Full Summary: Wolfram, a foreign rich boy struggles to find his place in Japan as he studies to take over the family business until he meets the mysterious and ruthless gang leader known as the Moah Yuuri Shibuya. Now his life has changed as it entwines with Yuuri's in their hardships to normalcy and love.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kyou Kara Maoh or any of the characters, if I did there would be a fourth season already.
A/N: Sorry I suck at summaries so that's the best I could do. Now beta'd by Klappy, Also I combined the first chapter to its original form and the next chapter is the ACTUAL second chapter 'Red'. That's all~ Enjoy my first KKM Fic.
The Art of Romance
Chapter 1
Yellow: Joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard.
"I just can't take it anymore!"
A blond in the middle of his teenage years yelled loud enough for everyone in a three block radius to hear. "I don't want to do this," he shook his head as tears started to pour down his cheeks, "I'm just so tired." He fell to his knees and cried, letting the books he held fall to the floor beside him.
His agony had begun but a few weeks since he met him…
Wolfram von Bielefeld was en route to his school that day, on a car driven by his brother's personal driver, Josak. Personally, he would rather take the short distance on foot like the other students, but his dearest brother would simply not allow him to. It was his second year in a Japanese school, his third year in high school all together and he still felt like he didn't belong there. One reason for this was because he stood out from all the other kids with his golden hair and vibrant emerald eyes. He was a foreigner, if that was not painfully obvious. He stood out way more than he wanted to and some even commented that he looked like a girl. He never wanted to stand out, and being driven to school in a fancy car did not help that resolution at the least.
He sat in the car, gazing out the window and watching all the different cars pass. "I wonder what this year is going to be like," he mumbled to himself knowing that there wasn't anyone around to hear him. At that moment his ride began to slow to a stop as the front gate of his school came into view.
"Alright kiddo here's your stop," Josak said. "Would you like me to open the door for you?" He teased, knowing full well that it would only frustrate the blond.
"NO! I can do that on my own!" The blond yelled as he grabbed his backpack and opened the door. "I'm not five, you know!" He finished yelling as he slammed the door, resulting to strange glances from the passers-by and possibly future classmates who were entering through the school gates at the time. A loud laugh was heard from Josak as he waved and drove off.
"Idiot," he mumbled before taking a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. He turned to face the gates and his school for the first time this semester. Almost immediately, heads turned and the whispers began. He let out another sigh and, tossing his backpack over his right shoulder, he entered the school. He had a feeling that this would be one long year.
-
A group of hooligans were hanging out by a lake doing nothing of importance. They were teenagers who were branded as "misfits" by the society, as evidence by their dyed hair and disorderly sense of fashion. Most had on their school uniforms but with oversized pants, unbuttoned shirts, and various ear and face piercings. Among them, a boy with natural dark hair and equally dark eyes sat furthest away from the ruffians, half-watching them and half-staring into space. He wore his uniform a little better than his peers but still in a way that would be against school regulations, with slacks that actually fit him, a shirt buttoned half way to the top and a jacket that hung off his shoulders carelessly. After watching the boys for a little longer, he stood up with an aggravated sigh, gaining the attention of two of the boys closest to him.
"What's up boss?" asked a boy with short, spiky red hair. The others had also noticed the interaction and were already heading over. The "boss" narrowed his eyes, earning the full attention of everyone.
"I'm bored…"
"Oh?" was the response of a teen with unruly auburn hair that reached just beneath his shoulders. "What'cha wanna do then?" he asked, scratching his chin and his eyes closed like a fox.
"Hmm, I don't know." He thought for a moment. "Today is the first day of school isn't it?" he asked his "friends", who otherwise stared back at him with shocked expressions, probably not expecting his response.
"Y-yea," the fox-boy answered albeit a bit nervously. "Why do you ask?" he asked, a bit apprehensive of the answer he might receive.
Their boss thought for a moment before answering the boys with a sinister smirk, "Perhaps I'll go today." And he turned with his hands in his pockets, eyes closed as he proceeded in the direction of their school. The others watched his retreating back in complete shock, trying to comprehend what had just taken place.
-
The bell sounded for lunch break and Wolfram continued to stay at his desk. His desk was at the back of the classroom which he personally chose, not wanting to attract anymore unnecessary attention then he already had. This way the teacher was able to teach the class and not simply gaze at his "dazzling beauty" like the rest of them did. His seat was also by the window, in the farthest corner of the room, giving him the freedom to gaze out the window without attracting too much attention.
As the bell sounded a second time, most of the students had filed out of the classroom. He watched them secretly from the corner of his eye, until the door slid shut leaving him with just a handful of other students still in the room. He let out a heavy sigh before digging into his backpack and pulling out a way too extravagant bento. He grimaced at the amount of food that was in it—why his brothers thought he ate that much was beyond him. He sighed again. I'll eat as much as I can at least.
As he started to eat, he heard a snicker from across the room. He closed his eyes and pretended not to hear anything, until he heard a male say, "Looks like foreign rich kids can't eat with us commoners."
Wolfram stopped eating.
"Yea our 'common' faces might ruin his appetite," another one said in a tone too obnoxious for the blonds' liking.
His eye twitched and it took all the self-control he had to not lash out at them. They continued to mock him as they finally left the classroom, leaving him on his own. He had lost his appetite by then and simply glared at his food as if it was the reason for those insults. Yet again, it may well had been.
It's not my fault for being rich! He thought as he glared more. It's not my fault I'm foreign! I didn't even want to come here two years ago and if it was up to me I'd leave in a heartbeat! He clutched the edges of his desk tightly. And it's not my fault I can't eat in the cafeteria like everyone else… He abruptly stood from his seat, already unable to control his temper, and yelled, "I just can't stand everyone oozing their love, admiration, or jealousy at me while I eat!" He had pounded his fists on the table, his chair on the floor behind him.
That's when he heard it, that's when he heard his voice. It was a laugh, not a mocking one, just a regular genuine laugh. He turned to look at the now open door, and at the person who was leaning carelessly on the door frame, a wide grin on his face. Yuuri Shibuya.
"The Maoh."
Yuuri had just made it to school. He looked at his watch at the sound of the bell. "I guess that's the lunch bell," he said as he shoved his hands into his pockets and leisurely strolled into the school grounds. There were a few students outside tending to club tasks—he wasn't certain and he couldn't care less. They all fell still though when he made his entrance: gasping out of fear, whispering his name and pointing at him. Yuuri smirked and continued his way into the school building, glancing back at the bespectacled group of students before the doors closed behind him.
After being a "good" student and changing his shoes by the lockers, he decided to head to his classroom to see where his desk was this year. The moment he entered the halls, more whispers, looks of fear, and pointing was thrown his way. Sophomores and juniors were telling the freshmen to steer clear of him, while some freshmen told exaggerated rumors about him. He snickered, resulting to a few more gasps and a completely ridiculous, "He's gonna kill us!" from one of the students. He shook my head in amusement and began to walk up a flight of stairs, only to be faced with the same reactions.
His face was void of emotion now, definitely blank. He was beginning to get more bored now with school than he was before he even got there. He arrived at the third floor and stopped, trying to remember what his class was. "3-B…" he mumbled after a while and began to scan the halls. Spotting the classroom, he put his hands back in his pockets and strolled towards it. As he approached the room, a group of students walked out laughing. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what they were laughing at, and called out, "What's so funny?" He crossed his arms, his face showing the slightest interest. Right now he was already bored; whatever was making them laugh should be interesting enough. But alas! When they saw him, noticed who he was and realized he had addressed them, they immediately fell silent and their expressions turned from amusement to fear, their answers were vague and unappealing.
"N-nothing at all!" one guy practically yelled. The other guy agreed with him, "Y-yea n-nothing at all." He was scratching the back of his head, a nervous gesture Yuuri knew too well. Then the third guy just grabbed his friends and yelled, "Let's get out of here!"
He watched their retreating backs for a few seconds and shrugged his shoulders. Some people were simply unreasonable. He went back to his original task and proceeded to the classroom. The sight that greeted him as he opened the door sent a single reaction to his brain.
A laugh.
There was this blond, with a name he knew he had heard from somewhere, Wolf-something. This Wolf kid was presently glaring daggers at his lunch and clutching his desk, before he stood up and screamed, knocking his chair over. His face was twisted in the ugliest snarl, yet on his very effeminate face it was simply hilarious. Yuuri laughed louder and stepped into the classroom, closing the door behind him and attracting the blonds' attention. And then he spoke, in a low voice that could be equivalent to a whisper.
"The Maoh."
Wolfram stared at the laughing boy, a blush slowly spreading across his pale skin. While the other teen continued to laugh, he used the opportunity to pick his discarded chair from the floor and return it to its rightful place. During this action, Yuuri's laughter slowly died and he leaned against the closed classroom door. "That was the best thing I've seen all day!" he mused and Wolfram turned his attention back at him.
"What do you mean?" Wolfram asked a bit hesitantly, crossing his arms over his chest. He studied Yuuri closely to see if he could figure out why he was even in the classroom in the first place. His lips turned into a small pout as time passed.
Yuuri moved from the door and began to walk towards Wolfram, causing the latter to flinch at this sudden movement. He stopped at the desk in front of Wolfram's and sat on it, gazing up at the ceiling as if contemplating what to say. Then he turned to Wolfram and simply said, "You."
"What?" Wolfram's hands fell to his sides and his face scrunched in confusion.
Yuuri stared at Wolfram's expression and smiled. "You are the best thing I've seen all day," he clarified with another laugh.
Wolfram fell back into his seat, uncertain as to what Yuuri actually meant. Yuuri, on the other hand, watched Wolfram intently as the blonds' expression went from confused, to scared, to shocked, and then back to confused, in a matter of seconds. And for the heck of it, he was actually enjoying this. His seemingly boring day had just brightened with his discovery of the blond in his classroom. Then a thought came to Yuuri's mind, remembering exactly why he had come to the class in the first place.
"Hey, um…" He paused, trying to remember the boy's name. It's Wolf-something, he thought. Wolfkin? Wolftrin? Wolfcar? He sighed and decided to give up and just call him, "Wolf?" Yuuri then stared at him, waiting for a response.
Wolfram didn't know how to react to the sudden nickname—from the Maoh, no less! After he sat there in shock for a few more seconds, he realized the boy in front of him was waiting for an answer. "Y-yes?" he stuttered, trying to calm his conflicting emotions and act normal.
Yuuri smiled when he got a reply and stood. "Where's my desk?" he asked while he scanned the classroom for an empty desk.
Wolfram stared at him. "You're in this class?" he asked, surprised.
The Maoh thought for a moment like he wasn't sure himself and answered, "Yeah, I guess."
Wolfram looked around the classroom to see which seat was vacant during the morning session. He hadn't really been paying much attention to class that morning and was more interested in what was going on outside his window, so he took a wild guess a pointed at the desk directly next to his.
"Oh?" Yuuri's eyebrows rose as he walked over to his new desk. "Next to you?" He looked at Wolfram with an unreadable expression then smirked, "I might just come to school more often." He trailed a finger along the edges of his desk then sat down and crossed his legs on top of it.
"Eh-" The blond began to speak but was cut off by the bell sounding and students re-entering the classroom. A group of squealing girls were the first to enter the classroom, most likely hoping to catch Wolfram off-guard when he was either eating or putting his food away. Three of them ran over to talk to him, two of them pushing the third, when they noticed Yuuri sitting next to him. They froze in their tracks.
"Ahh! W-Why is he here!" A male student closest to the door yelled, pointing at the dark-haired boy sitting next to the blond. This was followed by gasps and pointing from the rest of the students that were taking or had already taken their seats.
Yuuri, who still had his legs propped on the desk, just smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Heh," he shook his head slightly. "Why wouldn't I be here?" he asked, addressing the entire class. "This is my class after all." He closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair and waited for the reactions he was getting tired of hearing. They were getting pretty old. On cue were the gasps and all the other reactions. Another student, a girl this time, opened her mouth to say something when the bell rang for the start of the next period and the teacher strolled into the class, ranting of the lesson plans and completely ignoring the interactions that were taking place.
"Alright students, take your seats. Class has begun," he said, fixing a stack of papers on his desk to make them even.
The students began to take their seats while mumbling to one another or to themselves. The teacher, finally noticing the strange atmosphere of the classroom, glanced up from his desk, wondering what was causing his students such distress. Within seconds, he noticed Yuuri who was acting as if he didn't have a care in the world. He fixed his eyeglasses and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone including his intended target.
"I see it's nice of you to join us Mr. Shibuya." He waited for an answer but when there was none he continued, "You obviously do not know when school starts I presume." His glasses gleamed, a smug smirk plastered on his face.
Yuuri took the moment to reposition himself at his desk, his feet now on the floor, and leaned on his elbows, his full attention focused on the teacher. "Was that supposed to be some sort of insult, Teach?" he chuckled lightly. "You obviously don't know who you're talking to," he said with a smirk and a dark glare, causing the Teacher to grind his teeth together in anger.
"How dare-"
"Listen, Teach," Yuuri cut him off, leaning back in his chair, a smug expression painting his features. "Why don't you stick to what you think you're good at and worry about teaching these sorry excuses for hormonal disasters that you call students?" This earned a gasp from all the occupants in the room including Wolfram who was trying to ignore the confrontation. But Yuuri continued with his assault, "and I'll stick to what I'm good at." He paused to put his legs back on the desk, leaning back in his chair yet. "Which is none of your concern by the way," he chuckled mockingly. "Get this?" He glared at the teacher to make sure the geezer was paying full attention to him. "I'll show up to class and pretend I'm actually learning something to make you look good," he smirked. "And you can actually try to teach." A laugh. "Now run along and take out that lesson plan you have for this class and do stop harassing me."
By now, the class was in total shock at the way the "demon king" had talked to their teacher. There were rumors about him having no respect for higher authority, but he never came to school for anyone to actually witness his rude behavior at first hand. The teacher was fuming that his face rivaled that of tomato sauce boiling in a pot. That was probably steam spewing from his nose and ears. As much as the teacher wanted to curse and yell at Yuuri, he couldn't because most of the things that the lad had stated were grudgingly correct. So with only a loud growl, he grabbed the papers off his desk and turned to the chalkboard to begin the lesson.
Wolfram couldn't believe what had just taken place. He was glad that Yuuri was in his class; he won't be as bothered by everyone's attention since the Maoh was practically next to him. Although he now feared what would become of his class with this delinquent seemingly in control of things.
Wolfram made his way to his locker with nearly no attention on him as all the students were busy gossiping about Yuuri's bout with the teacher. How the news about that spread so fast was beyond him but he had no complaints. He decided to use the opportunity to claim his belongings, change his shoes and slip out of the school without anyone's notice. He just finished putting his outdoor shoes on when a girl called out to him.
"Um... excuse me? Mr. Bielefeld!" she yelled. She was one of the girls from his class who had wanted to talk to him earlier, if not for Yuuri.
Wolfram turned to her, a bit surprised. She had no reason to yell since they were the only occupants of the room.
"I, um," she paused, a bit flustered because her friends weren't around to support her and because she was alone with the boy she'd liked for two years.
Wolfram, finally understanding the girl's actions, sighed and asked, "What do you want? My driver must be waiting for me so can you hurry and say wh-"
"WOULD YOU BE MY BOYFRIEND!" she cut his words short, screaming her declaration of affection for the blond all of a sudden.
Wolfram was taken aback by her straightforwardness but nevertheless, he had no intention of giving her a positive answer. He sighed, looking away from her intense gaze, "I'm sorry." He then remained silent, hoping the girl would understand his gentle way of rejection.
She did and she didn't like it.
"But why?" she cried out. "I've loved you for so long! I've done everything to get your attention!" She was clinging to his arms now pleadingly, in hopes that he would change his mind. "If you want my body you can have it!" she grabbed his hand and forced it to her breast, "I'll do anything to be with you!" Her yelling was quieting but her tears still flowed down her face.
Wolfram pulled his hand away a bit roughly and glared at her with hard emerald eyes, "You're not my type," he stated bluntly, emphasizing on the not and looking at his hand. Without waiting for any more of her futile outbursts he grabbed his backpack and headed for the exit.
"That's how it is," the girl muttered under her breath. "You just think you can waltz in here with your money and expect everything to go your way!"
Wolfram stopped but didn't turn to face her.
"You rich people think you can just buy anything you want! You think that as long as you have your money everything is just going to come to you!" She paused with tears still streaming down her cheeks, "Well, it's hard for us normal people! Things just don't fall onto our laps, we have to work for every bit of it!" she cried harder, screaming louder. "So don't you dare look down on me, Wolfram Von Bielefeld!"
Wolfram didn't turn to face her; he couldn't, so he just continued walking out of the school with his head held high, leaving the girl in a crumbling mess of tears on the locker room floor. He didn't want anyone to see the effect those words had on him.
Unbeknownst to Wolfram and the girl, there was a third occupant in the locker room who had witnessed everything that happened since the girls' bold confession.
The double black thought to make himself known but decided that he wanted to see this 'after-school-play' play through. What he didn't quite understand was the sudden relief that washed over him when Wolfram rejected her, even more so was the ache in his chest when he saw the sadness in the blonds' eyes at the girl's last statement.
Wolfram expertly made his way to the entrance of the school, dodging any of his admiring 'fans.' He was in a sour mood since the girl's confession and wanted nothing more than to get home to his room-his refuge from the social status of his family and his current place of living.
A few paces from the school gate he stopped. He could see Josak's limo waiting for him in the distance but he suddenly didn't want to ride in it. He felt like walking home; it would surely be a long one but at that moment, even if he couldn't be, he wanted to feel normal. So he turned away from the gate making sure Josak didn't notice him and took a different exit off the school grounds.
Wolfram had been walking for quite a while now. He hadn't known exactly how long the walk from his school to his house would be. He had been deep in his thoughts and had lost track of time; he didn't have a watch with him, either. Funny, yes, since an individual of his status had no difficulties in possessing such accessory, still he decided against wearing one. Normal people did not always have watches, or so he thought. Now if he was to estimate exactly how long he'd actually been walking, it would have been thirty to forty-five minutes already.
Moreover, he had been walking at such a slow pace he was only half way home. His feet were starting to hurt because he'd never walked this far and this long before. He stopped walking to look at his surroundings for somewhere to sit and take a much needed rest. Realizing he was across the street from a park, he decided there should be somewhere to rest inside so he crossed the street and headed into the plaza.
There were a few people in the park at the time and they were mostly couples who had their attention occupied, fortunately for Wolfram. He walked to the middle of the park and spotted a fountain surrounded by benches. He headed towards it and occupied a bench, releasing a heavy sigh as soon as he rested his aching feet.
Maybe I shouldn't have walked home after all, he thought while staring at and wiggling the stinging appendages. He let out another sigh as he remembered the girl's words earlier, a frown marring his features as he gazed absently at the fountain.
"I'm not like that…" the blond whispered dejectedly.
Just then, he heard voices from the other side of the fountain. They belonged to more students from Wolfram's class, particularly the male students who were mocking him during lunch break. They were walking and laughing when one of them noticed the blond sitting on the bench.
"Hey look who it is," the guy said, referring to the blond.
"Whoa! I didn't know rich kids went to public parks," another said, laughing. "Let's go say hi," he finished with a sinister expression on his face as he walked towards Wolfram.
"Hey Blondie!"
Wolfram heard the nickname being called out but ignored it even though he knew it was referring to him.
"I don't like being ignored" the boy spat. He was now in front of Wolfram, his friends surrounding the blond on both sides.
"What do you want," Wolfram asked seemingly uninterested in anything they had to say. He hadn't even bothered to look at them.
Angry at the way the foreign boy had addressed him, the 'leader' grabbed Wolf by his collar and hoisted him into the air.
"Listen, rich brat! I don't know who you think you are but that attitude of yours ain't gonna run around here!"
The blond, realizing that he would be attacked and that he was at a disadvantage, glared at the other boy, gritting his teeth while struggling to free himself.
"Hey, how about we strip the punk for all he's worth," a boy to the left of Wolf said while
grabbing the blonds' hair rather forcefully.
Wolfram cried out in pain as he struggled. The boys were a bit larger than his small frame making his disadvantage worse than being outnumbered.
"Hey, this brat doesn't have a squat of cash on 'em," the third guy said as he dumped all the contents of Wolfram's backpack on the ground. He kicked and scattered the blonds' belongings in his search for Wolfram's wallet. "What the-?" he yelled while throwing the wallet on the ground as well, "This punk is dirt broke!"
The leader who was still holding Wolf turned his attention to the third party giving Wolfram an opening to free himself from their grasp, which he took.
"Let go of me!" With all the might he could muster, he kicked the leader in the groin and pushed himself back towards the bench, causing the boy gripping his hair to let go. Panting to catch his breath he glared at the shocked and hurt boys.
"You son of a-!" groaned the leader. "What the hell are you guys just standing there for?!" He yelled at his two lackeys, "Grab him!"
Wolfram stared at the scene in front of him, trying to figure out a way to escape the angry trio. As the two launched themselves at him, he braced himself for their combined attack before he was suddenly struck from behind. He immediately dropped to the ground.
A fourth guy had appeared from behind the bench holding a thick branch.
"And that's how you take care of business guys," he snickered while staring down at Wolfram's unconscious form on the ground.
His head hurt. It was a pain he had never experienced before. Forcefully, he opened his eyes and tried to see where he was, but it was all dark. He could hear voices; they belonged to the guys who tried to rob him. That's right, he thought, I was being robbed then I was hit from behind. Am I bleeding?
He tried to open his eyes but it was still confusingly dark so he tried to rub at them. His hands wouldn't move. Am I tied up? What's happening? Where am I? He started to panic. If he had passed out then certainly time had slipped by. He was certain that his brothers we're now searching for him; what's worse, they could have easily thought of his absence as a kidnapping. Which, apparently, is the actual case already.
The voices suddenly stopped. Wolfram took the chance to wriggle about and try to loosen the ropes binding his hands-
CRASH!
The blond stilled, waiting for something to happen.
"Oh looks like our little prisoner is awake"
He swallowed hard, realizing that yes, he had knocked something over. There were footsteps, and then Wolfram sensed someone near him before his hair was forcefully yanked on and he was pulled to his feet. What the hell is with them pulling my damn hair!
"Whadda'ya knows, he is awake," the one holding him said before taking the blindfold of his
eyes-that explained why it was dark. Wolfram instantly glared at his captor.
"Hey, is that the look you're gonna give me after I so kindly removed that rag off your face?" The guy laughed mockingly.
Wolfram scoffed and averted his face away as much as he could in his predicament.
"Now where are your manners?" The guy grabbed his chin, forcing the blond to face him. "You should really look at people when they're talking!" That last part was yelled to emphasize the blow to Wolfram's stomach. It happened so fast that the blond did not even have the time to react. He collapsed to the ground, gasped, and curled into his stomach from the pain.
"That was a little payback from that little kick you gave me earlier," the thug laughed and the others joined him.
"Hey boss, I think I deserve a few hits as well."
"Me too!"
The thugs were now deciding on how they wanted to beat Wolfram to death, saying he was useless and was not truly rich since he had no money on him. They swore that they were going to injure him beyond repair-whether they were simply bluffing or not, Wolfram could not care less. He was already scared, never mind his pride. He wiled himself not to cry-he was a man, after all-but that was proving to be difficult in his situation. But all hell be damned, he was not about to give those jerks the contentment that they wanted.
Without warning, the hitting started. At first, the attacks were aimed to his abdomen and his sides, before they began hitting him in the chest and lower extremities. Surprisingly, there were no hits to his face-were they deliberately avoiding his face? Somehow, he had not thought those thugs to care about such a trivial matter as to where to kick him.
Then the hitting abruptly stopped. Wolfram rolled to his sides and coughed out a mouthful of blood. The room was quiet except for their exhausted pants and Wolfram's pained groans. He
tried to search his surrounding for a way out, the pain blurring his vision, when he was grabbed forcefully again.
"Aw... look you guys bruised him up pretty bad," the thugs laughed for the umpteenth time. If he just had some sort of magical prowess, Wolfram would have burned them into ash right at that moment. But that was all wishful thinking and the reality was that he had no way of escaping his predicament. He was injured and bound; the least he could do to retaliate was to spit a mouthful of blood at his perpetrator's distorted face.
"You little bitch!" he yelled. He slapped the blonde so forcefully that he fell to the ground. "I was gonna let you go with just this little beating but I see you still have some fight left in you."
A completely different expression painted the thug's face as he approached Wolfram yet again. It was a look that sent a shiver down the blonds' spine; a look unlike the glares that he received earlier. Cold sweat ran down Wolfram's face. The fear he felt before had intensified at the predatory glint in the thug's eyes.
He grabbed Wolfram with renewed force and flipped him to his abdomen, the blonds' face crashing against the cold floor. The guy then straddled him and leaned over, "There's more than one way to break a person." Behind him, the other scoundrels snickered.
The tears he had been forcing back streamed from his eyes as Wolfram realized how completely impossible an escape was for him. He shut his eyes tight when the thug grabbed the belt of his pants.
"Do that and you'll be losing an arm tonight..."
A voice suddenly echoed through the abandoned building, causing everyone but Wolfram to search the darkness frantically for the intruder.
"Who's there!'" one of the lackeys yelled.
"So this is where you guys took him." The voice was low and deep, dripping with animosity at every syllable. A silhouette then appeared from behind a collapsed stack of crates, closest to where Wolfram was being pinned to the floor.
"Who the hell are…you…?" The boss who pinning was Wolfram down stuttered abruptly, as the intruder stepped from out of the shadows and revealed himself completely. If looks could kill, they would have all been dead, incarcerated and more than six feet under already.
"M-maoh," he said, his voice trembling in a feeble squeak. "Why are you-"
Yuuri cut him off with a crescent kick to his face, knocking him off of Wolfram and across the room. "How dare you," Yuuri seethed his eyes on Wolfram. He bent down and untied the rope binding the blonds' wrists and helped him to an upright position. Now he was able to see the full extent of damage that had been dealt to Wolfram. The blonds' normally vibrant green eyes were now dull and defeated, his white shirt was now tattered and stained, his face was bloody and bruised, and his pants were undone.
That last assessment was like oil being poured on an already blazing fire.
He turned back to the perpetrators, his voice as cold as ice, "How dare you touch him."
"W-what do you mean?" a lackey said backing away from the now approaching maoh. "He's just some spoiled rich brat from our class that needed to be tau-" A punch to the jaw silenced him and instantly rendered him unconscious.
There was a scream and the rest of the scoundrels all but flew towards the exit, but Yuuri caught up with them effortlessly. Bloodthirsty was evident in his animal like eyes, and his onslaught of punches and kicks were meant to incapacitate, maim, and even kill. There appeared to be no end to this until one or all of the bastards died, but a soft whisper of his name brought him out of his trance. He dropped the guy he currently held by the collar and rushed to Wolframs' side.
"Yuuri…" the blond whispered again, this time trying to stand but failing at the sharp pain that coursed through his entirety.
"Don't move just yet!" said Yuuri as he hooked an arm around Wolfram's shoulders and steadied him.
"I have to get home," Wolfram mumbled while taking Yuuri's offered hand and willing his legs to support him, "My brothers must be worried." He leaned back on one of the crates, trying to catch his breath. He chanced a glance at the pile of unconscious bodies by the building's exit. Now he knew why Yuuri was "the Maoh".
Yuuri raised an eyebrow, "I'm pretty sure you can't go home looking like this." He frowned at the smile Wolfram was giving him.
The blond looked down at his clothes. "Like I have a choice," he said sarcastically. Yuuri gave him a playful pout.
"At the least, we should get your face cleaned up."
Wolfram thought about the suggestion for a few seconds before deciding, "Sure." He pushed himself off of the crate and took a step forward, wavered and fell back onto Yuuri's supporting arms.
"Whoa, I got you," Yuuri said, hooking his arm around Wolfram's waist and slinging the blonds' arm across his own shoulder. He looked at Wolf, "Shall we?" Wolfram just nodded.
A few minutes of walking and the two young men arrived back at the park. By now, the pain from his injuries was already tolerable, and Wolfram let out a sigh of relief as he splashed cold water onto his grimy face.
Using a drinking fountain as a temporary lavatory, Wolfram ducked his head into the water
and scrubbed his face raw. Nearby, Yuuri was leaning against a bench, watching him and their surroundings. "Here," he tossed his jacket over to the blond, "Use it to dry your face and cover that dirty shirt of yours till you get home."
"Thanks," Wolfram replied, "but I'll have to come up with something about my hair being this dirty." He combed through his grimy locks with a single hand. Then silence fell between them, which had happened unusually often during their way back from the abandoned building. This time, Wolfram was the one who ended it. "How did you know where to find me?"
Curiously, Yuuri averted his gaze from the blond as he answered, "I followed you out of school, right after your talk with that girl." He paused. "I thought you were going to get in that limo so I left to go do my own thing. But five minutes later, I saw the limo still parked outside the school gates and your driver still looking for you. I thought it was weird because I saw you walk in that direction so there couldn't possibly be a reason why you weren't in that car. So I thought about it and came to the conclusion that your rich feet probably knew how to walk."
That earned Yuuri a light punch in the arm.
Yuuri laughed and continued, "I was right, you did walk! Why didn't I know?" He gave Wolfram a curious look, receiving a glare from the other in response. "Anyway, I found you when you entered the park. I would have followed you until you were home."
"You mean stalk?" Wolfram said, with a suspicious glare.
"No, just follow," Yuuri said with a laugh, "I had this bad feeling…" Another pause, this time it was longer. "But I wasn't able to follow you because one of my guys caught up with me and said there was urgent territorial business that I had to attend to, so I stopped tailing you." He ran his fingers through his hair in an exasperated gesture. "I was only gone for a few minutes but when I came back to check on you, you were already gone. I figured you continued walking and headed straight home, until I found your scattered belongings all over the ground." He reached into his pockets. "That was strange because rich kids wouldn't want their expensive stuff messed with—" Wolfram glared at him. "—so I asked around using your I.D." Yuuri held up Wolfram's I.D. in one hand and the blonds' wallet in the other. Wolfram snatched them from his grasp immediately. "Eventually, I found out what happened and who had taken you. It took me a bit more time to pinpoint your exact location and then, there I was," he stood, taking Wolfram's hand into his own and kissing it, "Your knight in shining black armor."
Wolfram blushed at the gesture and pulled his hand away quickly, yelling at the other boy. "Some knight you are!" He rubbed the palm Yuuri had just kissed. "You were late."
"No," Yuuri countered, "you should've just held them off longer in the park. Then I would've saved you in no time!" He pointed his finger in the blonds' face playfully then turned and laughed. "You would think rich kids took at least one self-defense class with all the money they have."
Wolfram's face had flushed, half from embarrassment and half from frustration. "I was a very sheltered child!" he yelled throwing Yuuri's jacket back at its owner. Yuuri laughed again, catching the blond off-guard by the scheming look that flashed in his eyes.
"Hey… Wolf?" He had edged closer to the blond, a smirk plastered on his face.
"Y-yes, Yuuri?" Wolfram stuttered, backing away from the advancing double-black.
"How exactly are you going to pay me back for my services?"
"W-what do you mean?"
"My assistance in your rescue wasn't exactly…free."
Wolfram's retreat ceased as his back pressed against the drinking fountain, cornering him in the Maoh's grasp. Wolfram looked back at the fountain—or at least, he tried—then at Yuuri's face that was now inches away from his own. Not knowing what to expect, he panicked and closed his eyes shut, simply waiting for what might occur. Three seconds passed. Then five. After a whole ten seconds of nothingness, Wolfram decided that it was safe. So he slowly opened his eyes to a sharp pluck on the forehead from none other than Yuuri.
"Ow!" the blond cried while the other boy laughed to his heart's content.
"That was priceless!" laughed Yuuri. "You were so red," he calmed to catch his breath. "Were you that scared of what I was going to do to you?"
"N-no!" Wolfram yelled, blushing and rubbing his forehead. "I just didn't know what to expect," he mumbled, turning away from Yuuri.
The blonds' reaction prompted Yuuri into teasing him some more. "You thought I was going to do something else, didn't you?" He asked, moving closer to Wolfram again. Wolfram didn't trust his voice anymore—he simply shook his head in response. "Are you sure?" Yuuri then pressed himself against Wolfram, braced his hands on the fountain, and leaned his face closer to Wolfram's.
Wolfram couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and he didn't know what to do except close his eyes shut. Again.
"It's too soon for that," Yuuri suddenly whispered as he blew into the blonds' ear. Wolfram yelped and shoved him away.
"Don't do that!" he yelled, blushing from ear to ear. His heart was evidently racing and he was certain his blood pressure was soaring above accepted parameters.
Yuuri laughed again, enjoying the other's reactions. "I'll definitely show up to school to see that face!"
Wolfram growled at him. "If you're done with your silly pranks then I'll excuse myself now. I really need to head home." Yuuri made a gesture that was probably a nod, still laughing hysterically to himself. Wolfram just shook his head at him and said, "Wimp." He then stormed towards the park exit.
"Hey!" Yuuri called after him. He caught up with Wolfram and draped his jacket over the
blonds' shoulders. "I told you to use this." Wolfram glared back at him and he merely chuckled. "Get home safely now and no talking to strangers, okay?" he teased.
"I'm not five!" Wolfram yelled. Then he sighed and faced Yuuri, that gentle smile from earlier now gracing his lips. "Thank you for earlier, though."
Yuuri felt something tug at his chest. His lips formed a similar smile and he nudged the other lad gently. "Just get home before your brother sends the police to look for you." Then he added, "If they haven't done that already." Wolfram gave a small laugh, before waving his hand in a simple goodbye and leaving. Yuuri watched his retreating figure, that curious tug still at his chest.
*CHAPTER END*
A/N: Yay! I finally finished and posted. God knows how hard it was to write this (mostly the fight scenes) that's why they are so vague. Sorry for those who would've appreciated a long intense fight scene. I left it to your imagination because if I would've written it out it would be beyond lame. Yay for the fluff at the end~
I'm sorry this chapter was a bit angst, that was never my original intention, it just sort of happened while I was writing and I had no control afterwards. But I did manage to keep in the fluff so I'm happy. I hope you readers are too. Review on my good and or bad writing please.
Review Responses:
Livialilac: Thank you! I hope you continue reading.
Bloody Sapphire Blade: Thank you and there's a good reason Yuuri is the way he is which you'll find out in the next few chapters.
Jaunty Maestro: I thought the exact same thing when I was writing half the things he said! Thanks for your review, hope you keep reading.
Reader: Thank you and I hope you continue reading.
Mille05: Thank you! There is nothing better than that much praise on a first chapter for me that is. I'm glad you enjoyed this fic and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Please continue reading.
Kitty87: DON'T STAB ME! I updated as soon as I could. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.
Kaypuccaluv: No I don't want you to die! See that fluff? All for you. :D
Mizz-luv-U2-4eva: No not a real demon, I just used various countries and terms from Shin Makoku's world and adapted them to fit the AU I'm portraying. Yuuri's character is like a mix between his normal self and his maoh self. More the maoh but there's a reason for that which will be explained in later chapters. Did you like the flirting in this chapter?
Issm: Thanks and hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Wezl: Thank you and there is a good explanation for it. Hope you keep reading to find out.
Only Wolfram: Thank you. I'm actually a fan of bad boy Yuuri so I like writing this fic a lot.