Work Text:
Eden Doucet, a poet and novelist, waited in his parlor for someone. The boy was supposed to have been there by noon, but it seemed like he was running late, much to the disappointment of Eden. He laid down on his couch, reading some book about ancient dark magic, before twiddling his thumb.
“Where…on earth is he?” Eden wondered, before hearing a knock on his door. He ran over to open it, only to see that no one was there. He stepped outside, and he still couldn’t find anyone there, but he could’ve sworn he felt something walk past him.
He went back inside and shut the door, but before he could go back to his couch, he felt something hug him from behind.
“Well hello there.”
Eden immediately struggled to get out of its grasp and looked for something to defend himself until he turned around; the person hugging him was a tall man with yellow eyes and purple hair with blue streaks…
“KAMISHIRO?! You scared the soul out of me!” Eden screamed.
“I wonder, if you didn’t notice it was me, would you still attack me?” Rui asked. “And please, just call me Rui. I think we’ve grown close enough to call each other by our first names, my dear.”
“With how mad I am, I’d do it while knowing that it’s you, Rui.” Eden sighed, before giving a soft smile. “Still, I’m glad to see you. But what was with the invisibility spell? And why were you so late?”
“I would, uhm, prefer not to mention that,” Rui said; he then gave Eden a warm, lavender-scented embrace.
“Now, how about I make you some tea? I just got some chamomiles from the other day, and I want to try brewing them.” Eden asked.
“Why, of course!” Rui said. As the two men headed towards the kitchen, Rui noticed the book that Eden was reading before he got there. He picked up the book and took it with him, thinking it would start an interesting conversation.
Once the two boys got into the kitchen, Rui took a seat at the table, while Eden made preparations for the tea. He had already separated the heads of the flowers, so he put some water in his kettle. While he waited for it to warm up, he sat right next to Rui.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying that little gift of mine,” Rui commented.
Eden tilted his head in confusion, “Which one? The flowers? Or the books?”
“The books, specifically The Essence of The Dark Arts.” Rui clarified. “And you know…if learning dark magic is what you want, I would always be willing to teach you…”
“I don’t think I will.” Eden declined, laughing nervously. “I’ve heard that the punishment for practicing dark magic is very harsh.”
“Oh no, we’d practice in the dark kingdom! All I’d have to do is find a way to sneak you in.” Rui informed me.
“...Yeah, I’ll pass. Sorry.” Eden apologized.
“I won’t force you to do anything, but my deal will remain open.” Rui smiled.
“Also, your kettle’s going off.”
“Shoot-”
Eden was so caught up in the conversation he forgot his surroundings, how embarrassing. At least, that’s what he thought. Rui, on the other hand, found it quite endearing. Eden scrambled to his cupboard and pulled out two tea cups, before placing them on the table. He then gently poured the hot water into cups, trying not to put in too much. Finally, he dropped the heads of the flowers inside the cup to let them steep.
“Now all we have to do is wait a few minutes…” Eden tapped his fingers against the table. “So, what have you been up to these days?”
“Learning new spells, taking care of my garden, the usual,” Rui said. “What about you, Eden?”
“This isn’t about me, but a very close friend of mine finally achieved a dream of hers!” Eden chimed.
“Oh, that’s wonderful! What was her dream?”
“To become a knight for the white kingdom!”
“...Ah.”
“Is there something wrong with that?”
Rui shook his head, “Oh no, I’m glad she could achieve her dream. What’s your friend’s name, by the way?”
“Hana Sonobe! She has blonde hair and purple eyes.” Eden answered.
“That makes 5 people who are on the lookout for me,” Rui noted.
“And for news about me, I’ve actually gotten a new job!” Eden informed. “Remember that confectionery I was working for? Well, it’s currently closed, so I was able to pick up work at a library!”
“Considering how much you love literature, I’m sure you’re loving it.” Rui smiled.
“I definitely am! Although, I kind of miss my old job. The couple I was working for was really sweet.” Eden sighed before reaching for his teacup and blowing. “I think the tea’s finished now! I would’ve made some tarts to go along with it, but I can’t be bothered now. Sorry, love.”
“It’s no problem, I promise.” Rui insisted, before taking a sip of the tea.
“Working at the bookshop also gives me a little hope; maybe one day I could see one of my novels in the display window one day.” Eden sighed dreamily.
“I’m surprised that you haven’t gone to a publisher yet. From what I’ve read, your stories would be a massive hit.” Rui praised.
Eden looked at his reflection in the tea, “I’m just nervous that I won’t be good enough. What if they just automatically reject me? What if I just look like an amateur and not someone to be taken seriously?”
“Don’t start with that.” Rui groaned. “You’ll be great. And even if you get rejected the first time, there’s always a chance that another will scoop you right up.”
“But even then, what if I mess up somehow? Like I forget what to say…” Eden’s mind raced with awful possibilities.
“If you want, I could come with you. Maybe that would soothe your apprehension.” Rui suggested.
“You don’t have to, but I think having you there would help,” Eden remarked.
A smile formed on Rui’s face, but then he saw the time. He had a meeting to attend today, and it was starting in under an hour. Rui chugged down his tea, and stood up, which confused Eden. But before he could say anything, Rui grabbed both of his hands.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Eden. The tea was delicious, but I believe I need to go. Something related to my work is coming up.” Rui kissed one of Eden’s hands. “Until we meet again, dear.”
Rui then cast an invisibility spell on himself and left the house. Eden, whose mind went blank after that little kiss, didn’t even have enough time to respond. As he tried to collect his thoughts, he heard knocking on his door. He went to go answer it, only to be greeted by…a knight?!
“Excuse me, sir. But have you seen anyone…suspicious lately?” The knight asked.
Eden raised an eyebrow, “I’m not sure what you mean by that”.
“Well, we’ve been looking for a certain man. His name is Rui Kamishiro, and he’s a powerful magician who works for the Dark Kingdom. Apparently, he’s been sighted in your neighborhood quite a lot from the reports we’ve been receiving.” The knight explained. “So, have you heard of a man with that name?”
“The…heck???” Eden thought. “Um, no.”
“Alright. Have a pleasant day.” The knight left and closed the door behind them. Eden sunk to the floor, his heart racing.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever lied to someone in authority!”