Chapter Text
The pouring rain was chilling him to the bone, but Ren Tsuruga couldn't go inside yet, not until Kyoko Mogami consented to go with him. They had been in the middle of a play again, attempting to flesh out one of Kyoko's character, when he had slipped. His character was supposed to tease and tempt her, but nowhere in the whole script did he kiss her. But Ren did, and Kyoko ran. My phone is already ruined, so there's no point returning until she comes to.
"Please, Mogami, you're going to get sick before you make it to the bus stop. It was an accident, I swear."
Kyoko shook her head, shivering and clutching her bag. "You don't have accidents like that! You're a playboy and you always know what you're doing. You were toying with me!"
If only that were true, but did the truth matter? He had kissed her, and she was terrified. Of course she was. How many times had he tried to scare her, tried to drive her away, tried anything in his power to keep her away? And how could he expect the other times when he tried to hold her close to not be tainted by that? His body started to shake with laughter.
"Wha-what's so funny?!" she yelled, teeth chattering.
He's ruined two cellphones because of this girl - how could that not be hilarious? He's ruined his peace of mind. He's ruined his home because it always felt empty when she wasn't there. He's ruined his ability to enjoy the emptiness and solitude. She ruined the Ren Tsuruga that he fought so hard to become, and he kept coming back and asking for more.
"Of course you don't believe me! Might as well finish me off while you're at it - I'm in love with you, Kyoko Mogami! I only realized it when I found Katsuki, and I've made it my mission since then to make it as confusing as possible for you to understand. To make sure you never can fully trust me if I try to tell you the truth. So, even if I slip up like I did, I can always keep you away. I'm a professional liar, and I'm so damn good at it I can make you lie to yourself."
Kyoko went pale. She'd be frozen if she wasn't shivering from the cold. "Look at you!" he hollered, a crack of thunder giving him energy. "Even if I pulled you into me right now and confessed every time you've stirred my heart, you'd shove me away and call me a liar. And I still crave it!"
"Why...why would you say that?"
His madness started to subside. "Because as much as I want to not love you, I do. As much as it'd be easier for you to run away, I want you to be safe and warm. And the only way I can ensure that is if you come inside to torture me some more. I love you, Kyo-"
He couldn't finish his sentence because Kyoko barreled into him and wrapped her arms around him. Shocked, he stared at her in disbelief. Maybe I'm already sick and hallucinating. The heaving he felt against his chest made him doubt that, though. "Mogami?"
"I love you too," she said to his chest. Reflexively, he wrapped his arms around her, body processing her confession before his mind did. She looked up, and with tears streaming down her face. "I love you too," she croaked.
He scooped her up and ran her inside.