Losing Wolfram

 

Wolfram scowled – his handsome features tightening with unrepentant fury and jealousy as he watched the laughing men in the courtyard below. For the past half hour, they had been practicing basic sword techniques and even though he had volunteered to join them, his supposed fiancé had insisted he not come. He wanted to practice with no distractions or interruptions and with the blond soldier around; he’d be unable to do so. That had been a painful slap to Wolfram’s pride, but as usual, he had masked it with a few scathing words and a snort of derision. Stomping away, cheeks flaming with color, he had cursed the day his older half-brother (and Yuuri too) had ever showed up in his life.

He couldn’t – for the life of him – understand just what the Maou saw in Weller. Despite Wolfram’s open declaration of his love for Yuuri, the stupid human just wouldn’t take the time to acknowledge it or to return his affections! Had he not done his part to protect Yuuri time and time again? Had his attempts at painting portraits of the other boy with that foul-smelling paint not been enough to convince Yuuri of his devotion? So he wasn’t as strong as his older brother, neither could he compare his sword skills to Weller’s, but Wolfram believed he could still hold his own and he had shown that in the past.

“Grr!” He slammed his fist into the wall beside him and promptly wished he hadn’t as a mind-numbing pain flared up his arm and down to his spine. He stuck the bleeding knuckles into his mouth and glared as Weller leaned closer to his fiancé to show him a particular move with that good-for-nothing sword, Morgif. The urge to leap over the balcony and to slice his brother’s head off overwhelmed him - to the point that he was unaware of just how his tightly his right hand was holding onto his sword.

Look at them! Just look at them! No matter how hard I try, he’ll never laugh with me in that way. He’ll never look at me with that light in his eyes. I should just…just…argh! Damn you, Yuuri!

“Ah, Wolfram, there you are!”

He spun around quickly, hiding his bleeding hand behind his back as he managed a tight smile towards the purple-haired man walking up to him.

“Gunter. Did you want something?”

If His Majesty’s trusted advisor noticed anything odd about the flushed blond, he kept it to himself. Instead, a warm smile and a motion for Wolfram to join him accompanied his words.

“There’s been a slight disturbance in the outskirts of the village and I’d like for you to investigate it. Do you mind?”

Wolfram’s scowl returned as he matched the taller man’s stride. “Why didn’t you ask Weller to take care of it? I would have thought that he’d be the one you’d go to first.”

Gunter’s lips quirked into a knowing smile – although he made sure the petulant blond did not see it. “As you can see, His Majesty is occupied with Conrad at the moment and it’s not something that should be taken too seriously. Or….do you not feel up to it?”

Wolfram growled. “Are you trying to say that I can’t take care of such a matter on my own?!”

Gunter gave a light shrug and held up his hands as if wondering if such a thing wasn’t possible. “Well…if you insist that Conrad…”

“I’ll take care of it!” came the curt interruption as Wolfram all but pushed Gunter out of the way. “And you had better make sure you don’t tell Weller or Yuuri about this, got it?!” The last thing he needed was for that fool to come acting like a hero again and spoiling his moment in the spotlight.

Gunter gave a small bow as he watched the blond stomp away. “I’ll be sure to keep it a secret between you and me.”

He stood on the topmost steps, watching as Wolfram got onto his horse. “Ah…aren’t you taking any back…?”

“It’s a small skirmish, correct?” the younger man asked with a raised brow. “I can handle it on my own with no problems whatsoever.”

Gunter was beginning to wonder if his carefully laid out plan was such a good thing after all. “But perhaps you should just go with one or two…”

“I’ll be fine, Gunter!” Wolfram snapped in irritation as he gave a light grunt and kicked his horse gently into motion. “I should be back by dinner time. So don’t wait up for me!”

And with a loud cry, the eager soldier rode out of the courtyard, leaving a slightly worried advisor and a huge cloud of dust in his wake. He was going to deal with this on his own and this time, he was sure he’d finally get Yuuri to acknowledge him for his strength on the battlefield.


__



Yuuri Shibuya, also known as the Maou, sank gratefully into the warm water of the bath with a small sigh of relief and pleasure. He was glad he had decided to let Conrad teach him a few more tricks with the sword. At least, he felt he would be able to stand his ground whenever they get into another skirmish in the future. Better yet, he could display his new skills to Wolfram!

“You just wait, Wolfram!” he cried out to no one in particular with a pump of his fist in the air. “I’ll show you that I can fight just as well as you can!”

Pleased with his outburst and declaration of newfound confidence, he sank even lower into the soothing water and closed his eyes. How long had it been since he had been flushed back to his own world? He couldn’t even remember and was quite surprised to find that it didn’t really bother him that much anymore. He had somehow come to enjoy being in Mazoku. He got to go on great adventures that were better than any RPG any of his friends on Earth could come up with. He had made some great friends here and even though Wolfram still acted all strange…

Confusing, more like, he thought wearily.

…he had come to appreciate Conrad’s companionship with each passing day. Yuuri wasn’t really sure of his relationship with the older man. He was aware of the swordsman undying devotion to him and knew that Conrad would die at the drop of a hat if it meant saving the Maou’s life. However, Yuuri couldn’t help thinking that Conrad would have done the same thing for anyone else who became Maou. He found himself pouting a little at that thought. Maybe it was selfish of him to want Conrad to remain utterly and completely devoted to him. In this world, the older man was his only link to his life on Earth and Yuuri wasn’t ready to let go of that just yet.

He pushed himself out of the water and took a huge gulp of air, eyes narrowing in thought. Maybe if he could convince Wolfram to participate in more ‘normal’ activities, it could help their friendship a bit. But all this talk of ‘love’ from the blond these days were only doing more to make him feel uncomfortable in his presence.

“And let’s not forget how much he likes to yell at me for doing something right…or how horrible he paints…and how he keeps calling me a wimp. Hmph!” He slid back into the water and closed his eyes with a light frown. He would give anything to have a day without Wolfram’s constant bickering and odd ways of showing his so-called ‘love’. Maybe if he wished really hard, it would eventually come true.

But he knew it was a silly thing to do. That was child’s play and one’s wishes couldn’t come true just by closing your eyes and doing nothing. He sighed and began to wash his face. He would just have to bear with Wolfram’s antics again this evening.

He only hoped that Conrad would be available as a listening ear later on tonight.


__


There was something wrong with dinner tonight. No, it wasn’t the food, which was delicious in its own right – neither was it the new set of linen and china that had been used for the meal or the fragrant perfume that had been sprayed in the room. It wasn’t the fact that Yuuri had just wolfed down his first course and was already pouncing onto the second with unabashed relish. It wasn’t the fact that Gwendal – the oldest of the previous Maou’s sons – had joined them tonight and had barely said a word (not that it was unusual in itself). Neither was it because of how surprisingly quiet Gunter had been tonight.

There was just something…missing.

Yuuri, who had been eating happily for the past few minutes, finally allowed the enormity of the situation to sink in as he realized that for one, he had not been yelled at in almost an hour and that two, the seat right next to him was actually…well… empty. (One must excuse His Majesty for just realizing this now as his only concern once entering the dining room had been food and food only). He chewed slowly and eyed the other men who were still eating quietly.

Was it his imagination or did Gunter look pale and worried about something?

“Uuum…where’s Wolfram?” he finally asked and was surprised to find Gunter dropping his fork and knife to his plate with a clatter. “Is everything alright, Gunter?”

“Ah…yes…yes, everything’s fine, your Majesty,” the older man said quickly with a warm smile of reassurance. “I’m sure Wolfram is just tired from a long day and decided to call it a night.” He suddenly rose to his feet, causing Conrad, Yuuri and Gwendal to stare at him in confusion. “I’ll just go to see if he’s all right.”

And hardly waiting for them to say a word, he sped out of the room and towards the courtyard where ten soldiers stood waiting with anxious looks on their features.

“Well?” he asked quickly. “Did you find him?”

The head of the troop shook his head slowly. “We searched everywhere, sir. The villagers said they last saw him coming back this way after he had dealt with the thieves and that’s about it. We’ve searched the surrounding forests and even the next village but no luck yet.”

Gunter groaned in dismay. This was not the plan at all. He had thought that getting Wolfram to deal with a dispute on his own would have been a good way for Yuuri to notice his fiancé’s potential. For the past few weeks he had watched the blond’s frustrations grow as he had sought for ways to get the Maou to notice him as more than an annoying demon. There was simply nothing that could have gone wrong with the plan. Wolfram would go catch the thieves and Gunter would tell Yuuri what had happened. Knowing Yuuri, he would have gone chasing after Wolfram to see what he was up to. He had definitely not foreseen this mishap and if Yuuri got a wind of what had happened, he was sure the Maou would never forgive him. How could he have been so foolish?

“What’s going on here?” Gwendal asked as he and Conrad came striding out of the castle with frowns of concern on their features. Gunter could see Yuuri running after them and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to compose himself well enough to explain the situation. He only hoped that they’d not be too harsh on him.

And so with a heavy sigh, Gunter began to speak.


__


Wolfram struggled with the huge boulder. It was trying to crush him to the ground. Its weight was too much for him to bear and with each move he made, it only pressed harder upon him. He was bleeding in several places and his body felt as if it were being attacked with a million clubs. Tears of frustration and anger sprang to his eyes - humiliation at being unable to do anything right overwhelming his being and causing him to scream out in desperation.

“Yuuuuri!!”

“Shssh…you’ll wake up the creatures of the forest if you yell that loud.”

The soldier gasped softly and opened up his eyes. He blinked rapidly and tried to sit up, only to stifle another cry of pain as he fell back to the soft blanket beneath him.

“Don’t try to move too much,” the voice continued in the same soothing tone. “You had a pretty nasty fall. It’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

The sound of crackling fire, its stench of smoke and fumes coupled with the mouth-watering smell of cooking meat filled his senses. Wolfram turned his head a little to eye his rescuer. For a moment, the fuzzy features meant absolutely nothing to him and the urge to reach for his sword was stilled as they slowly came into focus.

Those teal-colored eyes. He had seen them somewhere before.

“Alford Markina,” the man responded to the unspoken question. “I’m the one…”

“The hero,” Wolfram groaned in disbelief. This was the swordsman they had met almost a year ago while on a dragon hunting quest. He turned his face away and winced at the simple motion. Just what in the hell had happened to him? His body still ached in several places, but they weren’t as bad as he would have thought. And to make things worse, he was now sitting beside yet another of Yuuri’s ‘friends’. This was so not becoming of a soldier of his stature. “What are you doing here? I thought you had gone off to become a better fighter?”

Alford smiled softly, sparing a glance at his father’s Holy Sword, which lay beside a tree nearby. “I’ve decided that the only way to become a better fighter is to perhaps face my greatest challenge head on.”

Wolfram remained silent.

“I’ve decided to go back to the Castle and to challenge the swordsman Weller to a dwell,” Alford continued with a firm nod. “Then I’ll know just how much better I have to get…”

“You’re just being foolish,” Wolfram replied in a tone that should have been cold. However, the words had sounded almost sad and Alford was quick to notice it. “You can’t just go head into something like that when you know you’re going to lose in the end.”

“But…isn’t it better to lose than not trying at all?” Alford asked quietly. “Forgive me for being so bold…but you sound like you are going through the same thing yourself…”

“Do not compare my situation to yours,” came the sharp retort. “I’m not foolish enough to go headlong into something that will humiliate me in the end. Fighting with Conrad is going to be a wasted effort, so why bother? He’s the best in the land and if he could defeat your father, I don’t see what stops him from defeating…ouch!”

“Don’t try to sit up,” Alford warned sternly as he placed his hands upon the blond’s shoulders with a light frown. “You’re badly hurt…”

“Don’t touch me!” Wolfram cried out as he tried to shrug away from the brown-haired man. Alford complied quickly with a soft sigh. He tore his gaze from the shimmering but angry green eyes before him.

“At least try to eat something,” the man cajoled softly as he held up a plate of cooked meat and some fruit. “It’s not much but it’s all I have for now. I’ll take you back to your castle tomorrow…”

“Tonight!”

“No!” Alford yelled back in growing irritation. “You are in no condition to travel and we can’t risk climbing over those slopes until morning! You’re safe here with me. I won’t do anything to you, so please try to trust me!”

They glared at each for a long moment before Wolfram tore his gaze away with a light snort…but not before reaching for the plate of food. He ate hungrily without looking at Alford, the faint rumbling of his stomach earlier, a dead giveaway of just how much he needed the nourishment. This was too humiliating and embarrassing. Here he was, a future bride to the Maou, out here in the woods with a relative stranger munching on half-done meat and meager fruits.

“Damn it!” he whispered fiercely as his eyes burned with unshed tears. Knowing Yuuri, he’d probably be so happy that Wolfram was out of his hair for the night. He’d bet that the damn cheater was with his precious Conrad at this very moment celebrating his absence. Wolfram guessed the time to be somewhere around the midnight hour and yet no one had come looking for him. He felt something warm and wet upon his cheek and with a horrified gasp, he wiped them away quickly.

He lifted his head to glare at Alford, more than ready to defend himself if he was laughed at or looked down upon. But to his relief, the older man seemed more concerned with the crackling fire. He was staring intently at it, with his hands wrapped around his raised knees.

Neither said a word to each other for a few minutes while Wolfram finished his food. He placed his plate on the ground and bit his lower lip before mumbling a quick ‘thank you’. Alford lifted his head at the sound of the blond’s voice and gave a small smile.

“It’s nothing,” he said while moving closer to clear away the used dish. “Something tells me you don’t camp outside a lot…”

“Camping…” Wolfram muttered wistfully as he stared at his torso, which was currently hidden beneath wads of bandages. Yuuri had once said that word. “So…this is camping…?”

Alford nodded with a small laugh. “Sort of. I quite enjoy being outdoors like this.” He lifted a hand to the heavens, forcing the blond to crane his neck a little to see the twinkling stars above them. “It’s fun to be away from the rigors of village life and to just come out here and be one with nature. It is beautiful…isn’t it?”

Wolfram stared without saying a word. He had never really thought that being ‘outside’ like this could be a pleasure to him. Ever since Yuuri came into his life with his insatiable thirst for adventure, Wolfram had become more exposed to Nature and all it had to offer. Its splendor seemed to have magnified ten times over each time and the need to secure its purity and untamed beauty was something he had reluctantly come to accept. He guessed he ought to blame it all on Yuuri. That damn boy had a way of saying the most stupid things that ended up making sense most of the time.

“You sigh…” Alford began quietly. “Are you thinking about …him?”

Wolfram tightened his jaw and remained stubbornly silent.

“You kept muttering his name when I found you at the bottom of the ravine.”

Wolfram scowled and lay back on his makeshift bed. Just how had he fallen in the first place? He had taken care of the petty thieves (he still couldn’t believe that Gunter had sent him out for such a trivial task to begin with) and had been on his way to the castle. Had the thieves cast a spell on him or something? How else could he explain his horse suddenly losing control like that? It was definitely unlike his trusted steed. He assumed it must have been someone who was against the Mazoku that would have used some kind of cheap magic. He, for his part, had been too eager to get back to the castle to really take notice of it. How pathetic of him.

And now, Alford was already putting two and two together to make a million. He didn’t need this swordsman to know of his feelings for Yuuri.

Realizing that Wolfram had gone back to being sullen, Alford smiled softly and gave a small nod of understanding. “I bid you goodnight, Sir Wolfram. Just remember that it’s better to lose than to regret not trying at all.”

…regret not trying at all, Wolfram thought with a heavy sigh as he listened to the faint sounds of some beast howling in the distance. Try…try and try again. What good would that do? What difference would it make? He doesn’t care about me. Never has and never will.

And with those troubling thoughts in mind, he closed his eyes and fell into fitful sleep…


__


“You should get some rest, your Majesty. You’ve walked a long way already and you’re…”

“I’m not resting until I find Wolfram!” Yuuri retorted sharply although his features were anything but that. His face was lined with sweat and dirt. Passing through thick trees and brutal branches had caused a few cuts on his exposed skin but despite it all, he had insisted on continuing. His legs were beginning to ache and his vision was getting blurry, but he couldn’t give up just yet. He had to find the other boy even if it cost him his life!

Huh? Now just where had that thought come from? He was beginning to sound like Conrad without even knowing it. After Gunter’s story, an overwhelming sense of responsibility had washed over his being. Of course, he would naturally be concerned over anyone getting missing or being hurt, but he had been unable to explain the fierce surge of adrenaline mingled with determination that had taken precedence. Wolfram. His Wolfram – whether he liked it or not – was out there either lost or kidnapped or (god forbid) dead! He couldn’t just sit around and do nothing about it.

But no…Wolfram couldn’t be dead! He hadn’t even shown the blond his new sword skills yet!

“Your Majesty!” Gunter cried out in concern as he reached out to steady the younger man who had just stumbled. “Please…get some rest. Conrad and Gwendal will find him before dawn. I promise you that.”

Yuuri opened up his mouth to protest but could only sag limply into the older man’s arms. “Can’t…give…up…” he muttered weakly even as he felt his eyes grow heavy with weariness. “I…can’t…give up…on him…Wolfram…”

Gunter felt something hard and rather tight twist within his chest as he watched the King’s features become lax with sleep. He cradled Yuuri gently against his chest and swore to beg for their forgiveness once the soldier was found. This had been all his fault and he would take full responsibility for it.

__


Sometime at dawn, Alford sat up with a start, his hands reaching quickly for his sword in a completely reflex action. He darted a glance towards Wolfram’s sleeping area and wasn’t a bit surprised to find that it was empty. He rose to his feet with a soft curse, wondering how anyone could possibly be that stubborn. The boy was still hurting in several places, he was sure, and yet Wolfram seemed determined to get back to the castle at all costs.

He was just about to make his way towards the slopes when a dull ‘splash’ from the river, about a mile away, had him changing directions quickly. He walked carefully through the foliage, hoping it wouldn’t be some mythical sea creature that he had only heard about in stories from his grandfather. Holding onto his sword tightly, he braced himself for a possible attack and counting to three inwardly, he leapt out of his hiding place, only to blanch in shock as the pointed tip of a sword was thrust inches against his throat.

“Aah…it’s…it’s only me, my Lord,” he gasped quickly as he dropped his sword to the ground. He stared into the blazing green eyes, now aware that the younger man was quite wet and half dressed. It was clear that Wolfram had been washing himself in the river but yet he had been more than aware of Alford’s presence. That was the true nature of a talented swordsman.

Wolfram gave a light snort and put his sword away only to wince in pain as his ribs protested his earlier rushed movements. He had heard the faint but undeniable sounds of someone coming towards his private bath area and he had leapt to defend himself without giving much thought to his wounds. The journey alone to the river had been an arduous task but he had managed through sheer will and determination.

“My Lord…” Alford reached out to steady him and this time, Wolfram made no effort to stop the other man’s helping hands.

“Please wait here for me, my Lord. I’ll be back with enough bandages to redress your wounds. I always carry a good amount with me just in case.”

He lay the blond upon the cool grass gently and dashed towards their campsite for his traveling bag. He sincerely hoped that Wolfram would not slip into a coma or worse. He wasn’t sure of how he was going to lift the other boy out of the ravines and all the way to the castle.


__


Conrad pushed his way through the scurrying soldiers and towards an anxious Gunter. “A woodcutter said he saw some smoke coming from the East,” he explained quickly.

“The East? But the ravines are down there. No one has managed to survive that place!”

“Keep your voice down, Gunter,” Gwendal reprimanded sharply as they all turned to glance at the still figure of the Maou who was looking into the mountains in the distance. Conrad made to move towards him, but Gwendal placed a hand on his arm to still his movements.

“Let him be, Conrad,” he said softly. “He needs some time to think, don’t you agree?”

The swordsman gave a reluctant nod of understanding before turning his attention to the soldiers. “We’re making our way towards the East! Be careful, the slopes are quite treacherous!”

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers cried out in unison as they began their march towards the looming section of trees ahead of them. Conrad turned towards the Maou again and…

“YUURI!” He screamed in horror as he watched the dark-haired man leap down from his precarious perch. Simultaneous cries of ‘Your Majesty!’ and ‘That fool!’ filled the air as everyone ran towards the edge of the cliff to see just how far their King had gone. But there was nothing to see. Only the tops of trees in the forest could be seen and if the nervous flutter of a flock of birds was any indication, then Yuuri had clearly fallen into the forest below.

Conrad growled softly and braced himself to jump as well.

“Are you insane?!” Gwendal bellowed. “You’re just going to get yourself killed! Let’s use the normal route…”

“I swore to protect him and I will!” came the sharp retort and before either could protest, Conrad took a deep breath and plunged into the darkness.


__


Alford tied the bandages carefully, while Wolfram sat cradled within his arms. He was hopelessly aware of just how warm and yet frail the soldier’s body looked at this moment. A fierce sensation of protection and possessiveness had him gritting his teeth quickly. He couldn’t afford to do that or he was sure that Wolfram would kill him in an instant for showing such a generous side.

“I’m…I’m pretty pathetic, aren’t I?” the blond asked softly as he turned his face away in humiliation. “A soldier of my stature is not supposed to be this…weak…”

Alford smiled softly. “There’s no shame in admitting defeat when the occasion calls for it, my Lord. But if you want to know my honest opinion, I think you are already a very fine soldier.”

His smile widened as he noticed the bright pink color that had flooded the other’s cheeks. “I only speak the truth, my Lord…”

Wolfram mumbled softly, still not looking at Alford. “What did you say, my Lord?”

“I said you can call me ‘Wolfram’,” he repeated quickly. Goodness, he couldn’t believe he had just said that. This was what came with hanging around Yuuri for too long. He was beginning to become a bit more…human.

Alford gave a small nod of acknowledgement. “All right then. I think I prefer to call you…”

“WOLFRAM!”

“Yuu…Yuuri?!” The blond sat up quickly, eyes widening in disbelief and genuine surprise as he stared at the panting, sword-wielding Maou standing a few feet away. He couldn’t believe it! It had to be another figment of his imagination. Yuuri – Stupid, Wimpy Yuuri couldn’t be before him looking positively furious about something. This had to be a dream!

“LET HIM GO NOW!” Yuuri bellowed as he held Morgif a bit higher. His dark eyes blazed with cold venom. Whoever this guy was…this guy that dared to lay a hand on his Wolfram, was definitely not going to live to see another day.

Alford, perhaps realizing that if he didn’t turn around quickly or better yet, let go of his precious burden, was going to be history in a few minutes. He held up his hands and yelled back in surrender.

“It’s me, Yuuri! Alford Markina!”

“Yuuri, you wimp! Don’t come charging like that! You don’t even know how to use that thing properly!” Wolfram added as he struggled to get off Alford’s lap. He felt happy for some ridiculous reason. His heart seemed to be overflowing with a joy and pleasure that he could not explain. Yuuri was actually acting…jealous for once and that was so refreshing to see. He staggered to his feet, unable to stop the smile that came to his features and tried to walk towards Yuuri only to find himself almost knocked to the ground as his fiancé engulfed him in a crushing hug.

“AAAAAH!! MY RIBS!!”

They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs – Alford was careful to move out of the way and had to brace himself again as the bushes parted to reveal the very man he had been searching for. His eyes lit up with pleasure as he dashed forward to give a small bow.

“Sir Weller,” he said thickly. “I’ve journeyed this far to see you again. Will you, please, honor me with a sword fight?”

Conrad, still a bit shaken from the dangerous fall and the fevered search through the forest for Yuuri, stared at the smiling man before him for a moment before glancing towards the couple beside the river. He gave a soft sigh of relief and closed his eyes to gather his scattered wits about him. Opening them up again, he smiled warmly at the eager young man.

“I didn’t think I’d get to see you so soon but I see you have taken good care of my brother, Alford Markina. I look forward to fighting with you soon. But first…”

A loud cry from Yuuri had both men turning towards the royal couple. Wolfram was currently yelling something at his fiancé while stretching Yuuri’s mouth as wide as it could go. The older men snickered at their antics before shrugging in response. As long as no one was planning to kill the other, they were quite happy at the way things had turned out in the end.


__


“Sit still, Yuuri! I’m almost done!”

“Awww…you said that almost an hour ago!”

“Yes, but back then I was just doing the preliminary sketches.”

“Geez…everything you end up doing looks like a sketch…”

“Did you say something, Yuuri?”

“No! No! Go on! You’re doing just fine!”

Wolfram gave him a resplendent smile before hiding behind the large canvas again. Yuuri leaned back in the chair and scratched his bare chest gently, trying hard to stop his own lips from curving into a responding grin. Since the incident at the forest (he still wouldn’t believe Conrad or Gwendal or Gunter when they tell him he had leapt from the cliff), he had found himself wanting to be beside Wolfram at all times possible. He would even suffer the horrible portrait sessions if only to get a chance to be around the vivacious blond.

Alford and Conrad had become quite good sparring partners and he could still hear their swords clashing on the grounds below him. Gunter had pleaded for Yuuri to take his life in a most dramatic fashion and it was Gwendal who had had to pull away the sobbing advisor from the flustered King’s presence after some time. All in all, things had ended up just fine. Wolfram was still with him and that made him feel…happy? And to think that he had actually wished for the other boy to disappear at some point.

“Finished!” Wolfram announced loudly as stood aside to allow Yuuri some room to marvel at his latest work.

The King gawked in disbelief at the chaotic mess on the canvas. There was something that looked like an eye…or was that his arm…or maybe it was his leg. In fact, it was yet another horrible piece of work but as he opened up his mouth to make another smart-assed remark, he took one look at the pouting boy beside him (who by the way, looked just about ready to kick Yuuri’s rear if he did make fun of his talent) and broke into a warm smile.

“It’s…beautiful, Wolfram.”

The blond opened up his mouth for his prepared speech. “What do you mean it’s not…huh? It’s…what?”

Yuuri grinned and wrapped an arm around his flabbergasted fiancé’s waist to pull him closer to his body. He watched as Wolfram’s expressive green eyes shimmered with uncertainty and the flush of color that had risen to his cheeks.

“I said it’s beautiful, Wolfram,” he repeated. “I’ll make sure it’s framed and kept in our bedroom when it’s dried. Do you mind?”

“Ah…I…argh! Stop confusing me!” Wolfram finally cried out as he tried to push Yuuri away from him. “Idiot! It’s a horrible painting,” he added quickly as he turned away and pretended to be interested with washing out the paintbrushes. But the sudden warm sensation of Yuuri’s lips upon his cheek had him gasping in disbelief.

He tried to glare or say something rude, but he couldn’t stop blushing in delight. Finally, it seemed as if Yuuri was beginning to accept him. He wasn’t sure of just what had brought about the change, but if being unaccounted for in almost a day could cause Yuuri to be this devoted to him, Wolfram figured that he ought to get lost more often.

Maybe he’d disappear for two days and then maybe…just maybe when he does get found, Yuuri will give him a whole lot more than just a kiss on the cheek.

But that’s a whole other story, for he had made up his mind to savor these precious moments for as long as they lasted.

And he hoped that they would last for a very long time to come.


~The End~