11:

Murata Ken had always thought of himself as a regular guy. He wasn’t that bad-looking and was smart enough since his grades kept him in the top five amongst his peers each year. He might not have a girlfriend…yet, but he knew he had potential with the ladies. He was convinced that they would one day come to appreciate his winning charms and wit but until then, he’d take his time to perfect the Greatest Pickup Line ever. For all his good fortune, however, there was one thing he could do without and that was being picked on by the bigger or older kids in school. He figured that the glasses and messy hair must be a magnet for those kinds of guys since he sure as hell didn’t go about asking for their company. He hated to admit that being friends with Shibuya had helped to ease the daily torments. The other boy had somehow become the target for the bullies…something Murata couldn’t quite comprehend. So yes, Shibuya looked weak from the outside, but he had come to see the inner strength the boy possessed over the years. He just wished Yuuri was more willing to let others see it.

Speaking of which, he had received an email from Shibuya this morning - a rather short and cryptic letter which Murata printed out to read to himself. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it again, trying his best to read between the lines.

From: yuuri4@mail.jp
To: muraken@muraken.jp
Subject: Hello!

Camp is great so far. Made some new friends – Yoichiro Yoshikawa (he’s a short-stop from Fuji University) and Keiichi Oku (yes! That Keiichi Oku!) Can you believe it? He’s a right fielder and you should have seen him hit the other day. It was awesome! Wolfram’s my roommate. Isn’t that ironic? He almost tried to kill me because I collapsed and fainted and now he’s not talking to me again. I guess he’s back to being a stubborn son-of-a-bitch.

I’ll write when I have more time. They’re chasing us out of the room now. Take care!

-Yuuri S.


Murata had circled the phrases ‘collapsed and fainted’ as well as ‘almost tried to kill me’; wondering what could have caused such a thing to happen. He tried to tell himself that Yuuri might have been exhausted from all the training but even that seemed like a weak reason to him. And just why would Wolfram want to kill Yuuri anyway? Had Shibuya meant ‘kill’ literally? Or was it just a way of saying that Wolfram had been too worried to…

“Murata?”

The bespectacled boy lifted his head quickly, his gaze sharp and yet wary at the same time. He was sitting on the steps leading to the temple, waiting patiently for Conrad to show up. Although he had told the older man to meet him here at about one in the afternoon, Murata himself had arrived almost an hour too early. He didn’t want to admit that the notion of seeing the other man again made him excited. He genuinely enjoyed talking and being in Conrad’s company and had been looking forward to this day when they could meet again.

However, the warm smile of welcome that came to his visage, faltered as he noticed that Conrad wasn’t alone. Walking beside him was another man with shocking orange hair and brilliant blue eyes which seemed to be filled with amusement as they rested their gaze on him. Hoping his displeasure didn’t show on his features, Murata rose to his feet and forced himself to smile as brightly as he could.

“Mr. Weller! You’re…” He glanced at his watch. “…a bit early.” He tucked the letter into his pocket quickly, not wishing to show it to Conrad now. He was sure if the man had come alone he would have been more willing to share Yuuri’s message, hoping that they could decipher it together.

Conrad gave a good natured laugh. “Sorry, but we were excited to learn more about the priestess and whatever message she has for us. Ah, let me introduce you to a good friend of mine. Murata, this is Yozak Gurrier. Yozak, Murata Ken, a friend to Yuuri Shibuya, the boy I talked about yesterday.”

Yozak held out a hand, smiling broadly at the teenager but more than aware that his presence was not really appreciated or needed. He would have laughed aloud at how transparent the boy was, but he decided to keep it to himself.

“Nice to meet you, Ken. Conrad’s told me a lot about you.”

Murata took the offered hand and pumped it firmly before releasing it quickly. “The pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Gurrier…”

“Please, call me Yozak.”

“Yozak it is then. And you can call me Murata.”

“Then I guess you can call me Conrad,” the brown-haired man said with a soft nod. “Since we’re letting go of formalities. So? Are we all ready to go?”

Murata nodded and spun on his heels to lead the way. “It’s quite some walking distance from here but we should be in the Inner Temple soon enough. She’s knows we’re coming to visit today but we have less than an hour with her. She’s a very busy woman after all.”

Both men gave small nods of understanding and as the trio made their way up the long flight of steps, they were soon enveloped and lost in the shadows of the tall trees that surrounded them.




Another shrill sound of the whistle pierced through the air and Yuuri winced as he noticed Coach Adelbert walking…no…stomping towards Wolfram again. His features were red with rage or frustration or exasperation, Yuuri wasn’t really sure, but there was no doubt that the blond man was on edge today. The afternoon was incredibly hot and sticky and everyone could smell rain in the air – if not tonight, then definitely sometime tomorrow. They had been practicing all afternoon, amidst the swirling rumors of the mysterious man who had shown up the day before to beat up some older players.

All the coaches were put on alert and according to the grape vine; the security was now tightened around the camp grounds. Yuuri had a feeling that this was all a part of Coach Adelbert’s frustrations. He was sure the man hated being kept at a disadvantage especially when it concerned things he was, supposedly, in charge of.

It, however, didn’t give him the right to pick on anyone and so far, Wolfram had been his target this afternoon.

“What in the world is wrong with you today, von Bielefeld?! What kind of a catch was that?! What do you have?! Butterfingers?!” Adelbert was bellowing as he all but spat into the blond’s face. “What the hell are you in this camp for?!”

Yuuri couldn’t hear Wolfram’s response from his position on the field, but whatever he said didn’t seem to pacify Adelbert in the slightest.

“Do you think this is your backyard where you can play any way you want?! I don’t know what all the hype’s about but in my opinion, you’re the weakest player on this team! Do you hear me?!”

Yuuri bit his lower lip - hard enough to draw blood - although he was unaware of it. He rose from his crouched position behind the plate, feeling his insides curling with a familiar rush of anger. How dare Adelbert say that to Wolfram? Everyone knew that the blond pushed himself to the limit and did his best at all times. So yes, granted, Wolfram was a bit off today and hadn’t been as alert as in the past, but it still didn’t give Adelbert the right to say such a thing! Yuuri took a step forward, but Yoichiro, who was standing beside him, placed a hand on his arm to stop any progress.

Don’t do it, Yoichiro’s eyes said. You’ll only make things worse.

Yuuri wanted to protest, but he knew the older boy was right. If he stepped in now, it would only humiliate Wolfram and give Adelbert more of an incentive to pick on the blond. He lowered his gaze in frustration, glad that the helmet, over his face, hid the shimmering tears of frustration which filled his eyes.

“I know why you’re here,” Adelbert continued, in a much lower tone, his dark blue eyes holding the still defiant green ones prisoner. “And I don’t like it one bit. Your brother Gwendal thinks he can pull the strings but I’ll have you know that it’s not going to work with me. Got it, rich kid?” He jabbed Wolfram’s chest with a finger, causing the boy to stagger a little. “If you want to make it to the big leagues, you’ve got to work until you bleed, boy! Get those hands dirty! Grovel on this dirt!” He kicked the dusty ground for emphasis. “And play until you feel every nerve and bone in your body tingling, aching and sore with baseball! This isn’t a sport for the weak! If you can’t take the heat, then get off the goddamn field and let someone else play! Do I make myself clear, von Bielefeld?!”

Wolfram must have given the right response this time around for Adelbert blew his whistle again and roared to the rest of the silent players. “EVERYONE MOVE TO THE OUTFIELD AND GIVE ME FIFTY! THEN YOU CAN GO IN FOR THE DAY!”

Afterwards, Wolfram was made to clear up the field with two other junior players even though it wasn’t his turn to do so and Yuuri could only watch helplessly from the sidelines. He dared not go in to help since Coach Sato (a man who seemed to idolize Adelbert) was standing watch.

What can I do? Help me, demon king…what can I do?

But to his surprise and slight dismay, the pesky voice of his other self didn’t utter a single word of advice.

Nothing, huh? I have to do this on my own, right? You’ve got nothing to say to me anymore, do you?

He had tried speaking to Wolfram with his mind, but there was no luck with that either. It was as if the blond had finally found a way to shut his thoughts away from Yuuri – something that was quite aggravating to the dark-haired boy. He wondered if Wolfram could still read his thoughts. If so, it put him at a great disadvantage. Since the incident at the lake, not that Yuuri could remember much of it; Wolfram had begun to act strangely. After the near-strangling ordeal in the clinic, and being chased out afterwards, Wolfram became much quieter and distant. When asked, he refused to tell Yuuri what had really happened at the lake and it was eventually Keiichi who told him all about the ‘transformation.’

Yuuri shivered at the memory, remembering how terrified he had felt at the news. To think that he had allowed that being (The Maou. That’s his title.) to take control of him was frightening. What would happen if the demon king completely took over his body and spirit? What would happen to ‘Yuuri Shibuya’ then? Would he remain trapped inside the king for the rest of his life? Yuuri didn’t want that to happen. The thought of ‘disappearing’ to make way for the more powerful spirit within him was something he wasn’t looking forward to.

I can’t let him control me. I just can’t. I’ll just have to be more careful from now on that’s all. So the next time he tries to show up…I’ll definitely be ready.




The three men knelt in silence under the watchful eyes of the large, looming and rather intimidating statue of Buddha. They were unaware of their held breaths as they watched the still praying figure before them. It had taken them almost fifteen minutes to get to the main temple grounds and another ten minutes to go through protocol before being allowed into the inner chambers. In here, it was quiet and cool and devoid of most of the beautiful ceremonial and scared items that lined the hallways outside. On arrival, the men were ushered into the chambers by two beautiful women dressed in white kimono robes and pleated red hakama skirts. It had felt too surreal to Conrad – their gentleness, warm smiles and welcoming words seemed to soothe his spirit. In fact, the entire atmosphere around the temple had a calming effect on the men – something they welcomed after the chaotic day-to-day hustle and bustle of city life.

“A painful past,” the priestess suddenly said, jerking them ‘awake’ from their dazed stupor. She turned around slowly, lifting long lashes to reveal breathtaking violet-colored eyes. Her long white hair fell to the floor to pool around her knees like a cloak. Her features, almost child-like and yet serene was full of wisdom. “Two souls bound by fate, love and death.”

Murata and Conrad winced, while Yozak looked on with silent interest. He was not really sure of what was going on even though Conrad had tried to explain things to him as best he could. All he knew was that this trip he was about to take was looking more and more interesting with each passing moment. He simply couldn’t wait to see those boys now.

The Priestess held out the piece of paper with the words ‘Shin Makoku’ written on it (Murata had given it to her earlier) and to their amazement, it was suddenly engulfed in blue flames…and yet the paper didn’t seem to be burning at all.

“It is the power of the Maou,” she said in that lithe voice of hers. “A demon king who was once the ruler of a place called Shin Makoku.”

The men gasped. Ma…Maou?! De…demon…king?!

“But where is it…how…?” Murata began but was silenced with the kind look she gave to him.

“Shin Makoku did exist in another dimension, you could say.” She clasped her hands together and the flames died just as quickly as they appeared. “I could not see it all but what I did see, while praying, was a universe filled with demons and humans who tried to co-exist as best they could. There was a lot of magic, something the demons were able to use. And yet the humans feared them and continued to wage war despite the Maou’s best intentions to bring peace to both races.”

Conrad, his heartbeat quickening with an emotion he couldn’t quite define, asked quietly. “So…these people…this Maou and…Wolfram…are you saying that they all existed in this Shin Makoku as…demons?”

“Do not think of them as horrible-looking creatures,” the priestess said. “They looked just like you and I. In fact…” She lowered her lashes. “We all…did…”

“We…all did? What does that mean?!” Murata cried out, leaning forward with something akin to fear and yet excitement in his dark eyes. “What do you mean by…?”

“You, of all people should know, Murata Ken,” the priestess replied with another small smile which caused the boy to sit back as if struck by an unseen blow. She closed her eyes and bowed her head as if going into prayer again. “You are…all of us are the reincarnations of demons from that place and time. Shin Makoku…was a beautiful country, full of love and peace until the Great War…which destroyed everything. Our souls lived on through the centuries, waiting for the right time to manifest itself again. It has always been within you…in your hearts…you’ve always known that there was something special and different about you. Unfortunately, your memories have not returned but your friend and your brother have already been ‘awakened’ by the past.”

Neither man could utter a single word. They felt as if they had been punched in the stomach and breathing was becoming extremely difficult.

It was Yozak, who finally found his voice to ask softly. “What happened to Shin Makoku? The Maou….if he was so powerful, why couldn’t he stop the war? Why was everything destroyed?”

The High Priestess’s brows furrowed as if troubled and she shook her head slowly before opening her eyes to look at them again. “I do not know but I know that the loss was great and Shin Makoku was no more. However, the Maou lives on in Shibuya Yuuri while the Prince of Fire lives on in Wolfram von Bielefeld. It is best to let them be for now. The spirits will not harm them.”

“Can they use magic then?” Conrad asked. “In this world and time…can we…all…?”

“If it chooses to manifest then it will but otherwise, let sleeping dogs lie.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again. “I am afraid that my time with you is up. I have other people who wish to see me as well but I sincerely hope I was able to help you out in some way.”

The men bowed in respect, before Murata replied on their behalf. “Thank you, Ulrike-sama. You’ve been more than helpful. We’ll heed your words as advised.”

She blessed and prayed for them, smiling softly to herself as she watched them leave. And as they opened the doors leading out to the temple grounds, she gasped in shock as the three men seemed to change right before her eyes. They had taken the forms of their reincarnations…even if it was for just a brief moment.




Yuuri woke up with a start, eyes widening as a loud rumbling sound was heard. A sudden flash of light and the subsequent clap of thunder was a reminder of the thunderstorm that raged outside. He let out a soft whoosh of air and tried to calm his thudding heart, falling back to the pillows as he pulled the blanket up to his neck. He didn’t think he had had a nightmare but the events of the previous evening had definitely taken a toll on him.

Wolfram…

Despite his best intentions to cheer him up, the blond had still refused to say anything to Yuuri besides a grunt here and there. He had taken a quick shower and gone straight to bed, now making use of Yuuri’s dark blue pajamas for his nightwear. The first time he wore it, Yuuri was pleased at how well it fit Wolfram and relished the spots of color it brought to the blond’s cheeks. Even though Wolfram hadn’t said it outright, Yuuri was sure he was happy.

To make matters worse - and Yuuri wasn’t sure about this - he could have sworn he heard sniffling from the huddled figure beneath the blanket. An intense wave of helplessness and frustration had washed over Yuuri, knowing he could do absolutely nothing even if he wanted to.

With a soft sigh, he decided to take a peek – to see if Wolfram was okay at least. Leaning over the edge of the bed, he looked….and then looked again; blinking rapidly just to be sure he wasn’t seeing things.

Wolfram’s bed was empty, the pajamas he had worn to sleep draped over a chair and his baseball uniform gone.

What the…?! Wolfram you idiot!

Without thinking twice about it, Yuuri leapt down from bed and changed into a pair of jeans, left his sleep shirt on and shrugged into a jacket. He opened the door, checked to see if anyone else was awake and was glad to see that the hallways were quiet. He half ran and tiptoed down the stairs and before long; he was running beneath the pelting rain and towards the baseball fields.

He had no idea how he would know Wolfram was there, but as he approached the open field, he could make out the lone figure standing within the batting cage.

Shit! How long has he been out here?! And in this rain too!

Forgetting that he too was now drenched to the skin, Yuuri ran down the slope, bellowing as loud as he can so he could be heard over the combined sounds of rain, wind and thunder.

“Wolfram!! Wolfram!!”

Not surprisingly, he was ignored, although he saw the blond flinch as stung with something. However, Wolfram made no attempt to stop what he was doing. He reached into the large metal basket to pick another ball, which was then thrown into the air and struck with the bat as hard as the blond could let it swing.

Growling beneath his breath, Yuuri quickened his strides. Damn it! He had never met anyone as stubborn as Wolfram before in his life!

“WOLFRAM!” he thundered, hardly aware of the deep resonance of his voice and how close it sounded to the demon king’s. “WOLFRAM!!”

“Don’t come any closer!!” came the loud cry. “I swear if you do I’ll hit you with this!”

Yuuri stopped in mid-stride, his eyes narrowing as he debated whether or not to heed Wolfram’s warning. But he was now angry, his blood boiling with the emotion which threatened to waken the dormant spirit within him again.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?!” he yelled, his hands balling into tight fists. “So what if Coach Adelbert gave you a hard time, huh?! You don’t have to do what he says!! He’s an asshole and he knows it! Doing this is only going to make him more of a prick to you!!”

“You don’t know anything…” Wolfram muttered.

“What did you say?!”

“I SAID YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” Wolfram bellowed, finally spinning around to glare coldly at his roommate. “He was right! I’m not as good as I should be!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?!” Yuuri stomped a foot in frustration. “Everyone knows you’re the best hitter and left fielder out here…!”

“Always!” Wolfram interrupted curtly, tossing the baseball bat to the ground. To Yuuri’s horror, he could see the dark stains on the handle and it didn’t take a genius to know that Wolfram’s palms must be bleeding. Who knew how many times he’s swung that bat all night long?

“Always hiding behind them…my brothers…!” Wolfram yelled, now advancing towards Yuuri with slow deliberate strides. “At first it was with Conrad! Every fucking day, he was either in the news or in the papers! Conrad Weller broke this record or Conrad Weller broke that record! And then Gwendal! Gwendal decides to buy himself a baseball team! And thanks to that everyone treats me with kid gloves! They give me a free pass to everything and why?! Because I have FAMOUS brothers! Nothing is ever done because of ME, Yuuri! Can you possibly understand that?! Do you know how it feels to know that you’re only chosen because of WHO you are and not WHAT you are?! Can you even comprehend the pain of being sneered and looked upon by other players just because you’re ‘naturally talented’! Bull shit! Bull fucking shit!”

He was now standing inches away from his companion, his fair locks wet and limp against his flushed forehead and cheeks. His green eyes flashed defiantly and yet seemed too bright beneath the dull cloak of darkness. Yuuri wasn’t sure if Wolfram was crying as well but he had no plans to let the blond beat himself up like this.

“So what?!” he spat back coldly. “So what if you’ve been looked down upon, huh?! It’s what’s in here that counts, isn’t it?!” He pressed a hand against Wolfram’s chest, sucking in a harsh breath at the familiar jolt of awareness that shot down his spine. A sudden heat seemed to emanate from the contact and Yuuri could feel Wolfram’s heartbeat beneath his fingers - a hard and fast pulse which seemed to match his at this very moment.

“Don’t talk like you understand,” Wolfram retorted just as coldly even though his voice trembled. “You’ve never understood how I felt so why try to pretend like you do! Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He turned to leave but Yuuri slapped a hand over his wrist, lifting Wolfram’s hand to peer at the wounds on his palms.

“So what’s this?” Yuuri asked in a firm but quiet tone. “Paint?! Or maybe red dye?! Don’t whine and complain as if you’re the only person in the world who’s gone through so much crap! Don’t you think I know what sacrifice means?! Don’t you think I know what it’s like to be laughed at and mocked by others because of my performance on and off the field?!”

“Like I’m supposed to give a fuck?!”

“You bleed for Adelbert because he says you have to and you doubt yourself because of that?! Is that what all of this is for?!”

“Let go of me, Yuuri…!”

“No, Wolfram!” came the low growl and this time, there was no mistaking the narrowed dark eyes staring at him. “I won’t let you continue like this! If you’re going to bleed for anyone then it should be for me and me alone!”

And without giving the blond a chance to respond, Yuuri moved closer to silence Wolfram with a hard and breathtaking kiss. He could literally feel the blond’s shocked gasp get lost in his mouth as he wrapped an arm around Wolfram’s slender waist to pull him flush against his body. If the stolen kiss - the tentative meeting of lips on the first night – had been sweet and tender, then this passionate encounter was a far cry from that. Yuuri had never felt this heady rush of boldness before and he knew just why it felt this way and who was responsible.

Wolfram hardly felt them move but gave a soft grunt all the same as he felt his back pressed against the brick wall of the building behind him. He was burning up, his entire body feverish with an urgent sense of need and lust that was almost frightening.

What’s this…this intense feeling…? Why can’t I stop him? I don’t…want to…let go…

He sank his hands into Yuuri’s (his king’s) hair, whimpering into the heated kiss as his senses reeled from the intoxicating taste of his partner’s lips. Oh, how he missed this. He had waited many lifetimes to feel this again – this wild rush of wanton desire that never ceased to make his knees weak. After an eternity, they finally pulled apart for much needed air, panting harshly as foreheads met and darkened gazes stared at swollen lips beneath the weeping sky. Although both should have been shivering from the cold, neither felt a single thing for the heat between them was enough to melt the hardest of steel.

“I’ve missed this,” Yuuri whispered, although it barely sounded like him now. This voice was thick and rough with need – a raw sound which sent shivers of delight down Wolfram’s spine.

“So…so have I…” Wolfram replied weakly, his eyes now so dark; they almost seemed black in the gloom.

Yuuri groaned. “If only you weren’t such a stubborn…”

“…but you love me that way…” Wolfram began with a smirk only to gasp as he felt the strong hands cupping his buttocks to knead them gently. “Pervert,” he sighed against Yuuri’s neck, a tongue darting out to lick the pale flesh gently.

Yuuri laughed softly, his hand now moving towards the growing bulge in Wolfram’s pants. The touch was so expected, that Wolfram was unable to stop the sharp cry of pleasure that escaped his lips. He wrapped his arms tightly around Yuuri’s neck and arched into the stroking hand, knowing that he was bound to explode very soon…

“Hey! Who’s out there?!”

Damn!!

Both boys pulled apart so fast that Yuuri tripped over his own feet to fall flat on his back. They could hear the pounding footsteps of either a security guard or a coach fast approaching and neither boy wished to remain there a minute longer. Flushing to the roots of his hair, Wolfram reached out to pull Yuuri to his feet, biting his lower lip to stop from screaming at the pain that raced up his arm. He had completely forgotten that his hands were injured.

Let’s go! This way!

Like thieves, they ran within the shadows, being careful not to walk beneath the lights to avoid being caught. Eventually they made it to their room, hearts still pounding fast with fear and yet exhilaration at what had just taken place between them.

Yuuri locked the door behind him carefully and sagged against it with a heavy sigh of relief. “Whew…that was close.”

“Yes...it was…”

An awkward silence suddenly fell between them, their eyes meeting for a heated moment before each looked away quickly.

“Uum…” Yuuri cleared his throat, fiddling with the zipper of his wet jacket. “A…about…what happened…”

He felt so hot, he was sure he would melt on the floor. He didn’t know if to apologize or to continue from where they had left off…

“It’s okay,” Wolfram said with a light shrug, turning away quickly to peel out of his wet uniform. “It wasn’t you. I know.” He sincerely hoped his disappointment wasn’t evident in his voice. It was clear that Yuuri was already regretting or had no real recollection of what had happened.

Yuuri blinked in confusion. “Wha…what?” He flushed and turned away as Wolfram began to pull down his pants.

“Never mind, Yuuri,” Wolfram said tightly. Why should I feel sad anyway? What was I hoping for? Damn it! “We should get some sleep.”

“But your hands…”

“Will be fine.” He was wrapping them in bandages as he spoke. Each room had been outfitted with a first aid kit which was convenient for matters like these. Satisfied at the job he had done (his hands now felt stiff beneath the white cloth) he slid beneath his blanket and turned away as he listened to Yuuri finally begin to change.

He held his breath as his roommate climbed the small ladder and listened to the familiar sounds and motions that took place as the other boy tried to settle in. Finally, after much tossing and turning, Yuuri became still. If it wasn’t for the rumbling sounds of thunder outside the window, the silence in the room would have been too oppressing.

He hates me, Yuuri thought with a heavy sigh. Way to go, Yuuri. Like you couldn’t get him any angrier if you tried.


He must be disgusted with me. After the way I acted like…like some… sex-starved maniac. What was I thinking?


But…but he’s wrong. I wasn’t completely taken over by the demon king. I knew what was happening even though it was my first time with another guy…hell with any one other than myself!


I’ve never even kissed another person before…Amanda from eighth grade doesn’t count…


…but…I never thought my first real kiss would be that…


…amazing. And the way he talked and looked at me. I felt like I was melting inside…


…and when he cried out like that…saying my name…aaah…


…what I would do to feel those lips again…not that I’ll ever tell him…


…not like he’ll ever let me touch him again.


But…damn


…it had…


/felt so good./



And in the grateful cloak of darkness, their cheeks grew rosy with heat for both knew that if given the opportunity to do it all over again…nothing in the world would have stopped them from going all the way.


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