Chapter Text
Tsukasa hated trains. He hated public transport matter of fact.
"HEYY!! WAIT I NEED TO CATCH THAT TRAIN!" a booming voice cut through the station.
A blonde man weaved through the crowd, grabbing the railing of the train with a relieved sigh, earning a few judgmental stares.
He pushed himself up the stairs, the doors closing shut behind him.
"Sir...here...ticket" be choked out between breaths, holding his ticket between his fingers.
The train sounded its horn, suddenly jerking forward, sending Tsukasa stumbling to the side.
Quickly apologizing to the lady he had bumped into, he carefully made his way down the carriage, trying not to whack anyone with his bag. The chatter of commuters blended together beneath the rumble of the train.
The metal beneath his shoes vibrated slightly, making it difficult to stabilize himself.
He squinted down the aisle, one hand on the railing. He looked like an idiot right now, didn't he? Not that it bothered him of course, hah!
He clung to the pole tightly, desperately trying not to fall. If only he had arrived earlier...
Public transport was truly a test of character.
Ah, an empty seat!
He stared at it for a moment, almost afraid it would disappear.
It was quite hard to find one of those on such a packed train. It was Monday, everyone was rushing to work - so was he.
He pushed through, squeezing between the commuters waiting for the next stop as the carriage swayed him back and forth.
Letting out a sharp exhale, he collapsed onto the seat, bag slipping off his shoulder. He started to set briefcase down beside him, pausing halfway.
He noticed someone else sitting across from him.
Oh well, he didn't mind company most times on the train; however, this time it felt strangely...different?
He stole glances while fixing his hair, eager to jump to conclusions as he often did.
Across sat a thoughtful, quiet-looking man, the same age as him if he was right. His fedora was annoyingly covering most of his face as he wrote in a small, coffee-stained book, the scratch of his pen barely audible over the rumble of the train. Occasionally, he'd turn to glance out the window, gaze lingering for no longer than a few seconds.
Huh, strange. I guess it's not too uncommon to see weirdos on the train, Tsukasa thought to himself. Rather hypocritical, wouldn't you agree?
He noticed the slightest tug of smile, his head lifting by a fraction.
Crap! He must've seen me staring; he panicked.
Quickly turning away, he shifted his gaze out the window as well. There wasn't anything interesting out there, though, as long as he didn't have to talk with that guy.
However, his hopes were crushed not too long after.
"Good morning, fancy seeing a person sit here for once, fufu~"
Tsukasa flinched as he spoke, glancing around nervously out of embarrassment.
"HAHA! REALLY???" he replied loudly, rubbing the back of his neck as a few passengers gave him annoyed looks.
The purple-head chuckled, leaning back in his seat, his golden eyes peeking through his hair.
"Really indeed. I usually just, scare people away, according to a lovely gentleman," he explained vaguely, leaning forward, an elbow resting on his knee.
Tsukasa nodded, trying to focus on anything other than this odd stranger he had NEVER seen before. Never in his 20 years.
"I can see why..." he muttered under his breath to the young mans amusement, clicking the belts of his boots together.
"Oh? Am I really that creepy? I simply want to converse with my fellow commuters," he joked, chin in his hand.
Tsukasa stared back, finding this conversation both stressful and engaging, a twisted form of entertainment.
"I... I mean sort of?" he shrugged, easing in his seat as the man let out a soft giggle.
He lay reclined across his two seats, propping an arm on the edge of the seat, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Oh well. I guess people just assume the worst of people nowadays. Ah, the crude world we live in," he spoke smoothly, almost like a poet.
Tsukasa hummed, fixing the button of his collar, unable to turn away from this interesting individual.
"So...where you heading, um..." the eccentric man trailed off, an expectant look as he raised an eyebrow.
Tsukasa narrowed his eyes, knowing full well that he definitely did not want know anything about where he was going, but he still gave his all for his introduction.
"Tsukasa Tenma! I know, I know, a name worthy for such a star like me," he finished, his ego getting the better off him as he struck a pose.
The guy's eyes widened in slight shock, biting back a laugh at his confidence.
He repeated it softly, as if tasting the sound.
“Mhm, suits you,” he responded, his teasing tone peaking through "Rui Kamishiro, please, feel free to just call me Rui"
"Rui, nice!" Tsukasa pronounced, flashing a bright smile as he gave him a friendly handshake.
It was surprising how quickly they connected. You might say it was almost fate, happening on a random Monday morning. Despite that, he could see himself getting used to him.
The soft sunlight illuminated their faces, the faint sound of nature playing in the background past the window.
An awkward silence hung between them. Right...they were still in the talking stage; they barely knew anything about each other.
The windows were still slightly fogged from the warmth of the crowded carriage. A muffled announcement played somewhere further down the carriage, barely audible over the train. It was dawn, clearly; nobody seemed to have had their coffee before hopping on.
Speaking of caffeine...
"I'm just going to go down to get a coffee real quick. You want?" Tsukasa offered, cautiously standing up, grabbing onto the pole before the train could steal his dignity again.
Rui politely shook his head, biting the end of his pen in deep thought, subtly eyeing him up and down.
Tsukasa paused, puzzled by the strange glance.
Brushing it off, he gave a small nod before making his way down the train to the small cafe tucked a few carriages from this one.
He never understood the wonders of caffeine before he hit his 20s. Damn, he was in his 20s? Already?
Oh good grief...Caffeine really was a miracle.
Yes.
The train made a sudden jerk, sending Tsukasa into a wall. Thank goodness it was a wall this time.
Let's see if he could make it down without face planting into the cold, metal floor...
A true challenge for a star like him.