IT WAS AS THOUGH a wonderful morning for his favourite baseball practice until Yuuri realised he got terribly sick and could not even get up from his bed. He tried to lift his back up and away from the white mattress but his effort seemed in vain. Feeling both the fervent heat of his own body and of the sunlight through his room's window, the double-black king had a harsh tingling sense all over his body. It was like small little needles lancing from his neck and all the way down to the very tip of his toes. Yuuri hated having fever and being sick in bed all day since, aside from the described frustrating sensation, he was an active high school boy who could never resist the temptation when it came to baseball.
"I hate this… Why now? The baseball tournament is in two days and I haven't been practicing any skills for the past weeks! Ah, paper work!" Yuuri released a heavy sign and tried to get on his feet again.
This city tournament was the most important annual baseball competition among the ten high schools and their best baseball team. Even though it was only the preliminary, Yuuri still did not want to miss it. Baseball meant a whole bunch to him.
While he was making passionate attempt to get up from the stupid bed and finally getting at the edge, Yuuri heard rushing footsteps coming towards his door. The door was opened abruptly and hit itself to the blue stoned wall when Yuuri immediately startled and hit himself to the carpet-covered floor. He was now completely worn out from his endeavour earlier but still wanted to see who was the person slamming the door just then, having a thought of who that might be. Thus, he practically propped himself up with both his hands trembling against the floor and slowly turned his head to the door's direction. He jumped, slipped one of his hands and fell down again when in the second he turned around, Wolfram frowning face was as close as two inches from his own face.
"What are you doing you wimp? You're supposed to finish practice soon then go to the city with me to choose my birthday present remember?" The blonde's voice was mixed with half anger, half sulks.
"Morning to you too, Wolf… I think I cannot go with you today. Can we move it 'til tomorrow?" said Yuuri, putting on his idiotic smile and huffing a slight bit.
Wolfram raised his eyebrows for a short moment and touched his fiancé's forehead, eyes staring strangely at the other. He retreated his hand instantly and literately lifted Yuuri up and on to the king's bed.
"Stay here. I'll go get Gisela. You're burning, idiot."
Having said that, Wolfram ran out to find the doctor. As for Yuuri on the king's bed, he closed his eyes in attempt to chase the imprinted image of the blonde just then, when he was saying he would get Gisela. Those emerald eyes showed vivid worry . Wolfram was half sulking at the other for his request to delay their choosing presents until the next day, half blaming himself for his carelessness, allowing the king to be in such a state as now. Yuuri could see it so clear in Wolfram's expression. And there were some more thoughts of what Wolfram might felt that came to Yuuri's mind.
"Does Wolfram usually show these kind of mixed feelings when he is worried about me?" he wondered, since he was useless right now and thus had time to that is.
"Or does he always so emotional like this whenever he's around me, and I just don't realise? Yuuri opened his eyes and wondered again. He suddenly felt himself important, and then thought whether it was the fever that got worse or it was he who blushed so hard that his face now had the tingling sensation as well.
Wolfram soon came back with not only Gisela but also Conrad and Gunter. They were concerned with Wolfram's anxious face when they saw him talking to Gisela and found out what happened.
"Oh Heika! It must be my fault that you're like this now. I forced you to study so much about the history of Shin Makoku yesterday and I did give you a lot of work to do too. Blame me Heika! I should have realised it was never possible for you to do all at once," Gunter sniveled and hold his handkerchief up his nose.
Feeling a little hurt but still, "I didn't study that much, Gunter. It's just a slight fever and I'll recover in no time. Then, I'll get going with my baseball practice also," the king replied.
"I'm not so sure about that Your Highness," Gisela suddenly spoke after checking Yuuri's temperature. She took out her notebook and continued, "I believe you've caught the 'Traditional Fever.'"
"Traditional Fever?" Wolfram repeated.
"Traditional Fever. Only the Kings of Shin Makoku catches it. It's like the period when the caterpillar is in its cocoon, preparing to become the butterfly," Gisela gave a hand gesture and giggled, amused by her own comparison. "For you, Your Majesty, it will take about one and a half day to fully recover from the fever," the feminine doctor now wrote something down onto her notes by one hand and the other put up a strand of her green hair to the helix of her ear.
"What? One and a half day! I cannot just lie here and do nothing in one and a half day. The tournament is coming up," the king ruined the gentle scene Gisela was giving, tried to shout through his heavily breathing.
"The tournament will have to wait Your Highness," Conrad's low voice sudden broke the king's thought. "Your health is the most important matter we should worry about. This is a very crucial time for the King to physically perfecting His body and natural power to be able to use His whole strength later on."
It, this voice, was as determined as always, but was also joined with slight disappointment.
Yuuri could not argue any into that. He didn't know what this fever was about but it surely sounded significant. He still wanted to put some more defenses to how this tournament meant to him but only his mind power worked. Slowly giving up, Yuuri said in his weary voice:
"Fine, I'll stay in bed."
"Good. Don't worry Your Majesty, I am going to prepare medicine to relieve the fever right away. It'll make you feel much more comfortable," Gisela smiled softly, putting the notes in her small bag, then bowed to the King and the three Lords and left the room.
"We'll also take our leave now Your Highness," Conrad voiced again, patted Gunter's back forward slightly, signaling him to do as he say. He glanced at his younger brother and the blonde shook his head.
"A little longer," the youngster said curtly.
"Suit yourself then, Wolf," Conrad agreed.
Before the elder brother closed the wide door, he had turned and looked at the king over his shoulder:
"Rest, Yuuri."
With a gently smile on, Conrad shut the wooden door.
Yuuri completely forgot how he did not like people to call him "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty". Well, he had no space in his mind to think about that anymore. All he strived to figure out was how to get better soon and get on with his practice. He also failed to remember the present of Wolfram.
Tired of staring at the king with no response, the blonde sat down on the bed next to where Yuuri was lying and gave the king the third jump. This time he did not fall down because his fiancé was there.
"Are you still mad at me for not keeping the promise taking you to the city?" the double-black started the conversation.
"No. I'm not- ...You want water?"
"Oh, yeah, thanks. I'm kinda feeling thirsty," Yuuri answered awkwardly to the sudden offer.
Wolfram got back, sat on the bed with a glass of water in his hand but forgot to give Yuuri the glass. Left with his right hand raising for water, the king was both surprised and confused.
"Wolfram?"
"Oh, sorry. Here," the blonde startled, replied quickly, but did not manage to give the king the water without spilling it a little.
"Sorry." Wolfram muttered, somewhat deep in thought.
He put his left arm around Yuuri's shoulders to help him sit up. Wolfram lour, kept his head looking down at the floor when he felt Yuuri's temperature emitting beside him. He also blushed, redden his cheeks the moment he realized Yuuri's scent was wandering next to him too.
"Thanks," said Yuuri.
Wolfram did not respond. Then, he looked straight into Yuuri's eyes with great curiosity and earnest:
"Do you really like—
He stopped. His right hand was gripping the bed sheet and he was also blushing.
"You're acting weird… what's wrong…?" The black-hair boy asked skeptically, afraid that the blonde would start lamenting about his affection to the king again.
Wolfram finally let out, "You like baseball that much?"
"Eh?"
"It's called baseball, isn't it?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's called baseball… er, and yeah I really love it… But, why do you ask? I thought you knew?" Yuuri tried to find his pace in the conversation.
"Of course I know you like baseball. I'm your fiancé!" Wolfram voiced up but then down again and frowned slightly, "but I didn't know it was this much…"
Yuuri used the little left of his strength to hold the laughing inside, thinking, "Pft, he must be joking, getting jealous over a sport?"
"What face are you making Yuuri?" the blonde kept his uncomfortable face when looking at the king and well, yes, the red colour on Wolfram's face was still there. He muttered:
"I just can't understand what is it that make you still want to play baseball even though you're awfully sick in bed."
"You wanna know why?" Yuuri smiled and his eyes met the blonde's astounded eyes.
"Please excuse my interruption but I have brought your medicine, Your Highness. You must take it immediately," Gisela's voice came from behind the door after her clear knockings.
Yuuri looked instantly to the door as his reflex commanded him to, but Wolfram did not. He kept his eyes on Yuuri and waited until the black-hair boy turned back to him. And of course Yuuri searched for the blonde's emerald eyes once more.
With an elegant smile, Wolfram answered, "I do."
Then he stood up and opened the door.
- End of Chapter 1-
