Author's Note: This story is definitely from my CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY imagination. Basically this story runs off the scenes from the second half of Episode 26 "The Full Circle Of Life". Julia's soul decided to change a little of fate and slipped away during the crossing between worlds, sliding back through time on Earth and impregnating Shoma Shibuya's mother, making Yuuri his younger brother not his son. Yuuri in the beginning of this fic takes on the role of Jose Rodriguez in introducing Conrart to Earth when he arrives in Japan in 1984 (based on the start of the series date of 2004 and going back twenty years to the right time period).
Bob... has a few plans for Yuuri, knowing exactly who he's meant to be and knowing he needs to eventually get him to go willingly to the Great Demon Kingdom and has used a rather interesting ploy to get him there and keep Conrart in the country.
Dedicated to Crsg and her story 'Full Circle'. (I suggest you read it, it's quite good!)
Disclaimer: Own nothing but... the marriage license. LOL
Fields Outside of Inoya, Japan, [1984]
Heat rolled across the landscape, soaking into the parched ground and sending tiny heat shimmers rising into the air. The same scorching light spread its rays wide over the body of Conrart Weller as he lay sprawled across the dust and rocks, his limps stretched out. Just beneath him a pool of water rested, the earth surprisingly damp as if a tornado had dumped both rain and the man down before vanishing once more into nothing.
A low distant rumble filled the air, the half-breed groaning softly as every part of his body ached as if he had been stretched and compressed through a tight space. Eyelids flickering, they slowly lifted a little before clenching shut as the brilliant light practically blinded him. His head throbbed with each thunderous pulse of his heart, before he finally forced himself to open his eyes once more and pushing himself up and off the sodden earth.
Hand pressed to his temple, he brushed back the slightly damp strands of hair that clung to his skin, the sun already starting to dry him out. Strangely cut clothes clung to his muscular body, the edge of his shirt actually still dripping from the watery trip through the barrier between worlds which had left him high and dry in the middle of... His head twisted around, scanning his surroundings and not recognising anything around him.
A large metal box was sweeping towards him on wheels, its blue painted metal glinting in the sun that beat down over him and the dirt road that he had been sprawled out on. His eyes blinked sharply, attempting to clear his blurred vision for a moment and focus on the driver of the vehicle, which he recognised was similar to a carriage, but clearly without the need of horses to pull it.
The driver's side door opened and a black haired young man stepped out, his obsidian eyes bright and warm in greeting. "Hello!" He called, already rounding the hood of the vehicle and moving towards Conrart. "I'm happy to see you arrived safely." Though a slightly sheepish glint filled the man's eyes. "I'm late picking you up... and I'm sorry about that. You have no idea how in the middle of nowhere this actually is."
Conrart's gaze took in the black hair and eyes that the man possessed and felt a part of himself relax, a double black been set to greet him was an honour, though he could not quite make out the words that were being directed at him. Yet, the slight curve of those soft lips drew his eyes and the sincere look on the man's face put the half-breed at ease. There was nothing dangerous about the young man who regarded him with a bright grin and a welcoming stance.
A slightly puzzled look crossed the man's handsome features as he took a step forward and stopped. "Oh dear... you haven't got a clue what I'm saying, do you?"
Eyebrows drawing together in a moment of confusion, Conrart still not quite being able to understand stand the words, but was feeling a touch wary about this entire process. He still wondered why it had been him that Julia had chosen to carry her soul to Earth. Why had it been him? Why? A part of him raged against the thought, raged against the fact that his friend was gone for such a reason. Julia had deserved to live a full life... it might not have been with him... but she would have been loved by Adalbert... had children... continued to brighten the world with her presence.
"Ah..." The lithe black haired man shifted slightly on the balls of his feet, considering what to do right then in order to be able to get both of them out of the middle of nowhere and away from the raw heat of this particularly hot summer day. "I know." He was smiling again a moment later, before slipping a hand into a pocket and drawing out a small flask, holding it up so that the light slid through the glass and glimmered off the perfect round soul that existed within the vessel. "See... I'm just like you, protecting and sheltering something extremely special."
Conrart's jaw clenched, his gaze focusing on the bottle that glinted in the warm sunlight in the man's palm. How could he admit to what had happened to what had been entrusted to him? His hand slipped into his pocket and his fingers curled around the cool glass of a bottle almost completely identical to the one in the other man's fingers. He had already failed Julia. Already failed in the eyes of Shinou.
"Might as well get us both out of this blazing sunshine." He offered the man a small smile, gesturing for him to follow him to the truck, knowing it would be some time before they were back at his home. Hopefully Bob would be able to offer him some advice in dealing with a rather irritated and apathetic individual, who clearly wasn't even going to make an effort to communicate with him.
Shibuya Residence, Inoya, Japan [1984]
"It would help if I knew quite what to do with him." Yuuri's hands rested on his hips as he rolled his eyes heavenward and let out a quiet sigh. "Not a word, Bob. Not a sound from him and he's already been here half a day." His obsidian eyes glanced towards the powerful Maou of Earth who sat comfortably by the open doors where a sweet breeze swept into the overheated house. "What in the name of..." Both palms lifted and he dropped onto the cushion opposite the other man, running a hand back through his tussled black locks. "I understand the culture shock, but that?"
A finger pointed through the open doorway to where the Demon Tribesman sat with his back against one of the posts that supported the surrounding covered walkway that wrapped around his open planned home.
"I believe you know what to do with him, Yuuri." Bob's lips turned upwards into a slight smile, regarding one of his best workers with a long glance over the edge of his sunglasses. Reaching down he drew the mug of ice tea to his lips and enjoyed the sweet almost fragrant taste of it as it slipped down his throat. There had always been something refreshing about the honest and cheerful nature of Yuuri Shibuya, younger brother of one of his bankers Shoma Shibuya.
"Something drastic if he remains like that." Yuuri shot Conrart a meaningful glare, lips pressing together before glancing back towards the pitcher of ice cold water he had pulled out of the refrigerator earlier.
One dark brow lifted in question at the slightly speculating look on Yuuri's face. "You have a plan?"
"He wants to be cold. I'll make him cold." And a smile played across his lips at that, unable to help his playful streak from surfacing. "I'm not going to tolerate his bad attitude."
With that, Yuuri was on his feet, already lifting the pitcher of cold water from the table and headed straight for the Demon Tribesman. Before Conrart looked up at him, the glass vessel was up turned and cold water and ice cubes fell in a nice arc right onto the man's silky brown head, instantly drenching the man right through. With a snarl the man was on his feet, hair plastered to his face, cinnamon eyes swirling with heated rage as he opened his mouth to growl something at Yuuri.
A cascade of angry words filled the space between Yuuri and Conrart as water dripped from the man's long locks and onto the wood, clothes clinging to his body and a shiver working its way up through him at the sudden chill.
Yuuri just stood there grinning back at him, cool glass pitcher still in his hands. Before carefully setting it down to one side and poking one slender finger right into the middle of Conrart Weller's chest, obsidian eyes narrowing as he gazed up into the man's face with a flash of dark seriousness etched deep within his eyes having been hidden by his vibrant humour. "You want to berate me? You do it in a language I understand. You come here and think that everyone will speak your language, think again."
Conrart mouth was still a little open and instantly it snapped shut. Cinnamon eyes still blazing with anger, but this time he was actually listening to Yuuri's words and the emotions behind them instead of just dismissing him.
"I'm not your babysitter. I'm here to help, but nothing can happen unless you let it." Though his dark eyes softened as he felt the sparks of something deep within the man, the quiet anguish that ached within his heart. "You can't just step back from the world and ignore what's happening. I know you must be in pain, I can see it in your eyes, but do you think whoever it was who mattered so much to you would want to see you like this?"
Though he almost wanted to grin as he considered his own words and the slightly shivering man before him who was still dripping helplessly.
"Well, you know what I mean." He murmured a touch sheepishly.
The corners of Yuuri's lips quirked upwards at the steady gaze of those silver streaked cinnamon eyes. Nodding slightly in satisfaction when Conrart's expression turned from furious to something that was almost thoughtful, Yuuri felt a spark of relief warm his heart. A placating hand was raised to silence any more of Yuuri's words, before Conrart gestured to himself and touched the edge of his dripping shirt, one finely arched eyebrow lifting as if to say 'So what now since you left me dripping wet in the only clothes that I have?'.
"Have a hot bath and we'll see if what Bob brought from NASA might actually work. I'll go find you some clothes, Shoma should have left some somewhere."
And Bob looked on approvingly, knowing that his choice had always been a good one from the start in bring these two souls together and he had an idea just how to do it.
The night was thankfully cooler than earlier evening had been, the soft tickling breeze sweeping in through the open doors around the strange house. Conrart Weller's slippered feet were silent against the wooden floorboards as he moved through the house, drawn in by his sense of the other man in the house. He paused before a set of the sliding wooden doors that were practically everywhere, no light shone through the partially opaque rice paper that covered the 'window' parts of the door. Fingers curled around the edge and tugged lightly, spilling a pool of light into the darkness and into the feet end of the man inside, thankfully not disturbing him enough to awaken from sleep.
The strange metal object was still clutched in his hand, the length of cording tangled around his fingers, brief bursts of sound continued to escape the headphones that dangled against his leg.
One step forwards, then a second, and soon he was dropping to his knees beside the beautiful man, truly looking into his face this time and realising that he was strikingly lovely, dark locks framing a pale, sharp featured face. Black lashes brushed against slightly flushed cheeks and called to him, almost making his fingers practically itch to see if the warm inviting skin was just as warm as it promised to be. Those lips twitched, startling Conrart as he realised with a start that the other man had awakened, feigning sleep all the while.
"Finished already?"
"Yes."
Lips twitched again before sliding into a full out smile, one that shone from deep in this man's soul and struck Conrart hard in the heart that he hadn't noticed it. Had he been so lost in his pain that he could no longer see what was before him?
Eyelids fluttered and dark soulful eyes drifted open, regarding Conrart with a quiet kind of understanding, one that said all he had wished to do was draw Conrart from the shadows that had consumed him after Julia's death, after the battle which had almost cost him his life. Her death had left him feeling as lonely as he had before, reopening the aching loneliness within him that even Yozak couldn't fill.
Shuffling across the large futon, Yuuri's hand reached out to tug back the edge of the thin sheet that was spread across his half bared body. "If you promise not to snore..."
The walkman dropped from his fingers, thumping dully against the tatami mats, the cord between player and headphones still being half tangled around his hand. Conrart stared down into that dark gaze and his mouth opened, wanting to say something, anything to push away the comfort that was being offered to him. It was such a simple thing, such a simple action... an offering. He hadn't known why he had gotten up from his own low mattress and sort out the younger man until that moment.
"Come on, I do like my sleep."
"Why...?" It was a rasp of sound, dragged from somewhere deep within himself. The single word had been torn from his heart.
"Because I know what it's like to feel alone and no one deserves to have to feel the pain you do and bear it alone."
"I do not want your pity or your sympathy." The words escaped him in a brutal rush, cinnamon eyes snapping sparks, jaw clenching in rage. Even though all this man was truly to do was help him, he couldn't stop lashing out, trying to slap away the metaphorical hands that reached to sooth him.
A hand reached out and suddenly wrenched Conrart forwards with a hand on the collar of his robe, landing him sprawled face first into the soothingly warm blankets and Yuuri's side. "Get your ass in bed, you giant grumbling lump."
Conrart was quite ready to say something when, he was expertly rolled onto the sheets, his entire body sprawling out on the softness. The heat of where the other man had been lying warming Conrart's entire back and legs through even the fabric of his robe. His hips were straddled, palms resting on either side of his head trapping him, even though he could easily through the very slight weight of this man off him, he was frozen by the intimate position they were in. Cinnamon eyes were caught by the blazing obsidian that regarded him quietly.
"You want to rage? You want to snarl at the world? Then do it." Yuuri's body leaned forwards, almost making them nose to nose as he stared down into the man's face. "I won't let you hide. I won't let you step back from what you feel because you think it's safer. I'll push and push, until you face it. I'll drive you to that edge if I have to."
A low sound of anger sounded from Conrart's throat, uncertain how this man knew... how this man knew exactly what he was doing. No one had the right to tell him... They rolled, Conrart's hands curling around slender wrists and pinned them on either side of Yuuri's beautiful face, snarling and ready to do something... anything to stop the words that struck him sharper than any another had said to him since Julia's death. Shifting his grip so that slender wrists were pinned in his larger one, his fingers curled into a fist and it lifted, ready to drive down into that face, ready to lash out just as the man wanted.
Their gazes caught. And Conrart froze as he stared into those bottomless dark pools that regarded him, not a spark of fear anywhere within them as they gazed up at him, prepared to strike the pinned man.
"I won't let you drown in your emotions. I won't run. I won't flinch away." His head shifted and the tips of their noses actually brushed softly together. "I'm right here and I'm not going to leave you."
"Everyone leaves." Conrart blinked at the words that slipped from between his own lips, the startling truth that he had never dared to admit to anyone. "Everyone turns their back. I'm... I'm... less than nothing to them."
"Who left you?"
"My father..." A single tear shimmered, hot and scorching its way down his cheek. A shiver slid up from deep within his soul and out into his body. "My brothers. Mother... Julia."
"You can stay as long as you want, I'm not going anywhere."
"You cannot promise that." His voice was hoarse and just a little husky with his repressed grief for Julia's loss.
"I can try to prove it then." Fingers wiggling slightly, it took only a gentle tug to release his fingers from the man's bruising grip, even though he knew he would have dark marks on his skin in the morning he didn't care. Both arms were soon sliding around broad shoulders, tugging the man towards him.
Cinnamon eyes widened slightly when soft lips abruptly brushed against his own, warm and inviting. The first contact between them was a heady rush of sensation, his fingers curling into the sheets beneath them. Soon he was returning the kiss, their mouths meshing as it went from hot to hotter, tongues tangling as they both groaned and pressed together. It was by sheer force of will that he was able to lift his head, his eyes regarding the slightly flushed face of the man beneath him with confusion.
A hand reached up and curled around the back of Conrart's neck, smoothing the silky locks that rested against the soldier's nape, caressing it softly. "Come get some sleep. We'll talk about everything in the morning, right now I need sleep or I'll be the one grumbling when I get up."
And he shifted to rest on his side beneath the sheet, his head dropping to rest on the pillow that smelled so much like the sweet, slightly spicy scent of the man beside him. Within moments, the man was asleep, half curled against Conrart's side and warming him all the while. Shuffling just a few inches closer, Conrart tentatively reached out, his arm settling lightly around the man's waist. Hesitating, he waited, noting that the man continued to sleep on, the faintest smiles tugging at his lips. Slipping his other arm beneath the slender form, he gathered the man to him, tucking him into the curve of his body, his face burying itself against the dark mass of silk.
A soft murmur escaped Yuuri, his face burrowing itself against the strong chest, an arm flopping around Conrart as their legs tangled and he slept on, contented clearly in not sleeping alone.
"Thank you." Conrart whispered raggedly, dropping a kiss against the dark head, knowing the man might never know just how much he had needed to feel another against him, someone who wouldn't let him get away with anything.
It wasn't long before the half-breed drifted into sleep himself, finding peace for the first time since the beginning of the war in the arms of a man he didn't know the name of.
The smell of breakfast greeted him and Conrart's stomach promptly rumbled in response, reminding him that he had not eaten anytime the day before even when offered food. Lashes slowly lifting, he rolled and shifted, finding the bedding still warm beside him and he couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth at the memory of that kiss.
Rolling himself out and off the futon to his feet, he slipped on the slippers that rested at the edge of the bedding, following his nose through the house to the kitchen and finding the dark haired beauty cooking over the heat of a strange contraption. Leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, Conrart just watched for a few moments, taking in the deft movements of his host and really taking in the beauty of the sleep rumpled man first thing in the morning.
"Are you going to stand there all morning or are you going to help me...?" A hand waved off to the side, indicating vegetables sitting washed and peeled, ready to be sliced and added to one of the steaming pots that rested on the stove top.
"Conrart Weller." He supplied, aware of the fact that the previous day he truly had acted like a disrespectful cur towards a man who had opened his home and even his bed to him in an effort to offer him comfort and security in a place that was very foreign to him. Stepping forwards into the kitchen, he made his way over to the cutting board and picked up the knife, soon slicing up the vegetables and putting them into the pots Yuuri was stirring. "I have to apologise..."
"Forgiven and forgotten, Conrart."
A hand reached out and squeezed the soldier's shoulder in reassurance, while the spoon in his other continued stirring a bubbling pot. However, the sleeve of the man's robe pulled up away from the slender wrist as it retreated and dark bruises stood out against the pale skin.
The knife dropped suddenly from Conrart's fingers as he gazed down at the dark bruises, his hand darting out to catch the man's forearm lightly, keeping it from retreating. Sliding the fabric back away from the slender wrist, his large calloused fingers brushed against the marks and almost choked back a sound of pain when his fingers easily covered the darkening bruises. "I did this."
Wide cinnamon eyes stared at the man before him, one who had treated him with only kindness and been attempting to help him and in return he had... His anger had done this. His pent up emotions had hurt this gentle being.
"It's alright." Yuuri smiled up at him, not attempting to pull his arm away. "You didn't mean to do it."
"But I did. I caused this." Pain flickered deep within his silver flecked eyes. "I swear it will never happen again. I swear it..." Drawing the slender wrist upwards, his lips brushed against the warm skin, wishing he had the gift to heal what he had done.
"Look at me."
It took him long moments to lift his head, his eyes taking in the beautiful features before him.
"I'm not angry with you over that. Just... talk to me. Talk to me when you need to release everything caught up within you. Remember, eventually you'll go back to your world and you'll never see me again, so no one will ever know what you told me. Well... it's not like I would ever give up any secrets you shared."
"What can I do..." His lips touched the bruised skin lightly, lingering there for a long moment. "...to make this right?"
"You..."
"Why didn't you tell me you had married?"
Both Conrart and Yuuri twisted around to regard the flushed face man standing in the doorway, his dark eyes staring at the pair before him with an intense stare. Shoma Shibuya stared at his younger brother for one long moment before both heard the sound of Shoma's wife and son entering the house in the banker's wake.
"Wait..." Both eyebrows lifted at that, Yuuri twitched off the stove and turned to face his brother fully. Though he was surprised when Conrart shifted to half stand before him, his hand having picked up the knife he had been using to cut the vegetables. His guest was positively bristling, ready to defend Yuuri at a moment's notice from the intruder and Yuuri had to admit he found it... extremely flattering. "Conrart, it's alright, this rather rude man is my older brother, Shoma Shibuya. He's not a threat."
Conrart gave the man a long stare before reluctantly shifting aside, though his muscles still vibrated with tension at the announcement that had escaped Shoma when he had entered.
"What is this about me and being married?"
"How can you not know...? Why didn't you invite us...? Is he who you got hitched to?"
"Who said anything about me being married?"
"Bob, this morning."
"Bob?" And some kind of crazy spark of divine clarity struck him. "Oh... he didn't." Yuuri bolted from the kitchen, straight out into the sitting room where a bundle of papers still sat at the low table where he and Bob had been talking the night before about Conrart. Flipping open the folder, the contents was spilled out and spread across the floor, Yuuri riffling through them as everyone else came to stand in the doorway to watch him.
Finding the paper he had been seeking, he flipped it open and cursed. There in stark black ink was a marriage license, one that had been clearly signed by himself. He remembered it. It had been something he had offered Bob at some point when he was just starting out to help with members of the Demon Tribe on Earth, acting as a person to help anyone and everyone who needed it within the Tribe, offering his home as a haven for those in need. He had offered a blank marriage certificate to Bob in case someone was in dire need of protection, if someone needed a marriage to keep away trouble or keep them in the country. Yuuri had known he would never find someone for himself... so he had offered something like that to Bob.
His own stupidity was thankfully not too shocking to him. Right...
Eyes lifted to Conrart's face, meeting the worried gaze of the man who was slowly approaching him. "Did the man last night ask you to sign something while I was out fetching dinner?"
"Yes. It seemed necessary to have papers, I saw no issue with signing them." Or at least not last night when Bob had gestured at him in such a commanding way that Conrart had not questioned the man.
"I hope you don't mind marriage, Conrart." He turned the paper around and slid it forwards towards Conrart. "Because last night you did marry me as Bob thought it would be best that you not be given Japanese citizenship because you are quite... European in appearance."
Shoma stared at the two. "Yuuri, what the heck is going on?"
"I wish I had a good answer for that." Other than the fact that Conrart and himself had ended up being officially married... "But you just got yourself a new brother-in-law."
LOOOL Bob is coniving XD but I don't think either of those two will mind in a few chapters. This story will probably be about 5-6 chapters long and is one of those random time twists I like so much. A 'what if'... I definitely take suggestions in what you would like to see these two get up to on Earth.