Note: I understand some people didn't like the ConYuu in the last chapter. I thought I should just get it out of the way since it's all over the fandom. Rest assure - this is a YuuRam fic. And they are young (even Wolfram is young by Mazoku standard), they make bad judgements and yes, kissing Conrad in front of Wolfram is not very bright but hey, it's Yuuri!
Yuuri will continue to display a more aggressive Maou behavior… ^^; ? *points to head* Blame my overactive imagination, no da!
Thank you for reading! Your support means a great deal to me.
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Discoveries - 4
"Man… where the hell am I?" Yuuri shifted on his horse and looked around him dispiritedly. Maybe it was a bad idea to come alone after all. It was so dark, and while he knew that Kohi was around, well… the image of a skeleton at this time of night, when he was all alone, with only crickets chirping, really wasn't comforting.
Yuuri urged his horse forward and tightened his hands on the reins. He had been riding hard for several hours now and hoped that he had come far enough to find Wolfram camping somewhere soon. Wolfram wouldn't have been looking out for pursuit, so it was safe to assume that he, like any other normal person, would set up camp before dusk. Only one thing was wrong with that theory though; Wolfram was far from normal. Yuuri sighed and refused to think more about that. Even if Wolfram had set up camp some time ago, Yuuri wasn't sure he would be able to find it. It wasn't like there would be a sign saying, 'Wolfram's camp this way'.
So, what in the world was he doing out here? Yuuri groaned out loud. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Follow the path, run into Wolfram, have a heart to heart talk - in which he still had no clear idea what to say - and then go back home.
Home… GAH! That almost sounded like they were married!
Married. That was the whole problem, wasn't it? Wolfram wanted it, but Yuuri didn't. Or, did he? Was that why he had kissed Wolfram? Was that why it had felt so different with Conrad? How DID he feel about Wolfram? DID he want Wolfram?
Of course, he didn't! What in the world was he thinking?
Then why hadn't he fought harder to renounce the engagement? Why wait all this time?
Because he had never completely believed that it would be followed through. They all knew that he hadn't known what he was doing; he hadn't meant it… so they really couldn't expect him to actually go through with it. Where he came from, same sex marriage wasn't a normal thing. Heck, people were still getting beat up for being gay. And, he had only been 15 at the time. How could they expect a minor to be responsible for a decision like that?
So, he was completely within his rights to believe that it would all go away… somehow.
But, he hadn't counted on Wolfram falling in love with him.
GAH! So, he was back to Wolfram. And, why the hell was he talking to himself? Yuuri sighed again and nudged his horse on. He hadn't planned on sleeping anyway; it was better to keep going… and hopefully Wolfram hadn't changed course along the way.
A sound from the side of the road startled Yuuri from his reverie, and in his fright, Yuuri dug his heels into the flanks of his horse. Unconsciously, he pulled tightly on the reins, confusing the poor animal further. The horse reared up on its hind legs and threw Yuuri off with a frightened whine. Yuuri yelped as he landed none too gently on his butt and watched helplessly as the horse took off at breakneck speed down the road.
As the horse disappeared into the darkness, Yuuri saw Morgif float back to him. He groaned at the skeletal face and fell back to lie prone on the dirt road. This was just perfect. What else could go wrong, now?
Er… wait! He took that back! Everytime that line was uttered in a horror movie… SOMETHING definitely went wrong. Morgif snuggled - if one could call it that - against him and Yuuri felt oddly comforted by its presence. He closed his eyes and tried to think about his options. Lying in the middle of the road, even in the dead of the night, was clearly not one of them. Who knew what crazy idiot would decide to go for a ride at this time of night?
He wasn't aware that he had said that part out loud until someone said, "You're the only idiot I know that would do something like that."
That voice!
"Wolfram!" Yuuri sat up quickly, a relieved smile on his face… despite the visage that faced him.
The blond glared down at him from the side of the road, looking very much irritated. Okay, so it was too dark for him to really SEE Wolfram's exact expression, but he could FEEL it. It was weird.
His wayward fiancé was dressed in a light colored tunic and pants. His sword was in one hand while the other clenched by his side. His hair was cutely disheveled… and Yuuri did not just think that.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Wolfram looked up and down the road and then at Yuuri. "Where are the others?"
Yuuri shook his head. "I'm alone."
"What?" Wolfram's voice was like a thunderclap in the silent night. "You snuck out again?" The blond stepped onto the road and stare hard at Yuuri. "To go into human territory?"
The small light from the waning moon allowed Yuuri to see Wolfram's anger as the blond scowled down at him. Yuuri quickly shook his head and waved his hands in front of his face frantically. "No, no, no! I was looking for you."
Wolfram took a surprised step back, his face blank. He blinked silently for a few seconds then asked, "How did you know I was here? I told my brother that I was going to Evergreen."
"Then you're on the wrong road, don't you think?" Yuuri asked and gingerly got up. Damn but his butt hurt.
"I forgot about the guards…" Wolfram mumbled, clearly thinking out loud to himself.
"Ne, Wolfram… where are you going?"
Wolfram looked irritated again. "None of your business," he retorted and started to head into the woods.
"Wait!" Yuuri ran after the blond. "Wolfram, please, can we talk?"
"No." Wolfram continued to stalk between the trees.
"What you saw… it isn't what you think!"
Wolfram turned and stared at him, his face wooden. Yuuri couldn't find the words to describe how that expression made him feel.
"I think you were kissing Weller." Then Wolfram turned back to the woods again.
"Okay, so it IS what you think but… not really!"
"Shut up, Yuuri. I can't handle this right now, so… just shut up."
Yuuri didn't know what to say to that. Heck, he didn't even know what to say had Wolfram said, 'sure, let's talk'. He stumbled in the dark after the blond and then REALLY stumbled when his foot caught on something, and he fell forward, hitting the ground hard.
"Ow, ow, ow." He sat up and rubbed at various sore spots. This was not his day… or night. He was tempted to ask 'what else could go wrong?', but stopped himself just in time.
An exasperated sound from his fiancé had him looking up to see the blond looking down at him. Yuuri sighed. This seemed to be their assigned positions for the night; Yuuri on his butt, and Wolfram standing over him.
But, Wolfram's expression was gentler than he had seen in a long while. The blond sighed and offered Yuuri his hand. "Yuuri, you're such a clumsy wimp."
"Don't call me 'wimp'," was Yuuri's automatic reply, but it was halfhearted. He took the offered hand gratefully, and Wolfram helped him to his feet.
"Come on, let's get you back home," Wolfram told him resignedly and turned back to the direction he had been going.
"I… do we have to?" Yuuri didn't know why, but he wanted to spend some time alone with Wolfram. He found that in the past, Wolfram's ready defenses - which were usually violent - seemed to lessen when they were alone. It was as if the blond felt he could let down his guard…
Wolfram stopped and turned to face Yuuri. "They are going to have the entire army looking for you by mid-morning, you realize that, right?"
Yuuri rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Er… no, they won't."
"What do you mean? Don't tell me they KNOW you're out here all alone?"
"Well, yeah, but not entirely alone." He held up Morgif. "I brought him along. And Kohi is around somewhere."
On cue, Kohi emerged from the treetops and flapped around a few time before going back into hiding again.
Wolfram blinked uncomprehendingly and then shook his head. "I don't believe it. They let you come out alone… with just a spazzy sword and a pile of bones?"
From somewhere in the treetops, Yuuri thought he heard Kohi's jaw clicking in protest.
"I'm not completely helpless, Wolfram!" Yuuri protested in his turn. "Besides, I'm in a new disguise. No one knows who I am." Then it suddenly occurred to him, "How DID you know it was me?"
Wolfram stared at him silently for a long moment, his face unreadable. This was new to Yuuri, and he felt oddly uncomfortable. He really wasn't used to Wolfram being this way. Then Wolfram shrugged. "How many people do you know walking around with a sword like that? Besides, your wig fell off on the road."
"WHAT?!" Yuuri's hands went up to his head and found only his hair. He hadn't even noticed it earlier. "Oh man!"
"Idiot," Wolfram muttered and started to walk away again.
"It wasn't my fault!" Yuuri called and hurried after him.
"Whatever." Wolfram did not bother turning around but waved his hand dismissively. Yuuri glared at the back of Wolfram's head and wondered not for the last time, why he was there.
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When they reached Wolfram's campsite, Yuuri had to admit he was impressed. A one-man tent was set up in a small clearing. It front of that was a cheerful fire, glowing with welcoming warmth. Wolfram's horse was tied to a tree a few feet away; close by for easy escape had the blond needed it.
It wasn't often that he and Wolfram were alone in these types of situations; there had always been other people around to do work around the campsite. Yuuri supposed he should have known that Wolfram would be perfectly all right alone in the wild… the Mazoku was a trained soldier, after all, yet Wolfram had seemed so… pampered.
Wolfram went straight for the horse and began packing small items into the saddlebag.
"What are you doing?" Yuuri asked as he walked over to the fire.
"Breaking camp." Wolfram may not have said it, but Yuuri felt a definite 'duh!' somewhere in there.
"I'm not going back. Not yet in any case." Yuuri refused to look at his fiancé and settled on the flat rock by the fire and then proceeded to warm his hands. "Not until we've talked."
"Yuuri," Wolfram said tiredly, his head fall to rest on the horse's flank. "There isn't anything you have to say that I want to hear. What you did, or what you want to do, is no longer my concern. Go back and leave me alone."
"Wolfram."
The blond lifted his head but didn't look at Yuuri. Wolfram shook his head stubbornly and turned back to the camp. "Don't want to hear it, Yuuri," he said without looking at the young Maou. "Stay the night then, it's almost over anyway, we'll talk about what to do in the morning."
Yuuri watched speechless as Wolfram crawled into the tent and pulled the bedding over himself. He didn't even take off his boots…
That was the strangest experienced he'd had so far in dealing with Wolfram. He could handle an angry Wolfram. He understood the jealous Wolfram, too. And, the insanely violent Wolfram, he was used to… but this melancholic boy - no, Mazoku prince was beyond Yuuri's capacity. He felt the need to slap some sense into the blond… but just as strong, if not stronger, was the feeling that he wanted to hold Wolfram and tell him that everything would be okay.
Yuuri smacked himself on the head. What the hell was wrong with him? All he needed to do was to give Wolfram some time. When the blond wasn't angry, he'd listen… surely?
But, Wolfram didn't seem angry. Yuuri craned his neck to peer into the tent; the blond was completely covered under a pile of blankets, not a single golden hair to be seen. The young Maou did not like that in the least. Yuuri frowned. He couldn't understand the sudden irritation he felt. The longer he stared at the pile of blankets, the more irritated he became.
"Yuuri! Stop growling," Wolfram mumbled from under his covers. Yuuri's eyes narrowed; he wasn't aware he had been growling… but that aside, what caught Yuuri's attention was the fact that Wolfram didn't sound sleepy in the least.
Yuuri couldn't explain what was making him move towards the tent. Couldn't understand the urge to pull the blanket away so that he could SEE the blond. He couldn't even begin to understand the sudden need to be next to Wolfram… to touch him... fuck him…
"AGH!" Yuuri yelled, surprise at his own crass, primal thought, and tried to move back from the opening of the tent. His feet got tangled under him, and he fell back on his butt, kicking up dirt into the tent. "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Yuuri!" Wolfram called, and Yuuri looked up to see the worried blond on his hands and knees, looking anxiously at him from his haven in the tent. From somewhere in the back of his mind, Yuuri thought that was a fetching position for his fiancé.
Gah! Yuuri's face flamed and he tried to scoot back, away from the blond.
"Stop!" Wolfram called. "You'll end up in the fire."
Yuuri stopped.
"What happened?"
Yuuri shook his head vigorously. No good telling him THAT.
Wolfram's delicate features were illuminated by the firelight, making the Mazoku prince more breathtaking than Yuuri had ever seen him… unpleasant glare and all.
"Then stop making all that ruckus! I want to get some sleep!"
"I'm... I'm sorry."
Wolfram continued to frown at him, then he gave a small sigh. "You might as well come inside. I can't have you getting sick on me. You're such a wimp, I'm surprised you haven't caught a cold already." Wolfram moved back and a little to the side, allowing some room for Yuuri.
Yuuri was still disoriented, and he didn't even blink at the 'wimp' comment. He stared after Wolfram, not sure if he should go anywhere near the blond right now; clearly he wasn't right in the head. Strange... things… kept popping in there.
"Yuuri! Hurry up! I want to get some sleep!"
Yuuri closed his eyes and took deep breaths. It had been a long night. He was tired and he was sleepy. A good sleep ought to clear all these... thoughts right up.
Right?
Yuuri whimpered silently and hope that whatever freaky thoughts he'd been having lately, wouldn't come back and bother him for the rest of the night. Wouldn't it suck something terrible if he to wake up with Wolfram's sword sticking out of him…?
TBC…
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Thank you for reading. *bows*