Title: Stepping Stones
Pairings: Yuuri+Wolfram, Conrad+Yozak, hints of Gwendal+Gunter
Rating: R
Warnings: AU, Language, humor, sap/fluff, unbeta’d
Summary: In the aftermath of an intimate night, uncertainties and family
obligations threaten their relationship.
Notes: Part 4 of the 'Jagged Diamonds' universe.
Thin blades of sunlight filtered through the slightly parted curtains as
Wolfram opened heavy lashes slowly. He stretched and yawned, body pleasantly
languid and a bit sore (he wondered why) as he turned to –
“Whaa…?” For a moment, the peaceful features before him didn’t quite register
in his groggy mind. He stared at the fluttering tufts of dark hair against the
forehead, the long lashes dusting slightly flushed cheeks, the straight nose,
and the full lips which were parted with each breath its owner took. Wolfram’s
gaze traveled down to the bare shoulders, the long arms to hands that rested
upon a washboard torso. He watched the gentle heave of that chest, his cheeks
now flooding with color as the events of last night came rushing back like an
avalanche. He felt a responding twitch of a particular part of his anatomy as
his gaze drifted down to the blanket that barely covered Yuuri’s hips. And if
that slight bulge was any indication, then Wolfram knew that Yuuri was…
“Mmm…” came the low murmur as the dark-haired boy twisted and flung an arm
across Wolfram’s waist, now holding the frozen blond prisoner.
Wolfram caught his lower lip between his teeth, trying not to cry out at the
sudden movement. He held his breath and tried to move, but Yuuri’s grip
tightened, his body moving even closer until his warm breath tickled his
companion’s neck gently. Wolfram gave a reluctant shiver of delight, and
promptly slapped himself mentally for giving in again. It wasn’t as if he
regretted what had finally taken place last night, but the thought of looking
into Yuuri’s eyes…good grief! How were they supposed to act normally now?
Things were definitely going to change between them. They now knew each other
so intimately, that it would be foolish to consider they could go back to just
being regular friends.
Ah fuck.
The door to his bedroom began to open slowly, and Wolfram had to fight back
another cry of dismay as Conrad poked his head through with a sheepish smile on
his face and a knowing look in his eyes. Wolfram wanted to die. Their position
in bed wasn’t going to make any argument or denial he might have started sound
credible.
“Just wanted to see if you guys were okay,” Conrad whispered. “Yozak’s here
and...”
“And he took pictures,” came the amused comment from the other man as he too
stuck his head in to eye the scene. He whistled in appreciation. “Nice.”
Wolfram, red-faced and wishing he could still die, or better yet that lightning
could strike his brother and his friend, raised his hands to wave them
frantically. He didn’t want to wake Yuuri. It would be too embarrassing.
“Go away!” he hissed. “We’re fine, goddamn it!”
“Hope you used protection,” Yozak muttered, “Not that we saw any pack on the
floor where you guys left your clothes all over the place.”
“Oh God,” Wolfram groaned, giving up and falling back to the pillows. He knew
there was no way he was getting rid of the nosey bastards anytime soon. He
should have picked up the clothes from the floor last night. Not that either he
or Yuuri were in their right enough minds to—
“I’m sure they did,” Conrad was saying, noticing that his brother was far from
pleased with their arrival. “Come on, Yozak. Let’s go finish breakfast.”
“Aww, but I was just having fun with him.”
“Don’t think we’re needed right now…see you later, Wolfram,” Conrad said with a
slight wave as he managed to shove Yozak out while closing the door gently
behind them. Wolfram could still hear their voices as they argued over
something…then laughter…silence (he didn’t need to see them to know what they
were up to) Geez. Sometimes those two just couldn’t keep their hands off each
other—
“Are they finally gone?”
“Holy shit!” Wolfram cried out, almost tumbling out the bed in shock at the
sudden low mumble from his companion. He stared with wide eyes at his smiling
partner, cheeks flooding with color again as he noticed the smoldering gaze
trained on him. He tried to kick off the sheets to make a quick escape, but a
firm tug on his wrist, a swift movement of legs and Wolfram found himself flat
on his back with Yuuri looming over him.
“Good morning, Wolfram,” Yuuri greeted, his smile widening as he watched
Wolfram turn his face away with an attempt to scowl. He leaned closer to trail
warm lips against his partner’s cheek and neck, relishing the reluctant but
soft sigh it elicited from the blond.
“How long have you been awake?” Wolfram whispered, his hands now trapped within
Yuuri’s. He strained against his companion and immediately wished he hadn’t. He
had a raging hard-on again and it was torture to feel the heat building between
them. He knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in to sweet
temptation.
“Long enough,” Yuuri whispered, sucking hard on the sensitive area in the
hollow of Wolfram’s neck. A tiny mark to stake his claim wouldn’t be so bad. He
wondered if Wolfram knew what he was about to do.
“If you make it too obvious, I’ll kill you,” Wolfram muttered, although there
was a smile in his voice. He listened to Yuuri’s low chuckle and lowered his
lashes, allowing himself to be taken to a place he had assumed was only a
dream. Perhaps this time it would be so much better, and besides, knowing he
was making out with Yuuri just a few feet away from his brother and friend, was
an added turn on.
“Where were you all night?!”
“Somewhere.”
“Somewhere? Somewhere?! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”
“Geez, Murata, you’re even worse than my mother. Now help me with the bats.”
They worked in silence for a while, making sure the school baseball field was
cleared up after the quick practice. Every now and then the bespectacled boy
would eye his friend, noticing the small smile which had been lingering on his
face all day and the slight flush of color on Yuuri’s cheeks. There was also a
slight swagger in his friend’s steps and he wondered if the Maou within Yuuri
had ‘escaped’ again. The temple maiden, Ulrike, had assured him that the Maou
and the Prince have been ‘tamed’ and would not appear unless both boys were
under extreme stress. Murata doubted that either boy had been under that much
stress lately. Or maybe the fact that spring training with the Royals was about
to begin and both boys might be—
“All right, I give up,” he finally said as they stacked the equipment neatly.
“What happened to you? I’m dying to know!”
“Are you?” Yuuri smirked and kicked shut the locker, before turning to face his
friend. He took a deep breath. It was his turn to gloat. He had never felt this
good in a long time and although he was sure a part of him was being consumed
by the Maou’s confidence, he didn’t feel like pushing it away. He felt
rejuvenated and ‘alive’ – everything seemed so much clearer to him now, and if
this was a result from finally sleeping with Wolfram, he wondered what would
happen if they kept it up at a steady rate. He would end up literally flying
yet.
“I was with Wolfram last night,” he finally said, blushing faintly at the
memory of his naked partner. He felt a familiar heat rush through him, and he
coughed, turning away to fuss with his gym bag.
Murata, whose jaw was now somewhere on the floor, shook his head quickly to
compose himself. “Say that again?”
“You heard me,” Yuuri muttered, a bit of his bravado now fading at the slight
edge in Murata’s voice. He clenched his jaw, wondering why his friend ought to
feel upset. After all, he had lost his virginity to some temple maiden.
However, strong hands on his shoulders had him spinning around to stare into
Murata’s eyes which seemed to blaze with passion, or fury, or—
“Don’t lie to me, Yuuri,” Murata said tightly. “Tell me honestly, you and
Wolfram…actually…actually…”
“Ye…yeah…?”
“Aaaah…mmmpfff!”
“Don’t yell,” Yuuri whispered harshly as he slapped a hand over Murata’s mouth.
He forced them to sit on a bench in the almost empty locker room, the sound of
other players still taking a shower drifting through the doors. Still blushing,
he removed his hands and smiled sheepishly. “Yes, we did.”
“Did you drug him?” Murata asked in an incredulous whisper. “I never thought
he’d give in to you that easily. Wow.”
“Yeah…” Yuuri rubbed his chin slowly. “It was a surprise too…and wasn’t that
easy actually, but I guess we both felt we were ready.” He gave a rather goofy
smile and chuckled. “It was…fun…after the initial fumbling.”
They sat in silence for a while, allowing the sounds of laughter, sweat, and
steam from the showers permeate their thoughts. Murata gnawed his lower lip
gently, wondering why a small part of him felt a dull ache he was reluctant to
dwell over. He knew he had ‘lost’ his friend to Wolfram from the beginning and
had never fooled himself in believing that Yuuri might harbor feelings deeper
than mere friendship. There was also the fact that he was a re-incarnation of a
man who had a close affiliation with a king who looked just like Wolfram. Was
that grounds for his jealousy then? Nah, it couldn’t possibly be jealousy. He
was happy for his friend. He really was. He just…
Just what, Murata, he berated himself inwardly as he glanced at his
friend’s profile. What would you have done anyway? You should be happy for
him, cheer him on for crying out loud, and hope that things work out well
between them.
“So what now?” he finally asked, watching Yuuri’s brows furrow in a quick frown
of bemusement, before those dark eyes trained on him.
“What do you mean?”
Murata shrugged and rose to his feet, hoisting the bag over his shoulder. “So
you two are obviously a legitimate couple now, right? Think it will last?”
Yuuri stared into his friend’s eyes, wondering if Murata was pulling his legs,
but there was a thoughtful look in the other boy’s eyes, a look that had Yuuri
wondering if it was Murata speaking or the Daikenja. He shivered at the thought
of the old advisor standing before him, judging him, perhaps wanting to berate
him for going too far with Wolfram.
“It will last,” Yuuri replied firmly, hardly aware of the flash of defiance in
his eyes which Murata was able to notice. The Maou hated being told what to do
after all.
Murata nodded solemnly and then broke into a wide smile, breaking the tension
that had risen between them. “If you say so, Yuuri.” He slapped his friend’s
shoulder gently. “Let’s go home. Your mom’s making curried rice, my fav!”
Yuuri laughed and walked after his friend, but it was a laughter tinged with
uncertainty for Murata’s question still rang like an incessant beat within his
mind. Would his relationship with Wolfram really last? Or would this new step
be their imminent downfall?
Over plates filled with good food and glasses of wine or non-alcoholic
beverages, dinner was a rather silent affair as Cheri’s boys chewed and mused
without saying a word. Cheri, for her part, looked resplendent in a white
couture evening gown, her gaze drifting over her sons with growing concern.
There wasn’t a palpable tension there, but she really wished they’d talk to her
about things without bottling it all inside. Besides, she wondered why the
collar of Wolfram’s shirt was up tonight. It made him look dashing, the black
jacket was a great accompaniment to the white shirt, and the cufflinks he wore
were a gift Gwendal had given him for his birthday last year.
“How was school today, honey?” she finally asked, smiling warmly at her
youngest.
Wolfram raised his head and blinked –as if unsure of where he was – before
shrugging. “It was okay. The term’s almost over. Exams and tests and all of
that.”
He clammed up again and focused on his food, ignoring the light pout his mother
gave. Gwendal eyed his brother and pointed towards the collar with a fork.
“What’s with the new look tonight? Trying to emulate me, hmm?”
Wolfram’s cheeks darkened with color as Conrad hid a smile behind a raised
glass of wine. He watched Wolfram tug the collar closer to his neck, but
Gwendal’s sharp gaze was quick to notice the movement.
“Did something happen to you?” he asked slowly.
Wolfram shook his head quickly. “No, nothing…”
“Oh, it looks like Wolfram’s got himself a love mark!” Cheri cried out while
clapping her hands in delight. She giggled as Wolfram seemed to slide down his
chair while Gwendal’s look became a thunderous scowl of disapproval.
“A love mark?” he asked in a deceptively calm tone.
“It’s a hickey,” Conrad began.
“I know what a hickey is,” Gwendal snapped impatiently, without sparing Conrad
a glance. “Who gave it to you?”
“Who do you think?” Cheri said, tapping her oldest son gently. “Don’t get so worked
up now, darling. After all, I remember you sporting one after Gunter came when
you were about--”
“Mother!” Gwendal flushed, as snickers from his brothers followed the innocuous
comment. “That was a long time ago. We are dealing with right now and…and…and I
don’t think Wolfram should be having a hic…love mark when he has to be on the
field for the Royals on Sunday.”
“I thought I was going to be on the bench?!” Wolfram squeaked in disbelief. He
sat up, looking at Conrad with widened eyes of panic. He was excited to be
playing for the team, or at least to get a chance to be a part of them, but
this sudden decision to play in front of a national audience…for a national
team…on his first try? Was Gwendal trying to kill him with humiliation?!
“You did say he and Yuuri would be on the bench,” Conrad agreed with a puzzled
look on his features. “Why the sudden decision to let them play?”
“Shindo is on the DL*,” Gwendal replied calmly, digging into his steak again.
“And I’m going to need someone to play left field.”
“But Kankuro’s the sub,” Wolfram argued, even though his thoughts were racing a
mile-a-minute. “I can’t just take his place.”
“This is preparing you for the future, Wolfram,” Gwendal said tightly, leveling
a cool gaze at his brother. “Play this one time, get the experience under your
belt. At least you’ll have that at the back of your mind when spring training
comes along, got it?”
Wolfram looked at his mother for help, but her proud smile showed that she’d do
no good either. He shook his head and dropped his fork to the plate with a
clatter, rising to his feet with a nod of acknowledgement to Cheri.
“Thanks for dinner, Mom. May I be excused?” Without waiting for her approval,
he left the dining room, hand already digging into the pocket of his pants to
place a much-needed call.
“Are you serious?!” came the shriek that had Wolfram holding the phone away
from his ear for a moment. He knew Yuuri wouldn’t take the news too well.
“Does it sound like I’m kidding?” he replied dryly as he sat back on the lounge
chair and stared at the dark heavens. A few stars were out tonight.
“But…but…I’m not ready! I mean…we’re not ready! It’s this Sunday, right? I
haven’t even practiced enough yet. Jesus! He’s going to make me play catcher,
isn’t he? I can’t catch Hideo’s pitches! He’s brutal on the mound! My arm will
probably break or worse…oh geez! I hope I don’t get to hit first…”
Wolfram had to smile at the mini-tirade. He could just picture Yuuri pacing
around his bedroom, running his fingers through his hair in frustration, or
worse contemplating throwing himself out the window to end this sudden
nightmare thrust in his lap. Wolfram wouldn’t blame him for thinking of that
one.
Finally, “How’re you taking the news?”
“Me?” Wolfram closed his eyes and thought of Gwendal’s words at the dining
table. He sighed in resignation. “You can’t argue with Gwendal. He’s the
freaking boss of everyone and even if I tried to talk to him, he won’t listen.
I just have to go ahead with it and hope I don’t screw up on that day. I’m sure
we’ll be fine…right?”
There was a long silence at the other end, and for a second, Wolfram thought he
had lost Yuuri. He wondered if that question had pertained to just a baseball
game, or to their relationship in general. He had no doubts about his feelings
for Yuuri, but he sometimes had to wonder if Yuuri was simply riding the Maou’s
rollercoaster emotions or simply going with his gut feelings. It was hard
trying to read Yuuri sometimes.
“Yuuri?” he called out quietly, vaguely aware of the thunderous sound of his
heart racing.
“Everything will be just fine, Wolfram,” came the quiet reply that had a hint
of a smile in it. “We’ll hang in there and show those veterans that the new
boys are in town, eh?”
“I…I guess.” He felt a well of disappointment rise within him and berated
himself for feeling like that. What answer had he expected? He had asked about
the game, and he had gotten his answer. So why wasn’t he assured about the way
things stood between them? They hadn’t seen each other since that morning,
which was almost three days ago, and Wolfram hated to admit that he was missing
his partner…a lot.
“So, I’ll see you at practice tomorrow, right?” Yuuri asked, “Do you want me to
meet you after school?”
Wolfram stiffened as a familiar cologne assailed his senses. “No, it’s cool,”
he replied tightly. “I’ll see you at the field tomorrow. Bye.”
He hung up, cutting off Yuuri’s words as he turned around to face his oldest
brother. Cool blue clashed with equally icy green ones, and Wolfram’s lips
tightened as he clenched his fists. For a long moment, neither said anything as
if daring the other to break the silence. Eventually, Gwendal shrugged and
turned away, barking curtly over his shoulder.
“I expect you to put your all in training, Wolfram. You will perform up to your
capabilities on Sunday. I refuse to accept anything less. Now hurry up and get
to the car. Conrad’s waiting.”
He walked away with purposeful strides, failing to see the furious look on
Wolfram’s visage. If looks could kill, he would have been a dead man, but he
was less concerned about his brother’s petty feelings of anger. He would have
to teach Wolfram to separate his romantic notions with Yuuri from his
professional life as a baseball player, and if it meant separating the two in
the future, then so be it.
Notes:
*DL - Disabled List - for players who cannot play due to injuries.