A Raku x Ruri fanfic. I know, I'm a weird one for shipping these two, since it's not a very popular ship (if it even is shipped). But I think this pairing has potential, and I'm determined to make it work in the form of fanfiction. This is going to be a multi-chapter fanfic, so please look forward to more chapters. Also, I haven't read much of the manga and haven't watched the anime at all, so feel free to leave a review on how I can stay true to their characters. R&R for improvements, advice or just a nice comment to make my day. With that said, please enjoy "The Slow Colors of Love"

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The day started just like any other day. For an average student like Raku Ichijō, he expected the usual school happenings: get to class somewhat late, sleep through half of the classes by accident, and the usual antics with the gang during their spare time. It was already break-time, and things had gone according to what he predicted.

It was weird, but he had gotten used to the group's outrageous antics, and honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way. His arguments with Chitoge and the extreme personalities of Tsugumi and Marika became routine in his daily life, one he couldn't avoid and live without.

Lunch with them went just as normal, the usual talks and bickering about their day and days before were most often their preferred topic to bring up whilst eating their lunches.

Suddenly, in the middle of his delicious homemade lunch, Raku felt his throat go dry and realized he forgot to bring his own drink. He stood up and excused himself from the group to buy one from a vending machine. As he had left the view of his friends behind the door, a figure started following him.

Although there were vending machines available in the school building, he decided to go to the one in the school park. The fresh air and green scenery were always worth the extra distance he had to walk. He fed the machine a few coins and right away had difficulty picking which flavor to pick from the selection. As he rubbed his chin, considering his options, a familiar voice came up from behind him.

"Geez, you're indecisive even when it comes to drinks." He quickly turned around and saw the source of the somewhat cold comment.

"Miyamoto? Sorry, are you in line for the vending machine? You can order yours first, I'm still deciding."

She declined, saying she was there to have a talk with him, one she cannot have in front of the others. This turned his attention from the machine to Ruri.

"Do you know what day today is?" She asked. He thought for a bit before answering.

"June 10, right?" He was confused as to why she had to ask this in private. It seemed quite normal to him.

"And do you know what day is coming up soon?"

"The 11th?" Hearing this, Ruri felt like a glass bottle containing all her patience had cracked. She knew the boy was dense, but there were times when she simply couldn't handle him. She walked up to him, causing him to stumble back onto the vending machine. She started poking his chest accusingly. They were awfully close, and this made him feel somewhat intimidated by her piercing green eyes.

"Idiot, and here I thought you spent all day thinking about Kosaki." Raku blushed madly at her statement. How could she accuse him of such a thing in public? Well, she wasn't wrong, but still, there were some things that were best kept private. Before he could retort, she cut him off. "June 15? Does that ring a bell at least?" Finally, the gears clicked in his mind. June 15, how could it slip his mind? Of all the important things he could have forgotten, he just had to forget this one.

"O-Onodera's birthday!" Ruri stepped back, finally giving him some space. Although she was still sort of annoyed that it slipped his mind, at least he didn't forget about it totally. She just wanted to make sure that he would get her something for her birthday. If he does, that's another push for Kosaki to finally confess her feelings someday. After all, she had been supporting her since the day she realized her friend's feelings for the man in front of her, who was currently wallowing in self-pity. As she was about to walk back to the classroom, she heard him call out to her.

"Have you gotten her a gift yet?" Without turning around, she responded.

"No, not yet. I plan on buying her one tomorrow. I'm pretty sure everyone else except you and I have already bought her one." That last part made him feel like an arrow shot through his chest, but he couldn't falter now. All that mattered was that he got a gift for her in the end. The only problem was…

"Then… Please let me come along!" He said bowing to her. This came as a surprise to her. She had never gone shopping alone with anyone other than Kosaki. It didn't take long for her to guess why he wanted to come along with her.

"Let me guess, you don't know what to get her, do you?" She said, turning slightly to face the boy.

"I mean, I have an idea of getting her sweets, but I'm sure she can make those easily enough. A book would've been nice, but I don't know her tastes. And I'm clueless when it comes to accessories." He said in a defeated voice. Although they were close friends and he had a crush on her, he never really knew about Kosaki's tastes and preferences when it came to these things. She was the type to not really share these types of things that freely.

Ruri looked at the poor boy in front of her. It was a sad sight indeed, but one she could personally relate too. She faced the same problem before when she first befriended Kosaki, but instead of having a friend close to Kosaki to help her choose, she had to go purely on her deductions and analysis of her dear friend, which turned out to be accurate. She looked down at her watch and noticed that lunch is almost over, and they had been outside for a good while already.

She sighed as she turned around to face Raku.

"Fine, you'd be hopeless and probably bring a gift more suited for Chitoge if I don't help you pick one out, right?"

Although he wouldn't admit it, he couldn't help but slightly agree with Ruri's cold but truthful statement. He had always known she was the blunt type, never to sugar coat anything. But he guessed that was what made her reliable for these sort of situations. If anything, she was the most reliable one in their hectic group of friends. All he could do was nervously chuckle in agreement.

"Well, you are the closest to her."

"Class is about to start soon. How about you just give me your email address and we can plan out the timing for tomorrow later?" Sounded like a good plan. Raku took out his phone excitedly and exchanged contacts with her. He was staring at a 'Ruri Miyamoto' in his contact list, which made him realize he had never gotten her email until now. Before he could thank her, he looked up at his phone to see Ruri already a good distance away and headed towards the stairs, leaving him alone in the field.

Well, that was Ruri for him. They were friends, for sure, but they weren't very close, to begin with. However, he was sure they would be there for each other if they were ever needed, and this was one of those times. He smiled thinking about their friendship before walking back to the vending machine. He was still unsure of which flavor to pick, they all seemed delicious to him. Blueberry, Orange, Chocolate, and Strawberry; these left him undecided for a while. Meanwhile, from the stairwell windows, Ruri was watching him, annoyed by the situation reoccurring in front of her.

"Just make up your mind already, you idiot." She thought to herself. Her glare sent a shiver up his spine before she continued her way to class.

"Gah! Whatever!" He closed his eyes and randomly pressed a button. After a few machine noises, he heard a clunk come from below and he opened his eyes. He reached into the machine and pulled out a flavor he never really noticed: Green Tea. Curious as to what it tasted like, he popped it open and took a sip.

"Wow. You aren't half bad." He drank it slowly rather than chugging it all down to quench his thirst. It wasn't as sweet as the other flavors that he would finish the can in one drink. This one was a bit bland, as expected of tea compared to the sweet drinks, but it was calming. It made him want to sit on the nearby bench and just savor every drop of it. Eventually, he finished it and started making his way to class.

He walked on the tree-traced path to class, refreshed and relaxed from the drink. He was walking slowly, this time taking in his surroundings with a sense of mindfulness, bliss. As he heard the trees ruffle lightly, the wind blowing against his bangs, it felt as if his eyes had been opened for the first time, all thanks to an accidental green tea drink.