We've had Better Days
Title: We've Had Better Days
Characters/Pairings: Gwendal, Gunter, Celi
Word Count: Aprox. 630
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 48: Ultimate Sequence Challenge and posted here on November 30, 2009
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.
Introductions
The afternoon sunlight streaming through the library windows felt good against the tight muscles of his shoulders and Gwendal shrugged out of his jacket to better appreciate the warmth. Of the libraries and reading rooms throughout Covenant Castle this one was among the least used, which made it a perfect place to study, read, or simply think in peace. Even Wolfram left him relatively undisturbed here.
“Gwendal?” his mother's high, clear voice rang through the library. He sighed, so much for a quiet afternoon. “By the window, Mother,” he replied, quickly jotting down an idea while he waited for her.
As she made her way toward him, Gwendal tried not to stare too openly at the man who followed in her wake. He was beautiful; slender and graceful with long purple hair so pale it might have been silver.
“Gwendal, I’d like you to meet Gunter von Christ. Gunter, this is my eldest son Gwendal von Walde.” As the two men shook hands, Celi launched into a recitation of the academic and martial honors Gunter had been awarded. “And he’s not very much older than you, Gwendal,” she concluded, “so I do hope the two of you will become good friends.” Celi tugged Gunter closer to the desk, as though her son’s impression of the man would improve with proximity.
“That’s all well and good, Mother, but don’t you think he’s a bit young for you?”
The color drained from Gunter’s face and his mouth worked franticly as though he wanted to protest. Celi could only laugh. “I invited him here to tutor Conrart and Wolfram, not to be my lover.” Gunter managed a strangled squeak before he passed out. Gwendal sighed, “You might have mentioned that fact sooner.” He carried the unconscious man to a sofa, “If that was too much of a shock for him, do you really think he’ll be able to handle my brothers?”
Haircut
Gunter sighed sadly, stroking one of the undamaged sections of his hair. He glanced at the scissors Gwendal was holding and his shoulders slumped a bit more.
Gwendal grimaced as he studied the singed mess Wolfram had made of Gunter’s hair. “I’m sorry, it’s going to be really short.” Gunter looked up at him, purple eyes wide and a little watery. “How short?” Gwendal laid the side of his hand along the top of the other man’s shoulder blades. Gunter let out a small whimper.
Gwendal seated himself on the stool behind Gunter and tried to decided where he should start. He clipped away a small section of burnt hair and Gunter flinched. Gwendal sighed. “This will be much easier for me if you can hold still.”
“Sorry,” Gunter mumbled, “I’m just not comfortable having my hair cut.”
Gwendal rolled his eyes but did his best to be reassuring, “Try to relax a little. I know what I’m doing here.” The other man only nodded in response and Gwendal carefully resumed trimming away the damaged hair.
After twenty minutes spent alternating between trimming Gunter's hair and soothing his nerves Gwendal declared himself finished. He stood and stretched, working out the tension that had built up in his shoulders.
Gunter remained on the stool, perfectly still. Gwendal frowned and pulled him up to stand before the mirror. “Open your eyes, I promise it looks alright.” After a moment of hesitation Gunter slowly opened one eye and then the other. He ran his fingers slowly over the hair that fell near his face.
“Thank you.”
Gwendal shrugged. “Don't worry about it. I'm used to cleaning up my brothers' messes.”
Gunter shook his head, “That's not what I meant. Thank you for not saying you told me so, after I ignored your warnings about Wolfram not having control of his maryoku.”
A smile ghosted across Gwendal's face. “I rather though the experience spoke for itself.”
Characters/Pairings: Gwendal, Gunter, Celi
Word Count: Aprox. 630
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 48: Ultimate Sequence Challenge and posted here on November 30, 2009
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.
Introductions
The afternoon sunlight streaming through the library windows felt good against the tight muscles of his shoulders and Gwendal shrugged out of his jacket to better appreciate the warmth. Of the libraries and reading rooms throughout Covenant Castle this one was among the least used, which made it a perfect place to study, read, or simply think in peace. Even Wolfram left him relatively undisturbed here.
“Gwendal?” his mother's high, clear voice rang through the library. He sighed, so much for a quiet afternoon. “By the window, Mother,” he replied, quickly jotting down an idea while he waited for her.
As she made her way toward him, Gwendal tried not to stare too openly at the man who followed in her wake. He was beautiful; slender and graceful with long purple hair so pale it might have been silver.
“Gwendal, I’d like you to meet Gunter von Christ. Gunter, this is my eldest son Gwendal von Walde.” As the two men shook hands, Celi launched into a recitation of the academic and martial honors Gunter had been awarded. “And he’s not very much older than you, Gwendal,” she concluded, “so I do hope the two of you will become good friends.” Celi tugged Gunter closer to the desk, as though her son’s impression of the man would improve with proximity.
“That’s all well and good, Mother, but don’t you think he’s a bit young for you?”
The color drained from Gunter’s face and his mouth worked franticly as though he wanted to protest. Celi could only laugh. “I invited him here to tutor Conrart and Wolfram, not to be my lover.” Gunter managed a strangled squeak before he passed out. Gwendal sighed, “You might have mentioned that fact sooner.” He carried the unconscious man to a sofa, “If that was too much of a shock for him, do you really think he’ll be able to handle my brothers?”
Haircut
Gunter sighed sadly, stroking one of the undamaged sections of his hair. He glanced at the scissors Gwendal was holding and his shoulders slumped a bit more.
Gwendal grimaced as he studied the singed mess Wolfram had made of Gunter’s hair. “I’m sorry, it’s going to be really short.” Gunter looked up at him, purple eyes wide and a little watery. “How short?” Gwendal laid the side of his hand along the top of the other man’s shoulder blades. Gunter let out a small whimper.
Gwendal seated himself on the stool behind Gunter and tried to decided where he should start. He clipped away a small section of burnt hair and Gunter flinched. Gwendal sighed. “This will be much easier for me if you can hold still.”
“Sorry,” Gunter mumbled, “I’m just not comfortable having my hair cut.”
Gwendal rolled his eyes but did his best to be reassuring, “Try to relax a little. I know what I’m doing here.” The other man only nodded in response and Gwendal carefully resumed trimming away the damaged hair.
After twenty minutes spent alternating between trimming Gunter's hair and soothing his nerves Gwendal declared himself finished. He stood and stretched, working out the tension that had built up in his shoulders.
Gunter remained on the stool, perfectly still. Gwendal frowned and pulled him up to stand before the mirror. “Open your eyes, I promise it looks alright.” After a moment of hesitation Gunter slowly opened one eye and then the other. He ran his fingers slowly over the hair that fell near his face.
“Thank you.”
Gwendal shrugged. “Don't worry about it. I'm used to cleaning up my brothers' messes.”
Gunter shook his head, “That's not what I meant. Thank you for not saying you told me so, after I ignored your warnings about Wolfram not having control of his maryoku.”
A smile ghosted across Gwendal's face. “I rather though the experience spoke for itself.”