Chapter Text
the dagger, now lowered, is slipped into a pocket, and tsukasa watches as rui sits on one side of the chessboard. his elegant fingers reset both sides of the chessboard, then looks back at the window from before, within arm's reach. the halfway slashed robot would be the perfect stepping stool to use before sprinting away.
still, he feels inclined to stay.
“are you ready?”
rui challenges the jester, a hint of a mockery in his words, his eyes bright and burning. he doesn’t bother to hide his excitement.
tsukasa feels his body almost squirm under that stare, feels the sudden need to regain control over this entire situation right after. sitting before his contestant, he bends down so his face is as close to rui’s as when they were against the door, propping his head with a relaxed palm.
“whenever you are.”
rui doesn’t flinch away. “white goes first.”
tsukasa makes his move, eyes never leaving the prince.
however, the game doesn’t truly begin until the first piece is taken by either side, tsukasa yawns. once rui has taken one of tsukasa’s white pieces, the intensity returns.
the only noise now in the room is the rapid clacking of chess pieces to board, and soft, annoyed noises from tsukasa when his little tactics have been seen through.
their whole world fades into the darkness outside, leaving only the chessboard in their eyes. as the air feels like it’s buzzing with electricity, his mind racing to keep up with countering each powerful move the prince made, perhaps think of one even more powerful.
it’s tense, and it makes him feel so alive.
he’s so focused on trying to nab rui’s bishop, that he doesn’t notice rui staring at him. more specifically, admiring his focused features.
“why did you choose to steal a bell from me?” rui places down another black piece onto the board.
tsukasa’s eyes flicker up and away from the chessboard — to see him staring back, expressionless.
“i told you, i wanted that bell.”
the prince hums idly, not seeming to mind the slowing chess game. “it’s impressive, how you managed to enter my room without any guards seeing you. i’m only asking why you only wanted the bell.” he motions to his more extravagant belongings. tsukasa snorts at his generosity.
“i don’t care for expensive things. i just wanted it because it looked like a good addition to my next show.” he slides his white pawn up, right in front of rui’s. his bishop piece is now his.
tsukasa feels the stare on him intensify, but he doesn’t let the slight pick up of his heart rate show. his hands play with pawn he took from rui, twirling it around in his fingers. “it gets boring in the outskirts.”
wondering why rui hasn’t made his move yet, he glances up. rui is still staring at him, a hint of surprise passing his face.
“you wanted it for your shows?” he asks. tsukasa could close his eyes and still feel the holes the prince was burning into him. specifically, holes in his clothing. he knew he should’ve changed out of his show outfit, instead of playing chess against the prince in his ridiculous jester get-up.
“we do shows from time to time,” tsukasa yawns, suddenly realising how unhinged he must look, risking his life for a shiny bell he liked. he suddenly feels bad for emu and nene. “..my troupemates don’t approve of me doing this, though.”
strangely, when tsukasa expects him to spit at his messed-up actions, he simply smiles. he smiles.
it makes tsukasa want to know everything about him.
“do you enjoy your role?”
rui momentarily pauses himself from moving his pawn, amused.
“..i’m the prince of this village.”
boring answer. tsukasa’s interest dies out like a snap of one’s fingers. “wow, very hard to tell,” he entertains him. “i’m asking how you feel about being the prince.”
rui’s expression turns bitter as tsukasa watches in masked fascination.
“it’s boring.” his answer is short and to the point. without breaking their eye contact, his piece conquers the jester’s.
tsukasa gapes, captured by his nonchalance more than to have his own chess piece being claimed. to have that sort of power seemed like a dream — to have anything and everything he could possibly want, and complete power. his calmness was clearly off-putting, the same nonchalant expression when he had his dagger to his neck. “how is being the village’s adored prince boring?”
“i don’t like the pressure.” rui’s lips purse. it’s the first time he’s seen such a strong expression on him. “i don’t like the eyes on me.”
“say, why don’t you join my troupe?”
silence. the reckless question hangs in the air, as tsukasa smiles at the prince through half-lidded eyes. it’s a dangerous smile, sharp and expectant.
“i can’t possibly abandon everything to be free,” the prince finally exhales. his expression told him otherwise.
it all clicked — how exhausted he looked, slumped against his bedroom door after his servant had left. a twinge of rage flashes through the jester, injustice for how it felt to be born into a life of pretentious people at all corners. he feels rather bad for threatening his life now.
“my offer still stands.”
“wow, how generous of my assassin to offer me a spot in his troupe.”
tsukasa’s cheeks flush at the word my. “..generous indeed! i don’t offer such an opportunity to just anybody!”
rui smiles once more, sliding a chess piece forward. “indeed, but can the pristine jester beat me in a game of chess? i’ve never experienced defeat in this field before.”
the overflowing confidence in those golden eyes sends the blood rushing to tsukasa’s head, but he hides all those feelings behind a soft snort. “does the prince think a lowly commoner stands a smidge of a chance against him?”
rui stares at him through the immense amusement in his eyes, looking like he’s trying to hide a smile behind the perfect, innocent facade of a dignified prince.
“you certainly have lasted the longest against me.”
something within tsukasa soars.
he moves his rook, able to tell exactly what rui had planned ahead for him.
sunset-coloured eyes stare straight at the prince, facing him head-on. through the gaze of the jester before him, his posture, alike the way he carried himself, is prim and proper, yet his eyes held thousands of words, ones that he wouldn’t dare to say.
tsukasa wants to hear every last word he has to offer. hear how he truly feels about it all.
as he sucks in a deep breath to collect his thoughts, he takes one last look at the man before him. his heart is pounding at an embarrassingly fast pace.
“checkmate.”
the prince smiles back at him, a kind smile that sends the thrill of winning right out of tsukasa’s body, too preoccupied in trying to keep his cool. “congratulations.”
“you went easy on me, didn’t you?” he raises an eyebrow at the lack of shock on rui’s face.
it is now that the shock appears, as if on his command. “the all-mighty jester doesn’t believe in his own abilities?”
“..you’re a horrible liar.” tsukasa folds his arms.
“i suppose you’d just have to play another game with me to find out,” he giggles.
a smile of tsukasa’s own forms too.
without another word, rui quietly slips out of his chair, slides open a drawer, and reveals a sliver pouch. the bell feels heavier than he expected in tsukasa’s hands.
“as promised.”
“why thank you, dear prince,” tsukasa whispers, only for rui to hear.
“..you should leave now. it’s getting late, and i fear your troupemates might miss you too much,” rui squeaks. only because tsukasa is observing so closely, that he’s able to notice the pinkish hue that blossomed on his face so nicely.
“you could be one of them,” tsukasa challenges, feeling more confident now. he’s met with rui turning away, seemingly to close an already closed drawer even further in.
now, it’s his cue to leave, though he found himself wanting to stay for longer.
smiling to nobody in particular, tsukasa enters the storeroom feeling lighter than before.
“play with me again soon, tsukasa,” rui suddenly blurts out from behind him, sounding strangely breathless. the name rolls off of his tongue nicely.
the jester lets out a loose laugh, turning to get one last glance at rui.
he looks more than exquisite, even in the dead of night.
“well, who am i to defy a prince’s orders?”
with that, he leaps, feeling the familiar cold weave into his hair.