Breaking Character
A Princess Tutu fanfiction by Klondike Aura
"Really now, Autor," Rue murmurs, her voice laced with embers threatening to flare up. "I am surprised."
"I don't think it's all that surprising," Autor says, trying to be as casual as possible despite the blush in his cheeks.
"Are you talking back?" she asks with a razor glare.
He straightens up with a quick, "No, Professor."
She circles him slowly. "I don't think I like your tone."
"No, Professor," he says, attempting to balance firm and apologetic. It's not easy when Rue comes back into view. He has to hide the slight gasp at her loosened tie and the undone top button of her blouse.
"Mm, that's better," she tells him. Tells, not purrs. "Not the best, but better. Let's see how I like your voice when your nose is in a corner of the room."
Autor adjusts his glasses. "I don't see what treating me like a child will-"
But then Rue clicks her heels sharply on the floor and interjects with, "You are talking back again, Autor. In the corner. Before you exhaust what little patience I have left."
Autor fumbles with his fingers, nearly dropping the spectacles. He fixes them and hurries to a corner. He waits, hands clasped behind his back, and counts each clack of her footsteps.
"Hands on the wall," she breathes right on his ear.
The seconds between her command and his obeying weigh heavy in the air, pulsing. He had to stop his shivering in order to carry it out. He's rewarded for the delay with a swift swat of a ruler to his backside.
"Naughty boy," Rue whispers with another swat.
Autor gulps and answers, "Yes, Professor."
She hums, curving her arm around to claw her nails against his chest. "Poor dear," she muses, lightly scratching. "If you keep this up, you're going to fail my class. But don't worry. I can make it all better."
But then she feels him trembling again, a very different kind of trembling. His breath is still quick and hitched. No, now it's choked and his whimpering unexpected.
"Autor?" Rue asks, letting her hand rest flat on his chest.
Autor leans his head into the corner. "I'm sorry," he ekes out, following it with a very loud snuffling. "I'm sorry. I know it's only a game, but I've... I've never failed before. Not at school."
The previously heated entanglement turns into a more tender embrace, Rue holding Autor close and rubbing his back as he vents his frustrations. She whispers her assurances that she'll never call him a failure again, not even for pretend.
fin
Author's Notes: Well, it's no secret I ship Rue/Autor. (Let's face it, I ship Rue with everyone and Autor with everyone. This is hardly an exaggeration.) But I've gotten others on the ship, too, and we talked about this in regards to reading about a similar situation.
