This flash fic's not really shippy, but it does mention unrequited Yuuri/Wolfram, Yuuri/Conrad and Conrad/Julia.
"There's always a good side to everyone." Yuuri's mother often said to him. Yuuri kept this line close to his heart resulting to his unconditional trust towards everybody he considers 'his friend'. But he can't help but think that if there's always a good side to everybody, there has to be the alternate; that no matter who the person is there would be a dark side to them; that him too would have a dark side.
Ever since he got to Shin Makoku, it has always been very placid, maybe except for a few 'dark ages' where the world is in total chaos—but overall, the worst thing that could happen is that he'd have twice the amount of paperwork from Gwendal or that Gunter would be nagging about his lessons for a lot longer than the usual. Though after all of that is finished, the day would usually show its merits. In the afternoon, in his free time, he would play catch with his adopted daughter, the cute little Greta, who has been surprisingly maturing very quickly. Before, at random times, she would usually unconsciously ask Yuuri many questions that he won't dare to answer, but now Greta seems to understand that Yuuri has some things that he would rather not share with others, answers that he'd keep to himself.
He brought his baseball gloves in the dirt field that he and Greta usually play in, he shouted for Greta's attention and she started dashing towards him.
"Greta, let's play a few rounds of catch!"
Greta looked at him weird and asked "Won't Gunter be worried that you ran away from him again?"
Yuuri stuttered "ummm… let's play then before he catches me", he smiled at the girl and gave a small chuckle. Greta gave him a nod of approval after a few seconds after his proposal, she took the other glove in Yuuri's hands and fitted it on herself, she threw the ball to Yuuri and he catched it—like how catch-ball is played.
Greta was slightly glum in this particular day, and her mood's usually affected because of how the people around her are, how the people she loves are. Her papa Wolfram was always a subject of her sadness; he was always nice to her and always tried to make her happy unconditionally—probably. He gives her a lot of attention even though he's always busy with military and politics, but he was always unhappy—usually unhappy, and Greta couldn't change it.
She catched the ball and held onto it, she looked at Yuuri straight in the eyes and asked him one of those questions she shouldn't ask. "Yuuri, why haven't you married Wolfram yet?"
Greta knew that this subject was the cause of Wolfram's unhappiness, his sufferings both from the heart and his social standing. It has been years since Yuuri was engaged to Wolfram, it happened even before she ever had the chance to meet them, it's been way too long and her papa has been miserable because of it.
Yuuri swallowed thickly and took a huge pause, "Greta, you know about our relationship—the relationship of your papas. It's not really something to ask about…"
"But Yuuri!—"
Greta was stopped by the sound of Gunter's wailing, "Your Majesty! Oh, Your majesty! Where are you? You still have to learn more about the history of your country!"
Yuuri has never been so relieved by the sound of Gunter's mix of shouting and bawling, "Greta, I should go now. You wouldn't want to Gunter to run out of tears now would you?" he said while picking up the ball from Greta's hand.
"Here you are your Majesty! We must hurry to the study room; you have a lot of things to work on!"
"Okay, okay" Yuuri nodded and took off the brown glove from Greta's hand.
It was part of Yuuri's character to think about the emotions and reactions of the people around him, he wanted to keep them happy; and that's why he didn't answer Greta. It was never that he couldn't, it was always that he didn't; because whatever truth Yuuri has to give Greta, she will never find happiness in his answer; because he doesn't love her other father.
Although whenever Wolfram brings the subject up, Yuuri will always immediatly revolt by saying "but you're a guy!" But that was never the case, Yuuri knew that there were people like that in Earth, and it wasn't all that rare, he was raised in a family that tolerated and accepted this type of people, and he has long hypothesized that he was one too. But it wasn't Wolfram whom he harbored these types of desires towards to; the one he loved was Conrad. But he never dared to confess.
He knew it all too well that Conrad is a nice guy, too nice of a guy, that if he does anything to Conrad, he would respond to him with perfection. That if he confesses, Conrad might as well accept it, and he knows that Conrad will accept it. After all, he's his beloved Yuuri, the one he promised to protect with all his might; but most importantly the Yuuri that contains Suzanna Julia's soul, and Conrad is in love with Julia, even until now when it's been decades since she died. Conrad would never love Yuuri back in the level of integrity he wants him too, he will always be second to Julia, and he couldn't find that acceptable.
Yuuri and Gunter started walking back to the study, along the way they heard the maids talking about the accursed topic. "It's the fourth year anniversary of the Maou's engagement with Sir von Bielefelt and still, nothing has happened!" Gunter cleared his throat, loud enough for the maids to hear, alerting them to continue with their duties. The maids immediately bowed towards Yuuri, slightly red from being caught gossiping, and ran towards their opposite direction.
Once the maids were gone, Gunter slowed down his walking pace and glanced at Yuuri, he took a deep breath, "Your Majesty, thinking and caring about the happiness of others has always been a characteristic of yours that I've admired. The way that you've always put Wolfram's feelings before your comfort is a great task that probably only you would have the patients and kindness to do. Everyone knows that only Wolfram's the only one taking the accidental proposal seriously—and that his affections are thoroughly one-sided. So I sincerely advice for your Majesty to dissolve the engagement, it's the healthier choice for the both of you". Gunter paused once the door to the study was in front of them. He quickly went inside and looked through the shelf for the materials he was going to teach today. Yuuri sat down on the chair closest to the windows and slowly arranged the desk top to his liking. He took a deep sigh, thinking about the reoccurring topic for the day, it has been four years since it started; and people wanted to hear the end of it, will he marry Wolfram or will he dissolve the engagement? And the answer is no.
As the law abiding, good natured, peace loving Demon King he was, if he had any dark side, it would be this. It would be how he could not put Wolfram's happiness before his needs, contrary to what Gunter- what many has said. He chose to keep himself in the company of someone in the same predicament as him, an unrequited love. Wolfram's continuing sufferings comforted him, comforted his own fruitless love. And this dark side stops him from taking an action to either marry or break off his engagement with Wolfram; his misery needed company, and Wolfram was his chosen companion.
I wrote this because of my inner hurt, lol. Umm I hope you guys enjoyed it, or got hurt by it. I actually ship Yuuram pretty hard and I got the idea to write this from one of those 'what-if' moments.
Please critique/review, any input for my writing to improve would be deeply appreciate.
Thank you Christine for editing this short piece.
