-Pretense
With a small smile playing on his face, Shinou watched the still form of his teenage sage. Murata Ken had fallen asleep while reading, still sitting at his desk, his upper body sprawled over the opened book and his glasses askew.
The position could not possibly be comfortable, but somehow the double black managed to make it look as though it was. Shinou chuckled at the thought that he'd probably had millennia of practice at falling asleep over books.
As a ghost, he himself did not need to sleep of course. Back when he'd still been alive he hadn't thought that he'd ever miss something that trivial, but watching his sage slumber always made him want to curl up right beside him and do the same.
He was just beginning to wonder about the fact that even a ghost's heart could still ache over things like that when his thoughts were interrupted by the yawning teenager. Looking up he saw Murata stretch and rub his left eye.
"Good morning", Shinou said in an amused voice.
Drowsiness still etched on his face, the double black turned his head around to look at the blond king. "You stalker", he accused him while stifling another yawn. The blond couldnt help but chuckle softly at this rather weak attempt at sounding offensive.
"You're just too cute not to watch", he teased, not even trying to come up with an excuse and clearly not the least bit insulted.
Murata put his glasses back on and adjusted them in a way that made them reflect the light from the candle that was still burning on his desk. He picked up the book that he'd been using as a temporary pillow and put it back on it's shelf. "It was boring anyway", he said. He had deliberately chosen to ignore that last comment from his own personal stalker.
"Obviously", Shinou muttered.
Murata shot him a sideways glance then turned to put out the light, leaving the room to be lit only by the sparse light of the moon that shone in from outside the window.
"Don't be that way. A book with that title would probably put even me to sleep."
"You're a ghost", the teenager stated the obvious as he sat down on his bed.
"That's my point", Shinou said smiling as he watched his sage put his glasses onto the nightstand and rub his eyes.
"Why don't you go haunt some of the shrine maidens? I bet they would be honored," Murata commented sarcastically.
"That's because I prefer haunting you", the blond replied calmly. The other had quite unceremoniously stripped down to his boxers by now. For a moment it seemed as though he wanted to throw a piece of his clothing at Shinou, but then, sighing, decided against it after all.
"Excuse me if I end this enticing conversation to get some much needed sleep", he said lying down on the bed and turning onto his side, facing away from the king.
"Permission granted."
"I don't need your permission", the other mumbled and yawned.
"I suppose so", the blond answered with a sad smile. "I'll take my leave then", he murmured.
There was no answer and after a moment he assumed that the other had already fallen asleep again. He decided to linger on for just a moment longer, blue eyes transfixed on Murata's not quite relaxed face, wondering what the double black was dreaming about.
On an impulse he approached the bed and allowed himself to run one affectionate hand through his sage's black hair just once. Not knowing if the teenager would even be able to feel the touch.
If only...
"You don't have to," he suddenly heard the other speak quietly. He was momentarily puzzled as to what his sage was talking about until he remembered that he'd mentioned leaving. Shinou smiled. As though he ever really would...
Murata hadn't opened his eyes while speaking and the blond king decided to acknowledge the "permission to stay" silently, even though he could instantly think of one or two things to say to tease his sage with. He probably wouldn't have gotten a reply anyway.
Shinou contemplated what to do for a moment and then he moved to lie down on the bed next to the teenager without further ado. He could tell that the double black, who he knew could sense his presence, was surprised by the turn of events by the way his shoulders tensed for an instant.
"Good night", the former king said acting as though he was doing the most normal thing in the world. He supposed he was in a way and if it wasn't just the moonlight playing a trick on him, then maybe he did see Murata smile for a second. "Good night," he heard the other reply. He was looking more relaxed now and this time the original king had no doubt that his advisor was truly falling asleep.
He closed his own eyes, a satisfied expression on his face.
They both knew that he was a ghost and that ghosts couldn't sleep, but for tonight, at least, they could pretend
