Chapter Text
His heart would recognize that voice anywhere.
“What are you doing out here alone, my prince?”
In all honesty, he hadn't expected for anyone else to find him here. After all, it was in the dead of night, in the middle of a secluded forest. Tsukasa looked up from where he had been sitting against a tree. Gold staring right into yellow. The boy in front of him looked stunning bathed in the moonlight, and Tsukasa could feel his chest ache. He averts his eyes, not breaking the soft silence around them.
Rui only lets out a sigh at his lack of response before taking a seat next to him. The crunch of the snow covered grass. Hands achingly cold, despite both boys wearing thick linen gloves. Despite not saying it, Tsukasa is glad Rui sat so close to him. He had missed the other boy’s warmth greatly.
In fact this was the longest that one of their fights has lasted. Usually one of them would end up apologizing profusely by the time the 2nd hour hit, they would admit their faults, a tease here and there and they’d laugh it off.
He had been in the middle of one of his social ‘gatherings’ as his father liked to put it, though Tsukasa barely knew anyone there except his childhood friend Shizuku. His collar felt too high, the cotton of his pants too rough against his skin, the air around them too thick. He was staring at the cup of tea nestled in his hand, not really focusing on the conversation around him. He just wanted to get this over with and go back to writing.
“..... speaking of dark lords, isn't there a dark mage stationed in your castle, Prince Tsukasa?”
Tsukasa’s eyes widened as he slowly tried to recall how the conversation had even gotten here. He made eye contact with Shizuku who had stiffened as well. The room was suddenly pin drop silent.
It seemed only Shizuku and Tsukasa noticed the air of the room that had gotten darker as the rest of the nobles kept the conversation going. One of the many princes at the table kept the conversation going.
“I’ve heard dark mages are awfully untrustworthy even if they’ve pledged alliances, you know”.
“I was told that in a nearby kingdom that not only did their dark mage betray them, it was also found out she was courting the crown princess! My, it was such a scandal when it was discovered..”.
The whispers in the room continued getting louder as each noble somehow had their own piece about the issue of dark mages. Tsukasa clenches the edge of his shirt tightly, he would probably get an earful from the maids later about how wrinkled his shirt became.
He makes the unfortunate decision of accidentally making eye contact with one of the princesses at the table.
“Say, Prince Tsukasa, you should be careful about your own dark mage. You never know when it comes to these dark sorcerers after all”
The princess scoffs, her tone clearly painting a bad image of the dark mages. Tsukasa spots Shizuku’s normally passive face turn defensive as her eyebrows furrow, as if about to speak out against the other princess. He makes eye contact with her and shakes his head, his face mirroring the frown on her face.
“With all due respect Princess, I think I would know the loyalty of my own mage without the need of other people’s opinions on his loyalty to me and my kingdom”.
He bites out, the displeasure in his tone visible. The entire table quiets down so much that you could hear a pin drop, the whispers quieting down after noticing the seriousness in Tsukasa’s voice. The princess in question’s face turns an almost comical red from how angry she was getting. She bites out a response, clearly not noticing how everyone else had become silent.
“Well, excuse me for warning a fellow noble about those dangerous heathens. I honestly cannot understand why’d you defend them so much, Lord knows they’ve done much damage to many kingdoms”.
“It seems you don’t understand the basic etiquette of not commenting on other kingdom’s staff, especially one as high as head mage. It does not matter if my mage is one that dabbles in dark magic, I was the one who appointed him. I would know better, princess”
If Tsukasa was mad before, his blood was absolutely boiling now.
He ended up not saying anymore and ending the meeting there before storming out of the courtroom, a scowl immediately on his face. He knew he couldn't say anything more, less the other nobles somehow accuse him of something absurd like conspiring with the so called evil mages he defended.
He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by the familiar voice of the purple haired boy beside him.
“Tsukasa-kun, you know you don't have to fight for my name everytime something like this happens”
Rui’s voice is so soft that Tsukasa almost misses it. His heart pangs and a frown immediately appears on his face. They've had this conversation countless times now, the routine of it could be traced back from their childhood. Back when the biggest of their worries were sneaking pastries out of the castle’s kitchen, cheeks puffed out and red.
“Rui, you know me well enough by this point that I can't stand any of those snobby royals. I don't care if my name gets dragged to the ground, if they dare talk like that about you-”
A soft chuckle stops Tsukasa mid rant. The blonde’s frown deepens. The purple haired boy’s eyes crinkle, full of mirth and Tsukasa doesn't get what's so funny.
“Did I tell you the first time I realized that I liked you? It was when we were 8, back when you and Toya had got injured from falling off a low tree branch. Even though you were both equally hurt, you checked on his well being first”
Tsukasa remembers the memory as if it was just yesterday.
He and Toya had been playing pretend with Saki, like they always had. He was the knight and Toya was the prince, both of them on a quest to save princess Saki from a terrible dragon (her stuffed rabbit). He had suggested climbing a small tree in the vast backside of the castle to get a better view of their surroundings so they could ‘save Saki faster’.
Of course this has backfired on them as the exact branch they stepped on was weak and cracked in half, unable to handle the weight of two grown 8 year olds. Both boys had ended up falling down the tree, scratching their body from the steep fall. Toya had immediately started crying, the pain coming hard and fast. Tsukasa’s own body had hurted too, but as soon as he saw his younger brother in pain he couldn't be bothered with his own and started calming him down.
“Shh, don't cry Toya-kun. I know it hurts but it’ll be okay, alright? Here let me see where it hurts”
The blue haired boy sniffed but nodded in return. Tsukasa smiled at his younger brother as he slowly calmed the other boy down.
At some point, the pain had become too much for him because some maids heard the cries of both of the princes and ushered them both to be treated for their wounds, in a much more panicked manner than usual.
Rui had visited him afterwards, even bringing along a single rose as a get well soon gift. The other would go on to tell him he saw the blonde fall but was too intimidated to approach with Tsukasa’s siblings around, before proceedings to give him a get well soon kiss on the cheek.
If Tsukasa’s cheeks were bright red then, well he would blame that on the embarrassment of having Rui see him cry.
“W-what does that have to do with anything ?!” The blonde huffed, cheeks warm at the memory. All he could focus on was the fact that the same rose was still with him, albeit with its petals pressed into one of his many notebooks for preservation. He had been afraid it would die soon and he treasured it too much to let it see wither away so soon.
Tsukasa almost startles at the sudden warmth that envelops his hand, the other boy always being so warm despite being born in one of the colder months. Rui hummed in response, hand completely enveloping the other’s.
“It means that your empathy for others has always been something that I admire deeply about you, Tsukasa-kun” he chuckled, eyes now looking directly at the blonde’s.
Tsukasa realizes his eyes looked somewhat melancholic. “But sometimes you need to realize that as we grow older, not everyone is going to have the same amount of empathy that you have and there's really nothing you can do.” he finishes, voice turning quiet.
Tsukasa feels his heart hurt at the expression on Rui’s face, one of his hands unconsciously coming up to cup the other boy’s cheek. Rui only hummed in return, pressing his face closer to the blonde’s hand. He closed his eyes, content in the embrace of the blonde boy.
“I don't care about all of that if it means I have to see others tear you apart for things you didn't even do. It's not fair”
Rui opens one of his eyes to see a frown on Tsukasa’s face. He chuckles again, always so impressed on how compassionate his prince is. He extracts himself from the other’s embrace and smiles albeit with a hint of melancholy. He takes the blonde’s hand in his and they both wordlessly stand up.
It seemed Tsukasa also knew that it was time for both of them to return to the palace, although he didn't like the thought of it. He would need to separate from Rui once they were near the palace, careful to not let others catch onto their closeness. His heart ached at the thought.
-
The walk back to the palace was quiet, only the sound of their boots treading through the snow audible. Despite the freezing cold, the two boys had never felt warmer with both of their hands in each other’s.
A few minutes later, the silhouette of the palace could be seen and that was usually the sign for both of them to separate. Rui would usually head to another route and head towards his chambers undetected while Tsukasa would use the main entrance to alert everyone that their prince had returned. Neither of them let go of their intertwined hands.
“Tsukasa-kun, it’s about time you notify everyone of your return, I'm sure everyone is concerned about your whereabouts”.
Tsukasa only grips the other boy’s hand. The frown on his face clearly indicated he wasn't on board with the idea. Rui chuckled at the other boy’s actions, amused but also touched. The purple haired boy caresses the other boy’s hand with his thumb, wanting to calm him down.
The blonde, for how stubborn he could be, knew he couldn't simply strut in where everyone could see him holding Rui’s hand. He goes through different ideas in his head that would satisfy his need to stay longer with the mage, while also keeping prying eyes away from them.
Rui notices the exact moment Tsukasa gets an idea that satisfies him, as the blonde’s eyes light up and his frown has turned into his grin that he’s known for. The blonde pulls the other’s hand with him and drags them towards an off path away from the palace.
“Eh, Tsukasa-kun, where are we heading to?” Despite being known for his amazing strategies and almost prophetic planning abilities, Rui really could not compare to the blonde’s spontaneous actions.
Tsukasa’s smile only grew wider, the shine in his honey eyes clear. He doesn't respond to the purple haired boy but only quickens his speed as they both almost run through the forest. Rui often forgets that Tsukasa knows the woods like the back of his hand with how often he played here as a child, always with some poor guard chasing the hyperactive little prince.
The snow catches on Tsukasa’s hair as they both practically run through the forest, causing his hair to comically turn half white. Rui laughs slightly at the sight before pushing some of the snow off the boy’s hair. Despite Tsukasa not even facing him, Rui can't help but grin anyway, his fondness for the boy in front of him always present.
Eventually Tsukasa slows down and both boys find themselves in front of a worn out back door of the castle. The door was built as a way for the maids to come in with but since a new entrance had been installed closer to the kitchen, the old one had been discarded. Rui isn't even sure if this door even works anymore. He turns to voice out his concern to the blonde and to that, Tsukasa just proudly points to himself.
“Don't worry Rui, trust me on this!”
Before the other boy could even respond, Tsukasa closes his eyes and murmurs something under his breath. Rui feels his skin tingle and one second later he finds himself in the prince’s chambers. Huh, why didn't he think to teleport them here.
Tsukasa turns around to face him and a grin is on his face, clearly proud his attempt was successful. Rui raises an amused eyebrow, he didn't even know Tsukasa was practicing his magic. Last time he saw the other’s magic was when it first manifested at 5 years old. The entire castle had been surprised as the Tenma’s didn't have a history of strong magic genes yet somehow Tsukasa had been able to manifest the use of magic. They would soon find a similar pattern with the rest of the Tenma siblings, each having some sort of potential of magic within them.
Of course with a ratio of largely non magic practicing citizens, the king and queen had decided to keep their magic a secret and did not allow any use of it outside of the castle walls. The siblings thus did not have any classes dedicated to magic which is why Rui was so surprised to see how good Tsukasa had become in his magic. Was he on the same level as a professional mage? No, but it was still impressive.
“Look at how good I've become at magic! I've been practicing with Toya and Saki for a while and I can finally teleport” the blonde boasts. He adds on with a slight frown, “Well, only to near places though which is why we had to get close to the castle. I've never tried long distance teleportation and I didnt wanna risk scrambling our limbs together”.
Rui laughs at the other boy’s excitement, fondness in his tone. Really what couldn't the blonde prince do at this point.
“So your highness, now that you’ve taken me from my chambers what do you have in mind?” Rui smiles as the blonde’s expression lights up. They haven't had any time to spend with each other for the past few weeks, and both boys were awfully touch starved (though, Rui would never admit it out loud and Tsukasa would continue to deny it).
“HAHA, of course as the amazing magician I am, I'm going to put on a show to show how good my magic has gotten!”
The purple haired boy giggles at the blonde’s usual bravado before taking a seat on the prince’s bed. He notices both of them are still in their outside wear, leaves and snow present on their clothing. Rui frowns, well that wont do.
“Ah, hold on Tsukasa-kun, let me get us into more comfortable clothing first”
With a quick spell said under his breath, Rui snapped his fingers and both boys were now in more casual wear. Tsukasa of course in his more regal satin sleepwear and Rui in a pair of cotton pajamas. That's more like it. Rui looks at the blonde boy and see’s the expression of awe in the other’s eyes, looking at his clothes like they were made of magic. The taller chuckles at his expression.
Tsukasa’s eyes sparkle as his eyes meet with Rui's. “As expected from our head mage, your magic is outstanding!” he praises, then letting out a boisterous humph and pointing to the other boy.
“Of course my magic is also catching up, so you better not slack off!”
Rui grins mischievously at the other boy before using his own magic to lift the other boy up from his position and onto the bed. He laughs at the other boy’s shriek of suprise before planting a kiss on the blonde’s cheek.
Tsukasa blinks at him, stunned before his hand slowly touches the cheek that was kissed. His face resembled the rose he had given him all those years ago, the purple haired boy notes.
“RUI! THAT’S NOT FAIR! I wasn't ready!”
“Hehe, well Tsukasa-kun, I did say you have to expect the unexpected as a mage in training”
The blonde rolls his eyes at Rui’s words before planting his own kiss on the other boy’s face, although this time it was a peck on the lips. Tsukasa giggles at Rui’s shocked face that mirrored his own earlier. The blonde rolls off the bed into a stand and grins at the purple haired boy.
“Well, now let me begin showing off all I've learned! Of course, this is only expected from a prince like me!”
Rui eventually snaps out of his flustered stare and smiles at the prince in front of him, the warmness in his chest growing stronger.
“Well then, show me your 200%, my prince!”
-
Thus began the almost never ending show of Tsukasa attempting to remember what he had practiced for a period of two weeks. He first had attempted to summon a piece of clothing from his closet, only for his entire collection of capes to come flying out and stack on top of him quite comedically. Rui had gotten smacked by one of Tsukasa’s heavier capes for laughing at him.
The blonde scratched summoning from his list of things he didn't need to practice anymore.
Then came the attempt to levitate things off the ground, with Tsukasa himself being the first subject. In his defense, he had gotten a good 5cm off the ground before his magic decided to give up on him and have him almost faceplanting to the ground.
Well almost, Rui had caught him in an embarrassing bridal pose that caused both of their cheeks to turn red.
“Okay maybe I'm not that good at those two, but there's more I'm DEFINITELY good at!”
He tries teleportation again which, of course, did not turn out as expected, as he ended up transported to his cousin’s room out of all places.
“Tsukasa?”
Kanade’s confused voice could be heard from under the cover of her bed. Right, she was usually asleep during the day so he shouldn't disturb her rest.
“Nothing, Kanade! Go back to sleep!”
He half shouted and half whispered before hearing a muffled ‘okay’ from the white haired girl. He breathed out a sigh of relief when her soft snores filled up the room, confirming he didn't just ruin the poor girl’s sleep. He mumbles the same words again and closes his eyes, praying he’ll end up in his room again.
A gust of wind. He slowly opens his eyes to see the interior of his room and one amused mage still sitting on his bed. Tsukasa light heartedly glared at the other boy and he only chuckles in return.
“May I ask where you ended up, Tsukasa-kun?”
The blonde boy grumbled under his breath.
“Kanade’s room..”
Rui’s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the neighboring country’s princess.
“Wow Tsukasa-kun, its impressive you managed to teleport one whole kingdom away, despite not aiming for it”
The blonde blinked at the other boy’s response, not expecting the sudden praise. His cheeks heat up slightly.
“O-of course! Nothing less to expect from someone as myself” He coughs up, ignoring the stutter in his words, and definitely ignoring the smile Rui is sending his way.
-
After an hour of non-stop attempts of magic, Tsukasa had ended up on his back, laying on Rui’s lap. Tsukasa stretches his limbs, a yawn coming out of his mouth.
Okay, maybe Rui was right about exhausting his magic use for the day. Maybe he could use a little rest before continuing, after all it wasn't often he had time alone with Rui. Tsukasa reaches out and grabs one of Rui’s hands and threads his fingers through the other’s.
Rui is surprised at the sudden action but he only hums a soft melody under his breath and plays with the strands of his prince’s hair. He could sense the blonde was slowly getting lulled into sleep, his breathing becoming softer and more relaxed.
“Rui… don’t go..if I fall asleep you should stay with me, don't go..”
Tsukasa mumbles with drowsiness in his tone. Rui smiles sympathetically at the other boy as he caresses Tsukasa’s hand. They both knew the mage had to go eventually, he had work assigned by the King to do plus Tsukasa himself would have to attend a few more diplomatic meetings later on. Both boys wished time could stop right there and then, with both of them in the comfort of Tsukasa’s room with no act of pretending they didn't know who each other were. Sometimes Rui wished they were both born of the same status and could do all the normal things kids their age did but alas, God was not that merciful to them.
“You don't know how much I would love to stay in your arms all the time, my prince. I would stay if I had a choice.”
The mage mumbles softly. His hands that were playing with Tsukasa’s hair eventually land on his right ear which had the other pair of the matching earring he himself was wearing. He smiled at the sight. While they were careful with not letting others know about their relationship, Rui had gifted Tsukasa the matching pair of the earring he always wore, when the prince turned 17.
He still remembers the sparkle of joy in the other’s laugh when he received the gift, both earrings following the same design just with different colored gems. Purple for the mage and yellow for the prince. Rui had even casted a cloaking spell for the earring to only be seen by people who they trusted. That had been one of his happiest days.
Tsukasa’s soft snores slowly started to fill the room and Rui had to hide the giggle that came out at the sound.
He took care to scoop up the blonde’s head slowly and place it on the fluffiest pillow he could find (kind of hard in his opinion, as all of his prince’s pillows looked equally soft). He gave one last peck to the prince’s lips and made his way to the door, not forgetting to magic his actual mage clothes on.
He adjusts the monochrome on his face and ties up his hair briefly with magic before opening a communication channel.
“Hello, Hello~ This is Mizuki of the White Knights speaking, may I take your order~”
He hears the familiar mischievous tone of his longtime friend before an amused chuckle was brought out of him.
“Hello Mizuki-kun, it's Rui here. I just received word about the new operation. Tell the others I'll be with them shortly. And also tell Kaito-san that I need to meet with him after this meeting.”
“Alrighty~ I'm also on the way myself so I’ll meet you there.”
Rui tries hiding his giggle, having a good hunch on where Mizuki was. Doesn't take a genius to see someone else who was also disgustingly whipped over one of his fellow mages.
“Ah, with Ena-san were you? Tell her I said hi~”
He hears a flustered cry of ‘No, I wasn't!’ before Mizuki disconnects from the communication channel. Rui smiles, he’s glad his old friend had found someone they could open up to.
As he passes by the castle staff, he politely smiles at them, not taking to heart the way they avoid his gaze. Well, nothing to do about the rumors he’ll just have to live with it.
Eventually, he reaches the tower for the Tenma Kingdom’s mages and knights. The mages and knights both are the force of protection of the kingdom, with both factions working together in union. Well, as union as they can be with rising tension between both sides.
Rui sighs at the thought of dealing with another meeting of passive aggressive words being thrown around.
His footsteps echo as he makes it up the stairs to the designated meeting room and he hears the chatter before he even see’s the door. He prepares himself before he knocks and slowly lets himself in.
Rui smiles as he locks eyes with the rest of the factions.
“Well then, let us begin the meeting”