Work Text:
Tatsuki, the Duke of Washio
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Tatsuki has been trodding through a most unpleasant day. And it is only another comprising a string of exhaustive months with minimal rest, if any, should one define rest as how it ought to be.
Sokolov Sakuma, despite his mischief and playful antics, was dedicated to his duties. Rarely was the ex-Olympian so much as two minutes late for work. As such, Tatsuki is to be forgiven, along with the remainder of the Diet, to have felt uneasy when the late minister was absent in a questioning session without prior notice. The pits in stomachs only grew as Sokolov Tatsuto reported his brother missing that evening.
Search parties were mobilized around the vast and scenic Sokolov mountain manor, without result and hindered from the uncooperative weather. Hours turned to days then days amounted to weeks. All seemed hopeless and it turned draining for Tatsuki. With clashes in personalities, he and Sakuma had a tremulous start to their relationship, even in its bud as fellow representatives first hailed from their respective electoral districts in the same election.
"You're nominating him as your Minister of Interior? Him? Sokolov?" Himekawa exclaimed incredulously "I know your growing fame of impartiality but this would cement that reputation in history books!"
"He does his job well," Tatsuki paid no attention to the Speaker's faux scandalized expressions "I can't betray my constituency thinking of my personal distaste first."
Himekawa just hummed in acknowledgement and pour more tea for both of their cups.
"It seems I made the right choice choosing you as my successor. You never cease exceeding my expectations, your grace."
The shorter man semi-playfully stressed the last two words.
"You're too kind to me, Himekawa-senpai."
Aoi just smiles as Tatsuki silently sips his Darjeeling.
The more time Tatsuki spent in Sakuma's presence, ever begrudgingly, more they sorted out their mutual antagonism (perhaps with much interference from third parties, though Tsukasa would never admit to it). At that point when the older Sokolov went missing, both had become friends. While Tatsuki can never put Sakuma onto the same level of closeness with the like of Tsukasa, Ryosei, Nagito or Aoi; he learnt to valued Sakuma's existence in his life and career.
So when he woke up that pouring morning and received news of the remains' discovery, Tatsuki felt empty.
Investigations were held and widely covered on media, and their results added fuel to all those disbelief and chaos that had spread like water-damage across the nation. Sakuma's own younger brother was believed to be responsible for the reason of Tatsuki's sole paid-leave in his career thus far. The duke simply cannot work after seeing the state of his late friend's mangled and decomposing remains. The worst thing was that there was no remorse on Tatsuto's face. Who merely smiles ever so serenely.
Tatsuki had only finally started to properly process his grief and anger (an emotion so alien to him) when another unwelcome news was presented to his office.
Sokolov Tatsuto disappeared.
Gone from his cell without a trace, without signs of struggle, without a mark of damage to his glorified metal box. All they had were glitched CCTV footage. All corrupted simultaneously for three seconds when he vanished.
The man-hunt was one of the greatest public disturbances of that decade with growing concerns from both houses of the Diet and the public for his and his cabinet's safety. Tsukasa's sudden collapse mid-meeting out of exhaustion only exacerbated fears and conspiracies.
When Tatsuki visited Sokolov Tatsuto upon his rearrest, he felt wrong. Not the guilt of apprehending someone but an intuition, sixth-sense as some say, that this is not the one. Tsukasa would later recount a similar sickness from his stomach but there was nothing they could do. What was essentially "gut-feelings" simply do not stand in court against DNA testing and a mentally-incapacitated psychiatric evaluation.
And so, they left it be, perhaps cruelly so; for both saw the fear and confusion in those pained eyes of not-Tatsuto, shaking and trembling. As if witnessing the core of this person shattering completely. But there is nothing they could have done, nor explain rationally to themselves, about the situation. Friends consoled them such.
But words are empty and there are only so much words are capable of. Those haunting gaze followed Tatsuki into his sleeps, interrupting them incessantly, like a stalker obsessed. So now, even when everything seemed to have settled since Sakuma's untimely demise, Tatsuki still could not rest. Aoi constantly pestered him to temporarily retreat to one of his family's summer or winter manors. Yet, Tatsuki's stubborn and insisted on working.
Himekawa publicly threatening to call for a vote to expel Tatsuki from the Diet, to pressure him into taking holidays.
"The Lord Prime Minister has admirable work-ethics, one among his many virtues due to which I nominated him my successor as Prime Minister, upon deciding to retire from the post's duties several years ago,"
Himekawa addressed the House of Representative, with an uncharacteristic rigidity and harshness.
"However, I cannot in good conscience tolerate his current reckless and dangerous lack of self-preservation. Thus, I resort to this drastic measure."
Tatsuki reluctantly left Tokyo for Hokkaido, agreeing to the demands to preserve his seat. Aoi hugged him just before he boarded his flight. It was very tight, for a smaller person like him.
"I'm sorry Tatsuki. I'm so, so sorry. I know you may hate me but I'm just doing this for your sake."
Tatsuki have been trying to rest. For himself,
for Aoi,
Who looked fearless when threatening to initiate a vote for his expulsion but Tatsuki could see the pain in his eyes. After all, despite being two years younger, Aoi is still his senpai and mentor in politics, having entered that world much earlier. The now Speaker of the House of Representatives values Tatsuki as a confidant and protege. Someone Aoi can trust to share his vision of the country while actually has talent to navigate the minefield of diplomacy. Someone who can succeed where Aoi failed.
for Tsukasa,
Tatsuki feels guilty hanging Tsukasa, his oldest friend, out to dry in a position he knew the latter loathes. With all the commotions in these past few months, Tatsuki couldn't think of a way to convince the Diet to approve his nominee to replace Tsukasa. Yamagata is competent and perfectly fitted for the post but many Diet members favor the idea of keeping Tsukasa where he is. Sometimes he wishes regionalism wouldn't manifest in such petty fashion as preference over their favorite old high-school prefectural volleyball teams. If he can rest, maybe he can think clearly enough to negotiate this. So, Tatsuki won't need to hear Ryosei's fear of finding Tsukasa dead, exhausted from the workload he hoarded with his rigid sense of duty.
But he still cannot rest
It has been one week and even when Tatsuki is far away from Tokyo, he's haunted still with not-Tatsuto in his sleep. Regardless of how much he pleads, begs, cursed, swears with the worst profanity he can muster. All because Tatsuki is desperate.
And before he knows it, morning has risen.
Tatsuki just mindlessly gaze upon his manor's picturesque scenery yet unable to enjoy it, even if only a sliver. There isn't much to do, after all, his exhaustion is growing excruciating. He seems to have no more brain power to so much as reading a book title. So he resigned to this, resigned to being a husk of a person.
"My l-"
"My lor-"
"My lo-"
"TATSUKI!"
He regained most of his awareness when Nagito yelled his given name so loudly. Wiping cloudy eyes, he gradually recognizes his aide's form standing in front. Tone lacking its usually playfulness.
"Please forgive me for interrupting your rest, my lord, but Lord Iizuna called. It's urgent..."
With that short message, Tatsuki sobers up and stares into Nagito. Tsukasa had been another person encouraging him to take a short retreat from the capital, out of concerns for the duke's rapidly failing health.
'Hypocrite...' Tatsuki would mutters to himself sometimes 'it's not like you're in better conditions yourself.'
Things must be dire if the marquess resorts to cutting short this vacation earned through much threats and extortion.
"Thank you Nagito"
And as on cue, the aide hands him his cell-phone.
The vacation is cut short. Aoi can hear explanations later, regardless of how fictitious it will sound. Tatsuki simple can't afford to lose this lead from a man named Nozawa, who knows something about not-Tatsuto, or at least claiming to.
But that is all he needs for now. Just that single life-line so that he can prove that (convince himself) that he is not insane. Tsukasa is not insane. That something is very wrong with not-Tatsuto.
Maybe... Nozawa can be his key to a peaceful night, the first one in months. So, Tatsuki can re-learn the taste of true slumber again.
Their plane bounded for Tokyo landed just a few hours later, right as the sun starts sinking down the horizon, painting the evening sky with shades of violent, red, and orange; something Sakuma would have loved to behold.