Work Text:
In the small filming room at the end of the hallway, Sakuya is surrounded by soft plushies and filming equipments, though now turned off, and the quiet clicking of a mouse as he leans forward in his chair.
The screen in front of him shows the recording of a gaming livestream from earlier that afternoon, that he now has to trim down to make it entertaining enough to upload on YouTube. The editing process itself flows smooth with practiced expertise, half instinct, half skill. He doesn’t need to go overboard anyway, his commentary, exaggerated but not overdone reactions and the flowing live comments already saying enough.
“Okay, that stays,” he mutters under his breath when he reaches the part where he screamed at a jump scare, so loud that even his past self laughs.
Sakuya leans back in his chair for a moment, stretching his arms over his head before glancing at the small digital clock sitting on the corner of his desk.
8:40 PM
He puts his headset off, then he listens.
The apartment is quiet, but not completely so. From the living room, he can faintly hear the rhythm of keyboard typing.
Ryo.
Sakuya exhales softly and pushes himself out of the chair, rolling his shoulders once before stepping towards the door and walking to the living room.
Their apartment isn’t exactly large, but arranged in a way that the space feels enough for the two of them. The bedroom and Sakuya’s filming room connect to the living room, and the living room itself doubles as several things at once: resting space, dining area, and Ryo’s preferred study space, which is exactly where he is now.
Ryo sits at the small table near the window with his laptop open, and several other printed papers scatter around him that probably make sense only to him. A drink sits scarily close to the edge of the table, clearly containing some kind of caffeinated drink judging by the logo on the can.
Sakuya heads quietly towards him, and stops.
“…That’s your second one today.”
Ryo doesn’t look up.
“It’s my second one tonight.”
“That should be illegal.”
Now Ryo glances at him briefly, expression calm but eyes faintly tired behind his glasses.
“I have one more test tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“Yea.”
“Drink more water instead.”
“Then I’ll fall asleep.”
Sakuya sighs and glances over the table where Ryo has spread out several case summaries and notes that look intimidating to someone who has no idea what half the terminology means.
Sakuya narrows his eyes slightly.
“Have you eaten?”
Ryo pauses, then without looking away from the screen, he says:
“…Later.”
Sakuya has heard that sentence before, too many times. Which means he unfortunately knows that“later” will turn into midnight and Ryo will forget entirely. So instead, Sakuya turns towards the kitchen.
The kitchen is only a few steps away, and Sakuya quickly opens the refrigerator to retrieve some leftover food, something simple that he cooked in the afternoon because he knew Ryo would be studying late again tonight. He warms it up in the microwave, leaning against the counter while it spins slowly, his mind drifting the way it often does when he’s not required to be present.
Ryo studies like this whenever something matters to him.
Not halfheartedly, but with the same intense focus he’s had since they were kids, the kind that makes hours disappear without him noticing, and Sakuya learned that early. Maybe that’s why taking care of him feels natural.
When the microwave beeps, he carries the plate back into the living room.
“Food delivery,” he announces.
Ryo finally looks away from the screen.
And before Sakuya can even set the plate down, a hand reaches out from the chair and catches the fabric of his shirt.
Then suddenly, arms wrap around his waist. Ryo presses his forehead against Sakuya’s stomach and inhales, like he hasn’t seen him in weeks instead of twenty minutes.
“I’m tired~” Ryo says, tightening his grip.
“It hurts.”
“You came here yourself.”
“You need to eat.”
Ryo doesn’t move.
Sakuya sighs softly, then his hand comes up almost automatically, fingers brushing gently through Ryo’s hair. He can feel Ryo melting into the touch, and Sakuya thinks he can feel his exhaustion just from how small and vulnerable Ryo looks under his hand.
“Don’t overwork yourself,” he murmurs.
“I’m almost done.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
Ryo huffs quietly against his shirt but doesn’t argue.
For a moment they stay like that, then Sakuya nudges the plate slightly with his free hand.
“Let go,” he says. “I wanna warm up my food too.”
Ryo finally tilts his head back and looks up at him silently without moving his body, expectation clear in his eyes.
Sakuya stares back.
“…You’re unbelievable.”
Ryo doesn’t say anything, doesn’t have to because after a few seconds, Sakuya drags over one of the nearest stools from the dining table and sits down beside him.
Ryo immediately releases his waist and laughs cheekily.
“You came voluntarily.”
“That is not what happened.”
But Sakuya already has a fork in one hand, eating from the plate originally meant for his boyfriend, and Ryo has turned back toward the laptop screen, moving the mouse to highlight a part of the article again. Without looking away, his free hand searches for Sakuya’s, catching it and bringing it towards his lap right in front of him. Ryo absentmindedly plays around with it, Sakuya’s extended hand becoming Ryo’s fidget toy and emotional support in a way.
Sakuya glances sideways, then carefully picks up a piece of food with his fork and brings it closer to Ryo. Without an exchange of words, Ryo opens his mouth, savoring the food while registering that he hasn’t eaten anything since the quick lunch on campus. When Sakuya checks and observes the older’s content face, he silently goes to pick up more food on his fork, and brings it again to his boyfriend’s already wide open mouth.
Even after finishing their food, Ryo makes no sign of letting Sakuya’s hand go, so he stays. The room is quieter now, the faint clicks of the computer mouse and an occasional sigh being the only sound resonating the space.
“Don’t you want to study alone?”
“No.”
“I’m just sitting here watching.”
“That’s fine.”
“You study alone at the library.”
Ryo shrugs slightly.
“I concentrate better at home.”
“Why?”
Ryo scrolls down the article.
“Because you’re here.”
He says it so casually it almost sounds like a logistical explanation instead of something affectionate, but Sakuya’s chest warms anyway. He hides it by grabbing at something on the table with his unoccupied hand.
“Romantic,” he mutters.
“I’m just stating a fact. I’d rather be with you.”
They sit quietly after that. Ryo occasionally glances between the screen and the notes beside him, Sakuya occasionally glancing at Ryo instead.
Watching him study has always been strangely calming. About the way Ryo focuses completely on whatever he’s doing, brows slightly furrowed, fingers tapping lightly against the desk while he thinks. The familiar ache of his heart returns, the kind that makes his world narrow down just to Ryo, until his own body feels too small to contain the vast affection and emotion overflowing inside of him, and he doesn’t know where to pour it out.
Eventually Sakuya tugs himself out of Ryo’s hold, carrying the dishes into the kitchen while Ryo continues scanning through the final article, the glow of the laptop screen reflecting faintly in his glasses.
“Don’t stay up too late,” Sakuya calls over his shoulder while rinsing the plates.
“I won’t,” Ryo replies automatically.
“That feels fake.”
Sakuya shakes his head slightly, though there’s no real frustration in the gesture, only the familiar acceptance of someone who has had this exact conversation more times than he can count, and after putting the dishes back to their original place, he finally dries his hands and walks back.
“I’m gonna wash up and go to bed,” he announces.
Ryo hums faintly in acknowledgment, too preoccupied to properly respond but showing that he has heard him.
The bedroom is dim when Sakuya settles under the blankets, the soft glow from the bed side lamp stretching across the small space while he scrolls through his phone, occasionally glancing towards the door as if expecting Ryo to appear at any moment. Eventually, he gets lost in the moment, scrolling and researching through TikTok to find any trends that he could use for his own content.
Thirty minutes pass.
Then an hour.
Snapping out of it, Sakuya checks the time again and exhales softly, pushing the blankets aside as he sits up.
“Ryo,” he calls while stepping back into the living room.
No answer.
And when Sakuya reaches the desk, he sees Ryo exactly where he left him earlier, still seated at the table, laptop open, notes scattered around him. Except now, his arms are folded loosely on the desk, his head resting against them. Sakuya can hear the faint breathing, peaceful although a little restless.
Ryo’s eyes open almost the second Sakuya approaches, like his body recognises his presence even through sleep, and he lifts his head slowly from the desk with the disoriented expression of someone who clearly did not intend to fall asleep here.
Ryo straightens slightly in the chair, rubbing a hand briefly across his face before glancing at the laptop screen as if trying to remember what he was doing a few minutes ago.
“…That’s unusual,” he admits after a moment.
“Yea, you really need to get rest.” Sakuya agrees quietly.
Ryo almost never lets himself get this tired while studying; the moment he even begins to feel sleepy, he usually closes the laptop immediately and goes to bed, claiming that studying while being sleepy is inefficient and therefore pointless. But this week has been brutal, test after test, with barely any interval in between. So instead of questioning it further, Sakuya simply reaches out and catches the sleeve of Ryo’s shirt.
“Come on,” he says gently.
Ryo doesn’t argue. He closes the laptop, stacks the papers together with quick movements, and allows himself to be pulled out of the chair, his steps slightly slower than usual but steady enough that Sakuya doesn’t think much of it beyond the obvious exhaustion. He throws Ryo in the shower, hoping that he is awake enough not to fall asleep while washing up.
The bedroom feels warm when Ryo returns to it, the faint scent of soap lingering in the air as he collapses onto the mattress and slips under the blankets, right next to where Sakuya is laying comfortably. Within seconds, Ryo’s arm sling around Sakuya automatically, snuggling closer. Sakuya leans closer, making the position more comfortable for the both of them.
Sakuya stares at the ceiling for a moment. It’s strange, he thinks vaguely, the way Ryo fell asleep like that at the desk.
But the thought fades quickly, pushed aside by the warmth and steadiness of Roy’s breathing that he can feel closely, and they both mutter a quick ’good night’ before closing their eyes.
⸻
Morning arrives quickly.
The routine flows the way it usually does, with quiet movements through the apartment, and the soft sounds of running water and rustling fabric as Ryo gets ready for university. He feels his body dragging him down more than usual, obviously fatigued by the crammed studying last night and mental pressure for his last exam, yet he’s more excited about the exam season coming to an end rather than worried.
Ryo checks his bag once more before heading toward the door, already dressed and looking too awake for a person who barely rested the last few days.
“You’ll do fine,” Sakuya says, appearing sleepily from the bedroom while watching Ryo put on his long black coat.
“Of course, it’s Ryo you’re talking about.” Ryo answers confidently as always, feeling himself smile from the encouragement.
Then, just before reaching the door, Ryo turns back and presses a quick kiss against Sakuya’s lips.
It’s brief, and too short for his liking, but it still makes his body feel warm throughout. Ryo laughs when he sees his boyfriend’s red ears, and goes in for a last hug before departing.
“For luck,” Ryo says.
“…You don’t really need it,” he mutters, leaning into the hug and wrapping his arms around Ryo.
“Still taking it.”
Ryo picks up his bag, and a moment later he’s already heading out the door towards university, leaving behind the quiet apartment.
By the time Ryo reaches the university campus, students are moving through the hallways in fast walks.
Ryo barely notices any of it, and the moment he steps inside the law faculty building, his focus narrows automatically to the one thing that matters today, which is the final exam of the semester waiting for him. The lingering fatigue from the past week of tests settles somewhere in the background of his mind where it can be ignored for the next two hours.
He enters the lecture hall early, greeting some of his friends and taking his usual seat near the front of the room while students around him flip nervously through last-minute notes and whisper their worries and learnt phrases to each other.
Ryo does none of that and simply opens his notebook, glances once at the outline he prepared, and then closes it again.
He already knows it.
When the professor walks in, the quiet conversations fade immediately, and the exam papers are distributed. And the moment Ryo turns the first page, the rest of the world disappears around him.
At some point during the exam he vaguely notices a dull feeling lingering behind his eyes, like the beginning of a headache that never fully forms, but the thought passes quickly because there are more important things to finish. By the time the professor calls for the papers, Ryo places his pen down with the quiet satisfaction of someone who knows exactly how well he did.
The moment he steps outside the lecture hall, the relief hits him all at once.
It arrives suddenly, like a wave that had been waiting behind a dam of concentration, and for a second he pauses in the hallway, just breathing slowly while the tension he had been carrying all week begins to drain away.
The last test is finished, which means the worst part of the semester is finally over.
He still has other lectures and a pending assignment before the short holiday break begins, but compared to the exams, they feel like nothing. By the time he reaches the next classroom, his mind has already shifted back into its usual rhythm. When the lecture ends shortly before noon, he gathers his things and heads towards the cafeteria.
Sion and Riku are already there waiting for him, their features and postures easy to spot even in the crowded room. Partly because Sion is leaning back so comfortably on the stool like he owns the entire campus, and partly because Riku is sitting across from him with his usual stylish look, the both of them already attracting a few people’s attention as always. Ryo knows, having grown up with him, that Sion was basically everyone’s hallway crush at one point, and even though Ryo only knows Riku since university and through Sion, he can guess that something similar was going on in Riku’s high school too.
Sion notices Ryo first.
“Well, look who survived law school.” He says with a smile.
Ryo slides into the chair next to Riku, setting his tray down with a sigh.
“I’m barely in my second year.”
“You say that like your tests now aren’t brutal enough.”
“There’s just a lot to prepare, but it’s not impossible.”
Sion snorts.
“Look, Riku. Top of the class talking.”
“That was ONCE in middle school.”
Riku smiles warmly, nudging a cup of tea toward Ryo from his side.
“You look tired,” he says gently. “How did the test go?”
“It was fine, I honestly don’t remember half the questions anymore.”
Ryo picks up his fork, though he only nudges the pasta on his plate slightly rather than actually eating it, which Riku notices.
“You’re not hungry?”
“Not really. Maybe my body’s still in a nervous state from the test”
Sion leans forward suddenly, and Ryo can already feel his teasing expression.
“More importantly,” he says with a big smile, “how are you and Sakuya doing?”
Ryo already knew the question was coming, as the older always uses every opportunity to tease them about it. He thinks about Sakuya that he last saw in the morning, the way his shirt was draped loosely over his shoulders, the way he quietly cared for Ryo with a worrying look on his face.
“He’s fine,” Ryo replies, not showing any of that in his expression.
Sion grins.
“I heard about the apparel drop,” he says. “Even my friends were talking about it.”
Ryo nods, and this time there’s a quiet hint of pride in his voice that he doesn’t even try to hide.
“The new line released last week,” he explains. “The one Saku was looking forward to designing the most. They sold out literally immediately, the site was so heavy I couldn’t even see the moment!”
“Of course they did,” Sion says. “Your boyfriend has an army of fans.”
“Yea, and he worked so hard on it.”
Riku tilts his head slightly.
“You sound proud, Ryo-chan.”
“I am. I even helped him finalise everything, you know. And when you see him wear them, especially those baggy jeans with the lace detail, you’d want them at first glance.”
That earns him another grin from Sion.
“You guys are so cute it’s painful.”
Ryo glares at him faintly, but doesn’t argue. Even though he’ll never admit it, it definitely is a little rewarding to be able to talk to them about Sakuya freely, since Sion and Riku are one of the only people who know about their relationship. Maybe that’s also why they keep asking Ryo about Sakuya, but he hopes they don’t know.
Right at that moment, his phone buzzes. Riku notices immediately, and they both glance at the bright screen that is facing up on the table.
“Oh?”
how did the test go??
Riku leans slightly closer.
“Boyfriend?”
“Who else.”
Ryo types quickly.
finished. it went well.
I think
A moment later, another message appears.
did you eat yet
Ryo glances down at his pasta.
kinda
Riku watches him with growing amusement.
“You’re smiling.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
Before Ryo can argue further, another message arrives.
check your left coat pocket
Ryo blinks.
“…What.”
“Saku on a mission?” Sion asks immediately.
Ryo reaches into his coat pocket cautiously, and his fingers close around something small and crinkly.
He pulls it out, and of course it’s a packet of gummy bears.
Riku bursts out laughing.
“Oh my god.”
Another message appears.
right pocket
Ryo checks.
A small hi-chew candy?
Now Sion is laughing too.
“You’re being fed remotely.”
Ryo’s face is definitely red now, but there’s no time to register that as another message appears, like he knew exactly what Ryo is doing.
inner pocket of your bag
“This is legendary,” Sion says, as if he’s witnessing the prank of the century.
Ryo realises it’s a pocket he never uses and therefore never checks, and opens it immediately, reaching inside. He pulls out a small, carefully wrapped financier.
Riku puts a hand over his mouth dramatically.
“This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Sion has already taken out his phone.
“What are you doing,” Ryo asks.
“Evidence.”
“You’re not sending that to him.”
“Oh I absolutely am.”
Ryo sighs quietly but the corners of his mouth betray him. He doesn’t know if he’s embarrassed, overjoyed, annoyed, or all at once. But there’s no denying that the little gestures Sakuya does for him make him feel warm all over, a strange, shy feeling settling over him like the first time he knew he was in love with Sakuya.
He sends another message.
what the heck
when did u do that
I didn’t notice
Sakuya replies instantly.
good
you said you weren’t hungry
but at least take some sugar
Ryo glances at the sweets.
“…I might eat something sweet,” he admits aloud.
Sion grins.
“Your face is so red.”
Ryo touches his cheek reflexively, and feels its warmth. He assumes it’s embarrassment, and tries to make it cool down.
Another message appears.
btw i’m doing a livestream tonight
thanking fans for the brand thing
Ryo types back quickly.
okay
i’ll tell you when i’ll be home
“You two are married,” Sion declares.
Riku pats Ryo’s shoulder gently.
“It’s nice that someone takes care of you.”
Ryo doesn’t answer, but he does open the gummy bears, eating one.
The afternoon seminar passes without much incident. Ryo participates the way he usually does, occasionally offering an answer when the professor directs a question toward the group. Though somewhere beneath the surface of his concentration, there’s a heaviness settling slowly behind his eyes, the lingering warmth from earlier spreading across his body. He blames it on the exhaustion, and the brutal past week.
By the time the seminar ends, most students are already talking about going home, the quiet relief of finishing exams collectively settling on everyone.
Ryo, however, turns towards the library instead. There is still one assignment he knows of, and while technically he now has the upcoming holiday weeks to finish it, he thinks it’s better to do it now, to have the most free time in the holidays.
The university library is calmer than the rest of the campus, and Ryo finds an empty desk near the back to open his laptop, slipping into a state of concentration he’s never had before. His mind is not slower exactly, but strangely detached, as if his mind has gone into a narrow, hyper-focused state where everything outside fades into a distant blur.
His fingers move across the keyboard steadily, and paragraph after paragraph appears. He pauses occasionally to reread a sentence, adjusts the phrasing, and continues writing. Time passes, and if someone asked him exactly how long he sat there, he would have trouble answering.
Across the city, Sakuya finishes editing a TikTok video just as the evening glow begins to show through the windows.
The final video slowly loads on his phone screen while he stretches again, rolling his shoulders and glancing briefly toward the door. Ryo hasn’t texted yet, which probably means he’s still studying, so he shoots him a short text message, saying he’ll begin streaming now
Sakuya checks his appearance on his phone, while preparing the livestream setup in the filming room, adjusting the ring light and checking the microphone levels the way he always does before going live.
The countdown begins and when the stream finally goes live, the viewer count climbs almost instantly, since most people catched the announcement earlier.
“Hi,” Sakuya says after waiting a few seconds, leaning forward in his chair while the chat explodes across the screen.
“Yeah sorry, I know I’m late,” he continues, laughing softly when someone points it out.
“I wanted to say thank you for the new collection selling out so fast, honestly I wasn’t expecting that much support.”
Back in the library, Ryo finishes the final paragraph of his assignment. He reads through the document once, twice, making a few minor adjustments, then submits it through the university portal.
For a moment he simply sits there, staring at the screen while the quiet buzz of the library returns to his awareness, all the sounds drifting slowly back into his ears. His head feels strangely light, not dizzy but just…empty. He closes the laptop, the assignment is done, which means there’s nothing left keeping him here. The thought arrives somehow slowly, and he is reminded of what he wants the most right now.
Home
More specifically, Sakuya
Outside, the evening air is cool, brushing against his face as he walks toward the train station with slightly slower steps than usual. If someone asked him later, he wouldn’t even know how he went home. He remembers the quiet blur of lights passing outside the windows of his usual train, and the persistent thought repeating lazily in the back of his mind.
I want to go home and see Sakuya. I definitely deserve a reward.
Meanwhile, in the apartment, Sakuya’s livestream continues.
The viewer count climbs steadily as he talks about the apparel launch, answering questions about the design process and the production timeline while laughing occasionally at the chaotic comments flying through the chat.
“So yeah, the jackets were actually my favorite piece from this drop, it’s not a style I would usually wear but I like it somehow,” he explains, spinning slightly in his chair while reading new messages.
Someone asks if he celebrated the launch, and Sakuya smiles slightly at that, looking down at his desk and touching his earrings a little before looking back at the camera.
“Yeah,” he admits easily.
“I ate good food, and I slept a lot I guess.”
The answer is technically true, just not the entire story.
— eat lots~
— I LOVE YOU
— typical saku, does that even count as celebrating lmao
— saku no friends agenda lol
— did you eat with the staff?
— ME AND MY FRIEND GOT THE HOODIES!
Sakuya laughs, adjusting the camera angle a little.
He keeps talking, answering more questions, and adding a few behind-the-scenes stories that he knows the fans will love.
The livestream stretches longer than he originally planned, but he couldn’t care less because he’s fortunate enough to have supportive and funny fans, always entertaining him through comments and gifts.
With every question he answers, about the designs, the inspiration, and even about unrelated gaming things, he’s always reminded of how much Ryo is a part of his life. He carefully excludes every little detail from his explanation that would even hint at a partner or even a roommate, yet his boyfriend is never far from his mind.
And fortunately, (or more unfortunately), said boyfriend Hirose Ryo, is already walking home.
Already unlocking the apartment door with slow, unfocused movements. His mind is strangely quiet now, the fatigue that had been creeping up his body throughout the afternoon settling fully into his system without him realizing it, leaving him moving almost entirely on instinct.
Shoes off, bag down, coat off, step inside.
It was as if his body was giving him commands, since his brain was already close to fully shutting off, almost in a state similar to half sleep and unconsciousness.
Go see Sakuya
And in the filming room, the soft glow of the ring light brightens Sakuya’s features as he speaks easily to the camera, leaning forward in his gaming chair as he scrolls slowly through the flood of comments that never seems to stop moving.
“And yeah,” he says while reading another question out loud, “the production process for the T-shirt actually took longer than expected because we changed the design halfway through,”
He pauses for a second.
There are footsteps in the apartment, soft and familiar ones moving across the living room floor. For a brief moment his attention flickers toward the hallway.
Ryo must have come home.
Normally Sakuya would greet him, maybe call out something casual across the apartment, but the livestream is still running and he assumes Ryo will probably go change, maybe grab something to eat before diving in the bed. Sakuya turns back to the camera.
“-which was annoying for the manufacturer,” he continues smoothly, barely missing a beat, “but the final result is actually way better, so it was worth it.”
The chat continues to fly past at impossible speed.
— lowkey wanna know the original design
— THE T-SHIRT IS SO CUTE
— are u gonna dye your hair pink again? or stay blond
Sakuya laughs softly.
Then the door opens, swinging open with the kind of casual confidence that only someone who lives here would have.
Sakuya turns instinctively, and freezes when he sees Ryo standing in the doorway. His hair is slightly messy from the wind outside, his eyes tired, his zip-up hoodie hanging loosely from one shoulder like he wanted to take it off but couldn’t manage.
For a split second Sakuya just stares, because something about the way Ryo looks is…off. His cheeks are flushed, eyes a little unfocused, something you couldn’t solely blame on an exhausting university day.
But before Sakuya can process any of that, Ryo walks straight towards him.
The chat notices first.
— ???????
— SOMEONE WALKED IN
— did someone come
— does he live with someone
— why do you look scared
Sakuya’s eyes widen.
“Ryo-“
But Ryo reaches him before he can finish, and then suddenly, arms wrap around him from the side, warm and clingy.
Ryo leans down immediately, pressing his face into the crook of Sakuya’s neck like someone who has been waiting all day to do exactly this.
“Saku~,” he murmurs softly, voice low and slightly hoarse as he nuzzles closer.
Sakuya’s brain stops functioning for half a second, and the chat explodes.
— WHO IS THAT
— HELLO????
— WHAT ARE WE WITNESSING
— ?????????!?::$$:&/
“Wait, Ryo-” Sakuya says quickly.
His eyes flick toward the camera.
The livestream.
Half a million viewers watching this exact moment unfold.
He turns abruptly, reaching toward the keyboard to shut the stream off, but Ryo tightens his hold and takes his hand, so that Sakuya only manages to turn the camera off, but not the livestream entirely.
“Why are you trying to move,” Ryo murmurs sleepily against his neck, his voice just loud enough to reach the microphone on the desk, “and your hair is so fluffy today.”
And then he presses a kiss into Sakuya’s hair.
The chat loses its mind.
— DID I HEAR A KISS
— BRO WHAT IS HAPPENING
— ryo? is that his name?
— IS THAT HIS BOYFRIEND
— am i actually dreaming or is this real
— CAMERA ON PLS WE DONT CARE JUST SHOW US
Sakuya tries to gently pry Ryo’s arms away.
“Ryo, seriously snap out of it-”
But the moment his hands touch Ryo’s arms, he freezes. Because Ryo is burning, not just warm, burning. The heat radiating through the fabric of his clothes is strong enough that Sakuya feels it even on the rest of his body where Ryo is half lying on.
“Ryo?”
Ryo blinks slowly at him, his expression looks strangely unfocused.
“Saku?”
“You’re burning up,” Sakuya says immediately, pressing a hand against Ryo’s cheek. Ryo leans instinctively into the touch.
“…I’m tired.”
“You have a fever.”
Ryo seems to process that slowly, then his eyes drift past Sakuya’s shoulder, towards the ring light, the camera, and the chat flying across the screen.
“…Why are you streaming.”
The realization hits him all at once, like someone dumped ice water over his head, and his entire face goes pale.
“Oh.”
Silence hangs in the room for half a second, then Ryo visibly dies inside.
“I-“
He steps back abruptly, the chat exploding further. The viewer count keeps increasing.
“Oh no.”
— holy shit
— THIS IS INSANE
— SECRET BOYFRIEND???
— sakuyaaaa u never told us ;(
Ryo runs a hand through his hair, panic rapidly creeping into his expression. The secret that they had carefully protected for the past year has been revealed in an instant, all because of his own carelessness.
“I forgot,” he says weakly.
“No I remember now that you texted me, but somehow-”
Sakuya barely hears him, because he’s only looking at Ryo. Really looking at the flushed cheeks, the glasses eyes, and the way he’s swaying slightly on his feet. The livestream is really the last thing on his mind right now.
“Ryo,” he says calmly, taking his arm. “You’re sick, we should check your temperature.”
“I just barged in your stream.”
“You definitely have a fever, I don’t care about the stream.”
“I’m sorry I don’t know what I-”
“Just…you should go to bed.”
Ryo stares at him.
“…Aren’t you mad?”
Sakuya actually laughs. Just a quiet, surprised sound. Because the image of Ryo, normally calm, blunt, and logical, standing here in a feverish panic about his livestream is strangely endearing. He thinks back to the conversation they had when they first started dating, when Ryo had insisted on keeping their relationship private, arguing that it would be easier that way, for the sake of jealous fans and for Sakuya’s privacy, even in a career where privacy is already a fragile thing. But now, standing here and looking at Ryo’s worried face, Sakuya finds himself oddly calm, thinking that the reveal was bound to happen eventually, and that tonight simply happened to be the moment it did.
“It’s okay, we just explain later.” Sakuya says gently. There’s probably more to think about, but he shuts off his thoughts, glancing towards the monitor. He finally sees the chaotic chat, messages moving so fast they’re almost unreadable.
— WHO IS HE
— BOYFRIEND CONFIRMED???
— later?? DONT KEEP US HANGING
— HE LOOKED SO HANDSOME
— wait is he okay though, he seems unwell
Sakuya stares at the screen for one second, then sighs.
“Uhm,” he mutters.
He turns back toward the camera.
“I’m sorry!” he announces suddenly.
“I don’t really know how to deal with this right now, I’ll figure out what to do later, I promise. But one thing is that I really need to take care of him now!”
Then he quickly shuts the livestream off, the screen going black. The viewer count from the livestream freezes permanently at 1,002,139 viewers.
Within minutes, the speculation spreads everywhere. But while the internet slowly breaks into a chaos, dissecting every detail and every possible piece of evidence, Sakuya simply guides a feverish Ryo to bed, focusing only on the person who matters most to him. He will entrust the rest to the Sakuya of tomorrow, as Ryo would definitely say, and then slowly closes his eyes, letting sleep carry him away.