Love and War

Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou.

Love and War
By Mikage

Chapter Three

That very night, it was announced at dinner that His Majesty King Yuuri and His Excellency Lord Wolfram von Bielefeld would be wed in one month’s time. Invitations would be sent out the very next morning, and Lady Celi had already begun the preparations.

There would be two ceremonies, Yuuri had been told by the previous queen, one that would take place in two weeks where the Aristocrats would give their blessings and approve of the union (in the past, Shinou would have also been asked for his approval, but with him gone that was no longer necessary). The second would be the actual wedding, where he would crown Wolfram prince and the blond would accept his duties and pledge himself to the people - a coronation ceremony of sorts.

Then they would officially be married. Wolfram would no longer be his fiancé, but his husband.

In all the years he’d been alive, Yuuri never thought he’d ever have a husband. Even after the engagement had been solidified, he’d honestly never thought that it would last, thought he’d still one day marry a pretty girl who’d serve as his queen and they’d have a couple of children so that there would be an heir. He hadn’t realized that his heir didn’t have to be his own child, that his spouse could serve that purpose as well. He was more than certain that his blond friend would outlive him (unless something truly awful were to happen to the other boy, but Yuuri didn’t want to think about that). When he himself was in his eighties, Wolfram probably wouldn’t look any older than Conrad did now.

When Yuuri died, Wolfram would become the next king, the boy who’d first been so affronted by Yuuri taking that position, who’d claimed that his big brother Gwendal would be the better pick, was one day going to take over and lead the country. Greta may end up serving as queen for a time, but even she would pass on before Wolfram became a middle-aged man.

It sounded depressing, especially if he put himself in his fiancé’s shoes, and he was again struck by how unfair all of this was. He actually began to curse his human blood for causing him to age as he was. If he’d aged like a Mazoku, would any of this have happened? Would this wedding be as important?

He hadn’t seen Wolfram since breakfast that morning, hours before his advisors had voiced the idea in his study. They’d bickered some like always, had asked their daughter about her plans for the day, and had then gone their separate ways, Yuuri to his mountains of paperwork and Wolfram and Greta to wherever they went when the king was busy. Things had been so normal this morning, so predictable and routine, and then he’d been thrown this curveball, in danger of striking out and ruining everything for himself and one of his good friends.

There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Wolfram was upset. The blond hadn’t been at dinner, and when Yuuri had nervously asked why, he’d been told by Sangria that Lord von Bielefeld was not hungry and had even refused to have his meal brought to their room. It wasn’t rare for Wolfram to be absent from the table; sometimes he’d be tired in the mornings and skip breakfast, be out on patrol during lunch, or be under the weather and not come to dinner. But Yuuri knew that his friend hadn’t come this evening because he didn’t want to see him, most likely hiding out in their bedroom, waiting to speak with the king about the situation when no one else was around.

Yuuri was heading that way now, hoping the confrontation wouldn’t be that bad, though he had a feeling it would entail a lot of shouting on his fiancé’s part. With Wolfram, he had to pick and choose his words carefully, which Yuuri had never been very good at, especially if he was under a lot of stress. Somehow he always managed to stick his foot in his mouth, or he’d let his frustrations get the better of him and they’d end up in a huge argument, screaming at each other until Wolfram ended up stomping away and locking himself in one of the palace’s many rooms and refusing to come out until 1) Yuuri apologized, or 2) he cooled off on his own.

He’d gotten used to Wolfram’s brattiness long ago, and even though he was left with his hands full more often than not, the blond Mazoku’s attitude had grown on him, and he wouldn’t want the boy any other way. He knew it was all a cover anyway, that his friend used it to try and hide what he was really feeling, though those emotions would show through in his eyes and facial expressions despite his best attempts. He didn’t like showing his true self around other people, but when it was just the two of them, alone, without the bickering and the arguing, Wolfram could be different, nicer, understanding, and strangely sweet.

Yuuri sighed to himself as he stopped in front of the door to his bedroom, his palms sweating in nervousness as he reached out to turn the knob and push the door open, knowing there was no turning back now. He didn’t really know what Wolfram’s reaction would be, but he prepared himself for the worst, quietly stepping in and shutting the door behind him. He had a very strong urge to run away and hide for the next four weeks, to find the closest body of water and head back to Earth for a while, but he forced himself to stay where he was, screwing up as much courage as he possibly could as he leaned back against the wooden door, black eyes peering around the room.

Now that it was night time a few candles had been lit to provide illumination, burning on a couple of the room’s flat surfaces, the bedside tables, the desk, the little table in the corner where he could take his meals if he didn’t feel like sitting in the dinning room. Moonlight streamed in through the tall, floor to ceiling windows, the stars twinkling in an inky black sky. On any other evening it would have all provided for a tranquil, serene atmosphere, quiet and contenting, but Yuuri could feel the tension in the air tonight, closing in on him, making a nervous tingle shoot down his spine.

Wolfram was all the way on the other side of the large room, sitting in a wooden chair in front of a hanging mirror that was trimmed in gold, running a brush through his wavy blond hair. He was already dressed for bed, pink nightgown hanging off of his pale, narrow shoulders, in danger of slipping and sliding down his arms. Yuuri had once thought the other boy’s choice of sleepwear was absolutely ridiculous, but it was just another of his quirks that he’d gotten used to in the four years that they’d known each other, so that it no longer seemed odd when the blond wore pink frills and silky bows.

He couldn’t deny the fact that Wolfram was beautiful; in fact, he didn’t even have much trouble admitting that he thought so, since it was glaringly obvious. What’s more, Wolfram seemed to know exactly what to do, how to stand, how to walk and, most importantly, what to wear in order to enhance his striking good looks (something the king was sure he’d learned from Lady Celi). He looked dazzling in blues of any tint or shade, whether it was navy, cerulean, or pale, ice blue. Cools colors really brought out his eyes and were a contrast to his fiery personality. Pinks, like his nightgown, just softened his appearance even more, made him look younger, more vulnerable.

But Yuuri knew that the other boy could very easily kill him if he wanted to, and do so without giving him the opportunity to scream.

“Uh, hi...” he greeted the blond uneasily, still leaning up against the door, feeling a bit safer with some distance between them. Wolfram hadn’t turned to acknowledge him yet, but he was sure the boy knew he was there; he could see green eyes narrowing through the reflection in the mirror. “You weren’t at dinner, so I was worried that...”

“I wasn’t hungry,” Wolfram’s voice reached his ears, emotionless, uncaring, so cold that it almost made the king shiver.

Bravely Yuuri continued to look in his fiancé’s direction, clearing his throat before speaking again. “Are you... angry?” he wondered cautiously.

Wolfram lowered the brush he was using, placing it on the vanity below the mirror, and though he seemed to be finished he remained in the chair, back facing the darker young man. “Why would I be?” he asked, lifting a hand to adjust one of his full, pink sleeves.

“Well, because-”

“I should feel lucky, shouldn’t I?” the blond cut him off, his voice still low and empty sounding, like he’d given up trying to fight with him, like nothing mattered any more. “To finally be getting married to the man I’ve been pining over for years, it’s a dream come true, isn’t it? Maybe if I focus on how fortunate I am, I can forget that I’m being used not only by my older brothers, but by my fiancé as well.”

“Wolf, I’m not-”

“Maybe if I concentrate on how happy I should be that you’re taking our engagement seriously for once, I can forget that it’s purely for politics. I’m one of the luckiest people in the world, aren’t I? I mean, how many people manage to get close to the King, much less marry him?”

“Stop,” Yuuri almost pleaded. He couldn’t bear to hear the other boy sound so sad and lost, especially knowing that it was partly his fault. “Wolfram, please, just listen to me.”

Slowly the blond stood to his feet, moving away from the chair to turn around and face the king. The look on his face was so different from what Yuuri had expected that it made him press himself back into the door even further. He didn’t seem angry on the verge of throwing a fit, nor did he seem about to scream and shout in rage. He looked crushed, hurt beyond words, a sad little frown pulling his lips down, emerald eyes staring at Yuuri, looking pained, like it was taking everything he had not to just break down and cry.

If the other boy wasn’t so stubborn and full of pride, Yuuri imagined he would have already been crying.

“Do you even care how much I love you?” Wolfram asked him, his voice wavering only slightly, threatening to crack, as if his emotions were beginning to escape his careful control. “Do you know how it felt to have Conrart come to me and tell me that you’d finally agreed to marry me because it’s convenient to you? Is this what I have to do to prove my feelings? After everything that I’ve already done? After everything I’ve been through?!”

“Can I at least say something?” Yuuri tried again, though he knew there wasn’t much he could say to make this confrontation any easier.

“I don’t want to hear anything that you have to say! It’s always the same thing over and over again! ‘I proposed to you by mistake. Can I take it back?’” His pretty face twisted in pain, pale, slender hands clenched by his sides, nearly shaking. “I never let you take it back and now I think I should have! Having you announce that it was an accident to the entire kingdom couldn’t possibly hurt as much as this!”

Yuuri frowned. It was rare that Wolfram actually admitted to his emotional pain, or any pain for that matter.

“I’m not forcing you to go through with this,” the young king told him. “If you really don’t want to, then we won’t do it. Things can stay as they are now. Nothing has to change.”

“I don’t want things to stay like they are now!” his fiancé had finally been reduced to shouting, taking a few steps towards him. “I don’t want to have to follow you around anymore, thinking that I actually stand a chance! I’m tired of chasing after something I know I’ll never get!!”

“Then why did you start in the first place?” Yuuri stopped him before he could go any further, asking the first question that came to mind, angry at himself and frustrated that all of this was happening.

Why did life have to be so difficult?

“I never made you follow me,” the king said, lifting his gaze to meet Wolfram’s eyes, the blond having stopped his approach in the middle of the room, staring at him as if he couldn’t believe he’d say something so… stupid? Inconsiderate? “You did that on your own, because you have stupid jealousy issues, accusing me of cheating on you with every living thing which, by the way, I never did!”

“Of course you didn’t, because we were never really together in the first place! This was all a joke to you, something for you to laugh about whenever you go back to Earth! You’ve never taken me seriously!” Wolfram accused. “From the beginning, ever since you proposed to me, everything’s always been about you!! About what you want, what you need!!”

Yuuri didn’t know why, but that accusation angered him quite a bit. Was it really his fault that the other boy was so hung up on him? He hadn’t done anything to make Wolfram go along with the engagement. That had been entirely the blond’s choice. There was nothing binding them together, nothing to keep either one of them from breaking it off besides Wolfram’s pride and feelings and Yuuri’s guilt.

“That’s not true!!” the king shouted back, his agitation getting the better if him. He knew it really wasn’t good to take his anger out on his friend, that yelling back was only going to make things worse, but then he’d never been very bright to begin with. “Everything’s always about you and you know it! And even when it isn’t, you make it about you!! Just like now! I’m trying to explain myself, but you won’t even let me!! I didn’t want to do this, Wolfram, and I don’t want to fight with you about it!!”

“Then why didn’t you try talking to me earlier?! Why did you have to wait all day to face me?! Why couldn’t you come out and talk to me about it instead of sending Conrart to do it for you?! Does the idea of us getting married repulse you that much?!”

“No!!” he said, his black eyes narrowing. “I don’t know why I-”

“You stupid jerk!!” the blond Mazoku cut him off yet again, though his wording wasn’t nearly as harsh as Yuuri knew it could be . “I’ll tell you why you had to send someone else!! It’s because you’re too much of a coward to do it yourself!! You’re so damned close-minded-”

“I’m close-minded?”

“Yes, you!!” Wolfram replied. “Don’t act all sweet and innocent, like you don’t have prejudices, too!! You’re as guilty of that as I am!! You’ve been ignoring our engagement until now because you can’t get over the fact that we’re both men, right?! Isn’t that one of your Earthen bigotries, one of your social taboos?!”

“That’s not the reason!!”

“Isn’t it?!” the blond wondered, moving ever closer, looking as if he were about to snap completely. “I love you, Yuuri!!”

“I know that!!” he said in return, averting his eyes, unable to look at him at that moment. His own fists balled by his sides, and he felt like pulling his hair out. Why did they always get sucked into these sorts of arguments? Couldn’t they just talk civilly for once? And why did Wolfram insists on reminding him of his feelings when he already knew what they were? Was he trying to make him feel even worse?

“But you don’t like it,” his friend pointed out.

“I never said-”

Again he was cut off. “You don’t have to!! It’s written all over your face!! Every time I say it, you cringe like I’ve said something disgusting!! Or maybe... maybe you’re just too scared to admit that you might have feelings, too!!”

“Of course I have feelings! Me not wanting to marry you had nothing to do with you being a boy!! You’re my friend, Wolfram!!”

“I’m tired of being just friends, Yuuri!! I’ve been your friend for four years now, and look where that’s got me!! I’m sick of constantly being pushed away!! I want more!!”

“And you’re getting more!!”

“Bullshit!!” the other boy cursed, loud enough to make the king flinch back at his tone. “Things will still be the same even after the wedding!! You’ll go on ignoring me just like you always do!!”

“How have I ignored you?! Dammit!!” Yuuri finally allowed himself to swear as well. It wasn’t usually like him to do so; typically he had more control than the green eyed noble, but right now the stress and irritation were taking it’s toll on him, and he ended up sounding a bit harsher than he intended to. “Stop being a brat and listen to me!! How the hell am I supposed to take you seriously when you act like such a prick?!”

He cut himself off after that, dark eyes widening as he realized what he’d been saying. Wolfram stood frozen about a yard away from him, the angry red flush leaving his face, his pale skin going white. Yuuri instantly wished he could take that back, his anger washing out of him in a matter of seconds. He forced himself to calm down, silently counting to ten as he took a deep breath and prepared for Wolfram’s reply, forcing himself not to say anything else that he might regret later.

“Brat? Prick? Is that the best you can come up with?” Wolfram wondered, a sad smirk crossing his face as he did so, his voice gone soft again for a moment, gradually rising in volume as he continued. “Why don’t you tell me what you really think about me?! You don’t have to hold back!! You’re the king; you can say whatever the hell you want!! I’m sure you have tons more original things to say than just that!

“Do you know how many people have called me that since I was born?” he asked, enraged, that hurt look from before returning to his emerald eyes. “My whole life, I haven’t been anything but the bratty third son of the 26th Demon Queen, Cecilie von Spitzweg, little Lord Wolfram with his mother’s look and not much else. I hate looking like her!! I hate this face, and this hair, and these eyes!! They’re the only reason anybody’s ever wanted me!!

“And then they talk about me when they think I can’t hear them!” he went on, taking a few more steps in Yuuri’s direction. “They call me spoiled and selfish; even my own big brother thinks like that! But I’m not as spoiled as everyone says I am,” he denied. “There’s only one thing I’ve ever really wanted! Do you know what that is, Yuuri?!”

The king silently shook his head, eyes widening more at the other youth’s rant, his guilt growing by the second.

“I want someone to act like they care about me! I want someone to love me!” he screamed, standing only a foot away now, looking up at the boy who had once been the same height as him, but who now stood almost a full head taller. “My own father never gave a shit about me, and my mother is so consumed by her ‘search for free love’ that she forgets about the love she has right here!! She forgets how much I love her, how much I need her! I’m just the pathetic third son she bore to a man who eventually left her! The only thing she notices about me is that I look exactly like her! I’m just a fucking doll to her, someone she can dress up and cuddle when she feels the need to, and then dump onto someone else when she goes away again!!”

Yuuri wondered if Wolfram even realized that he had tears in his eyes, or if he just didn’t care about holding them back anymore. His fiancé’s green orbs were glistening with them, a few clinging to his long lashes, ready to tumble down his face at any moment. The king suddenly had another strong urge, one he’d never really had before, and one that caused him quite a bit of confusion. This one told him to hush the other boy, to take back everything he’d said to him and brush his tears away, not wanting to see anymore.

He’d never seen his fiancé so upset before.

“All Gwendal cares about is the kingdom!” Wolfram was still ranting, his voice wavering again. “No matter what I do or how much I look up to him, he never even cracks a smile my way! I can never please him, I’ve never done anything deserving of his praise! I’m just an annoyance to him, just a little pest that constantly gets in his way!”

“Conrad-”

“Don’t you even get me started on him,” the king was interrupted immediately. “He may have acted like my big brother when I was young and ignorant, he may have taken care of me out of pity because my father left and Mother was always busy, but he never really loved me!! If he did he wouldn’t have lied to me, he wouldn’t have hidden things from me!! Conrart betrayed my trust and so have you!!”

The blond was screaming now, not caring if anyone walking the halls could hear them arguing. It was like he’d been holding all of this in for a long time, and now that he was finally getting it out in the open he couldn’t stop himself. “I’m tired of hearing about the kingdom, about the humans!! Everything I’ve ever done was supposed to be for the people!! Never for me!! Never because I wanted to!! It was always because I had to, I needed to, all for people who couldn’t care less if I lived or died!!

“I thought you would be different!! I thought after a while maybe you would care!! I thought I could actually do something for me for once, for us, that we’d fall in love and get married because we want to!! And then you do this, when I thought that maybe you wouldn’t be like everyone else!! But you’re exactly like them!! You’re exactly like my father, and my mother, and my brothers!! It’s always, always for the kingdom!! You don’t give a shit about me!!”

The first tear fell then, and when Wolfram felt it making a wet path down his left cheek his eyes instantly widened, his voice catching as his throat constricted. He looked mortified, his lower lip trembling as his mouth fell open in surprise, like he couldn’t believe he’d gotten so carried away, like he hadn’t even known what he’d been doing, what he’d been saying, until that very moment. He backed up a step as if he were about to run away, though there wasn’t anywhere he could go in the room where Yuuri wouldn’t be able to follow and find him. The black haired king was still standing in front of the door, blocking the room’s only exit.

A few more tears fell only seconds after the first, sliding slowly down his face to fall and make small wet patches on the pink material of his nightgown. Quivering hands rose to touch his cheeks, slender fingers feeling the wetness there, surprised by he fact that it had gotten to this point, that he was now standing in tears in front of the one person who he’d never wanted to see him cry. He made a choking sound in the back of his throat, trying to wipe the liquid drops away, but more came to replace the ones that were gone, staining his pale cheeks a bright red. He clenched his teeth and struggled to hold back, but it was no use.

Yuuri didn’t know what to do. He’d never seen his friend cry before. For the longest time he’d thought that Wolfram never cried. Yuuri had always been the one to get that upset before, not Wolfram. Wolfram screamed and threw stuff, a pillow, a vase, it didn’t matter, whatever was in easy reaching distance would suffice. Wolfram cursed and stomped around, shouting until his face turned scarlet with anger, before locking himself in a closet, slamming the door loud enough for everyone in the entire castle to hear. Wolfram was emotional, moody even, but not like this, never like this.

Yuuri could only remember one time in all the years that he’d known the other boy when Wolfram had actually cried, and the blond haired boy had sounded so pitiful as he’d called his name that Yuuri hadn’t been able to turn around to face him. He hadn’t wanted to ruin the picture he’d always had in his mind when thinking about the other boy; beautiful, strong Wolfram, someone who was always in control, who was never weak, who never shed a tear. The blond Mazoku was his rock, the one who kept him grounded and honest with himself, who reminded him of who he was when faced with challenges and obstacles, the one person he never had to hide anything from.

Now that he was being faced with a side of the boy he’d never seen before, the lost little child that Wolfram constantly kept hidden away, Yuuri didn’t know what to do. His black eyes were wide as he stared down at him, concern immediately washing through him, replacing any of the anger or annoyance that remained. Guilt gnawed at his heart, harsh and painful, like someone was reaching a hand into his chest and squeezing as hard as they possibly could.

If he’d known this was going to happen, that he’d have to see something like this, he wouldn’t have agreed with his advisors in the study today. He’d felt bad enough about the whole thing to begin with; this just made him feel ten times worse.

Why had Wolfram agreed to the wedding if it obviously hurt him so much?

Internally he told himself that was a stupid question that he should have already known the answer to, but that didn’t stop him from wondering.

Slowly, cautiously, the dark haired half-human took one step foreword, back no longer pressed against the door, moving towards the other boy nervously. “Wolf...” he softly called to him.

“Don’t look at me!” came the harsh reply. Wolfram quickly turned around, covering his face with his hands, ashamed. He didn’t want to be seen like this... not by anyone, least of all Yuuri.

“No, wait,” Yuuri said, taking another step closer. “Look I... I...” he stuttered, fumbling with his words. “I didn’t want to make it seem like you were being forced into this, Wolf. I told the others... I told them that... that we wouldn’t do this if you have any problems with it. I’m not... not making you do anything. It’s your choice.”

Evidently that hadn’t been the right thing to say, because Wolfram lowered his hands to shout again, though his back remained facing the taller, older looking male. “Are you that stupid?!” he asked, almost sounding as if he were insulted. “Have you ever listened to anything I have to say?! I want to marry you, Yuuri!! I’ve spent the last four years waiting for you to finally come around, and when you do I find out it’s all for politics, so you’ll have someone young to take over for you when you die!! I’m just a tool to you, someone for you to use so you can accomplish one of your goals!!”

“I don’t think of you as a tool!” the king exclaimed, shaking his head. “Wolfram, I don’t like this any more than you do!”

At that, the blond spun around to face him, glaring darkly, narrowed green eyes still steadily leaking. “Then why did you agree to it?!” he asked accusingly.

“Because I...” he stumbled in his speech yet again, unable to find the correct words to pacify his heartbroken fiancé. “I... I just thought...”

His counterpart let out a bitter laugh, sniffing lightly. “You’re an awful liar, Yuuri.”

“I’m not lying!” he said, shaking his head once more, black bangs falling into his dark eyes. “I... I don’t know if I can say the right thing... but... I never meant to hurt you, or to make it seem like I’m using you and taking advantage of the fact that we’re engaged. I’m not.” He stared him straight in the eye, trying his hardest to explain himself as clearly and as simply as he possibly could. “I... I care about you. You’re my best friend, even when you act spoiled or jealous. I know... I know how you feel about me... and that’s why I hesitated to agree to this wedding, because I knew it would make you upset. But... if I have to do this... I... I wouldn’t want to marry anyone else.”

Wolfram looked surprised at that admittance, even a little confused. “What?” he softly asked, his voice small.

“I trust you,” Yuuri replied, determined to get his thoughts and feelings out - all of them. “I know I can count on you to take care of things when I’m not here. I know that you’ll do the right thing, regardless of your feelings.” He took another step towards the slighter boy, glad when Wolfram didn’t move away. “Ever since I first came here, you’re the only one who’s ever been completely honest with me. You’ve protected me, saved my butt more than once.” He smiled lightly in remembrance. “You’ve lived up to your role as my fiancé even when I tried to push you away or ignored our engagement. You never let me forget that you’d always be there.”

Slowly, nervously, Yuuri lifted his right hand and reached out to the blond, resting his palm against a tear stained cheek and gently wiped the moisture away. This sudden, unexpected physical contact just served to make emerald eyes widen even more, a couple of stray tears tumbling down to splatter against Yuuri’s hand, which was calloused from both the sword and baseball.

“I know I haven’t been very understanding,” the king continued. “I don’t have any right to even ask you to go along with this. I’ve probably hurt you plenty of time without even realizing it, and I’m sorry. If I’d known that things were going to end up like this, that we’d have to marry because of the kingdom and not because we love each other, that I’d end up hurting you like this, I would have taken back my proposal at the very beginning. I shouldn’t have made you hang on this whole time. It’s not fair to you.”

“Don’t say that,” Wolfram said in return, his own hands coming up, fisting the black fabric of Yuuri’s uniform jacket, clutching at it tightly. “Don’t you ever say that!” he repeated, louder this time. “I could have broken off the engagement, too, but I didn’t want to, because... because I don’t want you to be with anyone else! I told you before that if you fall, I’ll fall, too, and I meant it!! I’ll follow you... anywhere... I’ll do anything if it means I can be with you! You’re my fiancé and we’re going to get married!! I’m not letting you go!!”

“But...” Yuuri began again, wanting to make sure that this was what the other boy really wanted, not wanting him to have any regrets, or one day resent him for this. “You realize that you’ll have the responsibility of ruling, too. I know that you never wanted to be a king; hell, you didn’t even want me to be the king. If you don’t want to do that I-”

“I can do it,” Wolfram told him, lowering his head to rest against one of his shoulders, one that had once been as narrow as thin as the blond’s own, but one that had broadened and strengthened with age. “I wouldn’t have agreed if I couldn’t,” he said, the remainder of his tears drying against the kings dark shirt.

Yuuri stood stock still for a moment or two, not knowing what to do, feeling as Wolfram’s hands released their hold on his jacket, slender arms then curling around his torso, hugging him tightly, though refusing to look up at him, as if he were afraid to see the look on the other young man’s face.

They’d never really embraced like this before. Of course there had been times when Wolfram had grabbed him and hung on to him in anger or jealousy, but Yuuri had never willingly allowed himself to be held by the blond boy. He’d thought it would be too awkward, one boy clinging to another, hadn’t been able to understand how he could possibly feel comfortable in such a situation.

But now he could admit that it wasn’t so bad. Wolfram wasn’t trying to push him into something he didn’t want to do, nor was he attempting to take advantage of their sudden closeness. There was nothing lewd or sexual about the act, just one close friend seeking comfort from another, and Yuuri found himself wanting to reciprocate. Slowly he lifted his arms, afraid of moving too fast, winding them around the fair haired boy until he was hugging him back, pulling him just a little closer, ignoring the close-minded fool of a voice in the back of his brain that was always holding him back.

This was okay. This was something he could do and feel comfortable with.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, though he wasn’t sure if it was for the marriage or the fact that he’d been a complete idiot for denying the other boy something so simple and unthreatening this whole time.

“Don’t apologize, wimp,” Wolfram replied quietly, burying his face into the king’s shoulder so that his voice was a little muffled. “It’s not your fault. You never asked for this job. I... I’m sorry.”

Yuuri smiled at the familiar insult, knowing it meant Wolfram was going to be okay.

They both fell silent after that, but continued to hold onto one another, as if they were making up for all the times they’d never allowed themselves to be this close before. The pale noble squeezed him tightly so that they were pressed almost flush up against each other. Yuuri’s heart thumped hard against his ribcage and he sighed deeply in an attempt to calm it, closing his dark eyes as he squeezed Wolfram in return. It felt nice, comforting, so different from what he’d originally thought, making him feel like an moron for being so hesitant.

Wolfram was warm, and the golden hair against his cheek was soft, silken strands catching the light of the burning candles, almost glowing in the dim bed chamber. They fit together almost perfectly, and Yuuri silently wondered if it would have felt the same back when he’d been younger, when they’d been the same height, the same size, and looked about the same age. Now Wolfram looked so much younger than him, even if he was really decades older. Now he seemed smaller, not exactly short, but dainty, petit, thin and slender. He still looked boyish, still seemed as old as he’d appeared the very day they’d met.

Yuuri knew it probably seemed unfair that they were aging at different rates, but there was a part of him that liked it, that rejoiced at the fact that he’d never have to see his friend as anything but lively, young, and breathtakingly beautiful. He’d always be able to remember Wolfram as the attractive youth he’d met the day after he’d first been sucked into this world. He wouldn’t have to see his beauty ruined by age, wouldn’t have to worry about losing his best friend to the trials of time.

Although, he supposed it was a bit selfish of him to think that, because even though he’d never have to see his fiancé like that, Wolfram eventually would. Yuuri knew that though the blond had gotten over most of his prejudices concerning humans and half-breeds, he still despised how the other race aged and grew old so rapidly. His friend absolutely hated having to look up at him now, when their eyes had once been at the same level. Sometimes he’d find the other boy looking at he and Greta sadly, maybe thinking of the future, when they’d appear old enough to pass off as his parents.

Thinking about it like that made the dark haired king sad. It was no wonder why Wolfram seemed to always want to be with him, constantly hanging around him even when Yuuri would rather be alone. The slighter boy was using all the time they had to be close, wanted to spend time together now before it was too late.

What would become of Wolfram when Yuuri was no longer here? Would he go on with his life, maybe find someone else to care for and protect, someone to fill the loneliness? Would he be forced into yet another marriage, maybe one that he may not want as much as this one? Would someone else come along and earn his fiancé’s love?

Yuuri didn’t know how to feel about that thought. A part of him wanted his friend to be happy, and if that meant moving on to someone else, finding another man to give his affections to, then so be it. Wolfram was surely deserving of love and companionship, deserved a lot more than what the current king could give him. The blond was one of the most loyal, devoted people he’d ever met - one of the very few similarities he shared with his half-human second brother. When Wolfram cared about you he put his whole heart and soul into it, and wouldn’t let you forget for even one second how he felt about you. There was no doubting his fidelity and loyalty.

But there was another part of the black haired young man, a small part hidden deep down inside, buried beneath all of his stubbornness and denial, that didn’t want Wolfram to be with anyone else. That tiny part of him even felt a little jealous just thinking about it, and his arms unconsciously tightened around the smaller male as a result. He didn’t know how he’d come to earn Wolfram’s love, if it had been something he’d done or something he’d said. He’d been given the other boy’s heart without being aware of it, and he didn’t want to lose it, didn’t want to hand it over to anyone, even someone who’d willingly give Wolfram everything he wanted.

It was selfish and unfair, but it was the honest truth.

“Just... promise me something,” Yuuri spoke up after a while, breaking the silence that had filled the room for the last couple of minutes, trying to get his mind off of his confusing, conflicting feelings.

Slowly Wolfram lifted his head, his tears now gone but his cheeks still stained, emerald eyes looking up at him curiously. “What is it?” he asked softly, almost whispering, like he was afraid of speaking too loudly and ruining the moment.

“Promise me... that no matter what happens... you’ll never sign a Declaration of War.”

The blond haired noble stared at him for a long while, not saying anything, just staring into his eyes, as if words had escaped him and he didn’t know what to say to that request.

“Do you honestly think I’d do that?” he finally wondered, though he didn’t sound mad or insulted at all, his voice still soft. “I know... that when you first came here... it seemed like I was using everything as an excuse to go to war... but...” he paused, frowning sadly. “After what happened in the war over twenty years ago... I... I don’t want something like that to ever happen again.”

Yuuri nodded, accepting that as a good enough oath, trusting Wolfram not to go back on it.

The shorter boy lowered his head of golden hair onto the demon king’s shoulder again, taking a deep breath as he further tightened his embrace. “I promise,” he quietly swore, giving his word, showing again that he was willing to follow his king anywhere, not matter the obstacle.

Yuuri sighed and remained hugging his fiancé, closing his eyes once more as he thought of all that had happened in the past, and all that would happen in the weeks to come, making a promise of his own, swearing to himself that he’d never take Wolfram’s feelings for granted again and that he would try to understand and accept them, even if he couldn’t readily return them.

For now, this was enough...

This was more than enough.

TBC…

A/N: This chapter was really hard for me to write (and I still haven’t been able to get it exactly the way I want it. Getting the characters the way I want them (or the way I think they should be) is proving to be more difficult that I thought it would be. Wolfram’s a very dynamic character, and showing all the different facets of his personality is kind of hard - the arrogance, the self-assurance, his pride, along with the vulnerability and his hidden insecurities. He puts up a good, strong front most of the times, but I think he’s quite different on the inside, struggling with himself almost as much as Yuuri is, though perhaps for different reasons.

Throughout the series, it’s obvious that he’s ‘grown up,’ so to speak. He’s still a bit spoiled and selfish - something I’m sure is due to the way in which he was brought up; you can’t tell me you wouldn’t be a least a little spoiled if your mother was a Queen and you were the baby of the family - but he’s matured over time. Clearly Yuuri has been a good influence on him. I think now he sees the world differently than he did before Yuuri came along - he’s much more accepting, far less prejudiced, and more at ease with the world and, I think, with himself.

Before, it always seemed to me as if he was trying too hard to be like his older brothers - Gwendal especially - he idolized them, even when he claimed to hate Conrad, and I suppose he thought that that’s how he should be as well. As he grew closer to Yuuri, he strayed away from them. He became more focused on what Yuuri thought of him, of what Yuuri wanted, than what Big Brother Gwendal said, and perhaps he changed because of that more than anything else.

In the beginning of the series he seemed like Gwendal’s little shadow, whereas now I think he’s found an equal in Yuuri, someone he doesn’t really have to compete with or measure up to. It’s true that Yuuri’s the king and is therefore of a higher rank, but Wolfram’s never treated him that way, except in certain instances when he needed to be protected. Yuuri has never been “Your Majesty” to Wolfram; he’s always been “Yuuri” or “wimp.” Nor has Yuuri acted as if he were so far above Wolfram, and with him I don’t think Wolfram feels as if he has to live up to certain expectations.

If you look past Wolfram’s bratty attitude, he and Yuuri have more than a few things in common. Yuuri’s not terribly skilled with a sword, nor is he a genius; compared to his brother’s, neither is Wolfram. They’re both young (compared to almost everyone else), they both have older brothers who attempt to hold them back, and they both tend to lose control of themselves, I guess you could say. Yuuri’s just… less loud about it. The only problems between them stem from unrequited love - feelings Wolfram can’t just ignore, but ones Yuuri’s too afraid to accept.

More than anything else I think Wolfram just wants love and acceptance. I’m assuming he found that in Conrad a long time ago - from what we’ve seen from certain flashbacks, I believe that they were once extremely close; Wolfram may have felt as strongly for him as he does for Yuuri now, though with none of the romantic feelings. Now he wants that with Yuuri, and Yuuri is either too dense to realize that he has similar feelings, or he’s just too damn scared.

I think they’re both scared, in a way: Wolfram because he’s already been ‘betrayed’ by Conrad in the past, someone he probably loved just as much, and Yuuri because of how homosexuality is viewed on Earth. Wolfram doesn’t want to be hurt again, and Yuuri doesn’t want to be ‘different.’ Either way, I think they’re both going to end up being hurt before they finally get their act together and sort everything out.

I felt really weird having Wolfram cry just now, but in the end I decided to go with it. Yuuri had never seen him crying before, after all, so it got his attention pretty damn quickly, whereas the screaming and the shouting he’d already grown used to. Crying in no way makes a person weak, nor is it ‘girly,’ as some people might see it. It’s a release of often times overwhelming emotions. I decided to make him cry as a way of showing just how much he loves Yuuri (screaming “I love you, you wimp” more than once doesn’t seem to be getting the desired effect) and also to show how completely helpless he feels. It’s a tough situation, the one they’re in now, and it’s only going to get harder for the both of them as the story goes on.

And now I’ve been rambling way too much. Sorry. I don’t usually talk that much. Now that I have, I still don’t think I was too clear in explaining anything. Oh well…