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How could he have let this happen!? He had been warding off assassins after Master Leo’s head for years…
How did he not sense them?
Zero stared blankly, eyes stinging in despair as the most beautiful pair of ruby eyes, the pair he loved so dearly, started to open.
“Looks like our Sleeping Beauty is starting to come to…” the thug directly behind the bound figure said, a cruel grin on his scarred face.
He leaned over the half-awake Kamui, running his disgusting hands over the back of the wooden chair the younger man was currently tied to, before reaching out to take a strand of his raven hair, grinning at Zero all the while.
“Don’t fucking touch him-” Zero hissed loudly, cutting himself off as he saw his husband fully open his eyes, blinking confusedly in the low light of the musty basement they had been dragged off to.
“W-what…?” He whispered, pupils dilating in fear upon noticing the sizeable group of thugs surrounding him in the small, unfamiliar room.
He growled, trying to get up before noticing his wrists, legs and chest were completely bound. Kamui’s breaths turned erratic as the gravity of the situation finally sunk in, eyes searching the room desperately before landing on his husband in surprise.
“ZERO! What’s happening and why are tied up!?” he asked, fear evident in his voice.
Zero flinched, looking down at the grime-ridden planks that comprised of the floor. He couldn’t look his prince in the eyes.
He did this to him.
“Zero’s just having a reunion with some old friends…” rasped the scarred thief with menace, cackling as Zero’s shoulders slumped in despair at the words.
“Zero…?”
“Kamui… I’m sorry. I should have never let you get involved with filth like me…”
“Wha..?”
“These men… are members of my old gang…”
Kamui recoiled in shock, staring anxiously at the gang of menacing people surrounding them.
“I don’t know what lies Zero told ya brat, but he’s a piece of shit who’s been licking off that little prince’s boots for too long!” a tanned woman by the door said, sneering as she watched Zero squirm in the chair.
“You should have run, Zero… didn’t you know we’d make you suffer if you tried to make a name for yourself?” the scarred man stated calmly, getting up from position behind Kamui to walk in front of him.
The dragon prince looked up at him from his hopeless position, terror and defiance swirling in his narrowed ruby eyes.
“When we heard through the streets that you had gotten married, we saw an… opportunity” the thief purred.
He ran his fingers over the back of Kamui’s pale hand, the prince trying to jerk it away desperately to no avail.
“What a lovely, delicate hand…I wonder what it would look like without any fingers…?” the thug pondered with a horrifyingly sick grin, producing an old rusty switchblade from his pocket.
The moment he saw the dull shine of the blade, Zero wanted to vomit.
“DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT YOU FUCKER!“ Zero screamed, jerking forward against his restraints like a man possessed.
Hands from every direction were covering his mouth, covering his eyes and he couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, but gods he could hear Kamui screaming and men laughing-
“Zero?”
He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t see but he HAD to get to his-
“ZERO!”
He jolted awake, panting heavily and his heart hammering out of his chest. His eyes darted around the room desperately; confused by the lush furnishings of the room he was in. What happened to the basement he had been trapped in?
What happened to-
‘Zero, are you alright?!”
His heart almost stopped as his beloved husband came into view, sitting at the end of the mattress with wide, concerned eyes.
“You started twitching and yelling, I was so worried! Was it your nightmares again?”
Nightmares?
Oh…
Zero slumped back into the comfort of the mattress, groaning and running a sweaty hand through his hair. He usually didn’t suffer from those accursed dreams as often, especially when Kamui was sleeping beside him. But tonight he had been out late with royal business and the former thief had been tossing and turning in bed alone.
Zero nodded his head slowly, unwilling to share the horrible, vivid visions that remained in his head.
“Kamui… please, return to my arms…” he whispered, feeling slightly embarrassed at showing such vulnerability again, but shaken enough to admit it.
The prince looked a little taken aback, but crawled across the mattress anyways, nestling into his chest. Zero felt himself calm as his worried husband gazed up at him with concern, reaching out with an uncertain hand to rub his shoulders gently.
“I can hear your heart… it’s beating so fast…” Kamui murmured as he pressed a kiss to his collarbone tenderly.
“Mmm… It was the worst thing I can imagine.”
“…Which is?”
“Losing you.”
Kamui gasped as Zero, overcome with emotion, buried his face into the younger man’s raven locks.
The prince could feel him shaking softy against his forehead.
“I’m not going anywhere, I promise” Kamui assured gently, waiting patiently until Zero had calmed down, giving him a sweet smile as Zero finally drew his head back.
“Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?”
“Yeah… as long as you are next to me.”
Kamui grinned, taking his hand in his own underneath the blanket.
“I promise to not to leave your side on this night or any other, my love…”
“Thank you…” Zero murmured, pressing a kiss to the prince’s forehead.
Kamui snuggled further into his chest, murmuring sweet nothings until the panicked fluttering in the former thief's chest had melted into a warm, fuzzy contentment. He yawned, lazy smile stretching across his face as he felt the slight tug of fatigue; and yet, he was not afraid to fall asleep this time around with his husband cozily curled up against his body.
“Feeling better?”
“Yeah” Zero responded, completely truthfully as his body winded down from his earlier panic. The familiar warmth of Kamui pressed against him was more reassuring than any words that could be said; his husband was beside him in good health and completely safe.
“Mmmnn… love you…” Zero said, words almost incoherent as he felt himself drift off, drowsiness taking over.
“Love you too” Kamui smiled up at him, pressing one last kiss to his husband’s shoulder before happily settling down for the night.
This is why Zero adored Kamui; the man did not belittle his nightmares, but rather would help him wind down from them. Whenever Zero woke up panting or paranoid, no matter what ridiculous time of night it was, Kamui would listen and hold him tenderly.
For a long time, Zero’s only goal was to survive and to succeed in his missions. False pleasure was gained from antagonizing people but it never lasted. Kamui made him want to live, to see the rest of their lives together.
And that’s why….
Losing Kamui would ruin him.
He swallowed down the panic, fighting back the dark thoughts that were crawling through his brain.
‘He’s right next to you, you idiot’ he thought to himself, taking in deep breaths as he heard the younger man stir slightly beside him, rustling the sheets.
He would protect his prince with his dying breath, if necessary. He would never let his nightmares become a reality because he’d defend Kamui with his own two hands. He was going to fight for every second, minute and hour with his husband.
Reassured, Zero felt sleep tug at the edges of his mind as he laid back into bed, arms curling around the prince’s slender figure.
No one was going to take him away without getting through him first.