Always or Never (P, 1)
Title: Always or Never (Prologue and Chapter One)
Rating: Eventual NC-17
Pairing(s): YuuRam, some hints at ConYuu, not seen OMC/Wolfram
Summary: The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
A/N: The majority of the spellings and phrases I've taken from the AonE dub. I tried to be consistent more than accurate, but if there's a horrendous misspelling, please let me know and I'll fix it. ^^ Oh, by and by, this is a YuuRam story, but there are heavy ConYuu leanings. Because that's what's in the show, of course. I don't have a beta reader and most of this was written in moments of extreme hormonal emotion, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's riddled with errors. Just point them out to me if you feel so inclined and I will be most thankful. ^__^ Okay, I think that's it! Enjoy!
A Very Short Prologue
Really, it was a brilliant plan. And so obvious, once the facts were laid out properly.
A body couldn't move two steps without hearing about the recently ascended maou and his ridiculously courageous deeds. How he defended the weak, the downtrodden, and was all around A Nice Guy.
Who, then, would such a man cherish more than his fiancé? A fiancé, who, if rumors were to be believed at all, was a lovely, petite pretty boy? A pretty boy that shadowed his betrothed's every step and never spared a stray gaze to any other.
And what lengths would such a man be willing to go to for such a loyal fiancé? Or, more specifically, how much would such a man be willing to pay?
The plan practically plotted itself: capture fiancé, leave ransom note, when angered Maou came to carry out revenge, tell a sob story about sick orphans and puppies, insist that they'd learned the error of their ways and no longer require money, get money out of the goodness of Nice Guy's heart, give back fiancé, shake hands and part ways.
Flawless.
And it was like God himself sending down his blessing when the maou was rumored to have taken an interest in a small human territory, only two villages off.
That wasn't opportunity knocking, it was opportunity busting down the door, leaving its socks on the kitchen table and eating all the cheese in the house. Sure, he could ignore it, but why?
A Very Fragmented Chapter One
"Dark and dangerous like a secret, it's whispered in a hush
When I wake the things I dreamt about you last night make me blush,"
--"Ghost" Indigo Girls
Yuuri could admit that, at times, he was a bit excitable. There were moments where he made decisions without thinking them out as thoroughly as a king probably should.
And he wasn't above admitting his mistakes either, but when someone was attacking him, it was just instinct to go on defensive.
So while he was beginning to see that three days travel to Purgo to look at Mermaids was nothing more than a colossal waste of time, he wasn't going to apologize to Wolfram, who'd been all but hissing at him that this was a terrible idea since the idea was even purposed.
It was relatively nice day, not that anyone would've known it from looking at the group that had been dragged to the wide, sturdy dock that visitors were to view the Mermaids from. The only one impervious to the general grumpy air of the group was Greta, and Conrad, to an extent.
"Ooooaah."
And Morgif.
"Yes, we know you like them." Yuuri scowled. The Mermaids were gorgeous, not as pretty as Cecili-sama, or even Wolfram, really, but they were young and giggled, the things Morgif seemed to lust after the most.
"Such a waste of a day; why would you even want to look at those airheads? Only the most perverted of Mazoku turn to such creatures for release, and you can't defile New Makoku that way!" No one was really listening to him now, probably not even himself. He looked like a cat someone had dumped a cup of water on, angry and dejected.
But he was right. While the cluster of beautiful creatures showed a bit of interest of their group at the beginning, asking names and their home country, once they spotted Wolfram, they glared and shut up completely, going back to combing their hair and preening into watery reflections and ignoring their very existence.
Yuuri was sure it was because they could tell what Wolfram thought of them, but didn't dwell on it because no matter what caused it, it was still like going to a zoo only to find all the lions and tigers had fallen asleep.
"I think they're pretty." Greta said with a smile, clinging to the railing that separated the Merfolk from the landfolk and leaning forward to get a better look.
"Don't get so close!" Wolfram said tersely.
"I'm standing right here," Yuuri said with an irritated frown. "I'll watch her."
Wolfram scowled back but said nothing else and hovered anxiously, wanting to make sure Greta was a proper distance away but unwilling to get any closer to the targets of his abject hatred.
Gwendal finally stopped his pacing by putting a firm hand on his shoulder. Yuuri had no idea why this worked, but Wolfram relaxed visibly. Now he was just extremely annoyed instead of insanely annoyed.
"Papa, it's hot. Can I get a MerDrink?" She pointed to a Mermaid-themed refreshment stand, startlingly out of place against the damp rocks of the cliff.
"I'll get it." Wolfram grouched and stormed off immediately.
"Don't mind him." Conrad said once he was out of hearing range. "Everyone makes a stop in Purgo for the Mermaids at least once in their life."
One of the mermaids smiled at that and blew a kiss in Conrad's direction.
"What's wrong with Wolfram, though?" Yuuri asked. "Does he really hate the Mermaids that much? I mean, they aren't that bad."
"Mermaids and Wolfram don't get along." Conrad explained with a strained smile.
"But why?"
In a quieter voice, Conrad continued, "Mother took us to see them years ago, before these railings were built around the cliff. Mermaids are very . . . Well, they don't like it when anyone prettier than them comes to visit them." Yuuri let out an amused chuckle there, "They snatched Wolfram right off the deck before any of us could do anything and tried to drown him. I suspect they would've tried for mother, but she was too large."
Yuuri's eyes grew wide, "What happened?"
"Gwendal dove in and got him." Conrad said, brow creasing at the memory, "It was quite a surprise, until that point we'd assumed that Wolfram was just a pest to him."
"Then why'd he come with us to Purgo?" Yuuri asked. "I'd never come back if I were him."
"I suspect Wolfram would try to follow you if you sprouted wings and took off into the sky."
Yuuri gave a weak chuckle; he didn't have anything to say to that. The intensity of Wolfram's affection for him was almost scary. He didn't think there was anything in his life he cared for as much as Wolfram cared for him. It was fanatical and the best way Yuuri'd found to deal with it was to simply ignore it.
A sudden enraged cry from Wolfram and damp SPLO-OOSH from behind sent everyone on the deck whirling around.
"Wolfram!"
He'd apparently come back with Greta's drink, but had been walking so far away from the railings they were leaning on that he'd hit the other side, which put him within arms reach of a particularly bitter mermaid. She'd snatched his ankles and dragged him into their watery home.
Wolfram was flailing, frantically grabbing on to the creature who was trying to kill him to keep his head above water.
"Daddy!" Greta cried, running toward the edge of the dock, only to have Gwendal hold her back. Understandably.
"Can't he swim?" Yuuri demanded, running to the other side.
"Are you kidding?"
Yuuri hadn't been planning on it, not with Conrad and Gwendal right there, but one look at the desperate, panicked gaze in Wolfram's eyes and he plunged in.
It was relatively easy for Morgif to convince the mermaid that this prey was not worth a missing limb and she released him to Yuuri, who he clung to like, well, like a drowning man, shaking and panting hard into Yuuri's ear.
"Are you two alright?" Conrad called from the deck, looking a hair away from jumping in himself.
"Yeah! I think!" Yuuri said, trying his best to tread in the water with the added weight.
"Let's go home," Wolfram's voice was tight and panicked, but if he hadn't been right up against Yuuri's ear, he wouldn't've heard it. "It's so hard to follow you. I just want to go home."
Yuuri wanted to look into Wolfram's face, but he was currently trying to burrow into Yuuri's shoulder. He'd never heard his voice sound so . . . broken. It made his stomach clench and he couldn't help but bring his arms around in an effort to comfort.
"Yeah, we'll go home."
*
Leaves tripped across sun-warmed grass.
Days like this seemed tailored for Wolfram alone. Hotter than most liked it, he absorbed the heat with more pleasure than any person had a right to feel. Sparse few clouds littered the sky, which was just starting to turn dazzling shades of purple and orange as the sun began its decent between the mountain range in the distance.
"How can you still be wearing all that?" Yuuri demanded breathlessly as he clamored toward the large tree Wolfram had claimed as his own for the day. Even without shirt and shoes he looked uncomfortably sweaty and sticky, and it didn't surprise the blond when his legs finally surrendered upon reaching the shade. His sprawled, overworked body radiated heat, and Wolfram could feel it sinking through his own uniform as he patted the top of Yuuri's head in mock pity.
"I could say that some of us are just less wimpy than others." He said with a wicked smirk, watching Yuuri's eyebrows snap downward in surprised anger, "But I think I'll just say I'm used to New Makoku summers."
"That's good, cause the wimp thing was beginning to get a little repetitive." Yuuri dragged himself into a sitting position with a strangled "Oomph," leaning against the base of the tree.
"Did you find Greta?"
"Nope, she's good at hiding." Yuuri smiled sheepishly.
"And seeking." Wolfram agreed, remembering how quickly she found Yuuri's own hiding spot. He stood and began brushing at the grass and bits of dirt he was sure had become attached to his backside. He winced; how charming. He'd be embarrassed to do this in front of Yuuri if he hadn't spotted the ruffian eating pancakes with his fingers earlier that week. "Come on, I'll help you find her. It's getting dark and I don't want to have to explain to Günter why you weren't back before nightfall."
The hand wrapping around his wrist was a surprise so Yuuri was able to tug him back down rather easily, slinging one sweaty arm around narrow shoulders.
"When there's a gorgeous sunset all to ourselves?" Yuuri smiled winningly, as if he was going to have to convince him to stay.
"Yuuri?" Wolfram asked, eyes wide and was drawn even closer into the unexpected but very welcome embrace.
"Yeah?" He said casually, as if cuddling together and watching sunsets was something the two did every evening.
Realization hit Wolfram like a slap to the face. This was a dream.
"Nothing." His tone was suddenly bitter, but dream Yuuri didn't question it, just smiled again and Wolfram allowed his head to fall onto Yuuri's shoulder.
Wolfram had his share of . . . graphic dreams, but more often than not, his dreams of Yuuri consisted of nothing more than this. Sitting together, talking in an easy, peaceful way he could never quite seem to manage in reality, misunderstandings and easily riled emotions getting the best of him and messing up even the simplest of interactions.
He'd learned early on the only thing indulging in fantasizes such as this did was make reality all the more painful. But this one had snuck up on him so cunningly, he decided he might as well ride it to its ultimately depressing end. Perhaps a stolen kiss or a sudden declaration of love, only to wake and find Yuuri come to life the moment Conrad just glanced in his direction.
But it never came.
A sudden rush of cold air surprised both boys and the brilliant greens and oranges of the sky darkened to a near black. The tiny white clouds turned gray and murky, smearing angrily across the sky.
"Your excellency," It was as if Conrad had suddenly grown out of the ground, standing before the two of them. But his voice sounded all wrong. "Don't scream."
"Don't what? Weller?" Wolfram woke, choking on his brother's name.
He was staring blurrily through a darkened room at Yuuri's softly breathing form a bed away. It took him a moment to figure out why, exactly, they were in separate beds and in a completely foreign room.
Purgo. Mermaids that Yuuri just had to see. Unsurprisingly to everyone but the maou, the mermaids that proved spectacularly dull, shallow and utterly indifferent to anything beyond their own reflection. His hair was still damp.
Despite Yuuri's promise that they would leave immediately, the next ship leaving for New Makoku wasn't sailing until daybreak the next day.
He closed his eyes, wondering at Conrad's appearance in the dream. It was something new. Conrad sometimes turned up in the happily-ever-after fantasizes but it was never so ominous a role, just passing by or the like. The dreams themselves wreaked enough havoc on his psyche, he didn't want to have to deal with brother issues as well.
He'd rolled over to see how long he had to wait for sunrise when a folded piece of cloth was slapped over his mouth.
He knew better than to inhale, but his body was tired and taken off guard. He breathed in deep on instinct, powerless to stop whatever the cloth was drenched in from filling his lungs and immediately clouding his mind. A dark figure leaned in close and Wolfram scowled, but his body refused to do anything more than let out a muffled, enraged growl.
"Don't scream."
He looked wildly over at Yuuri, who was sleeping happily through this attack. He could only see one attacker, and he didn't appear to have any interest in the maou. Was he just trying to get Wolfram out of the way before attacking? Wasted, useless adrenaline pumped in his veins, and still exhausted by the day's activities, the most he managed was tensing his arms.
He struggled to hold his breath, but he hadn't had any warning and his lungs had been notoriously weak after a childhood battle with scarlet fever. One more shallow inhale and he plummeted into a dark, dreamless sleep.
*
It took a concentrated effort for Yuuri to get his eyes open.
The bed he laid in was trying its best to seduce him back to sleep, but there was something tickling at the back of his mind, something was amiss.
He sat up slowly and peered around the room in heavy-eyed confusion, then spotted the open window that was allowing a startling cool breeze in.
He let out a sleepy grunt, ignoring the protests his body gave and shuffled toward the window, wondering what in the world had possessed Wolfram to open it, it wasn't like him to think a room was stuffy.
If he'd been more awake, perhaps, he would've noticed the fact that Wolfram's bed was empty. He might've noticed the note that had been resting on the abandoned pillow had been blown from its perch and was now settled contentedly behind the headboard.
As it was, all he noticed was how many steps it took him to shuffle back to bed and collapse into pleasant dreams of baseballs and homeruns.
*
"Ooooaah! Ah! Aooh!" The low, miserable voice pierced the tranquil silence, jerking Yuuri awake. Slowly, he broke free of his cocoon of warmth to shift over to the end of the bed to give him a better angle to glare down at Morgif.
Morgif was utterly impervious to the glare, however, and continued to bemoan up to his wielder with just as much energy as before.
"What is it?" Yuuri's voice was thick with sleep.
"Ooaah."
"Of course." Yuuri nodded most seriously, then rolled back over, hoping he could find the position he'd been in before getting woken up by--
"AAOoooh!"
--A sword that wouldn't be ignored.
"What?"
Morgif gestured frantically toward the other bed with his lips.
"What? Wolfr--" Yuuri stopped in mid sentence, blinking as he processed the bed's empty state. "Huh."
He couldn't say that he'd been looking forward to seeing Wolfram after what happened the day before, but it would've been . . . comforting to see the blond solid, whole and back to his normal self. Not the jumbled knot of nerves that had gone to sleep that night.
He crawled out of bed and stretched, wondering how he'd managed to sleep through the racket Wolfram usually made as he dressed.
Then again, Wolfram's pack was neatly stacked in the corner, rather than looking as if it had vomited clothing and supplies all over the floor. Maybe he'd been making an effort to be quiet? But judging how bright the room was, it was close to noon. Normally he'd've been pelted awake with pillows by now.
"Thanks, Morgif. I can't believe they let me sleep in this late."
He dressed quickly and made his way to inn's common room, trying to ignore the sword at his waist that was nearly howling, trying to pull Yuuri back to the room. He stuffed a handkerchief in the small mouth but all it did was muffle the cries that Morgif was determined to give.
Only he didn't see Gwendal or Greta or Wolfram in the common room at all. He frowned, then spotted Conrad picking at some eggs in a corner booth. Ignoring the startled stares the rest of the customers gave at Morgif's wailing, he made his way over merrily.
"Morning, Conrad." He said, slipping in across from the older and immediately reaching over for a bit of egg. He was starving.
"Good morning, Yuuri." He greeted, looking immensely pleased with the very idea that Yuuri had decided to wake that morning, then raising a brow at Morgif.
"I don't know," He said, answering the unspoken question. "He's been acting like this since I woke up."
Conrad processed this with a frown, then shook it off. "Sleep well?"
"So well I woke up late." He said with a sheepish grin. "Where's Greta and everybody? Why didn't anyone wake me up?"
"A ship left with everyone else at sunrise. We decided I'd stay behind and travel back with you later." Conrad said, handing a spare fork over so Yuuri could stop eating with his fingers.
"Thanks!" Yuuri beamed, three whole days' ship ride with Conrad! And this time, he wouldn't have to watch Wolfram getting sick over the edge. Not that it irritated him; just made him uncomfortable. Like he should be doing something to help, but there was nothing he could do, other than say that he shouldn't take ship rides with him, which inevitably led to a rant about how Yuuri was cheating on the blond with Conrad. "Oh, Wolfram must've forgotten his backpack in our room."
"That's too bad," Conrad said with a sympathetic wince. "That has all of the stomach calming remedies Gisela prepared for him."
Yuuri made a face. "When does the next ship leave, then?"
"In about an hour. We should start leaving soon."
This seemed to really press Morgif's buttons, vibrating against Yuuri's thigh. Thinking he'd figured out Morgif's problem, Yuuri smiled. "Don't worry, we'll get back home soon." He stood, "I'll go get our packs. Wolfram's probably missing his right about now."
Rating: Eventual NC-17
Pairing(s): YuuRam, some hints at ConYuu, not seen OMC/Wolfram
Summary: The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
A/N: The majority of the spellings and phrases I've taken from the AonE dub. I tried to be consistent more than accurate, but if there's a horrendous misspelling, please let me know and I'll fix it. ^^ Oh, by and by, this is a YuuRam story, but there are heavy ConYuu leanings. Because that's what's in the show, of course. I don't have a beta reader and most of this was written in moments of extreme hormonal emotion, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's riddled with errors. Just point them out to me if you feel so inclined and I will be most thankful. ^__^ Okay, I think that's it! Enjoy!
A Very Short Prologue
Really, it was a brilliant plan. And so obvious, once the facts were laid out properly.
A body couldn't move two steps without hearing about the recently ascended maou and his ridiculously courageous deeds. How he defended the weak, the downtrodden, and was all around A Nice Guy.
Who, then, would such a man cherish more than his fiancé? A fiancé, who, if rumors were to be believed at all, was a lovely, petite pretty boy? A pretty boy that shadowed his betrothed's every step and never spared a stray gaze to any other.
And what lengths would such a man be willing to go to for such a loyal fiancé? Or, more specifically, how much would such a man be willing to pay?
The plan practically plotted itself: capture fiancé, leave ransom note, when angered Maou came to carry out revenge, tell a sob story about sick orphans and puppies, insist that they'd learned the error of their ways and no longer require money, get money out of the goodness of Nice Guy's heart, give back fiancé, shake hands and part ways.
Flawless.
And it was like God himself sending down his blessing when the maou was rumored to have taken an interest in a small human territory, only two villages off.
That wasn't opportunity knocking, it was opportunity busting down the door, leaving its socks on the kitchen table and eating all the cheese in the house. Sure, he could ignore it, but why?
A Very Fragmented Chapter One
"Dark and dangerous like a secret, it's whispered in a hush
When I wake the things I dreamt about you last night make me blush,"
--"Ghost" Indigo Girls
Yuuri could admit that, at times, he was a bit excitable. There were moments where he made decisions without thinking them out as thoroughly as a king probably should.
And he wasn't above admitting his mistakes either, but when someone was attacking him, it was just instinct to go on defensive.
So while he was beginning to see that three days travel to Purgo to look at Mermaids was nothing more than a colossal waste of time, he wasn't going to apologize to Wolfram, who'd been all but hissing at him that this was a terrible idea since the idea was even purposed.
It was relatively nice day, not that anyone would've known it from looking at the group that had been dragged to the wide, sturdy dock that visitors were to view the Mermaids from. The only one impervious to the general grumpy air of the group was Greta, and Conrad, to an extent.
"Ooooaah."
And Morgif.
"Yes, we know you like them." Yuuri scowled. The Mermaids were gorgeous, not as pretty as Cecili-sama, or even Wolfram, really, but they were young and giggled, the things Morgif seemed to lust after the most.
"Such a waste of a day; why would you even want to look at those airheads? Only the most perverted of Mazoku turn to such creatures for release, and you can't defile New Makoku that way!" No one was really listening to him now, probably not even himself. He looked like a cat someone had dumped a cup of water on, angry and dejected.
But he was right. While the cluster of beautiful creatures showed a bit of interest of their group at the beginning, asking names and their home country, once they spotted Wolfram, they glared and shut up completely, going back to combing their hair and preening into watery reflections and ignoring their very existence.
Yuuri was sure it was because they could tell what Wolfram thought of them, but didn't dwell on it because no matter what caused it, it was still like going to a zoo only to find all the lions and tigers had fallen asleep.
"I think they're pretty." Greta said with a smile, clinging to the railing that separated the Merfolk from the landfolk and leaning forward to get a better look.
"Don't get so close!" Wolfram said tersely.
"I'm standing right here," Yuuri said with an irritated frown. "I'll watch her."
Wolfram scowled back but said nothing else and hovered anxiously, wanting to make sure Greta was a proper distance away but unwilling to get any closer to the targets of his abject hatred.
Gwendal finally stopped his pacing by putting a firm hand on his shoulder. Yuuri had no idea why this worked, but Wolfram relaxed visibly. Now he was just extremely annoyed instead of insanely annoyed.
"Papa, it's hot. Can I get a MerDrink?" She pointed to a Mermaid-themed refreshment stand, startlingly out of place against the damp rocks of the cliff.
"I'll get it." Wolfram grouched and stormed off immediately.
"Don't mind him." Conrad said once he was out of hearing range. "Everyone makes a stop in Purgo for the Mermaids at least once in their life."
One of the mermaids smiled at that and blew a kiss in Conrad's direction.
"What's wrong with Wolfram, though?" Yuuri asked. "Does he really hate the Mermaids that much? I mean, they aren't that bad."
"Mermaids and Wolfram don't get along." Conrad explained with a strained smile.
"But why?"
In a quieter voice, Conrad continued, "Mother took us to see them years ago, before these railings were built around the cliff. Mermaids are very . . . Well, they don't like it when anyone prettier than them comes to visit them." Yuuri let out an amused chuckle there, "They snatched Wolfram right off the deck before any of us could do anything and tried to drown him. I suspect they would've tried for mother, but she was too large."
Yuuri's eyes grew wide, "What happened?"
"Gwendal dove in and got him." Conrad said, brow creasing at the memory, "It was quite a surprise, until that point we'd assumed that Wolfram was just a pest to him."
"Then why'd he come with us to Purgo?" Yuuri asked. "I'd never come back if I were him."
"I suspect Wolfram would try to follow you if you sprouted wings and took off into the sky."
Yuuri gave a weak chuckle; he didn't have anything to say to that. The intensity of Wolfram's affection for him was almost scary. He didn't think there was anything in his life he cared for as much as Wolfram cared for him. It was fanatical and the best way Yuuri'd found to deal with it was to simply ignore it.
A sudden enraged cry from Wolfram and damp SPLO-OOSH from behind sent everyone on the deck whirling around.
"Wolfram!"
He'd apparently come back with Greta's drink, but had been walking so far away from the railings they were leaning on that he'd hit the other side, which put him within arms reach of a particularly bitter mermaid. She'd snatched his ankles and dragged him into their watery home.
Wolfram was flailing, frantically grabbing on to the creature who was trying to kill him to keep his head above water.
"Daddy!" Greta cried, running toward the edge of the dock, only to have Gwendal hold her back. Understandably.
"Can't he swim?" Yuuri demanded, running to the other side.
"Are you kidding?"
Yuuri hadn't been planning on it, not with Conrad and Gwendal right there, but one look at the desperate, panicked gaze in Wolfram's eyes and he plunged in.
It was relatively easy for Morgif to convince the mermaid that this prey was not worth a missing limb and she released him to Yuuri, who he clung to like, well, like a drowning man, shaking and panting hard into Yuuri's ear.
"Are you two alright?" Conrad called from the deck, looking a hair away from jumping in himself.
"Yeah! I think!" Yuuri said, trying his best to tread in the water with the added weight.
"Let's go home," Wolfram's voice was tight and panicked, but if he hadn't been right up against Yuuri's ear, he wouldn't've heard it. "It's so hard to follow you. I just want to go home."
Yuuri wanted to look into Wolfram's face, but he was currently trying to burrow into Yuuri's shoulder. He'd never heard his voice sound so . . . broken. It made his stomach clench and he couldn't help but bring his arms around in an effort to comfort.
"Yeah, we'll go home."
*
Leaves tripped across sun-warmed grass.
Days like this seemed tailored for Wolfram alone. Hotter than most liked it, he absorbed the heat with more pleasure than any person had a right to feel. Sparse few clouds littered the sky, which was just starting to turn dazzling shades of purple and orange as the sun began its decent between the mountain range in the distance.
"How can you still be wearing all that?" Yuuri demanded breathlessly as he clamored toward the large tree Wolfram had claimed as his own for the day. Even without shirt and shoes he looked uncomfortably sweaty and sticky, and it didn't surprise the blond when his legs finally surrendered upon reaching the shade. His sprawled, overworked body radiated heat, and Wolfram could feel it sinking through his own uniform as he patted the top of Yuuri's head in mock pity.
"I could say that some of us are just less wimpy than others." He said with a wicked smirk, watching Yuuri's eyebrows snap downward in surprised anger, "But I think I'll just say I'm used to New Makoku summers."
"That's good, cause the wimp thing was beginning to get a little repetitive." Yuuri dragged himself into a sitting position with a strangled "Oomph," leaning against the base of the tree.
"Did you find Greta?"
"Nope, she's good at hiding." Yuuri smiled sheepishly.
"And seeking." Wolfram agreed, remembering how quickly she found Yuuri's own hiding spot. He stood and began brushing at the grass and bits of dirt he was sure had become attached to his backside. He winced; how charming. He'd be embarrassed to do this in front of Yuuri if he hadn't spotted the ruffian eating pancakes with his fingers earlier that week. "Come on, I'll help you find her. It's getting dark and I don't want to have to explain to Günter why you weren't back before nightfall."
The hand wrapping around his wrist was a surprise so Yuuri was able to tug him back down rather easily, slinging one sweaty arm around narrow shoulders.
"When there's a gorgeous sunset all to ourselves?" Yuuri smiled winningly, as if he was going to have to convince him to stay.
"Yuuri?" Wolfram asked, eyes wide and was drawn even closer into the unexpected but very welcome embrace.
"Yeah?" He said casually, as if cuddling together and watching sunsets was something the two did every evening.
Realization hit Wolfram like a slap to the face. This was a dream.
"Nothing." His tone was suddenly bitter, but dream Yuuri didn't question it, just smiled again and Wolfram allowed his head to fall onto Yuuri's shoulder.
Wolfram had his share of . . . graphic dreams, but more often than not, his dreams of Yuuri consisted of nothing more than this. Sitting together, talking in an easy, peaceful way he could never quite seem to manage in reality, misunderstandings and easily riled emotions getting the best of him and messing up even the simplest of interactions.
He'd learned early on the only thing indulging in fantasizes such as this did was make reality all the more painful. But this one had snuck up on him so cunningly, he decided he might as well ride it to its ultimately depressing end. Perhaps a stolen kiss or a sudden declaration of love, only to wake and find Yuuri come to life the moment Conrad just glanced in his direction.
But it never came.
A sudden rush of cold air surprised both boys and the brilliant greens and oranges of the sky darkened to a near black. The tiny white clouds turned gray and murky, smearing angrily across the sky.
"Your excellency," It was as if Conrad had suddenly grown out of the ground, standing before the two of them. But his voice sounded all wrong. "Don't scream."
"Don't what? Weller?" Wolfram woke, choking on his brother's name.
He was staring blurrily through a darkened room at Yuuri's softly breathing form a bed away. It took him a moment to figure out why, exactly, they were in separate beds and in a completely foreign room.
Purgo. Mermaids that Yuuri just had to see. Unsurprisingly to everyone but the maou, the mermaids that proved spectacularly dull, shallow and utterly indifferent to anything beyond their own reflection. His hair was still damp.
Despite Yuuri's promise that they would leave immediately, the next ship leaving for New Makoku wasn't sailing until daybreak the next day.
He closed his eyes, wondering at Conrad's appearance in the dream. It was something new. Conrad sometimes turned up in the happily-ever-after fantasizes but it was never so ominous a role, just passing by or the like. The dreams themselves wreaked enough havoc on his psyche, he didn't want to have to deal with brother issues as well.
He'd rolled over to see how long he had to wait for sunrise when a folded piece of cloth was slapped over his mouth.
He knew better than to inhale, but his body was tired and taken off guard. He breathed in deep on instinct, powerless to stop whatever the cloth was drenched in from filling his lungs and immediately clouding his mind. A dark figure leaned in close and Wolfram scowled, but his body refused to do anything more than let out a muffled, enraged growl.
"Don't scream."
He looked wildly over at Yuuri, who was sleeping happily through this attack. He could only see one attacker, and he didn't appear to have any interest in the maou. Was he just trying to get Wolfram out of the way before attacking? Wasted, useless adrenaline pumped in his veins, and still exhausted by the day's activities, the most he managed was tensing his arms.
He struggled to hold his breath, but he hadn't had any warning and his lungs had been notoriously weak after a childhood battle with scarlet fever. One more shallow inhale and he plummeted into a dark, dreamless sleep.
*
It took a concentrated effort for Yuuri to get his eyes open.
The bed he laid in was trying its best to seduce him back to sleep, but there was something tickling at the back of his mind, something was amiss.
He sat up slowly and peered around the room in heavy-eyed confusion, then spotted the open window that was allowing a startling cool breeze in.
He let out a sleepy grunt, ignoring the protests his body gave and shuffled toward the window, wondering what in the world had possessed Wolfram to open it, it wasn't like him to think a room was stuffy.
If he'd been more awake, perhaps, he would've noticed the fact that Wolfram's bed was empty. He might've noticed the note that had been resting on the abandoned pillow had been blown from its perch and was now settled contentedly behind the headboard.
As it was, all he noticed was how many steps it took him to shuffle back to bed and collapse into pleasant dreams of baseballs and homeruns.
*
"Ooooaah! Ah! Aooh!" The low, miserable voice pierced the tranquil silence, jerking Yuuri awake. Slowly, he broke free of his cocoon of warmth to shift over to the end of the bed to give him a better angle to glare down at Morgif.
Morgif was utterly impervious to the glare, however, and continued to bemoan up to his wielder with just as much energy as before.
"What is it?" Yuuri's voice was thick with sleep.
"Ooaah."
"Of course." Yuuri nodded most seriously, then rolled back over, hoping he could find the position he'd been in before getting woken up by--
"AAOoooh!"
--A sword that wouldn't be ignored.
"What?"
Morgif gestured frantically toward the other bed with his lips.
"What? Wolfr--" Yuuri stopped in mid sentence, blinking as he processed the bed's empty state. "Huh."
He couldn't say that he'd been looking forward to seeing Wolfram after what happened the day before, but it would've been . . . comforting to see the blond solid, whole and back to his normal self. Not the jumbled knot of nerves that had gone to sleep that night.
He crawled out of bed and stretched, wondering how he'd managed to sleep through the racket Wolfram usually made as he dressed.
Then again, Wolfram's pack was neatly stacked in the corner, rather than looking as if it had vomited clothing and supplies all over the floor. Maybe he'd been making an effort to be quiet? But judging how bright the room was, it was close to noon. Normally he'd've been pelted awake with pillows by now.
"Thanks, Morgif. I can't believe they let me sleep in this late."
He dressed quickly and made his way to inn's common room, trying to ignore the sword at his waist that was nearly howling, trying to pull Yuuri back to the room. He stuffed a handkerchief in the small mouth but all it did was muffle the cries that Morgif was determined to give.
Only he didn't see Gwendal or Greta or Wolfram in the common room at all. He frowned, then spotted Conrad picking at some eggs in a corner booth. Ignoring the startled stares the rest of the customers gave at Morgif's wailing, he made his way over merrily.
"Morning, Conrad." He said, slipping in across from the older and immediately reaching over for a bit of egg. He was starving.
"Good morning, Yuuri." He greeted, looking immensely pleased with the very idea that Yuuri had decided to wake that morning, then raising a brow at Morgif.
"I don't know," He said, answering the unspoken question. "He's been acting like this since I woke up."
Conrad processed this with a frown, then shook it off. "Sleep well?"
"So well I woke up late." He said with a sheepish grin. "Where's Greta and everybody? Why didn't anyone wake me up?"
"A ship left with everyone else at sunrise. We decided I'd stay behind and travel back with you later." Conrad said, handing a spare fork over so Yuuri could stop eating with his fingers.
"Thanks!" Yuuri beamed, three whole days' ship ride with Conrad! And this time, he wouldn't have to watch Wolfram getting sick over the edge. Not that it irritated him; just made him uncomfortable. Like he should be doing something to help, but there was nothing he could do, other than say that he shouldn't take ship rides with him, which inevitably led to a rant about how Yuuri was cheating on the blond with Conrad. "Oh, Wolfram must've forgotten his backpack in our room."
"That's too bad," Conrad said with a sympathetic wince. "That has all of the stomach calming remedies Gisela prepared for him."
Yuuri made a face. "When does the next ship leave, then?"
"In about an hour. We should start leaving soon."
This seemed to really press Morgif's buttons, vibrating against Yuuri's thigh. Thinking he'd figured out Morgif's problem, Yuuri smiled. "Don't worry, we'll get back home soon." He stood, "I'll go get our packs. Wolfram's probably missing his right about now."