#aubritsu

Even if you drop a million hints, Ren's not going to be the one to ask because he simply doesn't want to go… He can't even dance anyways so why do you want him to be your date? Doesn't matter if you're in a relationship with him, but wait! Don't ask anyone else! Fine fine… he'll go… Don't look at him like that…!

“Renrenrenren… So there's a dance… and I wanna go… would you be my date?” You pleaded, earning a firm “No.” in reply.

“Please please please!” You begged, yet he wouldn't budge. “I can't even dance anyways…” Fine then… “I'll just ask one of my friends then…” The pout on your face and words were enough to make him groan in reluctant acceptance. You're putting him in such a terrible spot right now. “I have to go dress shopping and oh my god… I can't wait to see you in a suit. Feels like a practice run for our wedding.” You giggled and he internally combusted. Whyyy did you have to go and say that word… wedding. It only feels like that if you make a big deal of all of this!! It's just a stupid dance and yet here you are, making his mind race a million miles per minute. He's blushing so hard as he accompanies you to the stores to go dress shopping, grumbling half-heartedly about being dragged to do something so silly in his free time. But then he sees you try them on, beaming at him and it's the most beautiful sight. His palms are sweating and he stammers out his replies,”T-That looks really nice… I like this one too… you look…” He's exasperated, out of his element and can't properly formulate his words, let alone string together coherent sentences. He truly is no help when picking out dresses, eventually you settle on the one that makes him the most flustered, the one that fits you so perfectly. The only thought running through his mind is that you look like an angel. When it comes time for getting fitted for suits he just wants to get it over with, it's so uncomfortable… but oh? How the tables turn, he's teasing you over the way you're getting flustered as you see him walk out in a suit. He's smirking the moment you're stammering and blushing madly at the sight. He's actually kind of looking forward to it now. Not that Ren will admit it outright. He secretly learns the basics for dancing, just simple movements. God, if you walk in on him practicing, he wants the ground to swallow him whole. He doesn't want to make a fool of himself! Please don't laugh at him. If you're offering to teach or practice alongside him, he will initially refuse. Reluctantly, he will agree if you coax him into practicing with him. He's so nervous, you're so close yet it feels so… nice. Don't expect him to make it a common occurrence. The next time you will be slow dancing like this will be at a wedding.

Ritsu's planning on asking you, trust. He just can't decide on the proper way to ask you. His main concerns are as follows; the proposal, ensuring you have enough time to consider and accept, and going shopping and him getting fitted for a suit. After great deliberation and extensive research, he does so in a romantic yet very Ritsu way. He asks to meet you after work hours in the campus gardens. He's 99% sure you will accept, but that doesn't stop a flicker of anxiety passing through him. No, he has nothing to be nervous about… You seemed interested in going, you are partners after all. It's natural to attend a dance. He's sitting at a bench, rising to his feet as he sees you arrive right on time. The lights flicker on in the garden as the sun begins to set and he's holding something. A neatly tied bouquet, nestled inside is a handwritten card he clearly took time crafting. Inside is a proposal, simple and straightforward. The details of what time he would arrive, where he would meet you, leaving no room for further questions should you accept. He patiently awaits for you to finish reading before he speaks, "You are not obligated to reply this moment. Please do let me know within a week, this way we will have ample time to prepare-” He is appreciative when you quickly accept. Then, the preparations begin. He's quick to accept going dress shopping with you, yet it is hardly helpful. He seems to like everything you try on, if you're indecisive he will give honest opinions on which one he likes more. Otherwise the choice is yours. He's got suits already, of course. But if you want to experience shopping with you, then he is willing to indulge in shopping for the dresses. Yes he's paying for your dress- no room for disagreement there. He asked you after all. He's excited to have you on his arm, as his date and arrives earlier to pick you up in excitement to see you all dressed up. He feels like the luckiest man alive and it's only a dance.

Sho will ask you to the dance, over dinner. He's made your favorite dishes, waiting until dessert and it's written in chocolate on the plate. “Will you go to the dance with me?” That alone is enough to make anyone melt, and you're nodding eagerly. He will accompany you shopping, helping pick out dresses and offering up his opinions yet doesn't matter what you wear. Either way you look incredible, dressed up or not. He makes his choice for his suit depending on your reactions to each option. Whichever one makes your eyes light up and your cheeks flushed, that's the one he's getting. He's punctual and although it would be nice to ride on Bonnie to the dance, he doesn't want to ruin your dress plus its unsafe… got to have the proper gear on! He's stunned, jaw slack at just how… utterly ethereal you look. He's so in love, so happy having you on his arm, dancing with you as long as you wish. Truly makes his thoughts drift off to how a wedding would be between you.

Leo's not very romantic about it… he's torn between wanting you to beg and convince him to go or to just ask you... He gets antsy, you're taking way too long for his liking. Just ask him already!! Fuck it. You don't wanna ask first, fine. Actually he can use this to his advantage. He's texting you to meet him, dressed nicely cause he wants to film a video. If you decline oh my god it's life or death… (He's so dramatic over this.) Anyways, he texts you very little details but all he asks is that you say yes, for video purposes, okay? He is an influencer after all - please just say yes. Whatever the latest proposal trend is happening, he prepares it as a surprise (while filming) and you can see a glimpse of anxiety covered up by false bravado. Will you say yes or will you be annoying and ruin the video (and lowkey break his heart) You said yes…? He's wide-eyed momentarily before making a big show of PDA, then the camera is off. He turned to you with a grin, “I already picked out your dress. Oh, and don't be late.” He's relieved you actually agreed.

It wasn’t that Auburn wanted to be alone. But the isolation was familiar, especially because of her curse.

If I’m never going to break this, I may as well get used to this feeling, Auburn thought as the first lantern began to ascend into the sky.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

A familiar voice pulled Auburn out of her thoughts, and she turned around to see Ritsu standing above her, a handful of unlit sparklers in his grip. I thought he’d still be busy at Sinostra’s booth… I heard that Romeo sent him back after hearing about the fiasco with the golden gun. “You were looking for me?” Auburn asked. Did we have plans that I forgot about…? I’m never that careless with anything we plan together.

There was something else different about Ritsu’s appearance. When they’d seen him before, he’d been wearing his standard uniform - but now he wore a light gray yukata with hints of blue, the color complimenting both his eyes and his hair. “Of course I came looking for you. I had planned on spending the last block of time in the festival with you,” Ritsu spoke, as if he’d explained this intention to her before this moment. “When I ran into Kagami, I noticed you were no longer with the other cowherds. I recalled that you liked coming here, so this was the natural next place to search.”

His casual mention of always having planned to spend the end of the festival with them made Auburn’s heart jump for a moment. He knew that they had a mission during the festival, and he knew he had his own personal duties with Sinostra - but despite that, he’d carved time out of his schedule that would work with theirs.

Of course he would, Auburn thought, a small smile crawling onto her face. He’s always this thoughtful.

The concerns and anxieties that Auburn had been feeling a moment before seemed to melt away as Ritsu took a seat beside her on the dock, setting the sparklers between them as he situated himself. “It’s not as easy to see the lanterns from here, but I suppose this spot does have the advantage of peace. And it’s much more practical to sit out here when it isn’t raining. You can actually see the lights reflecting off the surface of the lake when the rain isn’t distorting it.”

As Ritsu prattled off observations, Auburn grabbed one of the sparklers that was now between them. “Where did you get these? I love sparklers, but I didn’t see any at the stalls before.”

He tore his attention away from the lantern light and faced Auburn again. “The general store was selling them for the occasion. It’s also where I was able to get a yukata on such short notice. It appears they planned for a lot of students wanting to really dress for the occasion since there was no opportunity to do so last year.”

Right, because it was cancelled, Auburn thought. “Did you bring matches? Let’s light some!”

“Of course I planned this far ahead,” Ritsu reached into his yukata, procuring a small book of matches with the Darkwick logo on them.

“Wait!” Auburn exclaimed as he pulled out a match, stopping the paralegal in his tracks before he could strike it. “Have you ever played the sparkler game?”

Ritsu tilted his head slightly. “Sparkler game?”

“It’s a small competition. We both light a sparkler at the same time, and whoever’s sparkler lasts the longest wins,” Auburn began to explain, grabbing another unlit sparkler from between them and handing it to Ritsu. “The winner gets to ask anything they want from the loser. Want to play?”

“Anything? That’s quite open-ended,” Ritsu noted, but he still grabbed the unlit sparkler from her. “Though I don’t think anything you could ask from me would be too much. I’ll play. I hope you know the terms are absolute.”

I know what I was getting into, Auburn thought, grabbing a match from him. “We’ll light them at the same time. Ready?”

With a nod, they each struck their matches and lit their respective sparklers, sparks immediately flying between them in a brilliant glow. The white light danced in the air for only a few moments before fading out, and Auburn was entranced by the beautiful display.

While she watched the sparklers, though, Ritsu watched her. The glow of the sparklers lit up her face and reflected off of her glasses, and the look of wonder in Auburn’s hazel eyes made Ritsu remember exactly why it was that he’d grown so attached to her in the first place.

After a moment of feeling Ritsu’s eyes on them, Auburn looked up to meet his gaze. “Is there something on my face?”

As if just realizing he was staring, Ritsu cleared his throat and momentarily averted his eyes. “Not at all. I was just noticing how your glasses catch the light.”

Auburn wasn’t sure how much they believed him, but nonetheless, it was a rare treat to see the paralegal caught off-guard. “What made you want to change into a yukata? You weren’t wearing one when I saw you earlier.”

“I was working at that moment, and as long as I was representing Sinostra, I thought it was appropriate to wear my uniform,” Ritsu answered simply, twisting the wire of his sparkler in his hands as he spoke. “But afterward… I knew I was going to be spending time with you, and seeing as you’re dressed for the occasion, it was only logical that I should wear something to match your effort.”

Before Auburn could ask when he was going to tell them that he had plans laid out, Ritsu’s sparkler suddenly fizzled in his hands, going out in a flash of light and leaving him with nothing more than a wire as Auburn’s continued to burn. “Oh! I won!” Auburn smiled brightly.

Ritsu’s eyes widened at the dead sparkler in his hands, as if he had never fathomed a reality in which he wouldn’t win. Wiping the look of surprise off his face, he cleared his throat and set the wire aside. “It was a game of chance more than anything, but seeing as you’re the winner of this gamble… you get one request from me. What will it be?”

They hummed, contemplating their options as their sparkler fizzled and burnt out in their hands only moments after his. The possibilities were truly endless, but… the start of their night, the thing that led them to the dock in the first place suddenly came to the forefront of their mind.

Only one request? Auburn thought. I know what I truly want.

“Promise me something,” Auburn raised a hand, extending it to Ritsu to hold. “I want you to promise that… you won’t forget me.”

Not just because of my curse, Auburn thought. But… even after we graduate. When you become so busy that your time dwindles and you might not have the luxury or carving out time for me. I just… want to know you’re not going to forget me.

A warm hand enveloped hers - soft, grounding, enough to break her out of her thoughts. Ritsu gave her an easy, reassuring smile. “You’re wasting your request on that?” Ritsu asked, somewhat amused. “I promise that I could never forget you, Auburn. I hope you know that I plan on being by your side for a long time. There’ll never be a time where that will become an issue.”

Slowly, Auburn squeezed his hand, their fingers naturally intertwining with his.

ritsu in pyjamas sketch !

ignore the background but this is what i roughly would imagine him doing before sleeping (reading because he is sucha nerd but he is OUR favourite nerd) !! & also, i made him a lil flirty because the ren pyjamas card made him flirty too 🤭🤭🤭

BONUS ART : AUBRITSU ?!?!