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The Imperial Soldiers are not a rebel group to be trifled with. They lie on the borders of the Kingdom of White, strong and malicious. They’ve taken countless lives, have traitors and spies amongst the Knights of White, and have some of the strongest magic users of the century.
Rui likes to consider himself one of those strongest magic users. His spells can cause glaciers to rise from lakes, explosions that shatter buildings, and fire that melts anything in its radius. His magic is one of the things he prides himself on. However, he must admit, it’s the leader of the Imperial Soldiers you should truly be scared of.
Toya Aoyagi, previously the Kingdom of White’s honored prince, is a force to be reckoned with. He’s skilled with a sword, has a sharp mind, and is cold and relentless when the situation calls for it. But his most dangerous aspect must be the dragon he keeps as a companion.
This dragon has razed countless cities, brings armies to their knees with a single roar, and is the driving force of the Imperial Soldier’s rebellion. Not even Rui can match up to such indomitable strength.
Rui truthfully has no idea when Toya had befriended this nightmarish beast. Was it during his time as royalty? After he defected from the crown? Rui isn’t entirely sure, but the past hardly matters now.
What matters is that the Imperial Soldiers have the stuff of nightmares on their side, (excluding the dragon’s younger nestmate, who prefers staying in the shadows with their medical wing), and that their eventual victory is imminent.
Rui has often been assigned to stand by its side in battle, one overwhelming force supported by another. Any raid performed by the two, with Toya’s guidance, is always successful. Cities captured, royal forces defeated in an instant.
(Toya is very adamant about minimizing fatal attacks to people, and Rui tries his best to conform. Which also means he often plays on a strange neutral side to the battles, because he’s able to get people into safety quickly, even if said people are from the royal army.
(It’s not like Rui could ask the dragon to help. It’s as big as a building even when the magic circle that correlates to its transformed size is weak. How can it exhibit enough restraint when an instinctual flick of its tail sends a small building collapsing onto the ground? It’s for things like this that the Imperial Soldiers always send warnings to cities they’re about to raid, to give civilians the time to flee.))
However, when this dragon is off the battlefield, it’s much different, Rui can attest to that personally.
Starting from: His current situation.
“Tsukasa-kun, I need to get up and attend this strategy meeting,” Rui says. Tsukasa huffs from his position on top of Rui, completely ignoring him in favor of nuzzling into his chest and drifting back off to sleep. “Tsukasa-kun! ”
“No you don’t,” Tsukasa whines, shamelessly purring on top of him as if that can convince him to just stay in this position! Rui will repeat, he has to attend a very vital strategy meeting! Their last capture went incredibly well, so Toya wants to start taking over some nearby towns to establish one as a base closer to the capital.
Rui attempts to push Tsukasa off of him. It doesn’t work, the dragon simply flops down with even more force to go back to cuddling into him. Tsukasa’s arms wrap around his waist, tail swishing back and forth with lazy happiness. The same thing that knocked a church straight off its foundation a week ago.
“Tsukasa-kun,” Rui pleads, “Please get off of me.” Tsukasa squeezes his waist, opting to tangle their legs together instead. Rui refuses to admit Tsukasa is pleasantly cool.
Tsukasa is so insistent on cuddling with him because Rui runs hot, isn’t he? Are dragons even cold-blooded? Maybe he’s just so cold because he exhausts his magic reserves so often? Rui knows that’s why Tsukasa sleeps so often, even compared to other dragons.
“ ‘s fine, Toya won’t mind…” Tsukasa mumbles, clearly delighted at the aspect of a lazy morning with Rui. Rui is not sharing the thought, struggling to escape Tsukasa’s tight grip. He’s half asleep, it shouldn’t be this difficult! Plus Tsukasa’s still recovering, it’s entirely unfair that Rui is still at a disadvantage.
He considers forcing Tsukasa off with magic, but as soon as any energy collects in his hand Tsukasa dispels it with a flick of a finger against his back. Stupid dragons and their stupidly high magic capacities that not even Rui, magical prodigy, can beat, and their stupidly adorable humanoid forms, and their stupidly complimentary body temperatures, and their stupidly—
One of Tsukasa’s arms releases him, trailing a finger from his collarbone to his waist. “Go back to bed,” Tsukasa orders, and Rui does the best he can to resist the hypnosis spell Tsukasa is obviously casting on him.
It doesn’t work.
Rui sighs, shifting to hold Tsukasa in his arms as a fog creeps into his head and fills his thoughts with sleep and Tsukasa . Tsukasa smiles, that much Rui can see, going straight back to purring and clinging onto Rui like he was some sort of treasure. He reaches up to comb through Tsukasa’s hair, going from his neck all the way down to the small of his back.
The major problem in putting your trust to a higher power than your own, is the utter lack of mental barriers that you develop towards them. Rui is, admittedly, probably the most susceptible person in the Imperial Soldiers to Tsukasa’s mental magics. Hence why a still-recovering-from-their-last-expedition Tsukasa is capable of performing this spell half-asleep.
Comes with the price of being in love, Rui guesses. It’s not like Tsukasa has an unfair advantage on him either, he’s just as weak to Rui’s spells as Rui is to his.
Perhaps weak is the wrong word to use. It’s something special, to trust and love and devote yourself to someone so much you’d let them freely mess with your head, quite literally.
Tsukasa would dispel the spell if Rui asked. But, with it being so early in the morning, Rui attending a strategy meeting is more of a formality than something he’s genuinely interested in.
Well, he is interested in the prospect of getting to tear down some more buildings, perhaps with his inventions rather than magic, but Toya suggested requesting a surrender instead a few days ago. That’s why there’s a meeting today, to see if a surrender order would theoretically work.
Rui has very similar methods of attack to Tsukasa. Arrive, destroy everything you see, leave. Fairly simple. Not much strategy to that other than “Target this” or “Don’t break that.” So a surrender would make some of Rui’s best skillset pointless! He wouldn’t even be allowed to use his less… destructive inventions, which is truly a shame.
Of course, Toya could certainly benefit from Rui’s sharp mind, destructive as he might be, Rui is very tactical. You can’t be a master sorcerer and a successful inventor without some form of smarts. But isn’t one of the spies, Akito, attending? Rui really doesn’t need to be there, Akito is fairly devoted to strategy meetings and he and Toya can surely figure it out on their own. Plus, Akito could get word in from the inside to yield the towns over to prevent more casualties, he is a highly respected knight, after all—
“Tsukasa-kun, stop that,” Rui groans, trying to wade off the intruding thoughts. Tsukasa hums and the fog in his head gets thicker. It’s very hard to think, it’s oppressive enough Rui whines in displeasure, enough that Tsukasa backs off a bit and the fog clears. Tsukasa mutters an apology but Rui can’t find the strength to respond with words, so he just sleepily nods.
It’s more of a light haze now, whispers of warmth and rest that try to convince him to just forget about the meeting and be with Tsukasa, cuddling until late in the afternoon.
“I’m sure Toya can give me a summarized report,” Rui says, finally giving in. Tsukasa makes a happy noise and snuggles closer to Rui, if that’s possible. The purring could work as a hypnosis spell itself, as Rui finds his eyes closing shut without any further input.
Rui shifts Tsukasa up a bit to get him closer, wrapping around him like an octopus and pressing his face between the crook of Tsukasa’s neck and shoulder. The purring is exceptionally loud, Tsukasa nuzzling into him with equal eagerness.
Why did he ever consider attending that conference anyways? He could’ve been stuck there for hours, while Tsukasa is right here! Rui’s not a morning person anyways, which works especially well considering Tsukasa’s sleep schedule of nearly 15 hours a day.
Humming in contentment, Rui starts to drift off again. The hypnosis-induced fog is gone, but the sound and feeling of Tsukasa purring on top of him like an oversized cat basically induces the same overwhelming happiness in Rui’s brain.
Is that a result of the natural mental effects purring has on the human brain, or is it specifically amplified knowing that it’s Tsukasa? Rui has read a few fascinating psychological articles in the library about the topic of cats and how they can induce healing by the special frequency they purr at.
Tsukasa huffs, tilting his head and kissing Rui’s cheek. “You’re thinking too loud,” Tsukasa whispers, “It’s time to sleep, not to think…” The sun shining into the room disagrees. It is early though, far too early for Rui’s tastes.
The only reason Rui even woke up early enough to prepare for the meeting (and consequently be awake to deal with a sleepy, cuddly Tsukasa, who has zero of Tsukasa’s normal sense of responsibility,) is because of an alarm clock he made that Tsukasa subsequently shut off not 15 seconds later.
“Are you reading my thoughts again?” Rui asks, barely able to even hear himself from how quietly he says the words. Tsukasa isn’t that fond of telepathy, typically calling it a breach of privacy, but he has done it before. Under excruciating circumstances, but he has.
“Heartbeat hasn’t slowed down,” Tsukasa answers, half slurred. He’s clearly already a foot into dreamland, which means he’s probably upset over that Rui’s heart is beating too fast for him to fall asleep. This is, unfortunately, a common occurrence. Humans can’t exactly function with slow beating hearts, or at least not Rui.
Rui decides this is the perfect moment to tease, saying “You’re so cute, can’t help that you get my heart racing~” Tsukasa leans down and nips at his neck, causing Rui to jolt. How is that supposed to get Rui to calm down? His heart’s just going to race more in surprise, doesn’t Tsukasa realize that? Maybe not.
“Quiet! Bed, now,” Tsukasa commands, pushing his entire body weight onto Rui to convince him to just shut up and go back to sleep already . Rui can sense Tsukasa clearly getting agitated at his constant mixed messages about going along with his wishes, so he relaxes fully and just focuses on his breathing.
Tsukasa settles back on top of him, back to soft purrs and deep breaths. His tail wraps around one of Rui’s legs as if it wasn’t enough with 4 limbs in the tangle.
Rui goes back to combing through his hair, always enraptured by how it seems to shine just like gold in the morning light. Tsukasa hums appreciatively, squeezing him slightly. Tsukasa is… Tsukasa is so wonderful, Rui concludes.
How could he not be? Despite all the morally ambiguous things the Imperial Soldiers do, Tsukasa still truly seems like an angel in Rui’s eyes. Even if dragons are typically associated with the Underworld.
It’s so easy to just lean back slightly and watch Tsukasa’s peaceful expression. Eyes closed softly with pretty lashes, mouth slightly open, enough that Rui can feel him breathing, strands of gold splayed over Rui’s chest.
Tsukasa is like the pinnacle of perfection, he could argue. It’s unimaginable how someone who looks like the sun itself could be the cause of so much destruction. One looks at Rui, his messy hair and odd outfit, and can easily label him as crazed, or whatever it is they call him these days.
But Tsukasa? How could you ever assume Tsukasa’s so similar to him, when the beast that ravages cities looks nothing like the Tsukasa Rui sees day-to-day. Mizuki’s really talented with their illusion magic, Rui’s proud they’ve come so far, that such a complex spell still works despite the distance and the weird qualifications to activate.
Tsukasa is like both heaven itself and a denizen of the dark. Usually, when Tsukasa isn’t so tired, he’s incredibly responsible. He gets Rui to training on time, makes sure everyone at the base is well fed, essentially acting as Toya’s right hand man.
If only he were doing it for purely noble deeds, perhaps he’d only be a representation of the divine. But Rui is positive what they’re doing is right, even if the whole kingdom seems to disagree. They’ll see the truth, the darkness that lurks through the white walls of the castle eventually.
Tsukasa, for everyone he is, Rui appreciates most that Tsukasa is his. How could he get this lucky? Rui exhales, because he got the urge to chuckle right then and Tsukasa wouldn’t appreciate it.
Returning to holding Tsukasa close, Rui lets himself relax against Tsukasa’s cool skin. It’s like hugging a cool pillow, if said cool pillow also came free with a cat to serve as a further relaxer for its user. Absolutely perfect.
Rui’s always in awe of how fate seems to make him and Tsukasa perfect complements, opposites that complete each other in such a good way. Rui smiles against Tsukasa’s skin, gently pressing a kiss to his neck. Truly perfect, that’s the only word Rui can use to describe him.
Tsukasa mumbles something, shifting to rub his face against Rui. Like a cat, so of course Rui responds in the same manner, greatly enjoying how Tsukasa’s unconscious purring gets stronger. Even though practically all of their bodies are touching at this point, Tsukasa really knows how to push the limit beyond what Rui thought possible if he desires to do so.
Perfect as he might be, nothing can quite top a sleepy Tsukasa. Without his reservations, his responsibilities, or his sense of embarrassment, it truly lets Tsukasa chase after what he wants from Rui, and Rui is never one to deny him. Seeing him without his inhibitions, openly expressing himself to Rui never fails to make him think that he’s doing the right thing, following the path he chose.
Even if that ends up with him skipping a very impotence conference, simply because tired Tsukasa doesn’t feel he’s received a proper amount of cuddles for his work last week. But who’s Rui to deny him?
Rui hopes Toya won’t exile him for this. Well, Toya wouldn’t, but Akito… Not so much luck.
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Rui wakes up with an alarm blaring. Again..? Blinking awake, he notices a distinct lack of pressure on top of him. Has Tsukasa decided to get up? Ugh, they weren’t using any blankets and now Rui feels cold! Sitting up, he shuts off the alarm with a snap.
The alarm beeps at him. 3:00 PM. That’s… incredibly late, even for Rui. Did he oversleep? That’s his alarm to head off to training, although he’s free to skip it. He doesn’t really feel like going today, not with sleep still clinging onto him. It isn’t like he really needs the practice anyways.
Tsukasa shuffles into the room, now dressed in his usual clothes. “Oh, you’re awake! Good afternoon, Rui! You slept in late today,” he comments, walking over to their shared kitchen and getting… something. He comes back into Rui’s view not a moment later, handing him a cup of hot chocolate. Oh thank goodness, Rui won’t be freezing to death today.
“Mm, yeah,” he replies, taking a sip of his drink. Tsukasa even added marshmallows! “I don’t know why I slept so late… I feel like I’m forgetting something?” Maybe he was working on a project last night and just doesn’t remember it because of exhaustion. It’s a plausible conclusion, but it doesn’t seem right.
Tsukasa doesn’t seem too concerned, and from what Rui recalls they went to bed together last night, so it couldn’t be that. Tsukasa’s always so pressed on Rui doing everything he should be doing, which is appreciated but also exasperating.
Tsukasa looks at him innocently, “Well, if you don’t remember it must not be that important, right?” Rui hums, idly sipping on his hot chocolate. Mm, not hot enough to burn but enough to pleasantly warm him up. Tsukasa really is good at this whole cooking thing, Rui doesn’t know why he tries (and fails) to cook for the both of them most of the time.
“Like you could be one to talk,” he says, chuckling at Tsukasa’s defensive retorts.
Tsukasa’s probably right either way, Rui would have remembered if it was so important.
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“Toya, I swear, if that guy doesn’t show up soon, I’ll track him down myself and give him a piece of my mind-“
“Akito! I… I suppose it would be best to continue without Kamishiro, he must be doing something important as of now.”
“Important? Please, I bet he’s just curled up in bed with Tenma, all disgusting-like, and ignoring us! I snuck out all the way over here and then,”
“Please be respectful to Kamishiro and Tsukasa, Akito. Let’s discuss without him, I’ll give Kamishiro a report later. I’m sure even he would never do such a thing at such a critical moment in the war. Tsukasa would never let Kamishiro slack on his duties without a good reason.”
“Hmph… Fine.”