Revitalized | Rui Kamishiro x F!Reader

The Ride Home

"So, tell me why this seat broke off."

Rui, nose no longer bleeding as he reattached the bike seat, paused to look at the ground next to him. He grabbed something small from the road. You couldn't quite make out what it was as he placed it in your hand.

"One of the main screws was rusted out. It couldn't handle the stress, so it snapped. One of the other main ones did too, but that was mostly from the added impact of the first one."

You then understood. It was the bottom half of the screw that he had given you. You nodded, humming.

"Wait, then what are we gonna do? Will it work without those screws?"

"No, but thankfully, I have some extras." Just as he had with the safety pins, he pulled a few screws from one of his pocket and picked through them, keeping two and putting the others away.

"Do you just... keep stuff like that on you?"

"No, not on purpose," he laughed, putting one of the screws into one of the empty holes. "I often put odds and ends things like these in my pockets without realizing. It's so I don't lose them while I'm inventing."

"Inventing?"

"Ah, yeah. I guess I never told you anything about that, huh?" You shook your head as Rui placed the other screw into the other hole. "Well, as a hobby, I build little robots and mechanisms. I have been since I was young. I've also started using them for special effects at WxS's performances. They make the shows ten times better. As long as they don't malfunction, that is."

"I see."

Rui paused, looking at the seat with a troubled expression. "Hm. No good."

"What? Is something else wrong?"

"I don't have a screwdriver for these. They aren't nearly tight enough just using my fingers." To emphasize, he stood, grabbed the back of the seat, and shook it. You could tell how wobbly it was.

"Could you use a coin for it? You probably still have some left over change."

"Oh, good thinking." He reached into his pocket again and fetched a penny. He looked for where the heads of the screws were and tightened them as best he could with the small object.

You never took yourself for that kind of person, but something about it caught your eye. Were you really attracted to him fixing a bike? Wow. Nonetheless, the feeling was there.

Once finished, he stood again, shaking the seat. It barely moved this time, and he smiled in triumph.

"There we go. You should be safe for the ride home."

"That's relieving. Shall we go then?"

"We shall," Rui gave his catlike smile once again, giving you the space you needed to climb into your seat before he got into his. Then, before, you began moving, he looked at you over his shoulder.

"Real quick, do you like going fast? You seemed pretty happy going down the hills on the way here."

You paused in surprise before answering. "Um, yeah, I... I do."

"Then you wouldn't really mind if I stopped trying to be such a gentleman and had a little fun?" He gave you a mischievous grin.

Your face heated a bit at his words, a corner of your mind dipping into the gutter. You mentally shook the feeling away and shook your head.

"N-not at all. I'll be right there with ya."

"Oki doki, let's go then!" He turned the bike in the direction of the road and, before you could even comprehend it, began pedalling as faster than even the way there.

You immediately leaned back in your seat, hair blown out and eyes wide. Once the initial shock wore off, you were ecstatic, hugging your plushie close and throwing your free hand up and laughing as you had on the way there. You even swore you could hear Rui laughing from in front of you, making your heart flutter.

With the amount of speed and momentum you both picked up, Rui was able to make it over the first hill simply by cruising, and used the next plateau to pick up all the speed lost from clearing it.

Things went on like that most of the ride home. Your hair never really got a break from all the wind, but it didn't matter to you. You'd brush it out when you got home anyway.

So, in half as much time as it took to get to the carnival, you made it back home. Rui only stopped speeding the bike on when you both neared the school, lit by dim streetlights down the street. You could hear him panting quietly from in front of you, spurring a less than innocent feeling in your chest that you were quick to ignore. Once he'd stabilized his breathing, he spoke.

"Where's your house at?"

"Ah, it's a ways ahead. It's number 203 on this street."

He seemed a bit surprised, making a noise at your response. "Really? Mine's actually pretty close to that."

"Oh, I had no idea. Cool!"

You continued to cruise down the dark street, watching as Rui checked the numbers on the houses. As you both got closer to yours, he slowed, until he came to a stop at the one you recognized as your own. He got out of his seat to let you out of yours, holding your plushie so you could do so. When your feet touched the ground again, you turned to him and gave him a warm smile.

You then leaned forward for what he assumed would just be so you could grab your stuffed animal, but his breath hitched when he felt your arms wrap around his midsection, and your cheek pressed to his upper chest.

"I had fun. Thanks, Rui."

He quickly shook off the surprise and hugged you back gently, smiling wide, now that you couldn't see and say something about it. When you pulled away, he had half a mind to keep you from leaving, but he couldn't. He didn't want to ruin this.

"I'll meet you at the school again tomorrow? Then we can go see Phoenix Wonderland."

"Ah- actually...!" He quickly pulled his phone out, opening it and typing hastily. "If it isn't weird, would you mind just coming to my house? I'll give you my address quick."

"Oh! Uh... sure!" You felt your phone buzz, and looked to see Rui's address staring back at you. "You're right, that is pretty close." You gave a thoughtful look down both ways of the street, but most of the numbers couldn't be made out from your current position. "Uhm... which way is that?"

"Ah, that way." He pointed the direction the bike was facing.

"Okay. What time should I be there?"

"We'll be meeting just after supper, so I'll plan on going at 6-ish? Does that sound alright?"

"Mhm!" You nodded happily, hugging your plushie closer. "I'll be sure to eat beforehand."

"Alright. I'll see you then!" Rui waved to you as you parted ways, you going to your house and him returning to his bike. As you walked, you could've swore, just above the edge of your house's roof, you spotted a single shooting star.

You'd already gotten inside your house before he noticed something in the seat you had been sitting in. He couldn't quite make it out in the shadow of the seat's backing. He reached for it, hearing a plasticky crinkle when he grabbed it and lifted it up.

It was the bag of cotton candy you had gotten, now empty of the puffed sweetness and filled with all his leftover candy.