The One You're With

The One You're With part 3: Suspicious
Chapter 1
by Tsutsuji
Fandom: Kyo Kara Maou!
Pairing: Conrad/Murata, Conrad/Yozak, implied Shinou/Murata and Shinou/Daikenja, mention of others.
Rating and Warning: Adult (Hard R or so). Yaoi, sexual tension, light bondage, and of course, cross-dressing, with a bit of angst thrown in for good measure. Spellchecked, not beta'd.
Original date written: (6/15/08)
Word count for this chapter: 4200
Disclaimer: Characters and settings are the property of Tomo Takabayashi and associates, and I'm just an overimaginative fangirl who's not making any money off of this.

note: sagemuraken is to blame for planting the idea for MuraKen's flashback in my brain with her scorching hot fic "Insatiable."
~~

Long before the Maou's wedding, Yozak watched Conrad's frozen smile become more and more brittle, even though it appeared as warm as ever to everyone else. He figured he was the only one in the room who saw the pain dammed up behind brown gentle eyes that lovingly watched Yuuri walk down the ceremonial aisle. After the celebrations wound down, Yozak kept watching and waiting for the ice to either thaw or crack, just the way he'd watched in the days after Conrad returned from Big Shimaron. He'd been there when it shattered that time, finally, and if all he could ever do was be there trying to hold some of the pieces together, then he would be, just like he always had been - even if he got a bit cut up in the process.

This time, he slowly realized, something else was going on behind that pleasant mask. Weeks after the wedding, when things had settled to what passed for normal around the Maou, the warmth seemed to have returned to Conrad's smile, especially around Yuuri--who, bless his blind, innocent heart, had never noticed the change at all. It was a good thing Yuuri-heika was so forgivable, or Yozak thought he might have had to hate him for that.

He wasn't entirely convinced the change in Conrad was complete, though. He remembered another time when Conrad's smile had been unnaturally clear and steady, when his loyalty and love for the Maou poured out in his gaze and in his voice but seemed to come from a hollow distance, and behind all that love was ice and steel as he turned away from Yuuri and returned to his father's homeland. Even knowing the true cause of it now, that smile in the midst of betrayal was one of the most painful things he'd ever seen, and that, all things considered, was a heck of a lot of pain.

He hoped like hell he was wrong, but life was a little too perfect these days, and Yozak Guirer had never had much trust in things that came too easy. He couldn't help but watch for signs that something was about to go horribly wrong.

Even so, he didn't think it was a sign of anything going badly when he happened to notice the young incarnation of the Great Sage leaving the castle one morning, just before the first faint streaks of light appeared in the sky. Murata, he knew by now, was secretive by nature, and with good reason given all that Yozak knew of his unnaturally lengthy history, so he was no more than mildly curious about what might have brought the boy to the castle so early in the morning, alone. He never would have connected that with his other worries at all, until his casual comment about it a few days later brought the ice and steel back to Conrad's smile.

"I'm sure it's nothing important," Conrad said. But he waited, it seemed, until Yozak shrugged and agreed that it probably meant nothing, before he relaxed again. They talked of other things for a while, and after Conrad walked away, Yozak stood there by the stables where they'd met in passing, and felt like winter had suddenly arrived early and hard.

He didn't close his eyes and let the sense of dread take over until Conrad was well out of sight. The realization that Shinou's Great Sage had something to do with the icy strain in Conrad's manner seemed to answer all his fears. The last time Conrad Weller had secret dealings with folks at the Shrine of Shinou, a lot of people had ended up hurt -- himself not least of all.

Later that evening, from his usual vantage point high up on the castle roof, he watched with no surprise and a sinking heart when Conrad, cloaked and hooded to blend into the twilight, left the castle by one of the hidden doors few knew of, and headed for Shinou's sanctuary.

"I keep forgetting not to trust you, Geika," he muttered sadly. "Conrad... What do they want from you this time? Blood and bone, or maybe just your soul this time?"

There was only one sure way to find out. He dropped silently from his hiding place and slipped into the shadows.

~~

Conrad hoped to find Murata as soon as he got to the Shrine, but he was only met by one of the female guards, who acknowledged his permission to enter with a bow and then left him alone before the inner sanctuary. As soon as he entered, the door closed behind him and Shinou stepped out of the rippling shadows. Murata wasn't there.

"Is there a problem, Weller-kyo?" Shinou asked pleasantly. "Daikenja has given me very positive reports of your participation; in his view of things, everything is going exactly as we hoped. However, you seem concerned about something. Haven't you been enjoying the task as much as you led him to believe you were?"

Conrad bowed his head briefly; he had assumed Murata would describe their encounters to Shinou, but he didn't think he wanted to know exactly what had been said.

"I - have no complaints, Shinou-heika," he said. That was a very polite understatement, in fact; if anything, he sometimes felt he was enjoying the task of dominating Murata far too much, but he decided not to say so, as long as Murata was pleased with the results.

"My only concern is that Murata's visits to the castle might have been observed, and that could raise awkward questions," he continued. "I assume neither of you want this arrangement to become public knowledge?"

Shinou's smile widened in a way that alarmed Conrad, a look of cunning, or mischief even, that made him wonder if the spirit would find it amusing to let the secret out. That was not something he would have agreed to, even at the start, and far less so now that he understood his role better.

"Not public knowledge, certainly," Shinou said, to Conrad's relief. "However..."

Shinou raised his head and gestured past Conrad toward the entrance to the sanctuary. The door swung open.

"However, I think persistence and loyalty should be rewarded," Shinou continued, with a little wave of his hand. "Please come in and join us, since you've managed to get past my guards with your usual skill!"

Conrad stared; he'd expected Murata to appear on the other side of the door, but at first there was no one. Then, just as Shinou's words sank in, a face peered around the corner. Blue eyes glittered at him from the doorway, and a dark, hooded cloak covering bright auburn hair was the only attempt at a disguise.

Conrad clenched his fists; he felt like an idiot. He'd made sure he wasn't seen leaving the castle, but of course, the one person in the world who could have followed him without his knowing it was Yozak.


~~~

Shit - It's Shinou-heika himself! was Yozak's first frantic thought when the voice summoned him through the unexpectedly opened door. Suppose I should've expected that, though, considering it's his shrine and all.

Keeping half an eye on Conrad and the ghostly king, he glanced around the room, quickly making certain that Murata wasn't lurking in a dark corner. Finding that Conrad had come straight to Shinou rather than the Sage didn't reassure him any about whatever had brought that chill back to Conrad's eyes.

Well, he came here to find out what was going on, and it looked like he was going to now, whether he wanted to know or not. With a shrug, he stepped around the corner and entered the room. The sight of the Original King standing there just as large and bright as life itself put his hair on end, but he bowed low, and then crossed his arms and stood at ease, as casually as he dared. Conrad's eyes narrowed, in disapproval for his manners as much as his mere presence, probably, but Shinou smiled.

"Sorry, Taichou," Yozak said without much hint of apology. He tipped his head and grinned. "What can I say - I was bored, so when I spotted you leaving the castle I thought I'd use the opportunity to practice my tracking skills?"

Conrad glared, but Shinou laughed softly.

"Your concern for Weller-kyo is both obvious and commendable, and I acknowledge being to blame for it both now and in the past," Shinou said. "Let me assure you, first of all, that my dealing with your captain offers no threat to him in life or limb -- nor to Yuuri-heika, if that is also what you're thinking. No one is in any danger here."

"Good to know," Yozak said with another shrug, as if the thought had never entered his mind.

Maybe that's true, he thought, but something strange is going on here. Something's not right with the captain, anyway. That much he was certain of; Conrad's fists were clenched at his side and his mouth was set in a tight line. Shinou, however, was still smiling.

"I'd like to set your mind completely at rest," the spirit said. "We're well aware of your loyalty, both to the captain and to my kingdom, and of your service to Yuuri-heika. Perhaps it would suit you to share in the reward I've offered Weller-kyo?"

Conrad jumped as if he'd been stung.

"If he has no objection, that is?" Shinou finished smoothly.

Yozak's eyes narrowed, unsuccessfully trying to hide his curiosity at these unexpected and cryptic words. Reward? he wondered, searching for irony in the way Shinou had said the word, but if there was any he'd missed it.

Conrad jerked his head around to stare at Shinou; obviously, he wasn't expecting this either. The spirit only appeared amused by his reaction.

"Would you mind so much, including Gurier in our arrangement?" he asked Conrad. "Considering your friendship with him, I thought it would work out nicely for both of you. Also, perhaps you should know that if you had decided not to accept our offer in the first place, he was Daikenja's only other choice."

"Yozak was?" Conrad burst out, startled, but a second later his expression changed. "On second thought, I can well imagine he would be. In fact, I'm surprised Murata didn't chose him over me to begin with."

He turned to regard Yozak again, and slowly, wondrously, the ice melted; brown eyes softened and his mouth relaxed, curling upward gently at the corners. It was barely a ghost of a smile, but it was the first genuine one Yozak had seen on his face in ages. They were still in Shinou's shrine, but the sudden warmth in Conrad's gaze made him feel like he was being welcomed home.

It occurred to him that, whatever "reward" Conrad had been asked to take on, he might just be glad beyond words to have someone to share it with after all. That only made him even more nervous.

"I would - welcome that addition," Conrad said, speaking to Shinou but still looking toward Yozak. "Very much, in fact - if Yozak will agree."

They were both staring at him now, and Shinou's smile seemed to glitter in the wavering light.

Yozak shifted uncomfortably. Now what have I gotten myself into? he wondered.

Murata would have chosen him instead - for what? He couldn't imagine from their expressions or their words. Curiosity would not let him turn away now, if the look in Conrad's eyes wasn't already enough to seal his doom.

Yozak sighed loudly. He wasn't buying Shinou's "reward" on any faith, but he had a feeling that, whatever it was, if both Conrad and Murata wanted him to do it, there wasn't much chance he could refuse anyway.

"Guess you better tell me what it is I'm supposed to be agreeing to," he said.

~~

Murata glared when Shinou appeared in his room, unannounced and uninvited but not, really, unexpected. It had been several weeks since he'd received another summons from Conrad, long enough that he'd begun to wonder if Conrad had decided not to continue. Shinou was obviously amused by his concern, and even more so by his relief and excitement now that the message had finally arrived. The spirit leaned back against the wall and watched while Murata paced back and forth across his room, waiting for the time Conrad had specified.

"Youth has made you far less patient than the Daikenja I remember," Shinou teased. "In fact, Weller-kyo's reserve is more reminiscent of the sage who could hold out on me almost indefinitely. The one who frequently reminded me that waiting could add to the anticipation, and ultimately, the pleasure of an encounter."

Murata grimaced at him.

"This is your doing, isn't it?" he asked, suddenly very suspicious.

"You think I told Weller-kyo to make you wait? I assure you, this delay was not my idea! But I am looking forward to hearing all about the result."

He moved closer, drifting near enough that Murata felt the ghostly-soft brush of his mantle, and would have felt Shinou's breath stir his hair, if there was any breath to feel.

"In every luscious detail," Shinou added, bending closer.

Murata nodded slightly and swallowed hard. Damn, but Shinou was right; he used to have far more control than this! Ah, the joy and frustration of being young again, he thought. The memories and knowledge of the ages filled his head, but his teenage body still had a one-track mind of its own.

Beyond that, he missed Conrad's touch far more than he liked to admit.

"Yes," he sighed, turning his face to nuzzle against Shinou's shoulder. "Of course. Every detail."

~~

Hours later, he entered Conrad's chamber, already half-aroused by the simple act of getting here. He walked over to where Conrad sat waiting on the bed, embarrassed to find that he was already trembling with anticipation. Stilling his nerves with an effort, he greeted Conrad with their usual banter as he handed over his glasses, and then fell silent while Conrad placed the blindfold on him and bound his hands behind his back.

The tension, he thought, was so tight in the air it should have snapped when Conrad touched him. His breath caught when Conrad simply took his shoulders to turn him around to face him again, and then it left him entirely in a rush as Conrad pulled him closer and trapped him between his knees, and immediately pulled his head up for a hard, deep kiss.

There was none of the teasing, maddeningly slow buildup he'd come to expect. Murata gasped into Conrad's mouth, surprised, startled even, by the rough, quick hands going right to his groin, groping his rapidly swelling arousal through his uniform. In seconds his head was spinning; he jerked forward, trying to thrust against Conrad, already losing control of himself. Conrad held him off roughly, kissing hot trails down his chin and throat, then pressed fingers to his lips which Murata immediately began to suck on, moaning at the mere suggestion of it. He knew he was ready to drop to his knees the moment Conrad's hand released him.

He was not released; the relentless stimulation continued, the hands, tongue, and lips raced hot and eager over his skin. Conrad's patience and self-restraint had always seemed infinite, but the delay since their last time together must have fed the older man's hunger as well. Murata wondered again if it had been planned this way just for that reason, but it didn't really matter; all he knew was that his own control was already close to shattering completely.

With his mind reeling and with the deafening roar of blood rushing in his ears, it took Murata a few seconds to notice a change in the air of the room. Murkily, he sensed movement somewhere behind him and caught a scent, something other than that of his own and Conrad's arousal, vaguely familiar to his muzzy senses; an earthy, male scent with a distinct touch of - perfume?

His eyes flew wide open, useless behind the blindfold, but his other senses came into sudden sharp focus when he heard the soft rustle of clothing behind him. He jumped and barely choked back a cry of surprise when he felt another hand tighten on the back of his neck. It couldn't be Conrad's; one of his gripped Murata's chin and the other firmly cupped his crotch. Pressed against his back, he felt - his mind struggled to comprehend it - the glide of silk, the feathery touch of ruffles and lace, and behind them the familiar weight of solid muscle.

Conrad's mouth caught his again before he could break the rule of silence and question this. Frantic and confused, he felt Conrad's lips curve in a smile. A voice behind him chuckled softly.

It finally penetrated his overheated brain that Conrad's rapid assault on his senses was a distraction to hide the presence of the newcomer; this was planned from the start. Relief and a melting wave of heat washed over him when a large hand, familiar by touch and scent, slipped over his face, and fingers prodded between Conrad's lips and his for him to suck on, briefly, before they were pulled away again with a sharp intake of breath. Something tugged on the fabric covering his eyes, and then the hand moved up to replace the blindfold instead.

"Guess who, Geika!"

The familiar, throaty voice in his ear was a little thicker than usual but still unmistakable. Murata whined, unable to speak through Conrad's smothering kiss, and jerked in their grasp. Finally, Conrad released his mouth and pushed him back a little; he felt more than heard Conrad's rare, almost silent laughter.

"Yozak?!" He heard his own voice squeak in surprise, breathy with excitement, and it leaped up to an even higher note at the end when Conrad's warning pinch to his nipple reminded him that he was not supposed to speak.

The hand fell away from Murata's eyes, and he blinked rapidly to adjust his blurry vision. He was nearly as amazed by the grin and the heat in Conrad's gaze as he was by the sight of Yozak slipping around to stand in front of him next to the bed. The redheaded spy grinned and winked, twirling the blindfold in his hand with a flourish. As shocked as Murata was to see him there, he was not in the least surprised to discover that Yozak had, of course, dressed for the occasion.

He'd outdone himself, Murata thought, gazing in wonder from the glittering two-inch-heels to the white silk ribbon wound through hair that gleamed like red gold in the candlelight. A pure white corset of silk and lace, lace garters, stockings, and sleeves, were all fastened with ribbons just waiting to be untied and stripped away by eager hands. It wasn't a disguise, in spite of a little eyeshadow and rouge; as frilly as it was, the shape-defining silk and lace only accentuated the muscular curves of Yozak's body in the most enticing way possible.

Most striking of all, and far more arousing than all the fetish wear in the world as far as Murata was concerned, was the way Yozak's blue eyes gleamed with heat as he took in Murata's flushed face, his slightly bowed head and bound hands, and Conrad's hand between his thighs. The wink was as innocently flirtatious as ever, but then Yozak's tongue slipped out to lick his lips hungrily, and the sight sent a shaft of heat through Murata's body.

Yozak had looked at first like he might crack up with laughter up at the look on Murata's face, but then the jaunty grin gave way to a more warm and gentle smile. Sword-calloused fingers touched his face again. He was still smiling, but his eyes were serious, watching for Murata's reaction.

Murata half wanted to laugh out loud himself, but through his shock and the arousal clouding his mind, doubt suddenly took over. He turned toward Conrad, questioning this sudden addition to their arrangement with a scowl. In answer, Conrad nodded, but Yozak spoke up first.

"I was feeling left out, you know," he said with an exaggerated pout, "but Shinou-heika seemed to think you wouldn't mind if I joined in. You don't mind, do you, Geika?"

His voice was teasing, but, under the circumstances, it was also utterly suggestive, as was the fingertip that outlined his lips. Murata's eyes and mind went a little unfocused, both from their hands moving on him and from the realization that Shinou had sanctioned this. He had no idea how it happened or what they might have said to get Yozak to agree to this, but somehow, Shinou had now offered him to Yozak as well, and both he and Conrad had accepted.

It finally sank in to Murata's brain just what was happening here, and what was going to happen.

He shook his head, conveying that he didn't mind - in case they were really worried that he might. Shinou knew he wouldn't object. In fact, Shinou had known that Yozak would be here tonight, but Murata had been so anxious and eager earlier that he never caught a hint of it.

Oh, Shinou-heika would definitely be getting a full description of this when it was over - and then some.

Conrad still sat on the bed with his arm around Murata's waist, hand at the small of his back and pressing lower, pulling him in between his knees. Yozak's fingers wandered over Murata's face, brushing his lips. He melted a little into their touch, and saw Yozak's expression change. His eyes still glittered but he became thoughtful.

"Eh... looks like it was the truth!" Yozak murmured. He sounded surprised, but Conrad was obviously not surprised at all.

Yozak bent one knee up on the bed and sidled closer to Conrad, and laid a hand on his shoulder. Stealing glances at Murata, he bent down, and Conrad, also watching Murata out of the corner of his eye, leaned up toward him.

"Well then, in that case," Yozak murmured, just before his lips touched Conrad's.

Trapped by Conrad's arm around his waist, and wedged in between Conrad's knees and with Yozak's hip brushing against him, Murata watched - he had no choice, but that wasn't just because he was too close to them to look at anything else. Their kiss was deep, wet and hot; their tongues, lips and breath wound together with an easy familiarity, but as it went on, Murata also sensed a heightened, banked urgency in their motions, as if something was held at bay between them.

Murata's heart pounded and heat gathered under Conrad's slowly moving hand on him, All of their attention was focused on tasting and feeling each other, both tentative and eager, as if they'd been waiting for this chance without knowing it. If it wasn't for their hands still touching him, he would have thought they'd forgotten he was there.

A vivid, heated memory leaked into the present, a vision from the Daikenja's life layered over the present scene: the delicious torment of watching his king take Lawrence Weller in a kiss as hungry as this, but with his blue eyes locked on Daikenja's the entire time. He remembered the erotic rush of watching his beloved king with another lover, their bodies entwined and gleaming in the torchlight; of sometimes being "forced" to watch in submission, but at other times, directing the others who made love to their leader, inciting them to do what he wished to see done, and using all he knew to pleasure his lord to the point of begging Daikenja to grant him release.

He almost forgot to breathe. He must have made some kind of sound without even realizing it, because Conrad's eyebrow twitched. Time seemed to shift, past seething into the present, as Conrad and Yozak each in turn stole a sideways glance at him.

"Guess Shinou-heika wasn't exaggerating," Yozak said, muttering with his lips still locked on Conrad, who made a muffled, suggestive sound of affirmation.

Yozak pulled back, blue eyes twinkling. Conrad's lips curved upward, but it was not his usual, gentle smile at all.

"Well, that's good," Yozak said, his voice sounding thick. He brought one hand up to cup Conrad's face and then slip it around behind his head. "Because I've been wanting to do this for a long time now!"

Conrad's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't hold back when Yozak yanked him forward and into an even deeper kiss than before.

Suddenly, Murata realized that Shinou must have told them how Daikenja's submission included this particular sweet torture. He choked back a moan. They were going to make him watch...

With a look and a gesture, Conrad ordered him to remain still, while Yozak climbed up and knelt on the bed with him. Teasingly, they reached out to him while they undressed each other, brushing a fingertip over his hot, damp face or through his hair, trailing a knuckle down his throat or giving his thigh a quick squeeze.

He ached with wanting to touch them, but he couldn't reach out to them, he couldn't even move toward them. And gods knew, Shinou knew, how much he wanted to.

to be continued!