Disclaimer: I don't own Kyo Kara Maoh.

Wonderful Wonder World

~ Chapter Four: A Familiar Voice ~

Later that night, after everyone had gotten settled into bed, Conrart knocked at Fleur's bedroom door. "Do you mind if I come in? I really want to talk to you." He wanted to confirm that it was her. In his memories, her blonde hair was brownish blonde and was long and thick and her eyes were blue and had a mischievous sparkle to them. He remembered her face to be still somewhat rounded from baby fat and she was chubby. He never knew her to play any sport ever and he knew her to be creative.

As soon as she heard his voice, she gasped, eyes widening. Eeek, oh no, what do I do?! "Um, sure," she said hesitantly, sitting up on her bed and pulling her blanket tight around her. She wanted to talk with him, too. She had known all along as to why he was there, but wasn't sure, or maybe she didn't want to believe it. Maybe she wanted to believe he was there to visit her.

Conrart opened the door, entered the bedroom and then shut the door quietly behind him. "I realize who you are now." He approached the bed, the wood floor complaining beneath his bare feet. He sat down on the bed beside her. I didn't recognize her at first. She looks and behaves so differently now. It was as if he had seen her one day and that one day she was so tiny and very quiet at times and very bratty at other times and he presently saw her as still very tiny, but way more mature. Not only that, but he noticed that her hair was blonde and had been cut short!

Fleur scooted away from him and closer to the wall, scared the blanket would fall at any second and reveal to him her bra and underwear. Her heart pounded and she could feel sweat slide along her flesh. Heat rose to her cheeks and she shivered ever so slightly. It would embarrass her for him to witness her in her bra and underwear. "S-So," she managed to say to him.

He looked at her with a warm smile. "Do you remember me?" He hoped with all his heart that she had indeed remembered him. However, he knew better. It was more than five years ago when they first met and they had only hung out together for a couple of months before she had to return home.

She nodded and sadness crept its way into her eyes. "Yes, I do. I just didn't say anything because I thought that maybe you didn't remember me. Sometimes it's just easier not to say, 'Hello, I know you. You're Conrart from the demon world.'" Darn you, Conrart! Why'd you have to…go and…?! The chains on the door in her heart broke and the door swung open.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh, really? Why is that?" Well, he wasn't exactly expecting her to smile, squeal his name and then hug him. If anything, he expected her to greet him with indifference or something. The reaction he got was totally unexpected. They had been apart for more than five years after all.

She shrugged, trying to shield herself from him as tears began to form. "I don't know, really. I mean, is it that important?" Ah, curses! Why did this have to happen?! She had shut away all of her emotions towards him for so long. Now that they were running around free, she had no idea how to handle it.

He reached over towards her and gently moved her short, blonde hair out of her eyes. Her hair was soft and silky, just as he had remembered it to be. "Why don't you consider it that important?" He was getting the feeling that she didn't want him there for one reason or another.

She smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me, you fool! Aren't you here to bring your buddy, Wolfram, back with you to the demon world?" She wasn't really offended by his fingertips making contact with her hair. It was something else entirely. He is either fully human or just half human. Either way, it's impossible for us. Not only that, but…I'm seeing someone else…even though… Memories of the other day ripped through her mind like a knife slicing into her very soul. What she had endured that day and every single time she was with this guy not Conrart was getting to be more than she could handle. However, she couldn't just break up with the guy and start dating Conrart. Not only would it make her look slutty and Conrart look like the poor guy having to deal with a slut, her current boyfriend would go after Conrart, creating even more trouble.

He picked up on her distress signals, but had no idea how to bring it up without upsetting her even more. Ah, he was such an idiot! No wonder he didn't have a girlfriend. He was way too much of a military man who had zero luck with the opposite gender. The only other lady he had ever had feelings for, romantic or not, was Julia, whom was obviously dead and had been dead for some time. Anyway, she was supposed to be marrying some other guy that was not him. "That was the original plan."

The tears streamed down her cheeks. "Well, you've found him. Now, please, take him and leave!" It's not fair to torture me anymore than need be! She just wanted him, Yuuri and Wolfram out of her life as soon as possible. It wasn't because she hated them. It was the fact that she could never ever fall in love with Conrart or be friends with Yuuri or Wolfram. How could she when she lived in a totally different world from them? How could she when she was in a pathetic relationship with someone else?

Conrart sounded as carefree as possible. "Why the rush?" He wanted to remain by her side as long as he possibly could. She was just too cute to ignore.

She finally looked up at him, slipped her arms out from under the blanket and shoved the palms of her hands against his chest, trying to shove him off the bed and onto the floor. "I swear, you're such an idiot! You don't belong here! Do you know what will happen to you if you stay here for very long?!" She no longer cared if the blanket fell and revealed her bra and underwear. There were bigger things to worry about.

Of course, Conrart, being a typical male, took a couple of seconds to look away. He had gotten a pleasant eyeful, though. "I'm well aware." His voice had remained calm throughout the whole ordeal.

"Hrrrrgh…why won't you fall over?!" It frustrated her that he remained solid and unmoving. In fact, it really grated on her nerves! It wasn't that he was heavy with fat. Not a single piece of fat existed on his body. It was all firm muscle. Her arms started to shake under the pressure.

Conrart looked at her, noticing how fragile she looked, and gently grabbed her short, skinny arms with his large hands. "I won't apologize for being here, Fleur. If I do, well then, what's the point?"

She stopped trying to shove him off the bed and her arms went slack. "Why," she whispered, her voice trembling.

His hands slid down along her arms until they were at her small hands. He held her small, soft hands, noticing a bump on the inside of her right index finger and another on her right thumb. He also noticed that the right side of her right hand adorned a lovely grey smudge. "If at all possible, I would like for you to come with us. You can bring your art if you wish."

She just had to laugh at what he had just said. "Okay, now you're just talking crazy!" Me? Go to the demon world? It was a nice day dream, but it could only remain just that, a day dream, and nothing more. She couldn't live in a dream-like life. It had been some time ago when she had finally learned to throw away her rose colored glasses. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't run away with Conrart and the others. What if they all got into some sort of very serious trouble? It would be all her fault.

Conrart stared deep into her eyes and saw the reflection of her heart. "I really, really like you." It felt as if he was drunk, or feverish, or on drugs, or maybe someone was playing around with magic and had cast a spell upon his heart. Normally, what he was doing wasn't his style, but then again, he hadn't had many opportunities. Sure, it was scary and confusing and even a little bit frustrating, but nothing ever really came about all that easily. He had to fight for it. He had to hold on tightly and not let go.

Fleur felt as if she had fought way too much for all of her hopes and dreams. If she decided to become lazy, she would remain where she was and with whom she was dating. That didn't sound so bad, but then again, it sounded miserable. Would all of her efforts be for naught? Why even so much as try when it all could possibly be ripped out from under her? Conrart could turn out to be some perverted jerk. He could die. The demon world could turn out to be more than she could handle. Someone could always search for her, find her and then force her to go back home.

Conrart could see the hesitation in her expression and he took a wild guess at what was bothering her. "You don't have to worry about the 'what ifs'. Love has the power to overcome fear. Love can do what seems so impossible." He surprised himself with what he had just said. He surprised himself even more when he leaned in closer to her and lightly touched his lips upon hers.

"YUCK!" It was Wolfram, pulling a grossed out face, and how long he had been standing there in the open doorway was beyond the two occupants of the bed. Come to think of it, they had never even heard the door open.

The two pulled apart, startled, and then Fleur glared daggers at Wolfram while Conrart released a nervous chuckle. Funny, they both could have sworn Wolfram and Yuuri were supposed to be in bed.

"Wolfram, I thought I told you not to bother them!" Yuuri rushed up to the blonde, out of breath from struggling to stop him.

Anger burned in Fleur's eyes and her entire body trembled. If she continued to grind her teeth like she was, she was pretty sure she would carve plateau after plateau in her teeth and if she kept up the clenched jaw, she was sure that her mouth would be stuck that way. However, at that moment, her anger boiled up inside her and she could've cared less. "WOLFRAM," she screeched as she leapt up out of her bed and flung herself towards him.

Wolfram tried to dodge out of the way, but Fleur somehow managed to snag him by the back collar of his night gown and she held him tightly in place. "WHAT DID YOU SEE," she screeched at him.

He had a mind to tell her that he saw pineapples, but then he thought better of it because he knew that he might not leave the bedroom in one piece. He just shook his head. "N-Nothing, I swear!"

"Liar!" She jiggled him harshly. If she could've had any superpower at all, she would've wanted the superpower that erased a person's memory. It rattled her nerves just knowing that Wolfram saw her in her bra and underwear.

"Good gosh, Fleur, shut up!" Her little sister entered the room, rubbing her eyes sleepily. As soon as she realized that there were three boys present and her older sister was in her bra and underwear, she turned around and then sped into their parents' bedroom.

"Oh no," Fleur groaned. She knew what was coming next and she didn't want to hear a full on lecture about being a respectable young lady. That brat!

Wolfram yanked himself loose and ran off while Fleur was distracted. He was scared of her, which being scared of any woman at all was a first for him. She could've torn me to pieces just now!

"Get back here right now, Wolfram! I'm not finished with you yet!" She seethed and one could practically fry eggs on the very top of her head. She hadn't finished what it was that she planned for him. It was the devices a young woman could always count on to torment the opposite gender.

"Fleur, just what on earth are you doing?" It was her father as he entered her bedroom. That wasn't the first and probably wouldn't be the last time he would have to correct her for having men in her bedroom. Why, it was the most irresponsible thing he had ever witnessed his older daughter do!

Fleur frantically searched for an escape. She never liked one of her parents' lectures. "Daddy, please, not right now!" Seriously, my little sister is just so much trouble! How on earth could she make her daddy believe that it wasn't her fault that time?!

Her father glared daggers at her, making her whither. "Fleur, you're grounded!" He held out his hand to her. "Hand over the car keys right now!" The car was what she used the most and so he considered it a very suitable punishment and she enjoyed going places in it.

"Dad," Fleur pleaded.

"Don't talk back to me!" His harsh glare turned onto Conrart and Yuuri. Good thing Wolfram was out of the bedroom and elsewhere in the house, probably back in the kids living room in his own makeshift bed on the couch. "Neither of you should be here at this hour. Leave immediately and never return."

Tears gathered in the rims of her eyes. Her dad wasn't listening to her at all and he was every bit notorious for that. That always frustrated her. You know what? I don't care anymore. It shoved her over the edge and she turned to Conrart. "I choose to leave this world with you."

"You're lucky your mom's not home right now!" Apparently, his wife had been out of town since the start of the week and it neared the end of the week. A man trying to take care of two girls was something of a feat.

"Well, at least someone listens to me!" If one had brilliant imagination, one would say that she breathed fire. It hurt her deeply that her very own parents would listen more to her little sister, who she adored despite the fact that she got on her very last nerve, than to her. What about her wishes? Whatever happened to her wellbeing? Was her little sister the favorite?

At that moment, her cell phone went off. She walked up to her desk, grabbed it and tossed it in her father's direction. "Here, mom can have her stupid phone back!" I won't need it where I'm going anyway.