Disclaimer: I don't own Maruma
Author's Notes: Concrit welcome. And for those who asked: I am working on the Yozak side story of the bachelor's party but will post it separately.
Arrival Gate: 4 - Stables
There was the time when Yuuri popped out of a water trough in the stables as Wolfram was mounting his horse.
Wolfram glared at Dakaskos. It really wasn't the bald soldier's fault. But Wolfram couldn't help but direct his anger towards the unfortunate man. Günter's retainer was the only one around thanks to his fiancé's idiotic decision to give all the stable hands their own special holiday. Did his wimpy Maou even understand any document that was set on his desk?
Wolfram sighed. Even if Yuuri did understand, the goody-goody would have thought that giving all (all!) stable hands a whole day of celebration (at the same time!) and leaving the stables empty except for horses was a wonderful idea. Damn! The boy was still too nice for his own good.
Dakaskos offered to saddle his horse, but Wolfram waved him away. It's not as if the proud noble was against doing any type of manual labor. In truth, he enjoyed grooming his own horse. But that did not make the situation easier to swallow. Wolfram was used to having others do menial things for him. He was raised as a prince constantly surrounded by maids and servants. It was a bit disconcerting to suddenly find no one around to direct orders to. It just didn't seem proper.
However, contrary to the anger he was currently displaying, Wolfram was slightly glad since the situation presented him an opportunity. It was a little known secret that the prince enjoyed grooming his own horse. It was one of the few things that relaxed the perennially proper Mazoku. Once Dakaskos left, Wolfram released the breath he didn't realize he was holding in. He closed his eyes and massaged the frown between his brows. If this continued, he was going to start looking like a shorter, blonder version of Gwendal.
The stable was silent except for the occasional neighing and the few soft stomps of hooves hitting the dirt. He breathed in the unmistakable smell of the stables, felt his indignation diminished and his mood lightened. Smell was the most evocative of the senses. Horse dung, fresh hay, and equine sweat intermixed together held some of the earliest joyful memories of his life.
Being the youngest son of the Maou had not always granted him the kind of freedom that his proud, strong spirit demanded. Spoiled but overprotected, privileges containing any hint of danger that were easily granted to his brothers were things he had to fight for. It was bad enough that he was constantly left behind while his brothers left the castle to have, what he suspected were, awesome and exciting adventures.
The chance to ride a horse (not a pony) at the correct age would have slipped away if it wasn't for Conrart's indulgent and, at that age, somewhat rebellious attitude. His brother had sneaked him out to teach him against the wishes of his mother, his uncles and several advisors. To the young Wolfram, each session had been an adventure that filled his heart with a heady mixture of excitement and fear. Riding had given him an escape from the stuffy court filled with tiresome courtiers and his mother's suitors.
Wolfram went to the tack room to gather equipment and then proceeded to his horse's stall. He started brushing the white steed with gentle strokes. At first, he was silent, just enjoying the non-human, non-demon company. Then he started praising the animal for its loyalty, its good manners and its beauty. Soon enough, the monologue turned into an account of current events. If anyone had been around to listen, they would have been treated to a strange one-sided conversation between the prince and his stallion.
Wolfram by nature was not an open person. He was an honest person. Straightforward. Outspoken. Blunt. But open? Not really. Not when it came to his innermost feelings and thoughts. The openness that his fiancé showed made Wolfram uncomfortable. How could a person flaunt fondness and affection for strangers he'd just met? Wolfram could never to that. He could not even do that with his own family. Such openness made him feel exposed and vulnerable. It gave the other person power over him. And there was really only one person that he ever gave that power to.
Wolfram wasn't exactly sure how he ended up in his predicament. Little by little, brick by brick, Yuuri had started breaking down the barriers that Wolfram had painstakingly built up over the years. Each bath they share, each fight they start, each conversation, each argument, each night they slept in the same bed... they added up to his heart and soul being laid bare. But there was still one thing that Wolfram held for himself and not shared with Yuuri. In all honesty, he really couldn't discuss the subject of Yuuri with Yuuri. At least not the parts where his heart was concerned.
And so it was his loyal non-human, non-demon friend that received that little honor. As he saddled the horse, he started lamenting the limbo his relationship with Yuuri was in.
"I just get so frustrated with him sometimes," he complained. "I know he's young and still very immature. But he gives such mixed and confused signals."
Wolfram sighed mournfully and led the stallion out of the stall.
"And fighting the stupid Earth prejudice he has is just plain irritating. I mean how many times does he have to whine 'but we're both men' just because he wants to continue in his self-denial."
He led the horse to the water trough where it bent its head to take a drink.
"And why does he have to treat everyone the same? Don't I and Greta hold a special place in his heart? I swear every time he and Conrart sneak off to play baseball and every time he holds hands with a long-haired tramp and every time he gives that soft look to any demon, human or half-demon... I swear..."
Wolfram laid his forehead on the horse's shoulder letting the animal's strong muscles support his weary head.
"...it breaks my heart a little."
When the horse was done drinking, Wolfram gave it a piece of apple and rubbed it's forehead. As silly as the gesture might be, he nuzzled his nose against its face. Then he breathed the distinctive horse scent as if it would make his sadness go away. He held the horse's cheeks and looked it in the eyes, as much as one can look a horse in the eyes.
"It's not as if I wish I never fell in love with him. I just wish sometimes that it would be easier..." he paused and took another deep breath. "But I know, it'll never be easy. Mother never told me love is pain. But I should have known better."
Wolfram felt a sting start to prickle his eyes so he gave a bitter laugh to stop tears from forming.
"I should have know better," he repeated. "I saw the pain it caused her often enough."
He took out his handkerchief and wipe the small evidence that such open emotions elicited.
"I really should stop now before I embarrass myself," he said as he put his foot on the stirrup.
As he vaulted onto the saddle, in the split second before his bottom settled, his trusty steed decided to spook; it reared and threw him off. Wolfram could handle a bucking horse, that is if he had been seated properly. But as it was, he did not have much choice but to go flying.
No one could really blame the horse. How could one react calmly, when one had been enjoying a nice, deep conversation with one's master while munching a delicious apple, to a sudden appearance of a wet, demon-sized, non-trivial creature coming out of the water trough. The horse had seen a lot of things in its life. But it had certain expectations. One of those expectations was that demons do not pop out of swirling water in horse troughs. So the horse did what it usually did during these situations: spooked and bolted out of there.
Wolfram's body had been enjoying a nice parabolic flight in the air until the flight was shortened by a stout wooden post. His head made a nice loud crack as it connected with the hard surface. Wolfram saw stars. Then he saw red. His bottom hurt from the unexpected force of the saddle coming to meet him. His head... his head felt like it was about to break.
He didn't even know when he summoned the fireballs. He was only distantly aware that someone was yelling at him to stop. He had already released the fireballs at the figure standing in the horse trough before he realized what he was doing. Thankfully, the intended victim had grown to understand Wolfram's tempers and had learned when and how to duck properly.
Unfortunately, the dry hay behind Yuuri wasn't as astute. It decided to just lay there and be hit by the biggest fireballs the stables had ever seen. Then it decided that it was going to burn like there was no tomorrow. Then it decided to share the fire with other flammable materials surrounding it.
Panic and pandemonium ensued. The king and the prince, the great leaders of Shin Makoku's today and tomorrow, did nothing useful for the first few minutes. Unless one considered stress-relief through cursing and yelling during a dangerous situation a useful thing.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" screamed the ever-responsible king.
"I wasn't thinking, you idiot!" replied his always-sensible fiancé. "If you haven't realized, my brain got scrambled when you decided to spook my horse and my head got practically cracked open!"
"Your brain got scrambled a long time ago! Why can't you ever keep that damn temper in check?!"
"It's your damn fault for popping out of nowhere! Why do you do these things to me?! Do you hate me or something?!"
"I don't fucking hate you, damn brat! It's your fault for being right there in the first place?!" Yuuri yelled.
"What kind of a weak argument is that?! Wimp!" Wolfram was certainly no longer making sense.
"Don't call me wimp."
"Ah shit!" "Oh crap!" They shouted simultaneously when they finally grasped their dangerous predicament.
"Come on Wolf, help me put out the fire!" Yuuri stumbled out of the trough and fell head first onto the ground. He scrambled up to his hands and knees and looked around until his gaze fell on a bucket.
"Summon the water elements, Yuuri!" Wolfram shouted at the clumsy king, as he rushed over from where he was thrown.
Yuuri just stared at Wolfram with open mouth, an empty bucket in his hand.
"Uh..." was all Yuuri could utter. Instead of saying anything further, he rushed back to the trough and filled the bucket with water. Then he ran to the growing fire and dumped the contents. There was a small sizzle but it didn't do much.
"Find another bucket!" the king ordered as he refilled his. Again, he ran back to the blaze and threw water at it. The effort fizzled and the fire spat. Yuuri swore it was mocking him. He looked around for his fiancé.
Wolfram was fumbling to open the gate of the stall closest to the fire while yelling, "Yuuri, I said summon your water elements! The buckets are useless."
He had grabbed a lead rope and was struggling to put it around the horse's neck.
"What are you doing? Help me here!" The king shouted back.
"We have to get the horses out!" Wolfram cried. "Use your powers to quench the fire!"
Wolfram could see smoke start to fill the building. It was fire started by Maryoku so it should grow slower than a regular fire. But smoke was deadly nonetheless.
Yuuri went for his fourth bucket as Wolfram led the horse out of the stall pointed it away from the fire and gave it a good whack. He fought down the panic, there was only one of him and so many horses.
"Yuuri! Please go Maou-mode!" he pleaded.
"It's not that easy," the king admitted as he paused on his sixth bucket. The fire was not diminishing.
"Then get out of here!" Wolfram replied as he led a second horse out of its stall.
"What?!" Yuuri had stopped in the middle of throwing water which caused the bucket to slip and land in the middle of the blaze.
"That's the stupidest thing I've heard today," he continued.
"Yuuri! If you cannot summon your powers then get out of here!" Wolfram yelled back as he struggled with a third gate. His hands had already started shaking. This was not the time for Yuuri to be fighting with him. He needed the king out of here and somewhere safe. Only then could he start thinking clearly.
"Why don't you use your powers?" Yuuri yelled back as he looked around for another bucket. Seeing none, he tried lifting the water trough itself.
"You idiot! What do you want me to do? Throw more fireballs at it?!" Wolfram shouted back angrily. The horse in the third stall was spooked and yelling at the top of his lungs was not helping the horse calm down.
"Well then, help me lift this up," Yuuri replied. "We can dump the whole content all at once."
Wolfram got out of the stall without the horse and yelled, "I told you. That's not going to help. Call on the Maou if you want the fire out! If you can't do that, I want you out of this building. Call for help or something. I just want you out! Far away."
He went to a fourth stall and opened the gate.
"Even if you say that, it's not that easy," Yuuri said as Wolfram hurriedly put the lead rope on the horse.
Wolfram looked across the stable at Yuuri while leading the horse out. "I know," he said in an understanding tone. "Don't worry, you'll be able to control your powers someday."
"I wasn't talking about that," Yuuri said as he looked around the building for something useful. Something caught his eye and he started towards it. "I meant it's hard for me to leave you."
Yuuri looked at the shiny red metallic object hopefully. "It's as if you're asking me not to breath. It's impossible, you know," he continued. "I can never leave you."
Before Wolfram could fully register what his fiancé was saying, which was difficult as he was concentrating on guiding the horse out of the building, Yuuri added, "What is this?"
Wolfram took a quick glance in Yuuri's direction and warned, "Don't touch that!".
He ran back to the third stall that contained the spooked horse hoping to get it out before the fire edged any closer.
It was too late. Yuuri barely read the sign and only saw 'Fire' written boldly in Mazoku. Considering his upbringing, which consisted of a great deal of time spent in modern buildings constructed under public safety codes, it was natural for Yuuri to assume that the red, metallic, tubular device had something to do with putting out fires. The big red shiny button in the middle was just begging to be pushed. And who was Yuuri to deny that big red button? So he pushed it.
Well, it turned out that red, metallic, tubular devices with big red buttons begging to be pushed could mean only one thing. One would know this if one were a rocket enthusiast. Or if one were more attentive and had read the label: Fly-Me-to-the-Moon-kun.
There was a small explosion that pushed Yuuri back a few feet, blackened his face, and singed the tips of his hair, and caused the horse in the third stall to become even more frightened making it buck wildly. The red thing went flying, doing a few loop-de-loops. After a few more zooms and twirls, it crashed into one of the thick wooden support beams.
The wooden post was not having a good day. Earlier, a blond demon had collided with it none too-gently. Now it was a big red explosive thing. If wooden beams could feel, it would not have been happy. Especially, since the big red explosive thing had damaged its top and the beam was now falling. If it had eyes, it would have noticed that it was falling on the same blond demon that had collided with it earlier.
For Yuuri, everything seemed to have slowed down after the small explosion. The terrified horse in the third stall was not having any of Wolfram's ministrations and had decided to try and kick the demon on the chest with its forelegs. Wolfram, meanwhile, had not noticed that a thick wooden post was making a quick descent towards his head. Yuuri's scream of "WOLFRAM!" hung in the air useless.
It was said that near-death experiences causes one's life to flash before one's eyes. Even though his heart had stopped, Yuuri was not having a near-death experience. What flashed before Yuuri's eyes was therefore not his past life but his future life devoid of one bratty blond fiancé. No. Not just a life without a blond fiancé, but a life without a Wolfram, his Wolfram, anywhere in the two worlds. The Dry Wind was wrong. There was a worse future than a future where Wolfram was not solely devoted to him. No amount of words could describe the pain of living that life. For, as sure as Wolfram's love, Yuuri would keep on living.
The Maou burst from the pain at the mere thought of that kind of life. An explosion of water erupted in the middle of the stables putting out the fire and blasting a hole on the roof. Two water serpents lashed out, one grabbing the wooden beam and the other, the blond prince.
Being suspended in the air held by a water serpent was not Wolfram's favorite way of spending the afternoon. Firstly, there was the issue of getting arms pinned uncomfortably tight to the body, and internal organs getting painfully squished together. He wished Yuuri was slightly less exuberant when holding on to him in this manner. Secondly, the water was damn cold. He wished Yuuri would manipulate the water to be nice and comfortable instead of freezing cold. Thirdly, there was the matter of shock of suddenly getting whisked from the ground without any warning.
Wolfram quickly got over the shock and discomfort. No matter what form it took, Yuuri's power never failed to make an impression. A sense of awe flowed over him quickly followed by a sense of fear. No one ever wants to be in the receiving end of the Maou's anger. Wolfram, who had caused the demon king's ire more than once in the past, thought back in quiet panic to determine if his words had caused this latest bout. He relaxed when he heard Yuuri rambled on with a speech about Justice, friendship, love for animals and fire prevention measurements.
...
He was sitting on one of his favorite spots in the castle. It really wasn't a spot per se, more of a large area, but he was one of a few that frequented it. The rooftops of Blood Pledge Castle were an interesting place and Yozak liked to think that he could almost find peace there.
Peace, however, refused to visit him that afternoon. Which was just as well since Yozak thrived less on serenity and more on mayhem. He had been gazing at the silent hills, wrapped in nostalgia when he saw a water spout shoot a hole through the roof of one of the outlying buildings. He was already running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop when he identified which building sustained the damage.
He almost stopped himself when he noticed no one else was heading towards the area. Anissina's Big Day was still fresh on everyone's mind; the castle denizens actively ignored any suspicious crashes or explosions. Well, it had been a dull day, Yozak decided. Perhaps chancing a little danger with Anissina wouldn't be too bad. The mixture of fear and desire had always been an intoxicating combination.
He was only mildly disappointed when he looked down through the hole and saw the scene in the stables. He almost whistled at the amount of damage caused by the king and his fiancé. Whatever the argument was, it must have been pretty intense. He wondered briefly if the kiddo had finally got himself a girlfriend or if the brat finally lost his patience.
Yozak felt his presence before he saw him. The argument below had gone into a lull and was about to start again. He didn't want his entertainment interrupted so he stood up and waited for the newcomer.
Conrart slowed down when he saw Yozak waving at him. He looked regretfully at the stables' entryway before climbing the wall to join his comrade.
"Yozak," greeted Conrart in a questioning tone.
"Now, now," Yozak placated. "His Majesty is not in any danger. Let them have a few minutes to themselves. It's been a few weeks, they've missed each other."
"Everyone has missed His Majesty," Conrart pointed out.
"Aw, come on, Captain. Don't spoil the fun," pleaded Yozak playfully.
Conrart's palm met his forehead when they looked through the hole at the current scene below. The two boys had escalated the argument to a physical level involving a rather questionable choice of projectiles. Conrart shook his head and Yozak gave him a big grin.
"Sometimes we forget they're still in puberty," Conrart commented.
"We used to be like that," Yozak said, a little melancholy in his voice.
"Yeah, it had certainly been fun." Conrart smiled.
"You don't have fun anymore."
"Why would you think that?"
"You don't really believe you can fake me with that smile do you?"
"Yozak, believe me when I say I have never been happier in my entire life."
"I just don't think it's healthy."
"What do you mean?" Conrart frowned.
"You used to be so much more passionate and alive."
On a rooftop while watching Yuuri and Wolfram have a horse dung fight was probably not the best time or place to have a serious heart to heart conversation. But Yozak knew one had to take these opportunities as they come before they disappear altogether.
"It just seemed," Yozak said thoughtfully, "since the war, since you met Julia, you weren't the same anymore."
"I grew up."
"Are you saying I haven't?"
"Yozak, even though we were the same age, you were already grown up when I met you. I was still a child and continued being a child. You found your meaning long before I did. Maybe that's what happens when you're a pampered prince."
"I still think that part of you died."
Conrart sighed and looked thoughtful. "You have it backwards. After Wolfram turned away from me, it became different. He was still important... but I lost the seed of purpose... It was the bigger part of me that was until then laid lifeless... Julia... Julia, she brought me to life. She saved me... took me out of darkness."
"Well, that was corny as hell Captain." Why her? Why not me?
Conrart chuckled.
"And the kiddo? I asked you this over two years ago. Are you really satisfied with just babysitting him?"
"My life is his. Without him, my life would mean nothing."
"I don't understand, why one person. What happens when that person changes? It's not a good idea to base your life on the whims of one individual. One's ideals shouldn't be subject to the caprice of another."
"No, Yozak. Her soul... his soul is perfect. You can no more separate light from the sun as you can separate the ideals I live for from Yuuri."
"Light is light, the sun is different. Someday, perhaps the sun will burn down. As for me, it's the light I follow."
"You serve His Eminence with the same loyalty and obedience I serve His Majesty."
"I don't blindly follow His Eminence."
The accusation hung in silence on the rooftop while below the purpose of Conrart's life tackled Conrart's brother and a muddy wresting match ensued.
"Why are you unhappy for me?" Conrart broke the silence.
"I just don't want you led astray." Again.
"I can think for myself. But more than that, I have faith."
"What will you do, Captain, when Wolfram becomes the most important thing for His Majesty."
"I wonder if that will ever happen."
"You must be blind."
"No, I don't doubt that Wolfram will become the most important person in Yuuri's life. For all we know, he may already be. But as to the most important thing... I don't know."
Conrart let several moments pass before adding, "Julia sacrificed her love for Adelbert."
"His Majesty is not Julia..."
"I'm fully aware of that."
"As I was saying His Majesty is not Julia. Perhaps the kiddo's love will become stronger than hers... or his resolve may be weaker. As I see it, and don't beat me up for this, if I were to choose between Adelbert and Wolfram, I'd take your brother to bed first."
Conrad shot Yozak a look of warning then shook his head.
"By the same token, Wolfram is not Adelbert. If Yuuri had not returned, he would have become Maou."
"True, your brother's heart and soul may be purer. He's got the same self-sacrificing and idealistic idiocy as you. I wonder if it runs in the family. Maybe not, the Commander is certainly more pragmatic. But at any rate, His Excellency Wolfram, admirable and powerful as he may be or may become, even he cannot control everything in this world. What happens when His Majesty has to choose..."
"I have faith in Yuuri," Conrart replied with a sense of finality.
"I just don't think it's healthy to place your whole life on one person."
"Everyone has the same love for His Majesty, why must you be discontent just because I've dedicated my entire life to him."
"Because it borders on fanaticism."
"If you are implying I'm a mindless fanatic, I wonder whether you know me at all."
"I'm just trying to say, Conrart," Yozak looked at him straight in the eye, "that you are not a shrine maiden."
Conrart smiled mischievously and said, "So if I sleep with you, you would shut up?"
Yozak chuckled. "Touché, Captain."
Then he added, "Though, of course, I'd only do it for your own good."
...
Wolfram landed painfully on his rear on the sodden ground when the water serpent disappeared. Before he could even catch his breath, he was already up and running towards the collapsed king. Yuuri had started to get up and Wolfram put his arms around Yuuri for support. To his surprise, Yuuri pushed him back.
"How many times do I have to tell you people, I don't want your sacrifice," Yuuri yelled. "I don't want your arm, I don't want your chest, I don't want your life, your lungs, your heart, whatever! I want my friends to be beside me. Alive and happy! Not dead! I don't want you to push me away for my own protection! Why can't you get that through that thick skull of yours!"
Wolfram stared at the flushed and breathless demon king, and crossed his arms unsure where Yuuri's anger was coming from.
"What? What are you talking about? How many times do we have to have this argument? You're the Maou, get used to being protected. Besides I'm your fiancé, it's my duty..."
"And where are you getting these duties of a fiancé? An engagement is a promise to marry not a promise to push the other to safety while you jump into danger. How do you think the other person feels? Show me in what book it says that you have to constantly put yourself in harm's way!"
"Are you trying to deny me my rights?!" Wolfram glared at him. "That's it. I'm not going to listen to your obtuse statements anymore, you dolt!"
Wolfram flicked his bangs and turned around. He walked towards the middle of the stables and looked up at the hole in the ceiling.
"Maybe I should end the engagement, then you won't have these silly fiancé rights anymore."
Wolfram eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "What?!" he exclaimed as turned to face Yuuri.
"Hah! I thought you're not listening anymore," Yuuri gloated.
Wolfram immediately turned around abashed. At least, Yuuri was done with his apoplectic rant.
Yuuri let out a big sigh and stood staring at Wolfram for a few moments. "As a husband, I wonder if you'll become a bit more subdued. No, you'll probably just get more obnoxious. Breaking the engagement will just make you angry and I'd like to live a long and fruitful life. It'd be useless anyway because you'll just say something about your duties as a soldier or a citizen of Shin Makoku. Maybe I should exile you. Yeah..." Yuuri rubbed his chin at the thought, "...I'll just dump you on Earth and you and Mom can spend time happily talking about dresses. And maybe, Shori can start obsessing about protecting you instead... Hey! Hey, Wolf, are you listening? Wolfram!"
Wolfram, who was busy checking for horse casualties and assessing the damages to the stables, was clearly not listening. Yuuri was irritated that the third son of the ex-Maou seemed more interested in the blackened walls, the blown-apart stalls, and the remaining horses than to Yuuri's discourse.
Yuuri did not like being ignored especially since he hasn't even received a 'welcome home', an 'I'm glad you're back' or an 'I missed you'. Perhaps Yuuri's choice to get attention wasn't the most mature. But after all the crazy things that had happened in the few minutes since he'd been back, he felt very much like acting his age, that is, like a stupid teenager with hormonal problems.
For Yuuri, the whole homecoming was crystallized into a Mastercard commercial once the fecal missile he threw found its target:
- Safely arriving in Shin Makoku: one spooked horse
- Playing with Anissina's device: one half of the royal stables
- The look on Wolfram's beautiful face after getting hit by horse dung thrown by his beloved fiancé: Priceless
Wolfram stood frozen. He wasn't really sure how to react to this new experience. No one had ever had the gall to throw offensive substances at the proud prince. Yuuri briefly thought of running away. He's seen that look on the prince only once, the moment after his unfortunate and unintended proposal.
Yuuri watched Wolfram warily as the other boy walked into the nearest stall. He wondered why he hadn't been attacked by several fire lions or why he wasn't being choked to death yet. He started getting worried; perhaps the earlier crash injured his friend's head worse than he thought. Half a second later, he realized he didn't need to worry when Wolfram's retaliation hit him on the face.
Oh, this is war pretty boy, he thought as he wiped the dung off with his sleeve. And for good measure, he said it out loud as he ducked behind the nearest half-wall.
"Do your worst Wimp!" replied the blond enemy.
Picking up some ammo, he lobbed it at the face of the prince that was still standing proudly with hands on his hips. Unfortunately, the enemy easily avoided the attack and rolled to the floor. Before he could react, Yuuri was hit on the arm.
"How did he do that so quickly?", Yuuri thought. He jumped into the next stall and was about to peek into the aisle when another projectile whizzed a few inches from his face. He decided to bombard the stall Wolfram was in by haphazardly lobbing poop in a wide arc. Wolfram escaped to a different stall, and from behind a horse sent a precise attack on Yuuri's exposed back.
The fight went on for a few minutes and Yuuri was losing. He would have never thought that Wolfram would be good at this game. Heck, he would have never thought that Wolfram would participate in this bizarre, unsanitary game.
Well, Yuuri wasn't about to surrender yet. As they moved from stall to stall, dashing behind different objects, Yuuri found his chance. Wolfram was bent gathering ammunition and had not realized that Yuuri had dropped into the same stall. Yuuri didn't bother picking up any dung and just launched himself bodily onto the prince tackling him to the ground.
They rolled around the muddy floor trying to punch and kick and grapple different body parts. Fortunately for Yuuri, he had the advantage of surprise and Wolfram found himself lying on his back with arms pinned above his head and Yuuri straddling his stomach. The prince would have thoroughly enjoyed the position if he wasn't covered in horse dung, mud, soot and hay.
"Gotcha!" Yuuri said triumphantly.
Wolfram merely smirked. He enjoyed a few more seconds of having his beloved on top of him before he moved. Within a flash, Yuuri found himself on his stomach, kissing dirt, Wolfram's knee on his back and his right arm painfully crooked behind him.
"Say you surrender," said an evil voice above him.
Yuuri struggled to buck Wolfram off and yelled, "Never!"
"I hate doing this to you," Wolfram replied as he put more of his weight on Yuuri's back and pushed the arm into an even more painful angle. "Say you surrender!"
"Damnit!" Yuuri cursed and struggled some more.
Wolfram decided to straddle the king, push his head down on the ground and finally applying more pain to the right arm.
"Aaarrgg! Fine! Fine! I surrender!"
Wolfram smiled. But before he released Yuuri, he said, "Maybe I should ask for a wedding date."
"What!!"
"Just kidding."
Wolfram rolled off laughing, rolled onto the ground and sprawled on his back beside Yuuri. Yuuri rolled onto his back and both of them stared at the chaos they had caused. Some of the walls were blackened. There's a big hole in the ceiling. One of the main support beams was lying on its side. Several of the stalls were torn apart. Half the horses were gone while the ones left were idly milling around.
"Gwendal's going to kill us," Wolfram commented.
"Don't remind me," Yuuri replied as he repeatedly hit his head on the ground. "How do I end up in situations like this?"
"Don't ask me. You're the one who ruined my afternoon ride."
Yuuri rolled to his side, put his elbow on the ground, and rested his head on his hand. He looked down at Wolfram and wondered at his beauty. The blond looked like a wild child with wet hair pointing in all directions. He was covered in mud, dung and soot. Hay was stuck all over his crumpled clothes and in his hair. His cheeks were flushed and he had that contented look that made Yuuri happy.
"As long as it's you, I don't mind ending up in weird situations like this," Yuuri said. A long beam of sunshine peeked out of a cloud, came down through the hole in the ceiling and struck the blond. Wolfram put his hand up and spread his fingers out staring at the sunbeam hitting the skin between his fingers.
Yuuri was mesmerized. What a weird time for the clouds to move. He could almost hear angels descending from on high and praising the mud-covered beauty. Yuuri was feeling all kinds of silly and dorky from the thought. "You know, it's nice to spend time with you like this. We rarely get a chance to spend time together."
"What do you mean?" the prince asked as he move his gaze from his fingers to the king. "I'm always by your side."
"But that isn't the same. We're always surrounded by other people. And there's always some big thing going on. Threats of war, someone getting kidnapped, nefarious plots, secret societies, Gunter's big celebrations. Even when nothing is going on, Conrad is always with us or Gunter or Greta or everyone else. Which I don't mind. I love everyone and I like spending time with them. But this is nice, just spending time alone, just the two of us."
"You're so cute when you're being oblivious," Wolfram gave him a big smile.
"What? Don't say embarrassing things like that," protested Yuuri. "And what do you mean I'm oblivious."
Wolfram sat up and nodded towards the hole in the ceiling and said, "Yozak and Conrart have been up there for a while now."
"What?!" Yuuri almost hit his head on the ground from the surprise.
As he sat up, Conrart and Yozak jumped down and made their entrance.
"Welcome home, Your Majesty."
"Hello kiddo, Your Excellency."
"I'm glad to be home," Yuuri said smiling. "And call me Yuuri, Conrad."
Yozak let out the whistle he had been holding in. "Wow! You know what they say..."
"Yozak," Conrad warned.
"They say the more explosive the lovers' fight, the more explosive the makeup se..."
"Yozak!" Conrad interrupted.
Yozak continued anyway, "Too bad Greta sleeps with the two of you, right Your Majesty?"
"Huh?" replied the confused demon king.
Wolfram rolled his eyes, got up and sauntered towards the exit almost colliding with a grinning redheaded inventor.
"It looks like I missed the fire. But this is perfect for my Fix-Damages-From-Explosions-kun," Anissina declared. "Gwendal!"
She rushed off to find her belabored friend and left an alarmed quartet who promptly started leading the rest of the horses out of the stables. The animals had taken enough abuse as it was without having to suffer through Anissina's scheme.
"By the way," Yuuri asked, "shouldn't we have some type of fire prevention plan? I mean other than keeping Wolfram away from combustible materials. We don't want an accident like this getting out of hand in the stables again."
"There is a plan, Wimp," Wolfram replied. "But it involves having stable hands in the stables."
"Oh..." Yuuri replied. From Wolfram's tone, he could tell that somehow he was at fault. "...um..."
Conrad smiled gently and supplied the answer to the unuttered question, "Today is the holiday you gave them."
"Ah!"
"Hmph!"
"Sorry, Wolf."
"There's no help for it when we have a kind-hearted and wimpy Maou," Wolfram paused before adding, "I'm glad you're home."
Yuuri gave him a soft smile, somehow it felt that he finally got what he was waiting for. "It's good to be home."