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Kyou Kara Maou: "Last Dance"
Warnings: Last episode spoilers, possession hijinx, and a hard-to-define pairing.
He counted his heartbeats, each slow and thudding pulse within his chest a moment of tension, a building question. Where were they? What was taking so long? Who would emerge? Were his assumptions, his prayers, correct, or had he led them all to destruction?
Then his heartbeat was swallowed by the sound of firm footsteps. Murata glanced up and got slowly to his feet.
Shibuya looked much the same as he ever had -- his black uniform stark and neat, his fine hair falling naturally about his face. It was the smile that gave him away, the cold cruel curve of his lips that Murata would have sworn was impossible for Shibuya, even when manifesting his fury and meting out punishment. It was an expression Murata had only seen the Shinou wear a handful of times... late, towards the end, tainted by darkness.
"It's you, isn't it," he said simply.
"Of course it is," said a monster with Shibuya's voice and Shinou's inflection. "That boy hadn't the confidence to stand against me. It was easy."
Ah, Shibuya. You never did realize what you mean to Shin Makoku and its people.
"Part in thanks to you," purred Shibuya, startling Murata slightly. "When your name came up, it was like twisting the knife in the wound. Beautiful. I really think he thought you were on his side."
He'd done it for the good of everyone, but the twinge of guilt was strong, real. Even if they won, it would be a long time before he could win back the full measure of trust he'd once held.
Yet if they didn't win, there would be no one left to trust him. He hadn't had a choice.
"But I knew you were still mine."
Shibuya was close, startlingly close, and Murata thought about stepping back to put some distance between them. But before he could make the gesture, Shibuya had taken hold of his shoulders and drifted forward to kiss him.
The lips against his were firm and demanding, bitter with confidence. Murata could never have conceived of denying him. His mouth eased open without intellectual consent, permitting the insistent kiss to deepen, heat, as they pressed close together. It shivered into his gut, a desperate want and a sick sense of wrong.
It was so very wrong to be turned on by this, to hungrily kiss this thing that controlled the body of his best friend and the soul of his beloved. It's Shibuya, he tried to tell himself, to rein in his own eager adolescent reaction, but somehow it didn't matter so much when the mind beneath Shibuya knew him so well, every psychological weakness to press and emotional vulnerability to exploit.
It's not HIM.
Fingers threaded into his hair, cradling his head so tenderly, and he was so disgusted at himself that he actually jerked away-- Was he desperate enough that he would accept any thin mask of intimacy? It hadn't been that long, it hadn't been that meaningless without him.
"I've missed this," came the ragged voice, startlingly Shibuya's despite everything. "Ah, my Sage, I've missed you."
It was all so unreal, so unnatural, but it echoed deep inside Murata's aching soul: that, he knew, was his king speaking. Somewhere within the suffocating darkness the Shinou still shone. And this was the proof: the Sovereign didn't need or want this intimacy. It was Shinou, twisted and wrong in spirit but still as far as he could tell himself, who craved it.
"I..." Murata fought for breath, trying to find something to say. "I've waited so long for this."
Triumph or desire flared in black eyes that were so different from the clear blue he kept expecting to see. Shibuya pressed closer, another possessive kiss edging the other boy against the Box behind him and bracing a hand to either side on its lid.
The Box reacted to the nearness of its key, a distortion rippling hungrily in the maryoku around them. Murata's eyes flew wide and he shuddered in an instinctive horror, deeper than knowledge or wisdom, a primal awareness of the terrible. Shibuya only smiled against his lips and drank in his fear as if nothing had changed.
The fear almost, but not quite, burned away the edge of his desire, giving Murata the strength to shove the other boy back. "Not like this," he managed to say. "This isn't the right way."
"I will have to open it eventually," said Shibuya, sounding amused. The hunger was still in his gaze as he looked at Murata, and beyond him to the Box. "In order to accomplish our goal."
For a moment he despaired -- Are you really so far gone that you think this is what we've planned for all these years? -- but by now the corruption spoke as truly as the plans they'd made. They had to finish unsealing the Sovereign in order for it to be destroyed. Murata only shook his head, and said, "But not now. Not like this--"
Before he could think of a plausible reason Shibuya flinched, clutching at his heart. The other boy turned away, sinking to one knee on the floor with his back to the surprised Murata, hiding his suffering.
"Sh-- Shinou--"
"It's nothing," he said. "A flaw... A memory. I thought I felt the old pain." Shinou's pain, with the darkness eating away at his body.
But he had offered his back to Murata rather than let him see: offered him trust and tried to be strong so that he wouldn't worry. It was just enough of the man he'd adored that Murata knelt close, resting a hand at his back. He was once again at peace with what needed to come, the same way he had been millennia ago, realizing for the first time that the Shinou needed to die in order to live the way he'd longed for.
A peaceful life, with no war or hurt. A generous, kind life. To make certain that no one was ever unhappy if he could help it.
At least it's Shibuya, Murata thought. He will understand. There will be no grudges held on his part, not against either of us. He will free you and weep for you, my love.
And he is everything you ever wanted for yourself, isn't he?
Shibuya would never understand, but death coming from him would be a gift.
He counted his heartbeats, each slow and thudding pulse within his chest a moment of tension, a building question. Where were they? What was taking so long? Who would emerge? Were his assumptions, his prayers, correct, or had he led them all to destruction?
Then his heartbeat was swallowed by the sound of firm footsteps. Murata glanced up and got slowly to his feet.
Shibuya looked much the same as he ever had -- his black uniform stark and neat, his fine hair falling naturally about his face. It was the smile that gave him away, the cold cruel curve of his lips that Murata would have sworn was impossible for Shibuya, even when manifesting his fury and meting out punishment. It was an expression Murata had only seen the Shinou wear a handful of times... late, towards the end, tainted by darkness.
"It's you, isn't it," he said simply.
"Of course it is," said a monster with Shibuya's voice and Shinou's inflection. "That boy hadn't the confidence to stand against me. It was easy."
Ah, Shibuya. You never did realize what you mean to Shin Makoku and its people.
"Part in thanks to you," purred Shibuya, startling Murata slightly. "When your name came up, it was like twisting the knife in the wound. Beautiful. I really think he thought you were on his side."
He'd done it for the good of everyone, but the twinge of guilt was strong, real. Even if they won, it would be a long time before he could win back the full measure of trust he'd once held.
Yet if they didn't win, there would be no one left to trust him. He hadn't had a choice.
"But I knew you were still mine."
Shibuya was close, startlingly close, and Murata thought about stepping back to put some distance between them. But before he could make the gesture, Shibuya had taken hold of his shoulders and drifted forward to kiss him.
The lips against his were firm and demanding, bitter with confidence. Murata could never have conceived of denying him. His mouth eased open without intellectual consent, permitting the insistent kiss to deepen, heat, as they pressed close together. It shivered into his gut, a desperate want and a sick sense of wrong.
It was so very wrong to be turned on by this, to hungrily kiss this thing that controlled the body of his best friend and the soul of his beloved. It's Shibuya, he tried to tell himself, to rein in his own eager adolescent reaction, but somehow it didn't matter so much when the mind beneath Shibuya knew him so well, every psychological weakness to press and emotional vulnerability to exploit.
It's not HIM.
Fingers threaded into his hair, cradling his head so tenderly, and he was so disgusted at himself that he actually jerked away-- Was he desperate enough that he would accept any thin mask of intimacy? It hadn't been that long, it hadn't been that meaningless without him.
"I've missed this," came the ragged voice, startlingly Shibuya's despite everything. "Ah, my Sage, I've missed you."
It was all so unreal, so unnatural, but it echoed deep inside Murata's aching soul: that, he knew, was his king speaking. Somewhere within the suffocating darkness the Shinou still shone. And this was the proof: the Sovereign didn't need or want this intimacy. It was Shinou, twisted and wrong in spirit but still as far as he could tell himself, who craved it.
"I..." Murata fought for breath, trying to find something to say. "I've waited so long for this."
Triumph or desire flared in black eyes that were so different from the clear blue he kept expecting to see. Shibuya pressed closer, another possessive kiss edging the other boy against the Box behind him and bracing a hand to either side on its lid.
The Box reacted to the nearness of its key, a distortion rippling hungrily in the maryoku around them. Murata's eyes flew wide and he shuddered in an instinctive horror, deeper than knowledge or wisdom, a primal awareness of the terrible. Shibuya only smiled against his lips and drank in his fear as if nothing had changed.
The fear almost, but not quite, burned away the edge of his desire, giving Murata the strength to shove the other boy back. "Not like this," he managed to say. "This isn't the right way."
"I will have to open it eventually," said Shibuya, sounding amused. The hunger was still in his gaze as he looked at Murata, and beyond him to the Box. "In order to accomplish our goal."
For a moment he despaired -- Are you really so far gone that you think this is what we've planned for all these years? -- but by now the corruption spoke as truly as the plans they'd made. They had to finish unsealing the Sovereign in order for it to be destroyed. Murata only shook his head, and said, "But not now. Not like this--"
Before he could think of a plausible reason Shibuya flinched, clutching at his heart. The other boy turned away, sinking to one knee on the floor with his back to the surprised Murata, hiding his suffering.
"Sh-- Shinou--"
"It's nothing," he said. "A flaw... A memory. I thought I felt the old pain." Shinou's pain, with the darkness eating away at his body.
But he had offered his back to Murata rather than let him see: offered him trust and tried to be strong so that he wouldn't worry. It was just enough of the man he'd adored that Murata knelt close, resting a hand at his back. He was once again at peace with what needed to come, the same way he had been millennia ago, realizing for the first time that the Shinou needed to die in order to live the way he'd longed for.
A peaceful life, with no war or hurt. A generous, kind life. To make certain that no one was ever unhappy if he could help it.
At least it's Shibuya, Murata thought. He will understand. There will be no grudges held on his part, not against either of us. He will free you and weep for you, my love.
And he is everything you ever wanted for yourself, isn't he?
Shibuya would never understand, but death coming from him would be a gift.
no subject
*loves on kay ever so much*
I see what you mean by hard to define pairing ^^
.....
I wonder if Yuuri would have any memory of this after the Sovereign's defeat...
no subject
...man, that would be a great segue into murayuu.*beats tribbles*
no subject
Yes, yes it would...*rescues tribbles from the domestic violence and pampers them with love and affection*
no subject
That was amazing, Kay! I love the MuraYuu and the S/S ... ;_;
*silently wishes Shinou wouldn't die* Heeee! It was just what I needed. *wibbles on Kay's glass*
no subject