SweetHeaven: I hope your situation turned out for the better. You said it's not possible to have a happy ending, but, hopefully, it's possible to have the least painful one :(

I wish I can distract you with this chapter again, but there's so much sex in it that I had to censor the most of it. Oh well, I hope you'll find at least something worth attention.

If we talk about badass moments – I love them, but it is pretty difficult to make them powerful instead of ridiculous, so I tend to avoid them or to, at least, somehow reduce their "glory and splendor", haha

You'll hear more about Amaljea/Ana in this chapter. There's some light at the end of the horror tunnel. Now I wanted to say something "smart" about the light possibly being a bad omen in a horror tunnel too, but to hell with that. I wish Ana a happy ever after with a man she likes. It is possible that she will episodically appear a bit later in the chapters as well.

Well, yes, the way Halea got pregnant before marriage would be hugely frowned upon in the kind of society Bloom is set. Even if, a person as an individual can understand why it happened and feel supportive or sympathetic towards Halea, the conformist way of life when gathered as a whole/as a society, make people cruel. I don't want to moralize about this unpleasant phenomenon or speculate why or how it happens, but it does. You know, in our early teenage years all of us at school had to read the novel "The Drowned" (I'm just loosely translating the title) by A. Vienuolis. It is about a young girl from a village who is seduced by a man, made pregnant and then cast aside. Not managing to overcome the thought of shame and guilt she would have to experience facing the villagers, she drowns herself. My young, fragile mind was easily impressed by this story and I burned with hatred towards all male seducers. If we talk more seriously, I think this accursed story is one of the reasons why I find it safer to write about purely male relationships/sex. I am certain that deep down, heterosexual readers and writers, can also find similar stories and reasons why they feel safer/inclined to read/write yaoi. Just a thought.

I made Eldara understanding. I doubt I could have made it any other way as I made his character pretty open-minded. Halea was supposed to marry Fredrick anyway, so I don't see how he would be too upset about the unexpected pregnancy. He will bitch some to Halea and maybe to Fredrick (I doubt that) just because he "has to" as you said. He doesn't worry about it, but the society will. And it will actually talk about the "sudden" marriage and how the wedding dress was hiding the bride's stomach and how the baby came too early, etc. Gossip, don't we love it. And most of those gossiping would be dying of jealousy since they would want to be in Halea's place. In any case, I'm sure Halea will be a wonderful mother. Eldara can't wait to have his nephew or niece in his arms either :)

alguien22792: oh yes, there will be lots of their reunion, it will even be transferred into the next chapter ;)

Zafira: here's some eye-candy for you :)

xxxxxxx

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maou! – It belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I'm not making any money from writing it.

Warnings: yaoi (male x male), violence, swearing, angst, drama. Wolfram-centric, out of character, original character.

Summary: With Yuuri's upcoming birthday, Wolfram makes his decision. Where will it lead him and what is to become of them? Should eventually be Yuuri x Wolfram.

A/N 1: Yuuri – 18 years old. Wolfram – 21. Eldara – 32. Halea – 20. Athara – 18. Gwendal – 54.

A/N 2: Greta doesn't exist.

A/N 3: European/American/Japanese standards all at once depending on the plot requirements.

A/N 4: A tendency to ignore the anime/manga and supplement the story with my own imagined facts.

A/N 5: Season III is not taken into consideration, except for the fact that Wolfram's uncle exists.

A/N 6: The umlaut in Gunter's name is a bother.

A/N 7: This chapter contains a sexy scene. To comply with FanFiction net's policy, I cut it. If you want to read the scene, go to AdultFanFiction org or ArchiveofOurOwn org.

Bloom

by chayron (lttomb yahoo com), beta-read by bishie82

Part 37

Wolfram took a sponge from the edge of the pool. There was also a bar of soap on the floor. The soap smelled of chamomiles and, even if he didn't particularly like the scent, this time it was very easy to ignore. He lathered the sponge and, when he came closer wordlessly, Eldara stood up and turned his back to him.

"You've lost weight," Wolfram said, touching his back lightly.

Eldara nodded mutely.

The blond started with his shoulders, lathering them thoroughly. Then the sponge slid down the ridge of his back, then to his sides. Wolfram rubbed over the globes of his backside and then between them. He rinsed the sponge and repeated the trail, now washing the soap off Eldara. By the time he was done, both of them were painfully hard.

"What about my front?" the duke asked when Wolfram stopped washing him and just stood behind him quietly. Wolfram had left the sponge afloat in the pool. His eyes followed the sponge, which was leisurely drifting to the other end of the pool. Wolfram pressed himself against Eldara's back and the duke closed his eyes at the pleasurable feeling of their naked skin touching.

"You'll have to take care of your front by yourself," Wolfram said with a soft purr. Almost blindly, he groped around Eldara's arm then reached his hand and squeezed a jar into it.

Recognizing the jar, the duke chuckled. "Don't mind if I do, then."

Wolfram's foreplay excited him to no end. He turned, grabbing the blond by his waist and yanked him up unto himself. The water splashed around and then their bodies were flush against each other. Wolfram's eyes dilated. His arms wrapped around the other man, sliding over his back and shoulders.

"It's been too long," Eldara complained, attacking the younger man's mouth.

"Yes, way too long," Wolfram agreed, almost breathless. He could not remember ever being as sexually frustrated as he had been for these past months. He blamed the duke. His body hadn't had such cravings before he learned what sex was.

To comply with FanFiction net's policy, I cut out the following sex scenes. If you want to read them, go to AdultFanFiction org or ArchiveofOurOwn org.

While washing himself, Wolfram considered lingering in the baths to relax, but the duke didn't agree with his plans, literally dragging him out of the bath. Only Eldara had a towel so they had to share. Wolfram slapped at Eldara's hands before he could start drying him with a towel. That would have undoubtedly led to another bout of sex or would have just made him feel like a kid or both.

Eldara dressed while the blond wrapped himself in his bathrobe. He took his wet clothes and boots in his hands and followed the duke to his room. Despite having followed Eldara, Wolfram was about to protest when Eldara led him to his bed. Eldara, though, instead of pushing Wolfram down into the bed, started digging around in the bedside cabinet.

"What are you looking for?" Wolfram wondered, thinking what he should do with his wet clothes and boots. After hesitating for a few seconds, he went back to the door.

"Don't leave yet, will you?"

"I'm not leaving. I'll just put these…somewhere?"

Wolfram finally draped his wet clothes around the back of the chair in the other room and lowered his boots onto the floor. Then he returned to the bedroom.

"Here," Eldara said, dropping a small jar onto the bed. "This will lessen the sting," he told Wolfram.

"Hmm…" Curious, Wolfram approached the bed. He took the jar and opened it. The smell was that of herbs, the ointment itself was gray.

"What? Would you prefer me to help you out?" Eldara asked when he saw the blond hesitate.

"Umm… I was just wondering if it's alright for me to use it," Wolfram said uncertainly. Some medicine didn't work the same on Demons or could even be harmful. "I think I can easily do without it."

The duke shook his head. "It's safe to use. We've already used it before," he reminded Wolfram of the fact. Eldara motioned at himself. "Besides, if it had any side-effects, I'd have noticed. I usually react to all medicine as a Demon would."

Wolfram gave Eldara a look. "Von Sedera used to work you hard, didn't he?" he asked, grinning.

"No harder than I work you," Eldara said, laughing. He could tell that Wolfram still found the thought of him and von Sedera together appealing. This was curious. "I normally use this for blisters or minor cuts, though."

Wolfram giggled. "Yeah, right."

"I think you'd like me to help you out with that," Eldara said, holding his hand out for the jar.

Wordlessly, Wolfram caped the jar and threw it for the duke to catch. Giving Eldara a challenging look, sprawled on the bed with his back to the mattress.

"Won't you undress?"

"Would you like that?"

Eldara's brow rose. He tossed the jar back onto the bed, then kneeled on it and leaned over the blond. "I would like many things right now. For you to shut your pretty mouth for once, would be one of them."

"Oooh, trash-talking? Being aggressive? I like that."

With a soft chuckle, the duke got up from the bed and started taking his boots off. Once he was done, he looked at the bed again. Enjoying the sight of Wolfram bundled up in his bathrobe, Eldara climbed into the bed and took the jar.

"So?" he purred, playing with the jar.

Wolfram gave him an apathetic look. Eldara laughed at his pretence and lowered the jar in order to untie the blond's bathrobe. He could have simply parted it, but this way was more exciting. He dropped the ends of the untied belt to the blond's sides and swept the bathrobe aside to reveal the naked body. With the back of his hand he brushed over Wolfram's stomach. The blond's stomach muscles tightened at the touch. Eldara lowered his eyes to the blond's penis that was stirring from its slumber.

"You're insatiable."

Wolfram chuckled. "I think you're talking about yourself."

Wolfram woke up at about one in the afternoon, and the other side of the bed was empty. He had heard Eldara get up much earlier but stayed in bed. He cast a glance at the grandfather's clock further away and sank deeper into the bedding. Something scraped and sighed next to him. Startled, the blond turned his head. It was Salt. From the depths of the blankets, he blinked at Wolfram, let out a mighty yawn and settled back into sleep again. Eldara must have let him in. Wolfram looked at the window. The curtains were drawn but he could hear winds banging on the other side of the window. There was a blizzard outside – no cat would want to stray around in this kind of weather.

The blond turned to his side and stroked the fluffy creature. Cool air engulfed his bare arm, but the cat started purring nearly at once. Wolfram pulled Salt closer to himself. It felt incredibly nice to roll around amongst the sheets naked while there was a blizzard seething outside. Eldara had warned him that he might get diarrhea but the blond didn't have it. Whatever side-effects he might have had, he had slept all of them off. There was a light sting in his lower body but it served as a naughty reminder of the night's delightful activities. Wolfram was already thinking about their continuation later in the evening. He was certain that he hadn't felt so good in a while.

He felt like going for a ride but the weather was dreadful. He felt like galloping at full speed. Sighing, Wolfram scratched Salt behind his ears. The cat was vibrating with happiness. The blond thought that maybe, once he was back home and settled down, he should get a cat. But not white, maybe a tabby; white hairs were easily seen on his clothes.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Wolfram turned to it. "Yes?"

Eldara entered the bedroom. "How do you feel?"

Wolfram chuckled. "Oh, I'm alright. It seems you tired me out quite a bit yesterday."

Smiling, Eldara went to open the curtains. "I wanted to ask you if you would join us for lunch."

"Definitely," Wolfram said. He stroked Salt a few more times, then pushed him away and sat up in the bed. "I'll just have to dress first. My boots are still wet, aren't they?"

Eldara picked up Wolfram's bathrobe from the floor and threw it to the blond. He nodded. "I put them to dry but you'll have to look for something else to wear. It will take a few days for them to dry."

"Tsk."

"I'm sorry about that."

Wolfram rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

"I really am."

The blond got up and wrapped himself into the bathrobe. He tied it and stepped into his slippers. On his way to his room he saw Karela talking to one of the guards. The duke's captain greeted Wolfram with a soft smile and a variation of a salute. Not certain whether he should feel pleased or insulted by the familiarity, Wolfram reached his room and started dressing.

He was right on time for lunch. Wolfram's good mood shone right through. It annoyed Conrart somewhat and made him a little embarrassed around Wolfram since he knew perfectly well where the cause lay. He stole a few glances at the duke. One could say many unpleasant things about the man but he was clearly not half-way bad in bed. Conrart gave a helpless look to Yozak, who shrugged him and his fears off with a wide grin. Annoyed, Conrart picked up his glass of wine.

"I wanted to talk to you about this young lady that has been housed here," Eldara told Wolfram when everyone was done with their lunch. They were enjoying their tea.

Athara gave Wolfram an uneasy look. He had explained to Eldara the situation, but his brother had been displeased about Oilira's long stay. She seemed to have recovered as much as possible under the circumstances, and there was no need for her to stay in the castle any longer. Currently, she was helping out in the kitchens but there was no need for additional hands.

Wolfram nodded. "Ah, yes," he said. "I wanted to talk about her as well, but could we do that privately?"

"Of course," Eldara said. "Let us just finish our tea, first."

After they were done with the tea, Wolfram and Eldara went to the duke's study. Wolfram settled in front of Eldara's desk while the duke took his usual place.

"It was explained to me under which circumstances she has been housed here," Eldara said, leaning back in his chair. "Is there, however, still a need for her to be here?"

Wolfram pushed his chair closer to Eldara's desk and lowered his hands on it. "Erm… You see, there's quite a delicate situation concerning the issue."

"Oh?"

"I will be talking on behalf of Morgan Hurbert, one of my men," Wolfram said. "It seems that he has taken a liking to Amaljea Oilira and I was asked to put in a good word for him."

Eldara leaned forward as well. He smiled. "He wants to take her with him to Shin Makoku?"

Wolfram inclined his head politely. "With your permission, of course."

"Mm, yes." Eldara's fingers tapped on the desk while he was thinking. "And what does she think of that?"

"Well, I talked to the woman and it seems that she is quite fond of Morgan as well," Wolfram said.

"Is that so? Can you vouchsafe for him?"

Wolfram gave a firm nod. "Yes, I can."

"In that case, I see no reason why their wish should not come true."

"That's great!"

"There is one thing, though," Eldara said, his brow rising slightly. "Why didn't Hurbert himself come to me? What was his reasoning?"

Wolfram chuckled. "He told me I knew you better and that you'd not refuse a request from me."

The duke leaned back into his chair and let out a disappointed huff. "What a coward of a man."

"Not really. He just wanted to make certain it works out. It's not only about him, it's about the woman too."

Eldara smiled at Wolfram. "I know. I was teasing you, Wolfram. All of your guards are exceptional people."

Wolfram rolled his eyes. "Well, there's still a month or so left till the sea is safe to travel, so they still have enough time to get bored with each other."

"Or…" the duke drawled with his index finger in the air, "…fall in love with each other even more."

"Yes, that too."

"You are very skeptical about love, aren't you?"

Wolfram shrugged. "Does it surprise you? I don't think it should."

The duke leaned forward again and gave Wolfram a look. "But it does. Despite what you feel now, you loved His Majesty Shibuya. That was real, maybe it is still real. So it's best not to be so skeptical about other people's feelings, or your own."

Wolfram's lips twitched but he stayed silent. "I don't want to remember that," he said finally.

"So instead, you try to belittle your own feelings. There's no surprise in that, but you aren't being fair to yourself."

Wolfram sighed. "I want a cat."

Eldara chuckled. "A cat? Why a cat?"

"They're fluffy and they don't require much attention."

Eldara leaned back into the chair again. It seemed like the serious part of the conversation was over. "Well, that depends on the breed."

"Does Salt have kittens?"

"Salt? Kittens?" Eldara chuckled. "I wouldn't know. Kittens usually stay with the mother cat. Salt is just in for pleasure, but I can ask the servants. Maybe they have seen some kittens running around. I've certainly seen a few. You should wait till spring – then there should be a new batch of kittens."

"I would like one from Salt."

"As a memento? It's very pleasant to hear, of course, but cats don't live very long."

"Neither do horses."

Eldara had to agree with the blond's reasoning. "Alright, I promise you will get your cat."

"Thank you."

"Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

Wolfram shook his head. "Not at the moment."

"Then could you, please, ask for Karela to come here? I have something I want to talk to him about."

"Certainly," Wolfram said, leaving the chair. "Meanwhile, I'll go and share the good news with the two lovebirds. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear it."

"Ah, Wolfram," Eldara called before the blond could leave the room, "how about a spar in about an hour or so?"

"Certainly."

"But do you really feel alright? No…after effects?"

"I'm completely fine," Wolfram assured him with a smile.

"Splendid. Then see you in about an hour in the training hall."

"Till then."

Wolfram closed the door and went to look for Morgan Hurbert. After asking Fajdal about the man, he was told that, very likely, Morgan was in the appointed room with the other guards.

"Should I get him for You, Sir?"

"No, thank you, Fajdal. I'll find him myself."

Wolfram went to the castle wing where his suite and most of the duke's guards were housed. Once he went deeper into the wing, his nose picked up a subtle change in the air. It seemed that there was a stronger scent of testosterone and sweat. There was even a whiff of unwashed socks, just like he remembered from the fort in Lesa. Somehow, it seemed this was the usual smell to accompany larger groups of men.

The blond hesitated in front of the door marked as XXII. He regretted not having asked Fajdal which room exactly it was. He knocked and opened the door. There were two men inside it. The two of them were wearing the duke's colors.

"Morgan Hurbert?" Wolfram asked, hoping they'd understand what he wanted.

One of the men nodded. "Oh, Morgan, yes, yes, Morgan." He left the room and led the blond to the door marked XXVII. "Sir, Morgan here stays."

"Thank you."

Wolfram knocked on the door and opened it. Morgan and three other guards were playing cards. At the sight of Wolfram, they stood up, saluting. Two of them were still holding cards, while Morgan and the other guard had put them down on the bunk bed they were playing on.

"I would like to talk to Morgan. Could you leave us alone?"

Once the other three men left, the blond sat down on the bunk bed and took a look at the room. The room was meant for six people. It was quite large, with three bunk beds. At one wall there was a fireplace obviously constructed here before implementing central heating. A small fire was burning in it. There was a pile of wood next to the fireplace.

Wolfram felt that by vouchsafing for Morgan, he had overstepped his own boundaries. He didn't know the man that well. Naturally, he had asked Yozak for advice and was encouraged. Wolfram's personal opinion about Morgan wasn't that great. On the other hand, not many made it into the Elite Guards. Morgan had to have a lot of redeeming qualities. One of them, Wolfram had already seen. He had seen how Amaljea Oilira was afraid and reluctant about everything during the first days of her stay in the castle. He had also seen how patient and careful Morgan had been with her during the past two months. How he had tried to improve her mood and make her laugh. Wolfram didn't know how exactly it all had started but he could see mutual feelings. Love was a peculiar thing.

"He has agreed," Wolfram said. He tried to suppress his grin when Morgan rubbed his hands excitedly. "He has also called you a coward, so make sure to, at least, thank him personally."

"Oh, I will, Sir!"

"Go and tell the news to your woman," Wolfram said, standing up. "I'm sure she'll be happy to hear it. And another thing – don't ever make me regret I vouchsafed for you."

Morgan gave him a look. "I promise, Sir."

TBC