Coming Home.

"Father! Father!"

Truth be told on something he wasn't going to admit to anyone, Wolfram still wasn't used to be called 'father', even if it had been months, almost a year since he and Yuuri had adopted Greta. It wasn't that he disliked it, quite the opposite; it just was that, since he spent most of the time within the eyesight of the young girl, he rarely got called like that. As a concept, when Greta told everyone who'd care to listen how happy she was at having such amazing fathers? Yes. Directly calling him 'father' or 'dad' or any other form? It had been just a handful of times. It was mostly Yuuri the one who was called father.

Which perhaps was one of the reasons that, when he saw Greta running out of the courtyard of Blood Pledge Castle, calling for him, Wolfram got off his horse (if he was any other person he'd have admitted he jumped) and kneeled just in time to have his daughter wrap her arms around his neck, holding him tightly while he smiled, taking a deep breath of home, returning the hug not as tightly, but sharing the same thrill and feeling.

"We're back."

"Welcome! I missed you!" Greta gave him a broad smile, brown eyes merrily shining. He was just about going to answer that he had also missed her when Greta spoke again. "Where is Yuuri?"

His smile turned a little bit softer, sadder, knowing that Greta would be invariably sad; not wanting himself to think about what that whimpy cheater fiancé of his could be doing in that other world when he should be in Shin Makoku.

"He and the Great Sage had to go back to that other world." Wolfram said, trying not to be too bitter about that, not wanting to make Greta even sadder. "But I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"Okay… Gwen!" Wolfram smiled when he was quickly left behind, running towards Gwendal who also gave a small smile, patting Greta over the head while Greta went from telling about her knitting to how the castle had been to Anissina helping her with her lessons (Wolfram shared the same shiver Gwendal had at that. The idea of his cute daughter picking up Anissina's ways was now going to become one of his nightmares) to the maids to…

"Conrad!" a squeal of pure happiness while Gwendal was also left behind when Greta threw her arms around Conrad's waist tightly, small shoulders shaking. "I missed you so much! I was so worried!"

"I'm glad to see you again." Conrad said softly while Wolfram rolled his eyes and turned to the side, and no, he wasn't touched by the scene that was just the wind, dammit, thank you. "I'm sorry you had to worry about me, princess Greta." Conrad continued a hand over the girl's curls.

Instead of smiling at this, Greta rose her face from Conrad's uniform and her lips curled in the pout that Celi had spent weeks teaching her, big brown eyes suddenly sad and filled with hurt, still holding unto Conrad's waist as if he could disappear any second now.

"Conrad! It's not 'princess'! It's just Greta!"

Conrad laughed lightly as did several of the presents (even Gwendal shook his head a little bit, the beginnings of a smile tugging his lips at the corners) at the young princess's exclamation. Wolfram, instead, facepalmed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It had to be my luck; she's taking after her wimp of a father." He murmured, just loud enough to cause another laugh (and a shriek from Günther about how he shouldn't talk about His Majesty like that, even if he was his fiancé) both of which he ignored.

"Of course, Greta. I apologize."

"You're not going again, are you?" Greta asked, voice still sad and hurt and suddenly Wolfram knew, even if he didn't turn to look at his half brother and his daughter, that all the eyes were on them.

After a moment, Celi clapped once, drawing attention towards her.

"Now, we all should rest for a bit before dinner!" she smiled, going towards Greta with a big smile, just putting her hand for a moment on Conrad's shoulder. "Greta, come here! Grandmother Celi got you many presents! And don't you go, Huber, I also have some things for your daughter and your wife!" Celi cooed, taking her granddaughter's hand and taking the surprised ex soldier's arm, walking down the hall and happily dividing her attention in between asking Greta about the newest gossip in the castle and somehow managing to get Huber to answer about his daughter and wife.

Wolfram turned to look at his two brothers, huffed when Conrad smiled at him, and then turned towards his and Yuuri's room.

-…-…-

"… and Huber said that he was sorry that he couldn't stay long but he's going early tomorrow so we already said goodbye. Gwen gave him something for the baby, and Huber promised that he'd be coming back soon, and that he'd bring Nicola and the baby with him." Greta chatted quite happily after dinner, holding her knees against her chest while Wolfram brushed her hair.

"When I asked Huber about the baby, he smiled and said that she looks even more like Nicola now." Wolfram hmmed at that, not really knowing what to say about that information. Yes, Greta had taken him to see the new born baby months ago, and he had admitted to himself that even if she was a half breed at least she was a cute one, and he had expressed his good wishes to the parents; but he could guess that there was something that Greta wasn't saying. She was starting to be far more sneaky and secretive than a ten years old human girl (or even a Mazoku girl) should be. "Wolfram?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think that Huber missed Nicola and the baby while he was away?"

He nodded. "I think so. They are his wife and daughter. Everyone misses their family when they are away."

"Oh." A pause. "Wolfram?"

"Yes, Greta?" he asked, although now he already could guess where this conversation was leading them to.

"Do you think Yuuri misses us when he's not here?"

"Of course he does!" he explained, putting the brush on Greta's nightstand, standing up and opening the bed for the girl to slip under the covers, avoiding the 'He better!' that he had meant to say, sending a mental headlock to the wimp, just in case he was cheating or doing something equally whimpy. "You don't need to worry about that, Greta. We're his family, there's no way he doesn't miss us."

Greta smiled at this, snuggling against one of the 'Bearbees' teddies that Gwendal had knit for her while Wolfram pulled a chair next to her bed, picked up the book that had been left there and started reading after the Brave Anissina had managed to defeat an evil Goala. With all the excitement of the day, he had barely started another chapter in which one of the magnificent inventions of the Brave Anissina ("Take-Shelter-From-Explosions-kun!", and they could really use one of those) had been used to open the gates of the enemy's castle when he noticed Greta's eyelids closed.

Smiling, also marking the page they had stopped, dimming down the lights, Wolfram was just tucking the covers again, reaching to touch Greta's hair when she opened her eyes a little bit.

"Wolfram?" she asked groggily. Wolfram moved his hand towards her shoulder, patting it softly in the same way Conrad and his mother had done with him when he had been little.

"Time to sleep, Greta." He whispered, watching the girl yawn, eyelids heavy while she snuggled against the toy.

"I'm glad that Conrad's back..." Greta muttered around a yawn, quickly losing the battle of staying awake.

"You'll see him tomo-" he was interrupted when his daughter sleepily smiled towards him.

"… because now you won't be lonely when we're waiting for Yuuri to come home." A last cheerful smile before going back to snuggling in her bed and Greta was asleep, leaving a blinking, confused Wolfram just standing there for a while.

-…-…-

"I didn't know you'd be practicing this late, Wolfram."

Conrad watched his younger brother stop his sword practice for a moment before going back to attacking the Attack-Me-Please-kun dummy, inwardly wincing at the way it seemed the blonde prince wasn't going to stop until said dummy begged for mercy (and he could guess that it was quite close of doing that, too), not envying the poor person that had put the Fire Elemental in said state in the least, just hopping that it wasn't a certain black haired Demon King.

"I've been neglecting my practice." The young prince coldly answered. After watching in silence for a while, wincing when the Attack-Me-Please-kun did beg for mercy which Wolfram ignored, Conrad cleared his throat again.

"Maybe we could practice, Wolfram?"

Wolfram froze, leaving the poor battered and probably dying dummy alone, breathing heavy; not turning towards him.

"Gisela said that you need two more weeks of rest." He said finally, sheathing his sword again, combing his hand through his hair once. Conrad tilted his head slightly.

"I'm sure some light sparring wouldn't be too bad."

"I said I don't want to!"

Conrad moved closer towards his half brother, not smiling, knowing what was coming and also knowing that he deserved it..

"Wolfram, if there's something bothering you, you should tell me now."

And the last straw of Wolfram's patience, that never was too long anyway, snapped.

"You want to know what's wrong with me? Fine." Finally, Wolfram turned to look at him, green eyes glaring at him with such intensity that Conrad almost worried about the probability of starting to combust right there. "You broke Yuuri's heart!" The low, hurt tone of voice spoke even more than Wolfram's words did. Even if Conrad didn't want to be too vain, he could almost think that Wolfram wasn't just talking about Yuuri's heart then.

"Wolfram…"

"Don't Wolfram me!" his brother screamed, obviously furious but he knew Wolfram well enough to also notice the hurt in his voice and his eyes. "If you ever dare to raise your sword at my king again, I will consider you my enemy, Weller." Wolfram's sword glinted under the moonlight when he unsheathed it, his eyes extremely serious. Conrad didn't move, didn't even blink away from Wolfram's eyes. "And if you even think about hurting Yuuri like you did again, in any way or form, I will forget that we are brothers."

Knowing that it wasn't the time to remind Conrad that since a couple of decades ago Wolfram had been saying that they weren't real brothers and that he didn't considered Conrad to be a brother at all, Conrad nodded softly, insanely proud at Wolfram's words and actions (even though, really, he should've ignored that even then). Instead he just smiled.

"I'll remember it. I'm sorry I hurt you too, Wolfram."

Wolfram huffed quite loudly, turning his back to him, sheathing his sword again; making a motion of crossing his arms while he petulantly turned his face upwards. Conrad smile, pretending not to notice the movement Wolfram did to rub his eyes, keeping his arms behind his back.

"It's not a surprise that Yuuri is such a wimp having you as his godfather!" Wolfram finally declared. Again, Conrad pretended not to notice the slight redness over green eyes, or the light, embarrassed blush of the blonde at having been too emotional again, especially in front of him. "I hope, for the sake of you both, that Greta doesn't become one!"

He laughed at this, honestly amused. "Of course she won't. She has you, after all."

Wolfram's blush darkened at that and, being startled into this, the blond prince snorted again, muttering a 'wimp' while walking towards the castle. Still amused, Conrad was also deciding that it wasn't worth it to cause the wrath of Gisela if she discovered he had dared to practice without her consent (Yozak would laugh at the consequences for weeks if not months) when he heard Wolfram suddenly stop.

"Conrad?"

He blinked at this, noticing the tense line of Wolfram's shoulders, how he seemed to be staring at the floor, hands clenched into fists. "Yes, Wolfram?"

"… welcome home." Not waiting for an answer, Wolfram quickly marched towards his bedroom, probably embarrassed, if Conrad knew his little brother at all.

He smiled, watching him go and then turning to look at the moon. Even with everything that had happened, even if he had been ready to give everything up, he couldn't help but be glad to be back home.