Wolfram's Tears
The Gift
"PRESENTS!" Miko announced loudly and then thrust a shiny silver box into Yuri's unsuspecting arms.
Yuri fumbled slightly with his arms around the moderately flat, square box which was very nearly the width of his chest. It was incredibly light, and he frowned at it in confusion for many seconds.
"I think you're supposed to open it, Wimp." Yuri turned his head to look at Wolfram seated beside him on the couch.
Everyone had gathered in the living room with the TV switched off, each with various shaped and colorfully wrapped gifts at the ready.
Yuri warily eyed the flat and smallish rectangle concealed in bright blue paper within Shori's anticipating grasp.
Taking a deep breath, Yuri tugged at the bow of the big and shiny pink ribbon tied around the silver box his mom had generously given him, and prepared himself for the worst.
Miko clapped excitedly as Yuri removed the lid and peered inside. He blinked and instantly felt his cheeks burn.
"Ooooh! Isn't it cute, Yuu-chan?" Miko gushed, and grabbed the see-through scrape of material from under Yuri's frozen gaze by the lace spaghetti straps and held it up for everyone to see.
"Your mama chose it!" Shoma defended immediately, his cheeks almost as red as his son's. Murata snickered into his hand.
"Isn't your mama cool, Yuu-chan?!" Miko continued to babble while she presented her choice of gift to the room at large. "I was torn between the pink and blue, and then of course I remembered how cute Yuu-chan looks in blue!"
She reached back into the box and snatched up the matching blue, see-through and pointless thong which completed the set.
Yuri remained frozen in horror.
"Of course Wolf-chan will look equally as cute! What do you think, Wolf-chan? We never got you anything for your engagement! But don't you think this makes up for it? Honestly, it is for both your enjoyment! Ne, Wolf-chan?"
"… What's it for?" Yuri heard the confusion in Wolfram's voice and groaned aloud, closing his eyes to the nightmare which had just landed in his lap.
"Why it's lingerie, Wolf-chan!" Miko supplied loudly and without shame, and Yuri groaned again.
"Oh." Wolfram said. Then, "What's it for?"
Murata burst out laughing.
Conrad smiled patiently and took a long sip of his malt whiskey.
Shori looked just as confused as Wolfram, although probably for different reasons. At least Yuri hoped so.
And, although Shoma's face was as red as Yuri's, he was smirking into his own whiskey glass.
"Wolf-chan!" Miko exclaimed as if he had said something scandalous and not the other way around. She turned to Conrad and demanded, "Doesn't Shin Mazoku have lingerie?!"
Conrad took another long sip from his glass before carefully placing it on a coaster upon the coffee table in front of him.
"No, Jennifer." He responded graciously. "I believe Mother has her nightdresses specially made with a similar… ehem – purpose. However, we do not use the word "lingerie". Wolfram, don't you remember what Mother told you when she had that negligee made for you?" Conrad turned to Wolfram with his patient smile.
Wolfram blinked twice as he remembered.
"Oh." Then he blinked again only for his green eyes to became impossibly wide.
"OH!" He gasped and his entire face and neck, and even his ears flooded a deep red.
Yuri gawked at him.
"THAT'S where that ridiculous thing came from?!" Yuri shouted.
His skin felt all hot and itchy just thinking about what the Sexy ex-Queen, Cecilie could have said to Wolfram to make him so red with the memory.
Yet, Wolfram still wore the ridiculously obscene negligee every night.
His head throbbed with the allusions. Oh, the allusions!
Wolfram gave him The Look as his glaring retort. However, as Yuri discovered, it was not as effective when Wolfram was bright red and obviously embarrassed.
Yuri very nearly smiled in response.
"You mean Wolfram wears that frilly pink nightgown to impress our Yuu-chan?!" Shori queried loudly, and Yuri's black eyes widened in alarm before narrowing in on his flustered and drunken brother.
"Since when have you ever seen it?"
"Uh oh." Murata supplied needlessly.
Shoma glanced at his wife worriedly, but Miko was too engrossed in refolding her very thoughtful present back neatly inside the box Yuri was now gripping so tight, his knuckles were white.
Shori looked startled by his baby brother's question.
"Of course I've seen it! I've seen it every night for the past eight months!"
Yuri's eyes widened towards his equally wide-eyed fiancé.
"Is that true?!" he demanded a little breathlessly.
Wolfram visibly winced, his expression a mixture of resentment and hurt.
"Yes, Yuri. I wake up sometimes and go talk to Shori when he is around until I feel tired again. I do the same when he isn't staying with us but I go and sit with Greta while she sleeps. So don't insult me by suggesting I've done something to dishonor you!" he sniffed, and glared.
"Well, then -" Yuri's thoughts stumbled for a moment so he took a deep breath to center himself.
He didn't know why he was becoming so worked up about this anyway.
"Why didn't you say something before? I didn't even notice, you always seem to fall asleep before me," he grumbled.
He handed the repackaged silver box still in his lap absentmindedly over to his mom.
Miko just smiled and placed the box gently on the coffee table.
"You could have told me you were having trouble sleeping." he insisted sullenly.
"I didn't want to trouble you, Wimp." Wolfram muttered, frowning with his cheeks still remarkably pink. "You've always got something else on your mind," he added in a tone that was verging on accusing.
Yuri slumped slightly, his back resting on the couch.
He sighed. "Well, insomnia isn't healthy. Have you been to see Gisela about it?"
"No. He thinks it's not worth mentioning." Shori cut in.
Yuri and Wolfram simultaneously turned to glare at him, causing Shori's drunken flush to pale considerably.
It was in that moment they both realized they were the centre of attention in a room full of close friends and family, and were completely mortified that they'd momentarily forgotten they had an audience. Again.
Miko looked around in confusion when Yuri and Wolfram fell silent in embarrassment.
She leaned into Shoma, who immediately put his arm around her to bring her even closer.
"Uma-chan? What happened? Did mama miss something?" she whispered loudly in his ear, and Wolfram shifted uncomfortably.
Shoma grimaced slightly and whispered back more quietly, "I'll tell you later. For now, let us leave it to the kids to sort out. Mama and papa would only get in the way."
Miko looked at her husband carefully before resettling with a determined expression.
She turned back to the quiet room and nodded sternly.
"Hmn." she agreed, and Yuri let out a slow sigh of relief.
"My present's next, Shibuya!" Murata saved them from the uncomfortable silence which followed and Yuri eagerly received the small green covered gift, sending a glance to Wolfram to let him know their conversation was adjourned, not forgotten and he got a glare in reply.
Yuri immediately ripped into his friend's gift while avoiding everyone else's eyes, barely taking the time to notice the rolling panda wrapping-paper.
It was a Dairy.
"It's for keeping up with your busy schedule." Murata said with a grin as Yuri flipped through the leather-bound book, seeing dates and times all ready to fill-in.
There was also a black fountain pen attracted to the side and Yuri grinned back at his friend.
"A King should not rely on his advisers for everything, Shibuya. This should also considerably lessen Lord von Christ's stress levels, don't you agree Sir Weller?" The Sage looked slyly to Conrad, who nodded agreeably.
"It is troublesome for Gunter when his Majesty goes missing and there are other duties for Gunter to attend to."
Yuri grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks faintly pink with embarrassment.
"Ha ha, that doesn't happen as often as it used to, ha." he defended awkwardly.
Miko gasped, "Yuu-chan! Are you taking advantage of Handsome Gunter?!"
Yuri flinched away.
"No! Well – NO!" he stammered worriedly.
Shoma glanced at Yuri, disappointment in his eyes. "I thought you were being a good Maoh, Yuu-chan!"
Yuri sweat-dropped and did not reply, feeling rather emasculated.
Wolfram sniffed and crossed his arms. "Honestly. You haven't changed. You're still a slacker King."
"I am not!"
"Mine's next, Yuri." Conrad redirected their attention as he pushed a black leather carryall, which had Yuri's Royal Insignia embroidered in gold thread on the closed flap, across the coffee table. It was obvious it had been expensive to customize.
Yuri stared at it, speechless.
"Since your Majesty likes to venture out so much, I considered this a practical gift." Conrad explained with an anticipatory smile.
Yuri reached out to stroke the soft leather and grinned at the buttery feel.
He eventually met Conrad's eyes, flushed with happiness. "Thank you, Conrad. I love it!"
Wolfram grumbled beside him. "I could have gotten you one if you'd mentioned it."
Yuri turned to his overtly jealous fiancé and patiently said, "It's not a present if I ask for it." To which Wolfram harrumphed with annoyance.
Yuri simply placed his new satchel with his new Diary and the unfortunate silver box on the coffee table between him and Wolfram.
"Big Brother's present is next, Yuu-chan!" Shori announced with enthusiasm and an increased slur.
Yuri silently prayed for Shinou to save him from another embarrassing "gift" from his family today.
Really, the Original King owed him.
With great reluctance, Yuri accepted the ominous flat rectangle concealed in bright blue wrapping paper, his lips turned up in a strained (and completely fake) smile.
"Thank you, Shori." Yuri said prematurely to buy himself more time. His fingers hovering over the perfectly wrapped paper, the perfect ripping point taunting him.
"It's Big Brother, Yuu-chan! And don't thank me yet, open it!"
Yuri's fake smile slipped a bit before he could stop it as sweat slid down the side of his face.
He gulped.
Wolfram hovered over his shoulder, having sensed Yuri's averseness and was curious as to why.
Then Yuri bit his tongue, slammed his eyes shut and ripped.
Wolfram's gasp was thunderous within the breaths distance between his lips and Yuri's ear. Yuri's eyes snapped open and immediately dropped down into his lap.
What was there was definitely the last thing Yuri had been expecting.
"The first volume of Sukisho! Can't Stop Loving You!" Wolfram squealed right beside Yuri's ear.
Really, squealed.
"OW!" Yuri complained as he flinched away, but Wolfram was oblivious as he grabbed the DVD out of Yuri's slackened grasp to hold it before his sparkling eyes as if it was the most precious treasure Shinou himself had bestowed to him.
"Do you like it?" asked Shori unnecessarily, sounding smug.
Yuri glared at them both.
"HEY! It's supposed to be MY birthday! What are you doing getting presents for Wolfram, Shori?!" he demanded, his ears burning.
"Don't be so selfish, Yuu-chan!" Shori chastised with a smile, not even looking at him.
He was looking at Wolfram cooing over Yuri's "present".
Right. NOW Yuri was becoming worked up.
"It's for Wolfram as well as Yuu-chan."
"Since when do you even watch that anyway?!" Yuri turned on Wolfram since Shori was doing his best to ignore him.
Wolfram paused in his cooing to blink at Yuri, confusion clouding the happiness in his huge green eyes.
Yuri was almost sorry to put it there. Almost.
"Huh? I told you, when I wake up during the night I talk to Shori. Shori watches this every Saturday night and I love the series, it's really short but TV Ka-nag-awa does repeats. This is great Yuri, now I can share this with you! You're going to love it!" Wolfram beamed at him and Yuri struggled to hold on to his outrage.
Looking back to Shori, Yuri managed it just fine.
"Yuri." Conrad cut in, and Yuri was grateful for the distraction. "Maybe now that Wolfram can watch his favorite anime whenever he wants, he won't need to sit up with Shori in the middle of the night." he offered seriously, and Shori stared at him as that realization sunk in.
Yuri felt a lot better.
He smiled more genuinely and took the DVD case from Wolfram, "HEY!", and gazed at the cover with renewed interest.
Wolfram pouted beside him.
"It doesn't look so bad." Yuri admitted slowly, eyeing the two characters standing very close together, the two male characters, the tallest one having both his hands on each hip… although one hip was not his own.
Yuri laughed nervously. "Haha… this is a Boy Love anime isn't it?"
Wolfram gave him a strange look and snatched the DVD back, "Of course it is, Wimp! As if I'd put up with anything less!"
"I don't even know what you mean by that." Yuri sulked.
"Huh? Has everyone given their presents to Yuu-chan?" Miko asked the room curiously.
Murata nodded. "I have, mama-san!" he grinned and flicked his flyaway hair over his shoulder.
Conrad bowed his head to her and took another sip of his drink.
Shori was still staring at Conrad, seemingly lost in his own slow-moving thoughts.
Shoma grinned beside his wife when her inquiring eyes reached him.
"I think that's everyone, mama." Shoma confirmed and got to his feet, pulling Miko up with him. "Cake, everyone?" he offered and they all nodded their heads eagerly.
"CAKE!" Miko exclaimed before she ran off into the kitchen.
Shoma watched her flutter off with a soft smile.
When he turned back to the room, he looked to Conrad and Shori. "More whiskey, gents?"
"No more for Shori." Conrad said firmly but not unkindly, and Shoma glanced at his eldest son and nodded slowly in agreement. "I'll join you in the kitchen." Conrad quickly insisted and got to his feet.
Both men walked from the room, and again Yuri and Wolfram watched Conrad leave until he was out of sight.
Murata also unexpectedly got up and went to sit beside Shori, sending a wink to Yuri as he passed.
"I was wondering whether you could tell me the secret to getting pass the zombie dogs in that wonderful Xbox game of yours, Big Brother of my Friend." Murata began conversationally, and Yuri could not shake the feeling that his friend was only doing it to distract his brother, but from what Yuri hadn't a clue.
Suddenly, Wolfram grasped Yuri's hand and yanked him up from his seat and out into the hall.
Yuri was dizzy with how quickly he had been dragged so it took him a long, spinning moment to realize that he was alone with his fiancé.
Wolfram was pink-faced and had his shoulders tucked up to his ears defensively.
Yuri stared at him in bewilderment.
"What it is, Wolfram?" he questioned after a full minute had passed in awkward silence. Yuri shifted, suddenly feeling nervous.
Wolfram gulped audibly and then jabbed Yuri in the chest with a small velvet box.
"Happy Birthday." he gasped out, not looking him in the eyes.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, Yuri took the box from Wolfram's trembling grasp and stared at it with apprehension.
It was obvious what was inside.
"It – it's tradition in Shin Mazoku to give your betrothed jewelry as a gift." Wolfram explained quietly, his head still bowed. His golden bangs shadowing his rosy face.
Yuri said nothing, slowly opening the box.
Inside was a smooth, thick gold ring, encrusted with two small onyx and three sapphire stones. It was simply made but glaringly expensive, and Yuri caught his breath when he saw it.
"Mama – I mean, Miko-san, she told me a ring was the customary gift one gives to their fiancé on Earth…" Wolfram met Yuri's eyes shyly, and Yuri could only stare into those expectant green eyes, his mind a complete blank. "She said a ring represents my eternal love and commitment, as well as showing the world you belong to someone… I would- I would like, for you to wear it, Yuri. For all those reasons… please."
Yuri did not know what to say.
This was completely unexpected and yet, Yuri felt like it shouldn't have been. He licked his dry lips and carefully took out the ring.
He hesitantly put the box on a vase-stand nearby and rolled the glinting gold between his thumb and forefinger.
Inside, an inscription caught the light and he read, "Be A Good King, Yuri."
Yuri felt tears prickle his eyes. "Wolfram." he breathed, his heart thudding shallowly in his chest under the bruising skin where Wolfram had shoved the jewelry box. "I don't know what to say… Thank you."
Wolfram's cute face flooded even brighter at the sentiment, and he began to stammer, as he was wont to do whenever he was confronted with Yuri's gratitude. "It – it was nothing! It's what's expected since you are my fiancé! No big deal!"
Yuri smiled, his heart feeling full to bursting.
He knew it was a lie, this was a HUGE deal, but he just smiled and placed the ring on the expected finger.
His ring finger.
He felt a lump of indefinable emotion in his throat at the sight and weight of it on his left hand. It felt strange but not unpleasant.
Actually, it felt kind of good, righteven.
And Wolfram looked so pleased Yuri just knew he had done something right for once. He felt really proud of himself seeing Wolfram practically glow with happiness and knowing he was the cause.
Take that, Shori.
When Yuri walked back into the living room behind Wolfram, both smiling secretly to themselves, Yuri felt every eye zero in on his left hand which he held aloft, admiring.
Wolfram seemed oblivious to the stares, plopping down on the couch once again. His mind was seemly a million miles away and in a very pleasant place judging from the softly brilliant smile, and the lightly flushed cheeks.
However, Yuri was very much conscious of the many eyes glued to his new jewelry.
His own cheeks burned seeing his mom and dad looking excitedly from him to Wolfram and then to each other, huge smiles on their faces.
And Shori was nodding to himself seriously, as if he had figured out something very important.
Murata just grinned up at him from the other end of the couch, a glint in his dark eyes Yuri avoided looking directly at after the first glance.
Conrad stood behind Wolfram, whiskey glass in hand, his expression the aptitude of parental love.
Yuri smiled shyly back, before he wobbled his way across the room under everyone's watch, and took his seat between his fiancé and his best friend.
"Would you like some cake, Yuu-chan?" Miko asked loudly, with a huge smile and glittering, brown eyes.
Yuri looked around again and realized Murata, Shori and Shoma were distractedly eating fork-full's of blue-frosted cake. Seeing this, Yuri's teeth began to ache with envy.
Wolfram straightened up immediately, his cute face eager. "I'll have some cake, Mama!"
Miko beamed down at them both, her cheeks flushed with happiness.
"Ooooh. Of course, Wolf-chan! Mama will slice an extra big piece for you! Wolf-chan needs his energy after all!" Miko squealed and ran to the kitchen to fetch Wolfram's "extra big" slice of Yuri's cake.
Yuri pouted.
And what was that about Wolfram needing his energy, anyway?
"Thank you, Mama!" Wolfram yelled after her, and then seeing Yuri pouting, he shrugged, settling back down smugly to wait for his promised treat.
Yuri pouted harder and crossed his arms, feeling slightly snubbed.
"Nice ring you have there, Shibuya." Murata filled the void, as he was wont to do.
Yuri glared at his smirking friend.
Murata just shrugged unapologetically. "There was a dragon in the room," he said, as if it was excuse enough.
"It is a very nice ring." Shoma grinned.
Shori continued to nod slowly.
Yuri fiddled with his ring, his cheeks burning.
"It's Yuri's present from me!" Wolfram announced proudly. His large green eyes were twinkling dangerously when Yuri turned to him.
Wolfram's smile was almost blinding. Yuri tried to remember if he had ever seen Wolfram smile like that. "It's a symbol of our eternal love!"
Yuri gave a nervous laugh, shifting awkwardly under everyone's eyes.
"Ha ha, yeah. Something like that." he murmured, embarrassed and avoiding. Nobody seemed to hear him.
Miko came back into the room with Wolfram's piece of Yuri's birthday cake, which was as big as promised.
Everyone began chatting at once when Miko squealed that she wanted to see the ring, and Yuri hesitantly stopped fiddling with it, suddenly realizing that he had been continuingly touching the new addition to his left hand since he had sat down, and moved to take it off.
"Yuu-chan!" Miko gasped and Yuri immediately stilled. "You must not remove the ring until your wedding day! Has mama taught you nothing?!"
Miko gave Yuri her impervious scowl, reserved for when her sons had done something verging on unforgiveable.
Yuri's eyes widened and he looked hesitantly to Wolfram, who was intently nibbling on his acquired cake, his movements slow and deliberate.
Yuri winced.
"Right." Yuri said slowly, and lifting his hand for his mom's inspection.
Miko squealed, her scowl evaporating. "Oooh! A perfect fit! And it suits Yuu-chan so well! Wolf-chan has wonderful taste!"
Wolfram blushed and continued to eat.
Yuri smiled at Miko's enthusiasm, even though he felt a little out of his depth, he was pleased everyone seemed so happy.
Maybe?:
the word 'lingerie' was not used until 1922, which is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in the future as far as Shin Mazoku is concerned, I think. 'Negligee' first made its appearance in the 1700s, so I also think it is safe to say that Wolfram gets that word, just about. Maybe.
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DISCLAIMER!: Sukisho is not mine, obviously and TV Kanagawa is also a real independent television station in Japan (Tokyo, I think) which did air Sukisho and still does other anime.
Sukisho is kind of old news but I still love it.