Chapter Text
Tsukasa shivered when his fingertips touched the cold window. It was still early autumn, when the heat of summer clung to the air like a lover. Yet, night at the manor sent chills through him. Darkness painted the canvas with a wash of dark dark blue. Only the gentle moonlight provided illumination, slivers of silver silently slipping through the cracks of heavy curtains.
The end of the hallway was engulfed by a void. A monster's maw waiting to devour him.
Tsukasa pressed on until he reached the last door. He hesitated for a beat. Knocking would be the polite thing, but perhaps the room's occupant finally decided to sleep early tonight. In that case, Tsukasa would be waking him up. Besides... He looked down at his ghostly hands. In the end, he reached through the door and braced himself for the suffocating sensation of passing through thick water.
On the other side, a warm candle glowed on a desk. It should have brightened the room, but the surrounding mountains of books blocked its light. A man was scrawling messily onto his notebook, his shoulder-length purple locks brushing his jaws. It only partially hid the unsightly bruise that marred his cheek. His hair had grown longer, his chin was dotted with a prickly stubble, and his eyes were underlined with dark circles.
Tsukasa frowned. Of course he wasn't asleep yet, he thought with annoyance. This couldn't be healthy. He angrily stomped over, and yellow eyes gazed up at him.
"It's you again," the prisoner said, smiling gently. He put down his pen. "You look even less corporeal than last time. Maybe it's because I'm more tired? Sorry, the deadline is soon, so I've been overworking myself."
Tsukasa wanted to scold him for... a lot of things. His rudeness, for one. His bad habits, his recklessness, his new bruises, his-
A lot of things.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Rui was right; Tsukasa was slowly disappearing. Seven years was a long time, and he was losing the battle. He had been for a while now. Pretending his condition wasn't worsening hadn't changed anything. He looked down in shame and frustration, a ball forming in his throat.
"Oh, please don't make that face." A hand cupped his left cheek, the thumb lightly caressing his cheekbone. "You know I can't bear seeing you sad."
Rui's hand was cold like those window panes, but it warmed Tsukasa's heart. Rui stood up and pulled the spectre into an embrace.
"How about I go to bed now? Would that cheer you up?" He chuckled when Tsukasa nodded. "I do have one condition though. You have to let me cuddle you while I sleep."
Rui's arms held sturdy around him, even as his body felt like it was flickering in and out of existence. Tsukasa could hear the man's steady heartbeat through his chest. He blushed at the thought. Instead of responding, he hugged him back.
"Fufu~ I'll take this as an agreement then," Rui said happily. He washed up and prepared for bed at lightning speed, his excitement obvious with every move. Tsukasa watched him go. He smiled, silently pleased at Rui's eagerness.
The adult man scooped Tsukasa up and cuddled him like a stuffed animal. Tsukasa was about to glare at him when he felt it. For a second, Rui's hand phased through his waist. Both of them paused. Horror shivered through his soul. A scream of despair and frustration welled up his throat, begging to be released, but nothing came out. Again.
Rui stayed silent for a beat before squeezing Tsukasa against him. It was as if he was trying to hold Tsukasa even tighter, even closer, to the point that they fused into one. Tsukasa could feel it, Rui's anxiety. Yet, when he spoke, his voice was light and playful.
"You know, I still haven't given up on figuring you out. What are you, hm? Are you a ghost? I do know that you can use incantation magic at least, so, a magical being? A... what do they call it again? Fufu~ A fragment from my twisted soul? A sign that I'm going insane? Why do you look like a young Lord Tenma, yet your personalities are polar opposites? Why do I forget about you during the day?" His voice faltered for a second, letting in a hint of watery sadness. "Are you growing weaker? So many mysteries... This is all very exciting. That's why you're perfect for me... I just wish you could have told me your name."
As Rui's ramble quietened into sleepy mumbles, Tsukasa buried his face into the man's chest. It was warm. Tsukasa was warm. He felt warmer than he had in years. That was why he almost cried.