𝑅𝓊𝒹𝑜

Scene: Midnight Confessions *Rudo stands outside the threshold, shifting uncomfortably in the dim light of the hallway.* Rudo: "Move." Y/N: "..." Rudo: "I'm not standing out here. Because people can see me standing out here. And if somebody catches me hovering outside your room at midnight, I'm gonna look like a complete fucking idiot." Y/N: "Then come in." *Rudo pauses, staring for a beat.* Rudo: "...Thanks." *The door clicks shut behind him, sealing off the hallway. Y/N looks up at him.* Rudo: "Don't." Y/N: "Don't what?" Rudo: "Don't give me that look, Y/N." Y/N: "What look?" Rudo: "You know exactly what look I'm talking about. The one that says you've already figured out why I'm here." Y/N: "..." Rudo: "Shut up." Y/N: "I didn't even say anything." Rudo: "I know. That's the problem." *He lets out a long sigh, violently rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes dart around the small space.* Rudo: "This was a stupid fucking idea. I should've stayed in my room. I should've gone to sleep. I should've picked a fight with somebody. Instead I'm here." Y/N: "..." *Rudo starts pacing aggressively across the floor, his boots hitting the ground with a sharp rhythm.* Rudo: "You know what your problem is, Y/N?" Y/N: "Here we go." Rudo: "You're too damn nice." Y/N: "..." *A quiet, breathless laugh escapes him, rough and completely lacking his usual bite.* Rudo: "That's the fucked up part. I got used to seeing you." Y/N: "..." *Silence settles heavy between them. Rudo breathes out slowly, his posture rigid.* Rudo: "But if I'm not... If you've been feeling this too... Then come here—" Y/N: "I don't know, why don't you make it official?" Rudo: "Oh yeah? Shut up! Just... come here!" *He lunges forward and aggressively grabs Y/N's shirt collar, pulling them in fast. Yet, as he leans down, his lips are trembling against Y/N's in a deep, desperate kiss. When he finally pulls back, his chest is heaving.* Rudo: "I guess I don't have to feel so goddamn guilty about wanting to do that anymore." Y/N: "What was that for?" Rudo: "Kissing you, dummy! What the hell else did you think I meant?! It's the only way to get you to stop talking!" *He jerks his head away, his cheeks burning a furious red. He chuckles softly, a bit rough and breathless, his defensive posture crumbling just a fraction.* Rudo: "Doesn't seem like you're complaining anyway... You alright? You look like you've got something stuck in your stupid head. Oh, you want me to say it out loud again, don't you? God, you're so fucking annoying! You know that?!" *He groans, throwing his hands up in defeat before stomping a step closer.* Rudo: "But I was going to say it anyway, so whatever! Just look me in the eyes. Or at my face, I don't care!" *His hand reaches out, placing itself gently against Y/N's cheek. Despite his aggressive tone, his fingers tremble softly against their skin.* Rudo: "I'll just put my hand right here. You're mine. You got that? You're fucking mine. Does that make you feel better?" Y/N: "Maybe a little bit, but you can say it again." Rudo: "Not yet?! Ah, shut the fuck up! I'll say it as many times as it takes to get it through that thick, stubborn skull of yours! You're mine!" *He sighs, pulling his hand back and looking toward the door before glancing back. His face hardens into something more serious.* Rudo: "So, look... I don't want to freak you the hell out, but we should probably talk about what's going down tomorrow. Honestly, now I actually have a real fucking reason to fight like hell and make it back alive. Not just for the Cleaners, but for you. Tomorrow's probably going to be a total shitshow. It's not just our squad going down there—every single team is getting deployed, even the ones I absolutely fucking hate." *He pauses, scratching his cheek nervously.* Rudo: "Wait, Engine won't be on the frontline, and obviously Semiu is staying back at HQ, but you already knew that. Just... thought I'd remind you, dammit!" *He resumes pacing aggressively across the room, his hand coming back up to violently rub the back of his neck as his face flares red again.* Rudo: "Shit, you've got me completely flustered again! Look at me fucking rambling like a moron! Nobody has ever been able to make me lose my cool like this, I'm being completely real with you! It's frustrating as hell! But honestly... that's probably why I fell for you so hard in the first place." *He stops pacing, staring wide-eyed at the wall as if he can't believe what just came out of his mouth.* Rudo: "Dammit, is it always this embarrassing to say this stuff out loud?! I mean, I guess it shouldn't be! It's just new to me, but I'm not scared of it! Especially if it means being with you! Right?! Can I... can I be real for a fucking second?" Y/N: "Yeah, Rudo. Talk to me." *Rudo sits down close on the edge of the bed, his shoulders tense as he stares intensely at his own hands resting in his lap.* Rudo: "Look, I've been pretty honest about my past from the start, so you already know I didn't give a shit about anything for a long time. Before I got thrown down into this dump, I was just surviving, treating everything like garbage because that's all I fucking knew! But every single day back then, it felt like a part of me was just missing, like the world was constantly ripping things away from me. I didn't have anyone who actually gave a damn about me." *He shifts on the mattress, taking a sharp breath.* Rudo: "I have the Cleaners now, yeah, but they're like family. I never had someone who wanted to choose me, if that makes any sense!" *Suddenly panicking, he begins wildly waving his hands around in front of his face.* Rudo: "Uh, wait, don't take that the wrong way! I'm not saying we're rushing into marriage or anything crazy, fucking hell! God, I am completely cooked. Sorry... Anyway, what I'm trying to say is... I don't feel that emptiness when I'm around you. It feels like instead of losing something, I finally got something back. Like you're the piece I was missing this whole time. I've felt like this since right after you joined the squad, honestly. I was just too chicken shit to say anything, but I was always so happy when we'd start meeting up in the middle of the night." *A playful smirk creeps onto his face, a bit of his sharp, defensive edge returning to mask his vulnerability.* Rudo: "Even if you were just teasing the hell out of me. But when I finally bit the bullet and asked you what we were... man, the weight that lifted off my chest when you answered me..." Y/N: "I'm really glad you asked me tonight. I choose you too." *Rudo chokes on his own breath, coughing slightly as his eyes dart away and his face turns completely red once again.* Rudo: "Right. Yeah. So all that old crap is in the past now. Let's just focus on tomorrow. We need to get some actual sleep before the drop. We can't be dragging our fucking feet when we meet up in the morning. I'll let you decide if you want to tell the others or not. Then again, if we oversleep, they're just gonna find us in here together anyway..." *Without waiting for an answer, he swings his legs up, grabs the blankets, and aggressively settles in right next to Y/N on the narrow bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and refusing to look Y/N in the eye.* Rudo: "Yeah, I'm staying right here tonight. Deal with it."