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A gentle breeze ruffles his hair.
Taishakuten waits on that grassy hill overlooking the celestial city of Zeken in the distance. The grass is soft beneath his feet with the sun shining down on him. The soft rays warm his skin and stirs up a strange sense of longing in his heart.
He is waiting for something.
No, he is waiting for someone.
Someone...someone...but who?
A few white doves circle above his head, chirping out a sweet melody that intoxicates him.
Who?
“Taishakuten!”
The world spins, resets – is thrown off its original course.
It splinters into a thousand pieces, floating aimlessly in the vast nothingness. And then that steady warmth and familiar voice pulls them together, causing all the chaos to condolence and merge until—
“Asura.”
Taishakuten smiles at his friend approaching him.
A few moments of comfortable passes between them. For such intimate friends like them, sometimes things like words are not even needed. They are simply content to bask in the warmth of the sun standing side by side, enjoying the presence of each other. This closeness is more than enough.
If only they could remain like this forever.
Taishakuten blinks, wondering where the ominous thought comes from.
“—kuten. You there?”
“Ah?”
Turning to face his friend, the shorter male is startled to realise how close Asura is.
“I was just…”
Just what?
He is at a loss for words. There is a quiet voice inside him begging him not to spill his true thoughts. Despite not knowing why, Taishakuten heeds it, opting to smile cheerfully at his friend instead.
That’s right. The two of them managed to find time out of their hectic schedules to meet each other like this. He should feel nothing less than elation.
Before he knows it, Asura is already sitting down beneath the tree beside them, beckoning Tashakuten to join him in the shade. With indulging fondness, Taishakuten sits down beside him, catching a stray white feather that drifts towards him. Just like that, they spend several more moments sitting side by side, exchanging light banter about the trivial matters in life.
At some point, the distance between them somehow shortens till their arms are touching. An idea crosses his mind and Taishakuten tilts his head, resting it playfully on Asura’s shoulder. To his surprise, Asura allows the show of affection and even brings a hand to ruffle his hair good-naturedly. Amused, Taishakuten nudges the other, looking up to chide him for treating him like a child only to become enamoured by Asura’s handsome visage.
Asura’s eyes are a beautiful brilliant red, close to the colour of blood he hates so much but somehow, it just looks so perfect on his friend. He takes his time admiring Asura, losing himself in the endless indulgence. It doesn’t help that Asura merely smirks upon noticing his staring, seeming smug at the attention. Unconsciously, Taishakuten feels himself reaching out, his hand finding its way towards Asura’s warm chest.
The soft pads of his fingers run down wry muscle, scarred from years of battle and decorated with bright red tattoos. Taishakuten maps every inch of his body, as though trying to commit it to memory. There is a nagging voice deep within him, urging him to take this chance to carve the other into his mind forever before he loses the chance. It alarms him, this unknown sense of urgency that unconsciously makes his heart clench with dread.
“You’re shaking.”
Calloused fingers wrap around his own. Taishakuten gasps, eyes darting up to make contact with Asura.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just…”
Just what?
Again, the words elude him, slipping from his mind like smoke.
“I-I—”
He needs to say something. It is burning hot and bright within him, dancing along the tip of his tongue. Yet it’s as though there is a wall in front of him, preventing him from saying the words.
“I don’t want to forget.” he finishes off lamely.
That’s not what he wanted to say. Taishakuten longs to say more, to express the convoluted ball of messy thoughts lodged so deeply within himself – to tell Asura how he really feels.
But it’s not meant to be. The invisible shackles of something heavy drag him down, drowning out what he really wants to say.
To his credit, Asura seems to take his vague words well. The other merely furrows his brows in contemplation as he tightens his grip on Taishakuten’s hands.
For a long moment, neither of them speak, probably still trying to decipher the strange atmosphere that has settled around them. Pained that their joyful meeting has been tainted by his own worries. Taishakuten begins to speak, hoping to change the topic to something more lighthearted.
“Say, Asura—”
The world spins before his eyes. In a dizzying swirl of colours, Taishakuten abruptly finds himself flipped onto his back. With the blue sky serving as a backdrop to the body towering over him and pinning him to the ground, he tries to free his hands that are held above his head in a vice grip.
“Asura?”
“Didn’t you say you don’t want to forget?”
Asura whispers huskily while leaning down, hot breath tickling Taishakutens as he breathes over his ears.
“I will make sure every one of your eyes remembers clearly who I am. I will imprint myself deeply into them, Taishakuten.”
Shuddering at the sensation of Asura’s wet tongue dragging over his neck, the gears in his brain finally turn. The words sink into him, making Taishakuten’s eyes widen in disbelief.
Asura, he...he is going to—
Then warm lips are pressing themselves against his and Taishakuten finds himself kissing the other back.
Asura starts things off slowly. He takes his time, teasing Taishakuten thoroughly as though they have all the time in the world. And in a sense that is true, considering that they are celestials that live for an untold amount of years.
From the tip of his toes to the back of his hand, Asura leaves no place untouched. He runs his tongue languidly over the sensitive soles of his feet, pressing chaste kisses to the skin there. Taishakuten can barely hold still from the overwhelming sensations, feeling the way the eyes on his soles tremble and blink. All he can do is grit his teeth and endure as Asura slowly makes his way up, nipping at unblemished skin along the way. Taishakuten fits his hands, pulling out some of the grass he sits on in the process as the other reaches his thighs.
“This is sensitive right?” Asura muses as he runs his fingers over the eyes on his thighs, feeling them tremble under his touch. “How does it feel, Taishakuten?”
“It’s— Ah!” Taishakuten breaks off with a yelp, feeling a spike of arousal in his gut as Asura spreads his milky thighs for better access and bites down. His legs try to close on reflex but the attempt is in vain as Asura grabs his legs and forces them apart once more. He pushes aside Taishakuten’s clothes, causing them to bunch up around his hips in a crumpled mess of white and gold.
Eventually, Taishakuten gives up on his resistance and resigns himself to allowing Asura to do whatever he wants. All he can do is bite down on his lips to stifle the embarrassing moans that threaten to leave him every time Asura discovers another sensitive spot of his. Soon, his previously pristine skin is stained with blooming marks and hickeys, looking like droplets of ink spreading across a pure white sheet. His breaths come out as shaky exhales, half-formed words of protest trailing off with a sigh.
“Ha.”
“?”
“You’re”—Asura gives the tip of his dick a quick flick—“so hard already.”
Startled, Taishakuten glances down and is mortified to find himself hard and dripping already. This fact only becomes more pronounced as Asura nudges him again Taishakuten feels himself twitch, a trickle of precome rolling down from his slit.
“S-stop it!” He tries to push Asura’s face away from his groin, to stop the maddening teasing of his flesh. The plan backfires on him as his wrist is caught and his friend’s attention is instead turned to his hands. Asura makes long, languid licks along his arm, nuzzling his face into Taishakuten’s palm. His eye there trembles in barely repressed lust, blinking rapidly in a reflection of his tumultuous mood.
Shuddering, Taishakuten pants out his pleasure. It is all becoming too much. From the gentle stroking of his thighs to the soft caress of his beloved hero’s fingers, pure bliss washes over him in endless waves. But in an unexpected infuriating move, Asura refuses to touch his aching dick any further. While Asura uses one hand to lavish affection on his palm, the other kneads the flesh of his thigh, stopping just shy of stimulating his cock. Taishakuten's toes curl and he bucks his hips in dissatisfaction, trying to rub his dick against something, anything for more friction.
“Please.”
He might not understand why, but the sense of urgency returns. He needs to hurry, hurry, hurry before this precious moment can be torn away from him.
“Please Asura!”
Taishakuten doesn’t even quite understand what he himself is asking the other for. All he knows is that he wants to be closer to Asura, together forever in this life and the next, forever and ever—
—beyond time; beyond space.
“Taishakuten.”
Finally, finally, Asura’s warm hands close over his dick and begin to stroke, spreading the sticky liquid that has been steadily dribbling out of it.
“Promise me one thing.”
Taishakuten nearly orgasms on the spot, the wonderful sensation of skin after having been denied it for so long is almost too much for him to bear.
“Never succumb to your desires and fate.”
“Never underestimate yourself again.”
“Never forget, not the precious memories we share together, not the time we spent fighting side by side – not the feelings we hold towards each other.”
Taishakuten comes with a cry, burying his face into Asura’s shoulder as he comes undone. His release is swift and fleeting, much like their doomed relationship. He soils Asura’s hand with his seed that splatters onto his stomach as well.
“I won’t! I won’t!” he moans out like a drowning man clutching at straws. “Never! I won’t Asura!”
“Good.” Asura growls, low and deep, the deep baritone of his voice washing over Taishakuten and sending shivers down his spine. “I won’t let you anyway.”
Asura doesn’t give him much time to recover from the high of his orgasm. Even while Taishakuten is still a quivering mess of liquid pleasure scrambling to pull together rational thought, Asura is already feeding probing fingers slicked with his own cum into his entrance.
“N-no.” Taishakuten gasps out, gripping onto Asura’s arm and trying to pull him out. “Just...put it in now.”
A flicker of concern crosses Asura’s face for a moment but is quickly swept away by understanding.
Yes. His dearest friend does know him well, a little too well perhaps.
The God of War, like his name suggests, is a true beast when it comes to battle. He plunders and obliterates everything in his path, destroying all that dares to oppose him. He is a true beast that ruins all he encounters, tearing them to shreds. But for those that surrender themselves to him, worshipping him wholeheartedly with their body and soul, there is a kinder side to the god as well. And what is Taishakuten if not his most devout and loyal follower?
If Asura is to be the greedy one that takes and takes, then Taishakuten would be the one to give. He opens himself up for the other, allowing Asura into his heart and soul.
Anything for his hero, his beloved hero.
His beloved Asura.
Something hard and warm rests itself against the cleft of his ass, rubbing itself all over him and scorching him with fiery warmth. Taishakuten mewls in need, wrapping his legs around Asura in hope of drawing him in faster. And the other doesn’t disappoint, pushing himself in with agonising slowness that nearly makes him want to cry out in frustration.
The blonde can feel the thick girth of Asura slowly spearing him open, his walls parting inch by inch to accommodate the other’s incredible girth. Due to the lack of preparation or lube, the penetration hurts. Each slide of skin on skin hurts and Taishakuten feels like he is falling apart. Gritting his teeth, his fingers tighten their hold on Asura’s broad shoulders, sharp nails digging crescent-shaped marks into bare flesh.
But it is precisely what he wants. The sting of the pain and blood each push surely draws is exactly what he has been hoping for. Taishakuten longs for the sharp clarity that only an agonising hurt can bring him. It brings him some sort of respite, knowing he can ground this fragile memory on something more tangible than his faulty mind.
It takes a moment to realise that Asura is sheathed fully inside him. Taishakuten looks down, half expecting to see his stomach bulging out from how obscenely huge the other feels. He is not disappointed as he presses down on his belly, watching how his muscles ripple and strain to accommodate Asura’s cock. His own feels pitiful in comparison. It weeps a clear fluid that pools on his stomach as Asura shifts slightly, despite having come once earlier already. The other’s cock just seems to reach so deeply into him and rubs him in all the right places, each swell dragging a whine out of his lips.
If only they could stay like this forever, connected in the most intimate of ways with Asura in him like this. The thought sends his dick twitching and he reflectively clenches, muscles fluttering around Asura’s cock that is resting in him. He forces himself to relax as much as he can, wanting to make the experience as enjoyable for Asura as possible.
A stray lock of Asura’s hair falls into his eyes and out of reflex, Taishakuten moves it out of the way and looks up in the process. For a moment he is stunned by the sight before him.
The God of War’s larger body blankets his own, his chest heaving as Asura pants with desire. Beads of sweat run down his muscles and Taishakuten finds himself tracking a single drop as it beads and falls, dripping off the end of one of Asura’s red tattoos. Deep in those eyes of endless red is a burning hunger as fierce as Taishakuten’s own, threatening to engulf him in their intensity.
“Let yourself go, Taishakuten.”
“I—”
“Let yourself fall; I’ll always be there to catch you.”
And then Asura is moving, moving with such vigour as though he has been starved for years.
Maybe he is. Maybe they both are. Deep down inside, both of them have always longed for each other, to feel heated flesh on flesh and hear gasps of drawn-out pleasure. Why they never figured things out sooner eludes him. It feels like he is trying to make up for a deep regret – trying desperately to make up for what he knows he can never get – to savour it while it lasts.
Asura’s initial movements are jerky and rough due to how fast they progressed. Each drag of his huge cock sends fresh waves of pain rocking through Taishakuten as his walls tear slightly, his blood serving as a mockery of lubrication for their coupling. But it matters not as Taishakuten simply tightens his grip on the other, urging him to go faster, harder – deeper.
He cries. It is neither from joy nor sorrow. It is from the sheer bliss that overcomes him as Asura thrusts into him, setting a punishing pace for them both. His dear hero is so big and incredible, filling him up so wonderfully like nothing he has ever felt before. His cock drives itself into him, forcing Taishakuten to submit to the destruction it brings. Pain and pleasure mix into one, Asura’s cock striking something inside him that makes him see stars.
He lets go.
Taishakuten falls.
He falls and
falls
and
falls
and
falls
and
falls
and
falls
and
falls
and
falls.
For the first time, he is not afraid. Or has he ever been afraid to begin with?
How could he be, with such a wonderful being by his side all the time?
“Asura— ah!”
Taishakuten screams out in pleasure, letting his love for the God of War be known to all. Ecstasy floods him, surging through his entire being uncontrollably as Asura continues to rail him into the dirt. His dick is trembling, Asura’s near-violent fucking causing it to flop around with the motions. Clinging onto that broad back for his dear life, Taishakuten keens into the other’s chest, taking in the comforting smell that comes with a hint of spice. It helps to keep him sane amidst the incredible sensation of being used and ruined so thoroughly, till the point where he feels like little more than a casual toy to be used and discarded.
Spurts of cum shoot out of his dick as Asura hammers away at his prostate relentlessly, causing his world to become nothing but white, hot pleasure for a good few seconds. It covers his chest and some even lands on his face, but the shorter male is too far gone by this point to care. Toes curling and back arched, Taishakuten moans noisily, losing himself to the pleasure.
But Asura is far from done.
He flips Taishakuten over, positioning him such that his ass is sticking up into the air with his face mashed into the grass. It feels good to be used this way, in such a careless and thoughtless manner that makes his spine tingle with pleasure and spent cock jump with renewed interest.
For all the battle crazed fervour Asura shows in battle, the amount of self-control he has when it comes to sex is maddeningly impressive. He rubs himself all over Taishakuten’s ass, allowing his dick to catch on the smaller male’s rim several times before pulling away. It nearly makes Taishakuten want to scream out in anguish. He can clearly feel how pent up Asura is with the way hot fluid continues to dribble down on him and the constant throbbing of the other’s dick.
In front of his people, Taishakuten might be the revered ruler of the celestial realm, the illustrious king that governed his people with a firm but fair hand. In front of Asura however, such pride is nowhere to be found. He discards it as easily as his life and wellbeing, begging the other to fill him up and fuck him like a cheap whore.
The provocative words seem to do the trick. Asura groans out throatily as he once again enters Taishakuten. Before the blonde can say any more encouraging words, he finds the breath knocked out of him from the relentless pace Asura sets for them both.
There is no pain this time, only pure, unadulterated bliss as Asura throws his weight into every thrust. In this new position, Asura’s cock seems to reach even deeper into him than before. The lewd sound of flesh slapping against flesh rings out around them. If Taishakuten had any rational thought left, he would have been mortified at the prospect of doing such a vulgar act in public. But now, as lost in the throes of passion as he is, how could such a little issue possibly deter him?
Taishakuten sobs from the overstimulation, savouring the sensation of Asura pounding into him so hard and fast. His thick cock seems to scrape Taishakuten out from within, meshing against that spot inside him so perfectly with every swing of his hips. The blonde digs his fingers into the grass, raking up dirt and vegetation as he tries to cope with the onslaught of sheer ecstasy filling him to the brim. Eyelids fluttering, his eyes roll back slightly as Asura grips onto his hips and somehow manages to fuck him even harder than before.
His hips move with a mind of their own, bucking up against Asura in time with each of his thrusts to drive more of that delicious flesh deeper into himself. Taishakuten pants into the grass, drool escaping his mouth and is grateful that he can bury his surely shameful look into the ground where no one can see. Meanwhile his unattended cock continues to drool merrily onto the ground, as lively as can be as though he has not just come two times before.
Unfortunately, his plans are dashed, for a large hand fists itself into his hair, dragging his head up to face Asura.
“Wha— Asura— Mmh!”
Asura’s kissing is the same as his fighting, intense and unforgiving. He demands nothing less than absolute obedience which Taishakuten is all too glad to give. The moment he parts his lips a little, Asura’s tongue is darting in and swirling around his own, alternating between making gentle sucking motions with his mouth and nibbling along Taishatuten’s lips.
There is little he can do but melt under Asura’s technique. He feels like a leaf in the wind, helplessly being tossed about in the harsh wind and battered from all sides. But just as he is about to lose himself to everything that flashes by him so fast in a near nauseating whirl of sound, sight and touch, Asura pulls him back from the edge. Just as promised, he catches Taishakuten in his comforting embrace and reminds him of the reason why they are doing this in the first place.
“Tai…Taishakuten.”
Asura pants and groans, whispering his name reverently.
“Taishakuten!”
The fucking the Taishakuten has to endure is so hard, brutal and fast that he experiences many dry orgasms in the short period of time, his sensitive dick soft despite the amount of pleasure that emanates from his core. He mewls brokenly into their passionate kiss, quivering legs giving out under him. The only thing that keeps him upright is Asura’s vice-like grip on his hips as he impales Taishakuten back onto his dick.
Asura breaks their kiss to bite down hard on Taishakuten’s shoulder, selfishly marking him as his for everyone to see. That seems to be the tipping point for them both as the dick pistoning in and out of Taishakuten spasms once, twice before letting out a seemingly inhuman amount of semen inside him. But he is far too busy riding out the pleasure of his own orgasm to notice, his slender body shaking uncontrollably as he squirts out a meagre few drops of watery seed onto the grass.
They stay frozen in that moment of absolute for several drawn-out moments before Asura begins to move. He pulls his softening dick out of Taishakuten, allowing the copious amount of semen he released to trickle down the other’s thighs. Taishakuten whimpers at the sensation. A shameful desire to scoop it all up and stuff it back into himself rises within him. Thankfully, his dilemma is cut shot from how absolutely boneless he feels. He doubts he can move his fingers enough to perform the act, let alone even get up from his slumped over position in the first place.
A sigh rings out beside him. Taishakuten feels himself being rolled over gently as Asura fixes up their dishevelled clothes the best he can. Figuring that it is a futile effort, his friend instead settles for drawing Taishakuten close to himself as they lie on the grass. It is an oddly tender gesture that he never would have thought Asura be capable of doing, but if there is one thing Taishakuten has learnt about his beloved friend over the course of their long relationship, it is that Asura has a knack for surprising him in the most unexpected of ways.
As the euphor̤͆i̪̓a̯͋ of their simultaneous release wears off, a sense of deep sated satisfaction washes over him.
Ah. Perhaps this is what he has been missing all along. Asura is that one thing he always knew was missing from his life. However, it took meeting him and feeling him to realise that. The chime of unintelligible noise in the background begins to take sh͙̘͌̄ape, transforming into a soothing melody. His once grey w̢̮͊͊ȏ͜rld fills with colour, giving meaning to his previously aimless life.
The light to his darkness; the evil to his good.
A delicate balance of yin and ẏ̪ǎ̫n̳̉ĝ̫, never to be broken, merely balancing against each other, revolving around the axis that o͙̒̌ͅn͇̙̔̕ly̜͞ they perceive over and ov̓͢e̠̊ͅr.
Formî͟d̙͛́͢a̬̱͌̇b͗͟le̓͟ alone, yet unḍ̥͑̋e̖̎f̗͛e̙͗a̱̦̓͂t̗͝ed toġ̫̝̽et̮̗̂͡h̡̊e̺̍̆͟r.
“Tai̞͒shakute͇͠n.” Ả̟su̟̎r͎̀a̲̚ ͈̓wraps͌͢ h̘̽i͙͌s ̛ͅarms around ͇t͉͋he̝̿ ͓͐short̻er͔̚ ma̰͞l̰̍e,̼͑ ̀͜p̭̃lanting a̘͊ ̠̽ć̟ha̺͠s̿͜ṫ͎e kiss͉̅ ̢͒onto ̕͟his̞̓ ͍͘forehead. “I ḻ̿ove̞̚ y̯ou.”
“̓͐͟ͅAnd ͇̐s̭̬͂͌ō̑ do ͖̮̾̔I.”
T͇͉͚̊͑̅ạ̔͢is̑hakut͔̰̝͆̃͐̈́͜ę̿ň̢̢͙͋́ buries his face into the oth̪͛e͓͎̘͌̀̕͢r̙̹̉̋̚͢’̰̙͕̻͂̋̃’s dependable chest, fe̱͇̤̬̿̌̓͞e̪̚ļ͑ing like all his ẉ̧̢͚͋͆̈̕o̜̯̐̇̕͢ř̡r͍̄͢͠i̻̎e̗͠s̗̓ ̪͍̦̝̿͆̐̏a͍̝̗̗͕͊̌̍̽̉n̨͎͌̏ḑ̭̃͐ ̩͕͌̃p̻̣̔͢͝ai̟͡n̘̻̟̍͂́s̢͉͔͍̜͑̐̇̓̃ ̲̍c͎̰̬͍̔̄̊̊̌͢ȩ̲̋̈́å̢̭̎̔sẽ ̨̲͒̾t̫̗̾͛o ̢̬͍̰̎̉͛͌ḙ̢̦̦͚̆̔̿̆͝xi̡̛̩͋š͔̼̌t ̟̖̌͝f̨̦̯͑̌͝õ̫r̲̗̔ ̡̪̰̦̃̓͝͝t͔̓h̝́̀̾͜͢ē̫͖̦̓͑
̙̳̒m̢̝͔͋̒̚ǫ̗̪̌͠m̧̼̦̬͍̔́͐̉͝ẻ̥̺̍̓ͅn̳̹̻̂̓͂t̼̙͇̿͆̒.̮͊ ̺̬̬̝̎͐̉͞
“̻̬͚̼̼̟̼̦̮̆̈́̆̇̇̈̅̊̀I̡̨̻̤̬͓̤̿̐̓͌̚̚͘͝ͅ ̢̩̳̞̦̣̻̤̭̎͛͂̂̊̉̈́͒͋l̥͖̳̤̣̻̹̳͋́̐̽̀̂̒̾ö̧̭̝̰̦̗̉̒͋̅͞v̡̹͓̖̺̫̖͇͑̄͊̋͒͛̎e̦̫͇̘̙͉͂̇̄̇̌͜ ̮̣͇̙̫̝̭̿͋̂̈́̔͛͆y̢͙̻̭̩̎̋̍̋̈͢͞o̢̻͕̺͕͍͈̲̊͌̏̒̈̾̆̆̅͟u̜̘̦̦̦͒̌̿̓̃͜ ̖̫̩͖͓͔̥͎͋̇̀̄̅̚͡͞͝ͅt̖̞̲̯͚̐̓̔̀͒̓̂̔͜ͅͅo͖̝̱̱̰͛̔̆͐̓̕͢ơ̧̙̥͈̣͖̣̾͐͛̀̅̒͘͜,̨̧̯̩̜̓̒̄̆̔̚͢͜͠ ͖͙͎͖̎̽̒̓̓̚͟͜͠ͅA̜̪̱̜̯͚̼͉̎̐̀̐͌̍͆̕s̛͇̙̦̲̭͖̋̃̃̚ǔ͖͖͉̭̇͒̅͐̈́͘r̛̻̝̼̲͕̫͋̈́͋͑̚͢͢͜͞͠å͇̱̰̰̋̐̚͟͜͡͡ͅ—̧̲̯͙̻̙̜̂̏̉̉͗̀̍͟”̢̼͍̤̗̫͑͒̋̌̕͠ͅ
.̫͍̳͐̑̄
̨̱̦̭͚̜͑̒̅̚͞.̟̫̜̔͂͋
͎̹̊̍.͉͍̕͝
̖̲̼̲̙̰̪̻̎̅͊̌͑͋̆͛.̛̥͈̥͔͎̳͓̳̍͛̌̑̿̓̆͋ͅ
̦͇̈͊.̨̞͂͋
̢̮͖̅̇͘.͚̙͚̇̃̍͜
.̜̙͕̫͎̙̩͉̙̃͊̆̔̏̋̃͘͞
̬͙͐̚.̢̙̳̱͙̜̲͎͖́͒̎̿́̋͐̚
̧̜͉͎̒̑̆͠ͅ.
̢͎̲̙̼͛̇̆̉.̨̼̪̯͖̣̩͌̑̇̔̃̓
̧̛̘̣̺̺̺̍̄͂̿͠.̡͇̈̒
̧̝͔̹̗̜̌̔͐̃́͝.̢̡̢̺̺̹̩͉͖͓̘̎͛̌̊̀̈́̒̍͋͂̕͟͠
There is a name he has been calling for the longest time.
There is a person he has been seeking for the longest time.
“...?”
Taishakuten wakes with a smile on his lips.
The momentary sweetness of the satisfying dream is quick to ebb away, allowing his world to fade into dull shades of grey again.
Abruptly, his smile fades.
Perhaps it is only in his dreams where he can feel so complete again.
Fleeting yet sweet, they disappear like wisps of smoke, slipping out of his hands once he wakes.
The worst part is that he doesn’t even understand why he feels so upset. He has the love and adoration of his people, the comforts of a warm family and a lovely wife to be.
And yet when he is alone sometimes, the phantom aches of a non-existent wound pains his heart, leaving him feeling even more lonely and empty than before.
Bare feet gliding across the cold surface of the white castle tiles, Taishakuten makes his way to the Great Hall to begin his duties for the day. Haughtily, he watches over his subjects as he sits on his glorious lotus throne. Men and women alike bow down reverently before him, prostrating themselves before his glorious image. Their respect and adoration are palpable. Taishakuten can practically feel it on his skin.
The beautiful mirage of his happy life veils the wrongness he feels in his heart. It shimmers sometimes, fading at the edges as a sense of loneliness manages to leak through. The single missing piece to the puzzle remains just out of reach as he gropes around blindly trying to find it.
His heart throbs, leaking scarlet onto his pristine white robes.
Taishakuten presses his hand against his chest. It comes away clean.
…the imperial throne has never felt so empty and large before.