Title: In Sickness and Health
Summary: Yuri catches a cold, what's going to happen next? Knowing the demon world, Günter decides to help, Conrad advises, and Wolfram gets jealous.
Rating: T
Warnings: Language, Yaoi (but if you don't like yaoi, why are you reading KKM fics?), slight fluff
Authoress: Solaris Moon
Blood Type: Uhm… wait until after I get done cooking the fried rice and then I'll be able to tell you.
Current BGM: "ID" by Flow-war-Saiyuki… among other things.
Comments: I decided to try to type this out while I was making dinner. I don't have to worry about anything except my brother deciding he's sick of me babysitting and having a fit, so I'm good. And I gave him his medicine so by the time I finish this and dinner, he should be asleep. Ah, such is my Saturday night… Could be playing Dragon Quest VIII, like I've been doing lately, though. And trust me, as soon as I've finished my housework, that's all I've been doing until mom gets home… and sometimes after. I'm terrible. But still, here goes. Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed my last stories, I really appreciated it!
DISCLAIMER: ME? Own Kyo Kara Maoh? I wish. No, seriously, I wish. Wouldn't have to worry about babysitting anymore.
"Ugh…" Yuri moaned as he woke up one morning. He had been at home, playing baseball, when a ball flew right into the river. The catch? This was during the winter, training for the new season, which was fast approaching. Yuri got pulled through into (you guessed it!) more water, and had to walk a while before he found someone, namely Conrad, to take him back to Blood Pledge Castle. Apparently during the time, he had developed a cold.
"Heika?" Conrad asked as he entered the king's room. When he saw Yuri still in bed, sniffling like someone with hay fever in the middle of a stable, he understood instantly. "You must have a cold. Shall I send someone up with breakfast?"
"Yeah." Yuri smiled weakly, deciding that it would be best if he avoided everyone for a while.
-
"Conrad, where's Yuri?" Wolfram asked. His worry for the new Maoh outshone his dislike of his brother, and for once Conrad wasn't complaining.
"Sick in bed, I'm afraid. I've already brought him a tray with breakfast." At this Wolfram scowled and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'I'm his fiancé, that's my job…' "Of course, I didn't really make arrangements for lunch. If you can keep Günter from finding out, you're welcome to take him lunch." The blond prince nodded smugly.
"That would work. Just don't forget that, Lord Weller!" Conrad laughed and assured him that he wouldn't, then departed, unaware of eyes that watched from the shadows. Okay, so it wasn't easy to miss Günter on a good day, but today the brothers were a little preoccupied, so they miraculously didn't notice him. After retreating to his chambers for a while to mourn the illness of the Maoh, he decided he'd brew something up that would cure him… and perhaps get Yuri to like him at least a little more than Little Lord Brat.
-
"Ugh… what is that stench? Günter, are you brewing something again?" Gwendal asked. The silver haired aristocrat had commandeered a portion of the kitchen to brew some rank home remedy; Gwendal could have recognized the smell anywhere. He put on his best innocent 'who, me? Never' look, even as he continued stirring the vile mixture.
"Oh no, not me. I'm just taking advantage of a little time off to cook. Surely you've heard that the king is ill?"
"Strange… I thought you'd be going insane over his highness's cold." Gwendal was beginning to wonder who this stranger in Günter's body was; normally if Yuri had the slightest pain, Günter acted like it was the apocalypse.
"Oh, Gisella told me not to worry over it and so… Greta, what are you doing in the kitchens?" Günter asked. The small red-haired girl looked up at the man, and smiled, ceasing her work on a small tray of food.
"I'm taking some food to Yuri! I heard he was sick, and I wanna help him get better too!" she said easily. Gwendal watched Von Chrïste's face; this was the true test.
"Why would you be doing that, I don't think that will help much!" Yup, Günter had just failed Gwendal's test; something was fishy, and it wasn't just the smell of the potion. Greta pouted a little, and Gwendal's love for anything small and cute reared its head.
"But papa's sick, and I wanna help too…" she sniffled. The cute routine didn't work on Günter, but it sure as hell worked on Gwendal. The stoic man picked the tray up off the counter and handed it to the small child as she climbed off a chair. Conrad watched from the door, smiling as he stepped aside and spoke to Greta.
"I'm sure his highness will appreciate it. Now, remember, don't run, be careful, and if he's asleep, just leave the tray. I'll make sure Wolfram knows that you brought him a snack." Greta smiled and carried the tray carefully to her 'papa'. Conrad smiled at Gwendal next. "I'll let you handle this, just wanted to see what was going on down here." And with that he left.
"So… not preparing something for Yuri, eh?" Günter laughed nervously, then glared at Gwendal… still looking very lovely at that.
"I can't believe they'd let Wolfram take his highness's lunch to him! Who's to say that Wolfram wouldn't poison him!"
"I am." Wolfram said from the kitchen door. He turned to Gwendal. "Big brother, why did I pass Greta carrying a tray of food?"
"She took it upon herself to bring Yuri a snack."
"Oh." Was the only reply before he walked up to Günter, furious. "Look here, I am engaged to Yuri, and as his fiancé I should be the one to take him his lunch."
"And just why is that!" Günter demanded. "Where does it say that I can't take him lunch?"
"It just wouldn't do for you to! It isn't right for a fiancé not to care for their betrothed when they're ill." Wolfram explained, as if it were the simplest thing in the world to figure out. Under the furious gaze, Günter could see the underlying message: "Greta got it, and only took him a snack on the chance that he was awake! Get with the program, Von Chrïste!" Günter, however, was not going to get with Wolfram's program… not easily anyhow. He returned to stirring the rank bile in the pot on the stove, angry at the blond prince.
"At least take some of my remedy to his highness, see if it doesn't speed his recovery!" Wolfram decided to humor the love-crazed noble.
"Sure, whatever." He replied off-handedly, and left with Gwendal.
"You don't intend to take it to Yuri, do you?" Gwendal asked.
"Not a chance. I'm not forcing that poison down his throat, he's already ill enough."
"That's pretty cold, Wolfram." Gwendal noted coolly. Wolfram shrugged.
"Hey, when you're protecting a wimp of a fiancé, you have to be cold sometimes."
-
"Papa? Are you awake? 'Cause Conrad said if you weren't I should leave this here and go…" This was the question Yuri woke to, and turned to see his adoptive daughter by his bed, worry in her large brown eyes. He sat up and smiled.
"I'm awake. What is it?" he asked. She extended the tray to him, and smiled. "Ah, a snack! Thank you!"
"Wolfram is bringing you lunch, just so you get warned." She said before turning to leave.
"Greta, you don't have to go. You're the most company I've had all day." He smiled, and the little girl returned, sitting on the edge of the bed. "So, Wolfram's bringing me lunch, huh? Well… could be worse, I guess. Anything else I should know… like what that odd smell is?"
"Günter's making some remedy for you." Greta replied easily. Yuri smiled uneasily.
Why do I get the feeling I won't see it at lunch and Wolfram will deny any knowledge of it? He thought to himself, and ate the snack while the child chatted away. As soon as he had finished it, she took the tray, smiling.
"Greta, you should be careful, you could get sick too." He cautioned.
"But I know papa will heal me if I get sick, so I don't have to worry so much!" she chirped as she left. "You rest up and get better! See you later!"
"All right." He smiled, then sighed as she left. He missed the light she brought into a room already, but he was even more tired than when this mess started. He decided to take another nap… at least until Wolfram got there with lunch. Knowing Wolfram, he'd most likely wake him up to eat with some curt statement like…
-
"Hey, wimp, I'm here to bring you lunch and you're sleeping on me? How rude!" Yep, something exactly like that. And that was what Yuri woke to around what he figured was noon. The black-haired Maoh turned over onto his back and sat up wearily.
"Concern for the ill." He cautioned, and gestured to the free space by his side for Wolfram to sit. "So… I guess it's about noon?"
"Try almost one. That damned Günter wouldn't get out of the way…" the blonde prince scowled as he sat the tray down by Yuri.
"Ah, that reminds me. Greta told me Günter had some sort of remedy for me?" he asked casually. Wolfram put on his best clueless face (which in this case wasn't good enough).
"Wouldn't know a thing about it."
"Oh, come on, Günter wasn't in the kitchen brewing something? Then what was the smell when Greta brought me that snack?"
"That? There were some eggs that had gone bad hidden somewhere, but they've been found. Günter's been in his room all day, fretting as usual."
Yeah, should have bet someone on that, I would have won. Yuri thought. "Well, anyhow… what possessed you to bring me lunch? And, not that the wait bothered me, but why did it take so long?"
"The hunt for the eggs took a while." Wolfram bluffed, not wanting to admit that they had had a problem in getting Günter out of the kitchen. "And I just thought… well, you've only seen Conrad and Greta all day, don't you think it's time to see a new face! Be grateful!" Wolfram declared as Yuri took a bite of lunch (he was surprised, but it was chicken noodle soup).
"I am. Thanks, Wolfram." He smiled, flooring the blond momentarily. "After all, I'm sure you needed to work with your soldiers and…"
"Oh, they have the day off. Too many were distracted by the snow." Wolfram said. Well, at least it was half-true! Most of his men had been distracted by the snow, and the other few who had had enough concentration to spar with him had beaten him easily in his distracted worry over Yuri.
"It's snowed here? I didn't see any when I arrived yesterday…"
"It was overnight. Yesterday was chilly but fair, and today we've had another cold snap. Spring will be here soon, though, so it should all clear up."
"Until then, though… say, Wolfram. When I get better, how about we take Greta out for the day, just us three, like a family? We can play in the snow?" he suggested, prepared for Wolfram's worst.
"And just why would we play in snow?" Yuri weathered the implication that not only was he a wimp for getting sick, he was a moronic wimp for wanting to go back out into the cold that had made him sick in the first place.
"When I was little, my mom would always make a big deal out of the snow. She'd drag me and my brother out into it to play, and soon enough we both would be having so much fun we wouldn't want to go in. Even dad got in on it when he didn't have to work. It was a family thing, and I just thought…" Yuri trailed off, coughing. Wolfram moved closer to the boy, worried (though he'd never admit it).
"Yuri, are you going to be okay?" he asked. Yuri nodded as he caught his breath after the coughing fit. "I'll get Gisella, maybe she has something for this!" As Wolfram got up to leave, he felt a feverish hand clutch his: Yuri.
"Don't, it'll burn itself out in a few days. If I get any worse tonight, then you can call Gisella, but not until then. I don't want to bother her if it's going to be nothing severe." Yuri rasped, still catching his breath. Wolfram sighed, and sat back down, feeling of his fiancé's forehead in comparison to his own.
"Definitely feverish. You really shouldn't strain yourself." He scolded, though there was a touch of gentleness and a definite lack of the normal accusation of being a wimp there. Yuri smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, I really should. After all… it's a bother to everyone when I'm ill. Günter goes crazy and commandeers the kitchens, Greta makes a point to bring me food, Conrad worries and you cancel training."
"Well… there's only one thing to do when that happens. Get better as fast as you can." Wolfram consoled. Yuri nodded. "Now finish your soup, it helps."
-
"Wolfram?" Yuri asked. He had finished the soup and Wolfram had been telling him about what had gone on in the castle while he had been gone. He looked like he was about to pass out.
"Yes?"
"…Will you stay by me while I sleep? I wasn't doing so great earlier, and I didn't exactly sleep well. Maybe if you're here?" he suggested. Wolfram sighed but consented, lying down by his fiancé, holding him close.
"Mother used to do this whenever I got sick. Even if she couldn't always bring lunch up, she made a point to come around the time I went to sleep, or I'd find her sleeping by me." Wolfram explained.
"My mom did the same thing…" Yuri said in a half-asleep daze. "And she always held onto my hand like this." He softly clutched the blond prince's hand as he fell asleep. "And mom always said 'just sleep, Yu-chan, I'll be here when you wake up.' And she always was." As he fell asleep, Wolfram smiled, resting his head at the back of Yuri's.
"Just sleep. I'll be here when you wake. I promise." He said as he fell asleep as well.
-THREE DAYS LATER-
"Yay!" Greta cheered in glee as she played in the snow. Yuri and Wolfram sat watching her, tired out after a major snowball war. How the child had so much energy still…
"Are you really sure you should be out in this weather so soon after your recovery?" Wolfram asked.
"For the millionth time today, Wolfram, I will be fine. I've got warm clothes and if I get to feeling bad again I promise I'll tell you so we can get Greta and go back to the castle." Yuri sighed. Why was it that Wolfram just couldn't accept that Yuri would be all right? "Besides, I'd be more worried about you. You stayed with me the whole time I was sick, you could be next if you don't take care."
"Che. I'm not as wimpy as you, I'll be fine." Wolfram scoffed.
"All right, then, Wolfram." Yuri sighed.
"I'm serious! I'll be just fine!" Wolfram declared.
-
Of course, he was singing a different tune the next day when he was ill, but Wolfram wasn't really complaining when Yuri stayed by him pretty much the whole time he was recovering.
Okay, that ended that. Please review if you liked it!
