Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maou.
Big thanks to my beta reader Nami schwan!
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"Conrad, do you believe there's red strings of fate?" The soldier paused from his task of cleaning dishes, so he could turn to face Yuuri.
The teen was absently drying a plate, eyes fixed upon his parents. The elder Shibuya couple were currently out on the porch, showing off an old family photo album to Wolfram.
The knight drew a soft breath, casting his mind back to the young Maou's question, thinking it over once again. "I don't believe I've ever heard of these red strings before."
"That's too bad," murmured Yuuri, his eyes never leaving the porch. The dying sun cast a harsh light upon his pale face, making his hair seem far darker than it was. The sight sent a chill ran down Conrad's spine despite the unbearably muggy summer evening. "Mom really likes that fairytale, even though it's not European."
That peaked the knight's curiosity, there were few myths outside of German fairytales that held Jennifer's interest. "What's it about?"
Yuuri turned back to face him, that empty smile he'd been wearing far too much recently gracing his face. "It's nothing interesting," he answered with a light shake of his head. "It's basically the same plot: once upon a time, and the two of them lived.. happily ever after…" He trailed out, eyes falling to the plate in his hands. "It's all make-believe anyway." Conrad was taken aback by the disparaging tone in the teen's voice.
"Yuuri…" began Conrad, drawing the young Maou's attention to him. The teen gave him a quizzical look, seemingly unaware of the shock he'd given Conrad. "What's the matter?"
"Eh?" was Yuuri confused answer. His large dark eyes looked just as innocent as ever, and Conrad was amazed that not a trace of that same gloom which haunted his smiles was present within those dark orbs. Yuuri gave a slight chuckle, moving to place the dish away. "Well, other than the fact my parents are currently showing off pictures of me in.. dresses…" His laughter was hollow, even as he trailed out leaving the rest of his thought unspoken.
"Yuuri…" Conrad moved, not caring that he was covered up to his elbows in dirty soapy water, only to have the teen retreat away from him. "Yuuri!" A slight frown came to the soldier's face, but he didn't move any farther. The teen stood on the far side of the kitchen, his back towards Conrad. "Please, won't you tell me what's wrong?"
"It's-" The teen's shoulders tensed, his head bowing lower. "Can't you tell?" For the first time Conrad could hear the anguish clear in Yuuri's voice. "Haven't you been able to?"
The knight was at a loss of what to say. All he could tell was that something serious had been bothering Yuuri for a long time, most likely since he'd begun to wear those achingly empty smiles. Guilt latched onto the knight's heart. Why hadn't he said anything before now? But… even now Conrad did not know what to say.
"Yuuri-"
"Forget it," cut in the teen, suddenly whipping around facing the knight. "I should never have mentioned it. The idea of red threads are dumb. I shouldn't have brought-"
"I'm not going to let this drop, your majesty," Conrad told him softly, cutting off the teen's ramblings. He steadily held Yuuri's gaze with his own. In the end it was the young Maou who looked away first. "Please, Yuuri."
"It's just a dumb tale," murmured Yuuri, twisting the drying towel tightly in his hands.
"But I'd like to hear it anyway."
There was a long silence. Conrad waited, though he began to fear the teen wouldn't speak. "A-a god… traveling upon the earth… um, one day met a little boy from a tiny village," began Yuuri shakily. "They talk for a while, the little boy unaware he's speaking with a god. The god tells him of an invisible string that connects two people together and that those two people are destined to marry, regardless… of time, place o-or circumstances."
Yuuri stopped there, but an encouraging nod from the knight started him again. "The god also says, the red cord might tangle or stretch, but it can never be severed. Of course," Yuuri ducked his head, looking embarrassed, "the little boy doesn't believe him. That amuses the god, because he can clearly see the red thread leading away from the little boy. The god then pointed to a little girl playing with her friends nearby, telling him that was his future wife. And the little boy…" Yuuri's voice dropped to a near whisper, "not wanting to believe that, throws a sharp rock at her, which leaves a scar just above her eyebrow."
Something twisted in Conrad's gut at that, like he should be connecting this to something. But for the life of him, he… just can't. Yuuri fell silent, and Conrad, without comprehending his own words, found himself speaking. "Surely that's not how the tale ends."
Yuuri's expression twisted. Instead of sorrow, it was that smile the knight has grown to hate so much. "It ends like a fairytale. They marry and live happily ever after. The End."
That isn't right, whispered a piece of Conrad's mind. He couldn't find his voice though. Yuuri's eyes were still so clear. It didn't make any sense. The young Maou had turned away, and was looking at the porch again, but was blind to the sight of his loving parents and the sunset.
Conrad couldn't allow himself to follow the teen's gaze.
They both stood in the kitchen, opposite, even though they were both bathed in the last rays of twilight. Yuuri was the first to move away, saying his fiancé was calling. A cold feeling descended upon the knight.
A verdict had been reached and Conrad wasn't even aware of the decision.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Yuuri told him again. "Fairytales aren't true." Their backs were to each other, and perhaps…
They'd never be facing again.
"If red strings were real…" he heard Yuuri say. The teen's body was nothing more than a shadow, framed in the glass door, against the dying sky. "That little boy would probably still hate her…. Even though he had no choice but to marry him."
Conrad's mouth snapped open, trying to make a sound but nothing came out. Wolfram's voice broke the air, a call for Yuuri. It was too late now for the knight to speak.
A step later, the teen was through the door, and all Conrad was left with was the image of himself: of eyes filled with bitter acceptance surrounded by a pained smile.
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I'll admit this piece turned out nothing like I first imagined it. Originally I was planning a nice fluffy ConYuu piece about Red Strings and then this happened. Not that I'm complaining, its just completely different from my original idea.
It's funny when I first looked up the myth on Red Threads of Fate out of curiosity, I wasn't planning on writing a fanfic about it. Of course that changed when I read the legend and found quite a few little coincidences in the story that reminded me of Kyou Kara Maou. It was little things like the fact the girl in the myth ended up with a scar on her eyebrow, just like Conrad. Also the fact it was an arranged marriage in the tale between the little boy and girl, which makes me think of both Julia's engagement to Adalbert and Yuuri's accidental engagement to Wolfram.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my fanfic and I appreciate any comments you have about it. Thanks for reading!