sweetdevil | 79th ♫ | the two of us aren't really considered a pair, but i think we could get there!

Kyahaha! Scream and cry all you want, you're still mine!

[Just kidding. Rinne tugs his face mask down, and with her back pressed against his chest, he lifts her chin and pushes her bangs aside to press lips to her forehead.]

You're way too open, silly.

[It kind of makes him wish he could be the same. It's the result of living in a kinder, easier world. If Rinne had been born into a world like that... Well, that would have its own share of problems. He probably wouldn't have been able to meet Ai, much less protect her. Her being defenseless like this is going to be trouble for her later on. He still remembers how she startled when he teased her too much. He's glad he doesn't scare her now.]

Didja miss me?

I was waiting for you, so it doesn't count!

[ Ai's always bright - that's why she gets away with so much as an idol, after all - but right now she's practicality sparkling. It isn't quite as intense as the floodlight everyone sees on stage, it's something softer, warmer and a little more delicate.

The smile she's giving him, though, is almost blinding. Before he can move away, Ai twists around in his arms and shamelessly tosses her own around him so she can squeeze them both together in a hug. Tight. ]

Mm. I was thinking about you all day. [ It comes out a little indistinct, given that she's just as shamelessly plopped her face right into his chest. ] I really, really missed you.

I really, really, really missed you.

[He doesn't always tell people that, especially not in a tone that gentle, but he's not about to withhold anything that Ai needs to hear. He rubs her back as he hugs her tight. For once in his life, it feels like he can let go of his pride and be a normal boy on a date with the girl he likes.]

Your fans got to see you all day. I'm so jealous. Can't you tell 'em you've got me?

[He's kidding. Probably.]

[ Rinne's hand is so warm on her back... It's nice. She's all bundled up, sure, but she'd chosen her clothes today more for layers and stealth to make sure nobody recognised her than she had for warmth and in the February chill, it's not holding up as well as she'd hoped. Being hugged this tightly and this warmly is doing wonders to perk her back up. ]

I'll think about it. Once the President comes back around from the first time I asked, I'll run it by him.

[ As if she's even told Saitou she's friends with Rinne, let alone how close they are. She wonders if at least Miyako suspects something is going on, though. Neither of them are stupid and Ai is definitely a prior troublemaker. ]

The same goes for you, though! You should tell all those girls I'm you real number one fan and if they've got a problem with it, they can take it up with me. I'm not giving you up to aaaaanybody.

[Rinne freezes as his cheeks burn a bright red and steam comes out of his ears. He knows it's great for both of them to finally say whatever they want, but Ai is on a different level. It's hard enough for Rinne to say he loves her without wanting to crawl into a hole and pretend it didn't happen. But ever since that trip, he thinks he's summoned some sort of demon. The cute kind! The kind you sell your soul to. That makes it sound like he's being kept here against his will, though. That's absolutely not the case.]

...I'll tell 'em.

[Soon. They can't rush these things. He has to make preparations. They probably have to wait a few years.]

You ready to go? You remember where we're headed, right?

Of course! I made extra sure I would. It's a special day, so there's no way I was going to mess up on that.

[ ... She's even more shamelessly butting her head against his chest like a cat demanding pets. Sure, the station's pretty dead at this hour and they're incognito b-but if she's this bad when they're in public, she's going to be all sorts of needy when they've got some privacy.

It's just like she said. She's been charging up all day waiting to be with him. ]

It's the place where I first said 'I like you'. Right?

[His expression eases into a smile.]

Yeah, that's the one. I can't believe you admitted it at a pizza place. Hehe... I guess you just couldn't hold your feelings back after seeing my super hot and incredibly handsome face, huh?

[Never mind that Rinne was incredibly, embarrassingly happy when it happened. He's so endeared that he starts petting her head. He can't believe he's doing this in public. His hand lingers longer than he expects, but in his defense, she's cute.]

[ Oh, she's never been a girl weak to headpats but getting one from Rinne while she's so worn out from work and so tightly bundled up against him is something else altogether. Suddenly she gets the appeal. ]

Hey, I was all ready to save it up for somewhere more romantic. You were the one who wanted to hear it at the pizza place.

[ Or rather, Rinne had gently, sweetly teased and pried it out of her back when Ai was so sure she couldn't say it at all she was afraid to even try. But framing it like that, as if she was saving it up to make it more special for him, but the feelings came spilling out anyway... she likes the idea of that. ]

Speaking of romantic, though... I do have a little present for you.

[He preens. Yes, about all of this!]

A present? For me? Hehe. You really love me, doncha?

[Rinne feels like he could float on air. Getting gifts because someone wanted to do it is the best sort of gift he could ever ask for.]

You sure you wanna give it to me now? We still gotta take the train.

[ Dead serious: ] I've been so excited to give it to you all day that if I have to wait that much longer, I'll definitely explode.

[ . . . ]

... pfft-!

[ Never mind. Her mouth wibbles back into a smile and she's giggling again. ]

Well... technically I have two. So how about I give you one on the train and the other one when we actually sit down for our date?

Two? Ai-chan, I love you!

[That's two more presents than Rinne's ever gotten from any girlfriend on Valentine's Day. He's so elated by the news, he gathers Ai into his arms, lifts her up, and spins her around. He's been wanting to do this all day, too. He totally gets why she wants to give him his present now. If he had to wait any longer, he might have exploded too!]

Oh, man! You're so cute I could eat you right up.

[With the way he's leaning in right now, he just might.]

Wah-

[ Up and off her feet she goes. Even with Rinne being so tall and her being so small, she forgets sometimes just how easily he can sweep her off her feet - literally. A startled, delighted laugh comes tumbling out of her and when he sets her back on her feet, she's flushed, breathless and bright eyed.

He really is too cute to handle sometimes.

But she stalls him - a finger on the lips to keep him from pulling in any closer, however much she might want him to. Even if they're relatively incognito, they could still be spotted... and selfishly, Ai doesn't want to share their first kiss on Valentine's with anybody who could see it. ]

Not so fast, sorry. Let's find a quiet seat on the train and I'll kiss you properly then.

[ Rinne laughs, snatches her hand, and grips it firmly in his. He didn't plan on kissing Ai in the open anyway, but the finger on his lips suddenly makes him acutely aware of what they could be doing were it not for, well, everything. Ever since those three nights, he's been finding it really hard to control himself. But he is! Look at him! He is entering the train and leading her in! It's a miracle this car isn't as full as the rest. When she finds a spot, he sits right next to her. He hasn't let go of her hand. ]

Okay, now that I know what's gonna happen, I'm kinda nervous. [ Joking. ... Half joking. ] Doncha ever get stage fright for this sort of thing?

[ There'd been a little part of her fully convinced that they'd stumble into the one train that was packed to the gills because that would be just their luck but at this time of night, the trains are just as quiet as the station - it's not perfect privacy and they'll have to keep their wits about them, but for now it looks like they can relax just a bit. ]

Me? When have you ever known me to get stage fright about anything?

[ ... is what she says, but then her little grin softens into something gentler. ]

But since it's a special day... I'll fess up and admit I was a little antsy while I was waiting for you.

[So far, he'd been able to deal with Ai just fine. She wouldn't say something like I love you. Liking someone was one thing, but he never felt worthy for something so heavy, so he never bothered with making her say it outright. Her small confession at the pizza shop was only a means to an end. It made him happy, but he could have lived without hearing it. He's still not that deserving. It was just that a liar like him was in pain, so he wanted to free her from it. If she would tell him this and accept him for being the same, then maybe he could open his heart and finally let her in.

Getting her to admit her nervousness felt like that.]

Aww, it's just me. But I guess even you've got something that makes you weak in the knees.

[He laces his fingers with hers.]

I want everything to go well, too. I was worried you'd be too busy in the end, but you went out of your way to make some time for your Rinne-kun tonight, huh? You cutie.

Edited 2024-02-12 01:48 (UTC)

It's not just you. [ With their fingers entwined, Ai squeezes his hand and lets her head tip to rest against his shoulder. After a whole day of playing at pretend intimacy, being able to just dote on the boy she likes really is nice. ] It's because it's you I was getting all worked up. I'd been looking forward to this so much I kept half-convincing myself it wasn't gonna happen.

[ But they're here and they're together, which is the part that matters most. Even if everything else goes topsy turvy, Ai's still happy with this much.

She peeks up at him, her smile turning sly. ]

I bet you're the same too, right? I did promise you a proper kiss this morning.

[ Truly the world's most evil Valentine's text. ]

O-oh.

[Oh. Well, he expected a quick peck on the cheek at best, but between the way she squeezes his hand and the way her eyes sparkle as she looks up at him, he's totally out of his element. She is evil.

Suddenly, he is quiet.]

Mm. Kept thinking about it all day.

[It was kind of a problem.]

I wouldn't have... stood you up like that.

Mm. I know. It was me I was worrying about. I kept coming up with all kinds of excuses in my head to cut and run early just in case it looked like I wouldn't make it.

[ She glances quickly over her shoulder - nobody's paying attention from the other cars and nobody's even around in theirs, anyway. So they might just be safe.

Ai lifts her free hand and, cradling his cheek, gently turns his face towards hers. Her eyes are still twinkling with mischief but the light there is tempered just a bit by something warm and fond, too. ]

But it looks like things are working out. Lucky me, getting to spend Valentine's with my oshi, huh?

[ She presses a kiss to his forehead. Another to his cheek.

Then, just like she'd promised him, Ai brings their lips together and kisses him properly. No matter how much of their time everyone else has stolen today, none of them get to have this. ]

79th ♫ | the two of us aren't really considered a pair, but i think we could get there!

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