[ ryuu wouldn't be able to describe it either, he thinks. the feeling he gets when he sees eichi wearing the ring, simple as it is.
expression drawing in wonder and then back down again once he realizes eichi is motioning for the box, ryuu smiles, tenderness pressed into his features. it's still open when he offers it out for eichi to take or pluck the remaining ring from. now it's his turn for his stomach to flutter - maybe he'd underestimated how this would feel coming from the other side of things... ]
You don't have to be able to explain it. It's in here.
[ a tap to his chest, that miraculous thing inside of it that ryuu believes in enough to do this. ]
[Eichi is genuinely thoughtful as he takes that ring from the box, holding it carefully between two fingers as his other palm rests below Ryuu's. His middle finger, too, then... He makes sure to pause just long enough as he admires the look of the ring held just before Ryuu's fingertip, his other hand shifting fingers slightly beneath it. Fond, tender.
Then, he slides it on, smiling faintly at the sight before he looks up to meet Ryuu's eyes. Then, his hands sandwich Ryuu's gently, and his chin lifts as his eyes soften a little more.]
Yes, that must be it. It's thanks to you that I've been able to realize that much. It feels as though I'm walking a tightrope without a safety net, to express myself in this way, but...
I do love you. I hope you can feel that much, as well.
[ in one motion, it'd be done, but eichi follows it up with those words that sound better than he thinks he's ever heard them. he's ordinary in every way. a plain upbringing, normal ideals, a practical outlook on how others should be treated. but his dreams are soaring and grandiose, and he feels them heighten just a bit with this. ryuu has never had trouble expressing those honest things he holds so dearly, has never shied from saying it, but somehow having it turned on him makes his pulse shoot right to his head. light, dizzying, but steadfast. his fingers curl between eichi's palms, grasping him tight.
all he has to do is really sink into it, the way this makes him feel. he brings his other hand up to eichi's chin, the way he's lifted it with a different kind of pride and conviction, steadying it there so he can lean in and press a kiss to his mouth, just so.
even without the immense amount of chroma between them now, surely... ]
I do feel it. [ a smile tugs at his lips, like he can't make up his mind if he wants to grin, speak, keep kissing him - ] I love you, too.
[Even in the moments without the influence of the moon, or the single time he didn't gain any chroma, Eichi had always felt that intimate moments with Ryuu were special. The way they sparked together felt more natural than all of that, exciting and deep, reaching straight into his heart and finding him there. But this? This is tenfold. Even if he isolates the rush of chroma and sets it aside, there's something about the way that their lips brush together in smiles that sends shivers up his spine. A hand at his chin, the other trapped between his own, and he curls to grip onto it as much as he can, fingers slipping between fingers, ring against ring.
It almost makes him gasp, and the soft way his breath hitches between their kiss creates a pause that's not bad at all. He feels like he can enjoy the energy of it a little more, like leaning back to admire the view only to be pulled back in at ten times the speed.
Love...
Thinking back on the days where he was so sure it was something from a fairy tale, something not meant for people like him, it's a little funny, isn't it? He's loved. Not only that, but he can love, too.
This beautiful, mutual love is what he needed more than anything else right now. He thinks this rush of chroma might have even healed up the last bit of the deep scratches on his back from that broken tea set— thinking of it that way, somehow, puts his anxious mind at ease, and like always, without much effort at all, without even knowing the extent to which he's done it, Ryuu saves him.]
What nice words...
[They reach so deep, and he breathes it in slowly before he presses into another kiss. This one is a little shorter, but with just as much heart behind it. Eichi squeezes Ryuu's hand gently, his lips cracking into more of a smile again. It seems they're both indecisive about this.]
But even with hearing them, I only find myself selfishly wanting to request more. Won't you say my name again?
[His heart flutters every time he does, after all. At that request, he pulls Ryuu's caught hand up between them, delicately letting one of his own hands drop away as he kisses his palm.]
[ lips touching on his palm makes him laugh, lightness held in his lungs and fingers curling instinctively. all of it is so captivating, from the closeness now flowing between them to the way eichi's voice carries, the warmth in its timbre. this moment has such reach, and yet ryuu finds himself thinking... it's cute. he's really cute, like this. that dawning realization that love can be his, and should be his, is really made out of a whole different kind of light.
all because ryuu has never been too frightened to put the entirety of his heart out there, when the moment is right. he might not look it, but his existence is one he wants to carve into peoples' memories too.
it's so secure, that little bit of weight on his finger. ]
Of course I will. However many times you want to hear it... [ with his one hand still being held, he dips in to scoop eichi up around the waist, too genuine to be as cheeky and sudden as it probably feels. ] I love you, Eichi.
[ his heart should be racing, but he finds it extraordinarily calm. he enjoys it, being this honest. ]
[It's a quick little gasp that has him drawn closer to Ryuu, caught around the waist and laughing along with it, afterwards. He's warm, he's so warm, so loved, and it feels real and genuine and not at all like a net caught around him. He leans in to let their foreheads touch together, eyes sparkling.]
You went above and beyond... [Saying that word again. Eichi laughs to hide his nervous excitement, squeezing Ryuu's held hand and wrapping the other arm around him.]
If you continue to look at me like that, even I will grow embarrassed, you know? [He's losing it here.]
...Ryuu. [He just likes saying it, now. Ahh...] I feel as though I need some sort of outlet for these feelings...
[ now rested against one another, ryuu relaxes into the balance they have now that it's all said and done. no one's ever had to so plainly reciprocate his feelings for him to experience them as strongly as he is in this moment, at least not with so many words - but the inclusion of it makes him feel so bright. it's in his heart, aglow on his skin. it shows in his eyes. and of course, the way his chroma flourishes. ]
Wouldn't it be weird for you to feel embarrassed instead of me?
[ that's so reversed that his smile deepens at the thought. he leans in, noses brushing sweetly. ]
[It's wonderful, being able to feel so much more like this. He grins at the way their noses touch and leans into it, wiggling just enough to make it an obvious cute nose kiss— he's always loved those sort of fond gestures, in theory. So, being able to do them is always nice.]
Like what? I wonder...
[He pauses just slightly, pressing an actual kiss against the corner of Ryuu's mouth as he pushes lightly against him, wanting to pull back. But he doesn't let go of their hands, pulling Ryuu's with him as he ducks around to get from sidewalk to sand, his slow steps turning faster, and then into a jog as he heads towards the water.
He won't go in all the way, but he hop carefully to lose his shoes and abandon them behind him before going ankle deep into the water and spinning to pull Ryuu closer and into a kiss and closer embrace.
It feels free. Fun. Like a mirror of their first meeting... He likes it.]
with a laugh when he realizes, he's jogging along at a pace meant to match. eichi has always been easy to follow, to find a rhythm with. he steps out of his shoes too, leaving them in the sand and treading into the water without any trepidation. seafoam catches on his ankles as the tide pulls, but there's only one pull he's really focused on - he laughs and dips himself into eichi's arms, anchoring them against the rolling of the waves.
the water is still a little chilly, but the breeze smells nice, and his body's so warm. breaking the kiss, he looks at eichi against the sea... he's beautiful, as always. how can he not feel so full, when faced with two things that he loves? ]
[Truly, his heart is soaring. Love is something that still feels complicated. He had been starting to learn it at home, and then taken to a horrible city where he'd had to deal with horrible things. Just when he thought he found safety in someone, he'd realized how twisted it had been— only to be yanked away, placed here, surrounded by so many others who he could love. Friends from home, strangers... Eichi thinks he learns about love every day.
What type of love is this? There's no use in finding it out right now. It's fine just like this, isn't it? Ignoring those who had been in his hands that had slipped away one by one, vanishing, ignoring, changing— he reaches and wraps around Ryuu who's here, solid and supportive.
Just this once, he'll allow himself to ignore the big picture and focus only on what's right in front of him. Even he can be allowed this, right? At least this once?]
You feel familiar.
[His response is spoken smoothly, matched with another kiss that he leans into along with the crashing of a wave at the back of his calves. There's no fear of drowning, when Ryuu is here.
His toes sink more into the sand beneath them as he falls back on his heels. Hair blowing messy in the sea breeze, a shiver running up him from the cold of it all, he feels both free and grounded at the same time, and he squeezes himself closer, the hand with the ring moving up between them to brush fondly over Ryuu's cheek.]
Fufu... Back then, I thought you were quite cute and wanted to see if I could fluster you a little, so I gave you a small kiss as if it were nothing. You've come quite a long way from that startled reaction you gave me. ♪
- eh?! [ why do you have to call him out like that! if his cheeks weren't red already, they practically erupt with color, and all the heat to match. ] You aren't trying to fluster me now, are you?
[ because it's absolutely working. has he really come a long way...
despite himself and the burn in his face that the wind isn't doing anything to cool, he leans into the presence of fingers smoothing over his cheek. an elegant touch that speaks to his heart, the metal of the ring warmed by his light touch and his nice skin. eichi could do that a million times, and ryuu thinks he'll never get tired of it. with eichi on the flats of his feet again, ryuu leans a bit more into the embrace with a tightening of his arms around his waist. it's nice, to welcome the chill along with the heat. it keeps him grounded. ]
A lot of that was thanks to you, you know. [ embarrassing. ] That's not why I did this, but... ever since the start, I never felt like I had to hide what was in my heart with you.
[ in spite of being an idol, in the declaration of a rivalry - their hearts have always felt connected, haven't they? this is just another aspect of it. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
expression drawing in wonder and then back down again once he realizes eichi is motioning for the box, ryuu smiles, tenderness pressed into his features. it's still open when he offers it out for eichi to take or pluck the remaining ring from. now it's his turn for his stomach to flutter - maybe he'd underestimated how this would feel coming from the other side of things... ]
You don't have to be able to explain it. It's in here.
[ a tap to his chest, that miraculous thing inside of it that ryuu believes in enough to do this. ]
It means you're feeling loved.
no subject
[Eichi is genuinely thoughtful as he takes that ring from the box, holding it carefully between two fingers as his other palm rests below Ryuu's. His middle finger, too, then... He makes sure to pause just long enough as he admires the look of the ring held just before Ryuu's fingertip, his other hand shifting fingers slightly beneath it. Fond, tender.
Then, he slides it on, smiling faintly at the sight before he looks up to meet Ryuu's eyes. Then, his hands sandwich Ryuu's gently, and his chin lifts as his eyes soften a little more.]
Yes, that must be it. It's thanks to you that I've been able to realize that much. It feels as though I'm walking a tightrope without a safety net, to express myself in this way, but...
I do love you. I hope you can feel that much, as well.
no subject
all he has to do is really sink into it, the way this makes him feel. he brings his other hand up to eichi's chin, the way he's lifted it with a different kind of pride and conviction, steadying it there so he can lean in and press a kiss to his mouth, just so.
even without the immense amount of chroma between them now, surely... ]
I do feel it. [ a smile tugs at his lips, like he can't make up his mind if he wants to grin, speak, keep kissing him - ] I love you, too.
no subject
It almost makes him gasp, and the soft way his breath hitches between their kiss creates a pause that's not bad at all. He feels like he can enjoy the energy of it a little more, like leaning back to admire the view only to be pulled back in at ten times the speed.
Love...
Thinking back on the days where he was so sure it was something from a fairy tale, something not meant for people like him, it's a little funny, isn't it? He's loved. Not only that, but he can love, too.
This beautiful, mutual love is what he needed more than anything else right now. He thinks this rush of chroma might have even healed up the last bit of the deep scratches on his back from that broken tea set— thinking of it that way, somehow, puts his anxious mind at ease, and like always, without much effort at all, without even knowing the extent to which he's done it, Ryuu saves him.]
What nice words...
[They reach so deep, and he breathes it in slowly before he presses into another kiss. This one is a little shorter, but with just as much heart behind it. Eichi squeezes Ryuu's hand gently, his lips cracking into more of a smile again. It seems they're both indecisive about this.]
But even with hearing them, I only find myself selfishly wanting to request more. Won't you say my name again?
[His heart flutters every time he does, after all. At that request, he pulls Ryuu's caught hand up between them, delicately letting one of his own hands drop away as he kisses his palm.]
no subject
all because ryuu has never been too frightened to put the entirety of his heart out there, when the moment is right. he might not look it, but his existence is one he wants to carve into peoples' memories too.
it's so secure, that little bit of weight on his finger. ]
Of course I will. However many times you want to hear it... [ with his one hand still being held, he dips in to scoop eichi up around the waist, too genuine to be as cheeky and sudden as it probably feels. ] I love you, Eichi.
[ his heart should be racing, but he finds it extraordinarily calm. he enjoys it, being this honest. ]
no subject
[It's a quick little gasp that has him drawn closer to Ryuu, caught around the waist and laughing along with it, afterwards. He's warm, he's so warm, so loved, and it feels real and genuine and not at all like a net caught around him. He leans in to let their foreheads touch together, eyes sparkling.]
You went above and beyond... [Saying that word again. Eichi laughs to hide his nervous excitement, squeezing Ryuu's held hand and wrapping the other arm around him.]
If you continue to look at me like that, even I will grow embarrassed, you know? [He's losing it here.]
...Ryuu. [He just likes saying it, now. Ahh...] I feel as though I need some sort of outlet for these feelings...
no subject
Wouldn't it be weird for you to feel embarrassed instead of me?
[ that's so reversed that his smile deepens at the thought. he leans in, noses brushing sweetly. ]
An outlet? Like what?
no subject
[It's wonderful, being able to feel so much more like this. He grins at the way their noses touch and leans into it, wiggling just enough to make it an obvious cute nose kiss— he's always loved those sort of fond gestures, in theory. So, being able to do them is always nice.]
Like what? I wonder...
[He pauses just slightly, pressing an actual kiss against the corner of Ryuu's mouth as he pushes lightly against him, wanting to pull back. But he doesn't let go of their hands, pulling Ryuu's with him as he ducks around to get from sidewalk to sand, his slow steps turning faster, and then into a jog as he heads towards the water.
He won't go in all the way, but he hop carefully to lose his shoes and abandon them behind him before going ankle deep into the water and spinning to pull Ryuu closer and into a kiss and closer embrace.
It feels free. Fun. Like a mirror of their first meeting... He likes it.]
no subject
with a laugh when he realizes, he's jogging along at a pace meant to match. eichi has always been easy to follow, to find a rhythm with. he steps out of his shoes too, leaving them in the sand and treading into the water without any trepidation. seafoam catches on his ankles as the tide pulls, but there's only one pull he's really focused on - he laughs and dips himself into eichi's arms, anchoring them against the rolling of the waves.
the water is still a little chilly, but the breeze smells nice, and his body's so warm. breaking the kiss, he looks at eichi against the sea... he's beautiful, as always. how can he not feel so full, when faced with two things that he loves? ]
It feels familiar, doesn't it?
no subject
What type of love is this? There's no use in finding it out right now. It's fine just like this, isn't it? Ignoring those who had been in his hands that had slipped away one by one, vanishing, ignoring, changing— he reaches and wraps around Ryuu who's here, solid and supportive.
Just this once, he'll allow himself to ignore the big picture and focus only on what's right in front of him. Even he can be allowed this, right? At least this once?]
You feel familiar.
[His response is spoken smoothly, matched with another kiss that he leans into along with the crashing of a wave at the back of his calves. There's no fear of drowning, when Ryuu is here.
His toes sink more into the sand beneath them as he falls back on his heels. Hair blowing messy in the sea breeze, a shiver running up him from the cold of it all, he feels both free and grounded at the same time, and he squeezes himself closer, the hand with the ring moving up between them to brush fondly over Ryuu's cheek.]
Fufu... Back then, I thought you were quite cute and wanted to see if I could fluster you a little, so I gave you a small kiss as if it were nothing. You've come quite a long way from that startled reaction you gave me. ♪
no subject
[ because it's absolutely working. has he really come a long way...
despite himself and the burn in his face that the wind isn't doing anything to cool, he leans into the presence of fingers smoothing over his cheek. an elegant touch that speaks to his heart, the metal of the ring warmed by his light touch and his nice skin. eichi could do that a million times, and ryuu thinks he'll never get tired of it. with eichi on the flats of his feet again, ryuu leans a bit more into the embrace with a tightening of his arms around his waist. it's nice, to welcome the chill along with the heat. it keeps him grounded. ]
A lot of that was thanks to you, you know. [ embarrassing. ] That's not why I did this, but... ever since the start, I never felt like I had to hide what was in my heart with you.
[ in spite of being an idol, in the declaration of a rivalry - their hearts have always felt connected, haven't they? this is just another aspect of it. ]