Chapter Text
Ryuunosuke sighed as he leaned against the tree, breathing in the frosty night air.
Another sound. This time, it's louder and it doesn't cease to make him smile in satisfaction, but just slightly.
Yet another, but it's human. It's the sound of heavy panting.
He chances a glance in the direction of the sound, only to find what he had expected.
But the sight was more beautiful than he realised it would be.
His eyes heralded the shaking form of the exiled prince, the one he was currently protecting.
His hands, those soft, slender, almost feminine, milky hands which were not supposed to hold a bow and arrow, were eloquently scarred.
Yet, those scars showed a beautiful story.
Oh, not one story. Hundreds.
A story of hardship, a story of sacrifice, a story of determination...
Even from this distance he maintained so that the prince wouldn't see him, he could see all sorts of stories in those snowy hands.
Those hands were meant to protect and yet they were now scarred beyond imagination.
Ryuunosuke had other intentions.
A sound of a twig cracking was heard seconds later but Ryuunosuke did not raise his guard.
It was only the blue dragon.
The dragon blessed with dangerous eyes.
"Kyouka." He greeted, his voice low, seeing the girl dressed in blue.
Kyouka nodded, her eyes showing confusion.
"Why are you letting the prince scar his hands? Are we dragons not enough to protect him?" She asked, curiously.
Ryuunosuke was glad Kyouka kept her voice down.
Her question, is laudable.
"I did not question the dragons' strength at all, Kyouka. You mistake me."
Kyouka's confused demeanour does not fade.
"Then what for, are you letting him practice archery?"
Ryuunosuke manages to contain the smile he wishes to give.
Barely.
"The prince, Kyouka, has not witnessed anything outside of royalty until his exile. I don't wish to pamper the prince by letting everyone protect him. He's been treated like a god while in the palace. It's a pleasant surprise for my eyes, seeing him struggle for the first time like a human." He explains, not facing her.
Kyouka widens her eyes but Ryuunosuke is not willing to listen to what she says.
Perhaps she knows it too, as she shakes her head and walks away.
Under the light of the full moon, it truly is a feast for his eyes, as he sees the prince...no, Atsushi, breathe out in relief, after having released his three hundredth arrow.
"Rest, prince. You've done just enough for today." Ryuunosuke calls out, inflectionlessly.
The prince jumps and looks at him with widened eyes.
"Ryuunosuke?! You were here the whole time?!" He asked, horrified.
Ryuunosuke gives him a pointed look. "It's all well to be engaged in practice, prince, but you must also sense people's presences. You still have much to learn of the ways of battle." He says, blandly.
The expression on Atsushi's face is positively captivating, with those eyes of his wide as life.
He then pulls a face.
"It's all great for you to say, you're called the 'Demon of Darkness'!"
Ryuunosuke snorts. "I'm called that for a reason. I've been training to fight since I was born."
"Precisely!" Atsushi says, hotly, pouting.
Ryuunosuke doesn't think he can't gaze at Atsushi for much longer without losing control.
So he faces away, from that enticingly inviting face.
"I told you to rest. But if you're inclined to argue, argue with the squirrel inspecting your arrows. I'm retiring for the day." He says, smoothly, getting up with a slight groan.
Atsushi pulls a face again, and Ryuunosuke doesn't have to see his face to know it.
"Whatever you wish for. Also, I'm not the prince anymore, remember?" Atsushi asks pointedly.
Ryuunosuke doesn't answer.
"Oh fine! Be that way, you aloof..."
It endears him to Ryuunosuke further, the way he's searching for an insult.
So pure, he can't even think of an insult.
"By the time you think of what you want to use to insult me, I think I'll be having my own grave." Ryuunosuke says, his voice full of amusement.
"Moron!" Atsushi says, puffing his cheeks out.
"That's the best you can do? I can think of much more suitable names than that when I'm not tired."
Atsushi huffs. "I'm not falling for those taunts. I'm going!" He says, warningly.
"That was what I was telling you to do this whole time." Ryuunosuke dead-pans.
Atsushi only makes a sound of immaturity.
As they lie down, Atsushi already having fallen asleep within two shakes of a lamb's tail, Ryuunosuke notices the silver bracelet Dazai had gifted Atsushi on the latter's fifteenth birthday.
Though Atsushi portrays an exterior hatred, he still knows Atsushi is conflicted over his feelings for the present king.
Traitor, Ryuunosuke thinks, scornfully.
He was not worthy of those endearingly unadulterated feelings Atsushi possessed for him.
No.
Not Dazai of all people.
Not the man who turned Atsushi's world upside down, making it hell.
But, Ryuunosuke thinks complacently, Dazai's made one crucial mistake.
He's given him the one thing he needs beyond anything else. That one person who means dearly to him.
And that, is why, he's gotten the last laugh.
For he's not even dreaming of giving up Atsushi.
Atsushi would be his. Soon.
Had he known he would fall this far into depravity for the prince some years ago, he would have scorned himself.
"Ryuu...why aren't you sleeping?" Atsushi asked in a soft voice, drowsily, opening his eyes slowly and looking at the other in sleepy concern.
Ryuunosuke blinked once.
He hadn't expected Atsushi to worry over his resting.
Stupid idiot.
"Just one of those sleepless nights. Don't worry about me and rest." He said, his voice hoarse.
Atsushi raised his eyebrows. "Yeah right. You sleep first."
"Stop being stubborn and go to sleep."
Atsushi rolled his eyes and shifted so that he wasn't facing the other. "Suit yourself, you idiot." He said, fondly.
Ryuunosuke snorted and closed his eyes.
"Good night then." He said, suddenly.
Atsushi turned immediately but Ryuunosuke had turned to the other side.
"Gee, you big softy, I got scared." Atsushi said, blearily.
"Oh just sleep already!" Ryuunosuke whispered, irritably.
"Right, right. Night, softy."
"Hm. Night."
Ryuunosuke didn't know that Atsushi slept with a smile on his red face.