Love is a game to you (hyper)

Tucker refused to respond. Yuki held out his hand but it gave Tucker flashbacks from that time. Yuki's face was calm and serene but his thoughts kept lapsing to that time he had sealed the deal, and sold his soul to the devil.

"Enough already!" Tucker breathed heavily, turning away from Yuki. He was already tired of this game with Mikhainon. "You play a sick game, you know that?"

Tucker didn't want to look back. Hearing Yuki say all those things felt like he was being stabbed. It wasn't Yuki who ruined him. It was Mikhainon. Yet Tucker was taking it all out on Yuki. In the end, Yuki was the only person that he had let himself go. He almost stopped caring about his life's work if he could spend more of his remaining life with Yuki. He would have abandoned everything for Yuki. Now he couldn't trust that side of him anymore. He couldn't trust Yuki.

But it didn't mean he didn't want to.

"Yuki-kun..." He wanted to believe Yuki was real and it wasn't just a face Mikhainon made up just to get to him. And here they were, with Yuki saying what Tucker wanted to hear for all those years. That Yuki wasn't entirely the devil Mikhainon. That Yuki really did love him.

Tucker sighed heavily before turning to kneel in front of Yuki. "Yuki-kun," Tucker breathed, "If there was one thing I could ask for, it's for you to stay here with me for as long as possible,", he said in a soft whisper. Tucker pulled Yuki into a gentle hug and pet his hair, "I don't hate you, Yuki-kun. Not you. Not ever."

If this was Mikhainon's game then fine. He won this. He had won this stupid game from the very start.

"But that demon is in the way. I can't keep doing this, Yuki-kun," he said in a hushed whisper.

Tucker continued to lovingly pet his hair, letting him cry his heart out. If he wanted to get over any of this, the first thing he had to do was... to forget about Yuki. But six hundred years and he hasn't gone anywhere with that. Six hundred years and he was still stupidly in love with Yuki. And actually seeing him like this only made things harder for Tucker. "I love you too, Yuki-kun. More than anything," he said softly.

'Damn you, Mikhainon.'

He hated Mikhainon so much, but he couldn't really hate Yuki even if the truth always just in front of him. It's not like Mikhainon could do any harm to him anymore.

I want to spend time with you for as long as he lets me. Would you... Would you do me that one, last favor, Takeru-san? Tucker thought before he responded, playing with Yuki's hair as he tried decide. What would Mikhainon do if he answered yes? He scoffed inside. He's expecting it.

Tucker hesitantly pulled away from the hug. "Yuki-kun, I'd really want that too but..." his voice trailed. Tucker held Yuki's face in his hands, moving his hair away so her could see his face clearly. He felt like he just died a little seeing Yuki's eyes red and puffy from crying. Tucker asked himself why things turned out the way they have. "Yuki-kun, this is making things really hard for me. I... I don't know if I can promise you that."

"I... understand, Takeru-san. I understand why you'd be wary. I can respect that."

It was very difficult to be in this situation right now, Tucker thought. If he'd seen this exact scenario happening, maybe he could have been more prepared to face Yuki but no. It was a shame to say, but even after crossing paths with the demon Mikhainon only recently, he actually didn't expect this 'reunion' to play out like this.

And now he was giving up on Yuki because of a grudge he held against Mikhainon and it made him hate himself just a little more each time he thought about it.

"Is this goodbye then, Takeru-san?"

It might as well be. Tucker tried to smile but it only showed how much he was also hurt by what he was going to say, "I'm sorry, Yuki-kun. I do love you..." his voice trailed off. He couldn't find it in him to say it. But this is goodbye, Yuki-kun.

The truth was, he wanted Yuki back to his side. But it wasn't easy for that to happen when everything just kept going back to one source. He did think that if he ever got the chance to meet Yuki again, he wanted to properly say goodbye to him so he could finally have closure. He thought about it, but never expected it.

Tucker sighed softly. He couldn't do it after all. Tucker lowered his hand and held Yuki's with both his hands instead. "...But maybe it's for the best," he managed to say in a raspy whisper.

Tucker didn't really want to admit it but Yuki just said it out loud. Tucker couldn't even deny it. It was clear to both of them: to him and Yuki. Mikhainon was too much of a nuisance yet every time he thought of Yuki, Mikhainon was always there. It was like he was a curse.

Tucker didn't stand; without a word, he stayed there on his knees in front of Yuki as if he was asking for forgiveness. If there was anyone at fault between them, it was him. And he admitted that.

After a bit, Tucker finally stood up but his gaze was cast down on the pavement where the marigold were scattered like broken glass, "I'm sorry, Yuki-kun," he whispered before turning his back on Yuki, hoping this would be the last time they meet.