Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Maruma franchise.

Spoilers: up to episode 94.

A/N: This is my first fanfic so comments and criticisms are welcome.

Thank you for the comments. I'm not sure how regular this will be. It'll be around fifteen chapters. I've got the next one mostly written and another chapter way down the line halfway done (it's a funny chapter and couldn't get it out of my head).

Arrival Gate: 2 - Blood Pledge Castle Courtyard

There was the time when Yuuri appeared in the fountain in the front courtyard as Wolfram was about to ride out on border patrols.

The horses were standing around bored in the courtyard while several blue uniforms with red trim and one white uniform with purple trim darted here and there checking to make sure all the bags and the tents and the medical equipment and the various other odds and ends were securely fastened.

Wolfram was checking the contents of his own saddlebags. It wouldn't do to forget something as basic as his bedroll on a two week tour like this one.

"...and try not to spend so much time in Anissina's lab," Wolfram continued his sermon to Greta. "I am not sure if she is such a good influence..." Wolfram shuddered at the sudden thought of a full-grown Greta chasing him for his Maryoku.

"...and definitely don't go on any of Mother's search for true love trips."

"I know. I'm too young to go still. But when I'm sixteen..."

"NO! Not even then. You are never allowed to go on such trips...ever."

"When I'm eighteen?"

"No!"

"Twenty?"

"No! My little girl will never go..."

"Don't worry Wolfram, I'll be an independent single woman. Like Anissina."

Greta gave him an impish smile and ran skipping towards the fountain. Wolfram left his horse and followed her all the while mourning the lack of good female role models for his young daughter. Between his mother and Anissina and the gossipy maids, he almost changed his mind about bringing Greta on patrol with him. Gisela is not half bad but she was leaving with Wolfram. He can't really ask her to stay on such a foolish whim especially since he's the one escorting her on the trip and not the other way around.

Yuuri should have been a girl. No. That won't do. The wimp was full of his own bad habits. Wolfram almost wished he'd been born a girl. That would have certainly solved more than one problem.

But Wolfram liked being a man. He liked pissing standing up. He liked being physically stronger. He liked not having jiggly things on his chest that get in the way of running and jumping. He liked not having the need to talk about 'feelings'. He liked not having leaky eyes, never mind that one time in his adult life that he actually wept, and openly at that, and in public to boot. He liked not having mood swings.

He stared at the water imagining Yuuri responding back, "...but Wolf, you do have mood swings."

Then he heard Yuuri add, "Hi Wolfram. How's it going?"

Wait. Heard?

After a rather girlish "gyahhh", a couple of unintended steps backwards and windmilling arms, Wolfram found himself on his rear on the ground staring up at a wet and grinning Yuuri.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Wolfram yelled at him.

"What do you mean what am I doing here. I live here."

"I know you live here!"

"Then why are you asking me such a stupid question?"

"What are you doing here now, wimp?"

"What kind of a welcome is that?"

"You just left yesterday. You're not supposed to be back for another two weeks."

"No, Wolfram. I've been gone for two weeks already."

"No, wimp. You left yesterday."

"Hi, Yuuri. Welcome back," Greta interrupted smiling at Yuuri and waving her little hand.

"What? No hugs? I've been gone so long. My daughter doesn't miss me anymore? She's grown up so fast. Soon she'll be leaving the nest..."

Greta gave him a hug and Yuuri smiled happily. Aaaahhh... it's good to be home.

"You've only been gone one day." Wolfram was dusting himself off, still very much irritated by the embarrassing stumble caused by the sudden appearance of his king and fiancé.

"Are you sure about that? I spent two weeks back on Earth and usually that would equate to around a month here."

"Do you think I'm so incompetent that I can't tell the difference between a day ago and a fortnight ago? Apparently you can't, but don't superimpose your shortcomings on me."

"Well, I'm happy to see you too Wolfram."

"You have been gone only one day, Yuuri," Greta added emphatically.

"That is really strange. It usually doesn't happen backwards like that. Usually more time passes here."

"Yuuri, you really need to fix that..." Wolfram began.

"...I know." Yuuri didn't need Wolfram to remind him. He had a bit of a bad feeling about the time difference but he didn't want to think about it right then. He had just gotten back after two weeks of studying and testing, two weeks of his Mom's scary interest in his so-called love life, but worst of all, two weeks of pure and unadulterated Shori. And not once was he able to play baseball! He was exhausted. He was brain dead. He needed fun and relaxation dammit.

"Hey Greta, I got you a present. Here."

"Oh! What is it! What is it!"

"A couple of dresses that Mom picked out." Greta's eyes bulged out of their sockets and her mouth opened wide in excitement.

"Can I try them on now?" Before Yuuri could even finish answering, Greta ran off with the package leaving Yuuri open-mouthed and forlorn.

Yuuri sighed. She was growing up way too quickly for his own liking.

"Two weeks gone and she wants to spend time with the dresses more than me."

"You only left yesterday!!"

"I wish you would quit saying that."

"Well, until the synapses in your brain connect to get that idea across..."

"Where did you learn about synapses?"

"On Earth! What, you think that when I'm there that I just sit around and pine for you the whole day while you're at school?"

Well, actually, Yuuri did think that. That is apart from the time that he was sure Wolfram and his Mom spent talking and planning his whole wedding. He shuddered at the sudden thought of wedding dresses.

"Here, I got this for you." He shoved a container onto Wolfram's chest. "I ran all the way from Starbucks to the house so that it will still be somewhat cold. If I knew you were going to be difficult when I got here, I would have taken my time."

Wolfram looked at the odd container taking it from Yuuri while trying to hide the evidence of joy that threatened to break on his lips. Yuuri got him a present. Yay. He studied it a bit turning it this way and that. It was green and metallic and made of something like glass but not quite.

"Here," Yuuri took it and showed him how to open it. "It's that drink that you liked so much."

"The latte-thing-a-ma..." Wolfram's cheeks blushed with happiness.

Yuuri was just about to admire the beautiful effect of his gift on the blond boy, how the light smile and the slight reddening of the porcelain cheeks and the way the sun hit his golden hair really made him looked like an angel, Yuuri could almost hear an aria being sung in the background, when suddenly the air from his lungs was painfully squished out and he was smothered in a very strong Gunter-sized hug. Part of Gunter's lovely lavender-tinted silver hair made it into Yuuri's mouth along with part of Gunter's lovely white cloak.

"See... thwis waws what wai was twalkwing abwout when wai swaiwd homecwomwing."

"Oh...Your Majesty, you're back already. You must have missed your trusted advisor so much that you could not keep away longer than a day. I had lessons planned for the next two weeks with the princess, but now that Your Majesty is back I'll change my schedule so that we can spend as many wonderful hours together as possible."

Gunter was ecstatic. Life is bliss. "I woke up this morning with the dreadful knowledge that I would be spending the next two weeks without that magnificent black hair and those magnificent black eyes gracing my vision. But His Majesty the 27th Maou with his wisdom and courage had returned almost immediately. It must portend some very auspicious events in our future."

While Gunter was getting carried away with these romantic thoughts, Yuuri had quickly changed his mind on the type of homecoming he'd like and spent several minutes trying to escape Gunter's uber-crazy devotion.

"...Wolf...some...help...here..." gasped Yuuri, though he wasn't getting any help from the boy who had sworn time and time again that he would always be there to save him.

Wolfram was just standing there in his own little world, too happy sipping the latte that his beloved fiancé had thoughtfully brought for him all the way from another world that he couldn't be bothered to lift a finger to help extract the struggling and much-abused king from the grasps of the overgrown fanboy.

It was Gwendal's exclamation that finally freed the Maou from Gunter's death grip.

"Didn't you just leave yesterday?!" glowered the ever-frowning man. "What are you doing back so soon?!"

"Ha-ha-ha... Hello Gwendal." Yuuri said sheepishly as he put the big towel that found its way in his hands around his shoulders.

"His Majesty has found it unbearable to be away from me so..."

"I guess it's good you decided to come back quickly, we've got a lot of paperwork waiting."

"...that he had to come back to his beloved advisor. Since his presence is unplanned for these next two weeks, perhaps His Majesty and I can spend time discovering.."

"Gunter will be busy the next two weeks with his planned lessons with Greta so you'll be spending all day everyday with me. She needs a lot of catching up to do because a certain king keeps pulling her out of her lessons."

"...Nooooo... can't the selfish loafer do that." Wolfram looked up when he heard Gunter's nasal whine.

"Gunter, I'll be away for the next two weeks. Honestly, he comes back and your brain turns to mush."

"Shouldn't you have been back from that trip already? You were supposed to go while I was back on Earth."

"You've been gone one day, wimp. How am I suppose to be back from a two week trip in one day. What part of..."

"Your Majesty, welcome back."

"...you just..."

"It's Yuuri, Conrad. You named me. And you're a bit late."

"...left yesterday don't..."

"Well, Yuuri, we weren't really expecting you quite so soon. You just left yesterday."

"...you understand?" Wolfram was clearly being ignored.

"Really? No one told me." Yuuri gave Conrad a fake innocent look.

"Well, that's rather surprising that no one mentioned it, but it's nice to have you back." See, Conrad understood sarcasm. They had a connection. Not like him and his fiancé...

"Hey, where are you going?" Yuuri yelled at the receding back of his errant fiancé.

"I'm leaving. Border patrol. Gisela. Remember? Honestly!" Wolfram said indignantly while slurping his drink.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!"

"WHAT!!" everyone within earshot seemed to cry out aghast at what Yuuri uttered as if it was the worst blasphemy ever to be heard in the whole history of blasphemies. Even the horses whinnied in shock.

"I said I was going with Wolfram and them... I just need to get changed, have someone saddle Ao," Yuuri said to no one in particular.

"I'll only be a few minutes if you're ready to go," he called out to Wolfram.

No one did anything. Instead everyone stood there just staring at him as if he were an alien who just beamed from outer space and they were deciding whether or not he was harmless.

"No." Wolfram said flatly. He turned around and continued finishing his last minute preparations and ignored Yuuri as he continued to blubber.

"What do you mean I can't..."

"Your Majesty, you have your own duties to perform here," said Gwendal, face immovable except for the frown between his brows.

"But I'm not even supposed to be here...yet," Yuuri whined as if that statement alone would be able to fix everything that was wrong in the world.

"If someone wouldn't be so remiss in actually completing their paperwork, he wouldn't have so much waiting for him even with just one day's absence. Conrart, bring him to my study once he finishes his goodbyes and gets out of his wet clothes."

"But I finished as much as possible yesterday before I left," he shot at the departing Gwendal. "I was signing papers even as I stepped in the fountain. This is just unfair!"

"Your Maj.. Yuuri," Conrad stated gently. "Shin Makoku is fairly safe but they are going to the border villages and some of them are still a bit unstable. It's one of the reasons why Gisela is going now inspecting the medical tents. We need to make sure the villages are prepared in case of any attacks. I think we will all feel better if you stayed here."

Yuuri wasn't sure why Conrad was playing Captain Obvious. Yes, he understood the borders were not stable yet. Yes, he somewhat remembered some of the details of the trip. And yes, he kind of remembered some of the reason behind it. Well, if it's so dangerous...

"Fine!" Yuuri said, arms crossed and pouting, "...but if I'm not going, Wolfram isn't going either."

"WHAT!!" they cried.

"If it's too dangerous for me, then it's too dangerous for him."

"Yuuri, my brother may be about your age physically but he's been a soldier longer than you have been alive. This is not anything that he cannot handle," Conrad said trying to placate the stubborn king. "Plus, you know he's been doing these patrols even after you've become Maou."

Again with Captain Obvious. Did Conrad really have to talk to him like a child? Yes, he knew that Wolfram is a soldier. Yes, he knew Wolfram went on patrols. But they had never lasted this long and he usually went while Yuuri was on Earth. Two weeks on patrol seemed overly long.

"Still, it just seems unfair Conrad. He gets to go on a two week whirlwind trip with a beautiful soldier nurse, the dream of every teenage boy, while I get stuck behind a mountain of paperwork with Mr. Permafrown."

Conrad laughed.

"Are you envious or are you jealous?" he asked in a rather suggestive manner.

"Oh my," cried Gunter slapping his hand over his mouth, "I am not quite sure what the proper reaction to that would be. On one hand, no matter how bratty and selfish Wolfram is, his devotion to his majesty is unquestionable and would never forsake their engagement. I feel I should reassure His Majesty of that. But then my daughter would never take actions against His Majesty, that her honor should even be questioned, I feel insulted for her sake that such a suggestion would even be considered. But then I feel some pleasure with the idea of Gisela making such a favorable match, they would have the most divinely beautiful children. But then Wolfram is a brat and a selfish loafer, he would be a terrible, if not the worst, son-in-law in Shin Makoku. I would probably die young from the stress. But then if they do marry, His Majesty will be free to run away with me and elope and I wouldn't mind dying young if the rest of my short life is spent...(gluh)...such a beautiful body...ohhhhhhh...," Gunter's nose bled profusely at the indecent thoughts and promptly fainted.

"Envious, Conrad. How can you even ask? We're both guys. It just feels wrong that he gets to have fun without me."

Yuuri was not giving up. Gwendal may have thought he won, but Yuuri still had one card up his sleeve. It was his trump card -- Wolfram could never say 'no' to him. He wavered for a second, perhaps it wouldn't be fair to use that, but then Wolfram was being a jerk and that decided it. Yuuri walked up to the blond soldier hiding the mischievous and almost evil smile.

"Hey, Wolf!"

"Did you finish your whining already, wimp?" asked Wolfram as he turned around. He stopped when he looked up at Yuuri and he saw that look on Yuuri's face. It was that adorable look that brook no refusal from Wolfram. Oh no, Wolfram thought. No. No. No.

"No, Yuuri, please don't ask." Wolfram pleaded softly. Please. Please. Please. If there were any gods on heaven or earth, other than Shinou of course, they would take pity on Wolfram and Yuuri would not ask. Wolfram had very low tolerance for Yuuri's puppy eyes.

"Wolf..." started Yuuri solemnly but he never had the chance to finish.

It was Gisela that rescued Wolfram. She had no time for this. She already wasted some efforts reviving her father, she was not going to spend the next two weeks babysitting a king, no matter how nice and sweet he is.

"Your Majesty, if I may have your permission to speak bluntly, I was the one who asked specifically for His Excellency's assistance. And it's not only his protection that I need. I need his medical and administrative experience. He's a healer tutored by Suzanna Julia von Wincott and knows my methods well. I cannot complete this project by myself. And no, you cannot help, Your Majesty. And I would prefer that you not come. His Excellency will not have any time to play and worrying about protecting you will only delay our efforts. Also, you do not have much experience as a healer so you wouldn't be much help anyway."

Yuuri couldn't find an argument against any of that. Besides he was a bit unnerved by Gisela's manner. Though slightly mollified, he had one last thing to say, "Ok, Wolf, you win. But take Conrad with you."

"WHAT!!"

Seriously, do they practice with the shocked reactions when he's not in Shin Makoku? It's just too eerie how they all say it at the same time.

"Do you not trust that I can take care of myself even within the borders of Shin Makoku?!" Wolfram asked staring into Yuuri's dark eyes.

"It's not that Wolfram..." How could he make him understand. He knew this worry was unreasonable. So he didn't even try to reason. But looking into those green eyes that reminded him of the bottom of a lake, the fear of not seeing them again, he felt a hurt, a constriction somewhere. Yuuri could not let it go. He knew he was being stubborn about it whatever it was. That same stubbornness that had colored his otherwise mediocre personality was not about to give up.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Conrad said calmly, "Wolfram will be well protected. His personal guard has some of the strongest majutsu in the army. Adelbert has also loaned Keenan to Gisela for this trip so they'll have protection from houjutsu users."

Yuuri nodded, remembering the encounter between he, Wolfram and Adelbert which seemed like an eternity ago; there had been a fatal flaw in Wolfram's preparations. The memory did nothing to reassure him. He knew Wolfram could take care of himself, had he not been taking care of Yuuri and Greta all this time? And Yuuri had even admitted that the Mazoku prince had morphed from a little lord brat to a handsome capable man...but still...

"It's just so I don't worry, Wolf."

"I don't need you to worry about me."

"Whether I need to or not, I still do."

"If I take Conrart then I'll worry about you. Quit being such a spoiled brat!"

"Now don't you start that..."

"Your Majesty," interrupted Gisela. "We are leaving without His Excellency Lord Weller. Having two anxious men worrying about His Majesty not only will slow us down but I cannot imagine getting any work done if His Excellency Lord von Bielefeld cannot concentrate."

Yuuri was defeated.

Still, it was hard to let go so the words spilled from his mouth unbidden. "Promise me...promise me Wolf...keep yourself safe."

Wolfram found it hard to keep staring at Yuuri so he looked away, his eyes darting seemingly everywhere until they settled on the almost empty Starbucks container he was holding. He shoved it at Yuuri and said, "Here. Thank you for bringing it for me. Promise to fill it with something equally delicious for when I come back."

He got on his horse and signaled his troops. Then he looked back at Yuuri and said in a loud voice, "and you'd better not cheat on me while I'm gone. Even though I'm not here, I'll know right away. If I have to come here to fend off another girl, you'll wish you'd never seen a fountain in your life. And keep away from all long haired rulers, I don't trust any of them."

Yuuri gave a nervous laugh trying not to think of what his punishment could be if Wolfram deemed he was cheating. Yuuri knew all too well that the former Mazoku prince tracked his every movement. It frightened him... and yet oddly it comforted him.

"Goodbye Gisela. Goodbye everyone. Take care," Yuuri yelled at the departing party.

He sighed drinking the last bit of the latte as the party disappeared behind the gates. Then he turned to Conrad and asked, "Any suggestions on how to escape Gwendal for the rest of the day?"