Chapter 36

Wolfram, still looking pale and tired, braced himself by putting an arm across his aching ribs. Gingerly, he sat down on a cushioned bench seat next to an ornate, bubbling indoor fountain. It was a relief to get off his feet.

Sounds drew his attention.

Marching?

Six shrine maidens, armed with spears, were on patrol. They marched past the door to the private meeting room which was open ajar.

Wolfram shifted his attention to the fountain's blue water. Water always reminded him of his fiancé. He smiled to himself. Yuuri was surprisingly passionate last night…on the bench…in the dark… It was great…Yuuri on top, unbuttoning my shirt, grinding his hips into me, leaving red marks down the side of my neck…nips…bites…hot breath against me…really great…until Mother found us. Sheesh! Did she have to squeal so loud? She got the attention of every guard on the grounds. Out of the shrubs, swords were pointed at us. Conrad's, too! Then, I looked up to see people, still at the party, had their noses pressed to the windows…including Greta. He grimaced at that thought. Our own daughter saw us making out…wide eyes and everything! I never caught my parents at it…ever! He let his head drop down with a groan. His shoulders slumped. Yuuri went from "wondrous" to "wimp" in ten seconds flat. Apologizing, he almost shoved me off the bench when he straightened up. "Oh, let them see…" Yuuri said before we got caught. Brave talk, no follow-through. Wolfram bit his lower lip at the memory. Then again, I'm not sure I was really ready for it…even now, I think I'd stop him before he got too far. "Time" seemed to be what he always wanted. Now, "time" is what I need to get used to this…whatever "this" is... Wolfram let go of the sigh he was holding. Still… He's changed, I think, for the better. Maybe, we both have…

He tucked a strand of blond hair behind his ear. His smile, a wry one. This morning, though, …with it being just us again…Yuuri was 'attentive.' But he backed off quickly enough when he remembered that I'm still not well enough to do anything too romantic. Then, his smile faded. Plus, I've been alone for a really long time…waiting for him to love me. And, well… He felt a blush coming to him. I mean... that didn't stop us from having a bit of fun anyway. Who knew that those "Shinou" memories would come in so handy?

More shrine maidens. Their footsteps were in unison, making a marching sound that commanded respect. Even though he didn't exactly approve of their uniforms, which were not military in his opinion (He once called it the "jiggle patrol."), Wolfram did have to acknowledge, if begrudgingly, how well they wielded their spears. He'd seen some of them training outside as he rode up in the carriage.

The carriage. He shook his head grimly at that. He liked carriages, except in the heat of summer, and rode in them often. But, for now, it felt like he was being trapped in a small room with the world moving by—one he was not a part of. Wolfram frowned at the thought. He needed to relax, just like Gisela said. He would get better faster if he did.

Wolfram took a breath and let it out slowly. He told himself that it was a pleasant morning and that he should be enjoying the feeling of not being fussed over in Yuuri's bed. Another one of Yuuri's surprising turnarounds was his new, and very open, insistence that Wolfram sleep in the royal chambers so that he could watch over his fiancé at night—every night—forever, it seemed. And Wolfram had a steady stream of visitors: a strict Gisela, his mother (who made him blush reminding him of the now notorious "bench incident," an amused looking Conrad, a very sour and stern Gwendal (who was very well aware of the "bench incident"), and a 'oh-I'm-finally-getting-married-parents' grinning Greta. So, this moment alone was a treat. And waiting for Murata in the private meeting room with cushioned bench seats, an indoor fountain, and softly blowing white curtains really wasn't a bother. It was a jaunt. A mini vacation.

"One of the shrine maidens said you'd be here," Murata murmured, as though to himself, as he entered. He made a half-hearted attempt at closing the door behind him with a careless swing. And, when it didn't shut, he ruffled his hair awkwardly with a childish smirk. It didn't matter anyway.

Wolfram turned and, almost immediately, winced at the movement. He folded his arms across his ribs casually, but his breath hitched anyway.

Still not one hundered percent, are you? the sage thought. Well, that's to be expected.

"So, what can I do for you? It must be pretty important for you to come all the way to the temple." Murata asked, approaching the blond with his hands in his pockets. Deep down, he had already guessed the topic. But, he wanted to hear Wolfram say it himself.

"It's about Shinou," Wolfram replied. "I gave him my word that I would speak to you if I survived all of this. And, before you ask, it wasn't a condition of letting me live."

Murata's glasses gleamed and his eyes were unreadable. He pushed the spectacles up the bridge of his nose this time because it gave him something to do while he thought about his response. He forced his usual serene smile on his face.

It was exactly what he'd guessed. His dark eyes had a hardening edge. Yes, the distinct lack of "Shinou," around him today could now be explained. The sage glanced around.

The blond watched Murata's expressions, and almost at once, he could feel the aura change in the room. He wondered, briefly, if Shinou was watching from some unknown corner that he couldn't see. He probably was.

"You know," Wolfram began and turned his head to the sage, "Shinou has been possessing me…off and on…for awhile now. Sometimes, it was to stir up trouble. Sometimes, it was to spare me pain. And, even though I couldn't remember who I was or what I was doing, Shinou always left me with something in its place." Wolfram looked down at his polished boots and took in a quick breath. He really needed to say this and get it overwith. "As I've told you before, he gave me some of his memories..." The blond glanced up and then back down again. "I've seen your life together…been there, actually."

Murata didn't respond to that, and Wolfram didn't expect him to.

"Could you…forgive him…?" Wolfram's voice trailed away as he asked the question. He knew that it was really none of his business, after all. And, considering the circumstances, he was probably the worst candidate for this job.

To his surprise, Murata's usually sweet natured face changed into one of barely masked anger and pain.

Enough! the sage thought savagely with an ancient voice inside his head. Another part of him weeped and begged for it all to stop. How long will it take to move on? Another felt an icy patch where his heart should have been. Then, with his next breath, Murata chastised himself for his lack of self-control. This was stupid, after all. He was a teenager again—Murata Ken. This life had just begun. He should play and have fun. He never even had a real girlfriend. It was a fresh start! A fresh start! This life was given to him, and he wanted to make the best of it. No worries; no regrets.

The blond watched his face again. The struggle. He understood the feelings well—too well. "You know, for the longest time, I called Yuuri a 'cheater.' And you always seemed amused by that. But, after getting some of Shinou's memories, I realized that the real 'cheater' here was, indeed, Shinou. And the person he hurt most was…the sage."

Black eyes narrowed at him. A hand on his hip, dark material bunching up.

"Okay…The Original Great Sage," Wolfram corrected himself.

Murata walked two steps and tilted his head, looking away. He had to calm himself down because, no matter what would be said in the next few minutes, nothing of the past—not a single event—would change. "It was a long time ago. I barely remember it myself." The standard lines. The standard excuses. Distance. He needed distance. Murata tried to sound neutral, but it didn't work.

"Then, you're stronger than I am," Wolfram admitted quietly and got a shocked glance from Murata.

The blond soldier tried to shrug before the ribs reminded him that it was a really bad idea. "It's true. If Yuuri cheated on me, and I saw it with my own eyes the way you did, it would have destroyed me." Green eyes looked into black ones sincerely. "Even though I'm the product of it, the descendent of his infidelity… with Rufus…which is why I look like them, and why you and I have never really gotten along… I'm sorry for what he did. And he's sorry, too."

Dark eyes held back pain. "Rufus loved him with a passion."

"So did the sage."

"It's in the past," Murata repeated, trying to convince himself while giving Wolfram a new look that told him quite clearly that he'd stuck a toe over the line and this conversation was now coming to an abrupt end after he had one final say on the matter. "Besides being frightfully boring my whole life back then and being with someone who was…shall we say… 'more adventurous'… how it all ended is not surprising and forgiveness isn't an issue anymore." He shook his head sadly, almost defeated. "It's enough. You couldn't possibly understand. So, just leave it."

"Enough?" the blond said with a mirthful curve coming to his lips.

Another raised eyebrow.

Wolfram forced back a grin and said with eyes dancing, "Yes, I'd say that I know enough." He leaned forward in Murata's direction and said seductively, "You…Shinou…a tent… Olive oil, candle wax, an incense burner, three body pillows, and an apricot."

Murata paled. He did.

"Back then, you had an arrow-shaped scar on your…well…" The blond scratched his chin thoughtfully. "And, now that I think about it… How were you able to keep one foot in the air like that for so long? The tent had a really low ceiling, you know." Still seated, he started to demonstrate, but it was a pathetic display because his bruised ribs ached.

The sage blushed deeply, nervously and then changed the subject. "Well, I've got to let you go now. Sorry about that…" He turned away.

"And speaking of 'sorry'…if it's any consolation," Wolfram added, refusing to be dismissed so easily, "I had to forgive Shinou for a few things myself. So, we have that in common, too." He leaned back a bit to take the pressure off. He crossed his ankles.

Murata darkened. "You keep telling me to forgive him," he muttered. You, of all people. He shoved his hands in his pockets again.

Wolfram groaned a "yes" while standing up stiffly. Even with an aching body, the blond was determined to appear normal again. Maybe, it was a Shinou-like pride that made him to do it. He forced a casual stroll for the door. "And, do you want to know why? It's because we always end up forgiving the people we love no matter how many times they hurt us."

The sage watched him go. "Why do we keep doing that, I wonder?"

He thought that he hadn't said it loud enough to be heard, but he was wrong.

The blond chuckled and kept walking. "Because the red thread of fate isn't a noose. It isn't a tug of war, either. It's a lifeline."

"Then, you…know?"

Wolfram nodded but kept going. "Yuuri…this morning. He told me everything."

Boots echoed across the stone floor—fading away.

The sage unclenched his fist.

"W-Wait."

At first, Wolfram thought it was a trick of the echo. That the word hadn't been said. But, Murata's voice followed him. "I said, 'Wait.'"

Military-style, Wolfram forced his body to make a halt with a click of the heel. His back was still to the sage. "Yes?" He turned around with a bit of effort to look back.

Murata raised his right arm and offered him his hand, head bowed in a submissive way that reminded him of Yuuri.

Wolfram smirked to himself. If that's the way you want it. He approached Murata and, without any hesitation at all, took the hand offered to him. Then, he glanced over his shoulder. "Shinou…I know you're watching from somewhere."

"Wait a minute…" Murata said, eyeing him closely. "I thought that Ulrike and I were the only ones here who could sense him without laying eyes him. But I haven't been able to today."

"Well, you see," Wolfram said and glanced down at their clasped hands, "we've been together for awhile, Shinou and I. It's one of the things you learn from being with him."

Murata smirked. "True."

"Come on, Shinou. I haven't got all day," Wolfram complained. Then he added, "And I've got a few choice words for you later on about those false visions you showed me in the water mirrors."

There was a dark laugh as Shinou emerged from the left corner of the room. "It got the job done, huh?" He strode majestically, his cape waving slightly with the soft movement of his thick, blond hair. His strides were even and calculated. With a devilish smirk, he walked up behind Wolfram and stepped into his body with a small burst of blue, fuzzy lights.

Murata swatted at the glowing tufts of brilliant blue. "Show-off."

In front of the sage, the blonds merged and Wolfram's emerald green eyes, much like Rufus', changed into blue. The face grew slightly older, what the Mazoku would probably look like in another twenty-five years, and hair longer, but the body no taller. Both young men were practically eye to eye.

Shinou took his clasped hand and laced fingers with the sage. To his delight, Murata let him.

"I sense that you're being very conservative with your magic in possessing Wolfram. Why?" Murata asked, slightly suspicious as he looked into blue eyes. "Is it because he's loaning his body to you of his own free will…this time?" He made sure to emphasize "this time."

Shinou got the point and told him so with an impatient look. Then, it faded from his face. His gaze turned from the sage to the bubbling fountain. His eyes grew wide, his tone contemplative. "Not exactly…" Wolfram and Shinou's voices blurred awkwardly together for a brief moment. Finally, Wolfram's voice, alone, stood out when he turned back and said, "It's because, I'm afraid, my apology will be a lengthy one. I have thousands of years of confessions to make."

"Such dramatics…" He swung their laced hands a little and looked at Shinou. The blond wasn't joking, or, at the very least, appeared on the surface not to be. The sage took a slow, deep breath. This could be one of those rare moments when the king was serious…and slightly vulnerable. "An apology? And you think… I won't accept…?"

A blond head nodded at him. "I loved you first. Trusted you always. Needed you forever. I was power and you were thought."

Murata sighed and pushed back his glasses with a finger. "You mean, you were ambition and I was insight." Then, without actually realizing it, he took half a step in Shinou's direction. "But if I had been truly insightful, then I would have followed my first impression—the hope of you being faithful was asking too much."

He raised his free hand and stroked the sage's cheek with his thumb. Soft. "I'm not good with apologies, you now."

Murata gave a skeptical look, ignoring the affection. "You've never given one before—to anyone."

"I know," he said hoarsely, dropping his hand.

The sage cocked his head to one side, waiting.

"But I am sorry, though." Tears formed at the edges of Wolfram's eyes. "Actually, I've been sorry for more years than I was ever alive."

"I-I know that," Murata said quietly, lowering his head. He really did it. He apologized. Murata's face felt warm.

"You are my secret fiancé…still." Shinou blinked back tears and searched Murata's face for something, some kind of recognition. "The only person I've ever truly wanted… The only person I can't let go. The other half of my soul…" Tears were hanging on the edges of his lashes. "My punishment is this…being able to see you and talk to you…even when you hate me this much…and to never hold you as before."

Murata felt the blond rest his forehead against his own. "Hell is this place. Hell is this half-life with you…and not with you."

Their lips were close now. "Even if you don't accept it, and my love for you is one-sided, I will still care for you deeply in this life that you have."

With regret, Murata said, "We're tied together with the string of fate."

Shinou closed his eyes at that. "I can't cut it—even to set you free, I can't. So, don't ask me to."

"I thought you'd say that." Murata's arms found their way around a slim waist. "So, who was it," he asked with pain in his voice, " …that you were originally bound to?" It felt like he was shredding his own soul just asking the question, but knew he'd regret it if he didn't. It was something that had been haunting him.

He guessed who it was.

"Ah…a question," Shinou said softly, wrapping his arms around Murata's shoulders for comfort and pulling him closer. He pressed his lips against his neck and felt a shiver. "The person I was tied to, by the red string, was called….The Great Sage."

Murata's eyes shot open and he leaned back. "No! You tied us together."

"No," Shinou said, shifting his weight a little, "you just always assumed it because I had the power to do it in the first place. And the red string can only be tied before someone is born, not after."

"But…all this time…I thought…" Murata's mind couldn't wrap itself around the concept. They were meant to be.

"I know what you thought. I let you think it…to despise me…because it was easier than asking forgiveness," Shinou said. "If you hated me, spurned me…tried to hurt me…" He leaned in again, resting his blond head against his sage. "At the end of my life, I even let you take my soul…in a moment that was just the two of us." Then a sad smile came to him. "At the very least, you would never forget me."

Murata's eyes widened.

Shinou pulled him in closer. Their lips were a breath apart. "And, when the time comes…and you find someone to love in this life…someone who can hold you like this and make you feel wanted, I promise to disappear. You deserve, at least, that much."

He stroked short, ebony hair whispering the name "Murata Ken."

"Isn't that for me to decide?" he asked. He leaned forward to brush his lips against Shinou's. To his surprise, Shinou pulled away.

"I don't think Murata Ken's first kiss should be…" Shinou never finished his sentence.

The sage kissed Shinou softly, sweetly, his fingers clinging to a blue uniform. Their lips took in each slight movement. And Shinou, seeing that the sage's eyes were closed, closed his as well. Another kiss, but a bit harder this time. And, again, to Shinou's surprise, Murata suddenly deepened the kiss and, placing fingers on the blond's back, moved them up in little trails and then made soft patterns on his back.

Shinou hummed with approval.

Murata broke kiss and looked at Shinou seriously. "Do you know, it just occurred to me that I'm kissing both Shinou and Wolfram right now?"

"Yes, you are." His tone had a dark, sexy edge…but with Wolfram's voice. He tightened his grip on the sage.

Murata narrowed his eyes. "There are three of us in the one kiss," he repeated in a scandalous whisper. "You know…a threesome."

A cocky grin. His sage was so shy. "Agreed. But Wolfram understands."

"Wolfram…understands?" His voice almost broke when he squeaked it.

"Fun, isn't it?"

"We are such pervs," Murata mumbled, giving in to Shinou. A deep blush was coming to him.

"Yes, we are." The blond wiggled an eyebrow. "But only for the next few minutes. Then, I have to return. That's when they change the guard. And those women can be awful gossips—plus, I promised Wolfram I'd go."

The sage looked up with eager eyes. "Kiss me again."

"Gladly."

The door was open ajar. Two shrine maidens on patrol practically dropped their spears when they glanced into the meeting room and saw Wolfram von Bielefeld kissing The Great Sage with one hand clasped desperately on his lower back and the other fisted into his ebony hair.

The sage moaned. He never could stay quiet.

"Mmm… Don't stop…" Murata arched his back.

Muttering came from the hallway.

Blue eyes shot to the door. "I'm sorry my dear sage," he whispered against slick lips, "but, as I promised, I must dash now." A slow, wet, deep kiss followed. Murata melted into him; his body pulsed against the blond.

In seconds, Shinou sped away and into the penumbra—leaving Wolfram and Murata still at it.

Eh? What am I…doing?

Huh? Oh, no he didn't! Damn!

"I hate you, Shinou," Wolfram grumbled with a mouthful of Murata.

"Me, too…"

The blond rubbed his slightly bruised lips together and narrowed his green eyes. "And we will never speak of this," Wolfram growled, nose to nose with the sage. They were both still in each other's arms and breathing hard, chests rising and falling.

"Agreed."

"And you can get your hand off my ass now."

.Squeeze.

Author's note: The next chapter will be the final chapter of "Seasons." See ya!