He knew this would happen, from the moment that they were in the same room. The signs were always there. From when they started dating, to when Tsukasa moved, and finally when they got married. All the adventures in between might have strengthened their relationship, but he knew that Tsukasa would never grow up. He was still a child. She was still a child. Their decision to have a child was an ill-prepared one. It happened too many times. Couples rush into a marriage, and then realize that it's too big for them to handle. And, ironically, they thought the remedy is to make an even more irresponsible choice.
He also knew that it was over, no matter how much his friend had protested to bring her back, but for now he kept supporting his attempts. It was to be expected that he was still going to try to coax her. After all, he was Domyouji Tsukasa. And though they would probably never see her again, his soul was at peace with the fact. He had long since given up on his feelings for her. Hell, half the time he only acted on the slightest feeling just to piss Tsukasa off. He was never sure why he had done that. Partially because it was an easy way to get him back for all of those cruel jokes, and partially as an attempt to save him from bigger heartbreak, he supposed. But there was still some piece missing. There was a whole other part of him that disapproved of the relationship for another reason. He could never bring himself to say it aloud, but...
If Domyouji was this baby's father, then that meant he was no longer a virgin. That hurt him deeply. Of course he had been known to have been a lady-killer himself, but never had he done the deed with any woman. Domyouji was too dense and rash to get laid before he met Makino, and during the arranged marriage affair, he had even turned a woman down for it. Meaning, Makino had took it from him, hadn't she? He was envious. Not because his friend had managed to have sex before him, no, but because it was just another thing that she had stolen from him. It was a fact that Tsukasa's heart nor virginity were never rightfully his, but he felt ashamed and embarrassed that somebody had taken that from him. His attachment to the man was a complicated one. A third of the time, he wanted to punch him in the face. Another third of the time he just wanted to be a good friend. The last third, well.. surely Tsukasa would never even think of it.
It wasn't long until he heard a soft, almost inaudible knock on his door. Biting his lip, he raised his gaze as his friend allowed himself in, not even bothering to mumble a 'hello'.
He could feel his heart skip a beat.
This wasn't the Tsukasa he had held so highly in his memory. The Tsukasa standing before him was pale and skinny with deep bags under his eyes, greedily stealing the attention away from the other beautiful features on his face. … Defeated was the only word he could use to describe him. And oddly enough, the only word that he had never used to describe him before. Tsukasa was always a fighter, no matter how stupid his ideals were. He was strong-willed and hard-headed, and kept on battling until the end, no matter what the cost. Domyouji Tsukasa was strong. Domyouji Tsukasa never stopped sacrificing for the things that he believed in. Domyouji Tsukasa always got what he wanted. It was disheartening to see him so overwhelmed, with his posture so poor and his eyes so empty.
He could hardly believe that it only took one woman to make him crumble.
Sitting idly in his chair, he watched Tsukasa meander around the room aimlessly for a few moments before he claimed a seat next to him. Though it was astoundingly obvious that Tsukasa was suffering, he found himself dissuaded by the fact and kept his stature relaxed, his mindset calm. He knew that there would be no point in Tsukasa's appearance if he mourned alongside him. There were a million people that could offer him tears and sympathy, but he knew that he was the only one who could actually offer him what he really needed. That was what Tsukasa had always been to him. Now, it was his turn to give him a crutch to lean on, if only for a little while. He hated taking responsibility of any one's feelings other than his own, but Tsukasa was his best friend. After all of the hardships he had helped him face, it was Rui's turn to quietly assist.
"... H-have you been waiting long?" Tsukasa asked awkwardly, gazing at Rui's profile.
Pointedly staring at him, he arranged and rearranged his words in his head, trying his best not to startle or upset the broken man in front of him. He honestly wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to say to that. Was he supposed to offer him sympathy? Tell him to act more mature and ignore her? Or was he supposed to do nothing, and pretend that nothing had happened? He chose a rendition of the latter. After all, details to him were always tedious and unimportant. Especially in situations like these.
"Have you eaten?" He calmly asked, nudging a silver dinner platter in his direction.
"I'm not hungry," Tsukasa mumbled, not even eying the food. His manner seemed defeated, as if he was disappointed that Rui hadn't brought up the topic. Inwardly, Tsukasa just wanted his friend to make him feel better. He just wanted him to say that everything was going to be alright. It was okay if it was a lie. He didn't mind. All he needed was some false hope, and he could attempt to build himself back up again. But those words never came.
He looked down at his shoes, his heart beginning to sink slowly in his chest. Studying his features, he wondered if Tsukasa had eaten at all in the past week. He knew his friend well. Even if this situation wasn't his fault in the slightest, he knew that he was going to shove all the blame onto his own shoulders. It was utterly stupid, really, seeing as how the wretched, underhanded bitch he had married was to blame, but Tsukasa was never really credited with being intelligent in the first place. Despite, he tried his hardest not to cast any pity on him. He knew that this was just the way that Tsukasa learned. If it was a positive situation, he would take it for granted. Torturing himself was simply the only way that lessons could be drilled into his thick skull. He would snap out of it someday, a better man. … At least, he hoped he would.
He felt Tsukasa stir, and moved his gaze back toward him, eager to listen to anything that he had to say.
"... You don't have to pity me," Tsukasa said in an attempt to scrounge what was left of his pride. "I didn't come here to cry."
"I know," Rui replied softly.
"Really, Rui, you shouldn't think any less of me because of this... situation."
"I don't."
"... Rui," Tsukasa groaned, his voice rough as his temper rose. "I don't think that I can ever forgive her," He said, getting pissed off at Rui's stupid, simple responses.
Rui looked back down the floor, as if seeking solace in its tiles. "... You'll forgive her," He said softly, though the words were forced. He was hoping that he would never forgive her. She didn't deserve to be forgiven. She was a liar, and a cheater, and a slut. And he loathed her.
"God, she's such a bitch!" Tsukasa yelled, suddenly standing up and grabbing the nearest vase, throwing it violently against the wall in an act of unbridled rage. This was followed by him flipping an end table, breaking a lamp, and tearing down many of the portraits of his family that ornately decorated the room.
Once again, Rui did nothing at all. After all, he couldn't blame Tsukasa for getting mad. She really was a bitch. And, after all of their time together, she had run off and gotten herself pregnant with another man's child, taking their own with her as she fled from his grasp. Tsukasa's infamous temper tantrums were obviously inevitable. No matter how many years they spent apart, he knew that it would never change. He was still the immature, lonely, hurt Tsukasa inside, and there was not one woman in the world who could change it.
Tsukasa broke every fragile item he could get his hands on, wailing like an injured beast as he did so. What was he supposed to do? Where was he supposed to go? His heart had only known loneliness, and then it had only known her. Rui sympathized with him. He knew what it was like to be disposed of, as if he wasn't worth any one's time. It was a feeling he wore often, and wore well. But secretly, though he knew his friend was in more pain than ever, he was more than glad that he was the first one that Tsukasa ran to when he was hurt. It made him... almost hopeful.
By the time he had run out of items to break, Tsukasa had slammed his back against the wall closest to Rui, cradling his head in his hands and trying his best not to cry.
"God, Rui," He mumbled. "... How could I let her do this to me? How could she destroy me so easily? How... how could I let her get away, just like that?"
Finally, Rui stirred. Pulling himself up, he took soft and quiet steps toward the raven-haired man before taking a soundless seat next to his defeated figure. He knew that there was nothing that he could say to make him feel better. At the best, the only feeling that he knew he could elicit was misery. So he just sat there, close to his best friend, selfishly cherishing the moment. It was rare that he got a chance to be so near to him - even rarer ever since he had become a married man. It made him feel secure, yet so helpless and lonely at the same.
He felt helpless. Here Tsukasa was, in pain, and he couldn't even offer him simple, comforting words to help him out. He supposed he could lie and tell him that things were going to be alright, but he had always been a horrible liar. He knew that Tsukasa would see right through his attempts, even if those were the words that he wanted to hear.
With nothing else to do, he childly surrendered his gaze and moved his head to Tsukasa's shoulder. He could feel Tsukasa comfortably melt into his act of comfort, more than desperate for someone, anyone, to offer him the physical comfort that he so much desired. Rui could feel his heart rate quicken as the brash man pushed himself against him, but quelled his desire.
He still loved her, he knew. He didn't expect anything less from him, it had barely been two weeks. He had no time to himself to reflect, or to try and remedy their relationship. All he had time for was attempting to keep up his public figure. It was absolutely unfair to confuse him, or make him doubt his feelings for anyone now by offering him physical affection. After all, Tsukasa had always put his whole heart into things he believed in, even if his heart was weak. But did his heart always make the right choices? Not necessarily. The bigger question was...
"Ne, Tsukasa." He began. "Do you regret marrying Makino?" He asked, his mind reeling back to the fear that he was going to get punched in the face or yelled at for even bringing the topic up. But he pressed it anyways, set on getting an answer. "Even if you do love her... Do you regret it?"
"No." Tsukasa answered almost instantly, not even allowing himself time to think. Maybe if he said it enough in such a proud and honest-sounding tone, even he could begin to believe it.
Rui was not surprised by this outcome. Of course he was going to still persist in choosing her over him. She was still his wife, anyways. But... hearing him say it out loud made his heart sink. It caused his stomach to flip-flop and his tear ducts were battling with his will to not cry. He had dealt with unrequited love all of his life; why was it so hard to hear him say those little words? He had heard him say 'I love you' to her, he had heard him say 'I do'... But nothing had effected him as solidly as the words that had just came out of his mouth. It seemed that no matter what she did to him, he would always own his heart.
Sadly smiling, Rui just nodded his head. "Then you can work it out," He said almost breathlessly, trying his best to battle with all of the conflicting feelings inside.
He just wanted him to be happy, no matter what that meant.
Or at least, that's what he told himself.