Location: School corridor- Music block. Time: Break.

Eventually, the bell rang and they exited the stuffy maths classroom at long last. Ruki attempted to link in with Reita lovingly- he'd prefer to hold hands with him, but he was prepared to lay it low until he was ready to come out. Ruki hoped it would be soon and whilst they were still happily dating. 

He couldn't bare the terrifying thought of Reita being secret the whole time to see him come out at 30 or so with a family of his own and another man on the side with no involvement to him. Maybe he wouldn't even see it, he could forget him so easily... Reita told Ruki time after time he was being silly; but when he felt his hand being slapped away from him yet again, without even so much as a mere glance in his direction, he felt a flood of doubt rise inside of him that seemed far too familiar.

He felt so loved when it was just the two of them together, but in public, it was quite a different story. Even when there was no one either of them knew Ruki felt the opposite to how he should. Whenever he talked to Reita about the way he felt towards this situation, he brushed him off, sometimes even managing to make him laugh. Ruki would feel reassured, but nothing ever changed... He'd just go back to that original sad, alone feeling and the whole vicious cycle would just happen again and again. And again. And again.

Ruki often wondered if he was playing a lost game; if he could never win... When Ruki first realised that Reita liked men, in particular him, he was up on Cloud 9. He thought he'd finally met someone like him, who he could have a great, honest, loving relationship with. Overtime, it seemed that feeling disappeared more everyday. . . Yet, Ruki NEVER lost hope. After all, he was in love. First love. Real, first love.

He pushed the cold feeling away and waited at the usual place for Uruha and Aoi to arrive from Drama so they could spend break as a group. Kai was absent on holiday in the North-East of England, so unfortunately he couldn't join them. He usually qualified as the glue that held the friendship group together, but they would just have to attempt to try and get on without him. It would only be a few more days.

Finally, the couple spotted Uruha and Aoi walking towards them down the busy music corridor. "Uruha! Aoi!" Ruki called out and waved excitedly at the two males. Reita casually, but welcomingly smiled in their direction.

"Hi", they all greeted each other at once. Ruki quickly hugged Uruha and Aoi dragging them into a kind group hug; the boys laughed gratefully at his unnecessary energised excitement and hugged him back. He was like a loveable puppy dog... Reita awkwardly waited, softly scratching the far left of the back of his neck- an instinct he had, when he felt uncomftarble. Him and Ruki had mostly very different personalities, but still got on well.

He noticed Reita was doing that cute, little, scratchy thing he did and released Aoi, then Uruha from his eager grip. Ruki barely touched the boys' shoulders and they were still growing, unlike Ruki, who had stopped a while back after several growth spurts he hoped would change his luck in height. He was the smallest of the group.

Ruki gave Reita his infamous puppy eyes that he hoped would clearly say "Can I tell Uruha PLEAAASE?", but Reita just responded with a breif middle finger (only Ruki saw) and a blinding smile to let him know that there were no hard feelings between them. Ruki sighed in exasperation, but was fast to smile back and let it all go. He didn't want to come across pushy, but he never truly let things go before sealing a deal that worked to his advantage. . .

He gently tapped Reita on the shoulder and he bent down so Ruki could whisper into his ear. "I won't tell yet. . . Not without your word, Rei", he promised honestly.

"Thanks. Means a lot."

"Ah, ah... I'm not done." Reita sighed into Ruki's straightened hair at his tiring persistence, his breath so close to Ruki that it gave him a nice shiver; a pleasent tingling sensation, making him sure he was doing the right thing. 

"But you owe me- 'Bathroom Time'." Ruki told him- Reita knew what that deep, warm tone meant, "If you know what I mean. . ." Reita knew alright. He almost felt bad for insisting the relationship be secret. . . 

"You can wink just this once." Reita told him and giggled at Ruki, who looked like he would explode with joy.

Reita got back to his normal height and helplessly grinned at Ruki, who rewarded him with a slow, y wink accompanied with a sweet, yet obvious smile.

The two didn't see the other half of the friendship group exchange glances. It seemed their suspicions were right...