In the Stars and In Ourselves

By: sarbox

Author Notes: This was written for a recent prompt battle on Dreamwidth at the anime_manga community: Kyou Kara Maou, Shouri/Conrad, first kiss. It actually turned out to be a "last but not least" entry because I didn't finish it before the deadline.

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou!, including its characters and other items included in its universe, is the property of Tomo Takabayashi. I'm, as usual, just borrowing them for my personal entertainment and for no monetary gain.

Summary: Shouri makes a startling discovery about himself, and Conrad helps him come to terms with it.

Shouri wasn't quite sure what to make of Conrad when he first met him other than he simply didn't like him. The older man had his little brother's attention and adoration, and then their mother handily loaned him his clothing.

It took a visit to Shin Makoku – along with a maryoku-powered squabble with his younger brother – for Shouri to understand Conrad's purpose in Yuuri's life, and he headed back to Earth with the comfort of knowing Yuuri had been in good hands all along. Miko's continued loan of his clothing to Conrad, on the other hand, remained a source of irritation for some time after that. Shouri's protests were countered by Miko's gushing over how handsome Conrad looked. After a while, those protests faded as Shouri slowly began to realize that maybe his mother was right.

Yuuri made the trek from Shin Makoku with his entourage – Gunter, Gwendal, Conrad, Wolfram and Murata – for a meeting they had with Bob, the current Maou of Earth. That visit automatically qualified as an occasion for Miko to make a batch of her famous curry.

They were all seated around the table, multiple conversations going between bites of curry and rice, the words sounding muted in Shouri's ears. He could even barely recall how the food tasted – not that it was ever bad to his recollection – for his failed attempts to keep from staring and blushing.

Conrad sat opposite of him, and he was wearing one of Shouri's button down shirts, which he wore un-tucked with a pair of Shouri's jeans. Every time Shouri tried to sneak a glance, Conrad caught him with a gaze of his own, light brown eyes glinting in amusement.

"Anyone want dessert?" Miko asked. "I have cakes in the kitchen."

Shouri heard that quite clearly, and he stood up quickly, grabbing his empty plate. "I-I'll help you, Mama!" Before Miko could even protest, he disappeared into the kitchen.

The remaining occupants at table looked to the kitchen door through which Shouri entered then at each other, an uneasy silence falling over them. Even Yuuri, who usually seemed indifferent to his brother's moods, couldn't ignore that Shouri was troubled enough to call their mother "Mama" instead of "Mother".

"I'll go see about Sho-chan," Miko said, flashing a reassuring smile to the group, standing to gather up plates.

Conrad stood as well. "Please let me," he said. "I think I know what's troubling him."

Shouri stood in the backyard, glancing up at the stars from time to time, trying to slow his racing heart and make sense of all the feelings that bubbled to the surface at dinner.

What is this?

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, unaware of Conrad approaching him.

"The sky looks beautiful this evening."

Shouri nearly leapt out of his skin, inhaling sharply. "Don't do that!" he mumbled, which made Conrad chuckle.

"I apologize," Conrad said, holding up his hands in surrender. He recalled exactly what Shouri could do and didn't want to take any chances – especially if any water was nearby. "Anyhow, your mother's worried about you."

Shouri looked to the sky again. "And she sent you out here?"

Conrad smiled. "No. I came out here myself."

"Aa."

"Is there anything troubling you?"

Shouri grunted. "It's nothing."

"Very well," Conrad said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing to be afraid of."

'Nothing to be afraid of?' What Shouri was feeling frightened him. He was older than Yuuri, and yet none of the women he'd been with sent him reeling the way Conrad did. He was supposed to find a nice girl, get married, have children to carry on the family name. That was his duty as the oldest son and yet… yet, his brother's liege was all he could think of. His condition was aggravated by Conrad being so damned close.

He closed his eyes again and sighed.

"Shouri…"

Shouri opened his eyes to find Conrad now standing in front of him and reaching out to remove the glasses Shouri had perched on his nose. The older man's gaze left Shouri rooted right where he stood, his heart racing once more. Before Shouri could protest or move to stop the situation from escalating, Conrad leaned in closer, brushing his lips against Shouri's.

Shouri was unsure of how to react at first, his eyes widening as Conrad's mouth pressed more firmly against his. It wasn't making sense and, at the same time, it felt right. He hadn't wanted to understand what it was about Conrad that had Yuuri so enrapt, but now, on a much more personal level, he did.

The inhibitions Shouri held faded into the backdrop along with any feelings of abashment. His eyes slid closed, and he began to respond fervently, his lips parting to entangle Conrad's tongue with his own, his arms wrapping around Conrad's waist to pull him closer.

Conrad quirked an eyebrow at Shouri's reaction and resisted the urge to chuckle. Shouri had proven to be a bit more receptive of what they were doing. Instead, he chose to break the kiss with a smack.

Shouri wanted to glare, but the effect was lost in the dazed look he held. Conrad planted a brief chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth and stepped back, taking the time to replace Shouri's glasses.

"As I said, it's nothing to be afraid of," Conrad said.

Shouri nodded dumbly. "I… I should go back in and help Mother." With that, he headed back into the house, still dazed from the kiss.

Conrad turned and looked at the sky for a moment, a serene smile pasted on his own swollen lips.

-End-