trembling with no limbs, crow skin; a perpetual startled breed.

Sanctum - drabble [ReitaxRuki]

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 10:26:33 GMT

Most of you who are on my personal journal have seen this already. It's nothing special but I decided to put it here and make it public. :D My drabbles are always beta-less, sorry.

-----

“Reita, don’t touch it.” Ruki warned, a hand shooting up to block the prodding digits that were heading for the clump of tinfoil, where a section of his auburn hair was currently lumped together in a mess of bleach. “You’re going to fuck it up. I’m serious, you better not— ah!” He stumbled away the best he could, avoiding the toilet and anything else that could cause serious harm if he were to trip and fall in the confined space of the bathroom. Because he had a feeling, with the way Reita was going, falling would soon be inevitable.

“But it’s all wrong, you missed a spot, right here,” Reita caught the flustered vocalist by his elbow and tugged him back in front of the mirror. He reached for his hair, Ruki groaned and jerked his head away, but the bassist was taller and stronger – much to Ruki’s dismay – so after a moment of useless struggling, he was found with his hips pressing against the merciless edge of the marble counter and his shoulderblades digging into Reita’s chest.

Reita was grinning, of course, the situation amusing him far more than it was for Ruki. “Just stay still for a second, I can do it.” He eased, and Ruki could feel his deep voice against his spine, sending a shudder through his nerves until his fingers clenched in the slightest against the white surface his hands were splayed on. Brows furrowed, he let out a huff of annoyance, while Reita’s long fingers began to shift the foil aside and work with the slowly lightening lock of hair.

There was a peaceful silence then, in contrast to the previous hassle, with Reita’s body encasing Ruki’s smaller frame against the counter while gentle fingers prodded and pulled at his head with slight movements. Reita took his time adjusting the hair, eyes intent on his work – but every few seconds, he would glance in the mirror and meet Ruki’s own adorably stubborn, yet tender gaze.

Finally he finished, patted the foil until it was secure in Ruki’s hair again, and nodded. “There. All done.” Reita breathed quietly, lips turning into a slight smile when he looked in the mirror again. His palms came to Ruki’s shoulders, before fingertips glided down along the silky skin of his arms, past his elbows, and finally coming to rest on his hands. Ruki closed his eyes as fingers intertwined in his own against the cold surface, a warm, husky breath that said I love you, baby was on his neck and he could feel Reita everywhere - all around him. And Ruki knew, they both knew, that despite the cities that yearned for his presence, the lights and the stage where he had made his mark, the voices that cried out his name and the heights he would take those followers to with glorified, urging hands - at the moment, in those strong arms that held him in a simple embrace, he was where he really belonged.

Twilight - oneshot [DiexKaoru, bandfic]

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:42:21 GMT

Title: Twilight
Author: Ra'/decomposition
Pairing: DiexKaoru
Rating: R
Summary: You can bend, you can break, but in the end you'll only find yourself falling, because there is no fighting what you were made to be.
Notes: Many many thanks to civilized_era for the beta!

-----

Listening to: Forever Lost by God is an Astronaut.

The first time Die made love to Kaoru, it was in the presence of the stars.

The layer of gravel coating the roof of the building was slippery beneath the heel of Die’s sneakers, and he found himself losing his balance more than once. But it was no matter, because in his arms, against his lips, clutching his clothes, running fingers through his hair – was Kaoru. The only noise to accompany their heavy breaths was that crunch of gravel, and the busy city life twenty stories below them. But above, there was silence.

Cigarettes lay forgotten. Their lonely tendrils of smoke floating up towards the heavens. And for that, Die was grateful - for it was this simple evening of songwriting and chain smoking on the rooftop of his apartment complex that had somehow made a wrong turn, throwing them in a spiral of fire, passion, lust.

Kaoru groaned. A sugar-sweet growl resounding from deep in his throat. It made Die’s breath come out in a mere hiss, proof of the hot blood pounding in his ears and the pressure of all the oxygen that seemed to be crushing him. He vaguely heard a thud as he pressed Kaoru up against the door that led to the staircase, fingers intertwined against the cold surface. Freeing one hand from the contrastingly gentle grip Kaoru held, Die reached for the latch of the door and locked it with a snap.

The sky was theirs.

Whispering sweet promises he would never keep against the creamy flesh of Kaoru’s neck, Die’s fingertips danced across the underside of his silky wrist, along his arm, down his sides before clutching the fabric of his shirt and pulling it off until the milky skin he’d been aching to touch was exposed to him. Kaoru’s hair was in his eyes – a sight of the purest form of beauty this world has ever seen – and Die brushed the strands away. Laying his hand on the trembling bare flesh of Kaoru’s chest, Die could feel a warm heartbeat beating wildly beneath his palm.

In the distance, there were honking cars and shouting citizens of the city that never slept. But on the rooftop, under the stars, between the living pulses of the two men lost in a standstill – there were no sounds.

Kaoru nodded. His eyes were deep with wisdom, but dark with crave. That was all Die needed.

It was the night, but Tokyo was never dark. The city lights cast a blue hue across Kaoru’s body, making the pale flesh glow neon and surreal. As Die’s lips traversed, grazing over the flawless torso, his hand followed suit along Kaoru’s spine, and he drank in the sight of his skin – bright and smooth compared the dark surface of the door he was pressed against. Die took a moment to dip his tongue in Kaoru’s navel, muttering a silent song against his skin, and he could feel his back curve in, concave beneath his fingertips.

Die, Kaoru breathed like it was the name of his savior, and the redhead smiled against his hip before working off the button of his jeans and grasping the hem, tugging them down until more and more of that angelic skin was revealed to him.

Ceasing his gentle kisses, Die no longer felt the need to be tender. He worshiped Kaoru’s body, and now it was his chance to taste it – no apologies, no regrets. Bringing himself back to Kaoru’s mouth, taking it with hunger and need, he began to rid himself of his own constricting layers of denim. Growling with anticipation, he pressed his body against Kaoru’s, earning a satisfying groan that made his head spin with pleasure.

And with only the stars and forgotten cigarettes to witness, Die lifted Kaoru’s legs to bring them around his waist, hands splayed against the surface on either side of his head, and made their bodies meld into one entity fueled by the fury of their lovemaking.

Moans and heated whimpers echoed off the empty space of the rooftop. Muted to the world, hands clutched at moist skin, nails digging into the surface. Hair clung to their blushed cheeks, and toes clenched while lips parted to release a name that Kaoru would someday come to hate.

And after it was over, and their bodies were left tangled in a mess of limbs and skin that even the angels would be jealous of, Kaoru wondered with steadily growing regret, why Die never once uttered his name in return.

-----

Between his fingers, Die watched the embers of his cigarette get caught in the breeze and float away. Its value was gradually lost to the wind as Die simply held it, forgotten, never bringing the nicotine to his lips since he first lit it. His elbows ached in response to the rough cement he leaned his weight upon – legs crossed, shoulders raised and back hunched over, while Die’s eyes were locked beyond his cigarette and toward the ground so far below him.

He observed life; cars moving by at a monotonous pace, lights flashing and dimming, muted music from a distance making his pulse jump, and people, so many people – completely oblivious to the redhead above, watching them like he was the face of God.

A couple passed below him, hand in hand, and he felt something twist in his stomach. Whether it was guilt or jealousy, nostalgia or selfishness – he pushed the feeling aside before he would figure it out, not wanting to deal with problems on such a serene evening. For the first time since he lit it, Die brought his cigarette to his lips and took a drag.

Out of the corner of his eye, twenty stories below, Die could see a familiar figure making its way down the street. Long dark hair, button-down coat, jeans and gloved fingers. A beautiful sight, Die mused, and he inhaled his nicotine hungrily as Niikura Kaoru took a turn into the front doors of the apartment complex.

A smile tugged at Die’s lips. Uninvited, as usual.

He counted almost a full minute before the door behind him opened and closed, and quiet, proud yet hesitant footsteps approached him. Die flicked the ashes from his cigarette, watched them get carried away by the wind, but he didn’t turn around just yet.

“Cold night, huh Kaoru?”

He heard the gravel shift, an unheeded indication of Kaoru’s presence. Suddenly, a warmth to his left invaded his senses, as Kaoru brought himself against the waist-high cement wall and leaned over the edge toward the streets below. “Your door was unlocked, but the lights were off.” He didn’t need to explain, Die already knew how he found out where he was – but Kaoru would always be Kaoru.

But what he did need to explain, is why he was here.

Die frowned. He could feel the annoyance beginning to build inside him from the tension Kaoru brought whenever he was near. Tension, awkwardness…arguments. “You just left the studio and came here?” He didn’t hold back the snap in his voice, and he could see Kaoru stiffen.

But he avoided an answer. “You’re home alone?”

“Do you think there’s someone waiting for me downstairs?”

“Well--” Brows knotted, and Kaoru’s hands clenched against the cement.

Die snorted and tossed his cigarette to the ground, watched it as it landed aimlessly on the sidewalk below, before turning around to lean his back against the concrete. “Of course you think there is.” he said softly, tilting his head toward the sky.

There was a silent stretch of pause, and for a moment, Die thought Kaoru would leave. But instead, he heard him inhale slowly, cautiously, as if his next words will be his last.

“I’m always waiting,” he said simply, and Die glanced at him expectantly before he continued, “For something to happen. Like someday, amidst all the changes that surround my life, maybe one of them will be for me.”

Silence again. Die held his breath, not daring to interrupt, as he watched Kaoru fight for his words. He was beautiful as he bit his lip, letting out a soft “huh”, eyes directed toward the street for some kind of reassurance because Kaoru was always one who needed to be in touch with the ground to survive. It reminded him of the countless times they were on this very rooftop, when Kaoru would bite his lip in that same way, but in a fit of ecstasy – groaning out Die’s name as he clawed at his back – instead of this aging frustration.

“Do you think that’s selfish?” he finished, tongue darting out to wet his lips before he glanced in Die’s direction without really meeting his eyes.

Die exhaled, and looked at his feet. He could feel the guilt, a knife in his stomach, twisting, hurting, and he wanted to rip it out and never let it return. How many times had he defied the laws of fate to make changes like that happen for himself? How many hearts had he broken, how many people had he used? Yet here was Kaoru, who – despite the times when he was practically intolerable – had never asked Die for a thing.

Kaoru never asked Die for love.

Kaoru simply gave it and waited for what he expected to get in return, even when what he received turned out to be nothing.

“Everyone’s selfish,” Die said lamely, “So it’s alright for you to be selfish too.”

Suddenly, there was that crunch of gravel and a pleasant weight against his chest. Die watched with surprised, curious eyes, as Kaoru brought his body against his own for the first time in too long, and fingers moved to grasp those resting against the cold cement of the wall. There was Kaoru, all around him, and Die couldn’t help but to bring himself closer despite how everything inside him was screaming no.

Everything inside him except his heart.

“I can’t be selfish,” Kaoru said, his voice hot against Die’s lips in a way that sparked a familiar appetite, “because it’ll only bring you down.”

Die closed his eyes, let his forehead press against the other’s own. “Kaoru,” he breathed out, the air between them heavy, so full of unspoken words that they could never bring themselves to say. He reveled in the moment, and the feeling of this man he was so fucking in love with yet he was afraid enough to never bring it to reality.

There was only the slightest pressure of hips against hips as Kaoru released his hands and moved away. Die ached to feel him again, to have him again, to forget about what’s wrong and what’s right just to make Kaoru his, even if only for one more night.

He only opened his eyes to the ground, dull and grey and so unlike him, before lifting his head to watch as Kaoru stepped away and turned on his heel. Hands in his coat pockets, he headed for the door, and Die didn’t bother to protest. He never did.

With an echoing click of the staircase door, Kaoru was gone, just like everything else that came and went in Die’s life because he was too afraid to stop living at a faster pace than the world.

-----

“How long does your patience last, Kaoru?” Die asked one morning, clutching the hot cappuccino in his left hand, his right buried in his pocket as the two weaved their way through the busy sidewalk in downtown Tokyo. They were up earlier than usual, walking together, exploring for no reason at all – and Die liked it that way.

Kaoru came to a stop. Die turned around to meet his eyes, and he could see something spark in them. Distractingly, he brought his coffee to his lips.

Kaoru shrugged a shoulder before a businessman gently bumped against him. “Why?”

“Do you think it would outlast me?”

The world seemed to have stopped moving. There was no busy sidewalk, no mixed voices, no sounds, no life. Just Die and Kaoru, locked in a moment that was all their own.

“Nothing can outlast you, Die.” Kaoru said, frowning thoughtfully before adding, “But I think I’d give it a try.”

Die smiled in a way that Kaoru could only return with the slightest lift of his lips, eyes diverting downward until he took a step forward, past the redhead, and continued walking. He didn’t get far before he heard the voice behind him that made his heart stop, his pulse twitch, his soul ache, and Kaoru had to wonder if it really belonged to Die.

“Then I’ll try not to keep you waiting for long,” it said.

Walking away, Kaoru knew better than to take him seriously.

But the way he felt something obscure shift between them, a change of the subtlest, like Die had dropped something for only Kaoru to pick up – made him think, that maybe it really was the truth.

-----

The end.

- Photo of Shibuya was taken by Jibѕ.
- While this was only meant to be a drabble, it became something much more. It was written in the bout of a lot of emotions, not only between myself but some other things as well, and it was hard at times for me to get the right feelings into words but I had to get this written. You know how that goes, eh? When there's just so much going on, and it brings a scene to your head, and you have to get it out before it drives you mad? Yep. o.ó So I was iffy on posting it, but... we'll see how it turns out.
- Apologies for the semi-angst! XD Geez, all I can do for Die and Kaoru these days is angst, but I'm sure that will change in time. For mega-fluff, see Reita and Ruki, lol.
- And once again, thank you to my friends and the lovely readers who give me so much encouragement.

♥

Be Still My Heart - oneshot [ReitaxRuki, bandfic]

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 05:23:07 GMT

Title: Be Still My Heart
Author: Ra'/decomposition
Pairing: ReitaxRuki
Rating: PG
Summary: But I could not recall a more perfect fall, 'cause when I looked up into your eyes, it didn't hurt at all. A short series of snippets set during their late '06 tour; a story of admittance, crave, and freedom.
Notes: Much love and thanks to decadentrebel, my beta and mentor for this story. This is the first time I've posted a real fic in public since like, two years ago... so be gentle. XD

-----

one. fly away

Ruki is a bird, Reita concluded. He’s not human. He doesn’t belong in that small body, with short legs and creamy skin, welcoming lips and gentle fingers. He belongs in the sky, with wings stretching proudly from his back. Smooth, downy feathers that caress foreign fingertips and draw you in and make you want to clutch the creature to your chest, close to your heart, and keep it as yours forevermore.

When Ruki sings, he flies. The stage is his stretching blue, the lights his silken clouds. The audience is the city before him, heads turning in his direction, pointing, observing - taking in this animal and envying its freedom. Freedom. Birds are freedom; Ruki is freedom.

Reita craves this, like any other. Birds are wondrous creatures that can go where they please and represent the one thing every being on Earth lives and breathes for. Reita wants to catch a bird, take it in his rough hands and love it. And be loved in return, because to have something so independent, so unheeding of the care of someone else, crown you as the only one to call it yours - it’s an amazing feeling. So when Reita watches Ruki in front of him with narrowed, observing eyes, as he stands before the hundreds of unfamiliar faces and tells them his stories through a rich, living voice that captures the spirit and makes you yearn for more… he wants to be loved by Ruki.

But to catch a bird in a gentle, attentive way is a nearly impossible task. When Ruki turns to meet Reita’s eyes, his lips curving into a warm smile from behind the microphone that sparks hope in the core of Reita’s soul, the bassist feels that moment the strongest, and treasures it because who knows when his lovely bird will take the time to give him affection like that again.

He hopes someday, Ruki will trust him enough to come to him. To be accepted in his heart, and to be held by fingers that won’t cage him, but let him roam free while keeping him close all the while.

He hopes Ruki will love him in return. But what he doesn’t know, is that Ruki already does.

-----

two. listen close

“What are you listening to?”

Reita’s voice breaks the trance Ruki was immersed in, it cuts through the stuffy air of the tour bus and makes him immediately reach up and snatch one of the headphones from his ear. “What?” Ruki asks, a bit startled, glancing up at the bassist as he proceeds to take a seat beside him on the unwelcoming material of the sofa. A soft glow defines his features, coming from the single dim lamp that was keeping the bus lit. They were alone for now, a moment that Ruki tried not to anticipate, yet he would be lying if he said he didn’t take it to mind that once Uruha stepped out of that door with a wave, it would only be Reita left to keep him company.

“I asked what you’re listening to.” Reita adjusts himself comfortably with one elbow resting behind him on the head of the couch, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His hair is damp; short wet locks cling to his cheeks and the fresh scent of shampoo permeates the air. Ruki realizes Reita must’ve just gotten out of the shower, not that he’d notice he showered in the first place, because he had been lost in his music for the past hour. He fumbles with his iPod to turn it off, but Reita is faster - he reaches over and catches the hanging headphone, bringing it to his own ear. “Go on. I’m interested.”

Ruki doesn’t feel annoyance at the invasion of privacy like he would if Reita were anyone else. Instead, he strokes his thumb along the side of his iPod meekly, hesitating to turn his music back up for Reita to listen as well. They had similar tastes, often shared CDs and traded information about new bands together. But Ruki’s interest in music also expanded to simpler, not so heavy genres - ones with lyrics about waking up to the fresh crisp morning air and your body intertwined with your lover, about standing on mountaintops to show the world who your heart belongs to, songs about life but mostly love. Cheesy songs, Reita would call them.

But songs nonetheless, that struck a chord in Ruki’s heart, and made him think. Not just think, but ache.

“You wouldn’t like it.” Ruki responds, keeping his voice neutral. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Reita lift a brow and tilt his head, his smile fading. He dares to steal a glance, and suddenly the silence seems so thick, almost smothering him, because Reita is giving him a gaze full of so many words that Ruki can’t even begin to decipher.

I'll follow you anywhere you go.

It strikes Ruki that it’s a completely pointless thing to worry about, it’s only music, and it’s only Reita. But perhaps it’s the meaning, what the music speaks for and represents, that makes him feel so awkward about it. After all, he wouldn’t mind waking up in Reita’s bed on bright spring mornings, listening to the sound of his breathing, fingers touching that toned skin that would keep him safe, keep him warm.

But despite his want, Ruki’s scared. Scared to share such intimacy with Reita. Scared to have to share his life with someone else after twenty-five years of perfecting it to suit only himself.

“Try me.” Reita’s voice interrupts his thoughts, making Ruki look up at him again, and he can feel his flesh growing hot beneath that stare, those narrow eyes that never seem to miss a thing, and the encouraging smile he could never say no to.

Lips curving upwards for a brief moment, Ruki nods. He turns up the volume of his music to a reasonable level, before closing his eyes and relaxing against the scratchy sofa. The delicate melody of his music filled the space between them both, foreign words about life and love telling Reita everything Ruki’s always wanted to say. Ruki smiles faintly, hand resting limply by his side.

Silently, he wishes Reita would take his hand. Intertwine their fingers and tell him I need you with every touch, but it doesn’t happen.

Nor would Ruki find out that honestly, Reita wanted to do the same.

-----

-----

three. wake

Reita hates sleeping on the bus. As they move from city to city - every bump in the road, every curve, every movement was even more defined by the time it reached his exhausted body and made him jerk and sway against his will. Frankly, he wanted to finally immerse himself in his dreams.

But despite every other annoyance, he doesn’t mind the soft noises Ruki makes in his sleep at times. The gentle breaths and mumbles that Reita hears all too clearly seemed to calm him. Unfortunately, tonight Ruki was making no such sounds - he was obviously still awake.

Another dent in the road causes Reita to let out a grunt, nearly hitting the crown of his head against the wall. He’s about to turn over, before a hoarse, tired voice reaches his ears.

“Reita, are you awake?” Ruki says cautiously, and if he could see the grin that Reita’s lips had formed, he would smile in return. “Yeah, I’m awake.” The bassist grumbles, turning and tilting his head to look down and across the narrow aisle at the bunk that was close yet still too far away. Ruki’s dark hair is a mess, and his chin is resting delicately on his clasped palms over his pillow as he gazes at Reita with almost hesitant eyes.

He opens his mouth as if to speak, but stops himself, and it’s then that Reita realizes they aren’t the only two awake. There are no even breaths of sleeping bandmates, and the bassist wonders with a soaring, hopeful heart, what Ruki would want to tell him - and only him. Finally, Ruki speaks, his voice small and soft and full of a sincerity that can bring a man to his knees.

“If I fall, you’ll catch me, right?”

Sometimes I wonder why I don’t tell you I love you.

Reita feels his breath hitch in his lungs. There’s an unmistakable clench around his heart, and he wants to reach out, gather Ruki in his arms and hold him close, tell him yes and always. But he’s stopped by reality, and left to keep his fantasies to himself, and the thick air between them reminds him that he has three other people listening with intent, analytical ears, so all he can do is nod and answer in a tender breath, “I will.”

I love you, too.

Ruki smiles then. Only a smile, before he shifts his head so it’s his cheek resting against his hands now. His eyes are alit with contentment.

“But you won’t hold me back, Reita.” It’s not a question this time, but an observation. Reita has to wonder why his small, uncomfortable bed is so far away, and why he can’t sleep with Ruki at his side. It’s almost frustrating, and makes him want to be home again, safe, alone, and with no one there to stand between him and his lovely bird, which is finally coming to land on his finger to trustfully explore with curious glances.

“Never.” Reita finally responds, and above him, he can hear Aoi suck in his breath, holding it like he merely wanted to observe without shattering the delicate moment.

Ruki nods, biting thoughtfully on his lip. Then he turns over in his bunk, facing the opposite wall.

Silence again, but Reita doesn’t sleep. And even after the three voyeurs in the bus have long since fallen deep into their dreams, Reita can hear Ruki - still awake. He wonders if he concentrates enough, he can feel Ruki’s warmth in his arms that night.

I’ll say it to you someday. Loud and clear.

-----

four. epiphany

This couldn’t be happening. Ruki swore it all had to be a dream.

In this dream, he was trapped. Pinned; the rough surface of a brick wall was digging painfully into the back of his hand, prickling deep beneath the surface and making him grit his teeth. There was a burning scent in his nose - the stench of the damp, old alleyway behind the venue in a city Ruki had already forgotten the name of.

The strength was far beyond his own, and struggling to free himself from those fingers that held his wrists, fingers that were tightening their hold with every passing second, it was all completely fruitless. Even if Ruki wanted to try to run, he wouldn’t have ever been able to.

But it wasn’t a dream, because the pain, and the suffocating emotions that were weighing him down, making him wonder if he would be able to even sink into the ground – it was all too real.

So those eyes, narrowed and intense, like something Ruki had waited so long for would finally spill forth, and those lips that were hovering so close to his… that was all real as well.

“Reita,” Ruki breathed out, swallowing the lump in his throat. He never expected this, never thought it would happen – when he stormed out of that dressing room, uttering his final words of quitting and fuck it all, he didn’t expect Reita to follow him, didn’t expect him to care, not only that, but shove Ruki against the wall. Who does that, anyway?

But Reita didn’t move for a long while, and when he finally did, it was to close the distance. He had already anticipated this for years, so when Reita moved, Ruki moved without a second thought, holding his breath and bringing himself forward. He was left disappointed, though, because Reita halted when there was only the briefest brush of skin, just a grazing of lips on lips and he paused, breathing stilled, eyelids half-closed, and it was like even the world wasn’t spinning on axis. Because in that very moment, all Ruki wanted was to bring himself closer, to finish that kiss, but he couldn’t. He simply couldn’t.

There was an incredible warmth rising within Ruki. He didn’t dare move, because even the slightest shift would break that barely-there contact that he could feel electrifying his lips. Finally, like a film being set into motion again, Reita drew away with a hushed not yet. He released his hold on Ruki’s wrists, and the vocalist could only caress his fingertips over the abused flesh, staring up at him with wide eyes, mouthing a silent why.

“Don’t ever quit, Ruki.” Reita said quietly. Of course, Ruki wasn’t entirely serious when he had said that. He’d just become so frustrated, so overwhelmed by the undeserving shit he found himself putting up with more and more by the year, that he had to let it out somehow. So getting in a pointless argument with his bandmates and making threats about giving up was the way he dealt with it.

Though he had to admit, he often wondered how much farther his patience would stretch.

Reita wasn’t a mind reader. But Ruki has always known that the bassist had a way of supplying him with answers to unasked questions. Like he knew, somehow, someway, that there were times when Ruki needed something to hold on to, when he needed someone there to help him find his way, to catch him when he falls. And Reita was always the one to show up at just the right time.

It was one of the things Ruki loved most about him.

“Reita… I wouldn’t, you know, I won’t--” He started, but unable to find the right words, Ruki bit his lip and directed his gaze downward. But then he found himself being tugged forward, and next thing he knew Reita’s collarbone was digging into his cheek and there were long, strong arms around his body, holding him close.

Ruki would then return the embrace, bringing his arms to wrap around Reita’s middle and closing his eyes. He almost wanted to cry, to let out everything that had built up inside him, but he didn’t. Instead, Ruki let Reita hold him for what could have been forever. And even if everything fell apart around them, Ruki wouldn’t even notice, because Reita was there to keep him safe.

That’s where he belonged.

“I love you, you know.”

Ruki could hear his heartbeat intermingling with Reita’s, and someday he would write a song to that rhythm. One he wouldn’t sing to anyone else.

“I know. I know.”

-----

The end.

- The picture of the bus lamp was taken by me. Please don't steal (why would you want to anyway?)
- Again, thanks to decadentrebel, who also said she might possibly do a follow-up fic in response to this. Keep an eye out for if she pulls it off, yeah? ;D
- Also thanks to The Postal Service, whom I borrowed lyrics from, and who also inspired this fic with their great music.
- Even more thanks to the people (you know who you are) who have encouraged me to pick up writing again.
- And love to you readers.

Kiss kiss. ♥