Chapter Text
Upon his arrival at Rui’s house, Tsukasa was greeted by the sight of countless plants crowding the doorstep. It took him a minute to spot the one with purple flowers, tucked away in a corner in the tiniest pot he’d ever seen—just barely large enough to hide the spare key.
As he picked up the pot, an image of Rui tending to the plants popped into his mind: hair clipped back with colorful barrettes, perhaps carrying a little elephant-shaped watering can… it was too cute.
Tsukasa sighed, shaking his head to push the image away. Focus, he reminded himself. There would be time for daydreaming later.
Walking up to the door, he slid the key into the lock. As he stepped inside, he made a mental note to ask Rui if the plants needed watering.
Rui would be devastated if they wilted, so he could not let that happen.
“Pardon the intrusion,” Tsukasa called, closing the door behind him. “Rui? Are you alive?”
No answer.
The house was eerily quiet, and Tsukasa couldn’t decide whether that was a good or bad sign.
After slipping off his shoes, Tsukasa stepped into the entryway and made his way to the kitchen. He set the plastic bag on the counter and his other bag on the floor below. Once that was done, he doubled back to check the garage.
“Rui, you better not be working on anything in there.” Tsukasa opened the door and flicked the lights on.
The room was unoccupied.
Tsukasa stepped further inside, scanning the space for any sign that Rui had been here recently. The floor was scattered with parts and gadgets, as chaotic as ever, and a fully assembled robot sat upon the worn-out couch.
Something on Rui’s desk caught his attention. Moving closer, Tsukasa realized it was a calendar. The nearest Sunday, two days away, was circled in red sharpie, with the word “SHOW” written in bold letters inside the box. Beneath it, a little smiley face had been drawn.
Ah, crap.
How was Rui going to react when he found out the show was postponed? Tsukasa could already see him blaming himself, even though it wasn’t remotely his fault.
The thought made Tsukasa’s chest tighten. How was he supposed to break the news? Rui was sure to bring it up, and there was no avoiding the conversation. Tsukasa ran through a few potential scenarios in his head, but none of them felt right.
Each imagined version of Rui’s sad expression left an ache in Tsukasa’s heart.
Tsukasa decided he’d just have to handle it when the time came. For now, finding Rui was his priority.
He headed upstairs next, remembering that Rui’s bedroom was the first door on the right. As he approached, he noticed the door was left ajar.
“Rui?” Tsukasa whispered, peeking around the doorframe.
Relief washed over him the moment he spotted Rui, curled up and sound asleep in his bed near the opposite wall.
Tsukasa tiptoed over to Rui’s bedside to observe his sleeping friend. A fuzzy neon-green blanket was pulled up to Rui’s chin, hiding all but his face. Despite his peaceful pose, the slight flush on Rui’s cheeks and his pinched expression gave away his condition. Without thinking, Tsukasa reached out to smooth the crease between Rui’s brows.
The gentle touch made Rui stir, murmuring softly as he tugged the blanket higher and burrowed his face into his pillow. Startled, Tsukasa yanked his hand back as though it had been scorched.
What was he doing?! Touching Rui like that without permission! What kind of friend did that? He was lucky Rui hadn’t woken up to witness his lapse in judgment.
Mentally berating himself, Tsukasa turned and hurried out of Rui’s room. He had to remember that this was Rui, not Saki; no matter how strong the urge to comfort him was, he couldn’t just touch his friend without knowing Rui would be okay with it.
As he descended the stairs, one step let out a loud, unforgiving creak. Tsukasa froze, holding his breath. Surely that wasn’t enough to wake Rui….
He waited. Five seconds passed. Then ten, then—
“Nene? Is that you…?”
Rui’s weak, gravelly voice floated into the hallway, and Tsukasa cringed. Of course, it had to wake him. He couldn’t leave Rui hanging, though, so he turned around and stepped back up, stopping in Rui’s doorway.
“It is not Nene, but I, the great Tenma Tsukasa!” He declared, though he kept his usual theatrics at a quieter volume. “I must apologize deeply for disturbing your rest.”
“Tsukasa-kun?” Rui blinked up at him, his expression groggy but curious. He was now sitting up, the neon-green blanket pooled around his waist, revealing an oversized pink souvenir shirt from Phoenix Wonderland. His messy bedhead only added to the sight, so effortlessly adorable that Tsukasa struggled to keep his composure. “I thought I felt someone touch my face…”
Tsukasa froze again, his pulse quickening. So Rui had noticed. “Aha… about that—”
“Wait, Tsukasa-kun?!” Rui’s tired confusion gave way to alarm, a look of horror spreading across his face. “What are you doing here? I don’t have a mask on. What about—” His voice abruptly failed him, and he winced, his hand flying to his throat. Moments later, he broke into a fit of coughing, his other arm rising to cover his face.
Tsukasa’s heart leapt into overdrive as he looked around the room, desperate for anything that might help. His eyes landed on a water bottle on the bedside table, still half-full. He grabbed it and hurriedly handed it to Rui.
Rui took it gratefully, sipping carefully before setting it down, but his next move was to weakly push Tsukasa away. “You’ll… catch it,” he rasped, turning his head downward, avoiding Tsukasa’s gaze.
“I won’t!” Tsukasa reassured him. “I haven’t been sick in years.”
Rui hesitated, then glanced back at him skeptically. “... Why are you here?”
Tsukasa frowned. “To take care of you, of course,” he replied without missing a beat.
“What about Saki-kun?”
Ah. So that’s what Rui was worried about.
“She was actually the one who sent me here!” Tsukasa informed him with a bright smile. “I am under strict orders not to return home until everyone is healthy again. So, you don’t need to worry about her at all. Let’s focus on you, okay?”
Rui still looked unconvinced, but he nodded.
“Great! Oh, also…” Tsukasa’s smile turned sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry for touching your face earlier. You had this uncomfortable sort of look, and I couldn’t help it… it won’t happen again.”
Rui’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and he shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I didn’t mind. It felt nice, actually.”
Tsukasa’s breath caught for a second, his composure faltering. Nice? “It… it did?”
Rui nodded, seeming oblivious to Tsukasa’s reaction. Normally, Rui would have noticed and teased him mercilessly, Tsukasa thought. “I like it when you touch me. Because I trust you. You know that, right?”
Tsukasa’s heart was dangerously close to exploding. What was this sudden, unfiltered sincerity from his director?! He immediately tried to cover for himself. “Y-yes, of course! Then you won’t mind if I feel your temperature?”
“You don’t have to ask,” Rui replied simply, his gaze steady.
Tsukasa’s brain short-circuited. Rui was definitely trying to kill him—there was no other explanation. Telling Tsukasa he could touch him whenever he wanted, and with that piercing, earnest look in his sharp yellow eyes… it was almost too much.
Now all Tsukasa could think about was running his fingers through Rui’s messy hair, brushing his fingertips against Rui’s cheek, pulling him into a tight embrace.
But he could do none of that.
Because Rui meant it in a purely platonic way, and everything Tsukasa wanted was soaked with romantic intent.
Life, Tsukasa decided, was deeply and profoundly unfair.
He shoved those thoughts away before Rui could notice anything was amiss. “Of course I have to ask,” Tsukasa said, carefully pushing Rui’s bangs aside and pressing his hand to Rui’s warm forehead. “The answer could be no.”
“Such a gentleman…” Rui’s voice was soft, his words carrying the faintest hint of teasing, but he didn’t even have the energy to muster a smile. Tsukasa missed that smile. He missed Rui.
“That’s right! As is befitting of a star!” Tsukasa injected his usual flair into the response, but something about Rui’s tone, about the way his energy seemed dimmed, lingered in his mind. Nene had been right—Rui wasn’t acting like himself.
“For you, though, the answer is always yes.” Rui leaned into Tsukasa’s hand, his eyes fluttering closed. The quiet vulnerability in the gesture tugged at Tsukasa’s heart, and before he realized what he was doing, the words slipped out:
“Can I hug you?”
The question hung in the air, and Tsukasa’s face burned with regret. He hadn’t even known he wanted to ask until it was already said. But now it was too late to take it back.
Rui’s eyes cracked open, though he avoided meeting Tsukasa’s gaze. “Are you sure you want that? I’m still not wearing a mask. You’ll be covered in my germs.”
“I want it.” Tsukasa wanted it badly.
Rui nodded, eyes shutting again. “I already told you, didn’t I? The answer is yes.”
Regret melted into unbridled relief as Tsukasa sat down on the bed, carefully wrapping Rui in his arms. Rui nestled his head into the crook of Tsukasa’s neck, just beneath his chin, and the fit felt so natural, so perfect, that Tsukasa had to fight once again to keep his emotions in check.
I love you so much, Tsukasa wanted to say.
“I missed you so much,” he said instead.
Rui chuckled, his breath flitting against Tsukasa’s skin. “You did?”
“Don’t act so surprised! I already told you: it’s not the same without you around.”
“I suppose you did say that…” Rui’s voice was faint, almost hesitant.
Tsukasa frowned, pulling back slightly to glance at Rui’s face. “You sound like you don’t believe me.”
“No, I do,” Rui said, shaking his head lightly. “I just… I thought you were upset with me.”
The words hit Tsukasa like a plunge into icy water. His heart twisted painfully. How had he given Rui that impression? “No! No, I could never be upset with you! What made you think that?”
Rui’s gaze wandered away. “You didn’t text me back…”
Ah. Now that Rui mentioned it, Tsukasa realized with a pang of guilt that he hadn’t. “I’m truly sorry, Rui. It completely slipped my mind. I assure you, I’m not upset with you, and I never was.”
“It’s—” Rui stopped abruptly, his nose wrinkling.
“It’s…?”
Instead of answering, Rui turned his head away and sneezed into his elbow. “Ugh,” he groaned, sniffling miserably.
“Are you okay?” Tsukasa asked, concern spiking.
“Yes, I’m okay. And it’s okay,” Rui muttered, lifting a hand to rub at his forehead. He suddenly seemed ten times more drained, his exhaustion more visible than ever.
“You don’t look okay. Here, lie back down.” Tsukasa stood, carefully helping Rui ease down onto the mattress. “Do you have a headache?”
“Yes,” Rui admitted, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Alright. And your throat still hurts, I assume. Have you taken any medicine?”
Rui shook his head slowly.
“Rui!” Tsukasa exclaimed in astonishment. “Why not?”
“Don’t have any…”
Tsukasa sighed. “Right, of course. You’re lucky I came prepared. How does Tylenol sound?”
Rui shook his head again, this time more firmly. “No Tylenol… I’ll die.”
“You’ll die?!”
Rui just nodded.
“I see,” Tsukasa deadpanned, folding his arms, then he struck a dashing pose. “Well, worry not, princess! For I shall return shortly—with no Tylenol!”
… Princess?!
The words had barely left his mouth before Tsukasa spun on his heel and bolted out of the room, taking the stairs two at a time. No way was he going to stick around to witness Rui’s reaction.
Why did I say that?! Tsukasa tugged at his bangs in frustration as he paced in the kitchen. Of all the things he could’ve called Rui—his brilliant director, his closest friend, the person he admired most—he had chosen princess.
Princess. A word for women, entitled people, or lovers. Rui was none of those things! There were a million better ways to phrase his teasing. Or better yet, he shouldn’t have called him anything at all!
Rui probably didn’t mind, Tsukasa tried to convince himself. And if he did mind, well, Tsukasa would just apologize and claim it was because Rui was being dramatic!
Yes, he decided. That’ll work.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. There wasn’t time to spiral over this. Rui needed medicine—just not Tylenol, apparently.
Digging through the bag of items Saki had packed, Tsukasa pulled out two different medications. Naturally, one of them was Tylenol. He set it aside with a sigh and inspected the other: plain old ibuprofen. That should do. If Rui needed something else, he could always make a quick trip to the nearest convenience store. Shoving the ibuprofen back into the bag, he carried it upstairs.
At Rui’s doorway, Tsukasa peeked around it silently, not wanting to disturb him if he’d managed to fall asleep. Rui was still lying where Tsukasa had left him, but now a black paper mask covered the lower half of his face, and his left arm was draped over his eyes, presumably to block the light streaming in through the tall window beside the bed.
For a moment, Tsukasa thought Rui might be asleep, but then Rui let out a shaky sigh and rolled onto his side, facing him. The arm covering his eyes slid away, and his gaze brightened as soon as he noticed Tsukasa.
“Ah, Tsukasa-kun!” Rui greeted weakly.
“You put a mask on,” Tsukasa pointed out, stepping into the room. He realized too late how… disappointed he sounded.
“Of course I did.” The light in Rui’s eyes seemed to dim slightly at his tone. “Why wouldn’t I? You sound… not exactly confused, but… off. What is it?”
“It’s nothing,” Tsukasa lied quickly. He thanked his lucky stars that Rui’s fever-addled brain wasn’t sharp enough to pick up on the truth. After all, he couldn’t exactly admit that he was upset the mask hid so much of Rui’s beautiful face.
Rui hummed, still suspicious, but his gaze shifted to the plastic bag Tsukasa was carrying. “What’s in there? It looks like it’s about to burst.”
The change in subject was more than welcome. “Ahaha! This, my friend, is a collection of items my dearest sister assembled just for you!” Tsukasa declared proudly. He began unpacking the bag, carefully setting each item on Rui’s bedside table. With every new addition, Rui’s eyes widened further in astonishment.
When the bag was emptied and his tabletop filled, Rui cleared his throat. “Ah… that certainly is quite a collection. Please thank your sister for me.”
“I shall!” Tsukasa replied with a warm smile. “But first, let’s get started. Ibuprofen is okay, right?” He held up the bottle of pills, and Rui gave a small nod of approval. Unscrewing the lid, Tsukasa fished out a single pill. “We’ll start with one for now. If it’s not enough, you can take another later.”
Tsukasa turned to hand the pill to Rui, but paused when he noticed the expression on Rui’s face—a strange, bittersweet look that didn’t quite match the moment. “Rui? What’s wrong?”
“Hm?” Rui’s eyebrows shot up, startled out of his thoughts. “Ah, was I making a weird face? I apologize.”
“No, not weird. Just…” Tsukasa trailed off, searching for the right words but finding none. Instead, he opted to ask directly, “Am I being too overbearing? If I’m making you uncomfortable—”
“No!” Rui’s voice rose, cracking a little, and he winced.
“Rui—” Tsukasa’s free hand hovered over Rui’s shoulder, mere centimeters away from touching. “Please, don’t strain yourself.”
Rui pushed himself upright, his movements slow but determined, and reached to grasp Tsukasa’s hand. “You’re not making me uncomfortable. Don’t ever think that.”
Tsukasa’s gaze dropped to their joined hands, his thoughts scattering. The calluses on Rui’s fingertips, the softness of his palms—it all felt so grounding, so warm, that the rest of the room seemed to melt away. He barely registered himself murmuring, “Okay.”
“Tsukasa-kun?” Rui’s voice was tentative, pulling Tsukasa from his haze. Rui glanced down at their hands as if realizing for the first time what he was doing. With a soft gasp, he quickly released his grip.
“I’m sorry,” Rui said, his voice quieter now. “Here you were making a big show of asking permission, and now I’m the one making you uncomfortable. Please forgive me.”
But before Rui could pull back completely, Tsukasa reached out and clasped Rui’s hand again, his fingers curling around Rui’s with deliberate care. “Don’t apologize! I quite like it when you touch me, too.”
Now Rui stared at their joined hands, his expression unreadable behind the mask. But was he… blushing? The faint pink dusting his cheeks might have been from his fever, or perhaps… something else.
“I-I see…” Rui stammered softly, his voice unsteady. “I’m glad.”
Tsukasa smiled at Rui, doing his best to ignore the bounding leaps of his heart. Unable to resist, he ran his thumb gently along Rui’s knuckles, delighting in how Rui’s pink cheeks darkened further. So he was flustered!
Then Rui looked up, blinking at him with those soft, wide eyes, batting his lashes unintentionally. Tsukasa almost couldn’t handle how cute it was.
“Ah, Tsukasa-kun…” Rui giggled, the same breathy laugh as always, but now it was a death sentence for Tsukasa’s poor, overworked heart. “Your face is getting red.”
“It is not !” It was. But Tsukasa had no way to hide it, so instead he opted to distract Rui by flipping over his hand and dropping the pill in his palm. “Take your medicine!”
Rui glanced at the pill, then back at Tsukasa, his eyes crinkling mischievously. Even with the mask covering the lower half of his face, Tsukasa could sense that devious smile—the one Rui always wore before he teased him. “Yes, your highness.”
“Y… your highness?!” Tsukasa might die twice over.
The crinkles at Rui’s eyes smoothed, and though Tsukasa couldn’t see it, he just knew that Rui had donned his signature pout. “Oh? Tsukasa-kun can call me princess but I can’t call him your highness? How unfair…”
Tsukasa sighed and squinted at him. Though it was embarrassing, deep down he was just relieved Rui turned the nickname into a silly game. “I didn’t say that. Now take your medicine, or I’ll have you sent to the stocks!”
“Such cruelty! His highness would send his sickly princess to the stocks!” Rui fake-cried, grabbing his water bottle like it was some kind of lifeline.
“If you simply do as I say, I won’t have… to…” Tsukasa’s words faltered as Rui pulled down his mask, revealing his face. It wasn’t as though Tsukasa hadn’t seen Rui countless times before—of course, he had. But somehow, the simple act of seeing him now, bathed in the soft afternoon light, struck Tsukasa silent.
He had almost forgotten how stunning Rui’s features were in the five or so minutes since they had been hidden away.
Rui swallowed down the pill with a mouthful of water and gave Tsukasa a quizzical smile. “You won’t have to what, your highness?”
“I—uh…” Tsukasa blinked rapidly, his brain scrambling for coherence. “I won’t… have to… um.” He could feel the heat rising to his face. Great. He couldn’t stop blushing like a lovesick fool in front of the very person making him act this way.
“Tsukasa-kun?” Rui’s confusion deepened, his golden eyes softening with concern. “What is it? Ah, perhaps you don’t like that nickname after all?”
Tsukasa shook his head. “No! No, I do!”
Rui tilted his head in that thoughtful way of his, a lock of purple hair slipping free from behind his ear and brushing against his cheek. He didn’t seem to notice, but Tsukasa certainly did. Rui’s every movement felt magnified, captivating, and utterly unfair.
“Alright… but you were looking at me quite strangely,” Rui mused, his gaze searching Tsukasa’s face. “Is there something on my face?”
Yes there is, Tsukasa thought as his heart thudded in his chest. Your gorgeous eyes, cute nose, beautiful lips, flawless skin… everything.
“Oh, really?” Rui asked in surprise, raising a hand to his cheek as if to feel for some invisible blemish. Horror surged through Tsukasa’s veins, icy and unrelenting. This was it. His undoing. He was going to die.
If he didn’t die, he’d have no choice but to leap out of Rui’s window and dissolve into the ether.
“D… did I say that out loud…?” He croaked, his voice an octave higher than usual.
Rui giggled at him. Giggled! Again! What kind of cruel torment was this? “No, but you nodded. Why, were you thinking something embarrassing, perhaps?”
Oh thank god. Relief washed over Tsukasa like a tidal wave, and he slumped, his shoulders sinking under the weight of near-catastrophe. “Yes, something super embarrassing indeed, so I’m glad I didn’t say it out loud.”
Rui hummed thoughtfully. “I see… Tsukasa-kun, could you tell me where it is?”
“Where what is?”
Rui’s lips quirked into an amused smile. “The thing on my face.”
Oh.
Tsukasa’s mind reeled, desperately searching for an escape. The unfortunate truth was that there wasn’t anything on Rui’s face—not a stray crumb, not a speck of dust, nothing. He was about to be caught in the web of his own stupid nonsense.
Then, like a bolt of inspiration from the heavens, an idea struck him.
“Never fear, my dear director! I shall remove it for you.”
Rui blinked, wide-eyed, clearly not expecting that response, and his surprise gave Tsukasa the confidence boost he needed. Slowly, carefully, Tsukasa reached out and tucked the stray lock of Rui’s hair back behind his ear, brushing his thumb lightly along Rui’s cheekbone as he did so. His hand lingered for a moment longer than necessary, the warmth of Rui’s skin making his heart race, before he pulled back with a grin. “There you go!”
For a moment, Rui simply stared at him, his expression unreadable. Then, as if realization had struck, his face turned so red that Tsukasa genuinely worried for a second that his fever might be spiking. To both Tsukasa’s delight and dismay, Rui shyly averted his gaze and tugged his mask up in an attempt to hide his cherry-red cheeks.
The silence that followed was sweet and charged, allowing Tsukasa a brief moment to admire the rare sight (though it seemed to be becoming increasingly common) of a flustered Rui. Then, after a tiny, hesitant cough, Rui cleared his throat and whispered, “Thanks.”
Snapping out of his self-satisfied reverie, Tsukasa decided he should give Rui a chance to relax after flustering him so much. “But of course! Anything for you. Seeing as you’ve expended a lot of energy, I should let you rest while the painkiller does its thing.”
“Oh… okay.”
Was that… disappointment in Rui’s tone? The thought made Tsukasa hesitate, but he decided not to dwell on it. “Don’t worry, I’ll be downstairs if you need anything. And I mean anything! Just call or text, and the great Tenma Tsukasa will take care of it!”
That earned him a small, amused smile from Rui, visible even with the mask. “Alright, I will.”
“Good. Is there anything else you need right now? Saki made soup, so that will be for dinner in a few hours.”
Rui shook his head. “I’m okay. Thank you.”
“Okay.” Tsukasa moved to the doorway, pausing just before stepping out. He glanced back at Rui, who was watching him, his golden eyes soft and warm. “Rest well! And if I catch you doing anything besides resting, you’re in big trouble.”
Rui’s quiet laugh followed him out of the room, floating in the air like a melody Tsukasa never wanted to forget.