Disclaimer: I own very little.
A/N: Given that this's the first thing I've written after a lengthy writer's block, I won't give any guarantees about the quality, but at least it's something.
The chronology of the Empire of Earth fics at the moment is as follows:
Faith
Empire of Earth
Imperial Crisis
Marital Crisis
(Yes, there's going to be a fic about the wedding between the last two, but that one is a bitch to finish so let the non-chronological publishing order continue.)
Marital Crisis
There was, Akutsu decided, something very satisfying about waking up before his lover.
This was a rare enough thing; while Akutsu had got into the habit of getting up early, Dan had always been a morning person. Most of the time Akutsu woke up to find the smaller man already up and about, or watching him sleep at the very least. This particular morning, though, Akutsu was the first one to awaken.
Dan was indeed fast asleep, blue hair spread over Akutsu's chest as he rest his head there, a hand tucked under his cheek in a manner that almost reminded Akutsu of a child. He looked so small right there, lean and lithe in contrast with Akutsu's own big and muscular form.
Akutsu wasn't very surprised to find his own arm covering the smaller man's waist. Protectively, possessively. This man was his, and anyone who dared to question that was going to regret their stupidity.
Golden eyes travelling around the dimly lit room, Akutsu found his gaze drawn to a set of heavily embroidered robes. Dan had insisted on putting them away properly the night before despite their hurry. Back then it had been frustrating; looking back at it now, Akutsu found himself chuckling silently. Dan never changed, did he, always so adorably serious.
No, wait. He wasn't exactly Dan anymore, was he.
There was a stir on his chest, the beginnings of movement, and then Dan raised his head a bit, half-open eyes looking at Akutsu. A smile brightened the younger man's face, and Akutsu found himself unable to fend off a smile as well.
"Good morning, danna-sama," said Dan, and sounded happier than ever.
"Good morning, Akutsu Taichi," replied Akutsu.
"Gods, that sure sounds weird," Dan chuckled. "It's something I'll gladly get used to, though."
"That's good, since I'm not about to let go any time soon." Akutsu held Dan just a bit tighter.
"I did bring this upon myself, so to speak." The smaller man grinned. "I'm not about to complain any time soon, either desu" He crawled a bit further up on Akutsu's chest, reaching close for a kiss.
Akutsu lingered in the kiss, in no hurry for once. Even the emperor was allowed some free time to celebrate his new marriage, after all. His advisors could keep the world from exploding until he got back on duty. …Well, maybe they couldn't, but at least he'd put Sengoku in charge of screening his calls so they wouldn't disturb him unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Mmm… We aren't leaving until afternoon, are we?" Dan – Akutsu Taichi – tangled a hand in Akutsu's hair.
"That's right," Akutsu replied. "And the servants have been told not to disturb us until we call for them."
"You always think of everything, don't you, Jin?" Taichi asked with a fond grin.
"Not always," Akutsu replied. "That's what I have you for, isn't it?" He kissed Dan again, his hand sliding from his husband's waist down to his behind. "Of course," he then said slyly, "that's not the only thing I have you for."
"Careful, Jin." Taichi smiled even as he grasped on Akutsu's arm tightly enough to dent the pale skin with his nails. "We don't want a repeat of our fight right after our wedding, do we?"
"Feisty, are we?" Akutsu raised an eyebrow. "That's not the way to treat your husband, Taichi."
"Just reminding you not to let your tongue run ahead of yourself again." Taichi let go of his arm, then sighed happily. "I love you, Jin."
Akutsu smiled briefly. "I love you, too, Taichi."
The smile on Taichi's face could have rivalled the Sun. "You should say that more often, Jin desu"
"Why the fuck? You say it often enough for both of us." Another kiss failed to wipe the smile from Taichi's face, but it was a worthy attempt nevertheless. "I promise to inform you if the situation ever changes."
"You're no fun, Jin," sighed Taichi, then pressed himself against the older man's side, his leg over Akutsu's. "But I forgive you desu"
"That's good to hear." Akutsu smirked. "Since even if I don't keep you around only for sex, I'd still like to fulfil my marital duties."
"Not being married never stopped you before." Dan smiled. "But I'd certainly like that, too desu."
With a good-natured growl, Akutsu drew Taichi on top of himself, skin to skin, the smaller man's groin pressed against his stomach. Kissing his new husband, hungry and fierce instead of gentle and lingering this time, the Emperor of Earth then made to enjoy his most important conquest.
Afterwards, as they enjoyed a leisurely bath in their luxurious bathroom, Akutsu paused in his task of washing his husband's hair. "Taichi?"
"Jin?" Taichi replied, sounding a bit tired. Well, the day before had certainly been tiring, and their activities just now had hardly helped him gain any more energy.
"You liked Australia when we went there, right?"
"Hmm? Yeah, I guess so. It was warm and the kangaroos were funny. Why do you ask?"
Akutsu smirked a bit. "Consider that your morning gift, in that case."
"What, Australia?" Taichi blinked in surprise.
"Well, yes. You'd get Japan except the capital is here. Or is there something else you'd like? Take your pick."
"You're hopeless, aren't you, Jin?" Taichi chuckled a bit. "Can I have England, instead? Wimbledon, remember desu And besides, the hooligans remind me of you!"
"You can have both," Akutsu said in perfect seriousness, ignoring the well-meaning jab. "Anything you want, Taichi."
Taichi blinked. "…I was kidding desu."
"I'm not." Akutsu shrugged even as he drew Taichi's head back to rinse the shampoo off his hair. "I'm no good with love confessions and romance and all that crap, so you'll just have to do with world domination. What's mine is yours – and that includes the world."
"Aw, Jin." Turning around in the large tub, Taichi drew closer to press a kiss on the older man's lips. "That has to be the strangest, most romantic thing I've ever heard desu."
"Well." Akutsu smirked a bit, tangling his hand in the now clean blue hair. "Just trying my best, Taichi."
As he leant forward for yet another kiss, he wondered just how long they could postpone their departure.
Public appearances, Akutsu was convinced, were overrated and dangerous, especially in locations he couldn't have properly monitored. Throwing parties at the palace was one thing – sure, it tended to be boring and only worth it because Taichi would do his best to cheer Akutsu up afterwards, but still – but publicly driving through the streets? In everyone's view? Foolish, simply foolish. Of course, there were several bodyguards surrounding them in the car itself, as well as many more driving around them in cars and on motorcycles, but it could have all been avoided by simply not appearing in public.
Especially since it was supposed to be the beginning of their honeymoon. Smiling in anyone's but Taichi's sight was not Akutsu's plan for any single moment during their honeymoon.
"Aw, don't look so grumpy, Jin," Taichi said happily, waving at the people surrounding the street. He was still grinning the same grin he'd been wearing ever since they left the palace, even though Akutsu's experienced eye detected some signs of strain on his lips. "I think this is nice. At least it looks like they no more want to kill us like in the beginning."
"Don't remind me of that." Akutsu sighed. "Not wanting to kill your ruler should be the default, not an improvement."
Later on, he would come to wonder whether they had managed to set off some kind of a curse with those words.
Perhaps it was an attempt to tease Akutsu, perhaps he just wanted to confirm his claim over the Emperor in front of everyone. Nevertheless, the fact remained that Taichi suddenly turned towards Akutsu, leaning closer to press a kiss on his lips.
That was when Akutsu heard the gunshots.
Taichi cried out, and as Akutsu grasped onto him in shock he felt blood on his fingers. Chaos started brewing immediately, people screaming and running, bodyguards hurrying closer to shield the imperial couple from any more harm. Someone was calling the nearest hospital, Akutsu was vaguely aware, and Taichi was still oh so still in his arms.
"Akutsu-sama?" one of the bodyguards asked, cradling a weapon in his hands. "What are your orders?"
"Find them," he growled, his eyes darkening. "Find whoever is behind this. Don't hesitate to shoot on sight – but don't kill them. I want to have my hands at them."
"Yes, sir!" his men replied as one, except the few still shielding them. There was a rare fire in their eyes. The Imperial Consort had a way of charming people. Even though the bodyguards' rage could hardly match his own, he knew they would not rest until the culprit had been suspended.
Even in all his hunger for revenge, though, he couldn't help but find himself worrying more about the ambulance's arrival than catching the culprit.
Taichi was so very pale…
"…The culprit behind the foiled assassination attempt against the Emperor remains arrested and is currently being interrogated for more details on the plan and possible accomplices. Meanwhile, the Imperial Consort's condition is yet to be stabilized. While the doctors are hopeful, they all agree the wound is severe, and even with the best current medicine there is no guarantee –"
Someone turned off the radio. Akutsu didn't react. He hadn't really been listening, anyway.
"Akutsu." Oh, great. It was Sengoku. "Akutsu, look at me."
Slowly, almost reluctantly, Akutsu turned his eyes towards his friend. "When'd you get here?"
"I took the liberty of borrowing one of your planes," replied Sengoku without any shame. "And your guards let me pass without much difficulty. I figured you might need the company."
The sad thing was, of course, that Akutsu could hardly even deny this.
"…So." Sengoku took a seat on the couch next to Akutsu. "Is that on the news the latest truth? Dan-kun still not in the clear?"
"Yes." Akutsu sighed, rubbing his temples. "Three shots in the back… One of them was inches away from his heart. Apparently it's sheer stubbornness that kept him alive long enough to get him on the operating table."
"Dan-kun always was… determined." Sengoku smiled briefly, faintly, before saying, "Or is it Akutsu-kun, now?"
"Call him whatever you want," Akutsu replied wearily. "It's not like he's going to hear it anyway."
Sengoku was quiet for a moment, simply looking at the Emperor. Then, he patted Akutsu's shoulder. "Now, now, Akutsu. You know he would never want to make you upset like that."
"Then he should not get shot," muttered Akutsu bitterly. Who cared if it didn't make any sense – it wasn't like Taichi had wanted to get shot, after all – since it was that fact that made Akutsu so upset.
"Aw, Akutsu, you're so grumpy it's almost cute." Sengoku smirked teasingly before his expression softened. "You know, Akutsu, I don't think I've ever seen you this shaken before."
"Guess he really is my weakness," Akutsu said quietly. Not like that was a surprise to anyone who truly knew him, few though they were.
"That's okay," Sengoku said, a hand resting on the Emperor's shoulder. "Because you are his strength."
The chuckle he received in response wasn't as much bitter as it was simply devoid of hope.
"He is out of immediate danger," they said, "but we can't promise anything," they said. How was that being out of danger? Just letting him be and waiting to see whether he would ever wake up?
The doctors didn't want to let anyone in, they made that much clear, but Akutsu informed them he was going to see his husband and would personally kill anyone who tried to stop him. One look into his eyes convinced the good doctors that he was, in fact, not joking one bit. He couldn't have been stopped anyway, being the Emperor of all, but Akutsu had to admit threatening people with violence made him feel a bit better. Try and kill his husband, would they.
Taichi had always been small, but now he looked even smaller than usual, pale and still in a hospital bed, surrounded by more machines than Akutsu really cared to count. Several monitors displayed various vital signs, tubes feeding fluids into the small man's veins. Even breathing was done by a bulky machine instead of Taichi himself.
For some reason, Akutsu found his own breath almost coming to a halt.
"Taichi," murmured Akutsu, walking a bit closer. "Taichi," he repeated, reaching for a small hand lying immobile in the middle of all the machines. There was no response, no words no gaze not even a shiver, and the hand he held in his own was cool and still.
Akutsu didn't know how long he stayed there, foolishly waiting for any response, any sign that Taichi was even alive and not merely a doll mimicking life with the aid of machinery. At last, though, he sighed, setting the tiny hand gently back on the bed.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Taichi."
Even as he walked out of the room, casting one last glance over his shoulder in the safety of the private room, there was still no response of any kind.
"The first conspiracy theories have surfaced." Sengoku's tone was one of disgust as he browsed through the current headlines on his laptop.
"Oh? And what do they say?" Not that Akutsu was very interested in gossip; that was his PR unit's concern if anyone's. All that mattered to him at the moment was Taichi getting better. However, it'd help him pass the time until Taichi finally chose to wake up.
"Apparently, you were annoyed that you were pressured to marry your lover," the redhead said. "Thus, you decided to get him out of the way for good."
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Akutsu growled. "And how'd they miss the fact the bullets were meant for me and Taichi just fucking happened to get in the way?"
"All lies you spread to cover up your tracks, apparently." Sengoku made a face. "These people will only believe what they want to believe. You'd do best to ignore them."
"As though I was fucking planning to do anything else."
"Ah, Akutsu-sama," Sengoku said with a somewhat sad smile. "You're always the same, aren't you?"
Akutsu didn't say anything to that.
"Akutsu-sama! Akutsu-sama!" Akutsu heard Sengoku even before the redhead rushed in, the guards at the door knowing better than to try to stop him. "Akutsu-sama, I just got a call from the prison. The culprit – the man who shot Taichi-kun –"
"What about the bastard?" Akutsu's eyes narrowed. "So help me, if they've managed to let that bastard escape –"
"Well… yes and no." Sengoku swallowed. "He… he's dead."
"What?" Akutsu growled. "How is that possible? I specifically told to keep him alive until I decide what to do with him."
"He killed himself." Sengoku made a face. "Apparently discovering that he'd shot Taichi-kun instead of you made him feel remorse or whatever, and… well, the guards weren't too keen on stopping him from dying, it seems. Unlucky."
"Damn them." Akutsu's eyes shone dangerously. "I wanted to get my hands on the bastard myself."
"That wouldn't really be advisable," Sengoku pointed out dryly. "It would be bad for both your public image and Taichi-kun's mood. He doesn't like you killing people personally."
"Fucking point, I guess." Akutsu glared moodily at the wall. "Though the doctors are tempting me."
"Don't harm them, that wouldn't be wise." Sengoku chuckled a bit. "What exactly has you so worked up?"
"What do you think? This morning, they told me Taichi's condition now stabile – but he's still not out of immediate danger. What the fuck are they waiting for? Does he have to bounce on his bed and make bloody cartwheels before it's certain he won't die?"
"You know they're just being careful," Sengoku pointed out. "If they told you he'll be all right and suddenly there was a relapse and he died, they wouldn't survive, either."
"Then keep him from dying! They're bloody doctors, aren't they? The best there are in this fucking world of mine. They should be able to keep one small man from dying."
"And I'm sure they will. They're just playing it safe." Sengoku swallowed. "You… you don't look too good, Akutsu-sama."
"No shit, fucking Sherlock." Akutsu lowered his eyes. "It's supposed to be my bloody honeymoon, Sengoku. I should be with Taichi, damn it, well damn away from all this shit, and instead I'm stuck in this bloody hospital. I fucking took over the world and it's apparently still not enough to keep people from taking him from me."
"Oh, Akutsu." The redhead sighed in sympathy, patting his old friend's arm in a somewhat daring gesture, given the other's temper and power. "You know Taichi-kun. It's not like he would die now that he finally has you trapped for good."
"Too bad you don't always get a choice." With this, Akutsu stood from where he'd been seated until now. "I'm going to go see him. Any doctors disagreeing with me can call their families to say goodbye."
If Sengoku's grin was somewhat wavering, neither of them commented on it.
Soon enough, Akutsu again stood by the side of Taichi's bed. His husband still lay motionless, lifeless, more of an intricate ornament than a living, breathing human being. Very carefully, he took the little hand in his own – when had it become so very thin? – and squeezed it gently.
"Wake up, Taichi," he whispered, barely audible even in his own ears. "Wake up before the whole world goes to Hell." There was only so long it could be its leader and not blow itself up, after all. And much though he didn't like admitting such weaknesses, Akutsu knew he was hardly capable of ruling properly as long as he was still worried about Taichi.
If only the other hadn't been so very still…
And then, suddenly, Akutsu felt a faint squeeze on his hand.
Of course, it didn't go easily. Though there was clearly a turn for the better, Taichi's recovery was slow. While the media all across the world announced the good news, Akutsu's attention was mostly centred on the events of that one well-guarded hospital room. Every change, every step towards recovery, he was there. When the mechanical ventilation finally gave way to Taichi's own breathing, Akutsu listened to the few faint breaths even more carefully than the doctors fearing for their lives.
And when Taichi finally woke up properly instead of just brief moments of consciousness, Akutsu was the one sitting by his bed, holding his hand uncaring of the medical personnel in the room.
"It's about the time you wake up," Akutsu said with something that might have been mistaken for a smile by someone who didn't know him. Fortunately, Dan knew him, and thus knew there was no mistake.
"Some honeymoon… we've had," Taichi said faintly, giving his husband a weak smile. "I'm sorry… Jin…"
"Che. Like it was your fault." Akutsu huffed. "Just never do that again, understood?"
"What, never… kiss you again?" Taichi grinned a bit.
Akutsu found himself grinning back. "Sure you can. Just remember the bullet-proof vest."
It was a very different Emperor that now took charge of affairs whenever he wasn't with his husband. Accepting his advisors' reports on the recent dealings within his empire, he then proceeded to telling them just how badly they had failed before setting to correct things. If you wanted things done well, you apparently did have to do them by yourself. All his advisors were apparently incompetent, which was quite sad considering they were the best ones available.
Except… well.
"…Hey. Sengoku."
Sengoku looked up from whatever he was reading as the Emperor called out his name. "Akutsu-sama?"
"You're now officially my main advisor. Third-in-command. What the fucking ever." Akutsu pinched the bridge of his nose. "I – well. I do not like saying this, so there'll be no bloody repeats, but I needed someone like you, during this mess. Someone who knows what matters and what doesn't and which things can take a bloody hike. Someone besides Taichi who'll keep me from murdering the idiots I seem to be surrounded with."
"You probably mean, 'someone to sit with you when you're scared and won't admit it,'" Sengoku replied with a grin. "But I'm honoured, Akutsu-sama. I'll do my best to serve you to the best of my abilities," he added with an exaggerated bow.
"What'd I say? Surrounded by bloody idiots." However, Akutsu was smiling, now, genuinely so in the presence of someone who wasn't Taichi.
It had been quite a while.
There was, Akutsu decided, something very satisfying about waking up before his lover.
This was not a rare thing, nowadays; though he had mostly recovered, Taichi still wasn't exactly well and apparently needed more sleep than he'd used to. This was just fine with Akutsu. These short moments in the morning, when he was already awake but Taichi still asleep, were something he had come to cherish.
He watched his husband now, pale and thin in the dim light of the bedroom, actually coming close to the tone of Akutsu's own skin. Very carefully, he traced his fingers over the even paler scars now marking the once flawless back. Taichi did not awaken, simply snuggling a bit closer to Akutsu, sighing happily as he settled himself half atop his husband before continuing his slumber.
Akutsu wasn't very surprised to find his own arm covering the smaller man's waist. Protectively, possessively. This man was his.
And nobody, just nobody, was allowed to take Taichi away from him.