#rouxls is very nervous around him when it comes to lancer because he already spent years being a glorified babysitter

[moonyistired]

alright i’ve finally decided on what characterization i want to give to king spade in the lesser family au

[afterthelastreset]

Rules Of One’s Soul Ch5 Realizing Feelings P1

(Mak belongs to @coffincrawler )

A drip. A drop. A sprinkle. The water gently pouring down from the dark sky had started a little more than an hour ago, thunder and lightning waking him up every while due to his anxiety acting up to loud booming noises reminding him of THAT voice, but the emotional strain of the past few days had been too exhausting to put up with anymore and ended up with him falling into a deep sleep. Though the sleep was anything but pleasant. The hours of night revolved around visions of devilish smiles, heart attacks, and the deep laughing of a certain king of the past. But a ray of hope managed to shine through starting with a familiar little giggle and cooing. He could still remember that day like it was yesterday-

He was just putting up puzzles as usual. It had been a very surprising day when the King had picked him of all people to replace the former royal advisor and Duke after the king mentioned their 'accident', and he was more than flattered. His law keeping and skills for overseeing troups had finally caught the eye of the king it seemed.....Or so he thought. The king did not appreciate his skills in writing up legal paperwork, in laws, or even the actual puzzles he found out, as long as it got done when he wanted and if it was to his satisfaction. In the king's words, "I don't CARE how you get it done, do what it takes and it better be done correctly the first time, Duke. You know the consequences if you don't."

Luckily the King seemed more interested in the troups than the actual puzzles themselves. Thank goodness. But there was one thing that came with the job once the Queen had left. Royal advisor? Nope! Think of himself as a Royal Nanny....only he was forced into the role instead of hired. Oh! The King's son was always a troublesome little larva from the day he was born. But it became harder when one had to learn quickly how to care for a screaming baby or the King would storm over and demand he'd 'Shut the dam thing up before it woke the entire castle'. Taking care of a child was probably the hardest thing he's ever had to do in his few hundred years of youth. He thought it would get easier as he got older, but that proved to be untrue. He actually preferred it when Lancer couldn't run away from him and cause trouble, he would've preferred it if Lancer just stuck to him like glue begging for attention, but no. The child idolized his father and went out of his way everyday to try and please him....Which didn't always end up good. For either of them.

But this dream was about one memory in particular-

A little Lancer had ran up to him one day out of the blue squealing and babbling about something fun he did and he didn't really listen and mumbled something along the lines of 'That's nice. Thou should settle down now before thine father hears thou's screams."

"Oh. Ok, Wesser Dad."

The worm froze from what he was doing and finally looked down to toddler Lancer who smiled up at him innocently. "W-Wha...What didst thou calleth me?"

"Wesser Dad." He happily chirped before turning his head.

"Why?"

And his answer stuck into him more than any of the king's threats since that day-

"You my daddy, but smallwer than Daddy" He held his hands close together as to measure the size difference between Rouxls and King Spade. "Wesser than Daddy. Wesser Dad!"

The Duke just stared at the toddler wagging his tail, obviously proud at the name he came up with. Did-...Did he not know Rouxls wasn't actually his-...He wasn't Lancer's sire, much less blood related. But that didn't seem to matter to the three year old hugging his leg and looking up at him with more love than he deserved.

"I wuve you Wesser Dad!"

He couldn't stop himself from crying the glowing white tears from his eyes or his body from shaking with mixed emotions, and hold the precious little spade pup closer, he was fuzzy and warm and oddly giggly to the hug he was receiving.

"Do you think he's ok? Look he's crying in his sleep, sleep."

Wait a minute. That wasn't Lancer's voice. It sounded far too old and high pitched.

''Hmm. Perhaps he's having a nightmare. By the way he's clinging to you, it would seem so."

WHAT?!

He slowly stirred, and his eye opened from the darkness that was known as a deep sleep.The first thing he saw past the shadows was two black orbs surrounded by purple. With dead yellow eyes. Followed by a wide fanged smile. he just stared back.

"Well hello, hello.~"

What followed was the highest scream he probably made, sounding something like :'EEEEEEEEEE-". The figure invading his privacy fell backwards off the bed and crashed to the floor with a thud, when Rouxls pulled the blankets up his body to cover most of his body, both causing dust to spew into the air that turned the scream into a flurry of coughs for everyone present. The Poor Duke waved a hand to fan the dust away from his face and stared in shocked fear at the other two coughing figures. One was fuzzy and tall and the other was-....

"Jevil! You- *cough cough* What thy f*ck art thou doing within my shoppe?!" He yelled at the Imp that look up at him from the dusty floor.

Jevil gave off a series of high pitched giggles before pushing himself up and once again into the air. How the HELL could he even hover for so long?! The imp gave a devilish grin and held his hands out.

''But what fun, fun would it be if a surprise wasn't a surpise?~"

"I doth know! How about not scaring me within my home!?" His eyes went to the cat behind him who was giving the two a confused look. "And what art thou doing here?! I though I told thee not to cometh back?" He pointed accusedly at the cat.

Seam merely gave a chuckle and gave off the same calm face like the night before. "Actually, you said not to come in unsupervised. And as you can see I'm being watched by two people, so I'm nor really breaking your rule there. Now am I?"

Rouxls opened his mouth to argue...But closed it again. He scoffed and threw the blanket off himself before throwing his legs off as well. The Duke stood up and stretched his aching and honestly still tired body out, making a few bones pop within it. Behind him Jevil casually went to laying on his stomach and put his face in his hands as he watched the Duke. When Rouxls turned around he was met with a face of smiles and a simple finger wave from the smiling jester, he rolled his eyes again.

"What is it now?"

"Oh, nothing,nothing. Just waiting."

"For what?"

"Don't you remember, remember? We have a game to finish.~"

Rouxls turned back to the side and began towards a door on the far side of dusty room. "And I thought I said I wanted to take thou's 'game' slower," he spat without looking behind him angrily. His hand reached out and grabbed one the door before throwing it open and leaning have his body into the space behind. "Showing up in the morning uninvited and not wanted is nay taking it slowly!" He paused, before turning back around and giving him a look. "How did thou even get it here?"

Jevil waved a clawed hand like it was nothing. "The lock doesn't lock. The door was open the moment, moment we turned the little knob."

Rouxls hummed in a tone like he didn't fully believed him, before slowly going back into what was apparently a closet. The worm monster spent a couple more seconds in there probably moving around cloths? Seam couldn't tell as he was standing at an angle watching, but he could clearly see Jevil reaching into the fabric of his cape and pulling out a small box from the folds. To say he was surprised that Jevil was acting like this let alone even dared to leave his prison cell was an understatement, but he guessed finding one's soulmate would get one to do things they often didn't do In the name of love. Rouxls leaned back out with a regal looking uniform, that wasn't covered it dust surprisingly, and turned back to the duo with a still tired face though not as tired as last night. He seemed to have noticed the way Jevil was looking at him and the small box he held in his hands.

"What is that?"

The imp perked up at being addressed and held the box out for him. "A gift, gift for you!"

Rouxls rose a brow and looked down back at the box like someone was trying to give him something he already owned. Seam watched their reactions carefully with a neutral face. Jevil had little to literally zero experience in dating experience and after he told Seam what exactly happened upon his first attempt at- uh....showing Rouxls his true emotions towards him. Which may have been the reason the Duke was acting more irritated than giving off a similar reaction to Jevil, or it could just be because he was still tired and they sorta intruded and scared him out of his sleep. So, Seam sort of gave Jevil some advice of his own, granted he didn't really have romantic experience either, but he knew enough to know NOT to spontaneously kiss your soulmate out of no where and take things slow like Rouxls had mentioned earlier. Jevil hopefully would take the advice seriously. It seemed so when he asked the old cat what was usually considered 'romantic', and he remembered something about getting others deserts and candies??

Rouxls gave the box a suspisious look before looking back at Jevil and saying, "Open it."

Jevil flinched taken a bit back from the blunt reaction, but complied and opened the lid of the box and tilting it forward to show Rouxls the inside. Rouxls rose his brow at the familiar sweet smell and the sight of purple frosting with white sparkly sprinkles on top of what looked like was a vanilla naked cake, and topped off with a few star shaped dark candies. The Duke looked at the admittedly well done desert before his eyes and blinked before looking back up at the now nervous looking joker.

"Do you like it? Like it?"

He opened his mouth...but closed it a few more times before looking back at the cake with uncertainty. "I-....It's v-very lovely and thou lookest like you did a great job on making thine cake."

Jevil's face immediately lit up and his tail began wagging behind him. He giggled a bunch of those flustered giggles making his purple face flush a lighter hue. His hands flew up to cup his cheeks as he stared at the confused worm man, somehow having the cake hovering in mid air next to them. Rouxls gave a small smile at the situation, and stared back into the box.

"You r-really, really think so?"

"I- Well-..Y-Yes.*ahem* I...guess this is a good start to mine d- MMF!"

"Jevil!"

Rouxls was forced back a couple steps and toppled over and onto the ground with a soft thud. A force wrapped around his chest and neck added some weight to his fallen body as the imp had basically tackled the worm man...And speaking of Jevil. Clawed hands gripped the either side of Rouxls head gently while his face was gently pressed against his. He pulled back after a few seconds and the two just stared at each other. Rouxls mitch matched eyes staring into Jevil's black and pink ones-...Wait a minute. Since when was his eyes pink? He didn't get to ramble on that thought much longer before Jevil was yanked off of him by Seam. He held up Jevil in one hand and gave a 'Really?' look, to which the jester just giggled and shrugged at, in Seam's other hand was the box that had been previously floating. Seam sighed before looking down at Rouxls. The Duke didn't look scared, but more of a flushed shock as his blue face lit up a lighter color. Seam chuckled at that.

"Are you alright there friend? You two took quite a fast stumble there."

The duke made a whine noise and whispered, "Yeah...I-I'm good," in a squeaky voice. To which both the males laughed at.

Rouxls flushed more before clearing his throat and slowly propping himself up into a standing pose. He professionally patted his sides to rub the left dust off himself before bending down to pick up the dropped suit. He groaned at the dust bunnies stuck to it before inhaling and blowing on it, the air taking the dust with it.

"By the way, way. What were you dreaming, dreaming about?"

"What doth though meaneth?" Rouxls gave the imp a side glance, trying not to show too much of his flushed face.

Jevil's smiling face went to one of concern slowly and so did Seam's.

"You were melting and crying in your sleep....Are you alright?"

It took him a few seconds for his brain to process what they were talking about but he soon realized what. "Oh. That. Yes. I was just dreaming about Lancer.....Lancer?" His face shot up with a sudden look of horror as he turned to them. "SHITETH! What time tis it?!"

"By now I'd say it's about one or two hours before noon I believe."

"Fucketh me! I'm late!" A sudden fear shot through him as he realized what the Ex King Would've done if he had shown up late. He knew Lancer wouldn't even do anything like...he would, but the fact he left his boy all alone without notice made a rock of guilt form in his stomach. Quickly rushing past the two, he flew into what they assumed must've been his restroom before the door slammed shut behind him.

The two stared for a bit before looking at each other.

"Was it something I said? I said?"

"No. But you could have been more humble after giving him the cake," the cat said as lowered the jester to his feet, "What if he hit his head against something? We could've been in big trouble."

Jevil sheepishly shrugged before giggling. "My world revolves, revolves when my soul aches, aches for him."

Seam gave a chuckle at that. "At least you didn't throw any more heart."

Jevil gave a slightly offended look at that. "My Heart's Desire, Desire is nothing to be over looked, looked."

Before Seam could answer, the door slammed back open and a now fair amount of steam and a well groomed Duke walked out adjusting the last of what looked like the back of his hair. He still looked weary and hurried towards the other door behind the other two males.

"Where are you going, going?"

"I am lateth!" He was almost to the point of melting and ruining his suit. He didn't have time for any antics right now. "Lancer has been waiting for mine arrival for hours now! I shan't keep him waiting any longer! I needst to leave immediately!"

"In the rain, rain?"

He stopped and looked back over his shoulder at the two.''N-Nay worry. I k-knoweth a short cut to mine destination-" Just as we was about to summon up the familiar bright flash of light upon teleporting, a clawed hand grabbed his own. He flinched and looked behind him as the imp smiled at him in a knowing way. "What art thou doing? Lancer needs me."

"Then allow me to help, help a poor soul in need.~" He smiled wider.

Rouxls was just about to ask what Jevil meant, when suddenly his entire world toppled sideways. His body felt stretched and the world spun and blurred as the tightness of his body squeezed the air out of his lungs. His eyes stung and as soon as it came it was gone, as he was firmly replanted back on his feet in one second as the tightness released his lungs. He gasped and stumbled into a solid wall to his right. He coughed and hacked up air as his lungs refilled themselves, as he gulped up air he felt someone grabbing his shoulder and gently pulling him back up into a standing position. Naturally he wobbled a bit before getting his balance back, his legs felt like jello as he struggled. He took a moment to blink and look over his shoulder at the smiling.

"See, see? I got us here, here with plenty of time to spare, spare."

"W-Wha-...What did thou just do?"

He giggled. "A simple little teleportation spell, spell. Lot's of practice, practice from disappearing acts."

Rouxls blinked. He could teleport this whole time?! He opened his mouth....But decided against it and instead decided on looking around them instead. They were somewhere cold, very cold. He had to blink a few times but he managed to make out the outline of bars and ....stairs? from the faint light coming from above the stairs.

"Ehehehehehe. In a little freedom freedom you see.~ Only place I feel, feel comfortable for now."

Rouxls blinked but decided against questioning anything Jevi did at this point and instead opted for walking away from Jevil and towards the stairs in a brisk pass. Jevil gave a confused look but floated after him with a jingle of bells. This time he remembered to duck out of the entrance and knocked over a few abandoned plates still sitting there, and made a mental note to have someone come down here and clean up the mess. Jevil followed him hovering all the way up the stairs and to the closed doors of the elevator and watched as Rouxls reached over to press the button to summon said elevator and he stood there staring at the closed doors. He mumbled to himself and tapped his foot anxiously as they waited, Jevil oh so casually crossed his arms and leaned himself against the top of the anxious duke's head as the two waited there.

"You know, I could, could just take you up there myself."

"N-No. I'm perfectly fine with waiting for this."

"If you insist, but I can give you, you a much better ride, ride.~"

"Jevil! Thoust worm!"

The imp gave off a round of laughter at the Duke's now flustered face. Rouxls sputtered in annoyance and only didn't start going on a tyrade because a ding rang out before the doors casually opened. Grunting, he stepped inside and pushed the first floor button on the panel. As expected, Jevil hovered in after him and floated by his shoulders with a smug grin on his face.

"You don't look happy, happy."

"Thou's tactic's for this 'game' are quite questionable," he muttered scowling.

That sent the imp off into another series of laughter before hovering closer and slowly beginning to press his body against the duke's side. Rouxls promptly took a step aside and scowled more.

"Doth thou mind?"

Jevil gave a curious look. "You don't like, like my heart's desire for you?"

"No...." Rouxls paused for a moment, a flash of what looked like fear quickly passed over his face before he back tracked. "I-..I mean..." He visibly gulped. "I did say thou should not bulldoze thou's way head f-first I-into things." A strained grin. "I-It's unhealthy f-for thou to do. Ahehe...he..*ahem*"

Jevil's smile slowly disapated when he saw the frozen smile upon the duke's face, It looked forced and not a genuine smile like all. And...did the Duke's chest start rising faster? The two stared at each other for what seemed like forever before Jevil swung his body forward to point his feet toward the floor of the elevator and soon floated down to land on it, all the while keeping eye contact with the other man. Rouxls kept that strained smile upon his face as he continued to watch the imp.

"Rouxls, Rouxls. What's wrong?" He slowly reached a hand out towards him-

Rouxls flinched at the movement and his pupils shrank down slightly. Jevil froze at the action before swiftly taking his hand back, a look of realization crossed his sharp face.

"Are you..you...scared of me..me?"

Rouxls didn't answer- But he didn't need to, the few drips of slimy sweat forming on his forehead was enough to show what the worm was really thinking. Jevil opened his mouth again but a small dinging noise broke the silence and the doors opened. Rouxls made sure to make a quick exit while excusing himself, leaving the imp just staring at the empty space that used to be the duke.