Author's Note: I apologise to everyone over the delay for the release of this chapter. However! I have good reason. University started back this week and well life has to take precedence in this case so this chapter had to wait until I could finish sorting out all of my six classes. I will definitely try to see if I can get the next chapter up much faster, but I will be slower in the future until midsession break for writing this story. (Though my beta has told me I'm still one of the fastest updaters she knows when it comes to stories). Hope you enjoy this chapter and the few surprises it has for you!
Disclaimer: Own nothing but the name of the ship XD.
Private Yacht, Liberty Love, Cimaron Waters
Conrart's arms coiled a little more tightly around Yuuri, his face nuzzling into the nape of the younger man's neck, enjoying the scent of his lover. He felt like he'd never be able to get enough of it. Two and a half weeks. And still he hungered for Yuuri more than ever before. He had barely let the man leave the bed they shared for more than just a few hours at a time. He splayed fingers of one hand across his lover's stomach and up along his ribcage, stroking over it, relieved to find that he could no longer feel each rib sticking out prominently beneath the pale flesh.
It would take time to repair the damage, both physical and mental, done to both of them.
"I can hear you thinking." Yuuri groaned softly, snuggling back a little more into Conrart's arms, feeling them tighten around him possessively and he sighed with contentment. "You should get some rest before we make landfall."
"I would rather..."
"Sometimes you are a little too stubborn." The King teased softly, turning around in his lover's embrace and running his hand up along the man's arm and shoulder, a thumb caressing the newest of the man's scars where flesh had been blended together. However, his expression softened and he allowed his palm to travel up to rest against the back of his lover's head and draw him in for a warm kiss, their foreheads touching lightly. "The nightmares?"
The man's shoulders collapsed in closer to his body and he drew Yuuri just that touch nearer, allowing the warmth of his husband's body to reassure himself he wouldn't disappear during the time he rested. "I should be beyond this. I should..." Fingertips stroked along the curve of his back and distracted him when they brushed lower over his rear, grasping him intimately and drawing him closer.
"Sweetheart." Yuuri slowly brushed his lips across the curve of Conrart's jaw, tongue flicking out softly across the warm, lightly stubbled skin. "Do not attempt to demean yourself." Conrart had suffered from the nightmares for a significant time during their relationship. Having his sleep disturbed so frequently by them left the man edgy and barely able to rest, until Yuuri had started bringing them herbal tea to ease both of their sleeps.
Kissing the corner of his mouth, he slowly shifted upwards, only to feel hands grip him more firmly, unwilling to release him. Yuuri rubbed the tips of their noses together playfully. "Tea. I think we can both use a cup."
Conrart's fingers trembled slightly, the man's silvery eyes darkening for a moment and he swallowed hard. Reluctantly his hands slowly began to ease away from his husband's body, palms stroking across pale skin before dropping onto the sheets. He sat up, his back rested against the headboard, his expression a little strained.
Kneeling on the side of the bed, he curled his scarred hands around Conrart's, drawing them up against his own cheeks and pressing against them there. Feeling the play of calluses against his skin and the smooth warmth of the man's ring, their eyes met steadily. "I'm still here." He breathed out softly. "I'm right here, my Prince."
"Yuuri." He choked on the man's name, his touch gentling as he caressed his lover's face lightly, sweeping back the loose tumble of raven locks that spilled across the man's pale face and throat. "I..."
"I love you." Yuuri whispered softly, kissing the tip of Conrart's nose and leaning into the soft touches, allowing his husband to find reassurance in the contact between them.
Those silver eyes watched him for a long moment, before closing, finally allowing his hands to drop away from Yuuri's body, reluctantly surrendering physical contact. "Two weeks... and I still..."
"I'm like that too. I think it will take us time... probably a long time to be able to shake this... feeling... But we will together."
Yuuri leaned against the railing of the ship, gazing out across the familiar city and docks with a relieved smile, feeling the warmth slowly spread through him at the thought that he was finally home. It surprised him just how much he had missed it, and how much he longed to never leave it again. "Home." He sighed softly, expression softening as he gazed over the few onlookers that had come out to watch Lady Cecilie's ship land.
Conrart stepped up behind Yuuri, arms coiling around his waist, leaning into him slightly. His head dipped down to ever so lightly brush his lips against the bare nape of his beloved's neck. The long raven braid rested down over one shoulder, running all the way down to tickle the back of Conrart's hands as they spread across his stomach.
"Is this what it feels like...?" His voice was muffled against Yuuri's skin as his arms tightened around his husband feeling that slow trickle that had started only a few hours before become a flood, rushing through his body and pooling in all those empty places within. Jolting in surprise, Conrart's silvery eyes closed tightly, body pressing into the heat of his husband's, finding reassurance in the hands that covered his own, their fingers lacing together. "Is this... what it felt like for you when you first arrived?"
"Yes." They had talked about it privately, about the fact that over time Conrart had slowly gained the use of magic. It was extremely unstable and the power of it was on the level of both Gwendal's and Wolfram's. However, where they had been born with theirs, Conrart's had begun to manifest itself because of what they supposed was exposure to Yuuri's own high levels of power. That exposure seemed to have catalysed the half-breed's own dormant potential. "We'll do this together." Squeezing Conrart's fingers, he tipped his head to the side and their mouths met in a heated kiss, one that expressed the deep love that they both had for each other.
The King's Consort could never express adequately just how much those simple words meant to him. How much it was worth to know that he had someone that loved him no matter what, right there beside him. "Thank you." It was all he could get out, his face turning into the curve of his lover's neck and just holding on tightly, not wanting to let go.
"I'm quite ready to get off this ship." Stretching, Yuuri let out a sigh, turning in Conrart's arms and rubbing his nose against the underside of Conrart's jaw. He dropped a kiss against his Adam's apple, which bobbed under the intimate caress. "Though I will miss your 'stay in bed' policy from this trip."
"I will find a way to get you there again..." Conrart chuckled, silver eyes sparkling with amusement as his hands drifted down to brush over Yuuri's rear lightly, giving it a playful squeeze and drawing the man firmly up against him, their hips brushing. "Mark my words... I'm always fond of a challenge, especially when it involves you, a bed... and no clothing what so ever."
Yuuri couldn't help but laugh at that, pouncing on his husband, arms and legs wrapping around the strong body and devouring that grinning mouth. He groaned at the taste of him, feeling hands stroke along his backside and cupping his thighs, supporting his weight for a few long moments as he returned the kiss hungrily. The Demon King let out a cry of delight when Conrart spun him around, his arms tightening around his husband's shoulders, his head tipping back as the man held him close, their hearts racing in time.
Joy filled the two men, their evident affection for each other showing as others watched on silently, relief on several faces to see them like that.
Adalbert wrapped his arm more tightly around Gisela, his lips touching ever so gently against her temple. A small smile coming to his own lips as relief settled in his heart.
"Such happiness." Cecilie Von Spitzweg whispered softly while she watched her son and his husband together, her fingers spread across her belly, the fact that she was pregnant having become obvious over the past few weeks. "Whenever they are happy... everyone around them..." She wanted to laugh as well, a bubble of warmth spreading through her, as Raven joined her. "Hopefully Gwendal will forgive us for not alerting him to this..."
"Adalbert, Conrart and his Majesty agreed it was best not to send any messages about our arrival to protect the safety of his Majesty. Gwendal will hopefully understand our need for caution." Raven stood beside her, the four of them watching the King and his Consort by the rail of the ship, glad to see them out and about rather than practically locked up in their cabin.
"Speak of that particular Demon..." Adalbert's head tipped to the side, gazing down at the docks where a familiar rider galloped up towards where a gangplank was being fitted to the side of the ship. "This is going to be quite interesting."
The Docks, The Great Demon Kingdom
Gwendal Von Voltaire tightened his grip on the reins of his mount at the sight of the ship that sat in the main harbour in the berth usually reserved for the use of the Demon King. His mother's ship sat there now, peaceful and untouched by anything. A strange surge of relief escaped him at the sight, of knowing that his mother was finally back where she belonged, that she was safe. However the fact remained that the Demon King was missing and he could not get any hint as to where the man had gone in Big Cimaron. No message had been sent... no sightings had been made since the rather spectacular outburst was witnessed from a distance when the entire Lambeil Coliseum had been razed literally to the ground.
The beautiful blonde woman slowly descended the gangplank, Raven at her side, steadying each of her steps with the attentiveness of a man deeply in love. They looked good together... there was a glow around his mother, a softness to her features that was usually not there, one he had seen twice before.
As he swung off his mount and stood amongst his men, he gazed at his mother as she stepped past the shielding gangplank and he was able to see that she was indeed once again pregnant. A vicious pang ran through his gut at the sight, the knowledge that Conrart would have been overjoyed by the news, that he would have shown his delight without restraint, like he had over Wolfram's birth. Grief filled him at the knowledge that his brother would not be able to see this child born, would not even know of their newest sibling's existence.
"Mother." He reached out a hand towards her, his expression showing nothing of the deep gaping wounds that were within him, those that had been caused when he had lost his younger brother. "...Mother..." His voice actually cracked, his broad shoulders shaking suddenly, the tight control he had on his emotions vanishing.
The moment Cecilie was close enough, she was startled when she was pulled into a tight embrace, her slender body being practically swallowed up by the arms that coiled tightly around her. "Gwen?" She was startled by the fierceness of his embrace, the sudden dampness she felt against her cheek, as she felt a single tear streak down over the warm skin and was startled to realise it was not her own.
"How can he be gone?" It was a rough, hoarse rasp, one torn from deep within him, his fingers bunching in the fabric of her dress, his entire body beginning to shake so violently that he could barely keep himself together. It had been decades since something had fractured him like this, taken him apart and left every piece of him scattered across the floors of Covenant Castle. "How... can he be truly gone? That stubborn..."
"Gwen..." Cecilie attempted to pull herself away enough to be able to look at him, however he didn't allow her too, just holding her protectively against him, needing to feel the warmth of her... he needed his mother, her presence filling his fractured soul. "Gwenie..."
"Brother." Conrart stood only a few yards away, his silver eyes fixed on the face of his older brother and feeling a jolt of surprise at seeing the stray tears slowly streaking down over the man's face.
Gwendal's entire body shook with such force that his teeth clicked together as his head snapped up and he stared at the man. He swayed in disbelief, staggering backwards away from Cecilie, while his brain attempted to connect back with reality and he found that he couldn't. The powerfully built nobleman could do nothing but gawk like a little boy, jaw going slack and looking ready to drop to the cobblestones beneath his boots.
"Gwendal..." Conrart's expression grew concerned the moment he actually saw his brother swaying on his feet. "Gwendal!" Catching his taller brother by the shoulders, he steadied him, gripping him firmly and gazing into the dazed dark blue eyes that stared down at him with a look that he couldn't quite describe.
"You're dead." He whispered softly, long hair falling across his eyes as his hands slowly lifted to brush against Conrart's forearms, feeling the warmth of his flesh just beneath the sleeves of his uniform, the strength in that grip. "We found your arm... but... you're..." A ragged sob escaped Gwendal, his expression splitting open and revealing the man within for several vulnerable moments.
The younger man was abruptly hauled into a crushing embrace, Gwendal embracing Conrart as if his very life depended upon it. The air whooshed audibly out of the half-breed's lungs as he was bear-hugged right in front of everyone. Gwendal didn't care about anything other than just holding his younger brother close and showing him exactly what rested in his heart.
"I do love you, Little Brother." He breathed out against the chocolate brown locks that tickled just beneath his chin. "I might not say it... but I do. The thought of losing you..." A ragged sound escaped the man, his eyes closing against the burn of tears that were slowly trickling down over his cheeks and dampening Conrart's hair. "Don't ever do that to me again." His hands lifted to grip Conrart's face between large palms, their foreheads touching. "Don't you ever do that to me again...!"
The younger man swallowed around the odd lump that had formed in the back of his throat at the sight of his stoic brother's tears. One hand trembled as it rose to lightly catch one tear on a fingertip, brushing them away and knowing in that moment just how much his half-brother truly meant those words. It was in that one moment alone that he got a real sense of just how much his brother truly did love him, despite all of his stiffness towards him in the past.
"I love you too, Gwendal. Brother..." He whispered the word affectionately, feeling a smile slowly come to his lips, his emotions spilling over within him too. "A little thing like this would never keep me down for long." He tried to tease, but just ended up in another bear hug, his own arms wrapping around the broad shoulders of his brother, keeping him there.
Just over one of Gwendal's shoulders, Conrart could see Yuuri standing there with Adalbert just behind him, a smile on his husband's face, those dark eyes reflecting his own relief.
The Great Demon Kingdom
The precession was winding its way along the long road towards the Capital, the many members of their party spread out behind where Yuuri and Conrart were being escorted by a dozen armed guards. However, Yuuri's horse was abruptly pulled to a halt, startling many of those around him as the King's eyes fixed on the Tomb that rested upon one of the hills they were approaching, its hexagonal shape distinctive against the thick surrounding wash of greenery.
"Shibuya." Ken Murata leaned a little where he sat on the horse behind Adalbert, his dark brows drawing together as he studied the stoic face of their Demon King. His hand reached out towards him, lightly brushing against one shoulder before his touch was shrugged away, blazing obsidian eyes swinging around towards him and he almost recoiled from the hatred that burned in that steady gaze. "Shibuya... don't."
"I cannot ignore what he has done." It was an ice cold snarl, one that came from the very core of the Demon King. Sparks of dark fire blazed like smouldering coals within them, the dragon that existed within the body of the Demon King peering out through that gaze and reflecting its Master's rage- one that had gone unsated in Big Cimaron several weeks before. "I cannot ignore the fact that he thinks that he can control me and not feel the consequences of his actions."
"I'm warning you... don't make an..."
"He crossed the line, one he understood and was made plainly clear to him before Caloria."
"Shibuya!"
"He will learn I am no small weakling to do his bidding without question. He picked me to be Demon King. He engineered my birth and therefore he should have known what he was getting into." Yuuri's jaw gritted tightly. "He has much to answer for."
The Tomb Of The Great One, The Great Demon Kingdom
"Sire!" One of the maidens immediately opened the gates to allow him entrance into the Tomb of the Great One, however, her eyes widened at the expression that was etched on the King's face.
"Gather all the priestesses and guards and leave immediately." It was a harsh order, his steps only faltering for a moment, his magic roiling and rippling around him, the ground trembling ever so slightly beneath his boots. "Find Lady Ulrike and escort her to safety."
"My Lord... Lady Ulrike cannot leave..."
"You will do as you are ordered." All softness had left the man, all joy or affection that usually came to him whenever he had previously visited this Tomb had evaporated with the full depths of his fury at what Shinou had done to both himself and Conrart.
"Yes... Majesty..." The shrine maiden hurried away, her shoulders hunched, speaking in quiet whispers to all that approached her, her eyes darting about , looking for ways to get away from the danger His Majesty so obviously represented to the Tomb. Then she caught sight of Conrart Weller hovering in the shadows, following behind the Demon King. He was clearly ready to make sure none interfered with his Highness.
The earth rolled a little, the entire hillside rippling and surging beneath everyone as magical powers flooded into the landscape, bringing it alive like it never had been before. The once-bright sunshine was abruptly blotted out by the waves of storm heads rising over the surrounding horizons and beginning to converge on the Tomb of the Great One. Thunder rumbled across the countryside, rattling windows in their frames, lightning splitting the heavens open. Arches of blue electricity leapt from cloud to cloud, illuminating the storm clouds from within like some macabre theatre.
The priestesses were hurrying out each of the other exits into the surrounding gardens, their personal belongings clutched in their arms, their faces showing their fear of what was to come. It would become very obvious to all the reasons for the Demon King's rage... and this was the first time it had come so publically to bear against the Great One from any of his chosen Kings.
Yuuri strode through the corridors, his boots sounding loudly against the stone, his pace quickening with every heartbeat. His obsidian eyes were smouldering hot and narrowed on the eight hundred year old head priestess who stood in his way before the stairs that would lead him down into the main hall that sat just beneath the fountain at the heart of the building.
Her lavender eyes sparked with determination, but her expression was deeply troubled. "You must leave at once, your Majesty... you are..."
"He will see me."
"At present he wishes..."
"I DO NOT CARE WHAT HE WISHES!" The Demon King positively roared the words, the dragon that was curled within him was desperate to escape, snarling practically right beneath his skin, ready to come into flaming existence within the blink of an eye if allowed.
"Majesty... I beg of you... don't do this..." Her hands reached out towards him placatingly, her gaze however was fixed on the one man who might be able to stop this particular situation with only a single word.
Conrart Weller stood a few yards behind Yuuri, his blazing silver eyes shimmering with his own inner magic, something wild and quite uncontrollable, just like the man himself. There was no softness to his features, no indication that he would prevent Yuuri from doing what he will. He was as unmoveable as stone, a shadow determined to protect the King.
"Step aside."
And extremely reluctantly Ulrike did so, knowing that while this man would never hurt her, he would still find a way past her. Standing to one side of the stairwell, she bowed her head in respect to him, her hands clasped together in prayer. "Let the Great One forgive you, Majesty."
Striding forwards, the twenty-seventh Demon King of the Great Demon Kingdom descended into the darkness that rested at the heart of the Tomb. Down the stairs and along the twisting corridors, he was following the flow of darkness that was seeping from the inner most sanctum of the man who had brought him originally to this Kingdom.
A blast of power slammed against the massive reinforced doors, forcing them open, striking the walls with such an impact that the wood splintered and cracked. The roiling azure blue aura shimmered around Yuuri's body, his entire form illuminated by it and he stood there in the doorway, his jaw clenching as he gazed along the carpet lined with flickering candles towards the two Boxes that now stood on the dais there.
The air was rank, a sickly odour of death washed outwards from those vessels which contained such great evil that it tainted everything it touched, including the very atmosphere around it.
"I would have done as you requested of me." Yuuri's voice rang out through the open space, the candles flickering and being extinguished by the breeze that wrapped itself around the King's body, protecting him against the darkness that seeped across the stone floors, sliding up the walls and staining the stone black.
Moving forwards into the space, Yuuri allowed the dragon's fire to spill out of him to incinerate the shapeless things that attempted to attach themselves to his aura of magic. The sizzle of those bodies was audible, the stench of seared flesh and burning carpets added to the nauseating atmosphere.
"Do not ignore me." He snarled, his hands stretching out to take in the space, his expression darkening with each passing moment that his words went unanswered by the man he knew was there watching them both. "I am not some child to be cowed by you."
"You should learn respect, Boy." A dark shadow separated itself from the nearest wall, sweeping forwards through the dark chaos of the wiggling writhing things that literally covered every inch of the chamber. "You know the story of the man who defied me."
"I do. However." And slowly Yuuri released his grip on the dragon that had been restrained for far too long within him, the creature separating from the Demon King with a howling roar of rage, its blazing eyes fixed on the cloaked figure of the Great One, its massive jaws opening, revealing rows of razor sharp fangs. "I will not stand idly by and allow you to manipulate people for your own desires and whims. You gave me the power to protect this Kingdom and you have to respect that decision."
The beast released tendrils of smoke from its nostrils, its restrained rage expressing all of what had been bottled up within Yuuri upon the discovery of what this 'man' had done to them to further his own plans.
"I warned you to not overstep your rights." However, his eyes narrowed on the shadow swathed in the tainted darkness that swarmed around the two Forbidden Boxes that had been returned to the Great Demon Kingdom. "I can feel it." Yuuri whispered, obsidian eyes narrowing on the Great One. "I can see it. Darkness... it strains you... it reaches right into the very core of your soul. I may not yet understand how it has come to be or your plot for these Boxes... but I will tell you now. Once these Boxes are gathered, I will destroy them by any means necessary. I will purge this sickness from our land and from you."
A low animalistic sound escaped Shinou, the man's features slowly beginning to distort and twist beneath the edge of his thick hood, revealing the monster that had been residing in the walls of this Tomb. "You think to oppose me?" The creature stepped forwards into the light of several of the flickering and sputtering candles, revealing the horribly twisted features of the man who had been masquerading as the Great One. "You foolish creature, you are no match for me."
"Yes, I think I am. I will stand against you." The Demon King's expression was stoic as the dragon unleashed a wash of dragon fire on the creatures that filled the enclosed space, incinerating several of the larger writhing bundles of quivering flesh which was trying to take human shape. "I will stand against you until the life is extinguished from my body and my soul is no more."
Conrart moved forwards, his large body standing at Yuuri's back, his arms slowly curling around the Demon King, his head dipping downwards and pressing a kiss against his beloved's throat tenderly. The fire sparked by the dragon was being fed by the rush of wind that tore its way through every entranceway, drawn in by Conrart, the fresh air bringing with it oxygen and feeding the hungry inferno that was blossoming before them.
And as the entire chamber erupted, the pair stood protectively within a shimmering water barrier as the place was being slowly cleansed of the darkness that had escaped the pair of Boxes. The hungry flames licked across every creature and even the body of the monster that had stolen Shinou's form and had been masquerading at the Great One from the very beginning.
Conrart had spoken on their trip from Big Cimaron about his encounter with Shinou in the dungeons of Lambeil Palace, unable to explain exactly what he had seen and why the Great One had been so secretive and almost... afraid of something that was hunting him. It had been thought the long hours of the voyage that they had come to a conclusion... one that shook the foundation of so much they had once taken for granted.
The Originators had not remained within the Boxes, but had somehow managed to get a foothold into this plain of existence through Shinou and this Tomb which had been built to hold his soul like a soul jar, though on a much more elaborate scale. It explained why Yuuri had not been able to access his powers that horrible day when they had been caught in the burning church and separated. It explained why Yuuri had not been able to sense Conrart and for a long time Conrart had not been able to sense Yuuri, the two of them unaware of each other.
Shinou himself was in there somewhere, consumed by this thick blackness... by the horrors that were contained within these Forbidden Boxes that had almost destroyed several nations that had held them. One had brought severe drought to Conansia Svelera and strife to Schildkraut, while the other had brought bad fortune to Caloria and other surrounding nations.
Slowly the fires crept up along the walls, licking at the ceiling high above, the temperature so high that the very stone was blackened by the sheer heat. The Dragon tore apart the creatures infesting the chamber that been forced up out of the bedrock by the power of Yuuri and Conrart's combined magic. Every object within the space warped and twisted in the inferno, but the Boxes and them...
The dark twisting tendrils that had snaked out of them were scorched now and being forced back, Yuuri beginning to weave a barrier spell around it as the dark shadow evaporated into swirling eddies of black smoke and soot. It was only a temporary measure, one to buy them enough time to work out some way to destroy the Boxes and the Originators within.
Amongst the dancing flames, for only a split second, Yuuri thought he saw a man silhouetted in the raging flames, his blue eyes relieved, his hand outstretched in a gesture of silent thanks, before he too evaporated into the blistering hot air within the chamber.
It was allowed to die slowly, the walls glowing with the after-effects of the cleansing.
No one could know about this. No one could know that one of the very symbols of their great Kingdom had been tainted like this... it was reason why Yuuri had made it clear to all that he believed Shinou responsible for what had happened between himself and Conrart and not that the Originators had returned. That knowledge would cause chaos and panic, all of which would distract them and allow that darkness to seep far more quickly into the hearts and minds of those in the capital.
"Silence." Yuuri whispered as the wind blew the ashes of those incinerated black creatures away, "Silence..."
"And in the end... that's all there seems to be." Conrart responded, his arms cradling Yuuri more tightly to him, their bodies trembling together in the aftermath of what they had done together as the dragon peered back at them from where it stood near the Boxes, all of them aware that the Great Demon Kingdom might just be running out of time.
Hills Above The Capital, The Great Demon Kingdom
Sunshine spilled down over the grassy slopes beyond the thick woods that crowded the surrounding hills, warming the damp grass beneath the blanket and the tawny skin of the soldier's back. Conrart's cheek rested against his folded arms, his shirt and sword resting nearby within arm's reach. Sleep had quickly taken him, the heat of the sun on his back lulling him into a delicious daze and now he slept peacefully, knowing he could do so because of the man seated beside him.
Yuuri couldn't help but watch his lover drift into sleep like that, the man so trusting, so willing to believe in him and his skills to protect them both that he had relaxed enough to actually rest. He truly was beautiful like that, flawless in Yuuri's eyes. One palm reached out to slowly caress along one shoulder blade, fingertips stroking along the indentation of the man's spine, tracing each vertebrae delicately. The action roused Conrart just a little, his body shifting into the caresses, a sleepy smile coming to his well-formed mouth, but he soon settled again when a soft kiss touched against his lips.
They had their privacy, the guards that had followed them, not looking in their direction, knowing that moments like this were reserved for private encounters between their King and his Consort.
Fingertips glided all the way down to the edge of the man's pants. Yuuri was glad that the man's belt had been removed earlier with his sword. Leaning over Conrart, both hands ever so gently reached beneath the man, supporting his hips for just a moment, enough to free the top two buttons and slip the fabric downwards just far enough to press a kiss to the small of his back. His tongue flicked out across the sun-warmed skin, lapping up the slight perspiration that had formed just there. Nuzzling him, he smiled.
Shifting a little, his hands closed around one booted foot, carefully tugging it off the knee-high riding boot, before the woollen sock followed. The King repeating the action with Conrart's other boot. Caressing over calves and the back of the man's knees, he couldn't help the small grin that came to his lips when the man's hips shifted restlessly as his palms rubbed across the back of those powerful thighs through the fabric of his pants.
Hands sliding up over that well-formed rear, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of his lover's trousers and drew them down and off, taking his time to slide them out from under his lover's legs and down off over his ankles and feet. Conrart lay naked across the blanket, his long lithe form stretched out, and Yuuri couldn't help but notice that the man looked quite contented like that.
"Beautiful." Yuuri breathed out, his fingertips slowly beginning to slide down over one flank, his head dipped and he couldn't help but brush tiny butterfly kisses across the man's back and each scar he knew by memory alone. "You are so beautiful, Conrart." Brushing back the long locks that spilled down around the man's face and shoulders, he kissed the corner of those soft, pliant lips.
The King let out a sound of surprise when a large hand curled around the nape of his neck and laced into his hair, pulling his head back down for a fierce and rather intense kiss. A skilful tongue slipped between his lips and plundered Yuuri's mouth without shame, practically devouring him from the inside out, stealing all the air from his lungs. The younger man was flushed and panting hard when his beloved finally let him pull back just an inch. Conrart's hot tongue brushing across his lower lip slowly, teasing him playfully.
"You were awake!" Yuuri huffed, lightly thumping his husband on the arm as the man rolled over onto his back, long legs stretching out with one arm tucked behind his head without a care in the world for his unclothed state.
"The whole time." Conrart added, laughter sparkling in the man's silver eyes.
"The whole...!"
Conrart's pants were suddenly flung into the man's smirking face as Yuuri shifted to stand, chin lifting in playful defiance. It was all a delicious game, one that they had played before.
However, Yuuri didn't get far at all, only to his feet as powerful arms wrapped around his hips from behind, Conrart having rolled up onto his knees, his face buried against the small of Yuuri's back. Hands had loosened Yuuri's belt quickly and tugged the fabric down so that he could press a kiss against the base of his spine, lapping over the skin and sending a shudder rippling up through the younger man.
"What did you want to do to me, Love?" Voice muffled a little against Yuuri's skin, Conrart's hands slipped upwards under the white shirt, and his fingertips found hard nipples. Thumbs pressed against them and rubbed, his arms keeping his lover from escaping his grip on him.
"I wanted to taste you..." He breathed out, eyes drifting closed as he relished the sensations, allowing all other thoughts to drift away from him, to only think about the man resting on his knees behind him. "Touch every inch of your body..." Groaning, his eyes closed tightly for a moment, entire body shuddering with what Conrart was doing to him.
Conrart slowly turned his lover around in his arms to face him, his mouth trailing across Yuuri's thighs and hips, nipping gently at the pale skin, delighting in the tiny shivers that it sent skittering up through his beloved. Hooking one shoulder beneath Yuuri's thigh, he suddenly lifted upwards, drawing Yuuri forwards so that his legs were spread over Conrart's head and the man's hands were forced to settle on Conrart's shoulders to keep himself upright.
Yuuri cried out abruptly when a mouth abruptly touched against his most intimate of places, his fingers immediately curling tightly into Conrart's shoulders as that skilful tongue teased him. "What are you... Con...!" It was almost a wail, his body almost ending up dropping to the ground when his leg almost gave out under him, but a strong hand hooked beneath his free thigh, supporting him.
Silky locks tickled against the underside of Yuuri's balls lightly and down along his thighs in the most erotic little caresses that did leave him quivering helplessly. However, that tongue speared upwards, lapping at the tight muscles and slowly spreading them, driving it all the way inside until the tip brushed against Yuuri's sweetspot and rubbed against it.
Heat flushed up along the King's cheeks, his entire body trembling as he desperately fought the urge to come just there and then. His length twitched against his belly, his breathing coming in ragged little gasps, while he reached down and touched himself. A whimper slipped out, rising from deep within him as he gave his length a squeeze, thumb stroking the tip and heard Conrart's low chuckle as he realised what he was doing. The vibrations made the King jerk sharply, softly pleading with his lover to continue what he was doing.
"You're beautiful when you're aroused." Conrart slowly shifted Yuuri into his arms, cradling the man against him, his mouth brushing along the length of his navel and upwards to nip lightly at a nipple playfully. A fingertip caressed one flushed cheekbone softly, before drifting to those damp lips that parted under his touch. "When you want me to take you from behind..."
Yuuri leaned forwards and sucked on that finger lightly, teeth and tongue teasing over the sensitive pad of it, delighting in the way those silver eyes darkened to an almost steel grey. He was reluctant to release that digit, but whimpered when it drifted down along his spine and between his cheeks and up into him, slipping in easily and stroking his sweetspot nimbly. "Yes..." He practically moaned with delight, while he was being tormented by that digit, hips arching back into the motion eagerly.
"Mine."
The single word seemed to hover in the air, speaking of many of the things between the two men. Love, devotion, protectiveness, affection, loyalty... but also possession.
Yuuri loved every moment of it, feeling those hands sweeping down over his body, demanding things from him that he would only give to Conrart. His complete and utter surrender to the will of this one man, to trust him completely with everything that he was or ever would be.
Slowly dropping down to his knees on the warm woollen blanket, he leaned forwards and rested his arms beneath his chin, presenting himself willingly to his lover, groaning when a mouth teased along one spread thigh, drifting up to where that finger was still plunging into him, stretching him in readiness for something more substantial. He pulled forwards slightly, allowing that digit to slip free of his body and tipped his head back to glance over one shoulder back towards Conrart, his tongue brushing over his lips hungrily at seeing just how aroused the man was.
"Yuu..."
"Claim what has always been yours." A smile graced his lips at those words, warmth spreading through him at the sight of his lover's answering smile. There was something so beautiful about that, which made Yuuri's heart clench in his chest. Maybe it was the darkness in those silvery orbs, the evidence of his arousal or the softness of them, the way every elegant feature showed a little of the desperate, passionate love this man felt for him.
Conrart pounced, like a lion taking down his prey.
Powerful arms coiled around Yuuri's body, the hard muscular length of the man stretched out along the length of Yuuri's back, pinning him down as his wrists were caught in one massive hand and pinned over his head, his hips arched into the air exposing himself to the mercy of his lover. One hand closed around the King's aching length, the other's calloused fingers stroking along its length quickly, thumb nail tracing the flared head and over the slit, teasing it lightly.
Crying out, his head whipped to the side as he panted, while that hot throbbing length thrust into him without mercy, driving in deeply. The pace was hard, fast and the angle was sharp so that with every motion that length pushed down into him, rubbing against his already aching sweetspot with a delicious friction.
"Yes!" Gasping moans escaped him, most unintelligible, while he was completely and utterly consumed by this beautiful, intelligent man. "Harder!" He encouraged, rocking back into the motion as much as Conrart's strong grip would allow him, desperate to feel that heated burn even further down inside of him. "Please... oh... Conrart... please...!"
The man's mouth burnt against Yuuri's nape, heated breath tickling the tiny strands just there, his teeth nipping and his warm tongue slicking across the sensitive nerves just there. "Mine." The warrior growled low in his throat, both of their bodies unable to stop what they were doing. "My Yuuri."
"Yes." He breathed out, body aching with the force of his lover's claim, every single inch of his body throbbed deliciously from what he was doing to him.
"Yes... yours... always..." It was a promise, one that he had kept when he thought his man was dead. However, in that moment beneath the formidable frame of his beloved, he promised himself that never again would he allow anything or anyone stand in his way again when it came to keeping this man with him. He would always find this man, no matter what form he took.
His hand turned beneath Conrart's, lacing their fingers together, squeezing tight as he came with a scream of the man's name, body arching upwards, trembling with the force of what had been done to him. Spilling himself into Conrart's fingers, his passage clenched tight and eager around the man's hardness buried to the hilt within him. Conrart let out a shout, finding himself abruptly falling over that edge, driving one last time deeply into his lover and filling him with burning hot fluids as he trembled against Yuuri's slick back.
Together they dropped sideways onto the blanket, spooned together intimately, their hands still entwined, their matching rings clinking together softly. The brown-haired warrior wrapped himself around Yuuri, pulling him into the protective curve of his body, his free hand sliding upwards to press against over his husband's pounding heart, feeling its thunderous beat beneath his palm.
"I love you." He whispered softly against Yuuri's hair, never able to say it enough, never able to show it enough to the man through the different forms of expression they had been given.
"And I you." Yuuri sighed contentedly. "Always."
There you are. I hope you like it. Next chapter, we're heading for Francia!