[Fic] [Round 20] Conversation on a Rooftop, PG
Author/Artist: (seamusog)
Characters/Pairings: Conrad, Yozak (no pairings, just hints)
Word Count: 1246
Rating: PG
Any Warnings: sex mentioned
Theme/Prompt being used: Jealousy
He was sitting on one of his favorite spots in the castle. It really wasn't a spot per se, more of a large area, but he was one of a few that frequented it. The rooftops of Blood Pledge Castle were an interesting place and Yozak liked to think that he could almost find peace there.
Peace, however, refused to visit him that afternoon. Which was just as well since Yozak thrived less on serenity and more on mayhem. He had been gazing at the silent hills, wrapped in nostalgia when he saw a water spout shoot a hole through the roof of one of the outlying buildings. He was already running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop when he identified which building sustained the damage.
He almost stopped himself when he noticed no one else was heading towards the area. Anissina's Big Day was still fresh on everyone's mind; the castle denizens actively ignored any suspicious crashes or explosions. Well, it had been a dull day, Yozak decided. Perhaps chancing a little danger with Anissina wouldn't be too bad. The mixture of fear and desire had always been an intoxicating combination.
He was only mildly disappointed when he looked down through the hole and saw the scene in the stables. He almost whistled at the amount of damage caused by the king and his fiancé. Whatever the argument was, it must have been pretty intense. He wondered briefly if the kiddo had finally got himself a girlfriend or the brat finally lost his patience.
Yozak felt his presence before he saw him. The argument below had gone into a lull and was about to start again. He didn't want his entertainment interrupted so he stood up and waited for the newcomer.
Conrart slowed down when he saw Yozak waving at him. He looked regretfully at the stables' entryway before climbing the wall to join his comrade.
“Yozak,” greeted Conrart in a questioning tone.
“Now, now,” Yozak placated. “His Majesty is not in any danger. Let them have a few minutes to themselves. It's been a few weeks, they've missed each other.”
“Everyone has missed His Majesty,” Conrart pointed out.
“Aw, come on, Captain. Don't spoil the fun,” pleaded Yozak playfully.
Conrart's palm met his forehead when they looked through the hole at the current scene below. The two boys had escalated the argument to a physical level involving a rather questionable choice of projectiles. Conrart shook his head and Yozak gave him a big grin.
“Sometimes we forget they're still in puberty,” Conrart commented.
“We used to be like that,” Yozak said, a little melancholy in his voice.
“Yeah, it had certainly been fun.” Conrart smiled.
“You don't have fun anymore.”
“Why would you think that?”
“You don't really believe you can fake me with that smile do you?”
“Yozak, believe me when I say I have never been happier in my entire life.”
“I just don't think it's healthy.”
“What do you mean?” Conrart frowned.
“You used to be so much more passionate and alive.”
On a rooftop while watching Yuuri and Wolfram have a horse dung fight was probably not the best time or place to have a serious heart to heart conversation. But Yozak knew one had to take these opportunities as they come before they disappear altogether.
“It just seemed,” Yozak said thoughtfully, “since the war, since you met Julia, you weren't the same anymore.”
“I grew up.”
“Are you saying I haven't?”
“Yozak, even though we were the same age, you were already grown up when I met you. I was still a child and continued being a child. You found your meaning long before I did. Maybe that's what happens when you're a pampered prince.”
“I still think that part of you died.”
Conrart sighed and looked thoughtful. “You have it backwards. After Wolfram turned away from me, it became different. He was still important... but I lost the seed of purpose... It was the bigger part of me that was until then laid lifeless... Julia... Julia, she brought me to life. She saved me... took me out of darkness.”
“Well, that was corny as hell Captain.” Why her? Why not me?
Conrart chuckled.
“And the kiddo? I asked you this over two years ago. Are you really satisfied with just babysitting him?”
“My life is his. Without him, my life would mean nothing.”
“I don't understand, why one person. What happens when that person changes? It's not a good idea to base your life on the whims of one individual. One's ideals shouldn't be subject to the caprice of another.”
“No, Yozak. Her soul... his soul is perfect. You can no more separate light from the sun as you can separate the ideals I live for from Yuuri.”
“Light is light, the sun is different. Someday, perhaps the sun will burn down. As for me, it's the light I follow.”
“You serve His Eminence with the same loyalty and obedience I serve His Majesty.”
“I don't blindly follow His Eminence.”
The accusation hung in silence on the rooftop while below the purpose of Conrart's life tackled Conrart's brother and a muddy wrestling match ensued.
“Why are you unhappy for me?” Conrart broke the silence.
“I just don't want you led astray.” Again.
“I can think for myself. But more than that, I have faith.”
“What will you do, Captain, when Wolfram becomes the most important thing for His Majesty.”
“I wonder if that will ever happen.”
“You must be blind.”
“No, I don't doubt that Wolfram will become the most important person in Yuuri's life. For all we know, he may already be. But as to the most important thing... I don't know.”
Conrart let several moments pass before adding, “Julia sacrificed her love for Adelbert.”
“His Majesty is not Julia...”
“I'm fully aware of that.”
“As I was saying His Majesty is not Julia. Perhaps the kiddo's love will become stronger than hers... or his resolve may be weaker. As I see it, and don't beat me up for this, if I were to choose between Adelbert and Wolfram, I'd take your brother to bed first.”
Conrad shot Yozak a look of warning then shook his head.
“By the same token, Wolfram is not Adelbert. If Yuuri had not returned, he would have become Maou.”
“True, your brother's heart and soul may be purer. He's got the same self-sacrificing and idealistic idiocy as you. I wonder if it runs in the family. Maybe not, the Commander is certainly more pragmatic. But at any rate, His Excellency Wolfram, admirable and powerful as he may be or may become, even he cannot control everything in this world. What happens when His Majesty has to choose...”
“I have faith in Yuuri,” Conrart interrupted with a sense of finality.
“I just don't think it's healthy to place your whole life on one person.”
“Everyone has the same love for His Majesty, why must you be discontent just because I've dedicated my entire life to him.”
“Because it borders on fanaticism.”
“If you are implying I'm a mindless fanatic, I wonder whether you know me at all.”
“I'm just trying to say, Conrart,” Yozak looked at him straight in the eye, “that you are not a shrine maiden.”
Conrart smiled mischievously and said, “So if I sleep with you, you would shut up?”
Yozak chuckled. “Touché, Captain.”
Then he added, “Though, of course, I'd only do it for your own good.”
Characters/Pairings: Conrad, Yozak (no pairings, just hints)
Word Count: 1246
Rating: PG
Any Warnings: sex mentioned
Theme/Prompt being used: Jealousy
He was sitting on one of his favorite spots in the castle. It really wasn't a spot per se, more of a large area, but he was one of a few that frequented it. The rooftops of Blood Pledge Castle were an interesting place and Yozak liked to think that he could almost find peace there.
Peace, however, refused to visit him that afternoon. Which was just as well since Yozak thrived less on serenity and more on mayhem. He had been gazing at the silent hills, wrapped in nostalgia when he saw a water spout shoot a hole through the roof of one of the outlying buildings. He was already running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop when he identified which building sustained the damage.
He almost stopped himself when he noticed no one else was heading towards the area. Anissina's Big Day was still fresh on everyone's mind; the castle denizens actively ignored any suspicious crashes or explosions. Well, it had been a dull day, Yozak decided. Perhaps chancing a little danger with Anissina wouldn't be too bad. The mixture of fear and desire had always been an intoxicating combination.
He was only mildly disappointed when he looked down through the hole and saw the scene in the stables. He almost whistled at the amount of damage caused by the king and his fiancé. Whatever the argument was, it must have been pretty intense. He wondered briefly if the kiddo had finally got himself a girlfriend or the brat finally lost his patience.
Yozak felt his presence before he saw him. The argument below had gone into a lull and was about to start again. He didn't want his entertainment interrupted so he stood up and waited for the newcomer.
Conrart slowed down when he saw Yozak waving at him. He looked regretfully at the stables' entryway before climbing the wall to join his comrade.
“Yozak,” greeted Conrart in a questioning tone.
“Now, now,” Yozak placated. “His Majesty is not in any danger. Let them have a few minutes to themselves. It's been a few weeks, they've missed each other.”
“Everyone has missed His Majesty,” Conrart pointed out.
“Aw, come on, Captain. Don't spoil the fun,” pleaded Yozak playfully.
Conrart's palm met his forehead when they looked through the hole at the current scene below. The two boys had escalated the argument to a physical level involving a rather questionable choice of projectiles. Conrart shook his head and Yozak gave him a big grin.
“Sometimes we forget they're still in puberty,” Conrart commented.
“We used to be like that,” Yozak said, a little melancholy in his voice.
“Yeah, it had certainly been fun.” Conrart smiled.
“You don't have fun anymore.”
“Why would you think that?”
“You don't really believe you can fake me with that smile do you?”
“Yozak, believe me when I say I have never been happier in my entire life.”
“I just don't think it's healthy.”
“What do you mean?” Conrart frowned.
“You used to be so much more passionate and alive.”
On a rooftop while watching Yuuri and Wolfram have a horse dung fight was probably not the best time or place to have a serious heart to heart conversation. But Yozak knew one had to take these opportunities as they come before they disappear altogether.
“It just seemed,” Yozak said thoughtfully, “since the war, since you met Julia, you weren't the same anymore.”
“I grew up.”
“Are you saying I haven't?”
“Yozak, even though we were the same age, you were already grown up when I met you. I was still a child and continued being a child. You found your meaning long before I did. Maybe that's what happens when you're a pampered prince.”
“I still think that part of you died.”
Conrart sighed and looked thoughtful. “You have it backwards. After Wolfram turned away from me, it became different. He was still important... but I lost the seed of purpose... It was the bigger part of me that was until then laid lifeless... Julia... Julia, she brought me to life. She saved me... took me out of darkness.”
“Well, that was corny as hell Captain.” Why her? Why not me?
Conrart chuckled.
“And the kiddo? I asked you this over two years ago. Are you really satisfied with just babysitting him?”
“My life is his. Without him, my life would mean nothing.”
“I don't understand, why one person. What happens when that person changes? It's not a good idea to base your life on the whims of one individual. One's ideals shouldn't be subject to the caprice of another.”
“No, Yozak. Her soul... his soul is perfect. You can no more separate light from the sun as you can separate the ideals I live for from Yuuri.”
“Light is light, the sun is different. Someday, perhaps the sun will burn down. As for me, it's the light I follow.”
“You serve His Eminence with the same loyalty and obedience I serve His Majesty.”
“I don't blindly follow His Eminence.”
The accusation hung in silence on the rooftop while below the purpose of Conrart's life tackled Conrart's brother and a muddy wrestling match ensued.
“Why are you unhappy for me?” Conrart broke the silence.
“I just don't want you led astray.” Again.
“I can think for myself. But more than that, I have faith.”
“What will you do, Captain, when Wolfram becomes the most important thing for His Majesty.”
“I wonder if that will ever happen.”
“You must be blind.”
“No, I don't doubt that Wolfram will become the most important person in Yuuri's life. For all we know, he may already be. But as to the most important thing... I don't know.”
Conrart let several moments pass before adding, “Julia sacrificed her love for Adelbert.”
“His Majesty is not Julia...”
“I'm fully aware of that.”
“As I was saying His Majesty is not Julia. Perhaps the kiddo's love will become stronger than hers... or his resolve may be weaker. As I see it, and don't beat me up for this, if I were to choose between Adelbert and Wolfram, I'd take your brother to bed first.”
Conrad shot Yozak a look of warning then shook his head.
“By the same token, Wolfram is not Adelbert. If Yuuri had not returned, he would have become Maou.”
“True, your brother's heart and soul may be purer. He's got the same self-sacrificing and idealistic idiocy as you. I wonder if it runs in the family. Maybe not, the Commander is certainly more pragmatic. But at any rate, His Excellency Wolfram, admirable and powerful as he may be or may become, even he cannot control everything in this world. What happens when His Majesty has to choose...”
“I have faith in Yuuri,” Conrart interrupted with a sense of finality.
“I just don't think it's healthy to place your whole life on one person.”
“Everyone has the same love for His Majesty, why must you be discontent just because I've dedicated my entire life to him.”
“Because it borders on fanaticism.”
“If you are implying I'm a mindless fanatic, I wonder whether you know me at all.”
“I'm just trying to say, Conrart,” Yozak looked at him straight in the eye, “that you are not a shrine maiden.”
Conrart smiled mischievously and said, “So if I sleep with you, you would shut up?”
Yozak chuckled. “Touché, Captain.”
Then he added, “Though, of course, I'd only do it for your own good.”