When One Door Opens

By,

Rune Wolfe

Disclaimer: I own none of Kyou Kara Maou

Chapter dedicated to Pandawolf on LJ because once again, she kicked my butt into getting some work done for once.

Note: Fodoe and Modoe are words I made up.

Fodomao (Fodoe): father who performed the role of getting the modoe pregnant

Modomai (Modoe): father who performed the maternal act of giving birth.

Both terms are informal and on the same level as 'mama or dada" In the story Raphael uses these terms to differentiate between his fathers. Gabriel calls Yuuri "father" and Wolfram "baba."

Chapter 12: To Break the Rules:

"And of course I forgive


I've seen how you live


Like a phoenix you rise from the ashes


You pick up the pieces


And the ghosts in the attic


They never quite leave


And of course I forgive


You've seen how I live


I've got darkness and fears to appease


My voices and analogies


Ambitions like ribbons


Worn bright on my sleeve"

-"Eric's Song," Vienna Teng

-

Yuuri grunted awkwardly as his head hit the hard wood floor. As he lay there, wind stolen from his lungs, eyes now staring up at the ceiling, his head spun. Slowly Wolfram's form came into vision, peering over the side of the bed bemused by his fiancée's current predicament. It all seemed to fit a little too perfectly. In a way this had been how Wolfram had predicted Yuuri would receive the news of his pregnancy, however at the same time the King's previous sobs had given him false hope that perhaps Yuuri would have received the good tidings in a slightly more dignified manner. But alas, Wolfram couldn't get everything he wished for, now could he?

"Are you alright?" The blonde murmured the question, trying to cover his amusement at the boy's expense. He feared if he spoke too loudly, he might spook the skittish boy.

Yet despite Wolfram's attempts at verbal contact, the boy in question remained lying on the floor chanting a strange sort of mantra to himself. "You're pregnant… you're pregnant…you… are… pregnant… you… have become-"

"Pregnant." Wolfram muttered bluntly in an attempt to cease his mindless bantering. "Yes, Yuuri, I know."

With that Yuuri was seemingly tugged back to the present. "How?" He asked dumbly.

Wolfram laughed at the unexpected question, lowering himself gingerly from the mattress to sit beside his bewildered love. "How?" His voice was soft. "How else, Yuuri? We made love…," he placed a tender kiss to the king's forehead, "… you filled me with your seed… and it took root."

Yuuri nuzzled his face into his lover's clothed thigh. "So it's… ours?" He slipped his eyes closed and inhaled the scent of Wolfram.

The prince frowned. "Don't ask such silly questions. Who else's would it be?" His emerald eyes met with Yuuri's sternly. "Unless of course you are accusing me of being unfaithful…"

Yuuri sat up quickly, "no, no, no, that's not what I meant… I just can't… I can't get my mind around it. You're… Wolfram, you're pregnant." His hands flailed pathetically as he failed to express his inner sentiments.

"Please stop saying that, I know I'm pregnant." Wolfram moved to grip his hand timidly. "Does it… upset you?"

The king held his lover's eyes for a long moment as if utter blasphemy had just escaped Wolfram's pink lips. "How could it ever upset me?" The twinkle in his eyes seemed to sparkle more brightly as a grin fought its way to his lips. "Wolfram, this is wonderful! We're going to have a baby!" He thrust himself excitedly into the embrace of his golden prince, who ran his fingers cheerfully through Yuuri's black hair.

"You really are excited?"

"Yes, Wolfram! Yes!" Yuuri buried his nose into the blue fabric of Wolfram's collar. "Oh, I love you."

Wolfram blushed. "And I you, Hennachoko."

Suddenly, Yuuri grew solemn; the loving tone of Wolfram's voice bringing back to him all his sorrow that had momentarily fled from him in the excitement of his lover's announcement. Slowly he drew away from Wolfram, catching a glimpse of the blonde's eyes growing frightened.

"Yuuri…. what's wrong?" Wolfram's voice trembled slightly, had Yuuri changed his mind so quickly?

"We can't get married, Wolfram," Yuuri spoke sorrowfully.

Wolfram shifted closer to his lover as if hoping to trap him there. "Yes, Yuuri, I know. But that's okay; we're going to have a child!"

Yuuri pulled Wolfram tight against him to reassure his lover that he wouldn't run. "But it's not fair." He kissed the part of the prince's golden hair adoringly. "I've always dreamed of having kids. You know I have…but what about you?"

Wolfram let his eyes fall closed. "I want children too, Yuuri."

The king sighed. "That's not what I meant… you've dreamed of us getting married for so long now… it's not fair for you not to get what you wanted." His embrace tightened about his beloved. "It's not."

"Yes, Yuuri, It's not …," Wolfram adjusted himself to gaze tenderly into the boy's eyes. "But we must accept what we get, and I am content to have a family with you… with or without a ring to prove that I am your bride." He gently placed a kiss to Yuuri's warm lips. "Yes I am disappointed that we won't have a wedding… but the most important thing for me is to be by your side." With that he rested his blonde head upon his king's chest once more, his hands entwining with Yuuri's.

"Wolfram…" Yuuri's welcoming voice broke their moment of silence.

"Yes, my love?"

"I want to marry you."

-

-

-

Greta restlessly nuzzled against his blonde father's stomach. She was overjoyed and her excitement was irrepressible. She was going to have a baby sibling! Wolfram merely smiled proudly as she huddled against him, trying to hear a heartbeat that was not yet strong enough to be sensed by those of the outside world. "Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?" She asked impatiently, willing the baby to come immediately.

Wolfram paused for a moment to think, glancing over to Yuuri who had also been stilled by the question. Then looking back at their daughter, Wolfram petted her auburn hair. "Well… I was sort of hoping for a boy…someone I could teach how to use a sword…"

"And how to play baseball," Yuuri interjected, seemingly agreeing with Wolfram's hopes for a male child.

"No!" Greta cried, "there are too many boys here. There's uncle Conrad, and Uncle Gwendal, and Yozak, and Gunter, and Hube… I want a sister. A sister like Anissina."

Wolfram grimaced, "Well… let's just wait and see what we get. I will be happy with whatever gendered child I get." Secretly, though, he prayed that he would not have a daughter the likes of Anissina. One mad scientist would be quite enough for him and his brothers. Especially Gwendal.

Greta smiled and returned to patting his father's belly. "How long will it take for it to get here?"

Yuuri too looked at Wolfram expectantly. "How long does it take for a Mazoku man to have a baby, Wolfram?" His coal eyes clouded with confusion. "In fact… how does it even work? You don't really have… woman parts."

Wolfram blushed, "I'm not going to explain the whole process to you. You can ask Giezela to explain it to you if you want. Let's just say I have a womb and leave it at that." He straightened himself in an attempt to regain his composure. "If you ask me it is preposterous to think that human men can't have children. But aside from that… I should carry the child for approximately 11-12 months, depending on its health and mine."

"That's longer than the average incubation time for a human baby…" Yuuri murmured thoughtfully.

Wolfram smiled, "we have much longer life spans than a human does." A soft distant tone then crept into his words. "But considering that this child is part human… it may arrive earlier." His voice grew concerned.

Yuuri eyed him warily. "Would that be bad? I mean… could it be dangerous, you know… if it came early?" Greta too watched the man with piqued concern, pulling away from his flat belly in order to gaze anxiously into his eyes.

"Are you going to die, Wolfram?" Her garnet eyes grew large with fear.

Wolfram sighed and smiled in a gentle bittersweet manner. "It is true that If this child comes too soon, my body might not be ready to give birth … but don't worry about me. I'm strong enough to take on something like this." He reached out to stroke his daughter's hair. Yuuri, shaken and unconvinced, moved to sit beside him on the settee, hoping to be as close to his lover as possible.

"Should we go talk to Giezela about this?" the King murmured, taking hold of Wolfram's warm hand. "Maybe this isn't a great idea…"

The blond eyed him warily. "Are you suggesting that I should give up this child?"

Yuuri's heart broke a little at the thought of taking their child away from Wolfram. They already couldn't get married… "But… If it's dangerous for you…" His voice was timid.

Smiling then, the prince leaned back into him. "It's sweet how concerned you are, Hennachoko. But it's not good to have so little faith in me." Wolfram shot a scolding look to his fiancée. "I am just as strong as my brother's, and I would slit my own throat before I ever let anyone take your child from me."

Yuuri went silent, the intensity of emotion in Wolfram's eyes entrancing his heart and thought. Greta, however, was struck with fear. "Don't papa Wolfram! Don't slit your throat!"

Wolfram was taken aback, having forgotten that Greta was so nearby. It was surprising how profoundly words could affect young children. "Greta! Greta! Don't worry," the blonde reassured her, pulling her close, "it's just a saying. I would never do such a thing."

Defiantly Greta thrust her arms around her father's neck. "Promise."

"Promise?" Wolfram looked to Yuuri for an explanation, but the king just shrugged, he didn't understand it either. Wolfram turned back to his daughter. "What do you want me to promise, Greta?"

The girl looked him in the eye, holding steadfast to his strong, thin shoulders. "Promise Greta that you will never hurt yourself!" With her words she shook the boy's shoulders just slightly for emphasis. "Promise you will not make Greta or Yuuri cry!"

Wolfram sighed, his free hand landing gently on her tan cheek. "Greta." He tenderly pressed his pale forehead to hers. "I promise you, and Yuuri," he shot a glance to the boy beside him, "I promise both of you that I shall never abandon you."

Greta smiled. Yuuri kissed Wolfram's blushing cheeks.

They were one big happy family.

-

It was amazing how wrong 'one big happy family' could go. It was mindboggling how many mistakes could be made, how many hurtful things could be said… and how many promises could be broken.

Sitting at the head of the dinner table, Yuuri could not help but reminisce. Wolfram's eyes and round face on his eldest son, and his queen's coloring on his youngest… everything seemed determined to remind him of Wolfram. The resemblance was most striking in Raphael. Though the first-born prince had the dark hair and tanned skin of his fodoe, his modoe's fine cheek bones, delicate chin, and pouting lips were all very present. In Gabriel, the porcelain skin and wavy blond hair made him an angelic vision evocative of the paintings of Bouguereau.

Yuuri sighed. His sons were such a pinnacle of love in his life… yet he had failed them. He had lost their father, he had been unable to keep Greta home beside them, and day by day he saw what little traces they had left of a smile disappear from their faces. The thought was enough to tug at Yuuri's sanity.

As the silence endured throughout their meal, Yuuri's mind began to wander away from Wolfram, away from his family, to that boy. That strange boy…

Angelo.

What purpose… what role had that boy been sent here to fulfill? Was he to torment the king with his lost love's smile? Was he to forever pull Yuuri away from mirrors filled with specters of his wife? Was this child devil or saint?

His head spun. It was too much. It was too late in his life to welcome any newcomers into his life. The Yuuri of ever-open arms was gone, leaving behind an embittered and cold boy disillusioned with the world. He didn't have time to play with a seductive nymph, no matter how beautifully innocent he was nor how many images he conjured of Yuuri's beloved Wolfram.

This boy could mean nothing but trouble.

Yet even so… he was intriguing in every way.