I hang up the phone, teary eyed, I ask Rui to take me to the hospital. He looked concerned, he hugged me and grabbed his keys. He takes my hand and motions for me to come to the car.
In the car, Rui asks,
"Is your sister in the hospital?"
"Yeah, it could be the last time we get to see her. Unless a medical miracle happens. This isn't gonna be a fun night," when we arrived, I had asked the receptionist where Tenma Saki was. We headed to her room to find the rest of her band, Leo/Need there. All crying...they've been through too much.
"I've gotta be the man here," I slap both of my cheeks and head in. Startling Ichika and Honami. Shiho had just giggled, I assumed she saw what I just did. I whisper to her,
"Tell no one what you just saw,"
"Shiho-Chan, what did you see?"
"A bird. Just a bird."
There in front of me laid Saki, a very unconscious Saki but she was still breathing. I began to take one of her pigtails and braid it. When I was little, this was one of the things that would always calm her down.
Rui started to massage my shoulders. Suddenly, Saki woke up.
"Saki-Chan!"
"Saki!" Everyone said in unison.
Saki herself, seemed pretty out of it. She managed to put a couple of words together.
"H-hi, Onii-Chan."
"Saki, I have good news. I'm going to marry Rui," Saki shot up.
"Ay! Take it easy!" Shouted Shiho. I tried to hold in my laughter.
"Ack!"
"Saki-kun, lay down, okay?"
"Kamishiro-San is gonna be family now!? This is the best day of my life!"
"Saki," I held her hand, "I finally found someone who can protect me."
"I think I can die happy now," I rub Saki's head.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, well, I don't really know. I just feel at peace and if my illness kills me, so be it."
"I'm aware that your illness will eventually kill you but, I want you to live to see my wedding. Better yet, live long enough so I can walk you down the isle."
"Okay! I promise to live long, Onii-Chan!" Leo/Need took a sigh of relief. Rui buried his head into my shoulder.
"Rui, you alright?"
"Mm," He whispers into my ear, "I don't want to see you in pain. Ever again."
"I understand, babe," I whisper, "I won't let myself get hurt."
"Hurt by things that are out of your control?"
"I'll try not to let it bother me too much."
"It's what I would want from my Onii-Chan!"
Leo/Need had eventually disbanded out of the hospital. Just as Rui and I were about to leave, Saki grabs on to my hand.
"Stay. For the love of god, stay."
"Saki? You alright?" I turn my attention towards her. She pulls me into a tight hug. It's warm. My walls start breaking down. I can't hold my tears in anymore.
"Saki, I can't hold it in anymore, I want to cry."
"And who says you can't? I mean being put into a half parent kinda role doesn't help but what can you do?"
"I'm just glad your alive!" My tears fall but I barely make any noise. I was saving that for when I got home. This was not the way I had intended to tell her the news. Rui rubs my shoulder.
"Kamishiro-San, no, Rui-Kun, when I first saw you walk into our house, I knew you were the one. I just knew."
"My mom had often said that you can tell who a person was gonna spend the rest of their life with just when they walked in the room."
"Yep! I saw it in you! So who proposed?"
"We both did," I let Saki know it was time to let me go.
"What!? No way! How cute!"
Rui smiled off into the distance. He looks pretty proud. He looks back towards me. I move into his arms.
"Saki, I don't mean to make you seem like a third wheel," At that moment, my mom pops in.
"Rui...," He holds me tight. Not saying a word. My mom, gives me a death glare. Even after all these years she hasn't changed.
"Mom, do you accept Onii-Chan now!? Do you understand the amount of damage you put on him?"
She's taken aback but firm in her response.
"No," She continues, "This relationship isn't even real. I don't even know what this marriage shit even is," Saki excuses us from the room. As we left, I could hear Saki give my mom the scolding she'd been so eager to say all these years.
AT HOME.
I set my things down on the table and plop on to the couch in the living room. Rui comes over and wraps his arms around me.
"Wouldn't be more comfortable if I let you sit with me?" Rui nods. He lays himself down on the couch and pulls me atop him. I grab the remote and turn the TV on. I see an old interview of Leo/Need's. I'm so proud of how far my sister and them have come. Better yet, my sister is okay. 'Saki, if you need anything just tell me.'
"Baby, baby," Rui calls out.
"Mm?" I pull myself towards his lips to kiss him. He lets me slip inside. I take every little bit of emotion I had today and put it all towards my kiss.
"Mmm," I could hear Rui's soft purrs when I took the lead. He lets his hand go down to my back. I let the kiss break and between us both, only a string of saliva connected us still. We quickly got rid of it.
"I was gonna ask if you wanted dinner. But eating you seems pretty nice too."
"Rui..., is everything okay up in there?"
"No! My joke fell flat!"
"Flat on its face. But yeah, I wanted dinner. No cannibalism allowed."
"That's not even what I meant..."
YOU ARE READING
PROJECT SEKAI: What even is Love
Fanfiction"Rui, ever since you told me that you felt my acting skills were worthy of the stage, I've felt head over heels. Is this what love feels like?" CW: Ship:Rui x Tsukasa, mild homophobia
