Hey guys, guess who's still alive & well? Me of course! Hahaha... Anyways, this ship is like home for me; be it platonic or romantic. I may leave it for a while, but I'll always end up returning, and with even stronger feelings. This is just one of those times. I hope you guys enjoy it :)

"Conrad, do you know why I was crying?"

The soldier was stumped. Why? Isn't it because Yuuri was forced to choose between them? Isn't it because his beautiful king is too kind, too generous, and too understanding to ever tell the soldier that he wasn't needed in the teenager's life anymore? Isn't that why he himself had decided to hand in his letter of formal resignation- to lessen the burden on the maou's shoulders?

The soldier didn't move. His mind was spinning out of control thinking of reasons, of all the small and individual events that ended up winding together to give birth to this disaster. He was experiencing so many feelings all at one; it was disorienting. Sadness, fury, distress, confusion, but most of all frustration. He was frustrated that Yuuri was crying. Yuuri, the gentle soul, the sun that brought the light back into his life. His precious and dear Yuuri was in pain, and that he couldn't do anything but stand there.

"Because Conrad, there isn't a choice."

Those large dark orbs stared up at his godfather expectantly, as if awaiting a moment of acknowledgement, or a nod of understanding. But there was no nod, no lighting up of the eyes, no sudden realizations, and the silence only grew as the half born just stared back blankly.

Yuuri only sighed, running his hands through his ink coloured hair, showing his impatience at Conrad's lack of apprehension. Weariness and exhaustion were painted on the king's visage, yet one could still see the determination steadily shining in those jet black eyes of his. It was then that the soldier was once again reminded that his king was unshakable in his beliefs and decisions.

"Don't you understand? There is never a choice when it comes to you. Not now, not ever. How do you not realize how important you are to me? I can take losing him, I can imagine life without him, and as much as it hurts now, I will heal in due time. But you, you are a whole different story. I'd crumble if you weren't by my side, Conrad. You are ever more so my heart, and home is wherever the heart is. Staying would be meaningless without you. You were here from the very beginning -when I first arrived in Shin Makoku- and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you see it through with me 'till the very end."

The soldier was dumbfounded for the first time in his life. He didn't know what to say. So he blinked once, and then a second time, and a few more after that.

And so the teenager continued, "That's why I was avoiding him for so long. I knew he'd bring it up eventually, and once he did, our relationship would be over. Because there isn't even a decision to make; I will always choose you. God, it just really really hurts right now, Conrad. I don't want to see him in pain, I don't want him to suffer because of my choices. And as selfish as it may be, I still want him in my life."

The situation might've been funny, seeing the teenager flailing his hands around to emphasis his point, and the captain's rare speechlessness. In fact, maybe when some time has passed, and both parties are in their right senses, they'll have a laugh over this. However, as of right now, the young king was sad and tired. Now that he was satisfied with telling the soldier his thoughts and feelings, he only had two things on his mind- really soft mattresses and fluffy pillows.

"Sorry Conrad, but could you leave me alone please? I need to wail in despair and self pity for a little while." He tried to flash the soldier a grin, but it only managed to turn out as a grimace. Not waiting for Conrad's response, the double black started trudging towards his place of solace.

Hey again. Hoped you liked this. I might- just might continue this story, since it's so open ended right now. Did Yuuri just make a love confession to Conrad? Or did the teenager mean nothing more than just simply platonic feelings? Who is the "he" that Yuuri is talking about? What happened that led Yuuri to have to make this decision? I feel like you'd be able to take an educated guess and get all the correct answers, since all of you are smart people, but still,

curiosity killed the cat.