Hello! I'm sooo sorry for the long wait, but we (me and Yume-chan) did a lot - and I mean A LOT - work on this chapter.
I need to warn everyone, starting this chapter, the story is changing it's rating from T to M. So if there's someone having a problem with sexual scenes, stop right here.
Most of THAT scene it Yume-chan's work =)
Thanks to everyone who left a review (I love you all). I don't have the time to reply to you right now, but I will in the near future or in the next chapter, I promise.
I hope you will enjoy this chapter as much as I did!
Warnings: Mpreg as always, Sexual scene ahead!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything...how could I?
One more time: Rating changes from T to M! Sex in this chapter!
Chapter 7
Daiki was trailing behind the blond youth as they passed through an unfamiliar area of his hometown. The city appeared to be deserted, void of life that the sight brought chill along his spine. He had lived since forever in Shizume City, but he had never once imagined that there was an abandoned place like this. It seemed like twenty seven years of living was not enough to know every corner of the most advanced Shizume City and the darkness lurking inside. He would never even believe this place existed if he had not witnessed it by his own eyes.
Once they passed through a gigantic gate with indistinct word being marred on those cracking and rusting steel bars, the concoction smell of salt and rotten flesh and fish hit his olfactory sense. He spontaneously brought his hand to cover his nose with his jacket sleeve from the reeking air that suffocated him with every little breath he took. The putrid smell nauseated him, but it made him realize where this boy had led him.
The port seemed to be neglected and it was nowhere close to the usual vast and beautiful port envisioned in media and TVs. It was abandoned as if it was a haunted harbor without any ship towed but heaps of disposed garbage piling in every spot of the dock. There were shadows, he could feel the presence of human nearby, but he did not catch a glimpse of them along the endless dusty road, probably hiding inside the brittle quarters made by moldy wood splinters in the dark corner.
It was only then that he realized that his wellbeing was unsecured and in this place, there would probably no warm welcome to greet him, but the cold, merciless gun and bullet rain. He swallowed nervously as dread began to sink in.
He nearly bumped to his companion and snapped out of his reverie once the blond abruptly halted in front of a gigantic factory. From its wretched condition, Daiki wondered just how long this building had been long forgotten, with the flaking paint and holes on the walls. It seemed to be used for fish processing on its glory period based on the faded symbol of fish and crossing knife above the entrance door. But now, the property had run cold and remained in its pitiable state.
He could not help himself but asking, "Where are we?" However, once he glanced at the golden-haired youth, he noticed the tension building up on his shoulders. The blond barely showed such vigilance when they walked down the crowded streets to this entrance of the ocean, but now he seemed to be wary like an attentive predator. Watching him like that worried him that he immediately kept his mouth shut and observed the surroundings, preparing for potential pre-emptive attack.
As he expected, his question left unanswered, but he did not let it to bother him. After all, this blond youth had been ignoring from the very start of their initial meeting. He just stayed behind, waiting for the blond to push open the creaking gate with his thin arms and briskly entered the dark premise without hesitation. Nevertheless, once he stepped into the building, the light assaulted from every direction and was focused on him, temporarily blinded him. He instinctively raised his arms before his eyes to shield from the torrent of light and squinted as hard as he could. To his surprise, he indistinctly could see the black shade of a line of people forming behind the blond as he turned around to face Daiki.
Eventually the light dimmed a little and his vision began to adjust with the extreme amount of light in the compartment. When he was finally able to see his surroundings clearly, his eyes landed on the people standing behind the youth. Even from their appearance, Daiki could easily figure out that they were anything but ordinary people. Each of them was radiating a color of their own, and thus as a group they were reflecting a myriad of multicolor hues. Although the density of refracted light was not as intense as the jet black aura of the blond or the radiant blue of his baby brother, but they were still something he could not take lightly of.
"Welcome to my fortress," the youth stood before him with a presumptuous grin, spreading his arms as if welcoming him. His eyes were finally locked with Daiki's but the blue-haired man already regretted the instant the latter focused on him. The glint behind those azure eyes seemed to be treacherous and only mirrored malice in his mind.
"Let me introduce these Strains, my personal army." The blond explained to him briefly, watching him precariously. The blue-head man quickly understood that he was expected to understand the blonde's intention without further questions or explanation.
"Now, if you want to help me, you will assist me to eliminate the Blue King."
***WhenWeRuledTheWorld***
There was a stretching silence once the Silver King had stopped explaining. Every occupant inside it was lost in their own thoughts, trying to process the information and speculations they had just gathered. He was wondering what was swirling in other's head at that time, although he was entirely lost to his own world as well. There were so many things that he himself felt uncertain and yet felt too premature to spill them out. Things got so complicated and there was too much unease settling down among them that he preferred not to worsen the situation by giving a hasty conjecture. He would wait until he had proven his theory.
He finally lifted his head and figured that they should take a break from this "little" discussion before any of them could overheat their brain. When he lifted his amber eyes to focus on the distracted Blue King, he noted the dark circles under those violet eyes and realized that Mikoto had kept his eyes on Reisi's, watching out for the utterly weary Blue King in case he suddenly collapsed due to extreme exhaustion. The previous aura transfusion might help in curing aura scarcity, but it could not do a thing to the accumulating fatigue due to prolonged stress and lack of sleep. In fact, the Blue King kept heaving tiny sighs involuntarily with slightly slouched posture even now, trying to conserve little energy he had with apparent gloom on his soft features. He did not even attempt to mask his desperation for a quick rest.
Shiro promptly understood what Mikoto had been thinking while the others were worried about the changes of Dresden Slate and betrayal of Black King. The Red King's resolution was reflected as clear as a mirror in his narrowed golden eyes and pursed lips. Seeing that, Shiro simply waited for Mikoto to bring the predictable ending of their conversation.
"That's enough for today," exclaimed Mikoto while his golden eyes lingered on Reisi's hazy mauve orbs. He clasped his hand on the pale, thin wrist and tugged it gently as he whispered under his breath to Reisi's ear, "Come on."
The blue-haired king barely showed resistance against Mikoto as the fiery king towed him out of the room. They were all watching at the retreating backs in silence, apprehending that Mikoto was probably concerned of his lover's feeble health. Shiro simply shrugged at them and smiled airily, "Well, I guess this is it. We should take our leave as well."
Haruka was the first to announce her leave. "In that case, I have my duty to attend. It was a pleasure meeting you, Your Excellencies. Now, if you will excuse me…"
The Gold King curtly nodded at her in acknowledgement, dismissing the doctor without sparing another glance. He wanted to return to his residence as well, taking a quick rest and preparing a new strategy for Dresden research and Black King.
In contrary, Shiro kept locking his gaze on the departing emerald-colored haired physician. A peculiar feeling stirred and hummed inside him, like a faint alarm. As far as he knew, she was a member of the Blue Clan and the Blue King had also confirmed it. Nevertheless, there was something off with the air surrounding her; something unrelated to the Blue Aura, possibly entirely different. As bizarre as it seemed to him, he felt like she was familiar, but he could not recall who she might bear a resemblance with.
Shiro shook his head, trying to shake off the feeling. He did not think they had met before and he was most likely mistaken. After all, he had been isolated for years inside Himmelreich. Not much people related to his past would still be alive by now. In addition, he was meeting new people recently, that his memory could probably mistake her for someone else.
Just when Haruka stepped out of the room, Shiro quickly snapped out of his musing and rushed out to follow the old physician, "Doctor, would you mind to spare me a minute of your time?"
Haruka turned around to face him. She offered a faint smile, but her features were stricken and guarded and her back straightened almost defensively. Despite her attempt to portray hospitality, it did not fool Shiro to sense her reluctance. She most likely had something under her sleeves, but she had no single intention to share it with him. It piques his interest to discern the secret she was hiding.
"Sir Weismann, how can I help you?" Haruka bored her bright green eyes on Shiro. He was taken back with the clarity in those eyes, along with the gentleness reflected deep inside them; the same look she had when she was talking to her precious king a moment ago. Such warmth confounded him, but he shrugged it off, chalking it as one of her features as a healer.
"I would like to have a copy of Blue King's test results and examinations. If it's possible, I would like to be present during his general check-up or future examinations starting from today and to be fully informed regarding his health. I recognize his condition is serious enough to be addressed cautiously and promptly. Thus, if you require a consultation or anything you deem as necessary, you will have my full support."
"I will, if he wishes to share it with you."
"Please forgive my rudeness, but I believe he already gives you his consent. Furthermore, if he decides to go against my judgment, please allow me to remind you that I have the highest authority among all Kings to overrule his refusal. Thus, I would rather not to go over this discussion anymore."
"You would compel him?" Haruka asked in little voice, looking hurt and disappointed.
"I have never forced anyone before," Shiro let out a sigh, "but this time, I would. I have to."
He hurriedly continued as he saw the surprised look on her face. "I'm sorry, but I presume that you have never encountered a case of male pregnancy before."
Haruka narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "What are you trying to say?"
"I believe that no one ever heard such case, for that matter. In my opinion, I see quite promising prospective in your king." He quickly corrected himself when he saw the flash of disbelief in her eyes. "No, I'm not talking about him from scientific standpoint. Please believe me that although the blood of scientist runs deep in my vein, I have no intention of making him an experimental subject. In contrary, I have seen his value from the people around him and realize his exceptional significance. I would like to answer those expectation and wishes, including my dear friend's, to see your King to be able to pass through this impediment alive and well."
The physician pondered for a moment before she nodded, "Our wish is the same then. In that case, I will provide you what you have requested."
"Thank you."
"If that's all, I will take my leave now, Sir Weismann." Haruka bowed and left the Silver King alone in the empty corridor quietly.
Shiro was still watching at the direction where Haruka had gone when a voice suddenly interrupted him. "What is it, Shiro?" He jolted a little in surprise, before he whirled around to face his loyal vassal with a teasing smile. "Kuroh, you surprised me."
However, he returned his gaze back to the hollow hallway with curiosity, "It's just…I have a strange feeling like there is something about her. I don't know what it might be, but one thing for certain, she is hiding something from us; something important."
***WhenWeRuledTheWorld***
Seri was the last occupant in her captain's now deserted workplace. She forced out a little exhale as she closed the ornate double doors connecting to Captain's office. Anna was standing by her side, looking at her expectantly as the young Homra princess was left in her care while Izumo took his leave half an hour ago to make an important call. Seri answered her with a silent smile and offered her hand to the little strain to follow her. To her delight, Anna obediently obliged and grabbed her hand.
The blonde was about to arrive at her shared office with Fushimi when the door was abruptly pushed open. The raven-haired commander walked out from the room, looking irritated more than usual, but she still greeted him out of courtesy. "Oh, Fushimi. Did something happen?"
She fought the urge to smack his head for clicking his tongue in response to her question. But he then reluctantly answered, "First of all, two old men had just left. And second, this guy," Fushimi gestured toward Izumo, who had just appeared behind him, with obvious annoyance, "insisted that he wanted to talk to Red King."
The blonde lieutenant decided that she no longer had any strength spared to discipline Fushimi for his appalling discourtesy toward the first, elder kings for today that she shrugged him off and averted her attention to her lover instead. "Well, he just left with Captain. But I'm not sure where they are heading…" answered her as she was facing toward the hallway leading to Reisi's private bedroom, implicitly telling him her assumption.
Fushimi scoffed with his sarcastic sneer and shrugged, "What, so they already jump at each other already? I thought he would at least fight him first, but I guess it's impossible for him. How disappointing."
"Fushimi!" Seri cried loudly, aghast at his voiced insolence. If only he knew how she resisted her hand for not flying to slap his cheek to hush him.
"What? It's true." Fushimi threw her a bored look rebelliously. The blonde took a few deep breaths and ignored her insufferable subordinate and sent him away before he could spoil her already awful mood even further.
The third commander looked revolted with her sudden dismissal, but he left without a word. Nevertheless, Seri could not help but to partially agree with her subordinate. It was not her place to tell her Captain that the Red King was technically a bad news and it was insane for him to resume that defective relationship again with the very man who had hurt him to such extent. But no matter how much she wanted to yell or scream for this madness, it was her Captain's choice to return to Suoh's embrace and she had to respect it. She always believed that her king was an excellent judge of character and thus he most likely had seen something in Red King to love him this deep. Nonetheless, there was a tiny doubt lurking in the corner of her mind, asking her if that was not simply a blind love.
"Seri, dear, just leave him be. You'll only get more wrinkles if you're angry at him." Izumo teased her while taking her hands in his lovingly.
"Yeah." She smiled back at her lover, pushing off her endless worries out of her mind. It was not wise to burden Izumo with her qualms.
"Anyway, Anna and I should head back to Homra. Something comes up." The blond bartender said while rubbing her hands absentmindedly.
"What is it?" Seri perked up and gave him a half-hearted glare while pulling her hands away from Izumo's grasp, "I hope it won't involve Scepter 4 later on."
"I certainly hope so too, my fair lady." Izumo smoothly answered and beamed at her serenely.
Seri exhaled with a small, genuine smile with crossed arms in front of her bosoms. "Then go. I'll tell the Red King that you both have left, if I see him." A veil of concern draped on her face again as she told him. Although she tried not to think about it, her mind promptly returned back to her king and his welfare whenever Suoh Mikoto came up in dialogue. As much as she was happy for her king to finally get the support he urgently needed, especially with the child inside him, the blonde lieutenant was still wary of Mikoto. The history always repeated itself. Red King was no exception for he was also a human being. There were still odds for Mikoto to make her king to go through the same hell again.
Izumo seemed to understand her distress that he leisurely took her hands again and squeezed them with fortitude. "Don't worry about them. They're both adults and they are capable in making their own decisions. We should just support them, regardless their choices are." He stared straight into her mesmerizing eyes and gave his best smile to reassure her. "Anyway, let's not bother him. We'll just let him taking his sweet time. He knows where to find us when his business is all taken care of."
She replied with a hesitant nod. Izumo impulsively pecked a kiss on her cheek, feeling giddy as a familiar scarlet blush bloomed in her fair skinned face. He whirled around on his heel with Anna trotting beside him to leave the HQ, "See you later, Mademoiselle."
***WhenWeRuledTheWorld***
When Mikoto pulled Reisi out of the crowd with his grip firmly tightened on slender wrist, he could feel all pairs of eyes from every occupant inside the room were fixed on their retreating backs. He had expected that someone would voice out an objection or stop him from getting his way, but even after he closed the door behind him, there was still silence as if they were standing in the very heart of a graveyard.
He assumed that the rest of them were being considerate since the color of night blue had been casted to the horizon. There were more than enough strenuous events occurring for a day as well, especially for the Blue King. Or at least, that was what he would like to believe. Because, despite whatever the others may have considered as the top priority or emergency issue, he would completely disregard it, unless it was about Reisi's wellbeing. If Reisi had insisted on spending another minute inside that room, he would haul the man himself out by force. In his book, Reisi's condition was the main concern and thus everything else including world apocalypse; it could wait until tomorrow morning.
Mikoto adeptly strode through the winding grand corridors as if he remembered the blueprint of the building by heart, with his mind focused only on one thing – Reisi's private room. Every fiber of his body had memorized the outline of Scepter 4 HQ that he believed that he probably could find his destination with closed eyes. Although they were supposed to be rivals and it was like treading a path to the battle field whenever he visited his lover to this residence countless times in the middle of the night before, Mikoto chuckled in the irony that he perhaps remembered every cut and corner of this building just as much as its owner. Those bittersweet memories following from that train of thought immediately hit him, and his chest constricted with a pang of regret. How he wished to be able to savor those days again; even a fragment of it would be his joy.
However, before they could even reach the destination, Mikoto felt a resistance against his hold just when he was about to turn to another corridor on his right. When he glanced back through his shoulder, his eyes met the glaring violet ones. Mikoto simply stared back, asking the latter to simply follow him submissively. Nevertheless, Reisi determinedly fought the grasp on his wrist that he even placed his other hand on top of Mikoto's deadly grip to resist it.
"Cease this behavior this instant," said Munakata coldly, still tugging his hand away from Mikoto's clutch. "I would have no more of this humiliation for pulling me around in front of my Clansmen's eyes to see."
"Am I supposed to care?"
He did not wish to hurt Reisi more than he already was, and thus he loosened his grip from Reisi's wrist begrudgingly. After all, if they kept going on this tug war, the blue-haired king might not end up with just ugly purple bruise around his wrist and Mikoto had soundlessly vowed that he would not be the one to inflict the pain on Reisi anymore. However, as soon as he slackened his grip, Reisi yanked his hand away so abruptly that Mikoto immediately was struck with a sense of discomfort with sudden loss of skin contact. Thus, he crossed his arms in front of his chest as he did not know what to do with his empty hands.
"Yes, you should." Reisi clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes threateningly, "If you are about to walk me to my room, you better conduct yourself in civilized manner, or else you may just leave."
Mikoto shifted his weight to the other leg, but he stood still without arguing back. It was pointless to resume a losing war since he was not on par against Reisi's sharp tongue to begin with. Just like how Reisi could not win against him in long-drawn-out battle of ignorance. They were, in some way, perfect for each other in his opinion.
But this moment was not the time to bicker. If he could get the latter to rest early by succumbing to this defeat, he was more than willing to lose more upcoming battles ahead.
However, the next instant, Reisi surprised him with a devilish smirk. "And since I can safely presume that you are leading me to my room…" He trailed off, leaning forward dangerously close to Mikoto, close enough to whisper just before his lips but not touching. Mikoto shuddered in anticipation, wishing that Reisi would stop teasing and just encircled his arms around his neck. His face fell a little when his lover pulled back, wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms with a smug expression as if mimicking him to scorn. Reisi muttered with a soft snort, "How lecherous."
Mikoto glowered heatedly, already guaranteed the violet-eyed king a payback for his insult. "Then, please lead the way, Your Majesty." Mikoto bowed while he glanced up with transparent twinkle of tease on his eyes, intending to aggravate the latter. But Reisi did not provide any satisfaction to Mikoto as he did not even blink at his antics. The Blue King nonchalantly brushed him off and walked past him as if he was a marble statue by the wall and made his path straight to his room.
Mikoto chuckled softly at the usual response he used to get from his lover before their paths pathetically diverged after one fateful night. There were so many moments he cherished and this little whimsical bicker was also one of several things he had missed dearly. Mikoto's hard features softened involuntarily as he was holding an affectionate gaze at the familiar straight back in front of him. He would admit it to the world that he was grateful to any divine force above that gave him this second chance to return to Reisi's side.
At the same time, the sound of rough, small laugh escaping Mikoto's throat behind him was literally, supposedly impossible to make him feeling anything, because it was just a noise. But Reisi felt butterflies inside his stomach and his mood was nonsensically elated. It felt so natural to fall back to this situation, when he was so used to Mikoto's constant teasing. He wondered for a brief moment, if he should for once, speaking out loud the words that he had bottled up and failed to relay until the destined day when his beloved Tenrou was stained by abundant red of Mikoto's blood, but he stopped himself. Never once they exchanged the confession of love, nor did he desperately wish to hear it as neither of them felt the necessities. Confessing would be like asking a rhetorical question; worthless despite its aesthetic and words were insufficient to express the feeling they contained. What they shared and felt was reflected on their eyes, speaking the volume better than a communication device made by human.
And thus, Reisi did not stop once he reached out for the doorknob, turned it and stepped into his dim private chamber. He did not bother to look back to see if Mikoto was still following him or not, but he left the door open as an implied invitation. If Mikoto wanted to return to what they once were and got bounded once again by red thread to him, it would be by his choice.
His hand instinctively searched for the switch to turn on the lamp amidst the darkness. Just as soon as the light was on, there was a soft click sound behind him. Reisi whirled around with the words were just on the tip of his tongue to speak with the man he had not seen for a stifling time that felt like a century. However, his mind quickly failed him and it went as blank as paper sheet once Mikoto's lips abruptly claimed his and settled into a rough kiss.
Mikoto pushed until Reisi's back was against the wall as he assaulted those pair of rosy lips with relentless kisses and confined his lover with his arms on each side of Reisi's head. When Reisi broke the kiss for a second, gasping for air as the sickly sweet heat welled inside him, Mikoto took the advantage to attack the inside of his mouth and explore with his tongue. He already knew the crevice of Reisi's mouth with countless kisses they had, but the delight he felt was almost as if this was a refrain of their first kiss.
The Red King's hands roamed as far as they could get. The cravat was long gone, the uniform trench coat joined the heap of raven-colored jacket and a v-neck white shirt that were tossed aside somewhere on the floor, and the confining spectacles was safely tucked on the small table beside them. One hand had strayed to slip under Reisi's white shirt and trail the skin beneath, inciting a small gasp from the latter. The other hand had gone lower, tugging on Reisi's belt. The sensation was too much, especially with Mikoto's mouth hungrily devoured his lips, occasionally nipped gently until they were crimson red and swollen. When Mikoto paused briefly, as he took pleasure in watching his lover in complete daze, only then Reisi realized that his belt had been abandoned on top of the bundle of clothes under them. He stifled a gasp and held his breath as Mikoto's fingers mischievously tugged on the zipper of his pants. He shuddered in anticipation as the last straw of his composure snapped.
He did not care about hurt and his anger for being betrayed. He did not care about being easily manipulated to indulge Mikoto. Hell, he did not care about rationality and not in the least, his justice or virtue. All he wanted right now was to lose himself inside Mikoto's embrace and bask in the distinctive scent like a sun and summer and cigarette; everything that he had undeniably longed for months.
Surely, he would spend the next morning, denying the pleasure he had felt for this one night and regretting his momentary display of weakness, but at this second, Munakata Reisi would simply be a human and allowed himself to be completely taken. He would let himself drowned in the infinite sea of blissful pleasure as deep as Mikoto's fingertips could pull him because if this pleasure was an abyss, he would still impulsively plunge into it.
He quietly moaned as Mikoto licked and gently sink his teeth on the junction of Reisi's neck and shoulder and grazed up to his throat, leaving a trail of red marks. It would be a chaos for him when the daybreak visited to cover the bruises, but at this moment, he would think of nothing but Mikoto and his warmth. Particularly, he had abandoned his coherent mind along with his pants which was thrown somewhere in the room along with his brief.
Mikoto grunted as he pressed against Reisi until their ragged, hot breath mingled while his hand reached down for release of his own pants. The blue-haired man simply stared with a shade of scarlet adoring his cheeks, bracing himself of what was coming. From the look of Mikoto being impatient that mirroring his, they would probably end up with rough lovemaking that they both would lay waste by the end of it. Nevertheless, this primal contact was what he needed; they needed. This craving was gnawing at him from the inside, clawing to break free of its chain and more often than not, they allowed the beasts to roam free and preyed on each other until they were contented. It was not as if Mikoto never had sporadic urge to be tender and slow as if they were holding a sacred ritual, but the unquenchable hunger consumed them almost too often.
The Red King hooked his left arm under the violet-eyed king's thigh and lifted it up effortlessly while pressing him against the wall. Reisi instinctively kept his hands on Mikoto's shoulder to keep him balanced and bent his knee and put his hauled leg behind Mikoto's back. He closed his eyes and heaved a little sigh of content at delicious frictions of their skin as Mikoto rutted against him and Reisi grinded his hips, effectively eliciting a strained groan from Mikoto, to his satisfaction.
However, the moment of triumphant smirk was fleeting that he sucked in a startled breath as Mikoto's fingers briefly rubbed his entrance while the Red King was staring up at those amethyst eyes, hooded by want, asking for consent. Reisi simply tilted his head and smiled affectionately, and that was all Mikoto needed for an answer.
Mikoto brought his free hand to Reisi's hardening length, rubbing up and down the shaft that drew a series of quiet moans and pants by his ears as Reisi tightened his arms around Mikoto's neck and buried his face on Mikoto's hair behind his ear. The crimson-haired king fought a growl at the beautiful sound escaping Reisi's lips, denying himself the promise of pleasure prematurely. This dance was still early and he did not wish to claim Reisi ruthlessly more than necessary.
He rubbed the slit on the head and he could feel the other trembling hard with erratic breaths. Once he decided that the glistening pre-cum was enough to slick his fingers, Mikoto distracted the latter with a long kiss while two fingers entered Reisi. He swallowed the strangled whine coming out from Reisi and broke the kiss to lick the tears formed at the corner of mauve-colored eyes as he felt the muscles tensing against his intruding fingers. Mikoto paused for a moment, allowing the latter to adjust for several seconds, before he set the rhythm of relentless thrusting in and out and scissoring his fingers to stretch the muscle. Reisi held his head back against the wall, exposing his ivory throat and arching his back as the sensation flooded his senses.
Mikoto lowered his head and sink his teeth under the lump of Reisi's throat as he inserted the third finger and repeated the motion of rubbing inside Reisi, expecting a protest or even a hit on his head for leaving love mark in obvious place that his cravat might not even completely hide it from public eyes. But the latter only stared back at him questioningly with his eyes glazed with burning lust when the red-haired man pulled back a little to see his lover's reaction. Taking pride in his little victory to make Reisi losing his poise in the heat, he stole few butterfly kisses playfully, while trying to hold back his blazing passion a little.
"I'm sorry, I can't wait..." Mikoto apologized shakily.
Reisi beamed at him and lunged forward to seal his lips once again with Mikoto's. To Mikoto's disappointment, Reisi pulled back too soon for his pleasure. He chased after, but Reisi shifted his face a little to escape the kiss and laughed a little at the frown creasing on Mikoto's forehead. He finally leaned forward and whispered softly to Mikoto's ear while taking delight in the weight of Mikoto's chin, tucked on his shoulder, "So impatient. Go on."
In all considerations, Reisi was actually touched by Mikoto's concern and patience. It was common knowledge that there was no shred of patience in Mikoto's fibers, but this time he could see that the Red King was making an effort to wait and take it a bit slower than usual. It was probably because he feared the thought of hurting him and the child inside him. Nevertheless, right now, Reisi wanted this, and he would be damned if he had to wait any longer than this. This stranded pleasure would kill him first before anything else and he confided that Mikoto would never hurt him anyway.
Mikoto sighed in relief as he buried his face on Reisi's shoulder, pushing in and out his fingers for several times just to be sure, purposely rubbing the spot that would make Reisi gritting his teeth in his vain effort to keep down his moans with the waves of indescribable pleasure. Now and then he would stop briefly, taking a note at any discomfort that may appear on Reisi's features, but the latter only responded with frustrated scowl. Mikoto abandoned his self-restraint, pulled out his fingers and shifted to get better angle. He hooked his arms on the back of Reisi's knee to lift him up swiftly as if the blue-haired king did not weight much more than a paper.
Reisi sighed at the sudden loss inside him, but not long after, Mikoto's cock replaced the empty sensation and filled him with skilled precision. His interlaced hands around Mikoto's neck tightened painfully, as Mikoto sank deeper into him. They had done this position quite often, considering how Reisi had favored it, that Mikoto knew it by heart how to push Reisi's button to make him explicitly moaning and writhing in pleasure.
Their pace was slow to begin with, before Mikoto picked up their speed, brushing Reisi's prostate insistently as he moved, sending the latter to the edge of bliss. His muscles probably screamed with the exertion, but Mikoto could not even process anything else aside the man in his arms and the blinding surge of pleasure. His brain stopped thinking, as only the name of Reisi and his flushing face occupied his mind. Reisi's incessant moans on his ears reeled him into infinite rapture.
Then Reisi felt it, barely perceptible in the peak of his pleasure, something inside him softly hummed as if in content. His core was burning hot as if he was engulfed by the storm of flames, flooding his world with crimson heat. He could sense the radiance of flare inside him, emanating stronger glow than before. He had thought that Mikoto was leaking out his Aura again and transmitted it to him, but there was no familiarly dazzling red surrounding Mikoto. Nonetheless, with every thrust, Reisi felt as if the fire would burn him, until nothing was left but ashes, but no trepidation slipped into his mind.
The blue-haired king held onto Mikoto desperately while the Red King's arms kept him steady and safe. For months, there was a gaping hole inside his chest that he had given up to fill up. But now, Mikoto easily picked up the shattered pieces and completed him, as if nothing was broken to begin with. Before this moment, his brain kept racking on how to forget his anger, his bitterness and move on, to no avail. Reisi ended up exhausting himself, although he just wished to stop thinking, wanting to rest from appalling thoughts. All of a sudden, Mikoto returned and pulled him into his arms and promptly, it became so simple for him to forget the pain of losing and breathe at ease.
Now only pleasure overloaded his senses and the pain seemed to be so distant. He was so willing to surrender to this momentary bliss and wipe away the ache thumping on his heart, because right now, his mind had failed him. At this moment, he could only think of the friction, frantic thrust as Mikoto's length brushed against his inside, and the impending burst of white stars behind his eyes. Despite the desperation with every thrust, Reisi realized that Mikoto held him close and handled him with exceptional tentative care, thus he trusted the red-haired king and allowed himself to be swept away by the torrent of bliss.
He was already reeling over the edge that after a few thrusts, he muffled his choked cries by burying his head to Mikoto's shoulder as he came. Mikoto grunted loudly and kept moving for a short while before Reisi could feel the heat spilling inside him not long after him. Mikoto lowered him down shakily and they kept still for a while like that, panting heavily as he leant on Reisi, sandwiching the Blue King with his damp body and the wall. The golden eyes were locked on him all the time, and Reisi was lost in the depth of Mikoto's eyes that were so clearly visible even without his glasses. He could not feign ignorance when those orbs reflected so much adoration. A warm happiness swelled inside him and his cheeks colored. Indeed, they did not need words at this moment to convey their feelings across.
Once Mikoto's breath had considerably slowed down and he could plant his feet steadily on the floor without leaning on his lover, he swept the latter off the floor, paying no heed to a sudden yelp of surprise and feeble pound of Reisi's fist on his chest as a weak retaliation to move to their bed. When he leisurely laid Reisi down on the midnight blue-colored bed sheet, he could not resist the corner of his lips quirking up at the sight of drowsy and contented lover with half-lidded eyes, who probably barely registered where Mikoto had carried him. He dutifully undressed Reisi's remaining shirt, dampened by sweat and tears, and tossed it aside carelessly. After giving a quick cleaning on both of them, Mikoto joined the latter on the bed, pulling the cover up to Reisi's head.
The blue-haired man was on the verge of being out cold but he could feel the source of warmth was still too distant for his liking. Reisi fought the lethargy fog from his eyes and scooted closer to Mikoto. He indistinctly heard a soft chuckle from the man beside him as he closed his eyes with relieved sigh.
"Don't leave," said Reisi under his breath, slurring off at the end of his line.
Mikoto smiled down genuinely at Reisi. His clingy habit after euphoric night sessions was still achingly the same. If anything, it made him hundred times more endearing that Mikoto had to restrain himself from imprisoning the latter firmly in his embrace and asphyxiate Reisi in the process. "I don't intend to." He brushed off the cobalt strands plastered on Reisi's temple and pressed a light kiss on it tenderly. "Never again."
***WhenWeRuledTheWorld***
Days passed by, fleeting almost like a withering leaf. They were at the gate of spring, although the air still faintly cold with intermittent rain of snow. The buds of wild flowers were scattered on the meadows and parks in the skyscraper-filled city and the colors had returned to the barren ground. A month was already behind them since the official return of Red King, and yet Reisi still refused the physical examinations, no matter how Haruka had pestered him tirelessly. Nevertheless, things in Shizume City definitely were calmer on the surface.
It was partially on Mikoto's liability for purposely keeping Homra under control. He knew that Scepter 4 had more than enough workloads as it was because of increasing mysterious assaults from unknown, straying Strains, to his and Reisi's lieutenant's dismay. Thus, his protective instinct told him not to saddle his pregnant lover further just because of Homra. If anything, he preferred to minimize the number of evitable trouble that would involve Scepter 4. The Red clansmen seemed to understand their King's need to keep the peace that even the young members kept their tempers in check, despite not knowing the reason for the ceasefire.
Homra was getting more active in handling Strain cases, trying to solve the issue even before the file could arrive at Scepter 4's desk. Nevertheless, the number of Strain's attack was irregularly rocketing up to handle that it was inevitable for them to encounter Scepter 4 almost on daily basis. However, Mikoto was grateful and proud of his family since they faithfully followed him and did not even felt compelled to assist Scepter 4, despite the bad blood between two clans in the past.
To boost his relief, despite the abnormal number of Strain cases, Mikoto had never seen his blue-haired lover in the battlefield. Mikoto had to admit that Awashima Seri, the Scepter 4's female lieutenant, was absolutely smart and exceptional in performing her duty and she was absolutely an essential asset in Blue Clan. The lieutenant often handled the field work alone with her squad and Fushimi, intentionally avoided in involving her King in most cases. It was no wonder that Reisi seemed to hold high respect at her and praised for her work more often than he ever commended Mikoto. Hearing Reisi praising her actually made the Red King a little jealous at times.
But that day, not even the Blue King's praise could help the fair haired Lieutenant in solving what was to come, on her own.
It was just another exhausting night for Scepter 4. Domyoji was left standing by at the HQ along with his colleagues, Ryuho and Minato siblings while Awashima went to an area of the city to handle a recent assault on innocent citizen by bothered him was the fact that the Strains seemed to operate in a structured faction. Usually, the strain went solo and worked individually to do their mischief and thus Scepter 4 generally could detain the perpetrator in a flash. But recent reports on the incidents stated the contrary to typical pattern; that they worked on prearranged operation in a group. As if things were not bad already, the attacks occurred too frequent that they barely had enough time to breathe or personnel to spare. Lack of sleep piled up, putting them under a lot of stress.
The mission was often taken care of in a blink of eye when Captain decided to give a hand and conclude the case as efficient as they could be. However, these days it was painfully clear that their lieutenant had attempted not to include Captain in any work that would situate him in a spot with a risk of danger. Ever since the incident with Black King and Captain being injured, he never saw his superior in action anymore. They had assumed that Awashima was probably being considerate and protective so to allow Captain to recover from his wound, but days had passed more than necessary for the Blue King to regain his health. Yet Captain still barely stepped in when the task was carried out. If he had to be honest, he was wishing that Captain would give them an aid already, considering the insane amount of assignments they had to handle at the moment.
As if the whole situation was not strange enough, another thing that he and his co-workers had noticed was Homra. Whenever there was an issue that would require Scepter 4's immediate attention, Homra was whether not far behind or far ahead to Blue Clan's arrival. To their surprise, the presence of Homra was aberrantly not a nuisance by their side. They actually took care of everything that Scepter 4 was required to finish and then left without giving much resistance or causing havoc. In fact, Homra helped the Special Force in completing the mission sooner than expected. It was almost as if Homra and the Red King who made his appearance too often, to Scepter 4's groundless anxiety, offered them a truce, if not an alliance, to decrease their workload.
Needless to say, this unspoken coalition had profited most of them. The only drawback of this lack of "blood-shed" between two clans was a certain raven-haired commander who was extremely in the worst mood due to the lack of opportunity to vent out his frustration. Fushimi began to act deliberately difficult that Awashima had to obstinately discipline him quite often.
However, this time, they would have to solve the problem on their own.
He was sitting with Ryuho in the assembly room when they suddenly received an urgent call from Lieutenant to immediately alert Captain and inquire his support in the town. Despite the poise in her voice, he was no fool to comprehend that her team was probably in dire situation that enforced her to request for Captain's aid, against her wish. Her protective behavior toward Captain was getting on his nerve since she often shrugged them off, saying that their King did not need to be informed of those acrimonious confrontations with this unknown group of Strains. In his argument, keeping their King in the dark of their missions might have its complication should a problem arose later on that her judgment worried him. Nevertheless, despite his anxiety tormenting his conscience, he did not voice it out loud.
But this time, there was high probability that the operation had gone out of control. She had briefed him that Homra had sent reinforcement. However without their King, they also had a hard time engaging the ludicrously massive number of Strains. This situation required the presence of a King to contain, but she was reluctant to impose the Homra more than she already was, leaving her no choice but to request for Captain's supervision.
So here he was in the middle of the night, striding in the hollow, bright corridor to the private chamber of Captain of Scepter 4, lightened by the crystal lamps hanging above his head along the path. Domyoji was as hesitant as Awashima to awaken his King at this hour to direct an immediate support to dispatched team, but he could not think a better solution to handle the crisis like this.
He stood in front of the door, heaving a sigh as he ran his hand through his messy bed hair nervously. He was taking a snooze as he was on standby in HQ when a call from his lieutenant effectively alerted him out of his foggy mind. When he heard her task for him, his heart nearly stopped.
As a matter of fact, waking up his Captain was the last thing he wanted to do and he did not even expect of doing so at all. The Blue King was not in his best mood recently. Although he still smiled and never reprimanded his subordinates unless necessary, the curve of his lips seemed strained and the usual glint of mischief did not reach his eyes. They had speculated that the reason behind it was probably because Captain felt frustrated for failing to see through Black King's disguise and even accommodated him to enter the very heart of Scepter 4 HQ itself. However, the truth remained concealed as none of them dared to risk the wrath of their King for asking.
Domyoji took another deep breath before he lifted his hand to tap the door softly with his knuckles. A few seconds passed in silence, which was completely startling for him. Deciding that the time was not a luxury at the moment, he decided to knock again, a bit more demanding this time. However, a minute had passed and he heard no response or even a small sound from the other side of the door. He tapped his feet impatiently while staring at the door with devastated look as he was debating internally of his next move.
The Blue King was usually a light sleeper that even a small sound would wake him up immediately in the middle of the night. They never crossed a problem when they could not alert their Captain and thus he could not decide how to address the current issue. Helplessly, he tried to knock again, much louder almost like thumping the door, "Captain? Domyoji here, reporting."
Only a silence answered his call. Unease started to creep in and he felt a chill running through his back. It was just a month ago when the Black King trespassed their property and managed to injure the Blue King. What if this time someone also attempted an assassination on his king? What if his Captain was left with mortal wound to answer his call? And the most important thing, they realized that Captain's health was not at his best condition, if not deteriorating according to the medical team. Anything might happen and he might be in need for help.
In addition, he could already hear the voice of Awashima yelling at him for procrastinating behind his head. He cringed inwardly and thought of his friends who probably needed immediate support. At this moment, what they all needed was not just him and his other colleagues, but their Captain; their King. And he would risk his life to accomplish his mission.
He took a sharp intake of air and steeled himself as he put his hand on the doorknob and pushed it open, painstakingly slow so not to make unnecessary noise. He narrowed his eyes, still holding his breath as the darkness inside the room temporarily blinded him. When his sight had adjusted to the lack of light, he was completely bewildered for not being prepared to see what was laid in front of his eyes.
The ginger-haired officer immediately straightened himself into battle stance and drew his sword in a heartbeat. He snarled at the danger and his eyes were bright with determination to defend his King at any cost, although he could already see the aftermath if this battle took place. He was probably getting himself killed by engaging into a losing struggle, but he could not abandon his King, let alone to leave him unaided with the nemesis of Scepter 4 with piercing golden eyes.
He glanced away from those threatening gold orbs, to look at his king and observe for any hint of wound or pain from his feature. But his captain appeared to be sleeping quietly with his face half buried into the pillow and steady rise and fall of his chest. The color of blue Aura surrounded his king, with the swirling, red hues enveloping it. As his eyes traced it, the shade of crimson flowed from the man behind his Captain, who was slinging his arm around the Blue King's waist possessively and resting his hand on the sleeping man's torso. The renowned Red King was glaring at him threateningly as if Domyoji had just disturbed a lion's den.
Somehow the situation seemed to fit well the metaphor.
"G-get away from Captain!" Domyoji winced at the stuttering sound coming from his lips. He prayed that the enemy in front of him could not see his shaking hands and the sweats running on his back. It would be humiliating for him as a proud member of elite Scepter 4 to tremble before their enemy.
Mikoto narrowed his shimmering golden eyes and it was all it took to make Domyoji's legs feeble. The urge to flee was unbearable as he felt like a prey before the predator, but he shook it away and firmed himself. He refused to leave his King vulnerable in the presence of potential peril.
"You," Mikoto mouthed furiously under his breath while making a gesture for him to run off with a shake of his head. "Out. Now."
"No!" Domyoji cried as he prepared his heart for imminent death on Red King's hand. This time, he would also have the honor to sacrifice his life for his King, like what Kosuhara had done. He decided that he would not regret his decision, or the path he had treaded. He had chosen to be here, and to be the prideful Blue Clansmen under the sovereign of the Blue King he had admired.
He only managed to see a flash of red and gold when all of a sudden the Red King was no longer on the bed. From the periphery of his vision, he saw that the red was already behind him. He was whirling around on his heel in surprise when Mikoto abruptly grabbed the back of his collar uniform and practically dragged him back to the corridor, out of the bedroom. When they had returned to the hallway, Mikoto immediately whirled him around and slammed him against the wall with a full fist of his shirt and twofold ferocity.
Domyoji's courage died a little under his fierce look.
The ginger-haired man grimaced at the pain on his back. It seemed that the Red King was serious in breaking his spine by crashing him to the wall.
"What are you doing in there?" asked Domyoji with a little squeak as he tried to break free from Mikoto's grasp in vain. The Red King did not spare him leniency that he even wrinkled his nose, clearly annoyed at the sight of Domyoji.
"I was sleeping before you invited yourself in." Mikoto answered nonchalantly with a shrug and stared at the latter as if he was asking an absurd question. However, Domyoji only gaped at him like a dying fish before he blurted out spontaneously to voice out his confusion. "Sleeping? In Captain's room? Are you kidding me?" When Mikoto did not reply back, he kept on grilling for answer with a scowl, "What did you do to him?"
"I did nothing." Mikoto finally released his grip from the blue-uniformed officer as he said languidly. Domyoji heaved a sigh and glared at Mikoto as he straightened his crumpled uniform and asked in cynical tone, "Really?"
Mikoto quirked an eyebrow at him and his muscles stiffened at the accusation, to Domyoji's delight. He recorded the small victory he had just scored inside his mind. The Blue Clansman began to find his confidence and confronted the Homra's sole leader, pointing his finger offensively at Mikoto, "Then how can you explain the red aura around Captain? Why would you be in his bed?"
But Mikoto tilted his head with cocked eyebrow and a conceited smirk on his face as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking amused, "What, don't you know what people does in bed?"
Domyoji barked in annoyance abruptly, "Of course I do! Don't take me as a fool!" An awkward pause then set in between them, and Mikoto still wore that smirk, which only growing wider when the blue clansman looked flabbergasted and instantly took a step back at the appalling notion, "Wait…Does that mean that you…" His eyes kept shifting from Mikoto to the half-closed door and back to the Red King with dread reflected in them as he trailed off. "…and Captain!?"
Mikoto decided that it was enough of tease that he curtly answered with a little smirk, "Sleep."
"Huh?"
"That's what people do in bed." The crimson-haired king rolled his eyes, exerting his patience to elaborate. "They sleep."
"What?" Domyoji only stared back with blank, baffled face, to Mikoto's irritation. He probably sounded dumb to the man before him, but he just could not find a better response to Mikoto's statement. "You don't say…you're sleeping? With Captain? In his bed?"
Mikoto snorted and grinned mischievously, mercilessly pulling Domyoji's leg, "Yeah, we are just sleeping. For today." The Red King fought the urge to laugh at the dumb expression on Reisi's subordinate. Domyoji instantly paled and there was apparent denial on his face.
"Y-you mean that this is not the first time?" Domyoji looked incredulous as if his eyes would fall out of their sockets. "And you are not just sleeping?" He blurted out without thinking. However, once he realized it, he inwardly wanted to bury his face to his hands and vanish from this spot. He did not really hear to know the answer. His heart might not be prepared for the upcoming, brutal truth.
Mikoto shrugged and sighed with an amused look, "I'm not going to discuss our personal life with you."
"But he is my King. I have the responsibility to know and mind his condition." Domyoji replied, deadpanned. He began to feel agitated for being stalled for so long. He was supposed to have aroused his king and rushed out to aid lieutenant's team by this minute. If only the king of Homra would step aside and make his life easier, but alas the goddess of fate did not side with him.
"So? Just because I'm the Red King, it doesn't mean that I will share my intimate life with my clansmen. That should apply to him as well." Mikoto argued smoothly as if he could read Domyoji's mind and had anticipated such question ahead.
Domyoji let out a frustrated exhale while running his fingers through his hairs distractedly, "Whatever. I don't have time for this. I need to wake Captain up and ask him to lead the reinforcement team." He whirled around to make his way back to the private bedroom. Nevertheless, before he could even take a step closer to the door, Mikoto had stepped in between him and the bedroom by leaning against the door frame with a scorching frown.
"Don't even think about it." He growled in a low voice, sounding resolute. Domyoji swore that he sounded like a lion's roar.
Domyoji snapped angrily, "Why not? Our comrades are in trouble. That's why they ask for Captain's instruction. Are you telling me to abandon them?"
Mikoto remained unfazed at his anger, "He's tired."
The blue clansman was bewildered that his eyes widened with disbelief. What kind of lousy excuse was that to offer? Scepter 4 was a special force that most often than not, they had to remain standby at all times. Even if they were in the middle of grieving a lost friend, as long as there was an emergency call, they were enforced to come, despite anything. The responsibility that came with their profession was inevitably heavy, that it would not forgive such weakness like lack of sleep to hinder them from being dispatched. He wondered if Mikoto was simply trying to get on his nerve.
"We are all tired." Domyoji exclaimed, emphasizing his tone to convey the grave situation they were in, "Most of us haven't slept for two days. This happens sometimes." He sounded almost like pleading while throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "Please, step aside."
Mikoto did not budge an inch as he callously stared back at the ginger-head officer, "Are you all so weak that you have to run to your king every time to solve your problems?"
Domyoji bit back a curse, although he was completely enraged, fighting the urge to strangle the man in front of him to death. How dare the Red King to casually insult them when he knew nothing what they had been experiencing all these time? He took a few deep breaths to calm his anger, forcing himself to keep a composed mind. It would not help him or his comrades by losing control and screaming at Mikoto's face. After a while, he began to speak, "We have done our best to complete our missions on our own, but sometimes things could get out of control. This time, there are too much Strains involved and the number of them is overwhelming. Their powers pose to be problematic too."
Mikoto lifted his finger to his chin, pondering for a moment. Domyoji waited in stifling silence that he tapped his foot impatiently. Time seemed to stretch painfully long between them. After contemplating and persistently staring at each other, Mikoto decided to break the tension and announced his judgment resolutely, not allowing a room for objection, "I'll go on his stead."
"What? No!" Domyoji promptly retorted back.
"Why not?" Mikoto scowled, confronting the latter for stopping him to substitute the Blue King.
"Captain is our only King. We will not follow anyone but him."
"He's supposed to rest right now." Mikoto looked down at Domyoji fiercely. The latter hesitated for a few seconds, scrutinizing the Red King. Somehow Mikoto's exasperation seemed to be imbued by the need to protect something precious. His hostility stung him a lot, but Domyoji felt like there was something deeper than a small secret between these kings that he needed to understand.
Domyoji lowered his voice a little bit, asking with a hint of concern as he shifted his sight toward the door, which had kept his king hidden behind it, "Is Captain sick?"
Mikoto was quiet for a moment before he sighed, "No, he isn't."
"Then why are you…"
"He will tell you when the time is right." Mikoto abruptly cut him.
Domyoji narrowed his eyes warily, but he decided not to pursue the reason as to why the Red King was in his king's chamber anymore. There was more pressing matter for him to ask, "So can you explain the red aura around Captain?"
Mikoto took another inhale as he shrugged off the question, "None of your concern right now. Aren't you in hurry?"
Domyoji noticed the edginess in Mikoto's voice and his attempt to avoid the question that he kept pressing on the Homra's king. "But his well-being is also our priority. Look, he is not a fragile porcelain doll that needs Lieutenant and Fushimi to shelter him all the time as if he would break if he goes outside this HQ! He is not weak! He is our honored king, and we depend on him."
"Then, you should let him depend on you too."
The officer sucked in an angry breath before he glowered and threatened the Red King, "Give me a good reason not to alert him of the situation."
Mikoto thought for a moment before a smirk returned to his lips along with the fiery flames dancing on his fists, "How about if it's so I don't have to burn you up?
Domyoji stiffened and shrunk away in terror. But he kept standing before golden-eyed king, trying to mask his fear of the latter in vain as he accused Mikoto. "You know what's going on with Captain, but you aren't telling."
"No, I won't tell."
"Then you leave me with no choice but to wake him up."
Mikoto straightened his back, leaning off the door frame and the surge of heat began to swirl in the air around them forebodingly, "I won't let you pass."
"I don't mind. If we fight here, the noise will wake Captain up anyway." Domyoji said nonchalantly. At his answer, Mikoto reluctantly dismissed his aura, but it was not enough to deter him to move away from the door.
Domyoji heaved a sigh and pinched his forehead with his fingers. The whole event gave him headache that he just wished he could make Mikoto vanish with a flick of his finger. "Why are you all so determined to confine Captain inside HQ lately? Be it Lieutenant, Fushimi and now you…You said that he isn't ill and I want to believe it, but…"
Mikoto shook his head and slouched a bit as he spoke, "None of us is entitled to tell his secret."
"Oh, but it's your secret too." An amused baritone voice interrupted them.
Domyoji and Mikoto nearly jumped in surprise at the familiar voice coming from behind the door. They both snapped their head to stare into the darkness inside the room. After a few second, Reisi appeared just behind Mikoto with a little smile and gave a nod of acknowledgement at his subordinate before he focused on Mikoto.
"Captain!" The ginger-haired officer cried out in surprise.
Mikoto shifted a bit to allow some space beside him for Reisi to stand in with a soft smile plastered on his features, "You're right. Sorry for waking you up."
"You didn't. I was cold, that's all." Reisi replied, while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"Of course you are." Mikoto laughed pleasantly as he brought his hand to rest on Reisi's cheek, cradling almost too fondly. "How do you feel?"
"We're fine. No need to worry."
Mikoto noticed how Reisi referred himself as 'we' and it brought brighter smile to his lips. "Good," answered the Red King huskily as he leaned forward and pecked a kiss on the lips before the latter had an opportunity to stop or refuse him. His spontaneous action gained a glare from those piercing violet eyes and a faint blush as his reward. Mikoto quickly stepped back, licking his lips mischievously.
It was about time for Reisi to get used to his harassment in front of his Clansmen. It was pointless for them to keep the nature of their relationship in the dark anymore. Domyoji had witnessed it all. It did not take a genius to connect the dots after seeing him sharing a bed with Reisi. Moreover, the sight of half annoyed, half embarrassed of Reisi's face was priceless that he could feel the hunger welling up inside him.
Domyoji watched the whole unfolding event, gaping like a dead fish. If he did not see it with his own eyes, he would never believe the fact. As a matter of fact, he was still denying it with all his conscience. The Blue King, the supposedly arch enemy of Red King, was romantically involved with his rival, and it was not one-sided feeling too. To think that all this time, they did not notice, let alone suspecting it.
"Are you going to tell them?" Mikoto finally asked, distracting Reisi from the previous fleeting kiss on his lips.
"Once all of you return, I will." Reisi absentmindedly nodded, recalling his earlier discussion with the Gold King that morning. The second king had suggested him to share the responsibilities of his field duty with Red King. After all, Mikoto had proven himself to be useful in handling the matter that required quick thinking and combat capabilities and the Gold King himself had given his approval once Reisi agreed with the arrangement.
"You're not going to argue about this?" Mikoto looked a bit surprised, but he appeared to be quite pleased at the Reisi's reliance. The Blue King always thought about his duty first, so he would never refer his task to people he could not trust. For a month, Mikoto had fought to gain back that trust. Thus hearing Reisi decision to rely on him was Mikoto's best atonement he could ever ask.
"No, I have to acknowledge that I'm not in condition for field mission. I will only be a hindrance to your Clansmen and mine, should I conceitedly refute it. I'm aware of my limitation and I do not wish to risk casualty, be it our child's life or our Clansmen." Reisi tilted his head and smiled impishly as he said, "I know what you've been doing for this past month with Awashima and Fushimi. I actually want to tell you not to sneak behind me, but I appreciate the concern. I'm sorry for not saying anything."
Reisi reached out for Mikoto's hand and tugged a little as he stared at his lover sincerely. "I trust you," whispered the Blue King softly, endearingly. "Just…please don't destroy public properties. It's a pain in the neck to explain it to my superiors because I will be held responsible for any destruction you create."
Despite the grin in Reisi's lips, Mikoto noted a tinge of bitterness dripping from his tone. It was just typical Reisi's ego. Admitting weakness and his incapability to carry out his duty appropriately probably struck his conscience, and thus hurting his pride as the Blue King and Captain of Scepter 4. Munakata Reisi was a man of pride and righteousness after all; such traits had rooted to his very core.
"I'll do my best." Mikoto beamed reassuringly at the latter, hoping that it would help him to be at ease a bit.
"Captain?" Domyoji interrupted hesitatingly.
Reisi turned his head to face his subordinate and resumed his position as the highest commander, "You will cooperate with Homra. I will personally notify Lieutenant Awashima regarding this matter. I expect all of you to be on your best behavior and conclude the task as soon as possible. I will explain everything upon your return."
Domyoji impulsively saluted his superior and answered, "Yes, sir."
"You're dismissed."
Domyoji promptly took his cue to leave despite all the questions left unanswered in his head, coming from the conversation between those kings and its implication. Mikoto watched at the retreating back warily before he returned his attention at his lover as Reisi spoke to him demandingly. "You better take a good care of them, you hear me?"
Mikoto resisted the urge to laugh at the glimpse of appeal beneath those haughty amethyst eyes. He smirked at the warning and chuckled warmly, "What a mother hen. Don't worry; I'll treat them like they are my own, for you."
When he saw a frown still creased on Reisi's forehead, Mikoto leant forward to kiss his temple and tilted his head a little to plant a deep kiss on the lips. After a while, he pulled back, looking pleased at the blushing captain and took off to trail down Domyoji's steps.
***WhenWeRuledTheWorld***
Reisi waited as he was watching Mikoto's figure disappearing after taking a turn at the corner before he shifted to the window, observing down to the bricked path and yard leading to the entrance gate of HQ. It would only take a few minutes before the rest of the reinforcement team to be dispatched and depart to aid Awashima's team. As he expected, not long afterward, several vans left the garage and went away to the city.
He whirled around, already making his way back inside his private bedroom to make a call to his lieutenant to notify her about Mikoto's arrival and his temporary charge as his proxy to handle the Strains cases until Reisi was capable to fully resume the responsibility. He would not worry about Mikoto's aptitude in taking command in his place. The Red King was quite used in handling mafias in his territory, including some stray strains after all.
However, just as soon as his hand was about to touch the door handle, he felt an uncomfortable chill running through his back, giving him goose bumps. He shivered lightly as he slowly gazed at the empty corridor, instinctively pulling his black kimono coat tighter to provide the warmth he needed. The blue-haired king already missed Mikoto's natural warmth, to his dismay. When only silence answered his growing anxiety, Reisi tried to brush off the unpleasant feeling in his gut and quickly went inside the room to retrieve his PDA.
Reisi hastily closed the door behind him and grabbed the mobile phone on the bedside table. Nevertheless, once he brought the phone to his ear, only the sound of static noise and erratic beeping sound signifying disconnection greeted him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and glared at it indignantly before he trotted out the bedroom, heading to the control room to find the communication radio. He had to inform his lieutenant soon to avoid unnecessary conflict once Mikoto made his arrival to the site.
Once he arrived at the small lobby linked to the dorms and the main hall of the residence, the shiver became irrepressible. In the daylight, the sunlight streamed through the glass windows, lightening the compartment, in addition to the grand crystal lamps. Inside the assemble room, they had arranged several cushions to take a pleasant rest and plants to bring out the dynamism of this military place. His subordinates used to occupy this place to relax and associate with their colleagues during short breaks or after a mission. Once in a while, he would drop in to join his Clansmen as well due to the light ambience this room often portrayed.
However, at the moment, his instinct screamed danger deafeningly inside his head and his muscles tensed in this place. His hand automatically reached down to his waist to find that his beloved Tenrou was not there to solace him. Reisi cursed inwardly for his carelessness for leaving his saber back in the bedroom. He took a few deep breaths to calm his mind on the impending peril looming over him. After a stifling minute, the Blue King composedly stood in the middle of the hall, staring expectantly at the entrance.
His intuition did not fail him. It did not take him long to wait before his eyes finally caught a glimpse of the person he had been waiting for. Reisi briefly smiled as if he had been looking forward to this moment. "I've been wondering when I should expect your comeback," said Reisi as he lifted his right hand and fixed his glasses unnecessarily, watching at the intruder of his home like a hawk. "And you bring quite a party with you, I see."
When the opponent grinned at him, the Blue King had long forgotten about the call.
-TBC-
A/N: Don't forget to leave me a review! I like to know what you think.