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It's quiet up on the rooftop of the school building.
Usually, Emu would be there with them, waving her chopsticks wildly and getting rice all over them as she spoke while Tsukasa chided her to not be so messy with her food. Usually Nene would be there and she'd bully Tsukasa, as sharp tongued as she was, and he would reply back in such a loud voice that the entire school could probably hear him. Rui would mostly watch on and sometimes jump into the fray himself to poke fun of Tsukasa.
Today, Emu didn't come up on the rooftop and when they went to get Nene from her class, she just told them that she was too tired with deal with the both of them, which was a code for she had other things to do.
So here they are, Rui and Tsukasa, up on the rooftop eating lunch, and it's honestly not that bad with only the two of them.
Sure it would be more entertaining if all four of them were together but having a relaxed time during lunch isn't that bad either.
Tsukasa finished eating and his bento box is mostly empty except for a few pieces of green pepper. Rui is still waving around his half eaten milk bread while spitting out a hundred words per second. Tsukasa likes being the one speaking but it's nice to listen too. It's nice to see Rui so excited.
"...And then we could use the developed version of the prototype I was tinkering with a while ago to launch you high up!"
"Yes, yes," Tsukasa agrees before he realizes what he just heard, "Wait a minute what-"
"Glad you agree, Tsukasa!" Rui chirps happily.
He's the worst. Tsukasa replies immediately, "I do NOT. Don't take advantage of the fact that I didn't hear you properly."
Rui giggles and then he says, "You should tell me to stop if I ramble like that."
Tsukasa frowns at that. "But I like hearing you ramble."
Unexpectedly, Rui's cheeks turn a rosy shade at that.
"You do?"
"I do." Tsukasa confirms, "You always look so happy while you're rambling and that menacing gleam you usually have in your eyes disappears too. You feel… open somehow. I like that."
Rui looks a bit caught off guard and it might be one of the rare few moments that Tsukasa gets to see him be out of his element. His left hand, free of the milk bread, clenches and unclenched subconsciously before he brings it up to touch his hair. He's startled. Tsukasa likes to think that he knows Rui's tells better now that they've known each other for a while.
"Open, huh?" He repeats but his voice is impossibly soft.
"Yeah." Tsukasa nods and feels a little shy all of a sudden being under Rui's fond gaze.
It makes sense that Rui feels grateful towards Tsukasa in moments like these. He's happy being listened to and being noticed the way he is when he's around the three of them even though he shouldn't have to be so happy for simple things like that. He shouldn't have to sound so hopeful when all Tsukasa did was listen and notice the child-like happiness in his face.
Tsukasa feels his chest ache a little, thinking of a Rui who didn't have people who'd listen to him, who'd seen his happy expression, who'd make him make that happy face.
I will ensure this remains, Tsukasa thinks determinedly. I will make him happy.
Just like the promise he made with Emu up on that Ferris wheel, just like how he swore to be the best big brother ever, just like how he promised to himself to never make Nene make that face ever again, just like that Tsukasa will keep this promise. He will make all of them smileー his little sister, Emu, Nene and Rui, all of them.
"Nene used to listen to me when we were younger." Rui confesses, his eyes looking at somewhere in the past, unfocused. He doesn't often talk about his past so Tsukasa pays full attention towards what he says. "But we drifted apart during junior high and by then we didn't talk like we used to."
Guilt.
Tsukasa recognizes it immediately. And like a bullet being ejected from a gun, he says promptly, slapping his palm to his own chest, "I will listen to you!"
It's surprise that paints Rui's face at that outburst and Tsukasa cannot blame him. He feels a little silly too. But his emotions are a jumble of empathy, pity and the innate urge to help when he can so he continues.
"You know, as the leader of the troupe, as an actor under your directions, and most importantly, as your friend."
The air feels charged with something. Something Tsukasa quite can't identify but it's strong and it zips through him when his eyes meet with Rui.
Then, all of a sudden, Rui leans towards Tsukasa's direction and his heart thunders in his chest with anticipation. For what he doesn't recognize yet his shoulders draw up tightly with it and oh my god Rui looks prettier when he's closer like this w-
Rui's head plops onto his shoulder which relaxes immediately with his weight on it. Tsukasa lets go of the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.
"Thank you." It's a whisper of gratitude.
That alone feels so intimate.
Tsukasa doesn't know what to do with the weird jumble of these feelings and the revelation that he finds Rui's face attractive in an almost intimidating way. He's felt like this before too when Nene's hand grazed his by accident and when Emu hugged him tight.
Tsukasa only exhales as if letting out the steam from his warm, warm face and awkwardly pats Rui on the back. "Ha ha ha! I'm the future world star after all. You should be blessed to be with me." Now he's the one rambling.
Rui chuckles into his shoulder.
Despite the quickening pace of his heartbeat, despite the gradually fading warmth of his face, despite the confusing avalanche of feelings that washes over Tsukasa's being, like this he feels assured.
They're going to be okay.