With or without you~
When I got up, I saw everyone looking at me and I internally panicked but I first helped Ryu up, eyeing Michizou's surprised glance. I had forgotten how nice it was seeing Tachihara's smile, too. The second hug caught me off guard, and I stumbled in Ryu's embrace. Without letting go, I greeted Michizou; "Oh my god HII!!! It's been so long since we last saw each other! Hope everything is going smoothly for you!""Hello Atsu! It's so nice to see you again, what a relief we won't have to deal with Ryu that way anymore. He was almost-" Ryu shut Tachi up and I wondered what the ginger meant with the statement.
"Tachihara, don't speak if you're going to regret it afterwards. Tell the teacher my situation, I know she'll understand. See you at recess." That made me feel like we had a long talk ahead of us. "Guys, seems like Ryu and I have to talk, so I'll see you guys later." Lucy and Sigma greeted Ryunosuke and went to class, wondering what they had gotten themselves into. Kyouka, on the other hand, knew Ryunosuke for a year, as Ryunosuke, his sibling Gin and Tachihara changed schools the year before, was open eyed and flabbergasted. She didn't know that could happen. "Ah, so they were the person you were searching for, Akutagawa. I see why now." She nodded and went her way.
Ryu offered me his hand, and it felt just like when we were little kids and we would run around the park near home holding hands, for him to keep up with me in the pouring rain or under the sun. I had truly missed those moments with him, and not only that, he looked the best he ever has too. He then looked around, making sure no one was around and in that sunny morning, on the rooftop, he hid in my arms and cried for what felt like an eternity. I pat and whispered nice things to him, wondering for how long would he have bottled those feelings up.
With no further thinking, I kissed him on the forehead, and I felt him freezing. "OH oh my god I'm so sorry Ryu- Forgot to ask-" he then shut me up and kissed my hand, just like he used to do back then. He seemed to have calmed down by then, and I was happy to see so. "I- I just didn't expect it, don't worry ."
Ah, that nickname.
Only ever Ryu would call me 'tsu. It was like a me and him thing that none of our other friends dared to go through. "Ryu, I have missed you terribly!! I am so happy we have been able to reunite, my phone broke just before I moved and I didn't have any other way of contacting all of you. I've seen you have made new friends and I am so happy for you, I can't wait to meet all of them!"
...
I saw the look in Ryunosuke's face and eyes after I rambled about how the last year had been for me, and it felt like he was looking at the brightest sun he had ever seen, mesmerized in a way I had seen before, whenever we'd sit on the grass in any park we'd find, in summer, hanging out and getting sunburnt, talking about whatever was on my mind. I didn't think I'd ever see his eyes shine so bright again.
....
And so, recess began, our 30 minutes of freedom. Suddenly, everyone seemed interested in us and the only feeling that kept me safe from panicking was Ryunosuke's hand. When we were hugging and we took each other's hand I realized he, as I was, still wore the matching rings we got when we were younger. He wore a golden ring with a moon on it while I wore a golden ring with a sun, as we were each other's complement.
Like that, I was taking to multiple people simultaneously when Gin appeared. "Oh my god, how's my favorite sib!!!" Gin and I had always known we were non binary, and it had been a very nice self discovery journey together so seeing my fellow enby, although Sigma was non binary too, felt very comfortable. "Ah, you seem to have found another way to get in our lives, I am very glad. Everything just feels like when we picked up Byakko that day." We had met for the first time when we both wanted to adopt the same cat, my dear Rashomon, and crushed into each other. "Ah, have you even started dating you-know-who?"
I smiled when Gin's cheeks started to turn pink, just as Michizou appeared from her back. "What were you guys talking about? By the way Atsu, I love your new pin" I smiled at him, being proud of who I am has been something I've always been and wearing a pin with my pronouns on it was a good of letting everyone else know. "Well, nothing worth of mention..." We kept talking until Ryu approached me again, saying something about the dorm I had been assigned. "Yeah, as I was saying, I know who your roommate is! He has room 666 too, so that means you're with-"
"OI, AKUTAGAWA!"- someone who looked like rage itself, with a fierce smile on, was running towards us with someone trying to catch him behind.
...