Disclaimer: I -obviously- do not own Kyou Kara Maou! or any of the characters. The fic's sole objective is sheer entertainment. However, I do own the plot, so if you want to post it somewhere else, translate it or something like that I'd appreciate you asking for my permission...I doubt I'll say no and I don't bite.
Warnings: Well in case you haven't figured this out, this fic has m/m content, slight, but it's there. Spoilers for all the series.
Notes: This is my first attempt at writing this pairing- or any KKM fic for that matter-, and I want to dedicate it to a friend whose birthday is coming up.
This fic has been edited from its original version. When I wrote this it was obvious English wasn't my native language and it contained a lot of mistakes that made my eyes bleed (can't imagine what happened to yours), but now I proudly announce it has been beta-ed!
----
Shouri laid on the comfortable and large bed holding a tissue on his left hand, while his right set over a table beside him all the used and crunched pieces of paper that once - five minutes ago- had been clean and perfect tissues.
He hated being sick; his head hurt, his throat hurt, his nose felt incredibly heavy and was leaking uncontrollably. A sore throat he could live with, but a running nose? No way!
He curled up and tugged the bed clothes over him, trying to sleep, but a few minutes later he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in," he said hoarsely. A moment later, his younger brother appeared through the door with his niece following closely after him.
"How are you feeling?" asked Yuuri, with a concerned look on is face.
"Better, thank you," Shouri lied. He did not want to make Yuu-chan worry about him. He was supposed to help Yuuri, not give him more problems.
"Yeah, you look better," Yuuri lied too. Shouri had never looked so…sick in his opinion.
"This means you will able to come with us, uncle?" asked Greta with hope shining in her big brown eyes.
"I think it will be better if we let Shouri rest," declared Yuuri, knowing full well his brother was going to appreciate the gesture.
"I'm sorry Greta," replied Shouri, feeling bad for disappointing her. During his last visit, he had promised his niece he would go with her to that 'must-see' town on the countryside of Shin Makoku as soon as Bob allowed him some free time.
Bob had—reluctantly—given Shouri a week, and he had postponed meeting with his friends and family in order to stay with Yuuri in Shin Makoku, but since his arrival he caught a terrible flu that seemed to be getting worse, even with all the care and attentions of Gisela and the "three girls" whose names Shouri couldn't seem to learn.
"We better go, Greta," Yuuri said to his adoptive daughter, but before he left the room he added:
"I'll send someone to bring you something to eat," and closed the door behind him.
Shouri sighed and covered himself with the covers once more and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.
----
A nice and warm smell penetrated through one of his nostrils and Shouri slowly opened his eyes, just to find a tray of food settled on the table beside his (Shouri found that word weird, since it wasn't really his room) bed.
"I didn't mean to wake you up," said a familiar, although rather unexpected voice and he looked at the man sitting on a chair near the balcony, holding a book between his hands.
"It's alright," Shouri said, sitting up on the bed. Conrad placed a bookmark between the pages he had been reading and walked, book on hand, towards were Shouri was.
"I brought you soup and tea, lemon tea," he said, lifting the lid of what looked like chicken broth, except Shouri was aware there might not be any chickens in Shin Makoku.
"I'm not hungry," Shouri complained childishly.
"You must eat,"
"You can leave it there, I'll eat it later," the eldest Shibuya said and turned around; he wanted to sleep some more.
"Okay," granted the other man, returning to the chair he had been previously occupying and reassumed his reading.
Shouri turned to him as soon as he realized the soldier hadn't left the room.
"What are you doing?"
"I think it's quite obvious," said Conrad, not looking away from his book. Shouri threw him a death glare.
"Why are you still here?" he asked and then he sneezed and coughed.
"His majesty asked me to stay and look after you on His absence," informed Conrad with certain naturalness.
"Absence? Where has he gone?" Shouri demanded immediately, completely surprised by the news.
"He left a couple of hours ago. An important and spontaneous meeting with your parents, I presume," Conrad explained calmly.
"You probably have more important things to do and I'll be fine, so don't worry about me," he said quite annoyed; he didn't need a 'babysitter'. He wasn't a child anymore.
"I don't particularly mind," replied Conrad with a smile.
Great; not only was he sick and bedridden, he could also add to the list of his misfortunes a rather obnoxious soldier taking care of him for who knew how long…he was so regretting his decision of coming to Shin Makoku.
A sudden sneeze made its appearance.
"Bless you,"
"Idiot," muttered Shouri, taking a tissue from the nightstand.
"You shouldn't blow it so often, you may hurt…"
Shouri blew his nose sonorously, in order to interrupt Conrad, who took the hint.
"Being sick makes you more hostile, it seems," he said, and Shouri got the impression the soldier had used a condescending tone with him.
"Don't patronize me!" exclaimed the other man, but due to his sore throat, his voice didn't sound threatening at all.
"I was merely stating a fact," replied Conrad, raising his eyebrows.
Shouri cursed him mentally and both men stared at each other, until Shouri coughed and lost their "first-to-blink-looses" game.
"I will leave if you finish your meal," Conrad said, after Shouri had finished coughing.
"Really?"
"Of course,"
Shouri grabbed a spoon and began eating the warm contents of the bowl.
"What are you reading?" asked Shouri between spoonfuls.
"Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice,"
Shouri looked bewildered.
"You talked about that book during your last visit; you said it was too corny, despite of the good structure in characters…you picked my curiosity, so I asked Yuuri to get me a copy," and after his explanation, Conrad beamed a smile.
"Well, what do you think of it?"
"It's certainly not the best book I have read, but it's entertaining,"
"So that means you do not find it 'clichéd' at all?"
"Well, I haven't finished it yet, but Austen makes a good point; about first impressions being deceiving,"
Shouri was sure Conrad was hinting at something, but his head was hurting badly and he was too tired to think.
"Whatever…I finished the soup, can you leave me now?" Shouri demanded, realizing the broth had actually tasted like chicken. Who would have thought?
Conrad closed the book, stood up, left it on the chair, and walked to where Shouri was.
"After all this time you still dislike me?" he asked, while sitting on the bed, near the other man.
"It's not that I dislike you…it's just that you annoy me," Shouri admitted, blowing his nose yet again.
"Annoy you? Are you still jealous of me?"
"No" and he did not lie. Yuuri had told him the whole story regarding Julia's soul, and Shouri felt he understood better why the brown haired man was so eager to protect—and even die—for his brother.
"Then, why do you find me annoying?" Conrad asked truly concerned.
"Why do you even care, Weller?" his question sounded more scornful that he had intended.
"Because I want us to get along, you know that….and I believed we had agreed to use our first names,"
"I feel weird calling you 'Conrad',"
"It's because you Japanese are too formal, and we are getting off topic. Tell me, why do you regard me as annoying?"
Shouri was about to defend Japanese formality, but upon Conrad's insistence on the subject, he fell silent.
The first time he saw Conrad he told himself he should be careful with the man, for he was more than a friendly stare and a gentle smile. However, Shouri shortly discovered that Conrad could be trusted. It was against his better judgment to trust someone he knew so little about, but he had no other choice. Conrad was going to be Yuuri's protector.
In time, Shouri and Conrad developed a strange relationship; they weren't what people could consider friends, but they, somehow, understood each other…and that freaked Shouri out. He tried to find out what made them comprehend each other so well, but something happened, and Shouri realized one day he had developed "unsafe" feelings for the soldier, and that annoyed him.
Truth to be told, Shouri did find Conrad truly exasperating and obnoxious, but most of the time, it was just him trying to run away from those strange feelings.
"It's complicated," the eldest Shibuya finally managed.
Conrad looked at him and sighed; the answer had been disappointing. Ever since they met, Conrad knew Shouri had something 'special and unique' he had never found in anyone before, not even in Julia, and he was sure there was more to him than a cold appearance and a rather annoying overprotective-ness, and for that reason he wanted them to remain on good terms.
"I must do the evening rounds, so please excuse me," he turned around to leave, but Shouri grabbed his wrist. Conrad immediately spun around.
"I like you," Shouri said firmly, even when he felt his whole body trembling like jelly.
"If you like me, then why…" the soldier fell silent as soon as he realized the connotation of the word 'like'.
"Are you for real?" Conrad asked, looking desperately into Shouri's eyes.
"I'm sick and probably feverish, so don't believe everything I say," Shouri replied, feeling the need to justify what he had said.
Conrad stood up and let the room without further words. Shouri cursed…and sneezed.
----
Shouri was sure he had messed things with Conrad, but when said man stepped into his room the next day with another tray of food, pretending nothing had happened between them, Shouri felt at ease. There were no awkward moments between them.
Yuuri returned the following day as well, and as soon as Shouri felt strong enough to travel, Yuuri agreed to send him back, and after four days, the eldest Shibuya was finally spending his last night at the castle.
He heard a knock on his door and asked the person on the other side to come in; it was Conrad, bringing him a tea with endemic herbs and Gisela's special flu powder.
"You shouldn't bother", said Shouri, trying not to cough.
"I'm not," replied the soldier and handed him the hot beverage.
"Thank you," Shouri said, accepting the offered cup of tea between his hands and taking a careful sip.
"I heard you are going back," said Conrad, still standing near the bed. Shouri nodded in affirmation.
"We have a belief here," began Conrad, looking at Shouri on the eye.
"Really? How fascinating," spat Shouri, blowing his nose sonorously a second later.
"When someone is sick," continued the soldier as if the other had never spoken, "a kiss from a loved one is of good luck,"
Shouri averted his eyes in complete disbelief.
"And does it work?" from all the things Shouri could have said, that certainly hadn't been his smartest choice; it seemed his hormones had won over his brain.
Conrad looked surprised by the answer, but he recovered immediately and smiled.
"I can't say for sure, I've never wanted to try it…until now," Conrad leaned and closed the distance between them, until both could practically feel each other's breath.
"Flu is highly contagious, you know?" warned Shouri, feeling his resistance crumbling little by little.
"I am aware and willing to take the risk. So, may I kiss it better?" asked Conrad, with feigned innocence. Shouri blushed
"Yes," was the sole answer his brain managed to come up with.
Conrad took Shouri by the neck and descended his lips until he met the other man's eager ones.
It was a soft, almost faint chaste, but once Conrad broke away, both men were gasping, and both could feel their hearts pounding hard and fast against their chests.
Shouri could still feel the moisture of Conrad's kiss over his lips and thought for a second on kissing him again, but decided against it, as soon as he remembered he was indeed sick and they shouldn't push their luck.
Conrad couldn't shake off the pleasant feeling of having locked lips with the other man, and he felt his knees weaken. He leaned against Shouri for support, bringing their foreheads together.
"I do hope you get better," whispered the Commander in Shouri's ear, and walked away, closing the door behind him.
The next morning, Shouri's terrible flu had "miraculously" diminished, and even if the kiss had just been a coincidence, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He searched for Conrad, but he wasn't able to find him before returning to Earth, even so, he promised himself he would find the way to thank him properly...as soon as they met again.
End.
---
I hope you have liked it.
Once more, I thank all the people who read it and I double thank the ones who will submit a review.
One of my reviewers asked me the following question: how would you explain how Conrad could read the book Yuuri got him for him from Earth?
I always assumed that Conrad learnt Japanese during the time he spent on Earth. Dear reviewer, I do not remember what did I (if I ever did) reply to you question, but I'm sure this is what I had in mind when I wrote this.