Yuuri can't help but smile at the scene unfolding in front of him. He sits on top of the hill surrounding the baseball field near the Blood Pledge Castle. It is the perfect day for baseball. The cooling breeze, the soft grass between his fingers, the tender laughter of the one-who-named-him...
Yes, there he is. Yuuri can see Conrad just a little ways down from the top of hill from where he sits. Conrad laughs softly as he watches the batter unsuccessfully attempts to hit the ball he pitched. The batter fell comically as he swung the bat hard.
"Nice try there, just try and keep your posture straight. Keep your eyes on the ball, that'll help you get your timing right next time," Conrad offered.
"Ye-- Yes sir!"
Yuuri sighed contently. This is how it should be, he thought. The whole issue with Big Shimaron has blown over. The humans are no longer fighting with the Mazokus. Gunter is acting like his usual maou-loving self, Wolfram still kicks him off the bed during the middle of the night, and Gwendel, amazingly, retained his glaze-o-death. Even Murata is as normal as ever, though it does gets a little lonely without him in the castle main grounds.
But the most important thing is...
Whatis the most important thing, Yuuri ponders. His eyebrows frowns in his sudden loss of his train of thought. Is it the peace between humans and Mazokus? Or is it the safe containment of the Box? Or is it... is it something else?
Yuuri's gaze lingered over to Conrad down the hill. "Conrad..," Yuuri said softly, "Yes, Conrad... The most important thing..."
Feeling Yuuri's gaze on him, Conrad turned away for a second from batting tutoring and smiled at Yuuri. "Just half an hour more, Heika, they're almost ready to play a game with you."
Yuuri flashed a smile back at Conrad. How he had wished for that smile during the whole Big Shimaron fiasco. Conrad's smile and his reassuring voice, Conrad's strong yet gentle embraces, Conrad's undivided attention and sworn protection of him... he nearly lost them all. All of them.
Yuuri unconsciously hugged his knees together, his chins on his buried in between his knees. He would never want to go through that again. Losing Conrad.. is like losing a part of himself. All he could do during the whole time without Conrad is keep telling himself to believe in him, that he's not really betraying them, that he's not really leaving him. Leaving him alone.
"Heika!"
Lost in his thoughts, Yuuri barely registered Conrad's urgent call.
"Heika! Watch out!"
One of the batters failed to hit the ball, but swung the bat so hard that he lost his grip on it, resulting in an out-of-control bat heading directly toward Yuuri's way.
"Yuuri!" Conrad took off like a lightening toward Yuuri.
"Eh?" Yuuri snapped out of his thoughts. "Conrad?"
Before he could even see what has happened, the next thing he remembers is a pair of firm arms around him and the protective embrace as he rolled down the hill. He opened his eyes after the initial shock. "Con-- Conrad? What are we doing like this? Did something happen? Are you all right? Ah I'm blabbering, aren't I? I'm so sorry----"
But he was cut off by Conrad's sudden hug. "Huh? Eh?" Yuuri's brain responded, "Is... is Conrad hugging me?"
"My apologies, Heika," Conrad pulled away, "It appears we had a run-away bat for a brief moment there." He stands up, not letting go of Yuuri's hand until he has the Maou upright and well. "Are you injured in any way?"
"No... I'm all right. How about you, Conrad? Ano.. thanks for saving me back there, I guess I wasn't paying much attention, and I was the one who wanted to watch you teach the guards how to play baseball."
"It is my duty, Heika, so no need to thank me. All right then, why don't we take a lunch break now?"
"Sure... but how many times do I have to tell you stop calling me 'Heika?' You-who-named-me..." Yuuri pouted with his arms around his waist.
"I understand... Yuuri."
"There, that's better." Yuuri laughed. "Saa, let's go eat." He grabs Conrad's right hand and starts running toward the picnic area. Conrad's eyes widened for a second at Yuuri's touch.
"Of Course... let us go..."
..."My Yuuri."
fin.