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3am Challenge Day 15
Prompt: #157 - Life or Death (700 words)
Song: Last Note. - Akatsuki Arrival (96Neko & KogeInu cover)

Characters: Gakupo, Kaito, unnamed OC

Warning for mild, implied homophobia.


Long fingers tightened their grip on Miburi's hilt. Kaito, he thought, expression hard as he took his place across the way from his opponent. This is for Kaito. He flicked cyan-colored eyes over to where his lover stood.

The blue-haired prince gazed back. Kaito's face was a perfect mask of apathy, smooth and lineless, as he watched the combatants settle into their positions on the field. The armored guards on either side of him cast scathing looks his way, but the prince remained still as the grave.

But there was emotion there, if one was looking properly, and Gakupo had spent so many nights memorizing his lover's face that he could easily see the fear and desperate defiance shining just past the prince's seemingly-dead eyes.

Silence fell as the lord of the castle stepped forward, just as grim-face as the rest of his court. When he spoke, his voice carried across the field with all the weight of an approaching thunderstorm – with just as little pity. "The fight will continue until one of you strikes the killing blow," he called. He glared down at the field with an air of utmost disgust. "Kamui Gakupo. As promised, should you be the victor I will allow you to leave with your life. You will be banished from my lands…" and here he gave a sniff, as if suppressing the urge to spit upon the samurai glaring hatefully up at him. "…but you will live."

Gakupo forced himself to keep his voice low, calm, kept himself in check so that he didn't snarl when he spoke. "And what of your other promise? What of Prince Kaito?"

The lord made an unpleasant noise in the back of his throat. "My son is disowned," he sneered, waving a dismissive hand towards Kaito and his guards. "Take him with you into exile, if you must, as he is stripped of his title and all that goes with it."

From the corner of his eye, Gakupo saw Kaito stand just a little straighter, his chin lifting just a bit more as his shoulders squared.

My prince. Title or no, he is royalty still…

"But know this…"

Gakupo tuned his attention back to the lord of the castle, who had suddenly grown a self-satisfied smile across his piggish face.

"Whatever the outcome of this battle, your fate shall be shared between the two of you."

Gakupo's eyes widened. "You would kill your own son!?" he barked, shock and anger pouring into his voice. He broke his glare to turn and stare instead at his lover. Kaito's eyes met his own with a steely resolution.

"I disown him!" the lord spat. "Enough of this! Take your places and begin the fight."

But Gakupo lingered for a moment longer, watching his lover carefully. The prince held his gaze, expression unchanging even now, and gave a single slow, firm nod. Raising his hand to his heart, Kaito tapped the spot twice with two of his fingers. Their sign – their secret gesture.

I love you.

And that was all the answer Gakupo needed.

He turned to face his opponent – one of the lord's most brutal warriors – and drew Miburi from her sheath. He would fight as if this were his final battle, as if he had nothing to lose. He would either win to live with Kaito, or he would fall and die beside him. Either way, they could not take his lover from him.

He knew that even if the lord did not keep his word, Kaito would end his own life if it meant he and Gakupo would be together. If it came to it, Gakupo would do the same.

His opponent lunged forward, apparently unable to wait, and Gakupo raised his sword to meet him. He was in no rush; his foe would wear himself down and then Gakupo, with his years of training in patience and watchfulness, would strike him down. If this was to be the Dancing Samurai's last fight, then he would do it with grace and skill.

With his lover's silent words to give him strength, he sliced through his opponent's body at the first misstep, rivulets of red decorating Miburi's blade.

They were free.