly be fun to attend it, nothing to get Rui's heart so worked up about.
But Rui's heart has different ways of going about things, ways that aren't particularly logical, and right now it has decided it's going to be obnoxiously loud about this little slip up, when it's really not that big of a deal.

“What do you mean it's not a date?! That's like- the most basic date scenario ever!”

Mizuki's words flow through his head as if on purpose, to make the wrecked mess his mind already is, somehow even worse.

It's embarrassing how much this actually affects him.
To admit, even if only to himself, that he has become nothing short but of an infatuated fool of a teenager.

“Are you ready to go?” Tsukasa interrupts his inner monologue with a smile, completely oblivious to the hurricane of emotions he's responsible for.

“Yes, ah, although I should warn you, this is my first time attending such festives… I'm not really in the know of how exactly this should work.”

“YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO A SUMMER FESTIVAL BEFORE?!" The blonde shouts, bewildered, "But worry not! I, the one and only TSUKASA TENMA the world's future star himself, will guide you through the maze process of a summertime fireworks festival!”

“Well then, lead the way, dear troupe leader~”

The sun finds its way down the sky, sulking under the horizon, as the two of them start exploring the festivities - colorful inviting stalls with all kinds of products to offer, sellers calling out for customers.

The amount of choices is almost too much to handle, but Tsukasa insists they check out the caramelized apples first.

“It's a classic!” He explains, “My sister and I always loved these as kids!”

“You say so?” Rui mutters, as he examines the menu options.
He settles for the lavishly caramel dipped option, covered in colorful sprinkles.

It's not too bad - he decides after trying.

“I can't believe you really went with… whatever that diabetic’s nightmare of an abomination this is. Wait- are you really eating only the sugar coating off?!-” Tsukasa glares at him.

“What? It's good! You won't know unless you try, Tsukasa-kun! Care to give it a taste?” Rui responds, unbothered.

“...Is this your way of revenge for making you try vegetables that one time? Ehh, I guess it's only fair for me to do the same, isn't it?” The other sighs, crossing his arms.

“Awh, what are you saying, Tsukasa-kun? I just simply wish to share with you!” Rui pouts, handing over the stick with the fruit, half of the sweet shell already bitten off, expecting for the blonde to take it.

What he did not expect, was for Tsukasa to just bend over, and take a generous bite where Rui is holding it, lips just gently brushing over his fingertips the slightest bit.

This really isn't anything big, in fact, most people wouldn't even notice such a thing, yet alone actually care about it.

Try explaining it to Rui's heart then, which has decided to throw away any sense of logic left a long time ago.

Rui could handle being a little smitten, really.
But it's getting increasingly harder to keep up with… whatever this is, and it only seems to get worse with each passing day.

“...So sweet.” Tsukasa grimaces, completely oblivious.

Rui could almost be jealous of how unbothered Tsukasa is about it all.
But, well, Tsukasa isn't the one with an embarrassingly big, fat crush on the other.

“What would you like to do next?” The blonde asks, “We could go around all the stalls to see what they sell, or maybe we could check out what fun games they have this year! I have an undeniable hunch that you might enjoy these!”

“Oh? Games sound fun, you piqued my interest~” Rui replies with a hand on his chin and a smirk.

“Let's go then! Ah, but give me a second, Rui, I'll just text my lovely little sister so she doesn't worry about her dear brother - TSUKASA TENMA himself!”

Rui uses this moment to check his phone one last time, and is met with a message from Mizuki.

“You can do this! Go get him, loverboy! ;)”

Rui can't help the small tug of the corner on his lips, and a warm glow of a sense of fondness sprouting in his chest.

“You were right - this really does feel kind of like a date.” Is his final reply.

“ARGHHH! What's up with this game?!” The blond shouts, as the string slips out of the hook again, and the vibrant painted translucent ball drops back into the water pool with a splash.

It's a simple fishing-style game, where you need to fish up one of the simple wind chime glass by the little loops attached to them.

Despite the simplicity of the game rules, it's already Tsukasa's fourth failed attempt.

“I swear, this game is rigged! These strings are too fragile!” He contemplates, scratching his head, “They either break or slip!”

“Oh, how rude of you to assume this, Tsukasa-kun!” Rui comments with a gasp.

“Well, try to win this yourself, smartypants!” Tsukasa pouts.

“You bet.” Rui's eyes narrow menacingly, always ready to up the challenge, “I'd like one game mister!” He addresses the merchant, and is soon also given a little stick rod.

The trick is simple: you just need to be swift enough to not let the string of the rod soak up too much water, or else it will snap.

Not even a minute in, and Rui is proudly showing his victory to Tsukasa.

“Woah. How did you do that, Rui?!” The boy gapes.

“That's a director's secret dear future star~” he winks, but before Tsukasa can say anything, he adds, “Here, you can take it.”

“Huh? Wait, but that's your prize! Don't you want to keep it as a souvenir or something?”

“That's the one you tried to win, right? Looks like something your sister would like.” Rui takes Tsukasa's hand, and carefully places the ornament in it. “You wanted to give it to her, didn't you, Tsukasa-kun?”

The amber eyes look at him, bewildered, before glancing down at the glass ball.
It's tinted slightly pink, with cherry blossom flowers painted over it.

“Yeah,” He breathes, “Thank you, Rui.”
He glazes his thumb over little painted flowers, with the softest smile possible.

A bang sound erupts, followed by a sudden flash of light.

“RUI! LOOK!” The shorter one tugs at the other's sleeve, “The fireworks have started!” he points up at the sky enthusiastically.

“Oh, wow, time sure does fly fast!” The purplenette points out. Has it really been two hours already?

“Wait, I have a GENIUS idea! Follow me, Rui!” Tsukasa suddenly takes his wrist, and Rui is left with no other option but to tag along.

They run between the stalls that right now are just splashes colors quickly passing their eyes, squeezing past the groups of people gazing at the flashing sky.
The area slowly becomes less and less cramped, and the only thing Rui can think about is the warmth around his wrist, and then Tsukasa's hand slipping into his to have a better grip, and their fingers intertwined, and Rui just silently prays his hands won't start sweating-

Before he can even notice, they are in completely different surroundings now, stifling through some old overgrown bushes for whatever reason.
He hisses slightly at the thorny branches prickling his fingers as he tries to push them aside.

When they finally push through the wilderness, Tsukasa finally turns around.

“We're here!”

It's an abandoned viewing spot by a cliff, clearly long forgotten about for at least a decade, considering the rusted railing along the edge, alongside the amount of weeds everywhere.
There's only a small little path leading to the fence, but it looks just as unused.

“Ouch, I think I got stung by a nettle…” Rui murmurs, scratching his ankle.

“Sorry! I forgot how overgrown this place gets in the summer,” Tsukasa huffs sheepishly, and gestures for Rui to come closer.

He obliges, joining the blonde by the old railing.

“The view is just as great as I remember…” Tsukasa says in almost a whisper, looking out at the horizon.

Rui follows his gaze.
It's a good lookout at the whole city, including the festival area.
Here, the fireworks are truly shining in their full glory.

“What is this place?” He can't help but ask.

“Ah,” Tsukasa stills for a moment, “Well, it's a place I often visited with my dear sister, Saki. The hospital she was often kept in is very close by,” he explains, “When we were little kids, we often sneaked out here together when the adults weren't looking. The way she always smiled at the stars was priceless.” he looks into the distance, a sense of fondness glazing his eyes.

“You really do care about her, don't you?” Rui says with a smile.

“I do.” The other replies, before turning his face to Rui, “Though I'd say we both look out for each other a lot. It's like a trade off in a way, you know?” He beams widely.

“I suppose you're right.” Rui tucks a strand of purple hair that suddenly became weirdly annoying behind his ear, yellow eyes flicking away.

“Wait, you have your nails painted?” Tsukasa points out.

“Ah,” He blinks, “...Yes, I do,” he confirms, splaying out his hand, not quite meeting the other's eyes.

“Oh, that brings memories of when I once wore nail polish for a week back in middle school!” Tsukasa muses, taking Rui's fingers to take a closer look.

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, Saki begged me to let her paint my nails when I visited in the hospital once, and would throw a tantrum if I tried to clean it off, and what kind of a brother I would be if I made my sister cry?” The blonde giggles, “It was a bit embarrassing, but I went to school with clumsily painted pink nails for the whole week, until it chipped away! Yours look a lot nicer though.” he says, releasing Rui's hand.

“You don't think it's weird?” The purplenette asks. He can't help but remember that people usually looked at him weird or talked behind his back when he used to wear painted nails back in middle school.

Eventually it stopped him from doing it completely.

“Hm? No, why would I? It's only a fun little detail you can have about yourself. Well, if done skillfully, that is,” he makes a funny face at the fuzzy memory of the messy job little Saki did just a few years ago, “I think it really suits you! It matches your personality!”

“Oh. Well- t-thank you…” Rui stutters uncharacteristically.

They lean over the fence, gazing back at the indigo sky, flashing brightly with many different variegation combinations.
Some sparks swirl around a few circles before erupting in booming color, others flash only to explode again in a mass of more little sizzles.
Some even become distinctive shapes.

“Hey, Rui…” Tsukasa mutters in the dark of the night, just barely audible.

“Yes?” The purplenette responds in a similar low voice.

“Did you enjoy the festival?” He finally asks.

Rui glances at him shortly, taken aback a bit with the sudden question, before returning his gaze to the fireworks. “Yeah, It was fun. Though it's also really nice to be here, somewhere calmer.” He states, a delicate smile playing on his lips.

“Yeah, I agree.” Tsukasa lets out a huff, “I'm glad I brought you here then. It was supposed to be a spot only me and Saki knew about, but I really wanted you to see the fireworks here.”

“Oh? I'm flattered you deemed me worthy to share this with, Tsukasa-kun.”

“Don't be silly, of course you are! That mesmerized look on your face when you first saw the view was enough of a reward.” The blonde laughs, elbowing the taller, before his smile drops a bit, “You know, when I was younger, my sister and I were always so excited to visit this festival each year, but as you might have already figured, she wasn't always in the best condition to do so. Sometimes she would break down and try to throw a tantrum in an attempt to change their minds, but sometimes she would just tear up quietly when nobody was looking. I was never quite sure what went through her mind in those moments. Was she angry at the doctors? At whatever deity controlling everything from above? Or at her own body, born so fragile? Just thinking about it makes my heart break.”

The director stays silent, listening intently.
Contrary to popular belief, Tsukasa doesn't really talk about himself that much, and Rui doesn't push.
Sure, he always babbles about Tsukasa Tenma, the soon-to-be star, but never about just Tsukasa, the teenage boy with passion for shows and making people smile.
As a consequence, Rui doesn't know much about the blonde's past, but he guesses it wasn't much good.

This is what makes moments like these so special - when the mask falls off, leaving you all bare and vulnerable to whoever is around to witness it.
It's a terribly challenging thing to do, showing your true self, and Rui knows that first-hand.

And so, he gives all the attention he has to the other boy right now, letting him spill his heart out in peace.

“That's when I first discovered this place.” Tsukasa continued, “It was the last day of the festival, and she was still sick, stuck in that damned hospital once again. She was looking out the window beside her bed, salty tears falling silently on the puffy cheeks of a child who should be running around with her friends, but forced to live a life full of illness… “

“That does sound terrible…” Rui emphasizes. He watches as the blonde brows furrow.

“I couldn't stand it. I could endure the countless lonely nights in an empty house, but it mustn't be her, she didn't deserve it. So in a stupid idea of a grade-schooler, I bundled her up in winter sweaters, and sneaked us out here! The bright smile she gave as she watched the illuminations were worth every scolding I would get afterwards. And so, this became our regular hangout spot over the years.”

Lonely nights.

Those words especially stand out to Rui, but decides not to voice it, at least not right now.

“It's sad to hear how it got to be… I think it's really wonderful she could rely on you. It says a lot about who you are, Tsukasa-kun.” The purplenette nods.

“Oh, it's nothing. I just did what I could, as her older brother. She's thankfully better now as she gets older, although it's not always inevitable… But she finally gets to spend time with her friends like she should have all these years ago! It's so endearing seeing her all grown up, engulfed in new passions and living her life to the fullest.” The other says, expression illegible, emotion behind his eyes hard to decipher.

There's a hint of something akin to melancholy in them, Rui thinks.
“I can imagine.”

Finally, Tsukasa sighs.
“It's so annoying and trivial, and I feel like a total fool about it, but that also makes me feel lonely in a way. For years we were everything for each other as little kids, but it's only natural for Saki to slowly grow independent.” he contemplates.

“Tsukasa-kun…”

“I feel it's only fair if I'm sincere with you.” He turns to face Rui at once, stern and determined, “Since the years she started highschool, Saki prefers to spend the festival alongside the rest of Leo/Need members. Which is great, of course! I couldn't be happier for her!” He scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, “But in all honesty, when you're all on your own, festivals just feel… so lonely… and staying in an empty house for the thousandth time isn't any better.” his eyes scrunch at those words.
“The truth is I just figured that maybe if you agreed to come along I wouldn't feel so bad. Even if later I got genuinely excited to show you a fireworks festival for the first time, it was still prompted by a stupid selfish wish.” he smiles apologetically.

“No, that's not-”

“Ah, I rambled there for a bit, didn't I? Anywho, I hope you won't hold it against me, Rui!” He laughs, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

“Tsukasa-kun, I couldn't possibly- I'm more than glad to keep you company.” Rui fumbles over his words, “The fact that I'm… someone you'd genuinely like to spend your time with is already enough of a reason for me. Thank you.”

Tsukasa smirks, “Now, now, no need to act so humble Mr. Director! How could it be any different?”

“I'm serious, Tsukasa-kun, I-” his voice dulls, “People usually keep a reasonable distance from me.”

“What? But how could that be, Rui! You're brilliant!” The other protests, bewildered.

“I'm delighted you think this way, but before we met, not many people shared this opinion. After all, I'm still just one big weirdo, aren't I?” he just tilts his head to the side in a response with a meek smile.

“I don't think so.” Tsukasa frowns, “I mean yeah, you can be a bit bizarre sometimes, but that doesn't… define you. The Rui I know is much more than that. He can get pretty wild at times, but he's also a genius inventor and an excellent director, full of unconventional and absurd ideas, ever keen on upping the bar.” He gestures wildly at the adjectives, “But most noticeably of all, you're a great friend, always looking out for others.” Amber eyes meet citrine, impossibly fond, “You're worth more than you think, you know, Rui?”

And Rui can't do anything but just stare back at him, heart hammering wildly against his ribs so loudly it's almost deafening, like it might just burst out straight through his chest at any second.
There's so many things running through his mind, so many words he wants to say now stuck in his throat, threatening to choke him.

You're amazing, Tsukasa-kun.

You managed to make me feel like I'm alive again.
You helped me believe in what no one else believed.
You made me feel important.

You teached me what it's like to love.

Instead, Tsukasa just gives him a wide smile, so, so incredibly soft.
The vibrant light of the fireworks illuminate his face, and everything around them disappears.

I love him.

Something in Rui breaks, like the last string holding him together snapped under the weight of all the feelings he bottles up inside.

Gentle fingers brush over the other's cheek, and Rui leans in.
Their faces are so, so close, noses almost touching.

His breath hitches the slightest bit, and it's enough to break the illusion in the span of less than a second.

Everything around them shatters instantly, like glass, crackling away in millions upon millions of miniature pieces.
Rui flinches away in an instant.

A look of utter misery paints over his face as he comes down to the horrible realization of what just happened.

I almost kissed him.

“...Rui?” The blonde prompts, eyes blown wide.

“Hahah-, forgive me there Tsukasa-kun!” He gulps, “I believe I got too lost in the moment here-” He tries, but his voice undoubtedly wavers, throat strained.

Oh god.
What has he done?

“...Wait, Rui!-”

“I'm sorry, Tsukasa-kun.” Before the other gets any chance to respond, the purple haired boy swiftly turns on his heels and blows away.

He runs as fast as he possibly can.
His mind is dizzy, his body numb. He can't even feel his legs, they seem to be moving on their own.
Everything is foggy and the only thing he can hear is the rapid pulse thundering in his ears.

It's only when he reaches his room when everything comes to a halt, as he slumps behind the door, desperately trying to catch his breath.

Everything finally strucks like a thunderbolt.

His vision goes blurry, and soon enough, hot bitter tears run down his face and neck.

In the silence of his own room, the purplenette sinks down to the floor.
A broken weep escapes his lips as the back of his head hits the wooden door behind, hands buried in his hair.

He's so stupid.
He's so fucking stupid.
He took a perfectly good friendship and single handedly destroyed it within seconds.

He just sobs uncontrollably in the dark of his bedroom, as the pathetic reflection in his mirror just seems to be loathing him evermore, hair tousled, eyeliner smudged all over his face, pitiful black lines where heavy tears steak down his cheeks.

Everything hurts, hurts so badly it's agonizing, like thorny stalks wrapped around his throat and chest, sharp spikes piercing right through.

What was he even thinking?
That he really could just kiss him and everything would be sunshine and rainbows?
That they would be like a princess and a prince in some children's fairytale?
For fuck's sake, Rui is no golden locks, crystal pumps princess.

Rui is a guy.

It's disgusting, he feels disgusting, so much he just wishes he could crawl out of himself, hide in the darkest pit and never leave.

Why does he need to be like this?
Isn't he weird enough already as it is?

He frantically wipes at his eyes in an attempt to stop the wetness, but to no avail.
Salty drops land on the screen as he lights up his phone.

There are multiple unanswered calls and new messages from Tsukasa, but he really doesn't want to know what they possibly contain.
Instead, he opens his chat with Mizuki.

The miserable cries come back full force when he's reminded of the last message they left this evening.

“You can do this! Go get him, loverboy! ;)”

Mizuki was really rooting for him.
And Rui ruined it all.

He leaves them the last message for the day before curling up in his bed, squeezing his pillow tightly for any sense of comfort as he sobs quietly.

“I fucked up, Mizuki-kun.”

- ✧ -

A sound of rhythmic buzzing is what wakes Tsukasa up.

He blindly tries to hit the ‘snooze’ button on his phone, only for it to accidentally drop from his nightstand with a loud thunk.

“Mnghhh…” He groans in annoyance, forced to dig out from the warmth of the covers.

What time is it anyway? He just managed to finally fall asleep…

The blonde scrunches at the bright screen, blinding his weary eyes.

7:52am

“HAAAAAAAAAAHHH?!” He jolts up on his bed.

“Nii-chan! Don't scream so loud first thing in the morning!” His sister calls from downstairs, probably already all dressed up and ready for the day.

“S-sorry, Saki!!!” Tsukasa shouts back his apology, shuffling out from the pillows and blankets.

How did he even sleep in anyway? Tsukasa Tenma never sleeps in! Well, almost.
More importantly, why does he feel like he barely had any rest?
What could have possibly happened that he stayed up so late?...

Then it finally hits him.
Vivid memories of yesterday's events flash through his head at a pace much quicker than he would like.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” He ruffles his hair violently, trying to piece everything together.

“Nii-chan!!!” Saki warns again.

Right, the festival.
He was at the festival with Rui.
They walked together through the different stalls, and then the fireworks started.
They ran to the viewing spot and then talked a bunch, and then Tsukasa said something that made Rui's eyes light up so beautifully, and then he leaned in, and then-

And then-

“Nii-chan! What are you shouting so much for?” Saki storms through the door holding an empty plate, the peanut-butter and jelly toast in her mouth, only to find her brother frozen on his bed, what can be only described as utter terror painted on his face, not to mention the horrendous eyebags.
“Nii-chan?!-”

“...Saki, I think I fucked up.”

Saki's mouth falls open in shock at the curse word coming out from her brother's lips.

A sound of porcelain crushing down the floor is what followed.

- ✧ -

It's been three days since Tsukasa last saw Rui.
It's been three days, and Rui hasn't shown his face even once.
The school desk beside Tsukasa's is so terribly empty.

He gazes absently through the window at the students outside enjoying the break.

Normally, Tsukasa would quickly grab his bento, and scream for Rui to wait up as they stormed off to the rooftop.

Rui is not here today though.
And the idea of eating alone just dims his appetite completely…

“...sa.”

He wonders, what could be Rui up to right now?...

“...kasa.”

He still hasn't even read all the messages…

“Tsukasa.”

What on earth could be going on in his head right now? School is so boring without him…

“TSUKASA!!!” Two small hands slam at his desk.

“ARGH-!” The blonde yelps, “...Oh, it's just Nene. Hi Nene…!”

“What do you mean by ‘it's just Nene’?” The girl scowls, hiding behind the curtains of her seafoam green locks, “Gosh, I can't believe you made me shout to finally get your attention! Now surely everybody is staring at me like I'm some weirdo like you…”

“Hey-!” He tries to retort, but doesn't get to finish before getting interrupted.

“Speaking of which, where the hell is weirdo number one? I haven't seen him around since like, last week.” She crosses her arms, expression unimpressed.

“I- don't know…” The blonde sulks in his chair.

“Huh? Then who else other than you is supposed to know that?” Her eyebrows scrunch, slowly getting irritated by the odd behavior.

Tsukasa just shrugs defeatedly.
How is he supposed to be informed of that? It's not like Rui has contacted him ever since that night…

“Okay so,” She sighs, visibly exasperated, “It's none of my business what might have happened between you two, but this is more than just that…” Her hands rest at her hips as she eyes the other highschooler suspiciously “...Emu is all worried because neither of you dorks haven't responded to any of her messages on our collective group chat, and we literally have rehearsal tomorrow.”

“I know that, you don't need to remind me, Nene…” He groans into his hands.

“Why won't you guys just talk things out, act like normal people for once?” She pokes at the curled up ball of bright hair and school uniform, and gets a frustrated growl in return.

“Ugh… We both know Rui isn't the most diligent student out there, but he hasn't dipped out on school like that ever since he met you…” She stares out to the distance of the window glass, “You too haven't looked your best recently.”
There's a sense of worry in her purple gaze.
“ Just… take care of yourself, okay?...” She murmurs quietly before tiptoeing away, making sure no other classmates take notice.

“...Yeah… Thanks, Nene…”

That night, Tsukasa twirls and twists restless in his bed once again, eyes wide open.
The dim beam of a full moon cuddled by clouds gleams through the open window, gentle light spreading across the room.

Rui has still not even read his messages, he himself couldn't bring himself and try to maybe call him, and the question of their director's presence at tomorrow's rehearsal is still unanswered.

In short, this sucks.

He stares blankly from his bed, glow-in-the-dark star stickers from his sister decorating the ceiling.

Four hundred and one, four hundred and two…

Woah, that's much more stars than Tsukasa thought there were.

He wonders, does Rui like glow-in-the-dark stuff too? He seems like the type to enjoy such funky gadgets…

Okay, now this is just simply stupid.

He should just talk to him.
He knows.
Saki told him that countless times already.
But what if Rui doesn't want to talk?
What if he doesn't want to have anything to do with Tsukasa at all?...
Not even mentioning what they would need to talk about…

“Ghhr…” Tsukasa groans, already feeling his face heat up at the sheer memory.

He checks the clock.
It's almost midnight.
Well, it doesn't seem like he's going to sleep anytime soon, so he might just walk the restless energy away…

He sneaks downstairs as quiet as he can, not to disturb the other house occupants.
His feet swiftly slip inside his shoes, and throws a light jacket around his shoulders.

The brisk night air is pleasantly cool against his skin.
He doesn't know where he's headed - there's no particular destination in mind, and his legs just carry him wherever they feel like going.
The stars are not visible this time, he notes, the clouds are rather heavy tonight.

The late hours of the day are slowly getting colder and colder as time flies by, the last bits of summer fleeting away, like beach sand between fingers.

He tries not to think too much.

He wanders aimlessly around the neighborhood, head in the clouds, until he suddenly finds himself near a familiar convenience store, the vibrant lights of the old, fluorescent 24/7 sign illuminating amidst the darkness.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of a peculiar purple-haired boy, sipping on a particular yellow can of soda…

To his dismay, citrine irises spot him right before he might think to escape, although the look that takes on the other's face when their gaze meet, is nothing short of a startled animal.

It's now or never.
Tsukasa already has been enough of a coward about this, and it's the damn time they put this right.
Talk, for God's, and everybody's sake.

He takes a deep steadying breath, before stepping closer.

“Hi, Rui…” He croaks out.

“...Hello, Tsukasa-kun…” The latter responds meekly, eyes jumping side to side, anything but to meet his glance.

Uncomfortable silence falls between them, only a steady song of nocturnal crickets to aid him.

Surprisingly, Rui is the one to break it. “What brings you out here so late?...

Contrary to Rui, Tsukasa isn't one to indulge into night strolls, where to absolutely nobody's surprise, the taller one finds himself outside well into the late hours pretty often.

Rather than counter with a ‘I could ask you the same question’, the blonde decides it's not the right time for infantile banter. Not when the other looks like he might just flee the scene at any moment.

“I… had trouble falling asleep.”

Guessing purely by the livid circles under his eyes, even darker than usual, the purplenette hasn't slept much either, if at all.

“I see…” Rui mumbles absently, “Well then, I'll be going now-” he's already in a half-turn when a hand captures his wrist in time.

Tsukasa is determined to make things out… of whatever it is that is happening between the two lately.
“Rui.”

A wet droplet lands right where their hands meet.

“I'm really sorry, Tsukasa-kun…” Rui gives a miserable smile as he attempts to wiggle his wrist out of the grip, but it only strengthens in return.

“Rui,” He urges, “We need to explain some things!” he gives the hand a squeeze as if to accentuate the point.

Rui's face falters.
“Please don't, Tsukasa-kun-” his lower lip starts to tremble, “Please, let's just pretend this never happened, okay? Let's just forget we even met up that day at all, please-” he pleads, voice wavering.

Small dark dots start painting the pavement.

“...Rui.” The blonde doesn't falter, his gaze stern and focused on the other boy, “I just want to talk.”

Coming to terms that he's not slipping out of this, Rui's arm finally goes limp.
“Fine then, Tsukasa-kun…”

“...Crap,” The shorter curses under his breath, as the rain is now pouring them down relentlessly.

Somehow, Tsukasa ended up standing in the middle of Rui's room.

Neither of them really seem to know how this got to be, but considering the heavy rain that followed and drenched them to the last thread, it's not like they had any other options for places to talk.

There was the convenience store, sure, but sorting things out in the middle of the food aisle with the bountiful audience made of canned tuna honestly sounds just as bad.

“...Here.” Rui throws a towel Tsukasa's way, his own already spread around his neck.

“Thanks.”
The latter swiftly catches the cloth, and wastes no time in ruffling his hair dry.

He watches as the other boy sits down on the couch, “So? What did you want to tell me?” water drips down his hair, emotion behind his eyes absent as he gazes through the window.

The truth is, Tsukasa doesn't know what he wants to say.
It was a spontaneous situation, he didn't have the time to think what exactly and how they should discuss.

“Rui, you didn't dry your hair properly, you're still wet,” He says instead, walking over to take a seat beside the other boy, “You'll get sick if you won't care for yourself like that!” He scolds, taking his towel to gently dry out the purple locks himself.

“Wait, Tsukasa-kun, I can do this myself-” Rui assures, trying to get a hold of the cloth, but Tsukasa remains unbothered.

“To my eyes, you clearly can't, considering the fact that you're still soaked.” He counters, “Jeez, how can such a genius director like you not even take proper care of himself?”

“How- What does that even have to do with anything?-” the purplenette stutters. His cheeks bloom with a pretty pink tint - Tsukasa notices.

“Everything! If you won't take care of yourself, I will!”

“Huh?- But why-” Rui continues to pry Tsukasa's hand off, but luck apparently has decided to leave his side completely.

“Rui, about what happened at the festival-” The boy tries, but is cut off as the other finally succeeds in pushing him away.

“No, Tsukasa-kun, please- Let's just not talk about it!” outstretched palms wave frantically over his head, “Believe me, I'm really, really sorry, I didn't want this to happen, I don't know what got into me, just please-”

“Rui, look at me,” Tsukasa manages to get a hold of his hands, and pulls them away to see Rui's face, “I'm not mad at you.”

“But… Why?...” Rui whispers limply.

“Because, I care about you, okay?” The blonde releases his grip, keeping his eyes intently on Rui.

“...God, why must you say such things?” The purplenette's voice cracks defeatedly, almost a whisper, “Why must you tell me things that make me… hopeful?...”

“Listen, Rui, I have no idea what rusty gears are working inside that dumb little brain of yours, but there's no reason for you to lock yourself in your room and avoid everyone around,” Tsukasa takes the towel again, finally able to work over the violet wisps freely, “You just disappeared out of nowhere and didn't even read my texts! It's not a nice feeling, you know?”

“I apologize, Tsukasa-kun, I just suspected that… my presence might make you uncomfortable…” Piercing guilt settles deep inside Rui's gut.

“Holy beans, you can be such an idiot sometimes!” There's a half-hearted flick against the gloomy boy's forehead.
“Okay, so, I can't lie and say that I'm aware of what's going on inside your head right now, but we can pretend like nothing ever occurred if you really want to.” Tsukasa offers, and then, in a smaller voice;
“Just so you know, I too have pondered… about what- happened at that festival. Even if I don't really understand what exactly happened.” he scratches the back of his neck abashedly in the silence, “But, for your information… I wouldn't mind if that night you really did… gosh, this is so embarrassing-... well, k-kiss… me… “ His right hand fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

“...In fact, I wouldn't stop you if you tried doing it right now…”

Rui's head was a complete mess right now.
He sat frozen before the boy; his head bowed down, blonde bangs covering most of his face except the burning red tips of his ears.

His heart hammered wildly in his chest at the sight.
“Tsukasa-kun, what are you trying to imply-...”

“What do you think, you moron?!” Tsukasa blurts out, maybe a little louder than intended, glinting eyes finally confronting the other, bold and resolute as ever.

Despite himself, Rui found himself unable to return his gaze, intimidated by such a fierce look.
“Tsukasa-kun, I wouldn't want to possibly get the wrong idea-” He was already backing out, scrambling on the couch to further himself away, before a hand cupped cheek, forcing him to front the blonde.

“Do you wanna try doing this right this time, or not?” Despite the slight waver in pitch of his sentences, even with his whole face flushed bright pink, contrasting with the naturally light color of his hair, his gaze remained stern.

“I-I...” Rui chokes over the words in his throat, blood violently flowing through his veins, distinctive sound of thumping constant on his ears.

Tentative fingers found their way to Tsukasa's face.
They trembled as Rui gently brushed a few blond strands away.

There were mere centimeters between them, noses brushing, yet Rui was still hesitant to connect their lips together.

At last, Tsukasa decided to take the move, and finally closed the gap.

It was short, a soft touch for a brief second.

The outside rain was thudding against the window as they parted, hearts ablaze.

“Sorry I- I've never really done this before…” Tsukasa muttered, feeling his whole face burn.

“Ah, don't worry, I have… never kissed anyone before either…” The purplenette whispered.

“Wait, really?”

“You… thought it would be otherwise?”

“Uh- I've never really put much thought into it, but you were the one who tried to kiss me first, so I just figured…” Tsukasa fidgeted with his hands awkwardly.

“Ah…” Rui fell silent for a short moment, “Well, that was an… impulse decision… I have no experience in such things at all to be honest.”

“You've gotten quite a few confessions from some girls at school before, though… At least more than I ever did.” The blonde notes.

“I've… never really found any appeal in them… I never paid much attention to the girls at school.” Rui says nervously, eyes darting away.

“You say so?”

“Yeah…” He takes a deep breath, “In truth… I don't think girls are of my interest at all…”

“I see…” Tsukasa brings a hand to his chin in thought, “I never knew that."

“I never told anyone.” Rui shakes his head, “There was never any need for it, and it's better if people don't know.”

“Oh…” The other boy's face falls.

“I never put much thought into it myself either though,” Rui quickly retorts, “The whole idea of romance was rather distant to me.” He says, “Well, at least for until you came to my life. You're the first person I've ever felt this way about.”

“O-oh-... that's-”

“It's okay if you can't return my feelings, I would never want you to feel obligated to do anything.” He says softly, gently taking the blonde's hand into his, “But even still, I hope you'll be okay if we continue being friends.” fingers brush over his knuckles tenderly, “You are… a very important person to me, Tsukasa-kun.”

“No, Rui, that's- It's not like- crap, how do I even say this?...” Tsukasa scratches the back of his neck, blushing furiously, “Y’know, I've never really fallen in love before… No one ever had feelings for me either, at least not that I know about…” he confesses.
“After we first met, you quickly became a very important part of my life. You are my director, and I cherish you as my friend, best friend even, very much. I never really thought outside of it, but… after you tried to kiss me that night, it's when I-” He cuts himself off, struggling to find the right words, “Well, you really made a mess out of my mind there, Rui.” He giggles gingerly, his expression a bit sheepish.

The last of the late summer’s rainfall storms outside, rhythmic din sounds against the windowsill reminiscent of the young raging hearts.

Warm hands touching hesitantly, Tsukasa looks over the glass aperture in thought.
“I found myself not minding the idea of you kissing me. In fact, I realized I was more upset that you didn't actually do it back then. It made me wonder, just for how long I saw you as just a friend, and when it became… something else?”

Rui stayed silent, listening intently, leaving Tsukasa with no other choice but to continue,
“When you weren't around, I couldn't stop thinking about you, wishing you could be here with me. I realized how… particularly empty my days feel without you in them.”

Their eyes meet for what might be the thousandth time this night, but how could it be any different?
“You are very special to my heart, Rui… and I hope to be someone special to you too.”

“Sorry, this is still so new to me and all…” The blonde sighed, “But one thing I know for sure, is that I want to see you happy. I want to be a reason for you to smile.”

“Tsukasa-kun…” Rui breathes, voice weak.

“Wait, Rui, are you crying?!” Tsukasa panics as he notices a glistening trail sliding down his face, “Did I say something wrong?-”

“Ah-” Rui jolts, like he only just realized the wetness around his eyes “Sorry, it's just-… a lot.” He wipes a finger around the corners,
“I'm just- so, so incredibly overjoyed… I feel like I'm in a dream, and might wake up any second…”

“I guarantee you this is all real!” Tsukasa assures, squeezing his shoulders as if to ground the other.

Rui only giggles gently through the tears, a soft smile spreading across his features.
It must be one of the most beautiful smiles Tsukasa has ever seen.

“...If I kiss you again, will you believe me?” The blonde mutters, “Wait, no, this sounded so stupid-”

“Tsukasa-kun, I'd be more than delighted to.”

And with that, their lips meet one another once again.
They don't part after a few seconds this time, though. Instead, Tsukasa buries his fingers in the still slightly damp, violet whisps to pull their owner closer.

“You have no idea just how much I craved this…” Rui whispers on his lips, and in the heat of the moment, Tsukasa takes this for a chance to deepen the kiss.

And so, Rui can only kiss him back.
Kiss the boy who sets his heart on fire.
Kiss the boy who helped him change.
Kiss the boy who puts a smile on his face everyday.
Kiss the boy who makes him feel like he can be someone important, someone who's opinions and thoughts matter, despite what others might think.
Kiss the boy who opened his heart to other people.
The boy who can make him laugh, scream and cry.
The boy who teached him what it's like to love.
The boy who makes him feel alive again.

Everything is warm, so warm, skin burning, body aflames.

It's messy, awkward, teeth crackling, neither of them sure of what they're doing, better than what Rui could have ever imagined.

There's a tingling sensation in his stomach, guts twisting to the point it's almost nauseating, and it's perfect.

Hot breaths mixing with one another, bodies pressed against each other, and god, it's almost too much when Tsukasa straddles his lap to get closer, one knee accidentally pushing at the arm Rui supported his weight on.
He slips, and his nape hits the back of the couch arm.

“Ah, sorry, I– lost my balance a bit there-” The blonde stutters out his apologies.

“I would think you'd at least properly ask me out, before trying to pin me down to a bed…” Rui giggled, sending him a teasy smirk, hair splayed out on the upholstery.

“That's not what I-!” Tsukasa's face turns beet red at an alarming speed, “Besides, that's a couch, not a bed!!!”

“But I've made it a foldable one, that is!” Rui points out with a cheeks smile, hosting himself up. He lets his head fall, one side coming to a rest against the other's chest.

“...Your heart is beating very fast.”

“Well, for your information, I was just making out for the first time with a certain director.” Tsukasa defends, fingers threading through the purple knots.

“Mine's too.” Rui says quietly, snuggling closer.
He finds their heartbeats in close sync.

They sit like this in silence, silence that finally feels comforting once again, and the only thing on Rui's mind is just how much he cares for this boy, how much he wants to adore him, make him feel like he's the entire world.

Because for Rui, he is.

His lemon flavored star.

Suddenly, something buzzed inside Tsukasa's pocket, effectively startling them both.

“Fiddlesticks! Sorry, it's Saki!” The blonde fumbles out his phone, answering the call.

Rui listens with curiosity as he deals with his sister.

“Um, Saki?... No, no, I'm okay! I just went out on a walk!... No, don't send out a boogeyman to jump me on my way home!... Okay, okay, I'm coming right back home!... Yeah, have fun!” He ends the call, before turning to the purplenette, “Sorry Rui, but I need to get back home before Saki sends out some monster to slaughter me at night…”

“Well, that would certainly suck,” Rui snickers, “I'd hate to miss such a great show!”

The pout he is granted is just adorable.

“I swear she wasn't supposed to even be home today! She went out on a sleepover with her band, but forgot to take her toothbrush! She decided to go all the way home just for that, and then noticed my shoes weren't there…”

“Quite the observant girl she is!” The purplenette states, watching as Tsukasa puts his colorful coat on.

“Yeah, that one's for sure!” The boy agrees, zipping up the comically large zipper, before adding, a bit more quietly, “Maybe even a little too observant…”

“What was that?”

“N-Nothing!- I'll be going now!”

“Are you sure you don't need an umbrella or something?” Rui asks. It's still raining outside, albeit it seems it has cooled down a bit…

“Nah, I'll manage. I'll be quick, promise!” Tsukasa assures, hand already on the doorknob. He must really not want Saki to send those boogeymen after him.

“Safe travel, future star! I pray no monster eats you up on the way!” The director teases as Tsukasa steps outside.

“Yeah, yeah, thanks, Rui.” He rolls his eyes, pulling the hood over his head.

“Goodnight, Tsukasa-kun.” Rui says, one sneaky hand tilting his chin to press a quick peck on the blonde's cheek.

“Y-yeah… You too…” he blushes, a bit dumbfounded, “Don't stay up too late, okay?”

“I'll try my best.”

“See you tomorrow at school!” Tsukasa shouts, waving a hand wildly, as he makes his way through the rain.

Rui waves him off, and doesn't hold back the laugh that escapes his lips when the boy almost trips.

It's only when the other's out of sight that he slams the door shut.

“Haah…” He breathes out he didn't even know he was holding, his body aflames.

When he brings his hands to his cheeks, they're just as hot as he expected, burning to the touch.

He will have a lot of explaining for Mizuki to do.

- ✧ -

Epilogue

The morning sunlight slips through the curtains of the bedroom as Rui wakes up. It shines brightly, blinding him for a short moment.
As he stirs in the sheets, he feels something restricting his movements, holding him down by his waist.

He looks down to see no one other than Tsukasa, still stubbornly in his sleep.

“Mnnnh…” The blonde mumbles, tightening his grip on Rui.

“Tsukasa-kun, you're drooling.” He points out, fingers gently brushing the tangled bangs from the other's face.

“Shuddup, you are…” Tsukasa replies, half-asleep, not letting go.

“I need to go get ready for work you know,” Rui threads his fingers in the soft, light wisps, “And you should too. Don't you have these additional shots to do today?”

“You don't say, smartypants?” The blonde grumbles, but proceeds to fumble out from the covers, finally releasing his hold on Rui's waist, albeit in a rather snail-slow pace.

“Thank you, dear,” Rui says, rewarding his partner with a kiss on the forehead, “I'll be in the closet, getting ready. You should tame that wild mane of yours too.”

“Last time I checked, you said you like me in my bed hair!” Tsukasa argues, stretching his arms.

“Well, I do, but as tragic as it is, the production team might not.”

“Ughhh, I'm already so fed up with them! I'm going to the bathroom.”

Rui smiles at the blonde, as he lazily waddles out from the bedroom.
How rare it is to see him so sleepy in the morning… An undoubtedly cute sight indeed.

The purplenette proceeds with his daily routine, swiftly drawing practiced black strokes across his eyelids, completing his everyday look.

That new brand Mizuki recommended to him is really good, he'll need to stock up on this eyeliner soon.

Might as well stop by the drugstore after work...

Tsukasa also could probably use some new skin care products… Maybe Rui will treat him with some, since he's been pretty down with work lately.

Ready and going, Rui enters the kitchen of their shared apartment, lured by the pleasant scent in the air. Soon enough, he is met with the sight of Tsukasa, working around the stove, shining the runway still in his sleep clothes; an oversized old Leo/Need merch T-shirt (the first ever design! He treasures it with his whole heart), and star-patterned pajama bottoms.

“Ooooooh, Whatcha doin’?” Sneaky slender hands wrap around the blonde's waist, head peaking over the blonde's.

“Veggie pancakes– Now don't you give me that look, I made some bland ones for you too!” Tsukasa points with a ladle at the plain batch of fluffy deliciousness on the counter.

“Awwh, you're the sweetest~” Rui tightens his hug attack from behind, nuzzling into the other's shoulder.

“You're saying this only because I made you food, aren't you?” Tsukasa says accusingly, but Rui can just feel that hint of pink blush spreading across his partner's cheeks.

“Oh, how could you think that? It's just that you're so adorable!” He purrs lovingly.

“...Yeah, yeah.” Tsukasa mutters dissmissevly, like the tips of his ears aren't tinted red.

“The loveliest.” He pampers, “My handsome, brightest shining star~”
It's almost amusing how amongst the many various pet-names and compliments Rui has tried, the purest, most cliché ones are what always works to bring out that flush on Tsukasa.

“Gaah, I don't want to go to work…” The blonde whines, to no one specifically.

“Where's your usual enthusiasm gone to, dear? Oh, what happened to that boisterous Tsukasa-kun, so full of vigor and passion for another exciting show, hm?”

“That ‘Tsukasa-kun’ didn't know he would be forced to work up to even ten hours a day when joining for a movie production… I swear, that crazy team just wants me drop dead from exhaustion!” He flips a few well-done pancakes onto a plate, and slides behind the dining table, “I'm playing as the main cast, but that role is still SO. BORING.”

Rui joins him not long after, coating his own portion in a generous amount chocolate spreading, “But you look so cute when you're so clingy in bed…”

“Oh hush, you! Do I really need to remind you than on the normal basis it's you who won't even let me go to the bathroom in the morning? They're killing me at work, so I'm justified!” The blond fumes, mouth full.

“Sure, sure, darling…” Rui takes a sip of his coffee.

“...Argh, I miss the days of you as my director!” Tsukasa cries, head in his hands, frustrated.

“Believe me, my star, I do too…” Rui nods in affirmation, “...But once you're finished with this role, I might work some magic and get us working together on the next procent in my studio~.”

“...You think you could do that?” The blonde looks up at him hopefully.

“Oh I don't just think I could, I'm sure of it! Even Nene and Emu would be on board to join…” The purplenette smiles.

“Wait, are you being serious? That would be fantastic!” Tsukasa jumps excitedly over the table, eyes sparkling.

“Of course I am, Tsukasa-kun! When wasn't I?”

Tsukasa sends him an unamazed look.

Okay, this wasn't the fittest line.

He hurriedly continues, before the blonde has the chance to counter,
“I was stirring some things up in the studio with my team for the last month or so… And I must say, there are some ideas.”

“...RUI!!! Oh, that's amaizing! When was the last time we did a proper show together as Wonderlands×Showtime? It's been ages!”

It has been quite the challenge to not squeak a word about this, but the wonderous smile on his spouse's face is worth the world, if not even more.
“True, it's been quite a while. Even though we meet up quite often, full troupe performances have become rather rare.”

“Gosh, you're right, Rui! I need to get a grip!” Tsukasa slaps his own cheeks, something among the lines of a wake up call, “How can I be called the world's famous star, if I can't even go with some simple movie production!!!”

“Can't wait to test some explosives with you like back in the old times…” Rui sends him a devious smirk, just to blow the waters playfully.

“...I feel like I should be offended, but honestly, at this point I'm fond of even those shenanigans…” The plate is already empty when Tsukasa stands up to wash the dishes.

“Fufu, I'm glad to see you excited, Tsukasa-kun.” Rui muses, unable to stop the fond gaze over his lovers energy switch.

“Shoot, I gotta hurry!!!” The actor worries as he steals a glance over the clock, quickly abandoning the former task.

“Shall I pick you up after work?” Rui asks, taking over the cleaning duty, meanwhile the other rushes to dress up in the closet.

“Yeah, that’d be cool,” Tsukasa soon comes back with switched clothes, hair hurriedly styled with a middle-part.
He takes his bag and readjusts his coat, “I'll be going now!”

“Ah, wait a second, dear!” Rui stops him, as the blonde's already fiddling with the doorkeys.

“Hm?” He looks over, slightly puzzled.

The director wipes a finger across the corner of his mouth, squinting quizzically, before planting a quick peck there.

“You had a ketchup smudge there, darling.” Rui explains, smiling at him oh, so softly, heart swelling with incredible fondness over this genius dork.

He's no better though.

“O-oh. Thanks…” The blonde flushes, before disappearing behind the door.

Some people think Rui is a weirdo.

Some people are of the opinion that Rui is a weirdo for being so head-over-heels for this man.

He might as well be.

But that makes him the happiest weirdo on earth.

End

- ✧ -