Work Text:
Rui pulled the hood over his head.
It managed to obscure the part of his face that now looked like a black void, for the most part. He was shaking as he walked down the sidewalk. He could never face his husband like this.
"Oh? Did it hurt?" Kiichi laughed, finally taking his hand off of Rui's face. "Your dear Tsukasa will hate this, won't he? Always droning on and on about how he wishes spirits didn't exist. And now, you're one. Partically."
Rui was on his knees, barely even conscious from the searing pain throughout his body. "He would never! Tsukasa loves me, it doesn't matter that I-"
Kiichi shook his head. "When has Tsukasa ever mentioned feeling sympathy for spirits?"
"He-he..." Rui slowly managed to stand. "That doesn't matter! I'm more important to him!"
"But does it really matter? You're too human to sent to the spirit realm. And you have too much spirit to be able to die." Kiichi smirked. "You're immortal. And you will watch Tsukasa die."
Rui shuddered, remembering the conversation. Death would have been merciful. Kiichi didn't care for mercy. He enjoyed watching people suffer.
A world without Tsukasa wouldn't be worth living in.
But Rui would have to be in it.
Forever.
He stood in front of the door to his and Tsukasa's apartment. "I shouldn't go in..."
Rui hesitated, and then turned around. Then the door opened.
"Rui! You're finally back!" Tsukasa grabbed his husband's wrist, the one still solid, thankfully, and pulled him inside. "You had me worried sick! Did the mission go well?"
Rui made sure Tsukasa could only see the human side of his face. "It went fine. I didn't find Kiichi," He lied. "You missed me?"
"Of course I did!" Tsukasa tackled Rui into a hug. Rui quickly shoved him away, but it had been too late.
Rui's hood fell. Tsukasa stared at the black, ghost-like left side of Rui's face. His smile dropped, his eyes widening. "What...Rui?"
"...An accident happened." Rui took a step back. "You understand, right? Please tell me you do."
Tsukasa's hand went for the knives he kept hidden. "You're a fake! What did you do to Rui?"
Rui lifted both of his hands in the air. His sleeve fell down, his left hand now a translucent black. "It's me. I promise. I...I did find Kiichi," He admitted. "He can do this to people, if he stops the transformation exactly halfway."
Rui could see the way Tsukasa hesitated. Tsukasa's hands dropped slightly. "...Prove it! Tell me something only Rui would know!"
Rui didn't hesitate. "You were my bodyguard back when we were in the mafia."
Tsukasa's knives fell immediately. "What do I have tattooed on my back?"
"A phoenix. I have one too."
"It really is you..." Tsukasa dropped the knives, and pulled Rui into another hug. "I'm so sorry..."
"It's fine." Rui returned the hug. "I look like a monster."
"No you don't!" Tsukasa looked up, nothing but pure love and devotion in his eyes. "I still think you look like the greatest man in the world."
Rui gently pressed a kiss to the top of Tsukasa's head. "Thank you. I love you."
"Ahaha! The boss sent us to basically die! How fun!" Tsukasa hide the fear beneath a forced smile.
Rui sighed. "I should have never told them that I found Kiichi..." Rui's good hand grabbed for his husband's. "I won't let you die."
"I don't want to leave you alone." Tsukasa wrapped his arms around Rui's, hugging tightly. "...I love you. I love you so much."
"Hey. We'll be okay. Alright?" Rui approached the portal that was set up to Kiichi's mansion. "...You ready?"
"...How can we stand a chance against him?" Tsukasa began to cry. "We need someone with more power...we can't do it..."
"Tsukasa. Listen to me." Rui paused, not quite knowing how to say. He finally settled on something. "I won't let you die. I need you. Got that? Now stop crying. Kiichi won't stop for anyone."
"This is pathetic." Kiichi loomed above Rui and Tsukasa. "Rui. Say your final goodbyes."
Rui looked at Tsukasa. He was pretty sure a rib had broken, and he could barely breathe. "...I'm so sorry...I failed you..."
Tsukasa reached out and grabbed Rui's hand. A smile appeared on his face. "You didn't fail me...you tried..."
A cough. "I still love-"
Kiichi stepped on Tsukasa's neck before he could continue. "And that love got you killed."
Kiichi then looked at Rui, after making sure Tsukasa was dead. "You can go. Not like you can do anything to bring him back."
"You...you..." Rui tried to stand up. "You didn't...you heartless bastard..."
Kiichi snapped his fingers, and Rui found himself laying outside. "Stupid teleportation..."
Emu ran up to Rui when he finally got out from the healer. "Rui! Did the fight go well? Where's Tsukasa?"
Rui couldn't look her in the eyes. He sighed. "He...didn't make it."
"What?! That can't be!" Emu walked closer to Rui. "But he's so strong! I thought Kiichi would have spared him!"
"Death doesn't spare anyone, Emu." Rui began to walk away. "Except for me. I don't get the mercy of death."
"You can't say that!" Emu tried to grab Rui's wrist, but he yanked it away. "Emu. Shut up. You should know better than anyone that death will get anyone. You watched your parents die, remember?"
Rui walked away, not paying attention to the sound of Emu crying.
He entered his office, and looked at the picture of him and Tsukasa on the desk.
"I'm a monster."
Rui grabbed his gun, pointing it at his chest. Then he put it down. No point if he couldn't die anyways.
He just deserved the pain.
A bullet through his arm. Then another.
"Heh. Tsukasa. You'd hate me for this."
He finally put the gun back away.
"I'm a failure of a husband. And a failure of a person."