Viktor's heart was pounding in his chest and he could feel a flush spreading from his cheeks down to his neck. He was feeling so many things while simultaneously not knowing exactly how to feel. No one had ever said anything even as remotely thoughtful and meaningful like that to him before. He just had to return the favor. C'mon, think of something witty and ingenious. Say something...be smooth and suave…wow him with your charm! A highly flustered King racked his brains for something equally meaningful and insightful to say to the Emperor. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth…

"You have really pretty hair."

The mortification was swift and immediate. As soon as he realized what he'd actually said, his face colored for a completely different reason. He wished that he could crawl under a rock, hide and never have to face the Emperor again. At that very moment, he was feeling extremely thankful that at least it was night and that he could use the cover of darkness to hide his embarrassment. The Emperor, bless his heart, took it all in stride and simply smiled benevolently at him.

"Thank you, I take a lot of pride in its health and maintenance."

Desperate to salvage something from the conversation, the King jumped at the chance to contribute something meaningful.

"I, uh…used to have long hair as well, you know, back when I was still a young man."

The Emperor's eyes twinkled under the lantern light and he leaned in closer, suddenly brimming with excitement.

"Oh, Viktor…I bet you looked even more magnificent with long hair! How long was it? How did you wear it? What did you use to wash it?"

The King's jaw just about dropped and fell right off his face. Mr. I'm-So-Composed-And-Effortlessly-Elegant was positively giddy…over hair…HIS hair. Wait, even more magnificent? Viktor's eyes lit up and his mouth broke into a goofy heart-shaped smile.

"It was down just past my waist and I mostly wore it up in a ponytail, much like you do. When I had sword practice or battle training, I would wear it in a braid. I'm not sure what I used to wash it, the product was always in a nondescript bottle in the royal baths. I'm sorry…I never bothered to find out."

The Emperor bobbed his head up and down enthusiastically as he hummed in acknowledgment.

"In Orientalis, we use the fruit from the サピンダス tree. The fruit is collected and then allowed to dry in the sun. The dried fruit is then boiled over fire for hours until all the cleaning agent has been extracted. Once it cools, it's beaten and churned until it's rendered into a thick foam. Essential oils are added for fragrance and then it's bottled and ready for use."

The King listened intently as the Emperor described the process. He was incredibly intrigued and curious about this hair wash foam that came from trees. He had never heard of such a thing before.

"That sounds amazing! I wish I could try some!"

The Emperor smiled mischievously as he winked at the King.

"I'm one step ahead of you, dear Viktor. I specifically requested that it be included in my satchel tonight. I was planning on using it once we'd finished our conversation about recent events."

Viktor suddenly felt rather foolish. Between all the different experiences he'd already had that evening and his earlier gaffe, he had completely forgotten about why they'd come out here in the first place.

"Ah…yes. Right you are, Yuuri. We should probably discuss what we experienced earlier."

"Before we address the swords, there's one thing I must know. When we shook hands earlier, what did you feel?"

The King closed his eyes as he thought back to the handshake.

"It was intense, almost like…a white-hot fire, but not in a bad or painful way. It actually caused a very pleasant little shiver that ran all along my arm and then down my spine."

He opened his eyes again to look at the Emperor and saw him nodding thoughtfully in agreement.

"Indeed. I felt something very similar. There was something else there though…something familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it, but if I had to compare it to something…it was like…"

The Emperor closed his eyes and tipped his head back, his eyes scrunched closed in concentration as he tried to find the right expression. The King watched, entranced, as a droplet of water made its way past the edge of Yuuri's chin and ran slowly down his neck. His eyes followed the drop closely as it clung to the moist skin of the Emperor's throat and hugged the curves of his Adam's apple. The King had never been so envious of a water drop before in his whole life. He swallowed thickly as his mind filled with visions of replacing the drop with his tongue and…

"I've got it!"

The King was startled out of his thoughts, somewhat thankful that they got stopped in their tracks before they'd had the chance to become even more lewd.

"Coming home."

Viktor managed to tear his eyes away from Yuuri's neck and use them to look up at the man's face.

"Pardon?"

"The feeling when we touched. It felt like…coming home after a long journey."

Viktor's eyes grew wide as he suddenly realized he knew exactly what Yuuri meant. He brought both of his hands to his chest, holding them over his heart as he reached deep within himself. The feeling that had been with him since he'd had his first contact with the Emperor finally had a name…'home'. He raised his eyes again to look questioningly at the Emperor.

"But how is that possible? Our clans have never interacted. Prior to a few days ago, we hadn't even met. Heck, I didn't even know you existed until a few days ago."

The Emperor brought his right hand to his heart and the back of his left hand to his forehead, his face contorted in a display of indignation.

"Didn't even know I existed? Viktor, that really wounds me!"

The King waved his hands defensively in front of him, windmilling comically as he realized how what he said must have sounded.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean that I thought you were unimportant! I just…I didn't…I never…"

The Emperor placed a hand on each of the King's shoulders and stared intently at him with a very serious look on his face, the thrum of energy passing through their touching skin briefly distracting him for a moment. Oh shit, I've really done it now! Viktor closed his eyes and braced himself for the oncoming admonishment. Instead, he heard a rather crass snort followed by thunderous laughter. He opened his eyes to an Emperor in the throes of a raucous fit of mirth.

"Oh sweet kami…*gasp* the look on your face! It was *gasp* priceless!"

Viktor couldn't believe it, he'd just been royally had, pun intended. Yuuri had actually made him believe that he was really mad at him! Viktor crossed his arms and pouted, feeling rather ridiculous that he'd been fooled so easily.

"That was really mean, Yuuri. I thought that I had really hurt your feelings! I couldn't handle the disgrace of being so dishonorable towards you after you'd been so hospitable towards me and my clan."

The Emperor stopped laughing and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Forgive me Viktor, I've always been a bit of a prankster. I just can't help myself sometimes. You have such an adorable face when you're all flustered, I just had to see it again."

Viktor pulled his arms more tightly against himself and deepened the pout. No fair! How does he do that? How does he make me go from being all mad at him one second to feeling as if I could never be mad at him the next?

"How about I make it up to you, then?"

Viktor quirked an eyebrow up at Yuuri, his interest suddenly piqued.

"I'm listening. What do you have in mind?"

"How about I wash your hair for you?"

Viktor shook his head and smiled. The Emperor truly did have a one-track mind.

"Alright, I'll grant you this rare chance to wash the hair of the one and only King of Occidentis. Your forgiveness will depend on how good of a job you do."

The Emperor clapped his hands together and rubbed them in excitement as he nodded enthusiastically.

"Then my forgiveness is all but assured. My skills are unrivaled."

The Emperor motioned for the King to come over to him and pointed out a flattened rock that was just slightly hidden beneath the cloudy water.

"There's another flattened surface just below that one. You can feel for it with your hands. Once you find it, sit down. I'll sit up on the higher one so I can have better access to your hair."

Viktor felt around under the water and found the higher flat surface, after he reached the edge of the rock, he bent down and was able to find the second, lower ledge. He sat down, sucking in a sharp breath as the hot water rose up higher on his chest. He heard some rustling behind him and then felt the disturbance in the water surrounding him. He sensed the Emperor sitting down and getting comfortable behind him. The man's lower legs brushed up against his sides, bringing back that enthralling tingle he'd experienced earlier.

"The tingling…it doesn't bother you?"

"Not at all. I find it quite comforting, actually."

Viktor heard the sound of splashing water and looked over to see Yuuri scooping some water in a small container. He saw tendrils of the monarch's hair swirling around him in the pool, waving hypnotically about like black snakes. He had to hold himself back from reaching out and letting them flow through his fingers.

"Please tilt your head back, I'm going to wet your hair first."

The King did as he was told and had to bite back a moan when he felt the Emperor run his fingers through his hair. The hot water felt heavenly against his scalp and he closed his eyes as it was poured slowly over his hair. He heard the sound of a container being opened and then Yuuri cursing under his breath.

"Is everything alright, Yuuri?"

"Ah…yes, it's fine. It's just not the particular scent I requested. There must have been some kind of…*ahem*…misunderstanding and I was given this one instead. Sorry, it's a bit…um…strong. I'll try to use it sparingly."

He felt the fingers of both of Yuuri's hands sink into his wet hair and start expertly working the cleanser into a rich lather. The scent of the product immediately hit his nose; an incredibly heady and intoxicating fragrance. He breathed in deeply, each breath filling his nostrils with the sweet scent that seemed to have some dangerous undertones, giving it a bit of a deadly edge. The more he breathed it in, the more he craved it. He was absolutely entranced, he'd never smelled anything like it before. It was an incredible aroma, and it was evoking a rather inappropriate reaction from between his legs. He was never more thankful for the cloudy quality of the water than he was at that very moment, at least he could hide his reaction from view. Viktor tried to calm down and keep things from getting further out of control, willing that certain part of himself back into a dormant state.

"This, uh…smells quite wonderful, and certainly very…ah…potent. What…is it, exactly?"

"It's the scent of the Datura flower, a beautiful trumped-shaped flower that only blooms at night. It belongs to the nightshade family and is also called Devil's Trumpet."

The King was a bit startled at the mention of nightshade. They were all over Occidentis and were famous for their deadly potency.

"There's no need to worry Viktor, you're perfectly safe. We use a very small amount of the oil extracted from the flower. As long as it's not ingested, it won't harm you."

Viktor sank back down on the rock, allowing himself to relax once more against Yuuri's legs. The Emperor resumed his masterful movements and it wasn't long before he felt his eyes begin to close. His head rolled to the left and he was soon snoring softly against Yuuri's knee.

...

He was roused from his impromptu nap a short while later, as something insistent brushed up against his nose, tickling it. He wrinkled his nose in an attempt to dislodge the offending nuisance, but it just wouldn't leave him alone.

"Viktor, I'm not going away until you wake up."

The King's eyes suddenly flew wide open and he came face to face with a bemused-looking Emperor.

"Huh…what? Did I fall asleep?"

"You did. Drooled all over my leg, too."

The King's face turned a lovely shade of beet red as the embarrassment flooded in.

"I am SO sorry. I don't know what came over me!"

"It's no bother at all! You never stood a chance against my skills from the beginning. I can't fault you for doing exactly what I was expecting you to do!"

Viktor groaned and rubbed his sleepy eyes with his hands in an effort to wake himself up a bit more.

"May I wash your hair, too? I may not be as skilled as you in that department…but I'd really like to return the favor."

The Emperor's eyes instantly glittered with glee and he motioned for Viktor to trade places with him. The King stood up and stretched his arms over his head in an attempt to get the circulation moving again, momentarily forgetting that he was buck naked in the water with another man, a very handsome man.

"You have beautifully toned buttocks, Viktor. I can see that you put a lot of hard work into maintaining them."

The King eep'd and practically threw himself back in the water, burying himself till he was neck-deep in it.

"In the name of all that is holy…are you trying to kill me with embarrassment?! I don't think I can take much more, Yuuri!"

The Emperor laughed heartily as he shook his head and waved a hand in front of him.

"No, no…of course not! I just don't think nudity is something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Everyone is naked once all their clothes are gone! And for the most part, we all have the exact same bits, so there's nothing really surprising about it. I can see that it's all still a bit much for you, so I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable."

Viktor kept himself submerged to his neck in the water as he crab-walked into position behind the Emperor.

"There are those who do not shy away from nudity in Occidentis, either. It's just not something I've had a lot of experience with, personally. I've always been a bit private about it, I suppose."

Viktor took Yuuri's hair in his hands, triumphantly savoring the moment he was finally touching it. It was so soft and silky, even when it was wet. He divided the hair into two halves and pushed one over the Emperor's right shoulder.

"I'm going to wash it in two parts. I think it'll be better than trying to wash it all at once. Is that alright with you?"

The Emperor hummed in agreement and Viktor reached for the bottle with the hair cleansing agent. He poured a small amount into his palm, feeling slightly dizzy once the heady scent flooded his nostrils once more. Yuuri's hair was already wet, and so he just got right to it. He started at the top of his head, massaging the product into the hair and marveling at how thickly it lathered up. He worked his way down the length of the hair until he'd covered the section fully. He asked Yuuri to tilt his head back and then poured clean water over it until it was fully rinsed. He grabbed hold of the second section of hair from over the man's right shoulder and brought it back over to the middle as he pushed the clean section off over the left shoulder. Once he'd fully finished washing the second section, he pushed it over and joined it with the other clean half. As Viktor took in the bare expanse of Yuuri's back, he gasped in horror. The man's flesh was marred by hundreds of scars. There were scars of all lengths, widths and severity. Viktor covered his mouth with his hand, absolutely shocked and appalled by what he was seeing.

"Y-Yuuri! What happened to your back?"

Yuuri looked back at him over his shoulder, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Do you mean the scars?"

"Yes, I mean the scars! What else would it be?"

Yuuri shrugged, ostensibly not bothered at all by his back-full of scarred flesh.

"They're lessons, from training."

"Lessons? Yuuri…did they just beat you indiscriminately?"

"Of course not, don't be absurd. Each scar is a reminder of a time I zigged when I should have zagged. When I ducked instead of jumped. When I parried instead of blocked. They are reminders of the lessons I have learned."

"But Yuuri, could you not have learned those same lessons without such…consequences? Some of these look as if they came from frighteningly deep wounds. Your trainers were willing to risk your life just so you could learn a lesson?"

The Emperor flicked his hair back over his shoulder, causing it to cascade over his back and hide the offending scars from view. He took a deep breath and let it out in a measured sigh as he stood up.

"In battle, one often does not have the chance to take back a fatal mistake. Training without suffering the pain of consequences does not instill a proper respect and fear of death. I am the warrior I am today because the fear of pain kept me sharp. The best way to avoid pain is to avoid mistakes."

Viktor couldn't believe his ears. The playful Yuuri that had been with him just a short while ago seemed all but gone, and had been replaced by someone who spoke in a cold and detached manner. It made his heart break a little more.

"The pain and fear you must have felt must have been...unbearable."

Viktor's voice cracked as he spoke and fat tears rolled unbidden from his eyes.

"You must have suffered so much."

The Emperor heard the change in Viktor's voice and whipped around to face him, shocked and confused to see the tears flowing freely from his eyes.

"Viktor, you're crying!"

"Yes you idiot, I am!"

"Why?"

"Because! I'm sad that you had to suffer! I'm mad that people allowed you to be hurt! And because it breaks my heart that this seems...normal to you!"

The Emperor was speechless. He looked at the pained expression on the King's face and felt a pain stir within his own heart. He realized immediately that he didn't want to see Viktor in any kind of pain. It was as if the pain was reflecting back at him and doubly hurting him in return. He felt as if he would everything in his power to protect him from it. Overwhelmed by the sudden rush of strange rush of emotions, the Emperor turned his back to the King once again and wrapped his arms around himself as he tried to figure out why he was being so affected.

Viktor wiped the tears angrily from his arms as he extended an arm and took a step toward the Emperor. His vision became suddenly very blurry and he was overcome with an intense feeling of vertigo. He kind of lost his balance a bit, the dizziness making it impossible to stand upright. He was hot, too hot...the steam making it hard for him to breathe. He sank down into the water and lost consciousness, falling forward until he was floating face down in the water.

Yuuri was panicking. This was a situation he'd never encountered before. No one had ever cried for him before. No one had ever shown concern for his scars nor the pain he'd suffered all those years. His uncle had always told him that the weak would look upon his scars with pity, and the strong would look at them with pride. But he'd seen neither in Viktor's eyes, there had only been genuine anguish. Determined to get to the bottom of things, he turned back around to demand some answers from the man. What he saw instead caused his blood to run cold. Viktor was face down in the water, and he wasn't moving.

"くそ!くそ!くそ!"

What an idiot he'd been! He should have kept a closer eye on Viktor, it was just his first time in an onsen after all. He'd probably become too dehydrated and had been overwhelmed by the heat. How long had they been in there anyway? It was totally unlike him to lose track of time. He grabbed Viktor and turned him over before dragging him out of the water. He lay him on his left side and felt encouraged when he saw some water drain from his lungs. He checked for breath but found none. He rolled Viktor onto his back and prepared to give him the kiss of life. He tilted his head back, pinched his nose and lowered his lips to Viktor's, forming a tight seal between them. He breathed, and the pale silver-haired man sputtered back to life. Yuuri pulled him into his arms and delivered hefty open-palmed strikes to Viktor's back, causing more water to be dislodged and exit the man's body.

"That's good Viktor, very good. Thank kami you were only unconscious in the water for a short time."

He leaned Viktor up against a nearby rock, feeling great relief when the man opened his eyes and stared dazedly up at him.

"Viktor, can you hear me? How do you feel?"

Viktor's eyes were glassy and confused, but they seemed to focus on the source of his voice and he clumsily threw his arms around Yuuri's neck.

"Oooh, it's a pretty angel with pretty hair!"

"Viktor, what are you..."

The silver-haired monarch leaned forward, pressing their lips together in a sloppy kiss before passing out cold on his shoulder.

Yuuri's eyes grew impossibly wide and he gasped. A strange and searing hot fire radiated inward from his lips and coursed its way through his body at top speed. It quickly made its way to his heart and the last thing Yuuri saw was a bright white light.

_terminology_

サピンダス (Sapindus mukorossi) - the fruit is commonly known as Indian soapberry or washnut, and like other species in the genus Sapindus, it is called soapberry. The soapnut contains the compound of saponin, which has natural cleansing properties, and therefore the soapnut can be used as a cleanser for hair, skin, and clothing.

Datura flower: all the information posted about this flower is fact. I have a Datura perfume and I can attest to it's erotic sexiness. RAWR.

くそ!くそ!くそ! (Kuso! Kuso! Kuso!) : Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!