Wounded Pride, KKM, Wolfram/Yuuri
Title: Wounded Pride
Author: Ellie Biel
Fandom: Kyou Kara Maou
Characters/pairing: Wolfram/Yuuri
Warnings: none
Notes: Written for keikai's meme drabble request for a Wolfram/Yuuri fic based somewhat on the line "fresh from the fight" from the song "Holding Out for a Hero." Is it still a drabble at 1,075 words? They seem to be getting longer...
It was over nearly as fast as it had started, and Yuuri stood there with Konrad and Wolfram, watching their attackers flee. While Konrad sheathed his weapon, Yuuri could see out of the corner of his eye Wolfram's sword arm falter, and he turned to see the blue of his sleeve stained with blood.
"Konrad!" he shouted, "Wolfram's-"
He could feel Wolfram's breath against his face as he was held in a headlock, Wolfram's hand clapped firmly over his mouth. "I'm fine," Wolfram hissed. "Get on the horse."
Wolfram parted his fingers so he could speak, and Yuuri waved to Konrad. "Tell him I wasn't checking out that guy's ass when they turned around."
Konrad laughed. "I can't say what you were looking at, Your Majesty, but I'm sure it wasn't anything Wolfram has to worry about."
Wolfram was walking them around in circles, keeping his arm hidden from Konrad's view with Yuuri's body, and it was beginning to make Yuuri dizzy. "Happy now?" he said under his breath. "If so you can stop and let me take a look at it."
"I said it's fine," Wolfram said sharply, and he let go so quickly Yuuri nearly stumbled.
In the interest of time he'd left Ao back at the castle and ridden with Wolfram, and he was glad now when he saw how slowly Wolfram slid his sword back into the scabbard.
"Don't be a baby," he said, lacing his fingers together and making a step for Wolfram. Konrad was looking at them strangely again and he waved his hands in front of him in a gesture meant to assure him there was absolutely nothing going on.
His timing could have been better because that's when Wolfram had decided to actually listen to him for a change. At least they were on the other side of the horse and Konrad hadn't noticed the stumbling. Yuuri patted the horse on the neck lightly. "Good horse," he said, knowing he sounded as lame as he felt. "Nice horsie."
It would probably help if he knew the animal's name, but when he opened his mouth up to ask, he noticed Wolfram was gritting his teeth. He also noticed that Wolfram was shooting daggers at him every time he looked toward Konrad, and finally he decided he was only going to make things worse if he didn't let Wolfram have his way. He was going to be stuck riding all the way back with him, after all. He didn't dare ride with Konrad and leave Wolfram alone on his horse when he was wounded.
He managed to corner Wolfram in the bath. Fully dressed, he splashed right into the water and stood there, hands on hips, as the blond sank all the way beneath the water. He could wait here all day if he had to.
The moment Wolfram's head appeared above the water, and he was stubbornly keeping his chin to the surface and the rest of him hidden from view, Yuuri adopted his best "I am the maou and you will listen to me" expression. When that didn't work, he reached under the water and grabbed Wolfram's left shoulder. "Let me see."
Wolfram looked far too pleased, and Yuuri felt his cheeks burning as he hastily added, "Your arm! I want to see your arm." Wolfram took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air, but before he could submerge himself again, Yuuri added, "Please."
He didn't make it easy. He stood up and pressed his back against the tile, keeping his arms crossed and forcing Yuuri to pry his fingers loose in order to get a better look at it.
The water had cleansed the blood away but he could still see where the flesh was torn. He winced when he thought how much it must have hurt, but when he looked at Wolfram to ask how he was, he was taken aback at the anger flashing in his eyes.
"I told you, it's fine."
It didn't look at all fine to Yuuri, and he folded his arms across his chest just like Wolfram had earlier. "It doesn't look fine to me."
"That's because you're a wimp."
He ignored the insult this time, more intent on the impossible task of getting Wolfram to listen to reason. "I want you to see Gisela when you're done."
"I don't think so."
Yuuri wanted to tear out his hair. He would swear Wolfram's sole reason for living was to make him look like Dorcas by the time he came of age. "Wolfram," he said, and he could feel his eyebrows twitching. "That's an order."
Wolfram said nothing. He turned his head and raised his nose in the air, but Yuuri could see his shoulders bunch up and wondered why he felt like he'd just sentenced Wolfram to something far worse than getting better.
He sighed. "At least tell me why you don't want to see her."
"Are you the one who sent Konrad to see her?"
"To see who, Gisela?" Yuuri frowned. "Is that where he is?" A look of alarm crossed his face. "Was he injured? He seemed fine to me."
Wolfram snorted but didn't bother looking at him. "Of course he did."
Yuuri was about to protest but he knew anything he said would fall on deaf ears, and his wet underwear were starting to feel like they were shrinking rapidly. He didn't know what Wolfram's problem was, but he was wasting time arguing with him.
He took Wolfram's hand and stretched out his arm.
"Yuuri!"
"Shut up, Wolfram," he said. "I'll do it myself."
Yuuri didn't understand why he had seemed so insulted that he'd noticed Wolfram's injury and not Konrad's, and he didn't even want to understand why he was looking incredibly smug as Yuuri placed his hand over the wound and tried to remember what he'd done the last time.
He really didn't want to know why his underwear seemed to be shrinking even faster when Wolfram lifted his uninjured arm and ran wet fingers through blond locks of hair. "There," he said, snatching his hands away and letting Wolfram's arm splash back in the water.
He ignored Wolfram's invitation to stay and enjoy the bath with him. He'd get out of his wet clothes in the privacy of his own room, thank you very much, and when he was ready to take a bath...
He'd make sure the water was a lot colder.