Constraint and Release

by Alex Damien

When Dohko and Shion finally accept their feelings for each other, they run into another problem: Shion's inability to let go of his controlling nature will prevent them from growing closer. AKA, sex is a bit of a difficulty for them.

Constraint and Release

Summary: When Dohko and Shion finally accept their feelings for each other, they run into another problem: Shion's inability to let go of his controlling nature will prevent them from growing closer. AKA, sex is a bit of a difficulty for them.

#

The first breath of real, living air in Shion's lungs filled him with a joy so pure, it almost terrified him. He opened his eyes to see Athena and Mu staring down at him, their faces hardened by the shadows casted from the torches around the darkened room.

Mu gasped. "He lives!" he cried, his eyes filling with tears.

Athena seemed pleased with herself. "Shion? How do you feel?"

Shion's heart raced in his chest, and feeling it beating amazed him. The body that Hades had given him had not been alive, no matter how much it seemed to be so on the outside.

"Feel? Where?" drawled Shion, confused out of his mind and overwhelmed by everything. By the feeling of the air in his lungs, by the light from the torches, by the dancing shadows all around.

Athena snickered. "Oh, he's alright."

#

By the next morning when Shion had grown more accustomed to his new body, he was embarrassed beyond belief at how he had answered.

"It really was nothing," said Mu, as he filled the bath tub with hot water for his master. Behind him, Shion sighed and paced.

"I just…I don't know. It felt different than when…," he said, trailing off, but Mu already knew what he meant.

"When Hades brought you back?" asked Mu, standing up and drying his hands on a small towel.

Shion frowned, lost in thought. "Yes…," he whispered.

"But that doesn't matter anymore," said Mu with a calm smile. "You're here, for good now."

They stood in front of each other for a moment, as if each waited for the other to do something. To say something. To move.

Shion straightened to his full height, his face turning back into his usual serious expression.

"You're right. Thank you Mu, I'm sorry for depending on you so much. I already feel much more like myself."

Mu gave a sad smile. "It's nothing. It's a pleasure to help. I'm very happy to finally have you back, master Shion," he said, gave a short bow and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Shion took a deep breath before pulling off his robe. The cold air of the tiled bathroom made him shiver, so he slipped into the bath tub quickly. Every change in the temperature, every scent- from the trees outside, from the cotton of the clothes- it all made him feel more and more tied to his body. More alive and less…diffuse. His mind sharpened, as if everything slowly shifted back into place in his body and his mind.

Especially his mind. The memories of hundreds of years had gradually pulled themselves together in his mind, and he was constantly assaulted by flashes of them, triggered by the simplest things.

There was a crash outside the door, and Shion jolted upright, the hot water splashing around him.

The door opened and Dohko stomped inside. He carried a panda in one arm and a wooden box even bigger than the panda on the other.

"Dohko!" cried Shion, feeling himself blush at being completely naked in the tub.

Dohko bent over to let down the box and then placed the panda on top of the box. Shion noticed the tattoo of the tiger on his back, and the memory of the night when he had had the tattoo finished arose in his mind. So clear, he could almost smell the night breeze and the scent of rice wine as Dohko had taken off his shirt and shown it to him.

"Look, isn't it awesome?" Dohko had said, sitting down on the floor and presenting his back to Shion.

"You're drunk!" said Shion, kneeling behind him anyway, entranced by the image of the muscles on Dohko's back moving. His fingers itched to touch and it took all of his self control to not reach out and feel the warmth of Dohko's skin.

Someone held him and Shion blinked, his mind coming back to the present.

"Shion? Are you alright?" asked Dohko, holding his shoulders and looking down at him in concern.

"Uh? Yes, I'm- Yes, I'm fine," said Shion, his heart jumping. "What are you doing here?!"

All worry vanished from Dohko's eyes and he smiled. "It's you. It's really you," he said, embracing him. "I can't believe it. You're back."

Shion released the breath he didn't know he had been holding, and hugged him back. Dohko felt so good and so nice, and so alive. His very presence made him feel heady and dizzy as his heart raced in joy. He pulled Dohko closer to him, skin against skin, needing to feel the heat of life in him.

"I've missed you so bad," whispered Dohko against Shion's hair.

"Me too, me too," said Shion, unable to find the words to express how much he had yearned to see him and hear him from the depths of the underworld.

Mu came running into the bathroom. "I heard something breaking! Are you ok mast-?!" he gave a strangled cry when he saw them.

Suddenly, Shion realized what he was doing, and he let go of Dohko, pushing him away as he felt his entire face turn red.

"Both of you get out of here!" he yelled.

Mu covered his face as he walked backwards out of the bathroom.

"What?! But I-!" cried Dohko.

Shion threw a soap bar at his face.

"Out!"

Dohko scrambled out of the room and closed the door behind him. Shion huffed, feeling the dread of embarrassment burn the pit of his stomach. His gaze then settled on the panda bear lying on top of the box.

The panda bear stared back at him, tried to move, and then changed his mind, lying motionless on the box.

"And what are you staring at?" snapped Shion.

The panda bear tilted it's head.

#

Dohko took over the kitched immediately after being kicked out of the bathroom.

"He'll be hungry after the bath," he said, rummaging around the cupboard of Mu's kitchen. "Well, he's always hungry, but you know."

Mu stood near the entrance, clasping and unclasping his hands together, wanting to speak but having no idea what or how to say it.

"Wasn't there a wok here? I remember using it back when Shion was the aries saint."

Mu blinked. "That…uhm, was over a hundred years ago I believe…But I do! I do have one!" he said, snapping out of his uncertainty and reaching into the farthest cupboard for the wok that Shaka had gifted him a few years ago.

"Good, where is your ice box?"

"Ice bo-…I have a fridge."

After a few minutes of explaining to Dohko what a fridge was, and how a stove worked ("Immediate fire! Amazing!") he took to cooking like a fish to water.

"Will you set the table?" asked Dohko, cutting up vegetables with a speed and ease that marveled Mu. "Or do something other than stare at me anxiously? All that nervousness radiating from you is making me edgy."

"Sorry!" said Mu, going to retrieve the plates from the cupboard.

"It's ok. But if there's anything you want to ask, then by the gods, do so instead of standing around nervously. Geez, you're exactly like Shion. You can lead armies and fight the very gods, but a couple hugs on the street and you crumple into a pile of anxiety."

Mu swallowed, realizing he was exactly like Dohko had said.

"So…you two…you two were together?" asked Mu, keeping his eyes on the plates.

Dohko threw the vegetables on the wok and stirred them a couple times before answering.

"No," he said.

Mu turned to look at him. "But you said-!"

Dohko shrugged, and threw a splash of soy sauce on the wok. "We thought we had all the time in the world. Later became a year, which became five, which became ten, then fifty… Life goes on…," he said, then grabbed the wok and transferred the food to a serving plate. "And then he was dead. Keep that in mind kid. All the gods of the universe might be aiding you, but the person you love might be dead tomorrow. And you'll have to live on… You don't even have the luxury of following them."

Shion came stomping down the stairs to the kitchen, carrying the panda bear in his arms.

"Dohko, why did you bring this thing here?" yelled Shion.

Dohko grinned. "Oh, you and Zhen Rie are friends now? I'll take him to the garden, you and Mu sit down," he said, taking the bear from Shion.

"We're not friends," muttered Shion, sitting down at the table and turning to Mu. "So he just barged into the house of Aries?"

Mu smiled. "I didn't even know it was him. He was so excited."

Shion shook his head. "And then he took over the kitchen. He hasn't changed at all."

Dohko came back inside. "Of course I haven't. You haven't either. We're old now, the time for changing's gone," he said, and started serving the meal.

They ate in silence. A strange silence that didn't feel uncomfortable, nor did it make them unease. Like a strange presence hovering over the three of them.

"I'll get some coffee started," said Dohko, standing up.

Mu stood up too, and picked up the empty plates. "Don't make any for me. Thank you for the meal, but I have to go see Shaka now."

"Ask him if he has time tomorrow, I want to talk to him about a change Athena mentioned she wanted to make on the house of Vir-"

Dohko covered Shion's mouth. "No. No working now. You've been alive for what? A full day and a night? Less than that? You're going to rest and remember how it feels to be alive for at least a couple days," he said, then looked at Mu. "Run out, before he gives you any chores!"

Mu grinned and ran away.

Shion pulled Dohko's hand away from his mouth. "I'm not working. I simply wanted to ask him about the details of-"

Dohko kissed him. Shion froze even as his heart jumped in his chest.

Dohko pulled away from him. "I've been wanting to kiss you for hundreds of years," he breathed, letting his hand trail down Shion's side. Shion gasped, and the glasses exploded on the sink. Dohko flinched, stepping back away from him.

Shion jumped from his seat. "Dohko! Are you alright?!" he asked, holding his hand. "Did I hurt you?"

"Shit, Shion, what the fuck was that?" he asked, looking at the glass littering the floor. He looked at Shion. "Did you hate that? You didn't want me to…"

"No! I didn't!" said Shion, his thoughts a mess. "I mean, I didn't hate it. I just- I'm…confused, and my mind is a mess. I'm sorry, I lost control of my powers, but I was so surprised…"

Dohko seemed very confused for a moment, then he stood straight, balling his hands into fists.

"Shion, I love you. I don't know how clear I've been on that in the past, but I do. I've loved you for as long as I can remember… I thought you felt the same way."

Shion's breath caught in his throat, feeling Dohko's piercing eyes on his. His mind seemed to stop all thoughts and he couldn't say a single word.

Dohko sighed and looked away. "I see…," he whispered, making to grab the broom standing on a corner.

Shion reached out and hugged him from behind, pulling him against his chest. "No. Please…I can't…I don't know how to say it," he said, and his eyes started tearing up. "But don't leave me."

Dohko scoffed out a laugh, touching Shion's hands over his chest. "You haven't changed, you old sheep. Saying yes, then nothing at all. It still drives me insane."

"I know…I'm sorry. I wish I could…I wish I could say all that I'm feeling," whispered Shion, pressing him harder against him.

"It's fine," said Dohko, turning around. He wrapped his arms around Shion's neck, giving a sad smile at the sight of Shion's silent tears. "We'll take it slow. But not too slow. I already had you dying on me once."

#

The next day Shion met with all the saints in one of the rooms of the patriarch. While no one had said anything, everyone kept acting like he was the patriarch, and treating him like so. He didn't want to accept it, but it was one of the things that made him feel more comfortable. It gave him a feeling like he could simply slip back into life as it had once been.

"And here's Xiwang! Isn't he cute?" said Dohko, pulling the panda bear out of the box after he had finished giving everyone the presents he had brought.

"It's adorable!" cried Milo, a look of adoration in his eyes. Shion noticed a slight glance of panic crossing Camus' eyes, but decided to not dwell on it. Many things seemed to have happened in his absence.

Dohko passed him a bamboo branch to feed to the bear. It was indeed really cute and soft, but Shion couldn't help think of all the inconveniences that having it would entail.

"And how are we supposed to have him in the house?" he asked, giving the bamboo branch to the bear. Too late he realized his words would give away the fact that he and Dohko would be staying in the same house. "I mean, I will…Alone…In my house, mine," he stuttered, mentally beating himself up.

"I'll take him back later," said Dohko, passing bamboo branches to the others so they too could feed the bear. "I just wanted to show him to you." He grabbed the bear and held it out for Shion to see. "Look how soft he is!"

"I want to hug the bear too!" cried Milo.

Shion sighed, grateful that no one seemed to have noticed his slip of the tongue. He couldn't wait for his own mind to go back to normal and to stop feeling so sluggish and disperse.

#

For the next few days, Mu convinced him to stay in the house of Aries. Shion agreed, more because the repairs of the main residence of the patriarch were only just starting than because he wanted to have Mu help him around. Although he found his help a nice respite in certain issues. Like when he was boiling water and got lost in thoughts of the past while the water boiled happily in front of him until Mu realized it and turned off the stove. Or when he went down the wrong flight of stairs and couldn't remember if he was in the Aries house or the Patriarch residence. Those moments thankfully were becoming rare, and with every passing day he felt himself returning to his own usual self.

But still, his presence became a tad unwanted whenever he and Dohko wished to be by themselves. Like that night, when he and Dohko sat at the table in the kitchen, sipping cups of tea and talking about how Shiryu and Shunrei were doing. The sound of Mu sweeping the floor on the other room drifted to the kitchen in the otherwise silent night.

"Behave," muttered Shion, whose face was already turning red when he felt Dohko's foot rubbing against his leg.

"If you would just move to the house of Libra, I wouldn't have to be so well behaved," whispered Dohko, a hungry glint to his eyes.

Shion nearly choked on his tea at his words. He coughed, scandalized at the very thought.

"Dohko!" hissed Shion.

"I didn't even say anything bad!"

"And how am I going to justify moving to your house?"

"Don't lovers live together? Seems enough justification."

Shion grabbed the tea spoon, intent on stabbing Dohko with it.

Mu came running to the kitchen. "Master Shion!" he said, leaving the broom aside. "I'm sorry but I have to leave right now. Urgent miss- Is everything alright?" he asked, noticing how Shion motioned to threaten Dohko with the spoon.

"Yes, perfect. Good luck in your mission!" said Dohko with a big grin.

"Will you be alright on your own?" asked Mu

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I will," said Shion, discreetly lowering the spoon.

"He can stay with me until you get back," said Dohko, his grin turning brighter. "I'll still be here for a few days. You think you'll take long?"

"Just two or three days. It's nothing complicated," said Mu with a sigh of relief. "I would feel much better if you didn't stay alone."

"I am not a child," muttered Shion, then turned to Dohko. "And what do you mean you'll still be here a few days? Where are you going?"

Mu bowed. "Sorry, sorry, I've got to leave now," he said, skipping out.

Dohko waved at him. "Good luck! See? Easy. And I'm sure all of them already know about it. Rumors run fast, why worry about them finding out?"

"Dohko, answer me," said Shion, already familiar with Dohko's tendency to never answer things.

"I'm going back home for a few days. I still have some things to organize with Shiryu and Shunrei. I left everything kind of a mess when I left," he said, avoiding Shion's eyes.

"And when were you planning to tell me?"

"I guess I forgot I hadn't told you. So much has happened, it slipped my mind," he said standing up.

Shion pursed his lips. He hated the idea of him leaving.

"Are you upset? I'll only be gone for a while," said Dohko, pushing some errant strands of hair away from Shion's face.

"Idiot. You were going to tell me at the last moment, weren't you? You always up and leave like that," said Shion, standing up too.

"I wasn't! I just forgot. Shion come on."

Shion sighed. He found himself growing more upset, even though he realized how unreasonable he was being. He huffed.

"Liar, you're always the worst at saying good bye. Even when I came back the first time, you just refused to look at me when I…" Shion trailed off, unwilling to say died.

Dohko's fists shook. "Shion I'd already lost you. And then I had to see you die again? Well, I couldn't handle it! There, I said it! Hades dangled you in front of me for a night and then tore you away again and I couldn't bear it, even if I knew your shitty evil guy act was a lie."

"You didn't know!" cried Shion, embarrassed.

Dohko grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling him closer. "Shion I love you but you're being an idiot," he said.

Shion huffed, pouting at Dohko's words. "Am not!" he complained, knowing full well he was.

Dohko smiled, and rubbed their noses together. Shion gasped and pulled away. "What are you doing?!" he cried, looking around.

"We're alone now," said Dohko, his hands grabbing for Shion's hips while Shion stepped backwards away from him.

"We're in the kitchen!"

"So? You're worried about what the pots and pans will think now?" laughed Dohko.

Shion started shaking when Dohko finally cornered him against the wall. "I-It's not that!" he said, deathly embarrassed, yet unable to articulate why even to himself.

Dohko let go of him and took a step backwards. "Shion you…do you really want me?"

"What?"

Dohko frowned. "Shion, you can't even figure out what you feel for me. I just want to make sure that I'm not…doing anything you don't want."

Shion covered his face. "I love you," he said, still hiding his face. "But I…don't know what I feel. I've never…I've never…"

"You've never had sex?" asked Dohko.

Shion uncovered his face. Tears from frustration escaped his eyes. "No," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Dohko laughed. "Seriously? In over two hundred years you've never had sex?"

"Don't laugh at me!" yelled Shion, stomping his feet.

"Damn Shion, I'm not laughing at you, I'm just relieved," said Dohko, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I was so worried that you had changed your mind about us or figured out you didn't really like me. But it turns out you're just a two hundred year old virgin. Wow, if I'd known I wouldn't have tried to bend you over the kitchen table."

Shion tried to cover his face with his long sleeve. "How can you say something like that like nothing, it's so embarrassing!"

Dohko shook his head. "Sorry, sorry," he said, placing a hand on Shion's waist. "But having you and not being able to touch you has been driving me crazy. What about a kiss?"

Shion breathed deeply, feeling like he was being the biggest idiot. He leaned down. "No, it's me. I've been driving myself crazy too," he said, thinking of all the times that he had wanted to touch Dohko, and contained himself. All the times he had wanted to be closer, so close that only skin separated them, and yet, he wouldn't move, wouldn't reach out. A constant restraint and constrain of his yearning.

He wrapped his arms around Dohko's neck, feeling his hands encircle his waist as their lips touched, sending a shock of pleasurable warmth through his body. He moaned, pulling Dohko closer against him. Dohko pressed him against the wall, his hands caressing Shion's sides, making him moan even more. Dohko deepened the kiss, making him whine in pleasure. Shion's whole body felt like it was on fire and all he could think of was Dohko's hard body pressed against him and the feel of his tongue against his own and how he wanted more. He didn't know what exactly, but he yearned for more. He lifted his leg, wrapping it around Dohko, who rubbed their crotches together, sending a jolt of pleasure through him that made him cry out in pleasure.

Every single glass and mug in the kitchen exploded. Dohko pulled him to the floor, trying to cover him from the flying glass with his body. They stayed unmoving for a moment.

"Was that you?" asked Dohko.

Shion, feeling like he could die yet again from sheer embarrassment alone, nodded. "Sorry," he whispered. "I think I lost control of my powers for a moment. Are you alright?"

Dohko laughed. "Better than alright. But, no more making out in the kitchen. We owe Mu an entire tableware set."

Shion groaned.

#

Shion went to sleep in the house of Libra without letting anyone know. He couldn't wait until the reconstruction of the Patriarch's residence was finished. He felt aimless, homeless in a way, drifting from one accommodation to another.

"Here we go," said Dohko, letting Shion's suitcase on the floor. "How do you like it?"

"It's nice," said Shion, looking at the Chinese style of the residence of the house of Libra. "Where is your room?"

"Uh? This is my room."

Shion's heart jumped in his chest and he gasped. The window near the bed crashed into pieces.

Both of them stared at the broken glass in silence.

"I can get you a room of your own if you want," said Dohko, scratching his head and wondering just how he could go even slower.

Shion facepalmed. "No, I don't," he said, grabbing at his own chest in disgust. "It's this stupid heart that makes me lose control of my powers."

Dohko took a moment to process what Shion had said, simply because he could not believe those words had come out of Shion's mouth. Then he laughed, he laughed so hard that he started crying.

"Are you mocking me?!" yelled Shion.

"No. I just remembered why I fell in love with you."

The window on the other side of the room exploded.

#

Dohko came back to the house late that night, after a long reunion with Athena and the other saints. By then Shion had already changed and waited for him in bed.

"Everything went well?" asked Shion, wrapping the scroll he had been reading.

"Yeah, reconstruction will start on the other houses soon enough," said Dohko, taking off his shirt.

Shion noticed how the shadows projected from the candles moved over the tattoo on his back, as if beckoning him to touch. He swallowed the lump on his throat, thinking how now he was allowed to touch. Now he could feel all of him. He cleared his throat and looked away before speaking again.

"When?"

"In a few days."

"They should be starting tomorrow, or the work will be halted by the rainy season. And they should target the central structure of the damaged houses first, so that even if the rains come early this year, we'll have finished the most important part of the reconstruction completed by then. I really wish Athena would allow me to be in those meetings. I have fully recovered from the reincarnation and I wish she would see it."

Dohko slipped off his shoes and climbed on the bed wearing only his pajama pants. "She knows. She just wants you to have some time to rest. Which I want you to have too, so just enjoy having no responsibilities for once in your life," he said, and pressed a quick kiss to Shion's lips. "Nothing exploded. That's progress."

"Idiot," muttered Shion, looking away.

Dohko laughed, blew out the candles and slipped inside the covers next to Shion, who didn't move.

"Sorry, did you want to keep reading?" asked Dohko.

Shion shook his head and laid down on the bed. "No, it's fine," he said, pulling the covers up.

Shion clutched at the sheets underneath the covers. Was that it? They were sharing a bed for the first time and all Dohko was going to do was give him a quick peck on the lips? He had expected... Well, he wasn't even sure what he had expected, but at least something closer to yesterday's kiss. At least for Dohko to pull him closer and embrace him. Hell, given the fact that they were now alone, he had even prepared himself for Dohko to try to go all the way with him.

But instead he just went to sleep like nothing? Shion gritted his teeth as he listened to Dohko's breathing becoming more regular. He felt cheated somehow. He might not have had sex with anyone before, but he was pretty sure this was the moment of truth.

He swallowed his embarrassment at his own thoughts and turned to lay on his side and look at Dohko. He could see little more than the outline of his factions, but it was clear he was asleep. Shion sighed. He looked as enchanting as the first time he had seen him

Had somebody else looked at him like that? In bed next to him?...Of course someone had. He wasn't a virgin like Shion. Understandable anyway, since no matter their new bodies, they were still old men who had lived long years. Of course there had to have been some young man in his life that Dohko had taken a fancy to. Or perhaps a young woman? That might have been possible too. After all, while Shion had never entertained any desire for women, he could never be sure about Dohko's preferences. There might have been both, and there might have been several of both, and they all had laid down in bed next to him, just like Shion was doing now.

The thought of unknown beds shared with unknown people filled Shion with a regret tinged by jealousy. It should have been Shion there. It should have been him all along. But they had wasted lifetimes worth of years, and all because neither of them had dared to say a clear word.

"Stop glaring at me," said Dohko, opening his eyes.

"I wasn't glaring!"

"Of course you were. You have the heaviest stare of anyone I've known. I was trained by a dragon and him glaring down at me wasn't this awful," he said, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He reached out to caress Shion's hand. "Come on. What's bothering you?"

Shion gazed at Dohko's eyes, noticing how his hair was getting longer, falling over the side of his face. Had he spoken like this to someone else? Of course he had.

The cold tendrils of jealously tightened around Shion's heart.

"I was just wondering," he said in a whisper, unable to stop himself. "Who did you have sex with?"

Dohko's placid expression turned annoyed, then angry.

"What?" he asked, a growl to his voice.

Shion felt himself getting angry too. He pushed himself up on the bed too. "What? I can't ask?"

"Shion come on. What does it matter?"

"You said you've loved me for as long as you can remember, but clearly you loved other people too."

Dohko sat up on the bed, glaring at him. "What?! You think I've loved someone else?"

Shion pushed himself up, so many words burning in his chest, he felt his body burning with rage. Someone touched you before I did. Someone kissed you and loved you and had you when I could not even dream of you. And yet he would not let himself say a single word. He contained them carefully in his heart, constraining his words and his rage and his love.

"Shion I've never loved anyone else!" said Dohko. Shion culd notice a tinge of hurt in his glaring eyes, and suddenly his jealous was overtook by concern.

"Dohko, I…"

"I never…I've never…," said Dohko, trembling. He shut his eyes closed, and small tears fell from them. "I loved you, alright? I just loved you so much, but you became patriarch, and I knew we would not be together. I only hoped that you would choose your replacement soon enough that we spend the dusk of our lives together. But then you died. You died and I could not follow you nor avenge you."

Shion took a deep breath. "I'm sorry…I know-"

Dohko grabbed him by the front of his tunic. "You don't know shit Shion. I love you, but you have no idea," he said, pulling him against his chest, embracing him with a strength that shocked Shion. "You died and I mourned you, yearning to follow you. Only for your specter to come back pulling some shitty villain act before you vanish before my eyes again. Fine, I decided I would follow you into the underworld, leave the world to the next generation. But then I had to be brought back, into a world without you again, pawn of another god pulling souls from the underworld as he pleases like toys from a box. I could not have you in life, and I could not have you in death, and my soul was a plaything for the gods," Dohko pushed Shion down on the bed, straddling him and looking straight in his face. "So what? What if I lost all hope and found a man with hair the same shade as yours? And another with your same almond eyes. What if I looked for pieces of you on every man I met? You were beyond my reach, in life and in death, again and again until having any hope of you was too painful for me. So no. I have not loved anyone other than you."

Shion blinked, and felt tears falling from the corners of his eyes, leaving wet trails as they fell into his hair. Dohko wiped away one of those tears, his touch making Shion's heart jump and throwing his mind into disarray.

"Why are you crying?" asked Dohko, his face finally back to it's usual calm.

Shion opened his mouth to speak, but words died off in his throat. He breathed and tried again.

"I…I love you," he said, and started crying.

Dohko laughed, tears falling from his eyes too. He lied down on the bed next to him and hugged Shion close against him as they both cried from love and sadness and joy and regret.

#

Shion woke up the next morning to the worst headache he could remember. He groaned and turned on his side, reaching for Dohko and finding the space next to him empty. He mumbled confusedly until a warm hand closed over his.

"Up already?" asked Dohko.

Shion blinked to let his eyes adjust to the morning light. "Yes," he breathed, pain exploding through his head. "Why does my head hurt so much?"

"Two hundred years of pent up tears perhaps?" laughed Dohko.

Shion scrunched his nose and glared at him. He noticed that Dohko was already dressed and putting on his shoes.

"You think you're so funny, uh?"

"One has to pull the jokes in this relationship. You want to help out with that?"

Shion huffed and rolled his eyes at him. "Where are you going? Did Athena call you?"

"No. I just figured you would be hungry when you woke up and I wanted to make breakfast before that."

Shion hummed. He didn't want to move, but the idea of breakfast was all too tempting. "Hmmm, yes, breakfast," he mumbled, stretching. "I'll be…up in a minute…"

Dohko scoffed out a laugh, crawling up on the bed to lie down next to Shion.

"Uh? Weren't you going to make breakfast?" asked Shion, rubbing at his eyes.

"Yes, but you're just too adorable. Now you're going to have to come down with me if you want me to cook," said Dohko, pressing up against him and draping an arm around his waist.

Shion glared at him. "Ugh fine," he complained.

Dohko smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I would have been done by now, but I couldn't stop looking at your sleeping face. You're just too cute, you know?"

Shion's cheeks tinged red. "I-Idiot! How can you say that?!" he cried.

Dohko gave him another kiss, caressing Shion's back. "It's the truth. You're so cute and adorable, I hate to let you off my sight."

"Well, I want you to have your sight on the stove, you tiger," laughed Shion, letting his hands roam Dohko's back, feeling the muscles under his shirt moving as Dohko pressed up harder against him.

"What an impatient sheep. Fine, what do you want me to make?" said Dohko, kissing him again on the lips, then on the cheek, then the neck.

Shion's heart started racing as he felt his body heating and himself growing hard as Dohko's lips went to his collarbone. "D-Dohko," he gasped, instinctively trying to close his legs, but Dohko was between them, pressing even closer, until Shion could feel how he had grown hard too.

Dohko snickered. "I was thinking scallion pancakes. You used to like them so much," he said as his hands went down to the end of Shion's tunic, slipping under it, until he touched Shion's ass over his pants.

Shion whined and covered his mouth. He closed his eyes, trying to think, but his thoughts scrambled and he couldn't focus anymore from overstimulation. Dohko thrusted against him, pressing their hardness together and Shion moaned, spreading his legs open. Dohko settled between them, taking a moment to regain his breath.

Shion opened his eyes. "W-what now?" he asked, and immediately felt stupid. Did people even ask that during sex?

Dohko grinned. "I don't know. I didn't think we'd get this far without something exploding," he said.

Shion tried to kick him, but Dohko held his leg.

"Oy, fine, fine," he said, still grinning.

"I know how it works with a woman but, uhmm…with a man…"

Dohko lifted an eyebrow at that, his expression turning serious. "And how did you figure that out?"

"I'm not an idiot! Of course I know how sex works. I've read books on the topic."

Dohko rolled his eyes. "Of course you did."

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing!"

"Did you think I had done it with a-"

Dohko pinched his ass, making him yelp. "That's enough of that. Here's your first lesson master Shion," he said, slipping off Shion's pants in a single motion.

"What are you doing?!"

"First of all, you can't have sex while dressed," said Dohko with a cheek grin. He lowered his head between Shion's legs. "Let's see how you like this."

Before Shion could say anything else, Dohko took the head of his length into his mouth and started sucking.

Shion cried out and the windows started vibrating as he grabbed Dohko's hair.

"Yes!" yelled Shion, quickly losing all control.

Pleased with Shion's reaction, Dohko took as much of his cock as he could, sucking harder.

Shion cried out Dohko's name and came in his mouth as the farthest window exploded. Dohko pushed himself up and took a quick look behind to examine the damage. He sighed.

"That's it. We're getting paper blinders," he said and turned to look down at Shion's flushed face.

Shion made a vague noise of agreement as he tried to recover his breathing. Dohko licked his lips at the sight of him lying on the bed, his cheeks flushed, panting, his legs spread open for him. Just seeing him he felt the desire to take him then and there. He had imagined it so many times, wondering how he would move, what noises he would make…

Dohko took off his shirt, then moved to take off his pants to relieve some of the tension, when he felt Shion's heavy gaze on him.

"You didn't come?" he asked, seeing Dohko's erection.

Dohko scoffed out a laugh. "That was only the first lesson," he said.

"Cheeky old man," muttered Shion, "What should I…do now…?"

Dohko bit his lower lip, wondering for a moment how fast they could go. He didn't want to rush. But he wanted Shion so much. He had imagined and dreamed that moment so many times and yet-

"Can I..?" started Shion. "Can I touch you?"

It took Dohko a moment to process Shion's words. "Of course!" he said with a bright grin, leaning down to kiss him. Shion's face turned red. "You can touch me whenever you want. Hell, I've dreamed of it."

Shion reached out with an unsure hand to grab Dohko's dick, feeling the blush of his face extending. He felt completely flushed, the heat making him unable to think clearly.

"You have?" he breathed, hiding his face on the nook of Dohko's neck.

Dohko put his hand over Shion's, guiding his touch. "Of course I have. Have you even looked at yourself? You're the hottest man I've seen. I know I joke about bending you over the kitchen table but," he increased the pace, getting lost in the feel of Shion's warmth and the scent of his skin. Finally his to enjoy. "I would love it if you grabbed me and fucked me hard. Just bend me over and and take me and fuck me until I can only scream your name."

Shion's mind short circuited. The windows of the whole residence exploded, and the temple shook to it's foundation.

Dohko did not manage to finish.

#

Shion came into the kitchen that night, carrying the panda bear in his arms. He dithered at the door for a moment, staring at Dohko's back as he chopped vegetables. The scent of cooking rice filling the kitchen. Some nights, hundred and hundreds of years ago, Shion had dared to dream of a moment like this, before finally letting go of the dream once he dedicated his life to Athena and to the Sanctuary. And yet, here he was, at the same point once more.

"Stop glaring at me," said Dohko, without even looking back at Shion. He turned on the stove and set a wok on the fire.

"I wasn't glaring!" said Dohko, walking up to stand next to him.

"You're always glaring," said Dohko, looking at him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning his attention back on the stove, leaving Shion to take back and feel his face turn red.

He huffed and looked away. "I checked the temple and there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage. I'll start the order to have the windows fixed tomorrow, and…and I'm sorry…"

Dohko looked back at him. "You're glaring again," he said, and stuck out his tongue at him.

"Would you be serious for once?!"

"Of course not. And you should stop being serious too. I told you to stay in bed. Shoo, I'm bringing you dinner to bed."

"But the temple-"

"The temple has survived several holy wars, it'll be fine. And if it crumbled down because we finally got laid, that'll be even better."

Shion facepalmed. "You're unbelievable."

"No, we're unbelievable. Shion you're much more selfless and reasonable than me. I got to say that it took several deaths and reincarnations for me to finally lose hope of ever having a moment like this. With you here, loving me. And yet we're here. In one of my actual dreams. Who cares about anything else? If it takes us a year or two years to have sex without something blowing up, I couldn't care less."

The panda bear twisted around in Shion's arms, rubbing it's face against him. Shion looked down at him, then around at Dohko, and the kitchen, and the setting sun outside.

Dreamlike, indeed. He smiled.

#

They spent the next couple days together, basking in each other's presence and enjoying the peace and the freedom.

Shion only remembered the unerring flow of time when he saw Shion walking around talking on the phone and carrying a bag around.

"Yes, yes, 7pm, I know," he was saying as he closed the bag and left it on the living room where Shion was reading over some of the plans for the reconstruction. "Really, I only got a younger body. I haven't become any younger, so don't you lecture me Shiryu." He covered the phone and whispered an 'I'm gonna take a shower' to Shion, who nodded.

Dohko kept talking as he went to the bathroom and Shion, unable to contain his curiosity, followed him to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"A small wedding? Ridiculous. She's marrying a Saint with power that rivals that of a golden Saint. Tell her that you'll have three hundred people at the wedding at least... It doesn't matter if you don't know three hundred people! We'll find them! There are always people willing to sit through a ceremony for free food, and we're planning way over a year in advance. You tell Shunrei- No, I'll tell her when I arrive. She'll listen to me. A small wedding, of course not! The world is going to come admire you two and I'll make sure of it!"

Shion sighed and moved away from the bathroom when he heard the shower starting. Of course the world outside kept on. Of course Dohko would still be caring for the children that he took in after Shion had died. And of course he still had to leave even if they weren't any closer to getting through Shion's annoying mind tension that caused his power to go haywire. He felt stupid. Like he was a foolish 19 year old again. Which in a way he could say that he was, but…

There was a knock on the door. He huffed. Who could it be now? Had anyone noticed the mess from the days before? He was ready to drop dead yet again if anyone asked him about it. He opened the door to find Death Mask standing at the entrance with a handful of yellow roses.

"Master Shion, hi," said Death Mask. He seemed nervous somehow and…a little hungover. There was a slight tension about him, but then again, he knew of his past mishaps, so he was probably more than a little worried about facing him.

Shion gave him was he hoped was a reassuring smile, but he couldn't hide his sadness at seeing him. From the underworld, even having lost his body, his spirit still yearned to ease the suffering of the saints he had seen training from boyhood.

"Oh, Death Mask. Hi, were you looking for Dohko?"

"Uhm, yeah. We just heard he was leaving today for the five peaks again, so Aphrodite and I wanted to give these to him before he left. But, uh…Aphrodite had something important to attend to," he said, handing the flowers to Shion.

Shion took them, taking the moment of closeness to look into Death Mask's eyes and notice that the darkness of his eyes seemed to be clearing. For a moment, he felt like he could almost see the ghost of Manigoldo in him, and a nostalgia bloomed in his chest.

"They're beautiful, thank you," said Shion. A strong sweet sent hit his nose. A heady scent that relaxed him. "They smell delightful. Dohko will love them, I'm sure."

"Really?"

Shion, wanting to take another glance at him, leaned down and presented the flowers to him. "Yes, look," he said, letting him smell them. There it was, as if all the resemblance suddenly fit into a clear picture. A look into a second apparition from his old friend. "Thank you so much. Tell Aphrodite that we love them."

"It's nothing. I'll be sure to tell him," he said, waving and turning away.

With a nod, Shion went back into the house and closed the door behind him. Yet another ghost of a memory haunting him. Humans truly weren't meant to live so long. By now, memories entwined with the present and confused him. He set down the bouquet on the table and opened the red paper around the roses to put them on a vase. He took one and smelled it. The scent made him think of Dohko somehow. He shook his head. Perhaps he had not recovered from the reincarnation as well as he thought. After so long alive, and so long dead, his mind couldn't help but get lost in memories and fleeting thoughts. The were and the could have been. The wishes and the hopes…

He turned to put the rose on the vase and felt the world tilting around him. He grabbed on to the table as he felt his body heating up. Suddenly, all the dreamy thoughts faded from his mind and he realized exactly what he was holding in his hands.

"Aphrodite…," he muttered, feeling the heat in his body become unbearable. He felt himself short of breath. He needed help. He needed. He needed Dohko, but he was in the shower. The mental image of him appeared in Shion's mind. Of hot water falling over his tanned skin, droplets sliding down the lines of the tiger in his back, and he felt himself grow hard at the very thought. He whimpered, holding on to the table not for support, but to keep himself from running out to the bathroom and kicking the door down. How ridiculous would he look like that? Aphrodite was going to pay for this. And Death Mask. And Shura, just for good measure.

He bit his lower lip, feeling himself already too hard and too needy. He wanted release so bad. He wanted Dohko so bad. He gasped, using all of his willpower just to keep still, feeling the tension all over his body.

"Did someone knock on the door?" asked Dohko, coming into the dining room with a towel around his shoulders and wearing only his pants. He noticed Dohko leaning on the table with the bright yellow roses on it and ran up to him, holding him up by the waist. "What happened? Are you ok? Can you stand?"

Shion gasped when Dohko grabbed him, feeling the heat of his skin even through the fabric of his tunic. He let himself fall against him, burying his face in Dohko's hair, feeling even more intoxicated by him. He moaned and embraced him.

"Shion? What is wrong with you? Where did those flowers come from?" asked Dohko, pulling him away from the table as carefully as he could.

Shion took a deep breath, and suddenly felt himself relaxing. All the tension leaving his body and his mind. He was finally in Dohko's arms that was perfection.

"Shion? Please talk to me," said Dohko, trying to hold him up and look at his face.

Shion held Dohko's face and giggled. "You are so handsome," he breathed, and kissed his cheek. The feel of his lips against Dohko's skin made him yearn for more. He stood up on his own feet and grabbed Dohko's arm.

"I want you," said Shion, a placid smile pulling at his lips. He grabbed Dohko and pushed him against the dinner table. "Kiss me."

Dohko eyed the roses on the table, putting two and two together with lightning speed. He pushed them and the vase away, letting everything fall to the floor with a crash. Shion didn't even notice as he grabbed Dohko's hips and kissed him hard, pushing his tongue inside Dohko's mouth, who moaned. Shion rubbed his crotch against Dohko's as he kissed him, whimpering at the pleasure.

Dohko grabbed Shion's hair, pulling him away as gently as he could. "Shion, you're intoxicated."

"Yes," hissed Shion, pulling Dohko up on the table

"No, that's bad!" said Dohko with the least conviction he had ever held about anything ever. Especially when Shion pulled off his pants right away and grabbed a hold of Dohko's naked legs. "You'll regret this afterwards."

"But I want it now," said Shion, pulling off Dohko's underwear.

"No, I'm supposed to be the irresponsible one here, not you!" cried Dohko, but Shion took his cock into his mouth and started sucking, and that was just too much for his already lacking self restraint. He grabbed handfuls of Shion's silky hair and let himself enjoy.

Shion was definitely going to scream bloody murder once he was back to being himself, but now all Dohko cared about was the feel of Shion's mouth around him, the way he grabbed the base of his dick, rubbing him and caressing him. Dohko's eyes rolled back as he realized he wasn't going to last long. He pulled Shion away from him.

Shion cried out in annoyance. "I want-!"

"I know. But I bet you want something more," he said, spreading his legs, showing his entrance to Shion, who moaned and licked his lips. Dohko grinned, decided to use this opportunity even if he would get hell for it later. This was too good of an opportunity to miss. "Ugh, we need," he said, thinking back to where he had put the lube.

Shion snapped his fingers, and with a whistling tingle, a bottle of lube appeared in his hand.

Dohko grinned. "See, this is a good use of your powers," he said, taking it from him and coating his fingers. "Now, don't destroy the temple, alright?" he said in a breathless whisper, and slipped a finger into himself, trying to prepare himself as fast as he could, as he didn't know how long the intoxication would last, or how strong it was.

Shion gasped, and started unbuttoning his tunic. "Dohko, I want- I need-"

Dohko slipped another fingers, and another one, transfixed by the sight of Shion desperately taking off his clothes.

"Ah, fuck this," he said, spreading his legs wider. "Come, here and kiss me," he beckoned him.

Shion immediately kissed him with all the passion he had kept restrained for all those years. He ran his hands up and down Dohko's sides, feeling his muscles moving under his skin. Dohko grabbed a hold of Shion's cock, stroking him and covering it in lube.

Shion grabbed a hold of Dohko's ass. "Please, Dohko, I need…," he said, his words fading as he kissed a trail down Dohko's neck.

Dohko pulled his face up to kiss him again, slipping his tongue inside Shion's mouth. Shion whined, biting Dohko's lip.

"I know, I need you too," he breathed. He grabbed Shion's cock again guiding him to his entrance. "I've needed you…for a couple hundred years."

Shion pushed inside him, panting for breath. "Ah, yes, Dohko!" he cried, thrusting, wanting more and more.

Dohko pulled him closer, wanting to not let him go ever again. Wanting to feel him as deep as he could.

"Ah, Dohko, you- you feel so good!" said Shion thrusting harder into Dohko, who could barely string two words together. He had never felt so good before. Had never felt it so deep. He felt the rush of blood in his ears as the tension in his body mounted. He clawed at Shion's back, muttering demands for more

"Shion!" he gasped, his whole body trembling with the force of his orgasm. Shion threw his head back, thrusting again, coming just after him and collapsing on top of him.

#

Shion woke up the next day, still a bit dazed. He blinked up at the ceiling, wondering where he was. He looked around, seeing that he was in their bed in the temple of Libra. He frowned. Where was Dohko? What hour was it? He shifted, turning on his side and feeling his whole body sore.

"Ungh…what is-?" he muttered, until he felt a small piece of paper under the covers next to him. He pulled it out and read it.

"Shion,

That was great but Shiryu said would lose his mind if I missed my flight, so I had to go. We'll repeat (several times) when I come back.

Don't try and kill anyone. And don't punish anyone. I figured out what happened and I'll straighten it all out myself, so just wait until I get back.

Love forever,

Dohko"

Shion glared down at the note. What the hell was Dohko talking about? Why did his whole body hurt so much?

He looked to the side, noticing a vase full of yellow roses. And he remembered everything.

Mu heard him scream all the way from the Aries house.

#

A/N: Thank you for reading this fic. Shion and Dohko are actually my favorite couple and I'd wanted to write a fic with them for a long while, but I had a difficult time writing out and figuring their personalities. In fact, I still think they sound way too ooc, but sadly that's as far as my fic writing abilities could take me. I actually found it really hard to write this fic, so I hope it came out ok. I had fun writing it, even if it got difficult at times. The idea of Shion being a 200 year old virgin was cute and funny to me, so I hope it was funny for you guys too.

If you liked this fic, please consider leaving kudos or a comment. I always like to know what people think of my stories.