Last Breath –Chapter 2

Hello, everyone! Thank you for clicking on this little story! This is where Dreamerswalking ends, and ElisiansBane begins! The first scene is all Dreamerswalking, but everything after that is my original work.

Disclaimer: I do not own KKM.

Second disclaimer: original concept and content of chapter one and the first scene of chapter two belong to Dreamerswalking, everything after that is original material from me.

Warnings: violence, maybe some sexual content in later chapters.

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Last Breath Chapter Two- Oh, The Lies We Weave!

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The next month passed in much the same way— the time flux between worlds sometimes shortening or lengthening Murata's stay with Yuuri. Wolfram had fallen into a deep depression and as a distraction; his siblings had set him to work helping to rebuild homes and villages destroyed by floods and the occasional fire.

At first he was angry that he had to lower himself to do manual labor to help humans. He felt humiliated and frustrated that he was being debased in such a way. However after a time he began to do things without grumbling and that eventually progressed to helping out without even having to be asked.

The work of helping others gave him a sense of being needed; and as he saw their happiness increase— his own did as well. Wolfram gained quite a bit of humility and as he went from town to town, even his men began to notice a change in his attitude. While still brash, he no longer acted as if he was better than the humans he was helping.

It was when he was lying in bed one night that he realized that this must be how Yuuri felt. What he had always regarded as one of the double black's 'wimpy' qualities was now one of his greatest joys.

The tiled roof of the bakery was piping hot in the direct afternoon sunlight, but as he worked Wolfram barely felt its sting. The repairs were coming along nicely. After the roof was patched the upper windows needed to be replaced and then a fresh coat of paint to the outside of the building. After the repairs were finished the baker could reopen his shop in the morning.

The small village in which he was staying had been in shambles when he arrived. A ragtag group of miscreants had reeked havoc upon the town and left most everything from buildings to roads in disrepair. As Wolfram surveyed the town from his high vantage point he allowed a small smile to grace his lips. He had helped make this peaceful night possible. Down below there were children playing games without fear as their parents haggled in the local market. Shopkeepers sold their wares without the fear of bandits destroying their livelihood.

As he looked over the town he saw one of his men place a flower sweetly behind the ear of a village lass as he kissed her cheek. He turned his head away sharply at the sight, his heart stinging in his chest as his vision blurred. The knowledge of what he carelessly lost haunted him with every breath he took. He was steadily changing, and despite his terrible mistakes he could feel himself becoming a person that he could like.

As he finished the roof he took one last surveying glance of the village and wished that Yuuri could be here to see this with him. Sighing softly he descended the ladder. As he felt for the last rung his foot slipped and he fell backwards into a trough of water.

The next thing he knew he was spinning through a swirling vortex of water. With great shock he realized where he was headed…. Yuuri's Earth. Closing his eyes Wolfram sent out a silent prayer of thanks to Shinou that he would allow him this opportunity. When the spinning stopped he found himself on the tiled floor of a bathroom.

The room was small and done in entirely white. As he lifted himself off the floor he saw a white bathrobe hanging from the back of the closed door as well as a stack of clean pressed towels stacked on what looked to be a bench. Shivering slightly he dried himself off and slipped on the robe tying it closed. Taking care to hang his clothes on the metal rod provided, he pondered on how he would find Yuuri. He couldn't go to Yuuri's family; that much was obvious— they'd probably murder him on sight. Especially the elder brother Shouri… he shivered slightly as he imagined that particular meeting. It would not go over well.

Quietly he made his way to the door and taking a deep breath, poked his head out. It was a good thing that he had taken that breath because what he saw before him caused him to essentially stop functioning. In front of him lay Yuuri pale and motionless except for the steady rising and falling of his chest. The lights were off and Yuuri's face was illuminated only by moonlight, it's soft glow enhancing his fragility a hundred-fold.

Slowly, the blonde made his way towards the bed, grateful when he reached a chair before his shaking legs collapsed. For a moment, he sat there, taking in with horrifying realization just what he had caused. In that instant any lingering ill will towards Ken Murata disappeared. As he began to sob he took Yuuri's slender hand in his own and wished that Murata hadn't gone so easy on him.

Cradling Yuuri's palm to his tear-wet cheek he whispered apologies to the comatose young man. Disheartened when the double black remained unresponsive, he sighed and soon drifted into an uneasy sleep. As his breathing evened out an unusual blip in Yuuri's monitors went unnoticed.

The sun's rays glared unrelenting through the Venetian blinds. Fingers running through his hair urged him back towards sleep, which put him at a difficult crossroad. Which was stronger, the sun or the feeling of his mother's fingers?

Eh? His mother's fingers? Somehow that didn't seem right. But who else could possibly be soothing him?

All his thinking was steadily pushing Wolfram further and further away from sleep and that, combined with the sun's efforts won out over the delicate fingers. Sleepily opening his eyes he sat up, wincing as his back protested. The hand that had been gently stroking his hair slid off, only to fall limply onto the bed. Yawning Wolfram stretched his eyes squinting shut with the force of it before his muscles tensed in sudden realization.

His green eyes popped open and met with deep black ones. Then he heard a voice more beautiful than any other greet him.

"Good morning, Wolf."

He thought that this moment might be the best so far in his life until Yuuri opened his mouth again and did one better.

"Um… Wolfram… Why am I in the hospital? Last thing I remember was finishing the school play…" Yuuri mumbled sheepishly, scratching his head in his usual clumsy fashion.

It was possibly one of the best things that his emerald eyes had ever gazed upon.

Yes he'd admit it. Despite everything that he'd been through and experienced, somewhere deep down he was still an immature and selfish Prince.

And that part of him exulted in this sudden new development. It was as if someone had taken a bucket of paint and splashed all the colors of the rainbow on what had previously been the bleak and dreary canvass of his future.

This fresh start was a miracle and the blonde mazoku was determined to get things right this time around.

For all his newfound kindness and so-called 'maturity' Wolfram couldn't stop a grin from spreading over his face. Once again, he thanked Shinou and whatever gods were out there watching over him for this golden opportunity.

Yuuri didn't remember.

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"Good Morning, Japan. The time is now nine thirty am on a gorgeous Wednesday. The weather is currently sunny with some clouds, and a chilly thirty-six degrees Fahrenheit. The local traffic in and out of Tokyo is-"

Murata groaned as he sluggishly shut off the alarm clock next to his bed. He blindly felt for his glasses, eyes not even open, propping up in his elbow as his shaky hands placed them delicately on his nose turning the colorful blur of the Shibuya family's guest bedroom into a clear vision of furniture, decorative plants, and a T.V. Yawning, he sat up fully in the twisted pile of blankets, staring into the distance as his mind revved itself up for the day. He had only arrived some time late last night from the demon world. The Shibuya family had already retired for the evening, no doubt exhausted from watching over their youngest member, so he tread quietly, creeping into the spare bedroom next to Shouri's room, noting the blue glow from underneath the older man's door and going to bed. He would have rather headed straight for the hospital to check on his friend, but he doubted the hospital would let in some strange, soaking wet teenaged boy.

Cracking joints protested as he pushed himself out of bed. Even after more than two weeks, some mornings he still felt the after-affects of his duel with that blasted selfish brat. He believed it a stroke of luck that the blonde's brothers were able to stop him, or Murata would have had to add severe burn scars to his list of ailments. Thanks to that disgusting demon, he had a constant stiffness to his lower back.

He slowly began to dress in his regular clothes. Murata couldn't remember the last time he stayed at his own house. He hadn't even spoken to his parents in weeks. He wondered if they cared. Murata's relationship with his earth parents hadn't gone beyond the biological. They were the vessels through which his soul was reborn in Earth - that was that. His mother was kind enough, but she rarely paid him any attention. Not interested in her son's eccentricities or his beyond average intelligence. She only fed him and made sure he had the things he needed. His father was basically absent. The man worked more than Mr. Shibuya, up and out before dawn and returned only after Murata had gone to bed. The man was a fleeting sight in Murata's life, a ghost that came and went, only leaving behind the evidence of its presence.

Murata held no disdain or contempt for his parents, but he didn't feel overwhelming affection for them either. The closest thing he felt to a son's love was when he spent time with Shibuya's family. They were eccentric, insane even, but they were open, warm and friendly, even Shouri had his moments where he treated Murata like a second younger brother. He felt a sense of belonging in the Shibuya household that he had never felt anywhere else, not even in his past lives, not since Shinou. The love, the happiness, the acceptance was overwhelming at times and it disconcerted him, but at the same time, he wanted to be absorbed by it. Be made to feel a part of a family for once in his life, something he truly missed.

Yuuri was the force that brought him to his surrogate family, and Yuuri was the force that held them together through this tragic time. When he wasn't at the hospital, he was back at the Shibuya home, helping out, cooking, cleaning, anything he could do to comfort the suffering family. The once happy, warm family had disintegrated, Mr. Shibuya had become much like Murata's biological father; absent, gone before anyone was awake except Jennifer, his wife, and returned long after they had retired to their rooms. The man was having difficulty knowing that he would have to make the final decision on his son's fate, so he spent his time away at work or off somewhere drinking, the stress finally getting the best of him. Shouri held vigil at his little brother's bedside with Murata, and the rare times he was not at the hospital, he was pouring through phonebooks and internet sites looking for more specialists and more advanced hospitals ever since the doctors told them that Yuuri might not wake up.

Murata glanced at the calendar that hung crookedly on the wall. He had been in Shin Makoku for about three days last time. The extra day had been due to a dispute between two Aristocrats that had taken longer than anticipated because both parties refused to cooperate, but the issues couldn't be left unresolved, so Murata was forced to stay an extra day and it nearly killed him. Yuuri's pale, drawn face beckoned him and permeated his every thought so that he couldn't even hear the two sides arguing their points to get him to side with them. He didn't hear and he really didn't care, he just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

He had been gone three days, but on Earth it had been a couple of weeks. But, the Shibuyas were still reeling from the news the doctor had given them during the last visit Shouma had ever paid to his son's side.

Murata had been witness to the event. He had watched the last vestiges of hope drain from each member of the Shibuya family as the doctor explained, as sympathetically as he could, that while Yuuri's condition was stable, his body showed no signs of waking from his coma. He was stable, and the conditions were right, but it was as if his body didn't have the motivation to heal itself. He was stuck in a rut and the hospital staff really didn't know what to do to wake him. The doctor then presented the hapless family with a terrible choice; continue Yuuri's treatment in the hopes that they would have a breakthrough, no matter how unlikely, or end life support and thus their son's life.

No sooner had the doctor finished than Mrs. Shibuya broke down in sobs, falling into her husband's shocked embrace. Murata and Shouri only stood there in silence, unable to process or accept what the doctor was telling them, that they had to give up on Yuuri.

The doctor looked down on shame, years in the business would never make giving a devastating prognosis any easier, especially when it concerned such a young life. He stood, waiting for the family to get over the initial shock, before he presented them with a stack of papers to sign, an information packet and told them with nothing but sympathy, that they could wait and think about it before coming to a decision. No longer able to face the consequences of his words, the doctor excused himself and left the family to grieve.

While Mrs. Shibuya continued to wail into her husband's shoulders and Shouri stared blankly out a window, Murata gently grasped the hand of his fallen friend, still icy cold as the day he found him, and silently begged the teen to not give up, to please fight, to please get better, don't abandon them, don't abandon his right to live.

But Yuuri only slept on, unaware of the tragedy that surrounded him, completely oblivious to the despair that consumed the hospital room.

Drawing himself back to the present, Murata finished buttoning his coat and made his way downstairs. If he had his way, he wouldn't let Yuuri die, not when he needed their support to heal, but he couldn't make Yuuri's family do anything. They were his legal guardians. Murata was only his friend. He would let his thoughts be known, but he had to accept that he had little control over the final outcome. He only hoped that Yuuri would wake up soon before it was too late.

He quietly walked down the hallway to the stairs, careful not to disturb anyone who may still be asleep. It was a weekday, so Shouri and Shouma should be off to school and work. He didn't know where Mrs. Shibuya was; he hoped the poor woman was resting in her room. The last time he had seen her, she was nearly as pale and sickly looking as her youngest son and ignoring her family's pleas to get some food and rest. Like most mothers however, nothing was more important than remaining at her son's side, not even her own health.

Murata sighed as he grabbed an orange from a bowl in the kitchen, ignoring the phone that rang on the kitchen counter. He couldn't be bothered to answer, all he could think about was Yuuri. He could only hope that today was the day, Yuuri's condition would change for better or worse and they would have an idea of what they needed to do next. Of course, he would never give up on his friend, so he wished with everything he had that Yuuri would take a turn for the better and bring that special light back to their lives once again.

The bus ride to the hospital was a blur. Murata peeled and chewed away at the juicy fruit, lost in thoughts of his friend now love. He began to fantasize about Yuuri awakening from his coma, calling out for his friends and family, Murata would be there, the first to greet him, gathering the slim body into his arms, planting a passionate kiss on pouty lips and having that embrace returned fully. He would run his fingers through black hair, along round cheeks. He would inhale Yuuri's scent, and cry for joy. Yuuri would go home and they would have a party. Shouri and he would fight over who got to care for Yuuri while he recuperated at home. He could almost hear Yuuri's half-hearted protests that he wasn't an invalid and of course they would ignore him, too preoccupied with protecting him to care for his opinions. Murata chuckled at the indignant look on Yuuri's face when Shouri would insist that he bathe with Yuuri to make sure he didn't hurt himself while getting clean. Mrs. Shibuya would make her famous all-curing curry, and hand feed it to Yuuri while he groaned in embarrassment.

A ding alerted him to his arrival at the hospital. Murata got of the bus, paid the driver and entered the hospital through the visitors' entrance. He passed by the receptionist, he no longer needed directions to Yuuri's floor, he had already memorized the path he had to take to reach his side. He took the elevator to the fourth floor, the intensive care unit, signed in at the desk and headed straight for room 301, Yuuri's room.

"Well, looks who is here!" called a cheerful voice from beside him. Murata turned to greet one of the nurse assistants that worked in Yuuri's ward. He had seen her before in the ICU and had struck up a budding friendship with Nurse Akiko. She was young, energetic, and friendly, not to mention sharp as a whip. Murata enjoyed the lively exchanges they engaged in occasionally. He practically knew every nurse and doctor in the ICU, and they were always giving him updates on Yuuri's condition, especially Akiko, who always found time to talk with Murata and tell him exactly what was going on. He appreciated that about her and his talks with her left him feeling a small sense of hope in light of the situation.

"Good morning, Miss Akiko," He greeted warmly. "I'm here to see Yuuri."

Akko smiled widely, eyes gleaming. Murata noted the way she looked at him with absolute happiness, like she had just received the best news ever.

"I'm sure you are," She whispered. "He's been asking for you. We called his family's house earlier."

Murata's face froze. "Why? What's happened?"

Akiko broke into a wide grin. "There's been a break through! He woke up just an hour ago."

"Yuuri's awake?" It was too good to be true. After so many weeks of worrying and desperation, Yuuri was awake! "Oh my god! How is he?" Even as he spoke the question to Akiko, Murata's body was already turning and heading towards Yuuri's room.

Akiko expertly kept up with his pace. "Just woke up an hour ago. I came in to check his vitals and found him on the bed, chattering away with his little blonde friend! The doctor was flabbergasted! We had all thought the worst!"

Murata screeched to a halt, nearly causing Akiko to bump into him. "Wait. His blonde friend?"

Akiko was taken aback, the look of happy disbelief on Murata's face was suddenly transformed into a vicious glare. "Um….yes, I think his name was Wolf-something. He was just sitting there, hugging and kissing Yuuri like no tomorrow! We couldn't get him off so the doctors could check on him. I don't know how he got in without anyone seeing him, but-"

Akiko didn't get to finish her explanation before Murata had already turned and all but ran down the hall to where Yuuri waited.

He nimbly navigated around nurses, doctors, patients and medicine trays that crowded the narrow hallway, as he passed each room he could hear the voices of other family members chatting with their sick loved ones, bringing flowers and stuffed animals to aid the healing process. He curved around nurses who cried out in surprise as the black blur that was the sage sped past them. Wheelchairs, gurneys and people would not hinder Murata. He saw nothing as he headed towards his single destination that lay just ahead of him.

Murata stopped in front the door to Yuuri's room. He was about to push it open when something caught his attention. A pair of voices were conversing behind the door. Murata's heart froze in his chest and his lungs took in a sharp breath when the second voice spoke again and this time there was no mistaking the owner.

Yuuri!

At first, Murata thought he was hallucinating, caught in one of his fantasies from the bus ride. He couldn't believe that the beautiful voice behind the door belonged to his near-dead friend. The growing feeling of joy at hearing Yuuri's light voice once again dimmed his antagonism. He cracked open the door and Murata could hear that gorgeous voice more clearly. He paused in confusion when the language Yuuri spoke was not Japanese, but another language that sounded European, rather than Asian. The language of the demon kingdom.

He was about to answer when the first voice answered back in that same language and Murata's joy was replaced by outrage when he too recognized the owner of this voice.

Wolfram von fucking Bielefeld.

His gentle push quickly morphed into a harsh shove, banging the door into the wall and immediately halting the cheerful conversation within. Murata was met with a pair of confused stares, one held an underlying thread of fear, while the other was more happily surprised at the sudden noise.

The sight that met Murata nearly drove him mad with rage. Wolfram was just planting a kiss on Yuuri's plump lips as Murata announced his presence to them. The two were laying on the bed, entwined in each others arms, Yuuri tucked under the blankets with Wolfram laying atop them, stroking Yuuri's bandaged hair lovingly. Yuuri had his head resting on Wolfram's shoulder, completely unaware that he held the one responsible for his pain in his arms. They looked like the perfect couple in love, eyes only for each other and oblivious to the world, an image of pure love and bliss. It made Murata sick to see it, to see Yuuri so trusting of the one who nearly killed him through his selfish actions.

But, it wasn't only the position and total fakeness of the scene that drove Murata sick with hatred. It was the quiet words that slipped past Yuuri's lips that caused Wolfram to kiss him, that were interrupted by Murata's entrance, that made the sage want to rip every last strand of blonde hair from Wolfram's scalp.

"-love you, Wolfram."

His knuckles were white with the ferocity of his grip against the doorknob. He was shocked into silence as the couple on the bed stared back at him. Green eyes met stormy black as the sage regarded the demon prince like he was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen and how dare he taint Yuuri with his filth!

Wolfram's loving gaze turned scared then arrogant as he snuggled even further into the mattress and tightened his grip around Yuuri's shoulders. He evenly returned Murata's glare, holding fast under the intensity as the sage slowly walked into the room, eyes never leaving Wolfram, ready to tear him from Yuuri's side in an instant.

It was Yuuri's voice, Yuuri's wide smile that calmed the raging monster inside Murata. It was Yuuri's arms reaching out for him in a hug that inadvertently saved Wolfram's life in the span of a few seconds.

"Murata!" Yuuri called out warmly, hands flexing in a beckoning gesture. Murata's anger was momentarily forgotten, his priority was now Yuuri's wellbeing. He could kill Wolfram later, but now, he wanted to hold his friend tight, to ensure himself that this wasn't a dream and that Yuuri was really there speaking and touching him as if that horrible night had never happened.

Relief overcame Murata, he eagerly welcomed Yuuri's hug, deliberately averting his gaze away from the bed's other occupant, who wisely scooted away from the happy reunion.

"Shibuya," The breath Murata didn't know he was holding spoke Yuuri's name as both a prayer and a thank you as he squeezed the frail body close to him, a smile replacing his snarl as he felt genuine happiness at his friend's recovery.

"I'm so glad you're awake," Murata whispered as he pulled away to look at Yuuri closely. The other boy was still smiling, his eyes held life now, his cheek were tinted rose, his skin had regained its color. He looked healthy, happy and in love.

"Me too," Yuuri said. "I'm sorry I caused you all to worry."

Murata chuckled with relief, absently cupping Yuuri's now warm cheek. "Yeah, you gave us quite a scare. You were asleep for weeks, we didn't know if you would ever wake up. We were so scared we were going to lose you."

Murata stole a glance at Wolfram as he said the words "lose you", Wolfram was currently examining the fibers of the hospital blanket, picking at unseen lint and generally trying to remain as small as possible and outside Murata's attention. If it weren't for Yuuri being present, Murata would have dragged the blonde out into the hallway and beaten him into a pulp before the hospital staff managed to pull him off. Murata had so many things he wanted to say to Wolfram, so many things he wanted to do. But the innocent look in Yuuri's face and the joy of his recovery bade Murata stay, lest he cause undue stress for Yuuri in his frail state, who obviously didn't seem to remember Wolfram's crimes.

Or did Yuuri remember? Murata knew Yuuri was forgiving, but he didn't think even Yuuri would so readily forgive such betrayal. He had seen Yuuri when Conrad defected to Dai Cimarron. Even though it was later revealed it had been a ruse to help the demon kingdom, Yuuri still gave Conrad the cold shoulder for a few weeks before finally warming back up to his godfather. Yuuri trusted people wholly, but when that trust was broken, it was as good as gone. Yuuri was forgiving, but he wasn't a pushover, despite what people thought.

"Lord Bielefeld," Murata's voice was eerily pleasant. "It's nice to see you. How did you get here?" He may have been courteous, but Wolfram could see the underlying danger in Murata's smiling face.

Wolfram looked everywhere but at Murata, obviously surprised that the sage was acting so civil to him, and instinctively scooting even closer to Yuuri's side at which the bedridden boy affectionately wrapped a thin arm around his shoulders. A gesture that did not go unnoticed by the sage. He carefully pushed back the sneer that threatened to mar his features while watching Wolfram take protection behind Yuuri and his ignorance.

"Um, yeah," Wolfram said, far too calm to be casual. "I was out patrolling a village and I fell into a barrel of water and I guess Shinou wanted me to come here to be at my fiancé's side while he recovers." Wolfram said the last part of a tinge of pride, as if that notion alone would stave off Murata's wrath, but it only fueled it.

"Shinou, huh?" Add another person to the list of people Murata would have to destroy when he got back to the demon kingdom.

It was here that Yuuri decided to enter the conversation. He smiled as he gave Wolfram's shoulder another squeeze, which Wolfram answered by leaning his head against Yuuri's.

"I know, isn't that weird?" Yuuri said cheerily, medication and his own personality making him unmindful to the tension in the room. "But, I'm glad he did. It was nice waking up to Wolfram instead of alone."

A new emotion decided to make itself known to Murata; jealousy. "I'm sure it was."

"Yeah," Yuuri chirped. "It was. Especially since we had that fight."

Murata's eyebrow twitched. "What fight?"

Yuuri looked down guiltily, arbitrarily fiddling with his IV tube. "It's the reason why I'm in here. Wolfram and I got into a fight before I had the accident."

"Tell me what happened," Murata said, noting the way Wolfram visibly squirmed under his hard gaze.

"Well, it's stupid actually," Yuuri blushed. "I was on Earth getting ready for the play and I went back to Shin Makoku because I left my costume there for some reason. When I got there, I went to my room to get the dress, Wolfram saw me and thought I was cheating of course," Here he threw a playful glare at his blonde bed partner, who only looked away at a random spot on the wall. "We got into another fight and he chased me around the castle. I tried to hide in the baths, but the floor was wet, so I tripped and sprained my ankle and hit my head on the edge of the pool. By then it was too late and I was already being transported to Earth and I guess I was so out of it from the hit to my head that I wasn't able to direct where I ended up. So I ended up getting stuck under a frozen pond and nearly drowned. But, thankfully, you were there and helped me get o the hospital."

Murata was stunned. "And how did you know this?"

Yuuri looked to his right. "Wolfram told me. When I woke up, I had no idea how I got to the hospital. Luckily, Wolfram was here to tell me everything."

"He told you everything, did he?" Murata's voice froze molten lead. He regarded Wolfram with the same cold, calculating stare of a cobra regarding its potential prey. The demon prince deigned to look him in the eye, he managed to hold his gaze, but Murata could see the guilt underlying the stubborn expression on the blonde's fine features.

Though he was calm and smiling on the outside, Murata was a seething mess inside. The only damned thing Wolfram had accurate was Murata finding Yuuri underneath the frozen pond, near death. Murata was shocked, appalled and outright disgusted that Wolfram had sat there and unabashedly lied to Yuuri's face, exploiting his apparent amnesia to save his own hide. He couldn't believe how Wolfram worked up the nerve to do such a thing when Yuuri's condition was his fault. Not only that, but he was using Yuuri as a shield, a means to control Murata's behavior and ensure that if Murata lost control, he would be deemed innocent by Yuuri. It was horrid, low, and a bunch of other things Murata's mind couldn't think of in its sheer disgust at Wolfram's actions.

"I see," Murata whispered. He looked up at Yuuri. Smiling brightly. "Why don't we alert the nurses and have them call your parents. They've been extremely worried about you."

Yuuri's hand flew to his mouth as he gasped at his forgetfulness. "Shoot! Of course we should! We should have called them immediately. Yes, go get the nurses and the doctor and whomever else is around."

With a curt nod, Murata reached over to the bedside and pushed the call button.

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It was a joyous moment when the Shibuya family burst into the tiny hospital room, cramming around the various machines ad instruments that lay strewn about in the mayhem. Nurses, doctors and anything that gotten the way were shoved aside as Yuuri was embraced by his family, sobbing and thanking God, and the medical staff for saving their youngest member's life.

Mrs. Shibuya was of course, crying her heart out, showering kisses, tears and hugs onto her baby boy. Yuuri in turn, didn't whine and push her off like he normally would, instead he hugged her back just as fiercely, apologizing for making everyone worry. Mr. Shibuya stood behind his wife, blinking back his own tears, wiping incessantly at his eyes, mumbling incoherent words of joy, gratitude and relief that whatever powers that be had spared his son's life. Shouri stood next to the bed, clutching with white knuckles at the blankets, letting his tears flow silently as he stared at his brother as if he would disappear if he so much as blinked.

It was a beautiful moment, and Murata wanted to give the family a chance to reconnect. Murata stood off to the side, pressed up against the wall next to Wolfram who had gotten pushed aside in the activity. The family was so caught up in the moment that they didn't even notice the demon's unusual presence, and Wolfram was smart enough, unsure of how much Murata had told them, to stay as quiet as possible. The two men stood next to each other, but acted as if the other didn't exist. Wolfram watched the activity with interest and fear, shifting nervously from foot to foot and occasionally stealing glances Murata's way, who made it a point to stare straight ahead and not at Wolfram, lest he finally lose control and do something he would regret later.

The doctor overseeing Yuuri's care entered the room and was immediately grabbed into a bone crushing hug by Mrs. Shibuya as she cried out her thanks to him, the nurses, and the hospital for all their hard work in keeping her son alive. The doctor good naturedly patted her back, saying that it was a stroke of luck and that they were happy to help Yuuri. With the help of Mr. Shibuya, the doctor gently pushed her off, and composed himself. Though he never lost the relieved smile on his face. He took out his clipboard and gave a run down of Yuuri's condition to his family. Yuuri's consciousness was nothing short of a miracle, but the hospital would keep him for a couple of days, just to make sure he was okay, and start him on physical therapy because being off his legs for so long would have weakened his muscles. Mr. and Mrs. Shibuya nodded vigorously and agreed to whatever recommendation the doctor had for them. They planted more kisses and hugs on their youngest son, switching between filling out the necessary paperwork and expressing their gratitude to anyone within hearing range.

After several hours, it was clear to all that the excitement had worn Yuuri down. The boy began to yawn incessantly and look at his family with droopy eyes. The doctor suggested that they leave Yuuri to rest and they could return later to check on him if they so chose. Reluctant to leave, but understanding that their son needed to recover, the Shibuyas filed out of the tiny room but not before showing more affection onto Yuuri who good-naturedly returned the gesture, happy to be alive and with those who loved him.

When it came time for Murata and Wolfram to follow suit, the two simply stood in their respective spots awkwardly. Wolfram sent a wary glance Murata's way, who only returned it with a cold stare. Yuuri smiled lovingly at Wolfram and reached out hold him. Wolfram didn't go to Yuuri, he only looked nervously between Murata and Yuuri's waiting arms.

Noticing Wolfram's hesitation, Yuuri frowned in confusion. "Wolfram? Don't you want to hug me goodbye?" The voice was so innocent, so lovely that Wolfram detached himself from the wall and braved Murata's silent wrath to envelop Yuuri into a warm embrace. Yuuri's smile widened and the demon prince forced his stiff body to relax into Yuuri's adoring touch. Wolfram turned his head to nuzzle Yuuri's dark hair, arms brushing against Yuuri's sides, holding him tighter.

Feeling Murata's eyes drilling into his back, Wolfram tried to pull away from Yuuri. But as his cheek brushed against Yuuri's chin, the young man turned his head and caught Wolfram in a gentle kiss. Wolfram instinctively returned the caress, deepening it and weaving his fingers into Yuuri's hair to pull him closer. The two were lost in the kiss for a brief moment, forgetting that a livid sage was standing just behind them. Perhaps feeling assured or even cocky, Wolfram pressed into Yuuri's mouth even more, catching his bottom lips between his own, sucking on it and eliciting a quiet moan from his lover. Yuuri's own kiss increased in passion at Wolfram's practiced touch, his hands gripped the front of Wolfram's shirt, anything to prolong the lovely embrace, completely unaware of the world around them.

A cough like a hot knife interrupted their caress, Wolfram broke away from Yuuri, ignoring the disappointed look on the other's face as he turned around to acknowledge the sage, who had not left nor changed his expression since he had moved out of the Shibuyas way.

Murata's face was unreadable. His voice was eerily neutral.

"The Shibuyas are waiting. We shouldn't keep them."

"Oh…uh, right," Wolfram said breathlessly, not looking forward at all to walking with Murata out of the hospital. Plastering a confident smile on his face, Wolfram stroked Yuuri's hair one last time. "Goodbye, Yuuri."

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Yuuri pouted, not letting go of Wolfram's sleeve. "Maybe the nurse will let you stay. They can bring a chair or something."

It was clear that Yuuri meant for Wolfram to stay the night and Murata wasn't having that.

"Sorry, Shibuya," He said as lightly as he could. "But the doctor's orders. You need rest and absolute quiet. I doubt you'll be getting any of that if Bielefeld stays the night with you."

The blush on Yuuri's face would have made Murata chuckle if it weren't for the waste of space standing next to him.

"We should get going," He continued, pinning Wolfram down with an unarguable stare. "Now."

Knowing he had to keep up appearances and not wanting to upset Yuuri or blow his carefully placed cover, Wolfram nodded grimly and pulled away from Yuuri.

Yuuri sighed and Murata almost, almost, gave in, but his 'talk' with Wolfram couldn't wait. "Alright, I'll see you guys later okay?"

"We will." Murata smiled.

"We promise," Wolfram added, squeezing Yuuri's hand.

Yuuri gave them a slow wave as he yawned, the pain medication finally taking hold of his consciousness. He snuggled back into his covers with a soft goodbye and reclined back to get some sleep.

Taking that as their cue, the two men quietly left the room, each giving a lingering look back at the object of their affection. Murata dimmed the light and the two made their way towards the elevators to catch up with the Shibuya family.

It was a silent tense walk down the hallway. Murata really, really wanted to confront Wolfram. His every fiber of his being itched and scratched at the opportunity to give that brat a piece of his mind, but he held fast. They were still close to Yuuri's room and a hospital was no place to start a fight. Murata was a strategist, he knew the value of patience and care, he would happily bide his time. If anything, particularly judging by the way Wolfram kept sending him nervous glances, the wait made it all the more sweeter.

They entered the elevator and Murata could feel the dismay in Wolfram's being when it was just the two of them. Alone in an elevator would be a good place to deal with someone, but it didn't allow to proper amount of time that Murata would need to get his point across. And there were probably one or two security cameras in the elevator and it wouldn't do for the human staff to witness demon magic on camera.

Murata was enjoying having Wolfram squirm beside him as the tiny beeps from the elevator indicated the floor numbers. Neither of them spoke for fear of disturbing the quiet and very temporary truce they had established for the sake of those around them. He wanted Wolfram to know he was in big trouble and he was glad that he seemed to realize that. He may have had everyone fooled, but Murata knew, and wolfram knew that he knew that Wolfram was in the wrong and he would call him on it.

The elevator gave its final beep and the doors opened to the lobby of the hospital where the Shibuya family was waiting. Mrs. Shibuya was still trying the last of her joyous tears and talking excitedly with a compassionate nurse who nodded with a warm smile at the happy mother. Many people were in the medical profession for the money and the prestige, but there was some, like Akiko-san and this unnamed nurse, that were there to help people and bring hope and happiness to the world. Murata had a deep respect for those people, for such care was rare to find and harder to maintain in such a jaded world.

The ride home was filled with chatter, not from Murata and Wolfram, but from the Shibuyas. Shouma and Miko talked about Yuuri's continuing care, his therapy. Miko was already planning Yuuri's welcome home party and listing all the delicious foods she would prepare in honor of her son's recovery. Shouri was quieter than them, but not silent, adding his own opinions to the party and to Yuuri's care. Making a few suggestions and offering to call in Earth's demon king for some favors in the financial department.

They arrived home and each member of the family went about their normal evening routines, but with a sense of joy and relief now that the worst of their nightmare was over. Miko busied herself with dinner preparations and Shouma went to call their other relatives to inform them of Yuuri's breakthrough. Shouri went up to his room to absorb the dramatic turn of events alone, leaving Murata and Wolfram standing in the Shibuya living room. Mrs. Shibuya noticed their lack of activity and immediately called Wolfram over to help her with dinner. Glad for an excuse to be away from Murata, Wolfram eagerly consented and donned a frilly apron per Mrs. Shibuya's request and began to chop vegetables.

That was perfectly fine, Murata knew how to wait. His soul was thousands of years old, he could relax for a couple of hours while Wolfram deluded himself into thinking the Shibuyas would be adequate protection. So he went up to his room and sat on his bed, listening to the sounds of the activity downstairs, and came quickly when he was called for dinner. He sat next to Wolfram, naturally, and quietly ate the curry Miko had prepared with every ounce of love and devotion her petite body could muster.

Much too soon for Wolfram's benefit, dinner was over. Shouri helped clear away the dishes and Miko suggested that Murata help Wolfram get settled in. They had realized too late that Wolfram didn't have his translator ear buds with him, leaving Murata as the only one who could communicate with him.

With a gracious smile, Murata led Wolfram upstairs, not saying a single word as they made their way up to Yuuri's room. Murata remembered that the Shibuyas didn't know about the engagement, they still thought that Wolfram and Yuuri were still together, therefore it was expected that Wolfram would sleep in Yuuri's bedroom. This thought made Murata even more eager to get the blonde alone.

That opportunity came very quickly as Murata and Wolfram were well out of earshot of the busily chattering Shibuya family. In a motion that surprised even Murata, the sage grabbed Wolfram's shirt with one hand, opened the door to Yuuri's room with the other and in a movement as graceful as a dancer, dragged Wolfram into the dark room and slammed him against the wall, slamming the door shut.

He and Wolfram struggled. Wolfram tried to break free of Murata's grasp, but the sage held on, even when Wolfram detached himself form the wall and attempted to tackle Murata to the ground. The sage easily sidestepped Wolfram's charge, grabbed his arm, and twisting it painfully behind his back. Wolfram didn't even have time to shout out for help before Murata had effectively pinned him face-down, hands pinned behind his back with one of Murata's thin hands, while the other clamped on his hair.

Murata leaned forward, putting all his weight on the thin body underneath him, hissing lowly into Wolfram's ear.

"You...have a lot of explaining to do, Bielefeld," He snarled.

"I owe you nothing!" Wolfram bit back.

"No, no you don't," Murata agreed. "It's Yuuri whom you owe more than anything. I've witnessed a lot of despicable things, Bielefeld, but never have a seen someone so blatantly take advantage of another person the way you did. Or did you forget whose fault it was that Yuuri ended up in a damned hospital, hooked up to a dozen machines and ready to die? I don't recall any other blond idiots around here!"

Wolfram froze under Murata's grip, the sage saw him look away a mixture of guilt and sadness as he did recall why Yuuri was in the hospital. What little sympathy Murata may have had however was gone the second he saw Wolfram steal his place at Yuuri's bedside.

"I've been given another chance," Wolfram murmured.

"Says who?" Murata growled. When Wolfram didn't answer right away, Murata yanked a fist full of blonde hair, earning him a death glare from the other man. "Talk!"

"It's like what I said," Wolfram explained, voice somewhat muffled by the carpet. "Shinou sent me here. I had nothing to do with this! "

"Like hell you did! I'm going to drag you to the toilet and shove you in headfirst until Shinou summons you back to where you came from! Or you drown. It doesn't matter." Murata threatened. "Yuuri could have died because of you! You betrayed him because of your own petty jealousy! You have no right to be here! Your presence taints this world!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Wolfram cried against the carpet. "You don't think I feel guilty about this? You don't think it kills me inside when I know that it was my fault he ended up like this? I want nothing more than to go back and change what I did. Not a day has gone by when I wasn't killing myself inside over what I did! Yuuri loves me and I hurt him. I just want to make things right."

Murata paused and leaned back a bit, slightly loosening his grip on Wolfram's hair but not letting go. He didn't know what to feel at that. He was still angry at Wolfram, he felt disdain for him, but a tiny smidge of an emotion itched at the surface of his conscious and Murata would rather slit his own throat than call it pity. So he tightened his grip again and pressed Wolfram's face into the carpet as he leaned forward to hiss into his ear.

"If you want to make things right. You will tell Yuuri the truth and leave."

Wolfram didn't answer right away. He averted his gaze to stare at the wall. Murata watched the different emotions play across those big eyes as Wolfram's mind warred with itself. Murata watched as a determined, stubborn glint won out against the softer emotion of guilt. When Wolfram finally looked back up at him, with renewed determination and that classic brat look, Murata was ready to punch him.

"No."

Murata's gaze narrowed dangerously. "What?"

"I said no," Wolfram repeated, louder this time. "I can't do that."

"Like hell you can!" Murata spat. "You've got a working mouth don't you?"

"You saw how weak he is!" Wolfram said. "If I tell him, it will only hurt Yuuri more and he will get sick again! And I can't do that to his family, not now! You saw how happy they were. I won't ruin that."

Murata could feel blood vessels bursting. Was Wolfram really that stupid or was he intentionally deluding himself?

"And besides," Wolfram continued. "What good will it do? Yuuri will still love me. He would forgive me anyway."

"Then why don't you tell him?" Murata asked. "Wait. Don't answer that because I know the answer – he won't and you know it. Yuuri's not stupid, he'll see you for what you are – a manipulative liar!"

"I won't lose him!" Wolfram cried, all composure leaving him as Murata's words rang too true. "I love him! I know that I messed up! But….I can't!"

Murata was about to say something else when Mrs. Shibuya's cheery voice called up to them. "Boys! What are you doing up there! I heard noises."

Murata stared at the closed door. He wanted to drag Wolfram out and expose him for what he was to Yuuri's family. But Wolfram interrupted him.

"Do you really want to ruin their happiness now? Let them have their moment with their son. Don't ruin it because you just want to get back at me." He questioned softly, pleadingly.

Murata nearly lost control because of that comment - he even drew his fist back to wallop Wolfram on the side of his head. Wolfram steeled himself for the inevitable blow, but it never came. He opened one eye to look up at his assailant's conflicted face.

Murata wanted nothing more than to just end Wolfram's life here and now and damn the consequences. However, the images of the joyous reunion between the Shibuya family stayed his hand. He saw how relieved they were, how happy they were now that Yuuri would be okay. The zombie-like family had life again. Did he really want to ruin it now for them, when they finally had a reason to be happy? He hated to admit it, but even he was reluctant to destroy their happiness when they had been consumed by their grief for so long. Perhaps, he could allow them this moment and then he could destroy Wolfram.

Murata decided that he wouldn't let the Shibuya's know. Not yet, at least. Besides, he didn't need the Shibuyas to teach Wolfram a lesson. He was the Great Sage, incognito was his specialty. Any torture he could think up would be far worse than anything the Shibuyas could imagine. Better yet, he would leave Wolfram alive long enough to confess to them and that would be the best punishment.

With that consolation, Murata made a disgusted noise and finally let go of Wolfram's hair. He stood up no longer wanting to be in contact with such an awful being.

Wolfram slowly got up, eyes never leaving Murata, lest he decide to attack him again, he ran his fingers through his hair to soothe away the abused follicles.

"This isn't over," Murata growled. "Yuuri will find out eventually. That fiasco back at the castle surely spread throughout the kingdom by now. Everyone there knows what you did."

Wolfram looked at Murata with utter contempt. "Don't be so sure. Don't underestimate me."

"Neither should you," Murata said, and with that, he stalked out of Yuuri's bedroom and back to his own, fantasies of ending Wolfram von Bielefeld in his mind comforting him.

* * * * * * * * * * LB * * * * * * * * * *

Hello, everyone! I do hope you've enjoyed this collaborative fan fiction. I'm keeping in with Dreamerswalking's original story. So there might be some OOCess, but it will be kept to a minimum. The confrontation scene with Murata and Wolfram was really difficult to write, because I always try to go for realism when it comes to character interactions. I almost didn't include it, but I really wanted something to set up the tension between the two.

Another note; I wrote it so that Murata hadn't told the Shibuya family yet, the reason for this being it wasn't explicitly clear in the earlier chapters and I felt that Murata wouldn't want to cause the Shibuya family anymore stress than they already had. I've studied the text over and over again to see for sure, but I'm still not entirely clear on that. So if it later becomes clear that he did tell them, I will happily rewrite the chapter. I can't seem to get into contact with Dreamerswalking, so I hope this is okay. I promised her I would have it up by Thanksgiving of last year.

It seems we have a love triangle on our hands! What do you think? Was Murata right to not tell the Shibuya family anyway? Is Wolfram worthy of our sympathy? What about Yuuri?

Wolfram's political influence will turn the tides in his favor and the stakes will be raised as the sage and the prince battle for the king's love. A massive cover up will ensue.

As always, please let me know what you think. It helps me improve as a writer.