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All at once, everything turns red.
Crimson droplets burst like fireworks as a single blob falls delicately onto Tsukasa’s cheek, staining his face.
Unable to think straight, the world around him falls into chaos. His vision turns hazy, and the knight, once strong and proficient, now struggles to make out anything in front of him.
Red burns in his eyes like a fire that can’t be put out.
For a split second he forgets his name and age. His whereabouts. He forgets how to breathe, the air stuck in his throat—burning him from the inside.
He makes no noise.
All he sees is red.
Then, like clockwork, a gut wrenching scream, an anguished plea—attacks his ears, nearly rupturing his eardrums. Like a siren’s song, it consumes him in his entirety, and the knight feels strangely small.
The voice; all too familiar.
When he lifts his head up, he’s met with a honey eyed gaze staring at him in utter terror. The same eyes that have once stared at him with sparkling glee are now cursing him out, brows furrowed in disbelief—or is it perhaps betrayal?
It doesn’t matter to Tsukasa.
Not anymore.
Shakily, he clenches his fists around the sword and thrusts the blade further into the sorcerer’s chest.
Rui’s gaze is stabbing; it’s a look of betrayal. Incredulity.
Abandonment.
Tsukasa doesn’t allow himself the luxury of looking.
The knight closes his eyes shut; but the outline of red remains, burning brightly against his eyelids as he struggles—fighting every urge in his body not to scream too.
Everything burns.
The sword that led him to numerous victories, the same sword he’s fought injustice with—his greatest companion in battle, burns against the palms of his hands. But he pushes it all aside, biting onto his lip as he tightens his grip around the handle, turning the blade and tearing apart the sorcerer’s body.
It’s only when the screaming stops that Tsukasa begins to open his eyes.
Marigold eyes fall onto his old lover friend that’s soaking in crimson red, as good as gone. His eyes, no longer alarmed, now lie half closed, dull—the familiar spark long gone.
Maroon spills out of Rui’s chest like a flowing river, staining Tsukasa’s body and vision alike.
Sweet and metallic scent of blood fills the knight’s nostrils and he fights the urge to vomit.
Red.
It’s all red.
“Hey Tsukasa-kun~” Rui chirps up, squeezing Tsukasa’s hand ever so slightly.
“Hm?” The blonde looks up at his lover, recognizing the familiar look of mischief blooming in his eyes, his face turning into his signature cat-like smirk.
Just what was he up to this time!?
“Look!” He lifts his free hand up and redirects Tsukasa’s gaze towards a travelling merchant. “That man over there is selling roses.”
Tsukasa, the knight in training, tilts his head to the side. “You’re right.” He hums. “Now that you mention it, valentine's day is coming up soon.”
“Oya?” Rui chuckles softly as the wind carries his violet locks on its back. Gently, he pushes the singular cyan streak out of his face and tucks it carefully behind his ear, his eyes still fixated on the flowers. “Would you excuse me for a moment?”
Before he’s able to say anything in response, Tsukasa feels a strange coldness wash over his palm. With an idea in mind, Rui lets go of Tsukasa’s hand and runs up to the merchant, like a little child frollicking in a flower field—his eyes sparkling with innocence.
Tsukasa waits patiently for what feels like an eternity, bouncing back and forth on his feet impatiently. Fortunately, Rui finishes his business rather quickly, and approaches his lover with a bouquet of roses in his hands.
“Apologies for making you wait.” Rui offers the blonde an apologetic smile and Tsukasa finds it impossible to pout. Not when Rui’s smiling with such pure joy in his eyes.
And so he sighs, sending Rui a smile in return as the warmth takes over his face in a form of hot pink blush.
“They’re beautiful aren’t they?” The taller boy continues, admiring the bouquet in his grasp, gently tracing over the rosy petals with his hands.
The flowers, bold and elegant, command sensibility and passion as the sweet fragrance mingles in the air and bestows calmness upon their senses.
However, the tranquility of the moment is abruptly interrupted when Rui winces in pain. Taken aback, Tsukasa’s eyes widen in surprise as his gaze drifts towards his lover’s hands at a small droplet of blood leaking from his fingertip.
“Rui!” The blonde calls out alarmed. Immediately taking Rui’s hand in his own, carefully inspecting the injury. “Watch out for the thorns!”
From the looks of it and a rather bitter expression on his face it seems like Rui is giving it his best not to start cursing. Biting onto his lip, he hisses. “There shouldn’t have been any…”
Without giving it a second thought Tsukasa reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bandage—something he carries everywhere in case of emergencies! His tendency to come places overprepared made him butt of numerous jokes in the past but in situations like these it’s him who gets to have the last laugh.
“Hold still.” Tsukasa commands and jumps into action, not hesitating for even a millisecond.
Carefully, he wraps the bandage around Rui’s finger, handling the task with utmost care.
The wound will need proper cleaning later but considering the unpredictable situation and the surroundings they’ve found themselves in, this will do for the time being.
Before he realizes what he’s doing, Tsukasa’s already pressing his lips against Rui’s bandaged finger. A finishing touch to their small medical procedure!
“Thank you my dear knight~” Rui responds and when the knight in training looks up he’s met with rosy cheeks and glistening eyes, staring at him in adoration. “What would I ever do without your assistance?”
Rolling his eyes in a playful manner Tsukasa feels his cheeks heat up at the comment. “Be careful next time okay?”
A lighthearted laugh, a gentle song, rolls down Rui’s lips as he hums in response. “But Tsukasa-kun~” He smirks. “I know I can always count on you to protect me!”
The blonde huffs in defeat. “Of course.” He replies, unable to stop the smile on his face from widening. “I’ll always protect you Rui.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
The purple haired man shifts closer, leaning into Tsukasa’s personal space—an action all too familiar. Tsukasa doesn’t twitch. Instead, he leans in closer and lets his forehead rest against Rui’s. The two find comfort in each other’s touch, fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces.
“I got them for you.” A confession comes out like a whisper and when he looks up Tsukasa can see red tint spray across his lover’s cheeks. The mischief on his face is overwritten with honesty and vulnerability because loving someone is a vulnerable thing. “Please accept them.”
A smile creeps up at the corners of Tsukasa’s lips as his hands carefully reach out for the bouquet, caressing against Rui’s long and slender fingers. A chuckle escapes his mouth when he feels the taller boy shiver at the contact. How cute…
The knight in training takes another look at the roses in his hands. Its petals, vivid red colour, all hug around the bud in unison. Each and every flower fits together in perfect harmony creating a rich and mesmerizing bouquet.
What a nice shade of red…
Tsukasa is snapped out of his thoughts when he feels Rui reach his hand out, grabbing the knight’s royal blue cape. Alarms begin to go off in his head and he tries to pull away but to no avail because before he knows it—Rui is holding on tightly, using the little strength he has left to clutch on the fabric rigidly and pull himself closer.
A shaky gasp slips out of Rui’s mouth at the sensation of Tsukasa’s blade ripping through his chest. He doesn’t stop. Instead of trying to break free, he does the unimaginable; and thrusts himself further onto the blade, leaving Tsukasa to helplessly stare at him in bewilderment.
Too stunned to speak; overwhelmed with confusion, Tsukasa gawks at the sorcerer. Then he feels it:
The taste of metal.
Rui’s skin is cold, his lips choppy and rough—not as soft as he once knew them to be.
The taste of his lips that was once sweet like honey, now tastes of iron; metallic and revolting.
Tsukasa feels sick to his stomach.
Rui’s hands, exhausted, tired, dead, slowly let go of Tsukasa’s cape and wrap themselves around his neck, resting on the knight’s shoulders with no strength remaining.
“You…” He whispers, pulling away, the energy in his voice long gone. “I’m…so glad it was you…Tsukasa-kun—”
His eyes fall shut, and his head drops on Tsukasa’s shoulder.
It’s heavy.
The weight of Rui’s body against his, the burden of his ex lover’s soul on his chest, the sorcerer’s blood on his hands…It is all so heavy on his consciousness—his body and mind alike.
Like a heavy shackle cuffed around his ankle, pulling him down.
Tsukasa begins to feel weak in his knees.
It’s pulling him down, a drowning like sensation spreading through his body; except it’s not the sea or a lake he’s drowning in but the puddle of crimson and scarlet shades.
He’s sinking.
For a split second, he mistakes the rapid beating of his heart, spreading through his body and to his eardrums, for an earthquake. But unfortunate is his luck seeing as the ground shaking under his feet and swallowing him whole would probably feel much more bearable.
Nausea climbs up the knight’s throat, poking him from the inside; like sharp jabs of acidic pain. It makes Tsukasa feel like the sword is ripping his insides.
If only it were him.
Time slows down; Tsukasa falls into a trance.
Everything is red.
Slowly, and with far more struggle than necessary, the knight attempts to pull himself away but to no avail. As if they’re two magnets, he simply remains attached to Rui’s lifeless figure.
Unable to let go.
(The knight doesn’t realize he’s let go of his blade, and is now hugging him in return.)
A body that was once soft and delicate, radiating warmth now settles against his skin with an unfamiliar chill. Tsukasa had no idea Rui’s body was capable of being so cold.
It’s strange. It makes him feel agitated; and yet, he doesn’t move.
Instead, he remains standing, using the very last bit of energy left in his knees while keeping the taller boy gently cradled in his arms.
For a split second, the metallic smell of blood turns into a sweet fragrance of a familiar flower.
For a moment, they are back in the past.
Their hands intertwined, swinging back and forth—Tsukasa holds a bouquet of red flowers in his free hand while Rui blabbers about his latest experiment.
For a moment, Rui’s smiling gently, his face soft, pink; full of life.
But Tsukasa knows better than to daydream. He’s all too familiar with the fact that life is no fairy tale.
It’s time to wake up.
It’s barely noticeable when his blood-stained lips begin to quiver. It’s barely noticeable when his breathing speeds up; it’s even less obvious when a tear silently rolls down his cheek.
He doesn’t attempt to fight it back.
It takes the knight a moment to come to his senses and wake up from delirium.
One more time, he glances at Rui’s limp body, pressed against his own; and is once again blinded by the crimson cascade spilling out of the sorcerer’s chest, staining his armour with its strong pigment.
Red…
It’s all red.
What an ugly colour…