Ryouma comes to terms rather abruptly with the reason he’s clinging to Tezuka.
At first, it had been a matter of chance, really.
Tezuka/Ryouma
Tezuka finally loses his battle to stay detached.
Kunimitsu resigned himself to the knowledge that he had just welcomed all the interest and chaos and trouble and thrill that Echizen trailed after him like a too-long scarf into yet another part of his life.
Tezuka and Ryouma achieve some closure.
When Tezuka’s tongue still only flirted with his, Ryouma nipped at it, and then made a pleased sound as Tezuka’s low laugh vibrated down the whole length of his body.
Tezuka and Echizen settle in with each other.
“But, really! I never thought, in a hundred years, Echizen would actually catch him…”
Ryouma finally catches Tezuka.
He hadn’t just been making excuses when he told Lily that he couldn’t come to Echizen’s “Hi, I’m Dead Too” party, as the man had called it.