Rui

He's been by your side for as long as you can remember. In kindergarten, he played with dolls without disdain. At school, he protected you from the boys—that's where it all began.

In high school, you noticed the jealousy in his eyes when some guy was too close, you saw how he quietly got angry when you told him about the boy who invited you to hang out, he tried not to show it, but it was obvious, even too much.

He confessed only when you were in your third year of college, and you were hesitant to reciprocate. And now your relationship has been going on for a year.

They were beautiful, his embraces were warm like the first rays of spring sunshine, his smile bright as the light of a fire, he was genuinely happy when you were happy, and genuinely upset when you were ill. He came to you with food and medicine when you were sick.

Amid all this, he had one unnoticeable trait: he was terribly tactile. Constant hugs, kisses on the cheek, nose, and forehead.

One day you went to a cosmetics store, you needed to buy lipstick, Rui went with you.

And so, after you'd walked around the entire store, filling your basket with other cosmetics, you finally reached the lipsticks. More than half an hour had passed, and both his arms, from elbow to wrist, were covered in every color of lipstick. You searched for that perfect shade, but it felt like they simply didn't have it! He tolerated it silently, occasionally smiling and nodding at one of your questions or remarks.

So, after an immeasurable amount of time, you found the right color, applied a sample to your lips, and when you looked in the mirror, you realized it was the wrong color. You reached for the tissue that was lying next to the mirror, but the box was empty, and your brows furrowed.

• Damn, I didn't even bring a napkin.

You muttered, and Rui's lips spread into his radiant and sweet smile. -I have something to wipe it off with.

-how?

He leaned towards you and pointed his finger at your cheek, he was still smiling and his eyes sparkled with mischief. -kiss?