Title: Honey and Vinegar
Author: Saadia Mirage
Rating: G
Pairing: Wolfram x Yuuri, sorta Konrad Yuuri
Genre: Romance, humor, character interaction
Chapter: Oneshot most likely - though a continuation is possible.
Comments: Upset by Yuuri's feelings about their engagement, Wolfram retreats to a seculded part of the castle gardens. There he encounters some brotherly advice.

----

Someone was coming. Were they looking for him? Maybe Yuuri...?

Branches were pulled aside and someone stepped into the hidden clearing. "Wolfram?" He called.

The blond boy blanched. "Oh, it's you."

"Aa. It is I." Konrad answered, with a smile.

"What do you want?" The boy sneered.

"Well, you seemed upset after dinner."

"..." Wolfram looked away.

"Is it about what Heika said?" Konrad asked.

Wolfram turned sharply. "It's none of your business!" He spat.

Konrad was unmoved. "But it is." He said, "My King and younger brother are upset. Should I not try to help them?"

"Don't call me your brother!"

"Well, then. My fellow knight?" He conceded.

Wolfram frowned at him hard, but Konrad didn't seem discouraged in the slightest.

Finally, Wolfram sighed. "Yuuri is an idiot."

Konrad ambled over to sit beside him on the short wall overlooking the rest of the courtyard garden. "Why do you say this? His majesty only wants the best for everyone. I know he is still ignorant of some of the workings of this world, but he is studying everyday to become a better Maou..."

Wolfram shook his head. "That's not what I mean. He's doing fine, better than anyone ever thought he would. Even I can admit that... Because I'm so surprised. Though he is too trusting."

"Ah, you think so?"

"He's too... nice. To everyone. Even the people who want to kill him!! Isn't that idiotic?"

"Well, it is out-of-the-ordinary. But this... This isn't what is really bothering you about him is it?"

Wolfram's frown deepened and he turned away. "Weller, this is the last conversation I want to be having with someone like you."

Konrad was still smiling. "Why is that?"

"Because Yuuri loves you, that's why!!" The boy exploded, jumping to his feet.

Konrad blinked.

Wolfram was brandishing his fist at him, seething with anger.

Konrad started laughing.

Wolfram turned bright red. "Weller! How dare you laugh at me! THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" He yelled.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It's just... I didn't expect you to be so... Outright about it."

"And what is that supposed to mean?!"

The man held up his hands in surrender. "Oii, calm down, calm down! We can duel later if that's what you truly want, but I want to tell you something first."

Wolfram stood stiffly, but his fist lowered a bit. "What is it?"

"I know that Heika loves me. And the truth is that I love him as well."

Wolfram looked like he was going to either be sick or commit murder. Possibly both.

Konrad continued hurriedly. "But it is not the way you fear! You see, Heika and I get along well because I have been to his world, and he can confide in me about things that maybe others wouldn't understand. And I have been looking after him since he was a newborn. He is in my care, and it gives me joy to see what a wonderful Maou and man he is becoming." He explained. "But you see, the way I love Heika and the way you love him are different."

Wolfram's fury was slowly being replaced with confusion. "Weller, you're not talking any sense! Quit trying to reason out this... this incestuous adultery!" He insisted.

Kondrad bit back another bout of laugher. "You misunderstand! You see, I do love Heika, as his caretaker and advisor and close friend. But I am not in love with him, romantically."

Wolfram's fist dropped back to his side. "Eh?"

"There are many different types of love. There is the kind between friends, family, and lovers. Would you not say that there is a difference between the way Mother loves us and the way she loved our fathers?"

Wolfram made a face. "I worry about that sometimes."

"Well, maybe she is a bad example. Well, Günter also loves his majesty...But... No, that's no good either..." Konrad mused.

"I get it, I get it. I'm not stupid or a child." Wolfram growled, exasperated. "But it still doesn't change the fact that Yuuri loves you... And..."

Konrad smiled at him again. "You think that he does not feel anything for you?"

Wolfram shot him a look, face burning.

Konrad let his smile fade for a moment, replacing it with a look of kind seriousness. "Look Wolfram... Heika does care about you."

"Aa. He 'cares' about everyone! That's the problem! He doesn't even give me a second thought, even though I'm his fiancée, he doesn't look at me any different than any one else!" Wolfram cried, hoping that the older man hadn't heard the crack in his voice.

If he did, Konrad didn't mention it.

Wolfram continued miserably. "He 'cares' about you more than he does about me, even if it isn't..."

"Well..." Konrad said clearing his throat, "There is a saying from the world that Heika comes from: 'You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.'"

Wolfram squinted at him in confusion. "Weller, you idiot, I don't want to catch flies! I want to-"

"The saying's meaning is this: 'Kindness is an attractive force.'" Konrad interrupted, holding up a finger.

Wolfram blinked. "Ehh?"

"What I mean to say is, that maybe you should be easier on Yuuri." The older man explained.

Wolfram was indignant. "Go easy on that wimpy cheater?!"

"See? You insult him even when he isn't around." He put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Wolfram. You know that Yuuri would never do something to hurt you, or anyone. He is an honest Maou."

The boy frowned up at the smiling man, then sighed and sat back down on the garden wall. "I know. But that's why..."

"If you truly cared about His Majesty, you would trust him. And you wouldn't push yourself on him."

"I haven't been--!"

Konrad raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe I have been a little... forceful in my affections. But otherwise he wouldn't even notice me!"

"I don't think that's true Wolfram. Your face is very hard to miss."

"Yuuri would. He wouldn't even care if I decided to forget about the whole fiancée thing. In fact, he'd probably be happy!"

"Well, I know that's not so. It's true that Heika isn't exactly enthusiastic about the wedding plans, as he expressed over the dinner table, but he knows that it is important to you. Therefore, if you were unhappy about it, so would he be."

But Wolfram had gone into bitter self-loathing mode.

"I'm nothing to him. He hates me. He can't even stand to face towards me in bed."

"Heika is still young, Wolfram. Not even sixteen. Where he comes from, this sort of relationship is unusual. Of course he would be uncomfortable when thrown into one. He is still very confused about what he is feeling. But I know he does not hate you. In fact, I know that he cares for you very much."

"And how do you know that?" Wolfram muttered.

"Well, he is the one who sent me to find you."

Wolfram opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and was silent. He stared at the ground as if it held the answers to life's great mysteries.

Konrad continued. "Actually, he wanted to find you himself, but I asked him if I could instead."

Wolfram looked up. "... Really?"

"Yes. He realized what he said had made you upset and he wanted to apologize. But Heika... Sometimes he does not know how to choose his words well."

Wolfram sighed again. "He is a wimp."

Konrad laughed again. "I have an idea. Perhaps there is a way you can understand His Majesty better. But you're going to have to be prepared."

"What is it?"

"You really want Yuuri to fall in love with you, right?"

"Of course."

"So you should make an effort to do nice things for him. Say nice things. Maybe get him a gift?"

"I tried that. I painted-"

"Maybe something that is more suited to him. Something special."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. It's your job to find out."

"How am I supposed to do that?!"

"Find out more about him, Wolfram. Talk to him, learn more about his world, his family, his hobbies. Surely these are things a lover would want to know about."

"... It's true that I don't know much about this... Earth."

"Right. And you can see how Heika is making such an effort to understand our world... I'm sure he would appreciate if you did the same for his."

"Aa. Perhaps you are right, Sir Weller. But I... I wouldn't know where to even start."

"Oh, well then. I have some books from Earth. When I was studying to pass through the worlds to watch over the birth of the Maou, I made a lot of notes and things. Maybe this would be helpful."

Wolfram looked uncertain, but there was a hopeful glint in his eye. "I... I could borrow them from you?"

"Of course!"

"And this...philosophy ... about bees and salad dressing?"

"That's honey and vinegar." Konrad corrected.

"Right. Maybe I'll try that out a bit."

"It is a good plan." Konrad smiled.