The metal door opened suddenly, breaking Kira from his thoughts. Slowly, crimson eyes slid open and Kira tilted his head forward from where it had been resting against the grey marble of the wall. The small room lightened for a brief second as Ryuuzaki stepped in, before it darkened once more as the angel made a small motion with his hand and the door silently swung shut by itself.

"And here I thought magick wasn't allowed in here."

Pausing, Ryuuzaki considered Kira's words before giving a small shrug.

"I'm not your guard. Those rules don't apply to me." It wasn't bragging, Kira noted, but stated matter-of-factly. It sparked Kira's curiosity. Just who was this angel? He had never heard of Ryuuzaki, and yet to be able to talk down the Solastaire and have the authority to visit him casually, he must be someone of great import.

Tamping down his musings for the time, Kira simply nodded, then thought to add, "I had not thought to see you again so soon."

"What made you think that?"

"I assumed that I would be confined here in solitude and only given bread and water to drink," Kira said lightly. If Ryuuzaki didn't know better, he'd think the demon was almost teasing him. "You know, the entire 'prisoner' cliché."

He blinked and then in a more solemn tone muttered, "That, or at least beaten a bit."

Ryuuzaki frowned, just a tiny downturn to pale pink lips. He crossed his arms.

"You were brought here so that we could get information from you. Keeping you in some sort of solitary confinement wouldn't serve any purpose. I swore that you would not be harmed nor mistreated while you were in my care."

"Your care, yes. However, I'm sure that they," Kira jerked a head towards the corner of the cell, where the guards that were on duty stood just on the other side of the wall, "would just adore seeing me cut to pieces."

The demon's voice held a thread of humor to it, as if the thought of being sliced to bits by his guard was something to be amused at. In the battlefield, Ryuuzaki had no doubt that Kira could easily wipe out an entire contingent of guards, no matter how skilled they were. Even without his armor and weapons, the angel knew that Kira was a force to be reckoned with. Here in Civit'Atem though, restrained by light magick and confined within a small cell, the demon was at a disadvantage.

"They know better than to disobey orders," Ryuuzaki said firmly, not doubting the guards' ability to obey orders for a single moment. "Not only that, they have sworn solemn oaths in the Magia'Lingua to follow the orders they are given."

Seeing Kira's wince at the thought of blindly following orders, Ryuuzaki amended that to, "Follow given orders within reason."

Then, seeming a bit eager to shift topics away from Kira's imprisonment, he said, "Let's talk about why we brought you here."

Kira's entire body seemed to come to attention at that. He leaned forward and shifted his until he was sitting cross-legged on the floor, elbows resting comfortably on his knees.

"You wish to talk about the war? But we were having such a lovely discussion before."

There was a bit of mirth dancing in the demon's crimson eyes, and as Ryuuzaki barely suppressed the twitch of a small smile in response, he felt something warm start to subtly bloom in his chest. It had been so long since anyone aside from his brother had looked at him with anything other than distrust or contempt in their eyes. The way the demon was nearly grinning at him now, showing a bit of sharp, pearly white fang sent a twang of… of something through his body.

Ryuuzaki felt his gauntleted fingers twitch, wanting to rise up and clutch his chest, to figure out where this aching warmth was coming from and tear it out before it blossomed into something dangerous. The smile that had started to turn his lips upward was quickly suppressed, and he schooled his face into an expression of blank neutrality.

Upon seeing this, the light of mirth slowly faded from Kira's eyes, replaced by a look of… disappointment?

"You really are a cold one, you know that?" Kira murmured. "What happened to make you so untouchable that even the thought of a smile makes you uncomfortable?"

Life, Ryuuzaki almost snapped, feeling the first foreboding swell of anger start to rise before he quickly tamped it down.

"The war, Kira," he reiterated, almost impatiently.

Kira searched the angel's pale face for a second more before he gave a small, mournful shake of his head. Away from lighter things and straight into the heavy, then. Kira supposed it was typical of angels, for they all seemed to be rather solemn. Still, as long as Ryuuzaki seemed to be hellbent on wringing information out of him…

"Get rid of these shackles, and I'll answer any questions you have without complaint," Kira offered.

At Ryuuzaki's quirked eyebrow, he gave a simple shrug.

"You may have added some length to them, but they're still uncomfortable," he explained. "I am unarmed and due to your city's shields, my magick is practically unreachable. There is nothing I can do to harm you here."

Practically being the keyword. Civit'Atem had stripped most of it away from him, but he still felt the smallest amount tingling through him. It wrapped around him like a warm blanket, soothing his aching soul and tired body.

He could see Ryuuzaki deliberating, weighing out the risks before he seemed to come to a decision.

"Turn around," he said, and Kira had to fight off a smile as he shifted and brought his wrists behind his back. He could sense the shift as the angel moved closer and then felt a featherlight touch at his wrists.

Ryuuzaki's fingers were warm, he noted, as they dragged over the magick-infused bindings. He had half expected them to either be cold or at least lacking somewhat in warmth. Instead, he found the touch pleasant and was almost disappointed when it withdrew, though he was relieved as the oppressive magick binding them dissipated and his arms and hands were free.

He sensed as Ryuuzaki withdrew to a safe distance across his cell and leant back against the wall. Rotating his shoulders, Kira turned back and proffered a small smile.

"I suppose asking for my wings to be freed as well would be too presumptuous?" he asked lightly, and at the unimpressed look he got from the angel, he knew that nothing further would be given.

Sighing, he let his back rest against the cold stone wall and prepared himself for the flood of questions that would no doubt ensue.

"What do you want to know?" Kira asked, finding no point in being flighty or obtuse with his answers. While his current predicament wasn't anything close to ideal, perhaps he could glean some information himself if he answered candidly.

Not batting an eye at the demon's sudden acquiescence, Ryuuzaki didn't hesitate.

"Whatever you can tell me. When did it start? What, or who caused it? What is your kind fighting for? What do you hope to accomplish? Why are we doing this?"

Cocking an eyebrow at the deluge of questions, Kira shook his head.

"You really are the curious one, aren't you? I don't even know where to start." The angel only continued to stare at him, awaiting a response. Kira sighed and settled in for a long, slightly boring conversation.

"I don't know when the war started," he admitted. "It has been ongoing since before I was brought into the world."

That, Ryuuzaki hadn't been expecting. But then again, he hadn't given a thought to how old Kira, or most demons were, for that matter.

"When was that?" he asked, before he blinked as he remembered something. He didn't want to forget any information, though there were spells that he could use to retrieve any memories if he did forget something. It was easier to write everything down and have the information ready at his fingertips.

Summoning a small amount of energy, Ryuuzaki twitched his fingers slightly. A blank piece of parchment shimmered into view, followed by a quill made of a long, pure white feather. They hovered next to the angel, the sharp end of the quill pressed to the brown parchment, ready to write down anything Ryuuzaki deemed of note.

Kira ignored the sudden appearance of the writing tools. Instead, he decided to take the unintended opening given to him.

"It is considered impolite to ask a person's age," Kira said, a light note of teasing threading its way into his voice. Raito had always said that he could never remain serious for too long, after all. "You might make me feel old and decrepit."

Kira, Ryuuzaki noted, was definitely not one to settle down into seriousness very easily. And no one had spoken to him so lightly, mirthfully in…

Ryuuzaki couldn't remember the last time anyone talked to him with something resembling humor in their voice.

Kira was almost like a breath of fresh air. Trapped as he was, there wasn't too much harm in letting his guard down slightly, was there? He was the only one who would – could - talk to the demon. He had a feeling Kira would not be so open with Beyond or any of his guards if they so chose to talk to him.

Ryuuzaki paused for a moment. Then against his better judgement, decided to give in.

"Aren't we all?" he muttered quietly, though there was a bit of levity to the words.

Kira let himself grin at this. It would appear that perhaps he was breaking through. His wings twitched a bit in interest, though they were still fully restrained by binding magick and he felt the tip of his tail begin to wave slowly back and forth.

"How old are you, Ryuuzaki?"

Ryuuzaki hummed as he thought back that far, remembering history lessons and the training he underwent as soon as he was old enough.

"The war started long before I was born as well."

"Not very eager to reveal your age either then, I see," Kira noted with a sense of wry amusement.

"Maybe I just don't wish to be reminded of my own near-immortality," Ryuuzaki responded drolly. "It's a long life to spend alone."

Kira fell silent as he processed this, before he spoke again.

"I honestly don't know how this war began, Ryuuzaki," he said, feeling the need to be candid. He was brought here to answer that one question, but it was the one out of all others that he couldn't answer. "It was but barely touched on in the lessons our tutor gave, because when you get to the truth of it, none of them actually remembered either."

The words came as a hard blow to Ryuuzaki. They had been counting on this, risked lives for the means to get this information. Now it came out that it was all for naught. Feeling a bit desperate, Ryuuzaki decided to press harder.

"None of the rest, would they know either?"

Cocking his head, Kira appeared to be a bit bemused. "The rest?"

Ryuuzaki's fingers twitched in irritation. "Any of the other demons, would they know anything?" he clarified.

"Perhaps some of the elders, vil'karr, but they are… difficult to talk to." Kira seemed to struggle with the correct word. Ryuuzaki sensed that 'difficult' was not the one he was searching for. An inky black eyebrow rose, and Kira sighed at the silent gesture to elaborate.

"They drift in and out of consciousness," he said carefully, conscious of the scratching of the quill upon parchment. He didn't want to reveal too much, but at the same time gave an honest attempt at trying to word his answer truthfully. "Though in their conscious moments, they are often not lucid enough to be coherent, much less answer direct questions."

"You allow your elders to reach such a state of degeneration?" Ryuuzaki knew he was diverging from the topic at hand, but his curiosity about demonkind won out in the end.

They knew so little about their enemy, so every tidbit of information seemed worthy to remember and try to learn more about, in his opinion. And considering he was the only one questioning the demon, it was up to him to deem what was important and what wasn't.

Kira grinned at this, for he knew that the elders of his kind had not degenerated in the way the angel assumed. He could sense that Ryuuzaki was hungry for information. Knowing that perhaps this was the only time anyone would learn of his kind, he decided to be more forthcoming.

"Degeneration of the mind, perhaps, but not of the body. They are still very physically capable, but the years of listening to the ebb and flow of the Niccht'Dea takes its toll."

Rolling his eyes upward, Kira brought a clawed fingertip to his mouth, tapping full lips thoughtfully as he mused, "They are free to roam, but are more… feral?"

Glancing over the angel, he saw definite interest and curiosity flicker within silvery eyes. He saw Ryuuzaki's mouth open to ask another question, but before he had a chance, Kira took the opportunity to ask one of his own.

"Why do you not ask your elders?" he said, turning the original question back onto Ryuuzaki. The quill came to a stop upon parchment, hovering silently as it waited for the next tidbit of information.

The angel blinked, as if the answer to that was obvious. But then he remembered that demonkind knew as little about his race as his did about Kira's.

"We have very few elders, and I doubt that their memories would stretch far enough back to help," Ryuuzaki stated succinctly, hoping that it would be a sufficient enough explanation. Not to mention, attempting to ask the elders anything had proved futile. They couldn't remember anything either.

"There are very few angels that seem older," Kira mused, acknowledging that he had not seen any angels that were particularly advanced in age. Those he had seen all appeared to have a youthful countenance, in a sort of ageless way.

Humming thoughtfully, Ryuuzaki nodded, his eyes wandering up to the ceiling. Kira was being rather candid. Perhaps it would benefit him to be so in turn.

"There comes a time in our lifespan when we know it is time to rest. Though our lives can span eons, we know nothing can last forever. When it comes time for one of my kind to move on, they fall into a deep sleep and then…"

The angel's thin black eyebrows furrowed as he glanced over to Kira, who was seemingly enraptured in Ryuuzaki's explanation. It was difficult to put into words, the process of when an angel faced death. It was a feeling in their entire being, the solidification of the knowledge that it was time to rest, to move on and depart from the physical world.

The physical process itself, too, was a calm, peaceful way to go, if somewhat disturbing to watch. But it shook Ryuuzaki to the core, knowing that one day, he too would fall into a final, deep sleep and fade from existence.

Taking a deep breath, Ryuuzaki quietly finished, "It is Euvagiturr, the Fading."

Crimson eyes opened wide, incredulousness lacing his voice as he asked, "Fading? Then, do you just…?"

Ryuuzaki nodded, confirming the demon's thoughts.

"We simply fade from this world, yes."

There were a few moments of silence as Kira digested this information. He had never thought of the way angels died, but it seemed fitting, considering their withdrawn nature.

Then, the silent was broken by a weak attempt at levity from Kira as he said lightly, "It seems like neither of our peoples have particularly good memories, does it?"

Either choosing to ignore the lighthearted attempt or not understanding it for what it was, Ryuuzaki drily said, "The problem with my people isn't our memories, it is that there are none left that are old enough to remember how things went wrong. The ones who might have held the answers submitted to the call of the Euvagiturr before we decided to start seeking the truth."

Eyes sliding over to Kira, he added, "On your side, however, it seems that faulty memories are to blame."

A small smile turned Kira's lips upwards at the last bit, seeing the angel's humor for what it was.

"Well, here's no thanks to spotty memories, then." Feeling bold, encouraged by the camaraderie he seemed to have struck up with the angel, Kira's smile turned into something decidedly more sharp and dangerous.

Ryuuzaki barely had a chance to notice before Kira saucily said, "And a thanks to having such a pretty companion while I'm all alone down here."

Ryuuzaki froze at the words, the hint of mirth fading from his eyes as he processed what the demon had said.

What?

Pretty?

Had he misheard?

Grey eyes wide, Ryuuzaki quietly asked, "What did you say?"

The smile on Kira's face only grew, and he leaned in closer.

"I highly doubt that you misheard me at such a close proximity," he said, voice light and teasing.

"I didn't," Ryuuzaki snapped, rising to the demon's bait, but not seeing it for what it was. "That was a chance to make me think I had mistakenly heard you."

Bracing his hands against his knees, Kira slowly pushed himself up into a standing position. Arms crossed over a broad chest and Kira cocked an eyebrow as he said, "There's no reason for me to do that. I meant what I said."

Mind a bit shaken, Ryuuzaki reached up to press two fingers against the bridge of his nose, praying for patience, (and rapidly trying to think of a way to defuse the sudden situation he had found himself in, though he would never admit it). What he would admit to, however, was being utterly confused.

Kira had, he suddenly realized, broken down his shields. He was conversing with the demon so openly, something he was unable to truly do with even his brother.

The demon had carved open a weakness within him in such a short time. Ryuuzaki was struggling to figure out how to repair the damage done and close himself off once more. It was just so hard, with Kira- with the demon staring at him so earnestly, crimson gaze seeming like weights upon his shoulders as it rested on him.

"Do you enjoy saying such things?" Ryuuzaki asked, desperate to break the heavy silence that had settled upon the room. He knew he needed to distract them, to change the topic and steer it onto safer discussions. However, the words slipped out before he could stop them, confusion clouding his mind at what Kira had said to him.

He needed to know why, even as he cursed the innate curiosity he had been born with.

But Kira could see that the angel was rattled, knew with crystal clarity. Even if Ryuuzaki had tried to steer their talk in a different course, he wouldn't have allowed it.

Kira found that he definitely preferred this shaken, unsure Ryuuzaki to the stoic, cold one he had been faced with the first two times they had met. It made the angel seem less like a statue going through the motions and more like a living, breathing, touchable being – which was very enticing, he thought.

With a lazy smile, he observed the angel's attempt to hide his frustration and confusion as he settled back a bit and relaxed his stance, asking, "What things?"

It was amusing to watch the angel attempt to reason through this. He hoped that with only a bit more pushing and prodding, he could draw a true, unrestrained reaction out of the stoic angel. Kira wanted to see what this man was like once his shields were down. If all it took was some simple (and honest) flirting on his part, then he was content to play his part and revel in the aftermath.

Ryuuzaki felt like pulling his hair out at the demon, who was refusing to answer a single question with a straight answer. Of all the times to play games, this was one that Ryuuzaki could not handle.

He was standing on unfamiliar ground, facing a situation that he could neither solve with logic nor knew how to handle. A thin sliver of panic worked its way into him.

Resting his arms stiffly at his sides, Ryuuzaki resisted the sudden urge he had to punch the demon's smug-looking smile off that face.

He flicked his fingers to make the quill and paper disappear back into thin air then crossed his arms tightly.

His eyes narrowed as he hissed, "Does it bring you enjoyment to speak to me so casually, to say…" Ryuuzaki let himself trail off because he didn't think he could handle anyone, much less himself saying he was pretty.

Goddesses, if he could have guessed that a little flirting or display of emotion could render him this useless, he would have taken precautions against them. Instead, having been devoid of such things, he had no idea how to handle them and it had led to his current predicament.

"Oh." Kira relaxed a bit, before shifting to settle a hand upon his chin, hiding his smile. "To you I do, yes."

Ryuuzaki felt distinctly that he was treading into unknown territory, that he had been lured down this line of questioning on purpose. The smirk on the demon's face only reinforced that belief. Before he could figure out how to extricate himself from this situation, he found a question slipping out.

"Why?"

Damn his curiosity.

"Because I don't bother with the niceties that your kind does," Kira replied, and Ryuuzaki knew he was being obtuse on purpose.

Yet, like a fly to honey, he was being led deeper into this line of questioning. He had lost the upper hand at some point of time and knew exactly when that had happened..

"You say that, but you're not answering the question I asked."

If Kira rose that eyebrow any higher, he was going to slice the damn thing off. At the thought, his fingers twitched toward one of his swords with murderous intent.

"Which was?" Kira asked, and Ryuuzaki saw immediately through the façade of innocence the demon put on display.

"Why do you enjoy saying those things?"

Kira grinned, and Ryuuzaki started to take a step back. He once again had the distinct, unsettling feeling of being a mouse caught in a clever trap.

"Perhaps because they are true. I find you to be quite captivating."

Ryuuzaki suddenly felt he couldn't breathe, as if something was crushing his lungs.

Unfazed by Ryuuzaki's silence, Kira continued thoughtfully, "And I'm unsure of whether or not you've looked in a mirror lately, but you are quite lovely."

Somehow, those last few words boke Ryuuzaki's stillness and he suddenly felt able to breathe again. He took a sharp breath, trying to steady himself.

"I.. you can't… you can't just say things like that!"

Kira smiled slyly. He supposed he should feel some kind of remorseful for unbalancing the angel so badly. However, he couldn't muster up any sort of feeling besides excitement and a bit of glee at being able to break through Ryuuzaki's calm exterior.

"Why not?" Kira asked, feigning ignorance. "What's stopping me from speaking candidly?"

Those stormy eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, and Kira felt a small thrill go down his spine in response. He felt like he was poking a lioa'zarr, one of the large, shadowy predators of his home, and he wasn't sure how far he could go without getting mauled.

He wouldn't mind finding out, though.

Let no one say Kira ever backed down from a challenge, no matter how stupid he was for accepting it.

Ryuuzaki could feel his heart start to beat faster, a mixture of confusion, fear, and anger making the pace pick up. Why was Kira having such an effect on him?

"You're out of line, Kira," he hissed, venom dripping from his voice. "I could have it so that this door were to never open again. You would never see light again, never interact with anyone for the rest of your life."

Ryuuzaki knew that these were empty threats, but he felt backed into a corner and didn't know what to do, or how to respond. Tossing out anger and threats was decidedly easier than trying to sort through his feelings.

But apparently, even Kira could see through his threats, because a small smirk tilted those full lips upwards, until Ryuuzaki could see a hint of fang.

Slowly, almost sinuously, Kira pulled himself up until he was standing at his full height. He had only a couple inches over Ryuuzaki, but the wicked-looking horns sweeping back gracefully from his head gave him the illusion of being taller. Where Ryuuzaki was long and lithe, Kira was bulkier and heavier.

Ryuuzaki had rarely ever felt intimidated by another being, but in this small room, alone with a slyly smirking Kira, he suddenly felt a thrill of apprehension run through him. This was unknown territory. He felt himself floundering as he futilely tried to think of a way to gain control of the situation.

"You wouldn't, though, would you?"

The sound of Kira's voice brought his attention back to the demon. His eyes widened as he noticed the demon had pushed away from the wall and had taken a small step closer. Bright crimson eyes were fixed solely on him, and Ryuuzaki felt frozen under that intense stare.

A small movement caught Ryuuzaki's eye and he glanced down to see Kira had taken another small step forward. Something in him was screaming at him to back away from the demon, but a smaller, darker part of him wanted to push forwards and see what would happen.

Caught between conflicting desires, he remained where he was, almost frozen as Kira stalked ever closer. Ryuuzaki had to tilt his head up to meet the demon's eyes as he neared. What he saw glinting within them called to something deep inside of him, tugging and pulling. He couldn't move even if he wanted to, and deep down, he didn't even want to think about moving.

Kira was close enough now, so close that he was able to lean forwards so his mouth was a mere few inches from Ryuuzaki's ear. Soft, gentle breaths washed over the sensitive skin, and Ryuuzaki fought off an involuntary shudder.

"It would be dishonorable to go back on your word, and I know you would never do that, Ryuuzaki." Kira's voice had dropped into something decidedly more sensual. He had to repress a shudder at the way the demon seemed to linger on his name, voice wrapping around it like a caress.

Ryuuzaki felt like he couldn't breathe. This close, he could feel the heat almost pouring off Kira's body. It sent a pleasant warmth burning through his veins, making blood rise to his cheeks. Struggling to categorize the new feelings that were starting to awaken and in almost a daze, he faintly thought he could smell heady cinnamon, mixed with the sharp scent of citrus.

Oranges, maybe? Ryuuzaki thought offhandedly. Or maybe lemons.

He didn't have long to ponder the question he faced. Kira suddenly inhaled, then stretched his tongue out to lick at the shell of Ryuuzaki's ear. This time, he couldn't resist the shudder that wracked his body, because he hadn't been touched by someone in so long, and even then, no one had ever touched him like that.

"Stop thinking about it," Kira murmured into his ear and Ryuuzaki had to fight back a groan. It was impossible to not think about, when his desires were conflicting so strongly. What the hell was happening to him?

He struggled to clear his mind, to do something to push the demon away, but failed. There was a soft brush against his neck, and he realized Kira was lightly tracing up his neck with lips that felt too soft to be real.

His breath hitched as Kira passed over the place where his shoulder and neck met, because that had felt good and he felt Kira's smile against his skin.

"You feel it too," Kira whispered.

Through the fog in his mind, Ryuuzaki had enough clarity left to realize that he had no clue what the demon was talking about.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice coming out rough and broken.

Kira pulled back enough to place his hands on either side of Ryuuzaki's head, effectively cornering him. He met crimson eyes and the raw emotion he saw in the blood-red depths was more effective at holding him in place than the strongest of chains.

Shifting a bit, Kira moved closer to the angel and pressed his body up against the smaller man's. The feel of the demon's hard, muscular body sent heat shooting straight through Ryuuzaki. In all of his centuries alive, he had never allowed anyone to get this close to him, and the culmination of new, intense feelings left him overwhelmed.

Kira leaned in and pressed his forehead against Ryuuzaki's. The light brown hair was soft as it brushed against his skin, and Ryuuzaki had the sudden urge to know what it felt like between his fingers.

"You feel the connection between us as well," Kira said softly.

That finally broke through a bit of the haze clouding Ryuuzaki's mind and he realized exactly what was going on. Eyes narrowing in the best glare he could muster, which was weak, when did it get to be like this, Ryuuzaki leveled it on the demon. Kira only regarded it for a moment before dipping in to mouth gently at the soft skin of the angel's throat.

He cursed his body for refusing to obey him, because he couldn't make himself push Kira off. Desperate now, Ryuuzaki knew that nothing he did physically would deter the demon. He had to try to put some distance between them with words.

"I feel nothing but contempt for you," he protested weakly.

Then again, he had never been good at expressing himself verbally either. The lie burned in his mouth, a distasteful thing.

Ryuuzaki felt the vibration against his throat as Kira gave a soft laugh.

"You're lying to yourself if you deny this." Kira lazily rolled his hips as he said it, and Ryuuzaki's mouth went dry. A hot hardness pressed firmly against him, felt even through his armor, and his cheeks burned as he realized his own length was rising in response to the stimulation.

"There is nothing to deny, now get away before I force you to release me." Even to his own ears, Ryuuzaki realized the threat was weak without any conviction or strength to back it up.

Crimson eyes flicked down and Ryuuzaki followed them, lowering to the gauntleted hands gripping tightly at the thin fabric of his worn shirt. He had been trying to tug the demon closer, and there were rips in the cloth from how hard he had been holding on.

When had that happened? Ryuuzaki thought faintly.

"I never had you trapped, Ryuuzaki," Kira said softly, drawing the angel's attention back to him.

"That's not.." Ryuuzaki started weakly, before he trailed off. What could he say?

Ryuuzaki felt paralyzed – as if Kira were a cobra and himself a small mouse, unable to move under such a powerful gaze. He had no time to prepare or brace himself as Kira pressed forward, and soft lips with a hint of fang touched his. It felt like a jolt of electricity spread through him at the contact, and his body moved before he could think.

A soft groan slipped from him as he pressed forward, lips pushing more firmly against Kira's, hands clutching even tighter at broad shoulders as his body molded itself against the demon's.

There was an answering rumble deep in Kira's chest. He felt clawed hands settle briefly on his hips before sliding roughly down his sides, nails scraping harmlessly against smooth silver armor until they reached his thighs. He let out a soft, pleased exhale as Kira tightened his grip. In a single movement he lifted Ryuuzaki, pressing him more firmly against the wall.

"Is this alright?" Kira broke away just long enough to ask, his voice coming out rough and low with desire.

What a stupid question, Ryuuzaki thought hazily. How could something that felt this good be anything but?

Not trusting his voice, he simply gave a fast, jerky nod as he instinctively wrapped his legs around Kira's hips. He tightened them, pulling them close together and Ryuuzaki felt a soft hiss against his lips from Kira.

Not close enough. The thought came unbidden to him, and his armor suddenly felt impossibly heavy, too constricting. All he wanted was for it to be gone. As soon as the thought formed, a gentle glow suffused him and the armor faded, sinking into his skin and leaving him clad only in thin fabric.

A pleased noise came from deep within Kira's throat and Ryuuzaki echoed it in a gasp, breaking away for the briefest of moments. He could suddenly feel everything, no barrier left to shield him from the body pressed against his.

His swords bumped against the wall with a soft clank, but the noise served only to irritate him rather than bringing him back to reality. Releasing one of Kira's shoulders, he reached down and deftly slid the buckle loose. The belt dropped to the ground and he ignored the sound as Kira gave a small laugh at his frustration. Kira took the opportunity to nudge Ryuuzaki's lips apart, slipping a warm tongue in to lick sinfully at his mouth.

Tentatively, Ryuuzaki responded, and Kira groaned at that, hitching him up higher. Rough hands slid further up Ryuuzaki's thighs until he was basically palming the swell of Ryuuzaki's ass. The movement brought their erections together, and Kira swallowed Ryuuzaki's cry as pleasure raced through him.

It felt like he was burning alive and he chased the fire, sliding a hand up the back of Kira's head, desperately gripping soft strands of hair as he kissed back fervently. His hips rocked forwards involuntarily and Kira met him eagerly, his movements rough and hard. He shivered as he was rewarded with another wave of good, so good and he desperately wanted more.

Except Kira pulled back slightly, and he couldn't help the choked cry of protest that escaped him as he was denied. He tightened his legs around Kira's hips in a mindless bid to bring him closer. As he did so, he felt Kira breathe something against his lips, making them tingle as he felt the faintest trace of nicch'sse.

The soft murmur laced with darkness finally broke the haze that had clouded Ryuuzaki's mind. Kira's magick was unreachable, so…

How?

He felt something shift within him at the word, something intangible clicking into place and irrevocably changing him, and it felt right. It brought a sudden clarity and his eyes widened as he froze. Ice flowed through his veins, quenching the burning flames that had been licking through him just moments ago.

What was he doing? What had happened?

Panic flooded through him and he tensed, every instinct he possessed screaming at him to flee.

Kira sensed something was amiss a split second before Ryuuzaki moved. He was still unprepared when Ryuuzaki gave a sharp push to his chest, sending him stumbling back in surprise. He dropped to the ground, reached blindly until he felt the hilt of a sword and drew it, pointing it unsteadily at Kira.

"Step closer and I will end you," Ryuuzaki hissed, trying to get the trembling in his hands under control. His lips felt swollen and he could feel the lingering taste of Kira upon his lips as his body seemed to cool. He felt raw, utterly exposed under the demon's gaze and his skin prickled.

Kira kept his distance, watching with hard eyes as the angel struggled to regain his composure. He knew what he had done, couldn't take it back even if he wanted to.

And he didn't want to.

For the first time in his long life, he had felt something. It felt right in the best way, and he refused to regret the decision he had made, even if it was impulsive. His instincts never lied to him and they had been pulling him towards Ryuuzaki this entire time.

"The… the war, Kira. Tell me what you do know," Ryuuzaki said, his voice shaken, desperately trying to pull himself together. His mind reeled as he attempted to process what had happened, and he clung to the purpose he had come to, needed to leave with something to show that it had been worth it.

There was panic rising in his chest, and his instincts were screaming at him to flee, to run far away, but something deeper within him urged him to stay, and that scared him more than anything else.

"There is not much," Kira said carefully, remaining completely still, as if he could sense the turmoil within Ryuuzaki. "There was talk of a treaty gone sour, but that is all I can recall. My brother, the one you call Raito, would know more than I can offer. He paid attention to our tutors where I did not."

"There's nothing of use you could tell me, then," Ryuuzaki said, his voice stiff. In a single, jerky movement, he sheathed his blade.

Something tugged at the back of his mind, and his eyes narrowed as he fought to remember.

"There was talk… rumors of a vil'karr who was young when our world formed…" Kira trailed off as Ryuuzaki drew away, apparently satisfied with what little information he had been given.

"Ryuuzaki," Kira started, desperate to not allow the angel to leave without at least an attempt to explain. Before he could say anything else, he was cut short by a flash of steely eyes and he knew that at least for the moment, their talk was over. Unwilling to push any further, Kira relented.

"You cannot run from this," he said instead, the words coming out softly.

Ryuuzaki flinched involuntarily at the gentle voice, feeling the truth in his words. He needed no further elaboration.

Raking a shaky hand through his hair as he turned away, he refused to acknowledge that he had heard the words. They both knew he didn't need to. Instead, he jerked the door open and stepped out, slamming it firmly shut behind him.

He let out a shaky breath, leaning against the door as he waited for the door to seal itself shut. The runes etched upon the wood and metal handle glowed faintly as the magick spread, locking itself physically and magickally. It was only after the door was secure and the glowing runes faded away that Ryuuzaki allowed his legs to give.

Slowly, he slid down, knowing that Kira wouldn't be able to hear. Drawing his knees up, he rested trembling hands on them, letting his head fall back with a thud against the door. He felt an icy chill settle into his bones, all the more painful after experiencing the fire that had burned through him before.

You cannot run from this.

The words repeated themselves over and over in his mind, and though he yearned to forget them, he knew they were permanently seared into his memory.

He reached up to press a hand against his forehead, willing the memories away, but they stubbornly refused to be pushed aside. Ryuuzaki drew in a deep breath, attempting to regain some semblance of control. Tilting his head back, he fixed his gaze on the ceiling, but lost in his thoughts, it wasn't what he was truly seeing.

You cannot run from this.

"I know," he whispered and despite the seals on the door, he knew Kira had heard him.

vil'karr - elder demons that toe the line between lucidity and feral insanity

lioa'zarr - ambush predator, a cross between a panther and wolf but much larger

nicch'sse - dark magick

Euvagiturr - Fading, an angel's death