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He’d spoken to Tsukasa beforehand, arguing that such things were unnecessary and restricted movement to an annoying extent. Rui couldn’t exactly say that his words had any kind of effect on the older’s decision- nor did they usually have an effect on Tsukasa’s mind, oh, how brilliantly stubborn he was- but the fact that Tsukasa still went through with his plan was remarkable, almost. Remarkable in the natural Tsukasa Tenma way, that is; at this point, Rui had decided that there was no use to being surprised anymore at Tsukasa’s plans or his mischief.
Though, Rui couldn’t exactly say that he’d been expecting the scene unfolding right before his eyes, as his hands trailed down the planes of Tsukasa’s back, taking a hold of the tightening strings on the rear of the older’s corset.
The room was silent, filled only with the quiet sounds of his accomplice’s breathing and the occasional hitch in short inhales. There wasn’t much to say, rather, when it came to the two of them and such an intimate thing like this. Intimate, Rui thought, as he studied the intricacy of the lace design on the corset, could it even be considered intimate? They’d passed the boundaries concerning holding hands and the occasional kiss on the cheek, but this was another world- no, another universe for the both of them. Not that Rui particularly minded. Being with Tsukasa filled him with a joy that he couldn’t find anywhere else on the planet, so despite the challenges they’d had in the past, the feelings he felt for his bright-eyed and loud mouthed lover would never change.
Thin hands idly loop around the back strings once more, running down the curves of the corset’s sculpted waist (and thus feeling Tsukasa shiver unconsciously in response- wow, he was cute) . “Could you remind me why exactly you decided to wear this?” Rui questions, leaning down just a little so his mouth was only inches away from the other’s ear, still fascinated with the design of the garment. The one Tsukasa happened to be wearing was a deep blue, reminiscent of the nighttime sky dotted with stars. It was beautiful, and looked even more lovely when worn by the older boy. “It’s very nice, you know. Suits you quite well.”
“Don’t say things like that- oh,” Tsukasa starts to argue, but he stops short as Rui curiously pulls on the laces of the corset with a small tug. A gasp escapes his lips, and Rui can’t help but laugh a little when Tsukasa’s cheeks flush a deep red. “No laughing! I-I just assumed that it would bring a little more elegance to our shows, that’s all!”
“Elegance?” Rui echoes, and the chuckle in his voice is a little on the evident side, “Is Wonderlands x Showtime supposed to be ‘elegant’? I was under the impression that we were more on the louder side, no?” Of course Rui was well-aware that Tsukasa was only grasping for an excuse to buy a corset, but fortunately, teasing the older happened to be one of his favorite pastimes. Tsukasa’s reactions were 1) hard to give up, 2) somewhat exaggerated , and last but never least, 3) absolutely endearing.
The director watches in amusement as Tsukasa visibly shakes his head and clicks his tongue. “Tch, no matter… Just hurry up, please? I don’t know if I can stand still for too long, Rui! I’m meant to be free, always, since I was-”
“Destined to be a star, yes, Tsukasa-kun, I know,” Rui finishes his statement casually, and leans down to press a small kiss to the younger’s cheek (with the intent of effectively shutting him up, and voila, it worked and always works like a charm). There’d eventually come a time, Rui hoped, that he’d be able to confess how he’s always seen Tsukasa as a shining star, the sun of his universe- but, alas, that time was not the present. “As you wish, my dear.”
Ignoring the faint sputters of embarrassment coming from his beloved boyfriend in response, Rui’s eyes narrow in deep concentration. His hands swiftly looped over and under into the eyelets of the corset, ribbon pressing against the silk of Tsukasa’s blouse, and it all seemed too… natural. He’d tied a small handful of corsets during his lifetime (admittedly, one for himself, which was an experience) but the way Tsukasa was gradually leaning more and more into the touch, the way Rui’s hands cautiously moved around the other’s waist in fear of truly harming him; it seemed more to be like a routine than a one-time thing. They’d only been established for a few weeks at the most but it felt like years, and Rui desired a reality where they’d been lovers in a past life and maybe, maybe it could be true. He hoped. He wished.
He kept it to the thoughts in the back of his mind.
Hands find their way back to their original position, laces dutifully coiled around Rui’s fingers as he pulls the laces through the eyelets securely. All that was left was to tighten. “Tsukasa-kun,” Rui mumbles close to his accomplice’s ear, “I’m going to tighten the back, so it may be a little bit of a shock to y-”
“I trust you, Rui,” Tsukasa manages to say, his eyes clearly shut tight in preparation for impact, and Rui could count the eyelashes on his lids and the muted freckles dotting his cheeks, “So- go on. I’m ready.”
There isn’t much that Rui could do other than to comply, and he takes the laces in his hands securely before pulling as firmly as he could, and Tsukasa hisses through his gritted teeth, back arching in instinctive reply. Rui’s hands loop around the laces- once, twice, three times- and the resulting bow hangs loosely from the back of Tsukasa’s corset. He doesn’t alert him immediately but allows his eyes to examine his handiwork, what with the bow now adorning the gorgeous corset, and the way the garment strained against the other’s blouse. You are beautiful, Rui wants to say, and perhaps he did say it- accidentally, but vocalize it nonetheless- when Tsukasa turns around just at that moment with curious eyes and parted lips.
(Or perhaps Tsukasa had a knack for telepathy, and quite honestly, Rui was torn between wanting to know more and respectfully minding his business.)
A tilt of the head, and Tsukasa’s eyes trail down to try and peek at his back, but end up flicking back upwards. “So..?” he asks the director expectantly and raises an eyebrow. “How do I look?”
Rui smiles mischievously and makes a point of placing his hands on Tsukasa’s shoulders, gently spinning him around and feigning an elaborate examination, only stopping when the other protests with narrowed eyes. His hand finds his chin, and he taps his finger against his lip for a quiet moment; Rui nods to himself once more and reaches out to tuck a piece of stray locks behind his lover’s ear. “You, Tsukasa-kun,” he says, grinning, “Look like someone I would fall in love with. Very handsome.”
The other squeaks out of surprise and covers his face with a hand, and Rui places his own on top of it and lowers them both, allowing for his eyes to meet Tsukasa’s in a softer manner. Lacing his fingers through his boyfriend’s, Rui brushes the back of his free hand against Tsukasa’s cheek, admiring the way Tsukasa subconsciously leans into his touch, the way Tsukasa’s eyelids flutter just the slightest amount. “Why were you covering your face? Don’t you want to see yourself in the mirror?”
“ Well,” Tsukasa mumbles, turning his face so his voice is muffled by the back of Rui’s hand, and Rui can practically feel the heat radiating off of the other’s cheek. “I trust you! And when you say it like- like that, I can’t help but believe you.” He’s embarrassed, Rui can only think, and his lips part in preparation to comment but stops short as Tsukasa speaks again. “Because you really sound like you… are happy, Rui.”
There are ten thousand things and ten thousand proclamations that whir in the boy’s mind at the time, millions upon millions of feelings that he’d like to share to the person who caused such. It was fascinating, really, how Rui had fallen so easily and so hard for someone as genuine and bright and determined as Tsukasa Tenma in his flesh. Truthfully, he’d expected there to be obstacles that would halt his feelings for the other but no, everything he felt was real. He supposed that even the most complex of feelings could be summarized with three words; he hoped to say those words in the near future and once more in the farther future, where they’d both be adorned in white.
Tucking that in the back of his mind, his cheeks go peach, and he shakes his head to himself with a sappy smile. Rui’s hand lightly taps the back of Tsukasa’s corset, nudging the other closer in the subtlest way as he leans in, pressing kisses to Tsukasa’s now-blushing face. “Ah, forget what I said before- you are the person I’ve fallen in love with, Tsukasa-kun.”
Those three words can wait, he thinks, when Tsukasa laughs into their kiss, wrapping arms around Rui’s shoulders, when he is my everything.