#oitsukki

Kei had been warned time and again that cautiousness should be a top priority.  Any weakness, even the tiniest sliver, could be ripped into the open and leave a gaping hole in his defense.  It was the reason for the long sleeves tightly buttoned up, the tough gloves, the stoic stares, the haughty chin tilt, the carefully layered scarves and robes and wards and charms.  His very existence was a part of the prophecy and, if you interpreted it the right way, his downfall would sweep in on a blanket of foggy stars and wrap him in throes of evil.

As he stares down at the figure bowing before his throne he can admit the foggy stars was rather correct - the glittering wisps are still floating along the floor, dark billowy things that curl around the figure’s feet and clench damply at the end of his cloak - but the throes of evil feel a bit over dramatic.  He can feel the darkness swirling around the figure, feel the shadows inching closer in curiosity, feel the moonlight’s attention turning towards them both eagerly.

After moments that stretch into silence, save for the soft sound of the fog searching the room, the figure finally straightens and Kei finds himself looking into the softest brown eyes he has seen.

Kei was moonlight, long pale lines and sharp corners, glittering stars and reflections on ponds.

This man was shadows, smooth curves and easy smiles, darkness pressing at windows and sliding around corners.

“Grand King,” Kei states, voice slipping through the fog and fingers curling against the arms of his throne.

The man smiles.  “Starlight,” he replies.  The fog around his feet pulses and writhes as he strides forward.  “It’s time, I think, at last.”

Kei rolls his left sleeve up, easy to do when he’s left his robes and wards and charms and defenses back in his rooms, and holds out his arm.  Careful fingers pull off his left glove and drop it to the ground before they trace the lines curling along his skin.  Then another sleeve is shoved up and skin meets skin as the man wraps his fingers around Kei’s elbow and presses their inner arms together.

“Kei,” he says softly.

This is the secret the prophecy never mentioned.  This is the reason for the cautiousness.  This is the weakness to be culled out of him and thrown to the wolves.

“Tooru,” he answers, just as softly.  “Let us not forget our promises.”

The Prince blessed by the Stars had a soulmate.  One that walked among the shadows and met with the darker side of life.

“Lest we be doomed to break them.”

Their marks shine, silver light slowly filling the room until there’s nothing left, not even them.

—

Kei wakes slowly as the sun sets and the coolness of the night seeps in through the windows.  He shakes Tooru softly and snorts when Tooru shakes his head and grumbles, pulling Kei tight enough that he has a little trouble breathing until he wraps his fingers around Tooru’s wrist and sweeps his thumb gently against Tooru’s skin.  Soon they would untangle themselves and set about making a small meal before heading out to gather whatever it was Tooru needs tonight.  It was peaceful here, soft and forgiving in a way most of the world wasn’t, and they were both reluctant to leave any sooner than necessary.  But as he took a deep breath and frowned at the scent of warning on the night air he knew their time here was coming to an end.

There is a delicate balance to disappearing, especially when one has been blessed by the Stars.  Which is why they had waited until he was nearly twenty-five and the rumors that he might never choose a partner to share his throne had come to a head.  It was true.  He would never find someone to share the throne.  Because he didn’t want it.  It was only his because he had been blessed by the Stars themselves while his brother had merely been blessed by the Light.  But the Stars were cold and unforgiving, a constant reminder in the darkness that were easily overshadowed in the light of day.  He knew this well and knew that his brother was the real leader.  The proper prince.

So he had schemed and plotted and whispered in the dark corners of his world.  Had slipped his brother a scroll that would crumble to stardust after he read it.  Then finally, when the time was right, he and Tooru had made their grand escape.

Grand only because disappearing in the early morning hours of his twenty-fifth birthday wasn’t subtle.  Escape only because there was no other way out for either of them and certainly no other way for them together.

Tooru yawns and rubs his face against Kei’s shoulder.  He mumbles something about feather pillows and harvesting mint and then wriggles around until he can prop his chin on Kei’s chest.  After a few minutes of quietly studying each other, fingers idly tracing patterns over bare skin and tapping out private symphonies against pulse points, Tooru sighs.

“Already?”

“Unfortunately.”

They don’t talk much.  Kei’s voice is starlight that pulls at your heartstrings and sends your pulse dancing through your veins.  It garners a kind of attention that they’re better off not having.  Tooru’s voice - dark lines and cunning slivers of sparkles that mislead and confound -  nets them a different attention that’s no less dangerous to their situation.

Tooru’s fingers drag down his bare arm and their marks flare to life.  Kei smirks at him and buries them both under the blankets; tonight’s chores can wait a little longer.

—

He eats the bite held out to him without hesitation and wonders, not for the first nor last time, if Tooru was as okay with this as he claims to be.  Sometimes there’s a look in his eyes that Kei can’t quite define when Tooru stares out over a dark canyon or loses himself in a river of stars.  He grabs Tooru’s wrist just before he pulls away and kisses his fingers.  Tooru shifts his hand and cups Kei’s face, thumb rubbing against his cheek in gentle, sure sweeps.

They’ve been traveling together nearly two years now and Kei can’t help the twist of doubt that wrenches through him from time to time.

“Starlight,” Tooru says, thumb still sweeping against Kei’s cheek.  Kei turns and presses his smile into Tooru’s palm.

“Grand King,” he says against Tooru’s palm.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be except at your side.”

“Will you spend the rest of forever telling me that?”

“If that’s what it takes to be able to stay at your side.”  Tooru smiles at him and leans down to share a kiss.  “I’d face eternal darkness to be blessed by your presence,” he murmurs against Kei’s lips.

“Easy to promise something you’ve already done.”

“That’s why it’s easy to promise that I’ll love you the rest of forever too.”

Kei pulls away and regards Tooru coolly.

“Who knew a being of shadow and darkness could be so cheesy.”

Tooru follows him and knocks him onto his back, meal forgotten at the chance to smother Kei with laughter and shower him with kisses.

“You knew,” Tooru finally answers when they’re both breathless and curled together staring up at the stars.  “You knew me the moment we met.”

“You’re my soulmate,” Kei replies easily.  “Of course I knew you.  I know your heart and you know mine.”

“Then you know to stop doubting where I want to be.”

Darkness swirls around them, a strange fog reflecting the stars above them, and Kei buries his face against Tooru’s neck.