Carry You

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou is the property of creator Tomo Takabayashi and licensor Geneon Entertainment, Inc.

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Everyone who came into contact with Yuuri knew exactly how special he was, but no one knew it better than Conrad. Yuuri had saved his life more times than he could count; he gave Conrad a reason to go on and helped him to remember what true joy felt like.

It never ceased to amaze Conrad that the only person who didn't know how special Yuuri was, was Yuuri.

"Conrad?" Yuuri asked him one day while they were tossing a baseball around the courtyard. "What do you think makes a good King?"

It wasn't a question that Conrad was surprised to hear. Yuuri always had trouble acknowledging his own strengths. "A good King is kind," Conrad began, "and he is compassionate. A good King is strong enough to support his people, but not too proud to ask for help. It was for these qualities that you were chosen to be the Maou, and for these qualities that you will become our greatest leader since the time of Shinou." Of that, Conrad had no doubt.

"But what if I can't do it?" Yuuri wondered, his anxiety showing in the restless way he was turning the baseball over and over in his hand. "I remember when we went to Bandarbia, I was too scared to pull Morgif out of the lake. I only went back after I heard you talking with Yozak." Yuuri flushed, his eyes fixed on the ground in a guilty expression. "What if that happens again...what if I get so scared that I can't move forward?"

Conrad smiled. He had known the answer to that question long before it was asked. "Then I will carry you."

Yuuri returned the smile for a moment, but then something seemed to occur to him and he gave Conrad an inquisitive look. "But what about you?" Yuuri asked. "What if you're too busy watching out for me, and something -" Yuuri swallowed; he seemed to be having trouble finding his words.

Conrad waited patiently for Yuuri to finish. When he finally spoke, his words were hushed and his voice was thick with emotion.

"I have to know that you'll be okay, Conrad. If you're carrying me, then who will carry you?"

That question made Conrad pause. Didn't Yuuri know that it was he who had brought Conrad through his darkest time? How could Yuuri not realize that, even from the time before he was born, he had been the one to give Conrad strength and hope, that thoughts of him had helped Conrad find his smile again? Whether by the brilliance of the sun or by the wistful but constant presence of the rubber duck on Conrad's bookshelf, Yuuri was the one who lit the world for him.

In the end, there was only one answer that Conrad could give. "We'll carry each other."

When Yuuri smiled at him, his eyes shining with gratitude, Conrad knew that as long as Yuuri's smile was there to fill him with strength, there was no burden too heavy for him to bear.

End

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Thanks to Parsnipchan for the amazing Beta job.

Author's Notes: It seems like everything I do lately is somehow connected in my head to my brother's recent death, and this is no exception. Although this isn't a songfic, obviously, the title and inspiration came from the lines of a song called "Carry You" by VnV Nation. The song is about how, even when you feel like you can't go on, there is a force that makes it possible to keep moving. That unknown force got me through these last three weeks, and I'm hoping it will keep me moving in the times ahead.

Comments and concrit are very much appreciated.