Work Text:
“It’s nearly 10pm, huh?” Kamishiro Rui, who is now a working adult, yawns as he is finally able to see the entrance to get underground. His face mask and cap help to conceal his identity so making his way home is stress free.
These days he craves falling into his own bed almost as much as executing his ideas on stage.
If someone were to ask Rui back in middle school if he thought he’d be living with the love of his life in his late 20s, he’d probably have scowled and not answered. In the mind of that boy, the present Rui is sure he would be thinking that he’d never be able to find someone that tolerates him enough.
So thankfully he is present Rui who gets to be with his other eccentric half, Tsukasa.
It almost seemed natural for them to move in together after university so when Tsukasa gave him a spare key to his apartment, Rui didn’t hesitate to finally move out from his parent’s garage. Even if he brought chaos to Tsukasa’s rather tidy apartment, they now have their own spaces and their shared one.
Lucky, that’s what Rui is. He can only thank the stars that Tsukasa reciprocated the feelings he kept locked away since high school and that their relationship had progressed to be this strong. So strong that Rui could kiss his boyfriend senselessly to get recharged as a disguise. Getting to go back home and hug Tsukasa at the entrance after a long day of work was surely one of the best things Rui wouldn’t take for granted.
Tsukasa sees through it, Rui knows he does. He doesn’t mind in the slightest.
They live in the same apartment but they’ve been missing each other more often than not, either because of coming home late that the last train has gone already or having to leave early enough that the sun isn’t up. Not counting the week trip Rui took to Okinawa recently too.
“I wonder if I should order something for dinner tomorrow since I’ll be home before Tsukasa-kun or maybe I can pick something up from that restaurant he was curious about last week" he wonders as he mindlessly makes his way through the station, scanning his card to get through the gate and make his way down the stairs.
The electronic sign reads that it’ll take another five minutes till the next train so he fishes out his phone to see if Tsukasa had read his text that he was coming home late and that he should head to bed. He also needs to reply to Emu’s messages about the new attraction idea for Phoenix Wonderland that she wanted his input on.
“I am sick of him not helping me around the house, I swear Mikako!”.
“Hikaru-chan calm down! I understand your frustration but we are still in public…”.
Two women are chatting next to him as they wait for the train, the one in the business attire looking particularly frustrated as the other one in what appears to be a uniform from a cafe shows a look of understanding.
But Rui can’t help the chill he feels because it feels like what she is saying is addressing a lingering worry that had been in the back of his mind for a while. He silently asks for forgiveness for eavesdropping before doing so regardless. He keeps hold of his phone to appear busy.
“I can’t believe it but moving in together was a mistake” the brunette woman twirls a strand of her hair “At first, everything was fine, but he slowly started leaving everything to me. It’s like my job doesn’t even matter to him!”.
The black-haired girl gasps “Does he use work as an excuse? Talk about suddenly showing true colors!”.
“He does! We work at the same company and I am in a higher position than him. I have a heavier workload but I am the one doing all the laundry, cooking, and all other cleaning! I’ve been at my limits for weeks now and he doesn’t want to change at all” Her friend throws her hands up “Just because I started the schedule, maybe he thought I’d take care of everything. If he doesn’t want to put in any effort, he isn’t worth my time…”.
Rui slowly stops eavesdropping, briefly hearing the woman who was listening offer to help her move out when the time comes, because he gets lost in his own thoughts, “Aren’t I a bit like her boyfriend?”.
The thought stays with him as he gets on his train, taking hold of one of the free grab handles as he hears the announcement that they are departing for the next station. He gets off in 10 stops, which only gives him ample time to worry about his behaviour at home.
“Her boyfriend leaves everything to her… am I doing enough?” he feels himself shivering at the thought because he definitely could fit that description.
He can easily recount the times he’s woken up at his desk after he’s gotten lost in his ideas during the night with his shoulders covered in a soft quilt or coming home to the bath already being warmed up for him. The first time he pointed out those little things during their first month together, Tsukasa had blushed but told him he liked doing it. It makes an apartment more like a home in his star’s eyes, so Rui can only wonder if he should be contributing more.
He runs a hand through his hair. Just because his lifestyle was a little less structured than Tsukasa's doesn’t mean he should have taken this long to notice, even if it’s as simple as taking turns for certain chores
Wouldn’t Tsukasa like to be the one to come home to a clean house with the laundry done and a meal ready for once?
He hates cleaning, that had been a definitive fact since he was a kid. He wasn’t the best at cooking but he could follow instructions on his phone with ease. He wishes he could make some more elaborate things but he could admit he was lazy in that regard, especially since he and vegetables still don’t mix. Tsukasa-kun in a purple apron cooking a veggieless meal was much more appealing.
But Tsukasa also works and is also climbing the ranks in the world, yet he does a lot more than he does in the house on top of that “Getting engrossed in my work isn’t an excuse nor is not being in the house often if a project is going on at this scale when Tsukasa-kun does most of the housework whether its a working day or a day off on the weekend…What if he reaches his limit like that stranger woman!”.
Even so, how would he bring this up in a conversation without outing himself? How can he figure out a way to get Tsukasa to realise he wasn’t that incompetent with a sponge and a mop? He doesn’t want Tsukasa to…
“If that woman is that irritated by such a thing and wants to break up with her boyfriend, which is the right move… does Tsukasa always feel the same? Has he said anything to someone because I unknowingly started expecting him to do nearly everything?!” he shakes his head to try to shake that thought away, but his mind conjures a different scenario.
Tsukasa has invited Nene and Emu into their apartment while Rui is at work late again, sighing as the tea he prepared for his guests sits in front of him. It’s not out of the ordinary for friends to meet with each other but the scowl on his face looked out of place.
He’s complaining about how Rui isn’t doing anything around their home and the director’s heart sinks “Even when I tell him it’s okay, he just accepts it! It’s like he is taking advantage of me”.
Emu nods as if she has no doubt this is something Rui would do “Tsukasa-kun should do better than Rui-kun! Moving in with someone who hates cleaning is a death sentence”.
“Mmm, I agree with Emu. I’ve always said you could do better than Rui” Nene voices her opinion as well, which prompts Tsukasa to let out a sigh of relief “Well, before when you said it, it sounded like you were making a joke out of it. But I’ve given him too many chances to pick up the slack–”.
Rui feels like he is now tormenting himself imagining three of the dearest people in his life having a conversation that would end with Tsukasa choosing to break up with him “I absolutely cannot let that happen”.
Maybe the lack of sleep that’s been building up this past week is making him feel a little irrational, but at the very least, he feels as if he has a new goal he needs to set out. This sudden determination stays with him as he reaches his front door. Truthfully, it was a miracle their place was close to one of the stations, so it’s less than half an hour’s walk once he gets off the train.
Still, it’s strange that when he opens the door that he can still see lights on. This only puzzles Rui yet he still finds himself saying “I’m home”.
“Ah Rui, welcome home” a sleepy voice calls out to him as he takes off his shoes and slides on his slippers. Rui’s eyes widened at the sight of Tsukasa waving from their dining table, a cup of supposedly hot milk in front of him. He hasn’t made a move to get up or remove his hands from the cup after waving, clearly waiting for Rui to come to him.
Rui knows that he hasn’t been home as much as he’d like to be and some days a quick video call is all the contact they can get, but he doesn’t want that to become the norm.
“Tsukasa-kun, you didn’t have to stay up” Rui, of course, comes over and kisses the top of his head “Didn’t you get my text?”. He actually hadn’t checked if Tsukasa read his text now that he thinks about it, if Tsukasa had replied and he didn’t see he’d feel even worse.
“I wanted to and it isn’t that late,” despite saying that, Tsukasa yawns “I can whip up something small, if you’d like?”. It’s almost 10pm, but to someone who prioritizes his sleep schedule and wakes up earlier, this was considered late for him.
“It’s okay, I got a little something at the convenience store before getting on the train” he replies “I’ll just take a quick shower and get to bed, you should go so long”.
Tsukasa slowly blinks, as if he is thinking about something Rui has no idea about.
“Next time, the bath will be ready when you get home” Tsukasa’s smile is light and welcoming, the director’s heart hammers hard in his chest to the point he is sure Tsukasa could hear it, “But for now I’ll make you a cup”.
Rui tries to object but Tsukasa has already made his way to the kitchen, grabbing the milk and some honey to make him a cup. He looks at the drink left on the table, without any steam emitting from the cup “It’s cold”.
When Tsukasa comes back and sets the warm milk in front of him, Rui feels insanely guilty and the conversation of the deadbeat boyfriend comes back into his mind. Still, he drinks the sweet liquid and really feels how tired he was after today.
Rui thanks him which prompts Tsukasa to smile. He knows that his star knows he doesn’t have to stay up but maybe Tsukasa is doing it for a reason he doesn’t know “Is he softening me up before delivering the final blow?!”.
He is going to have to search on how to do housework efficiently and quickly, he needs to set up a routine or something. And this will start by letting Tsukasa take a well deserved break for his days off this week! This was surely overdue but in this case it’s better late than never!
As this dilemma is going through Rui’s head, Tsukasa happily sips his milk oblivious to his (stupid) boyfriend.
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The pings on his phone are consecutive and welcomed. It helped with a certain director’s plan after all. No shoes would be in the shelf before his, giving him ample time.
⤷ My star ☆: I’ll be home a little late today, there were some schedule changes I wasn’t told about in advance.
⤷ My star ☆: Nothing a STAR like me can’t handle but at least tomorrow we can spend the whole day together!
⤷ My star ☆: *Sticker*
Rui comes bursting into their apartment with bags of groceries on one arm and a new vacuum cleaner cradled with the other. He only had to check on things in the morning thanks to diligently doing his work to get three days off that coincided with his boyfriend’s, so he could put his plan into motion.
The only bump so far was when he called Nene about what type of vacuum he should buy and her voice grew loud as she said “You’re a grown ass man?!”. To be fair, getting a new vacuum was something Tsukasa mentioned and all Rui had to go off of was the fact he should get a newer model.
“Maybe the next time I see Mom, I should thank her for dealing with my messes for all those years. I lived at home for so long and barely picked up a duster” he thought when he paid for the vacuum “And now I owe Nene a few grapefruit jellies for her help”.
He wasn’t incompetent, he just hated cleaning. He’d like that fact to be reiterated. The reality that the place is already so clean is troubling, but the enhancement he made to the power of the vacuum cleaner would surely make every floor sparkle.
Tsukasa’s cleaning day is likely tomorrow, so he dusts everything he can and sprays the wooden surfaces before mopping the tiled floor. Rui can admit he got distracted by the blueprints he had conjured up a few nights before, and even if he wasn’t as fast as Tsukasa, he can say he did a good job.
A good hour passes and he’s in the kitchen. Since he only came back in the afternoon after going grocery shopping, which he used the list Tsukasa left on the fridge for, it was now closer to the evening. Since Tsukasa hadn’t given him the exact time he’d be home, and Rui didn’t want to rouse any suspicion, he could only guess.
As he picks up the dreaded onion, he runs through the checklist he made. The water geyser was turned on, he vacuumed, he mopped, the laundry was nearly done drying, so all that was left was making dinner. He’ll fold the washing later and fill the bath once dinner is in its last minutes of cooking.
Maybe he should ask the Tenmas for the ginger pork recipe so he can surprise Tsukasa, but starting off a little simpler made the room for error significantly less for this time. He can recall how small and easy the meals he makes for himself are, devoid of vegetables and generally teetering toward unhealthy, so he just needs to find the right recipes to recreate.
That’s why he chose a simple curry dish he found on his phone, equipped with the ingredients list and a visual step-by-step on what to do. The article said even a middle schooler could recreate it, so why couldn’t Rui, who makes complex inventions, be unable to do so?
It also helps that they still have rice in the fridge, so that’s one component down already. With his hair tied up in the back and the spare apron on, he’s ready to go.
He dices the onion and cuts the other veggies with a pained expression, but it was all for Tsukasa, so he couldn’t complain. The pot on the stove has oil inside already, now accompanied by the onions, and he later adds the apples and chopped vegetables inside as well.
He gets to the best part next, adding in the beef he had gotten beforehand and seasoning it accordingly “I can always pick out the vegetables later…”.
It smelled surprisingly good to the point that he could already daydream about Tsukasa eating his curry with the same gusto when he eats his mother’s homemade cooking.
So when he realizes he forgot to add garlic while being so focused on the beef and adding the water to boil it, he quickly gets back to the chopping board–
“Rui, I’m home!”.
“... Crap”.
When he hears the front door open, his face drops as he quickly turns to the clock “So much time has passed already? Did I get distracted that badly when I reviewed the notes I laid out from last night?”.
Tsukasa doesn’t say anything when he makes it past the front entrance, his bag slowly falling as he witnesses how absurd Rui looks at the moment. Rui knows it's unusual but surely it doesn’t warrant this amount of silence “Welcome home, Tsukasa-kun…”.
The blonde stops his staring as Rui sheepishly tries to continue chopping the forgotten garlic “You didn’t stay up again, did you, Rui? Are you running a fever?”.
Rui puts down the knife but keeps it out of Tsukasa’s grasp “I just planned to do some housework fufu…it should be hot when you turn on the water, so I’ll have dinner ready by the time you’re done”.
“Dinner you ordered?” Tsukasa tilts his head “I was talking about that new diner that opened up near the crossing recently”.
Rui pauses, trying to understand why Tsukasa’s expression is so bewildered. Was his body hiding the pot on the stove? “No, dinner I am making–”.
The star has washed his hands in the blink of an eye and is looking around for his apron “I can finish it if you’re hungry!”.
They weren’t arguing but their opinions were evidently clearly clashing at the moment.
“No no I came home earlier, you can see there isn’t a speck of dust anywhere” he puts his hands on Tsukasa’s shoulders to get him to stop moving, properly getting a good look at the confusion on his face “Tsukasa-kun, is something wrong? Did I misplace something on one of the shelfs?”.
Tsukasa narrows his eyes “Did something happen?”.
“Why must you assume something happened?” Rui is nervous, if this is how Tsukasa reacts now then it only sets into stone how little Rui did around their apartment. Maybe he really is like the boyfriend the stranger was complaining about “Nothing did, I simply heard something that made me rethink a few of my actions but Tsukasa-kun shouldn’t worry about it”.
“Rui…” honestly even in moments like these, the way Tsukasa said his name made him feel special. He could hear it over and over again, no matter what emotion his voice was portraying.
He clearly is looking for an explanation and Rui just decides to get it out there “I haven’t helped you around the apartment since I moved in right? I even took over the guest room as my workshop and only do the bare minimum of keeping that area clean”.
“I heard a conversation on the way home and it made me think, what if Tsukasa-kun is secretly fed up with me” he admits “And to think that you could break up with me over it after all the built up resentment because I am taking advantage of you. Just because we are lovers, doesn’t this mean I should step up more?”.
“WAIT A SECOND!” Tsukasa is clearly startled “All of this, you think I am fed up?”.
Rui nods.
“I enjoy taking care of you, I like doing housework, and you only really trash your own workspace most of the time. Haven’t I told you this? It’s not like we live in a mansion” Tsukasa points out but Rui can’t help but feel like he isn’t getting what he meant “I want you to be able to relax at home too”.
“That doesn’t really matter to me, housework is a breeze! Even if you think I am going to resent you for it” Tsukasa seems to finally grasp what he wanted to say “It lets me see a sight only for my eyes”.
Tsukasa poses, which Rui recalls to be number #388 “It feels as if I get to see a Rui only I get to know about… HA HA It makes sense since the Rui people see at work or who met him at networking parties isn’t the same Rui I live with”.
“So when you get access to this exclusive Tenma Tsukasa, shouldn’t you want to take it easy since you have him all to yourself? Millions of my fans would kill for even a glimpse of my domestic side!” Tsukasa proudly poses once again; he can also recall this number to be #576.
“Huh?” is the only thing Rui can say as Tsukasa goes to drive a finger into his chest “What happened to the Rui that begs me to sleep in with him regardless of if we have plans? The Rui that doesn’t care if he comes home while I am making dinner and uses the chance to watch me from the dining table? If you’re only now conscious of your ‘lazy side’, then I’ve known along!”.
Rui feels a little dejected, “You make me sound like a leech…” but is instantly refuted by “But you’re not! That’s the point!”.
“Even as we are steadily giving it all toward our dreams, it’s inevitable that the time we spend might become less. When I see you working hard I can’t help but think that I must keep up to stay by your side, a director and a star should stay together, especially if it's us!” Tsukasa proudly beams “You act as if you don’t pay half the rent and utilities. You are not leeching off me Rui. You do things around our home but it seems you forget…”.
He then clears his throat, taking both of Rui’s hands in this “But that’s not important right now, I am actually upset with you”.
“To think I’d leave you after all this time, is my love seen by you as something that can be broken” he pouts “I am selfish too, you know? I want to keep you all to myself sometimes”.
“So I guess I have to stay with you here until you get it through your thick skull that I wouldn’t leave other something so trivial” Tsukasa smiles confidently and spreads his arms “You should never doubt a star, is what I would say, but saying you shouldn’t doubt your lover is better suited here!”.
Rui doesn’t hesitate to accept the hug, arms already around Tsukasa’s midsection as if it were second nature. His head drops onto Tsukasa without a second thought and he hears a chuckle as Tsukasa’s hands secure themselves on his shoulder blades.
“Maybe I’ve been too tired to think clearly” Rui mutters into his shoulder which gets him a hearty slap on the back, encouraging him to melt into his star’s arms further “You shouldn’t listen to everything you hear in the first place”.
Rui smirks “Oya? So I don’t need to heed those lies about vegetables being good for you?”.
“Don’t twist my words to be used for something like that!” Tsukasa yells, uncaring of how close Rui’s ears were to his loud voice. Although years of living with him in close proximity gives him immunity, so he doesn’t complain.
How could Rui even think to complain in the first place when Tsukasa reassures him he’s wanted? It seemed silly that hearing one conversation just made him rethink a whole part of his life… but he knows the reason why.
When someone is already nervous about something that could impact their life positively, maybe they tend to nitpick the smaller things to ensure nothing goes wrong. Rui wanted to get to that future, the future where his ring would be on the ring finger currently placed on his back, so perhaps he started wondering if his imperfections could destroy his chance.
“But then again, I already got the ring” he thinks as he squeezes Tsukasa once again “Maybe I am getting too ahead of myself, but at the same time, I am impatient. No wonder I got called a spoiled child, just you wait Tsukasa-kun, I’ll become the perfect husband to stand by your side sooner rather than later!”.
“Now, should I help you with dinner?” Tsukasa is still smiling and, despite suggesting to help, doesn’t make a move from Rui’s arms.
Rui sighs on his shoulder once again, still under the impression Tsukasa won’t give up for today at least “No, it’s okay I got it. It may not be up to the standard your food sets, but it’ll surely be just as appetizing”.
“That’s all fine and well, but Rui, do you not smell the burning…?” are the words that make the director’s blood run cold but it also makes him realize that the smoke wasn’t in his imagination.
Golden eyes widen as he darts to the kitchen “DAMNIT!”.
Tsukasa laughs despite the fact Rui is panicking inside their kitchen and despite the fact he’ll have to help remake a part of their dinner. He really doesn’t care because seeing Rui not composed because of something that came so easily to him was amusing.
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Even though somebody had made the effort to close the curtains the previous night, sunlight still slipped into the shared room of Rui and Tsukasa. The light hits a shelf full of memories hidden in trinkets, an empty laundry basket, a worn-out plush of a Pegasus with a name benefiting from the star himself, before finally hitting a couple nestled beneath a thin blanket.
The blonde wakes up with hands around his waist and gentle snores, opening his eyes to the handsome face of Rui’s that was devoid of any worry. Being tucked against Rui was welcoming and Tsukasa had to do everything in his power not to slip back asleep and start his day in the afternoon instead – truly, it wasn’t his fault Rui was easy to cuddle.
Tsukasa waking up before Rui wasn’t anything out of the ordinary but he rarely ever got the time to admire him like this “He looks so peaceful”. He half wants to reach for his phone to check the time, the other half wants this moment to stand still forever.
Truth be told, Tsukasa never intended to speak a word of his crush on Rui to anyone. Rui was not only his to love, but Tsukasa desperately wanted that to be the case the first time he heard another girl confess to Rui on the rooftop.
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but he still felt gutted the moment he heard the director reject her feelings by saying he had someone else he liked.
When Rui confessed to him in their last year of university, he felt like he was on the moon. He felt as if his love would always be unrequited, to the point he felt selfish for having his feelings, so to be asked at the climax of a show made just for him was nothing short of euphoric.
The yes that resounded throughout the sekai’s theatre was loud and overjoyed.
And years later, they were here. He had kept his place by Rui’s side and yet this man still had the nerve to doubt that Tsukasa would leave him. He felt angry that Rui could even think of doubting his love, but maybe a tired brain was to blame here.
If the star had to describe his love, he’d treat it like watering a flower. Meticulously pouring in all the feelings he held dear to his heart, flowers bloom as an affectionate response. Watching Rui grow made his chest feel light and instinctively narrow his eyes at how bright he became, someone easily matching a star. His love becomes almost overflowing as more and more flowers bloom, he cannot stop thinking about it and he has to will himself to contain it lest the garden become overgrown.
More flowers would surely bloom today, there was no doubt about it.
Tsukasa’s hand comes to cup the side of Rui’s face that wasn’t pressed against the pillow. A tanned thumb comes to swipe against pale skin, but he barely stirs, seemingly leaning into it more than anything.
Kind, gentle, endearing.
Rui had been busy this year and Tsukasa couldn’t be prouder. It personally thinks one of the best projects Rui had taken on was teaching workshops and seeing the fruits of his students' efforts truly shine. It’s rewarding for Rui too. It’s too bad that sometimes he doesn’t answer his texts and calls because of how busy he gets. He normally thinks of the few common reasons: maybe he was engrossed in his work again, perhaps he was caught up in a meeting for some emergency or the sudden breakthrough on how to improve on an idea he suggested before, or maybe the trains were down again.
It’s only natural that if the person you like comes home exhausted, you want to take care of them and let them relax at home. That smile Rui gives when Tsukasa welcomes him home, he feels giddy just thinking about it when Rui brings him in for a hug. And he certainly doesn’t feel opposed when he’s the one home after Rui, feeling his exhaustion fade away when he is also welcomed home with a hug.
Maybe that’s why he was so reluctant to slowly detach himself from Rui’s comforting embrace. He hears a groan from Rui when his hair likely tickles his neck, but he thankfully doesn’t wake up. Tsukasa resists the urge to chuckle, unsure of how else to express his joy, but he really doesn’t want to wake him when he is so fast asleep.
He may never recall how they always end up so entangled while they slept but he never has any qualms about it. He sits on the side of the bed, noticing how his hands are encased in Rui’s shirt sleeves. Perhaps knowing that they both had the day off today, neither of them had set an alarm. Clearly, Rui had underestimated Tsukasa’s internal clock once again. He leans in, the springs underneath the bed creaking as he admires his lover’s sleeping face once again.
“I want to kiss him,” comes the predictable thought. If his younger self, the one who used to shy away whenever Rui attempted to hold a kiss for long, so that his present self now chased his lips… how shocked would he be?
When Rui kissed him, he felt as if he couldn’t deny wanting to beg for more. The fact that a kiss could be so addicting. It’s something he never would have imagined being true. In TV shows and movies he watched, he’d always thought the language was maybe exaggerated – to really bring the feeling of love to the audience. Yet when Rui holds him closely, he feels cherished.
So he simply presses a kiss on his forehead “Sleep well”. His words are whispered so softly as not to rouse him from his slumber.
The blonde gets out of bed before his resolve breaks and he tries to slip back into bed. He goes to the bathroom to refresh himself before heading to the kitchen. He stretches to shake off the remaining sleepiness before tossing on his apron “First things first, breakfast”.
When Rui enjoys the dishes he gets time to make, even if it's something not as elaborate, Tsukasa’s heart is filled with joy at the sight of his smile. He has a whole list of smiles he’s seen on Rui so of course he’d enjoy them all.
Even the manic one he gets when he is dead set on an idea, even if he still relishes in the idea of launching Tsukasa out of a cannon.
He rolls up his sleeves and gets to searching for the ingredients in their house. Spotting ingredients to make some miso soup and side dishes. It's a stroke of luck and now he has more time today compared to when he’d just make some rice balls before leaving for work.
“Alright, let’s not forget to turn on the rice cooker this time!” he hypes himself because even if Rui would eat what he made regardless, the goal is for the food to be all around delicious! An A+ from the star actor himself! As he tightens the apron so it’s comfortable and gets to work. Getting the time to cook something a little more elaborate would surely be a great way to wake up, he can already see Rui eating his food happily.
He’s always loved seeing him enjoy himself, so he couldn’t ever complain about assigning himself the role as their designated cook. It also lets him cherish a side of Rui that is just for him.
As the rice cooks in the cooker, since last night Rui didn’t make enough, he adds soy sauce and sugar to the beaten eggs. A long time ago, when he visited the Kamishiro household after graduating high school, Rui’s mother had shown him a few tricks she used in the food she cooked. He had joked about if she was trying to make him the perfect househusband, she had just told him that she trusted him in the kitchen more than her own son.
“I half expect to get a call that he burnt down the kitchen because he tried to amplify the oven!”.
“Still you’re too kind, Kamishiro-san. Can I take some notes then?”.
“Aw, you can call me Sumire, you’re my future son-in-law after all Tenma-kun!”
He recalls how a flustered Rui had practically run into the room to stop her, telling her she was getting ahead of herself, only for Tsukasa to scold him for disrespecting his mother. He also truthfully wanted her to continue so he could see the differences between the Kamishiro’s cooking and the Tenma’s.
But even with the way Rui was acting while that was happening, he hadn’t ever heard him ever complain about how the tamagoyaki was always on the sweeter side. Just like how his mom would make it. It was always cooked perfectly, the process of waiting for the poured mixture to solidify before rolling it back, and so on. He moves it to the side and gets back to the soup.
He has the dashi he made a few days ago and has already slowly boiled out, double-checking the heat was turned off. He dissolves the miso into the broth then adds the tofu he cuts in his hand after that’s finished.
When he drops the seaweed and chopped onions into the pot, he feels himself being pulled back a little. A new familiar warmth encases his back and a new weight slots itself onto his shoulder. Almost instinctively, he raises his hand and ruffles rather fluffy bed hair “Good morning, Rui. Great timing, I was about to wake you up soon”.
“Mmm” Rui mumbles into his shoulder. It isn’t unusual for Rui to come to him like this if he catches the actor making breakfast. Rui had never been a morning person so Tsukasa was used to helping him out on their off days.
“Good morning, Rui” Tsukasa repeats as he seemingly gets hugged tighter from behind. Rui doesn’t offer any verbal response but Tsukasa can feel the ticklish sensation on his nape accompanied by a soft chu sound.
If he were more awake, and if Tsukasa wasn’t cooking, he was sure Rui would have turned him around and peppered more kisses on his neck and his face. Tsukasa always smiled when he did so. Little moments like these can only make him wonder why on earth Rui thought he’d ever leave him – especially over something so trivial.
He scoops some of the broth in his spoon, keeping his free hand under it palm up, and guiding backwards. The director barely hears when he tells him to open his mouth but the familiar gesture has him do so regardless, gulping down his tasty cooking.
“Any complaints?” he asks, causing Rui to lean over his shoulder more, using his taller build to his advantage. “You’re wearing my shirt” he comments on his clothing instead of the soup and Tsukasa hums in response “I am. Sorry for borrowing it without asking”.
Rui tiredly chuckles “You look cute in it… so I forgive you for the green onions that you so knowingly fed me”.
Tsukasa laughs at how defeated he sounds toward the end “It’s not my miso soup without it! Just give me a few more minutes and it’ll be ready to serve”.
The blonde feels purple hair tickle his neck as Rui nods before slowly detaching his arms from his waist. Tsukasa smiles as another kiss is pressed onto cheek. Without a word, he goes to grab placemats and chopsticks. Rui had always set the table but it seemed like the man himself had seemed to forget.
In the blink of an eye, all the food is set on the table and they are both seated. The additions of the salmon and the pickled vegetables make Tsukasa’s mouth water. He isn’t trying to pat himself on the back. The delicious smell of breakfast makes both of them eager to dig in, quickly clasping their hands, “Itadakimasu”. Tsukasa goes for the pickled vegetables first while Rui goes for the rice and salmon.
“Here you go!” Tsukasa sets the bowl of soup right in front of him and he doesn’t hear any complaints. Despite his distaste for vegetables still remaining prevalent today, Rui likes his miso soup – well just a small amount compared to Tsukasa’s bigger portions “Thank you, Tsukasa-kun. Breakfast is as delicious as always”.
Yet Rui was eating so vigorously that it filled Tsukasa’s chest with more warmth than the soup in front of him did. Outside of these walls, their worlds are so big, but here it’s just the two of them. Right now, all they had to focus on was eating the food in front of them, not any responsibilities with their jobs, not any messages, not anything urgent.
Tsukasa will make a errand list later and they’ll go outside to do them together. Maybe they can pick up a small cake to share on the way back and finally finish watching the trilogy they had tackled last weekend, the newest edition starring Amami Seiichi. Tsukasa had insisted on watching from the beginning before seeing the last movie and Rui hadn’t objected, more than content with holding Tsukasa between his legs. In the end, they’ll exchange their opinions on everything from direction to acting to the effects and talk till their eyes can’t stay open.
It sounds perfect because he’ll once again fall asleep in Rui’s arms.
So he can’t help but think “I hope we can live like this forever. Please grant me the wish of staying by Rui’s side no matter what”.
“Hey, leave some salmon for me!” he is snapped out of his daydreaming by glaring at the man across the table, who didn’t feign the slightest sliver of guilt. Tsukasa doesn’t care because it's the same face Rui would give in high school when he sneakily added his vegetables to his plate.
It really makes him want to spoil him and reprimand him at the same time.
Rui speaks as he finishes the last of his food “I’ll do the dishes when we’re done”.
“Okay” Tsukasa replies, not making a big deal out of it, and brings his chopsticks back up to his mouth again. Rui was quite strange, but he wouldn’t have it any other way since he was strange as well.
The Weirdo-Wombo-Combo had stuck together, a fact that now always seemed inevitable.