First things first... I haven't written a word for quite a while... too busy with work and all hell's breaking loose over here. You know, when shit happens it happens all at once!

Anyway, this is my first Kyou Kara Maou fic. Been watching it for the past 4 days, found out there's 3rd season and an OVA for the series... way to go me, talk about late XD But this time I've fallen in love with it completely. Especially with Shinou and his relationship with the Daikenja. Which kind of explains what you're about to read :)

This idea wouldn't leave my head no matter how hard I tried to focus on other unfinished projects... truth be told, I'm glad I'm not a man. It'd be a pain to hide a hard-on. Writing this turned me on quite a bit... :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, unfortunatey... what a shame :)

Warning for EXPLICIT YAOI contents! Smut, lemon... (obviously) Male x male sex, quite detailed description *nosebleed*, so if you're not into this sort of thing, stop reading now! :)

The rest of you, enjoy! ;)

P.S. Apologies for any grammatical mistakes. I'm not a native speaker and didn't have a beta for this :)

He tossed and turned, wrapped up in his bedsheets, unable to see anything at all in the darkness surrounding him. It's been only a few hours since he retired for the night, but it seemed to him like eternity.

The thought curved his lips in a smirk.

The irony, he thought as he lay spread eagle on his back, looking at the familiar yet completely foreign ceiling. For four millenia he had lived and died all over again. All these years he experienced many lives of many different people - he loved, hated, killed, betrayed, burned at the stake... everything for a single promise he had made to a selfish loafer who would irritate him to no end, pull pranks on him just to amuse himself, and make the most idiotic jokes in the worst possible situations.

That man would be the death of him, he knew from the moment he accepted his offer to stand by his side. Many deaths, as it turned out in the end, but he has never regretted a single day of those many lifetimes. Not now when his duty to Shinou has been fulfilled at last.

But even with Soushu destroyed, and mazoku and humans living together in fragile, but promising piece, sleep would not come to Murata Ken, the soukoku Daikenja. Now only a sixteen-year-old high school student, his mind swirled with memories and images that were and were not his. And every time he closed his eyes, he could see the lives he had led as if remembering an old movie he had once seen.

However one memory in particular stood out amongst the tangle of voices with all their joys and sorrows. One of a buoyant, childish laughter; curtain of golden hair and sapphire eyes gleaming in the crimson glow of a dying sun; warmth of lips pressed against his own, and burning touch scorching his skin.

Yes, by all means he had revealed the truth behind Shinou's death, but he would not be who he was if he did not twist some of the events to suit his needs. Perhaps one could call it an old habit, but it had taken many hard lessons to teach the Daikenja to keep certain things to himself either for his own protection or that of others, and he found such skill invaluable still. After all, it wasn't like his affairs concerned anyone else except him and those he associated with at the time.

And he would never admit to being more than Shinou's most trusted advisor and friend. Not to the other mazoku four thousand years ago, nor to their descendants now, and certainly not to Shibuya who still found such concept hard to grasp despite being betrothed to a man himself.

Only half-heartedly fighting against painful memory of the day he had discovered the terrible price Shinou had to pay for defeating Soushu, Murata Ken's eyes finally slid close, and it was as if he had traveled back in time to when the Blood Pledge Castle stood majestically over the steadily growing city of Shin-Makoku he, as the soukoku Daikenja, and Shinou built together so long ago.

There was not a single cloud disturbing the perfectly indigo darkness of night spreading over the horizon like a heavy blanket, sprinkled with garlands of stars blinking down upon the mazoku lands. Only the ivory pearl of a full moon cast soft, silver cone of light on a deserted courtyard. It seemed to follow a lonely shadow moving quickly among stone pillars until it vanished completely within the castle walls. It's footsteps made almost no sound, and when it passed lone soldiers standing guard in long, silent corridors illuminated only by the torches in their hands, men snapped their heels together in greeting and let it pass.

Thus it navigated it's way until it stood in front of a great oak double doors. Golden ray of light seeping underneath them indicated the room's occupant was too immersed in his work to even consider sleeping. Without so much as asking for permission to enter, the shadow slid inside and closed the doors again, leaning against them.

"Has no one ever taught you to knock?" greeted him an exasperated sigh.

It came from a man sitting behind a desk, his profile silhouetted against a bright, burning fireplace. Long hair folded like black silk down his shoulders and back; perfectly straight cut hair-line falling over high forehead; handsome, oval face dominated by obsidian eyes reflecting the orange flames, when he raised them from his work to take a look at the intruder.

"Why should I?" the voice held a tone of good humor. "This whole castle is my home."

Dark brows wrinkled. "Be that as it may, the least a good king should do is respect other people's privacy. Especially when they are trying to finish his own work."

Lips curling in a smile mirrored in a pair of sapphires gleaming with mischief from beneath strands of golden hair, the man walked casually towards his companion. He abandoned his crimson cloak, casting it aside while utterly ignoring the other man's disapproving scowl.

"Well in that case I believe the least a good subject should do is not to make his king resort to sneaking around his own castle in the middle of the night."

"I do not recall doing any such thing." black eyes fixed into their blue counterparts. "Moreover, I believe it is you who locks himself up in his room each night, distancing yourself, not I."

Smile disappeared at once, leaving the king's young, beautiful features somewhat cold and haunted. It was like a shadow crossing over the sun - gone as quickly as it had appeared. However it did not escape the soukoku's attention.

Shinou sighed, sitting at the corner of his advisor's desk. "So much for my Daikenja, you can see right through me. Although I have not been particularly subtle as of late."

The soukoku's frown deepened. That outburst of anger from a few days ago; Shinou's recent weakness he's been trying to conceal... His suspicions had grown, and so had his fear. He stood up, dragging his king by the arm towards the fireplace to take a better look at him. And as he did so Shinou hissed in pain and almost stumbled to the ground if he were not there to catch him.

"Did you think that you could deceive me?" the Daikenja asked firmly, but calmly looking directly into his friend's mien.

"Not for a moment." carefree smile shaped Shinou's features again as pain subsided, and he let himself be led to sit down on a soft carpet by the fire.

Soukoku Daikenja knelt at his side. "It's Soushu, isn't it?"

The king nodded. They both remembered the day they emerged, beaten but victorious from the decisive battle with Soushu's armies of nightmares as if it happened only yesterday, though years have passed already.

"Though I definitely cut him with Morgif, I fear at this rate his poison will consume me one day, and I will become like Soushu himself, wreaking havoc a destruction." for once Shinou was being serious, and the Daikenja thought he could hear the slightest hint of panic.

When he spoke next however, there was determination in his voice that the soukoku witnessed only once - on the battlefield all those long years ago. And it gave him hope as well as an undefinable sense of foreboding.

"I have come here tonight to tell you this, because it is the last time we can talk properly," sapphire eyes captured their obsidian counterparts and in that moment, the Daikenja knew. "I will abandon this body."

"Your Majesty-!"

But the austerity of that gaze and the single-minded, stubborn conviction in those words halted all further protests. After all, he had long since learned that there is no persuading the king once he's made up his mind.

Slender hand rested on one of Shinou's shoulders, soukoku Daikenja's thin mouth formed a small, encouraging smile. "Then I, too, shall fulfill my role."

The king's eyes widened in surprise. "I won't allow it!" he protested, however long fingers digging into his skin prevented him from jumping to his feet.

"Do you think this is an enemy you can defeat by yourself?" the Daikenja said. "Always so reckless..." he shook his head sympathetically; the affection now tinting his voice only bolstered by his hand moving to caress the Maou's cheek. "You wouldn't last a day without me."

Silence stretched between them for long heartbeats before Shinou's gaze softened, his own hand covering that of his dearest friend. "I suppose you're right." he admitted. "I need you."

The kiss that followed sealed their promise. Touch of lips against lips that felt both nostalgic and unfamiliar. This wasn't the first time they would spend the night together, but the knowledge that it would be the last made it into an entirely new experience.

Shinou's sword-calloused hands snaked round his soukoku lover's waist, pulling him closer while tongue swept lightly over his lower lip. The Daikenja understood and obeyed, granting him access into his mouth. The following battle for dominance was fierce, but did not last long, though neither had given up entirely. They would exploit the other's weakness when the time comes.

The luxurious, expensive carpet felt comfortably soft against the Daikenja's back as they descended upon it in a tangle of limbs, breaking their still more passionate kisses only to gasp for air. His arms resting loosely round his blond lover's neck, he looked up into his face. Shadowed by the crackling flames as he propped himself up on his arms, Shinou's handsome features were more pronounced despite little signs of exhaustion and illness the Daikenja now noticed. His sapphire eyes glazed with desire; pink, kiss-swollen lips parted for short ragged breaths; peach-colored cheeks flushed.

"Beautiful..." the king breathed, voicing the soukoku's own thoughts.

Running his hand through long strands of silky, black hair, Shinou enjoyed it flowing between his fingers like liquid darkness. He felt like he would never be able to stop looking, his gaze captured and drawn in by those obsidian eyes shining in contrast with fair skin. They threatened to swallow him whole, and before he knew it he was falling into the abyss, the man underneath him the only thing preventing him from drowning.

Gratitude overwhelmed him, for he could forget for one last night about everything. He could loose himself in the warmth of smooth skin revealed when black fabric of his lover's robes gave in to his demands. Without fear of consequences, Shinou reveled in their closeness, he pressed himself fully against the slim body beneath him, only now registering his own garments tossed somewhere out of sight. How and when it had happened however, he did not know or care. The sweet friction this simple motion created between their bodies drew out a duet of moans echoing through the silence. Thin but strong arms wrapped tightly around his torso, caressing, wildly skimming over the skin of his back, copying the arch of his shoulder and feathering over sharp edges of his shoulder blades. Down his spine they traveled, sending jolts of electricity throughout his nerves, and back up again to joyously wind in his short, golden hair.

Responding to it, Shinou ground his hips teasingly to make the Daikenja arch, while strangled groan escaped through parted lips. Fully aware of the heat building up between his legs, he wished to prolong this pleasure as much as possible. Breaking their kiss once more, the king devoted himself to planting small pecks over his soukoku lover's cheeks and jaw. With the tip of his tongue he left a wet trail along the nape of the Daikenja's neck, nipping and biting on the prominent clavicle and to the side, breathing into the skin of a pale shoulder and up slender arm to where their fingers clenched, intertwined.

Too late did he realize he should have been more careful.

The soukoku tensed at once, his fingernails dug deep into Shinou's palm. Sapphires met with obsidians, following their gaze to where a patch of blackened skin stretched over his forearm – unmistakable sign of spreading corruption. Black eyebrows knitted in a frown, but no reprimand came. The king was grateful. He never particularly tried to hide his growing tired of his friend's constant preaching, and in a situation like this he would welcome it even less.

Having come to a mutual agreement already however, the Daikenja bit down what he wanted to say in favor of cupping the back of Shinou's neck and pulling him down to capture his mouth in a heated kiss full of helpless desperation.

Once more hands resumed their exploration of the other's body, and within seconds all worries laid forgotten in the deepest parts of their minds, exchanged for fervent passion scorching every bit of self-control they still might have left.

Deftly, Shinou reached to caress his lover's inner thigh, slowly spreading those long, lean legs as he made his way south, kissing and breathing into the soft skin of the soukoku's chest and abdomen. Lines of muscles shifted with every touch and every breath, he listened to small sounds of growing excitement. It made him dizzy with want. And when he raised his eyes to those of his lover, they were darkened with lust, only a thin rim of blue remained on the edges.

Only for another heartbeat they looked at each other, Shinou searching for any sign of resentment, knowing full well he would find none, and the Daikenja propped up on his elbows, breathing heavily, waiting.

And at last, slowly the king's fingers wrapped round his hardened arousal, giving it a few tentative strokes. He did not break the eye contact just yet, watching and listening to the reaction his actions would receive.

Not intending to disappoint, whether on purpose or only subconsciously, the soukoku hissed in a breath, reaching to wind his fingers in his lover's golden strands. Loud moan escaped him as he let his head fall back, closing his eyes when something hot and wet touched the most intimate of places. It made him feel boneless, his arm unable to withstand his weight any longer made him lower himself back down, fingers helplessly curling into the carpet beneath him.

Grip so tight he could feel some of his hair part with his scalp, Shinou knew he was going the right way. Sliding his tongue along the leaking length in his hand before taking it fully into his mouth, he repeated the process over and over at such agonizingly slow pace it made his own need throb painfully. He ignored it in favor of giving as much pleasure as he could, resisting with all his considerable willpower the urge to reach between his legs to relieve himself, even if only a little. Instead he focused fully on his lover, spreading his legs even further and holding his moving hips steady, while agile fingers slithered up to play with perked nipples.

Each of those ministrations alone brought heat and desire to the Daikenja's body, but combined together they were driving his mind to the bring of collapse. He felt only a hair away from crossing the threshold, and although he wished for release more than anything else in this world, he desperately wanted this wonderful feeling to last for eternity. He wanted to touch, to feel, to claim every bit of the demon that was torturing him for his own, but he could not reach, and it frustrated him.

Before he persuaded his voice to work for him however, the sensations all ceased at once, and in spite of himself the Daikenja could not suppress a groan of disappointment.

Shinou's face came to view, smirk etched into it, blue eyes shining with mischief. Without giving his lover a chance to voice his irritation, the king moved to steal his lips in a gentle, but sultry kiss, sharing the Daikenja's own taste with him. Palms pressed against his chest and for a moment it looked as if the soukoku would push him away, however his fingernails only grazed the Maou's skin and he delved into it, black eyes fluttering close.

Parting for air after what felt like hours, they were both panting and breathless.

"Such obedience." Shinou murmured, trailing his thumb lazily over his lover's lips. "That's the man I made my strategist. Already you realize you do not stand a chance against me."

"I would advise you against testing my patience further, alas you never listen to my advice either way." came out no more than a hoarse growl in consent with playing along.

Shinou grinned. "But of course I do. Occasionally."

He dragged his thumb down the soukoku's chin, inserting a forefinger through forcefully parted lips. Danger flashed across obsidian vision and teeth sank into his skin. Shinou hissed in pain, his immediate reaction was to pull back. However he could not, the Daikenja holding his finger between his teeth, his tongue soothing what he had caused. Slowly, tantalizingly he sucked on it, taking it deeper into the cavernous depths of his mouth as another one joined in. It would give him the strangest pleasure to carefully coat the now three sword-calloused digits in saliva, even if it wasn't for Shinou's ragged intakes of breath – proof of his own growing need.

He let go just as suddenly, and a few long seconds passed before Shinou realized it as well. Sapphire orbs darkened once more with the promise of heaven itself offered to him, he wolfed down the sight of his lover spread eagle on his back, completely undone, pliant and inviting; black hair spread like velvety cussion round slender, naked body; bewitching dark eyes gazing up at him, daring and pleading at once.

The king could not find it in himself to resist any longer. Succumbing gladly to this desire demon's spell, he captured his mouth in a lip-crushing kiss, grinding fiercely against his hips.

The sweetest jolt of lightening ran up and down his spine, curling up between his legs and the Daikenja let out a desperate moan, knowing exactly what such a sound would accomplish. Firm grip on his hip proved him right, and all he could do was take a sharp inhale before his lover hooked his leg over his shoulder to gain better access to the tight ring of muscle already anticipating an intrusion.

Wet and slick, the first finger slid in easily and without any resistance. It's brother had it a bit more difficult, and despite stretching and scissoring the third one caused the Daikenja to cry out with pain. Tears glittered in the corners of his eyes, but he gritted his teeth, trusting fully in Shinou's murmured words of comfort. It's been a while since they had done this, and his body might have forgotten how to relax.

It did not take long for his muscles to get used to the feeling again however, and having his sweet spot hit with each crook of his lover's digits, pain melted away in a sea of pleasure.

But Shinou wasn't made of stone either. Feeling his grip on his sanity slipping dangerously quickly out of his grasp, he made a mistake by letting his guard down enough for the already strained strategist to exploit this opportunity. As the king pulled out, moving to invade him fully, the soukoku pushed hard against his chest and successfully managed to pin him down against the rug. Shinou huffed loudly, but did not protest, for he was not given enough time to do so.

Like a starving incubus, the Daikenja straddled his blond, blue-eyed lover, standing up on his knees. Sweat trailed down his pale body, long hair plastered to his skin but he paid no heed to it. Positioning himself above Shinou's hips, where the prize he had longed for twitched in anticipation, he forced the king to lie on his back before lowering himself.

The first contact was harsh enough for more tears to trail down his flushed face, but he impaled himself quickly as far as it would go without his voice betraying his pain. Shinou took a deep breath, protests already forming on his tongue, but they were never meant to leave his lips. The Daikenja sealed them with two slender fingers, staying still for a little while longer to adjust to the new sensation, before he slowly began to move up and slide back down again.

With each deep thrust the ache dulled, until there was nothing left of it but pure pleasure lifting both of them towards blissful ecstasy. Blindly pulling himself up, Shinou reached out, his hands clumsy in their exploration of every available bit of his lover's body. Grazing the soft pads of his fingers along his spine, he gripped the Daikenja's hips, guiding his movements growing still more erratic.

Neither would last for much longer, they knew.

And sure enough, moments later a symphony of the deepest, most intimate pleasure reaching it's peak echoed through the silence. The two heated bodies, joined together, tensed and stilled, the very universe being brought to life behind closed eyelids.

In a heap, the two men collapsed onto the soft carpet, sweaty and panting, goosebumps erupting on their skin despite the warmth of the fire. The air around them redolent of sex, remnants of their lovemaking trailing down the Daikenja's thighs and Shinou's abdomen, they ignored all of it, huddling together, breathing deep and slow.

"Thank you." Shinou breathed into the soukoku's hair, hugging him tightly.

The Daikenja did not speak at first, remaining still in the embrace. When he raised his eyes to look into those of his king, friend and lover, what he had seen there frightened him. Pain, longing, gratitude, guilt... so many emotions he dared not name mixed together in those sapphire depths, it made his heart ache.

"Please do refrain from showing such humility." he said with a smirk. "It makes my skin crawl."

Shinou sighed theatrically. "And here I am doing my best. There is no satisfying you, is there?"

"I beg to differ, Your Majesty." was the only warning the Maou received before he were jumped again.

There's no rest for the weary.

Well, the end. Quite something else in comparison to Murata's story, right? Hope you enjoyed it... reviews welcome and very much appreciated! Thank you :)