The Broken Thread
He missed him. No, that would be an understatement. He longed for him. When Wolfram broke it off, he thought he'd be happy. Finally, he would be free. Free from the engagement he did not want and free from the selfish, overprotective prince. He thought he'd be happy now that no one, most especially a certain fire wielding mazoku, would accuse him of cheating or flirting every other hour. He thought he'd be happy just as Wolfram had wished him before he left. It was true because, at first, he felt happy, even ecstatic. But as time passed, that feeling slowly faded away until a hole was created in his heart. That is when he realized, it felt very lonely without Wolfram by his side.
Two years ago, their engagement had been broken and Wolfram had left for the Beilefeld lands the very next day.
"I wonder how he is now," he mused. They hadn't met orcommunicated with each other. It was what Wolfram wanted.
Yuuri recalled the foolish decision he made, like it happened yesterday.
It was a party organized by Gunter to foster a closer relationship between their ally countries. Delegates came as it was considered to be a great honor to be invited. If it had been his choice, he wouldn't have hated parties and formal gatherings. Gunter being in charge always makes it was also because of that party that he and Wolfram had a terrible fight.
They had abruptly excused themselves from the guests and returned to his room. Wolfram was, as usual, paranoid and accusing him of being unfaithful in clear view of everyone. And it was all because he was talking to the ladies present. He wasn't doing anything wrong, for Shinou's sake! All he did was ask them how they found Shin Makoku. It wasn't like he was asking them on a date or something.
"I'm sick and tired of your endless jealousy!" he shouted at Wolfram. "I'm not your property so stop watching and guarding my every move!"
"You're my fiancé! I won't allow anyone to flirt with you!" Wolfram answered back in the same heated voice.
"Did you think I was flirting with those girls?" he shot back. "I was just being polite to them. Why can't you grow up, Wolf? You're so insecure! "
"I'm not insecure!" the blond prince said. "I'm just fulfilling my responsibility as your fiancé!"
"My fiancé?"Yuuri asked sarcastically, in his anger and bitterness. "Since when did I want you to be my fiancé?Us being engaged was just an accident. I don't love you and never will! Honestly, if I could turn back time, I wouldn't have even slapped you."
He recalled the mixture of pain and disbelief painted on the prince's face as he left without a single retort. When the party ended, Wolfram was not in their bed andYuuri did not care. He even avoided Wolfram afterwards, even in the midst of begging forgiveness. He was still feeling angry over what happened.
"I'm sorry, Yuuri," Wolfram said over and over and it was getting tiresome. He took every opportunity he had when in his company to apologize and Yuuri only ignored him.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "Don't bother Wolfram; it was already done," he said coldly, leaving him alone, not even bothering to look at him.
It was to be one of the last conversations they would ever have. The following day, Wolfram officially broke the engagement, something which he was only too happy to accept. It was not until a copy was given to him that he realized what he had done and what Wolfram was planning to do. Immediately, he ran after him.
"Wolf!"
"Wolf, wait up!"
Wolfram heard him on the first call, but pretended not to. He half wished that he would give up and let him be.
"Wolfram!"
He sighed. He had to face him after all. The blond mazoku stopped walking and turned back. A young man was running after him, clutching a letter in his hand.
"Yes, heika?" he asked as the latter stumbled to a halt. His voice threatened to shake but he told himself he needed to be strong. It was what he wanted after all.
"What is this letter about?" his king asked, giving the letter back to him. "And what's with the 'heika'? You never called me that. Since when did we become formal around each other?"
Wolfram watched his king catch his breath, before giving his answer. "It is what it says, heika. And it is only appropriate that I address you as I'm no longer your fiancé. It would be disrespectful of me to call you by your name alone." He tried his best to show that it was a matter of unimportance and hoped that Yuuri would also see it as such.
For a minute or so, they just stared at each other until Yuuri decided to break the silence.
"Why did you break the engagement?" Yuuri slowly asked him. Even after reading the letter, hestill could not believe it. It was like he was having a dream and for some reason he doesn't like it.
"Isn't it what you've wanted all these years?" the blond mazoku answered, smiling bitterly. "If I remember correctly, you were happy when I broke the news that our engagement is canceled." Tears wanted to flow out but he kept them back. The last thing he wanted was for Yuuri to see him crying. To see how badly he had been hurt.
"I…But…" Yuuri stuttered, unsure of what to say. True, for many years he had never truly accepted having a fiancé and regarded it only as more of a mistake. But why did he feel uneasy now? He had accepted Wolfram's decision hastily because he was just so angry at the blond.
"And what happened last week opened my eyes to the reality," Wolfram continued. "I cannot continue this charade of ours. I thought before that perhaps you only needed time to adjust since you were born and raised in a different world. I guess it was just a foolish dream of mine that I have to let go."
"Wolfram, I.." he tried again.
"This is what you want."And with that he left; leaving his beloved. His .
Wolfram's last words echoed in his mind. He never became happy after the engagement was dissolved. He regretted everything; the way he acted, his immaturity, and his constant blaming of had acted like children. He regretted canceling the engagement in his fit of anger. Now he lost something that meant as much as his life. He lost his other half. His soul one and only.
"Yuuri?" a voice called out. Conrad was walking towards him.
"Yes?" he answered, standing up. "Is something the matter?"
"Wolfram just arrived unexpectedly," his godfather informed him.
Yuuri couldn't believe what he heard. "Is that true, Conrad? Wolf came back?" His heart started to beat rapidly as tried to contain his excitement. After all these years, he finally came back.
"Yes, the others are just welcoming him back," Conrad said, smiling slightly at him.
He ran back to the castle. He would not wait a moment. Wolfram was back. Maybe this time he could make things right. Maybe this time, he could win Wolfram back. It may be too much to hope for, but he couldn't help it.
"Wolfram!" he shouted as soon as he opened the door.
It was true. Now that he saw it with his own eyes, he believed it. The fire wielding mazoku did not change much. His hair had grown a few inches, but it suited him. He was still a beautiful as ever. Or as handsome, whichever way you look at him.
All the people present in the room looked at him, and he blushed slightly. He felt that he had acted like a child whose favorite playmate came to visit.
"Yuuri-heika," Wolfram formally acknowledging him, while making a small bow.
"It has been a while," he said, trying to make a conversation. The others looked on curiously to see how the blond would react.
"Indeed. I'm glad to see his majesty is doing well."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine,heika," was his short answer.
"He may not have changed much physically, but he changed a lot inside," Yuuri noted. He noticed how Wolfram kept his distance, maintaining a cold attitude in front of him.
"Wolf!" came Cheri-sama's voice as she hugged her youngest child as soon as she came in. Gwendal and Greta followed next. People started to flock in and welcome Wolfram. Yuuri did not have another chance to talk to him in private. (Note: they weren't in private before.) He quietly watched as the others talked to Wolfram.
He did not see Wolfram for the rest of the day and hoped that they would, at least, meet at dinner. Then he could ask him for a walk. He wasn't disappointed. Wolfram and the others were already seated by the time he arrived. Dinner that night was more lively than usual with Wolfram telling his experiences after he left.
"Ne, Wolfram," Greta interrupted him. "Does this mean you'll be my father again?"
The atmosphere changed in an instant. It was no secret that there was really no closure between the king and his former fiancé.
"No, Greta," Wolfram answered her kindly. "As much as I want to be, I can't. You can still consider me as your father but officially, Yuuri-heika is your father."
"Oh," the little princess said sadly.
No one said anything afterwards and ate through dinner in silence. As they finished eating, they left one by one until it was only Yuuri and Wolfram that was left.
"Hey Wolf," Yuuri started.
"Yes, heika?" he replied, turning his attention to the king.
"Would you… accompany me on a night time stroll?" he said to him, crossing his fingers as he said so.
"Of course, heika," he answered indifferently, standing up.
Yuuri ignored the tone; maybe it was just his imagination. He was glad he agreed. He stood up and followed suit.
They walked the familiar path towards the garden where Cheri-sama would plant her flowers. Uncomfortable silence enveloped them as they went didn't know how and where to start.
"Is there something you wish to say, heika?" Wolfram said, finally breaking the silence.
"Wolfram…" He stopped, thinking of the right words to say to make him understand.
"Yes?" Wolfram pressed on.
For a while, Yuuri just watched him, debating whether to tell him or not. "It's now or never,"Yuuri thought.
"Heika, if there is something you wish to tell me, please say it now. It's getting cold and it'll be bad for your health."
And after a great difficulty he managed to blurt out the words he wanted to say. "Wolf, I love you."
Wolfram was surprised but managed to hide it with some difficulty. It wasn't what he expected to hear in a thousand years, most especially from the person who pushed him away years ago.
"I love you," Yuuri repeated now a little more firmly. "Please say that you still love me too."
"I'm sorry," was all he answered, avoiding to look straight in to the young king's eyes.
"Don't you love me anymore?"Yuuri asked desperately.
"I love you. I still do. In fact, that feeling didn't change in the years we've been apart."
"Then, why did you say you're sorry?"
"Yuuri, we can't be together anymore." He paused, carefully thinking what to say next. "I'm already scared of letting you in my heart again. I'm scared that you might only do what you did two years ago."
"Please Wolf," Yuuri begged. He wouldn't give in without a fight. "Give me another chance. When you left, I realized how much you meant to me."
This time, Wolfram looked at him and unhappily said, "You realized it too late."
"Wolfram…."
"I loved you more than anything else in the world. But you chose to ignore me. I gave you my heart but you chose to throw it away. I gave myself to you, but you broke me apart."
"I'm sorry, Wolf. I'm really sorry." Yuuri couldn't say anything else as tears flowed down his cheeks.
"Even if we got together, it wouldn't be the same anymore," Wolfram said sadly, gently wiping away Yuuri's tears.
"I didn't mean to hurt you."
The blond prince then looked him straight in the eyes and said, "But you did and you will never be able to change that." He started to leave. "This might be the last time we will speak to each other, but I want you to always know this. Happiness may never find me but I truly hope it will find you."
Yuuri watched him leave, just like how he allowed Wolfram leave him years ago. He felt defeated and helpless as he watched a part of his heart go.
"Good night Yuuri and good bye." Slowly, he walked away, ignoring the aching feeling in his chest and never turned back.
"How can I be happy when you are my happiness?" he whispered, watching him walk away from his life.
The edited version :)
First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who still reads my stories and for the constant support. Second, this story is not yet Beta-ed so I'm really sorry to for all the grammatical errors and wrong spelling. I will put up the beta-ed one as soon as a I get. I just want to post something. Third, I know it has been a while since I last updated any of my stories. It's just I've become busy in school. BUT they will be updated soon. I do have plans on finishing them, especially Truth in My Heart (just one or two chapters left). Lastly, I hope you enjoyed this one shot and please leave some reviews! Thanks :)