The maou of Shin Makoku, arguably the most powerful man in the world, was lying on his back on a large, soft bed trying to balance a thick book on his chin. "Hey, Murata, look! AARGH! Owwww!"

The other teen laughed, "Shibuya, you can't expect to keep it from hitting you in the face and speak at the same time. And you are supposed to be reading the book, not playing with it. Lord von Christ made me promise to actually make you study while he was gone."

Yuuri huffed and it blew his dark hair around his forehead. "I know, I know, but learning about this stuff is boooooooooring. Besides, I have other things on my mind."

"Oh?" Murata was a man of secrets, and he would never pass up the opportunity to learn another.

But the other boy sat up and waved his hands embarrassedly as his cheeks took on a rosy hue, "No, no, it's nothing. Forget it."

Murata shrugged his shoulders as if he had given up and placed the book back in Yuuri's hands. "In that case, I think we should start on page..."

"Okay! Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell ANYONE! Okay?"

Sometimes, his school chum was just too easy. "You can trust me, Shibuya."

"Well, see..." he looked down at the book, fidgeting with the cover, "I've been having these dreams, you know? Except when I have them, I'm not really asleep I guess..."

Murata nodded, knowing Yuuri would eventually continue, filling up the silence.

"You know how Gunter said that it wasn't weird for two guys to," he hesitated as he searched for a word that wouldn't make him blush any more, "like each other?" And yet blush more he did, so he just poured out his next words. "Well, it was just such a strange thing to think about. And it seemed like all these people were interested in me without even really knowing me and, um, so I just kinda ignored it and pretended like it wasn't true for awhile, right? But now that I'm more used to things here and since I'm trying to be a good maou and everything, and I should learn about stuff, I guess, maybe, I've been kind of thinking about whatthatmightbelike."

The last few words from his friend's confession came out so fast it seemed like the sounds were merging together to form new words. Luckily, the sage was quite familiar with translating Yuuri-speak into a common language. "That's perfectly normal, Shibuya," he replied with a kind smile, feeling a bit bad for Yuuri's red cheeks. He wondered if it was possible to actually hurt yourself by blushing too hard, because if anyone could, it was Yuuri.

"It...it is?" Yuuri asked timidly, peeking up through his long bangs.

"Sure. I think about it sometimes too."

That made the young Maou look up with all his attention. "You DO? With who?!"

Murata just laughed at the eager question, "You first."

"Ugh, no, that's okay. I guess you don't have to say if you don't want to," he fidgeted more with the book. "But it's kind of hard to picture, isn't it? I mean how does that even work?"

It was Murata's turn to blush. Was Yuuri really asking him that?

"I mean, do I turn my head or is he supposed to? Our noses would hit otherwise, right? Or does it just depend how long your noses are? I mean, I guess if they were both really short maybe it wouldn't matter. I mean is there a rule for who does it? Is it whoever is taller or starts the kiss or does it have something to do with silverware too?"

Murata relaxed, feeling much more like a teenage boy than the great sage as they talked. Somehow, Yuuri always brought out that side of him. "There aren't any rules about that, it just happens."

Yuuri's face scrunched up a little at that answer, "But HOW?" He flopped back on the bed, his body bouncing a little on the springy mattress. Then those dark eyes lit up with an idea as he sat back up and shifted closer to Murata. "You know how to do it, right? So, maybe you could," he very nearly lost his courage before the last two words dropped out, audible for all to hear, "show me."

Everything in their discussion had been leading to this in Murata's head. It was as if he had choreographed the whole performance himself, and yet, actually hearing it could not have surprised him more. "Shibuya...don't you want to practice this with someone else maybe?" Someone you have been day dreaming about is what he means, but it remains unspoken.

"You are tutoring me, right? It should be you."

Murata was sure that logic actually made perfect sense in Yuuri's mind. His friend was funny that way. "Gunter will be sad he missed out on this part of your education."

With a laugh and a soft punch in the arm, Yuuri squirmed his way a little closer to Murata. "Come on already. Chicken?"

An amused smirk sat on Murata's lips at that challenge, "You really do know how to charm people, Shibuya. No wonder you have so many admirers."

Ignoring him, Yuuri studied his face, "So, should I take your glasses off or do you do it? Or do they stay on?"

Fearing for his eyes, Murata removed his glasses, slowly. His own heart seemed to be beating a little faster. It must have been all the sugar Yuuri requested in their snacks earlier. He could tell the other boy was about to ask another question, but if they were really doing this then, he might as well get it over with. So, he leaned toward him, tipping his own head to the right as Yuuri remained still. His eyes were already shut, but he was strangely sure the other boy's weren't as their lips touched.

The moment was brief and then he pulled back, eyes opening back up but slightly unfocused without his glasses. The boy who had been obsessed with baseball his entire life was looking at him, wide-eyed. And for a moment it was quiet. Too quiet.

"It was so soft."

Murata wasn't sure if Yuuri meant it as a compliment or a criticism, but he really just looked curious. "It can be," he tried to sound nonchalant about it as he reached for his glasses, but Yuuri's hand was upon his, stopping him.

"There are other kinds too, right? And, um, I didn't get a turn yet." Yes, there were many sensible reasons why Murata should most definitely leave those glasses off. Their tutoring was far from over. And to prove it, Yuuri mimicked what he had seen, this time being the one to lean in, tip his head, and close his eyes. And just like he remembered it their lips seemed so soft against each other.

He always thought man lips would be rougher somehow. Lost in thought, he didn't pull back right away and to his surprise Murata's lips were moving against his, brushing over them gently, just a little moist to the touch. It felt interesting and good and he had no idea what he was supposed to do, but before he could decide Murata was backing away again.

"Wolfram?"

Yuuri blinked in surprise, looking around the room, thinking they had been caught, "Where?"

"No, Shibuya, I mean is Wolfram the one you've been picturing kissing?"

"Oh, well, okay, I guess I have. I mean, he is always around and calling me his fiance and he is really pretty like a girl except he is a boy."

Murata nodded, taking in his words. "It makes sense for you to think about him. It's natural."

"Good. But, well, it's natural to think of other people too, right? I mean, it is just thinking so there is no harm in it. You know, just to see what it might be like. Because sometimes when I think about it with Wolfram we kiss and then he pushes me off the bed and calls me a wimp for not kissing better."

"I don't think Lord von Bielefeld would do that, Shibuya," Murata said, unable to prevent his smile, but another thought nagged at him enough to voice it. "Which other people?"

"Well, when I first got here, sometimes it was Gisela, because she is so nice and pretty. But she is a girl, so that wasn't too weird I thought. And then, one time, um...well, you know how sometimes when I get all grrr! raw! maou! and stuff and then I fall down when it goes away except usually Conrad catches me?"

He messed up his hair with his fingers, trying to make himself continue because he hasn't really had a chance to just talk to anyone about all of this, but also unsure because he is a boy and boys aren't supposed to talk about these kinds of things. Then again, they weren't supposed to practice kissing with other boys either, so maybe it was okay as long as they did it in Shin Makoku.

"Well, sometimes I would wonder what it would be like, if he kissed me to wake me up," Yuuri continued.

Try as he might, Murata, just could not resist himself, "Like sleeping beauty?"

"Hey!" Yuuri grabbed a pillow and swung it against Murata's back.

"Hey yourself! Now who is the violent one?" Taking up his own pillow he returned fire.

A bit of pillow fighting later, the book and Murata's glasses had fallen to the floor, undamaged and the boys were sprawled out across the twisted bedspread, a little tired but still laughing. How long had it been since Murata had just been a kid like this? Before they knew he was the sage? Before the first trip through the toilet? Before the memories returned?

Yuuri rolled over on his side, propping up his head with one hand to address the other boy, "what about the kind with the tongue? How does that work?"

Blinking, unsure he heard his friend correctly, "Excuse me?"

"You knooooow, the french kind. Can you show me that one too?"

"Really?" He had brought up Wolfram to remind Yuuri who he really wanted to be doing these things with, but maybe he was wrong. Actually, it made sense that Yuuri wouldn't want to hurt the prince's feelings by breaking off the engagement, and he really hadn't shown any other interest outside of friendship. But then what about Conrad? Anyone could see the looks those two have exchanged. He knew Yozak had noticed for certain. And Yuuri just brought him up. Shouldn't that have been reminder enough?

"Why not?" He smiled brightly, "You are my tutor today, aren't you? So, do we both put our tongues into each other's mouths or does only one go in at a time?" He shifted closer until their chests were almost touching and their knees were.

Murata blamed the pink in his own cheeks from their pillow fight. He was obviously just out of shape. "Well, we can just kiss like we did before, but this time part your lips a little and I will do the same and then I will move my tongue into your mouth." The words sounded distant, as if someone else were saying them. After all, this whole situation couldn't really be happening, could it?

"Okay, I'll start!"

And start he did, duplicating their first two kisses with one minor alteration. Yuuri's hand rested on Murata's arm. It was strange how such a small gesture could feel so intimate especially when they were already kissing. It was probably the reason the sage reached out and touched Yuuri's dark hair as his lips parted and his tongue slid across the other boy's. Yuuri tasted sweet and clean just like Murata expected him to taste, not that he would admit there had ever been speculation on the matter.

It took longer this time, but once again it was Murata who pulled back, but before he could move away or say anything Yuuri was pushing closer, reinitiating the kiss and taking it just a little deeper, just a little harder, and just a little longer than before. When they parted again it was mutual for much needed air, but they stayed close.

It was nice at first, but as they lay there, Murata began to feel uneasy, tension growing in his stomach as he tried to remember if he had locked the door and whether or not he would hear someone knock over the beating of his heart. Worse, his hand felt frozen in Yuuri's hair. He must have looked ridiculous.

Yuuri broke the silence, not seeming to be nervous in the least now. "I told you two of mine. So who do you day dream about? Or should I guess too? Is it Yozak? You guys are always looking at each other and nodding about stuff."

The guess surprised him less than his reasoning. He honestly didn't think Yuuri noticed things like that. He has been underestimating him. "Sometimes," he replied honestly.

"Is he wearing a dress when you picture it?" The maou asked with a raised eyebrow.

Murata laughed. No matter what the situation was like, Yuuri could always make him laugh. "No, not usually," he said with a trademarked Yozak-style wink.

Yuuri smiled, "I like this kind of practice. It might even be better than baseball. Can we try again?"

This time, Murata just nodded as he moved to reclaim Yuuri's lips, glad for the excuse. Their hands both took the time to do a little light exploring, clumsy and nervous and trying very hard to make all their touches seem purely accidental.

They practiced for several minutes before the resorted to using their mouths for speaking again.

"Hey, Murata?"

"Yes, Shibuya?"

"Did you ever, um...you know?"

"You are going to have to use more words, Shibuya," he chided with amusement.

"Was it ever me you were thinking about kissing?" Yuuri's eyes are low, looking at Murata's collar instead of his eyes.

The sage licked his lips which were feeling very dry at the moment, and not from the kissing, "What would you think if I had?"

"I don't know..." he began, still not making eye contact. "I guess maybe it would be okay if you did. And maybe there was someone else I had thought about too."

"Shibuya?"

And for the first time in longer than his impressive memory served, Murata realized just how slow he could be. But his epiphany that this whole thing was Yuuri's way of saying he liked his best friend would have to wait. They had more practicing to do, and Murata had a lot to learn.