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The day had started off terrible, and very out of the ordinary for Tsukasa.
Tsukasa always made sure to dress appropriately for the winter season when it rolled around. The second he felt a chill in the air or his lips being slightly more chapped than usual, he ditched short-sleeved shirts and shorts to replace them with thick sweaters and pants.
Over time, it just became a habit for him to be extra prepared for colder weather since he's grown to be a clean freak who is cautious of risking his health—and in turn Saki or his parents’ health—by catching a cold.
Which is why it came as a shock to him when he realized he forgot to bring his extra jacket with him to school when it was near freezing outside.
Maybe it was because the few previous days were hectic—and quite warm and sunny as well, he didn't need to bring any extra layers of clothing—and Tsukasa had been too caught up in worrying about the 3 quizzes today and the 2 essays due in the afternoon. Yet still, it just wasn't like Tsukasa to forget something like that. Sure, he forgot a lot of things, but staying safe and warm when it was cold was not one of them!
Tsukasa had made the realization already too far away from home to try going back. He hadn't noticed, flipping through his flashcards, until a gust of wind made Tsukasa realize it was freezing and he suddenly couldn't concentrate on anything else.
He had rushed into school with his arms wrapped around his body clutching his thin cardigan (his only shield from the cold) and legs shaking and moving in slow motion.
Making his way toward class, (and stopping by the heater that the principal always runs by her office) Tsukasa caught Nene in the hallway.
“Eh? Tsukasa, what are you doing on this floor?” She asked, clutching a hand warmer. “...actually why are you dressed so lightly? What happened to not wanting to catch a cold in this weather?”
Tsukasa chuckled, enviously eyeing the hand warmer Nene possessed. “Ah…I was just about to head to class. I forgot my extra jacket and forgot to check the weather before I headed to school,” He let out a dramatic sigh before continuing, “Me and Rui have 3 quizzes today as well as 2 essays due by the end of the day. It's easy to lose track of your priorities when you work as hard as me, you know?” Tsukasa smiled smugly.
Nene only shook her head before digging through her bag to toss Tsukasa one of her hand warmers. “You'll be needing that at least. I have an extra sweater but…it was meant for Emu since she thinks she's immune to the cold. It definitely wouldn't fit you.”
Just then Rui came up behind them startling them both (Well, Nene jumped a bit but Tsukasa was the one screaming bloody murder). “Agh, Rui! Don't do that, you'll give Tsukasa a heart attack!” Nene exasperated, pointing to Tsukasa who had a hand over his heart and looking about near collapse. “What are you doing on this floor anyway?”
“Fufu, my apologies. I was just sitting by the principal's heater in her office for a little bit, but then I looked at the time.” Rui eyed the hand warmers in Tsukasa and Nene's grasp. “I arrived too late to get any more warmed up, mind giving me a hand warmer?”
Nene groaned as she fished through her bag for another hand warmer that she threw at Rui. “Using the principal's heater? Really? Even Tsukasa had more dignity than that!”
“Actually that's why I'm on this floor in the first place. I was also using her heater.”
Nene slapped her forehead.
.
.
.
Tsukasa made it throughout the day, since he didn't have to go outside much. Rui spared him and suggested eating in the library rather than on the rooftop so Tsukasa wouldn't become hypothermic.
He had planned to meet Rui at a newly opened café (another thing that occupied his mind which made him forget his jacket) for some hot chocolate as they discussed plans for upcoming shows. Emu suggested that they take a break from practice today since they had it daily the previous week, and she wouldn't get to be there very long anyway since she had to go somewhere urgently with her sister.
(Tsukasa didn't know why, but he was awfully excited to go to that café with Rui. The thought distracted him from the cold as he made his way towards the café ahead of Rui who had stayed behind to talk to Nene.)
By the time Tsukasa arrived at the café, the temperature had only dropped more than it had in the morning and Tsukasa was practically dead on his feet. One of the workers seemed to have pity on him and let him hog up the heater by the counter.
Tsukasa perked up hearing the front door bell jingle. He turned to see Rui at the entrance grinning at him with a few notebooks and pens in his hand. “Ah, Rui you're here!” he exclaimed, standing up from where he was crouched by the counter.
Rui smiled (Wait, why was Tsukasa starting to feel dizzy?) “Let's get started now shall we?”
.
.
.
Everything was so odd today! It honestly made Tsukasa upset. He couldn't concentrate on thinking about ideas for the upcoming show at all! This was so unlike him!
Instead of being a competent troupe leader and getting himself together, he would short-circuit when Rui's eyes would light up with a new insane idea. Instead of giving him a snarky remark in response, he stumbled over his words and tightened his grip on his pen.
Tenma Tsukasa does not short-circuit and he definitely doesn't stumble over his words! He excused himself to the bathroom where he looked at himself in the mirror mumbling, “So confusing…get yourself together!” and he splashed his face with water.
When Tsukasa returned from the bathroom, he ended up ordering some cookies since he thought that maybe the reason he was acting so weird was because he didn't get enough food today.
But then Rui pointed out a crumb on the corner of his mouth and decided to wipe it off himself, which just had Tsukasa short-circuiting and feeling dizzy yet again! Rui mentioned something about his face looking red, but Tsukasa stumbled over his words for a real response and settled on denying it instead.
There was something severely wrong with him!
This was only confirmed by how after the unproductive—on Tsukasa’s side, at least—meeting, he stepped outside with Rui and was hit with the blistering cold. How has it gotten worse again?
He immediately curled in on himself, cursing at himself for forgetting his jacket on the coldest day of the season so far, but then he caught Rui moving around in his peripheral vision.
He was taking his sweater off.
“Absolutely not Rui!” Tsukasa managed through his chattering teeth. “It's freezing out here! Put that back on!”
Rui simply shook his head, sliding it over Tsukasa's body which was too frozen in place to properly fight back. “Exactly,” he says with a grin that makes Tsukasa feel lightheaded. “It's freezing, which is exactly why you need this more than I do.”
“Besides,” Rui takes a step back to look at Tsukasa. He chuckles, “It looks better on you than me anyway. Keep it.”
Tsukasa's cheeks burned red, and he couldn't tell if it's his face actually heating up, or if it's the blistering cold that burned his skin. He couldn't move from his place outside the café as Rui bid his farewell and slowly faded into the crowd of people crossing the intersection (Tsukasa kept his eyes on him for as long as he could, wondering why a stupid sweater made him feel so weird. It's just polyester, really).
Tsukasa felt dizzy yet again. And it didn't fade away after Rui left. Nor when Tsukasa went home distraught and confused, and it only became even worse when he thought about Rui as he stared at his ceiling into the late hours of the night.
Letting out a deep sigh as the clock hit 2 in the morning, Tsukasa wondered if he would continue acting so weird and out of the ordinary tomorrow as well.
(Spoiler alert, he does, but still can't tell why his heart races around Rui.)