Epilogue: Learn to fly

by the Foo Fighters :)

Gwendal leaned back at the old oak tree on the hilltop and watched Conrad's and Yozak's sparring training. The sun was standing high in the sky, but as it was early summer it didn't burn too hot. The tree on his back felt warm and yet its shadow was protecting him. After another deep breath of the clean, refreshing air, he closed his eyes to enjoy the precious moment.

If just Yuri were here, it would be perfect.

Recapping the past months, the general couldn't suppress a smile. And he realized he had been smiling a lot lately, but who could blame him, with a cute boyfriend like his. Yuri was, in every way, the sun in his life – cheering him up whenever he was stressed, laughing with him when he was happy, being with him when he needed someone's company and not at least kissing him whenever he felt like it, which still brought butterflies to the older one's stomach. Though he thought he was way too old for it, he often found himself behaving like a teenager in love, which amused Yuri the most.

And the young king had been away – on earth - for the whole previous week. It really wasn't easy for Gwendal to sleep alone in his own chambers again, without the boy at his side, or in his arms, or clinging to his back. All the time they spent together seemed like a dream and when Yuri went away, it brought the dark-haired mazoku painfully back down to earth.

He had always considered himself a realistically thinking, grown-up man who could deal with serious matters, with war and conflict - but love, he had realized, was way different. That's why he had quit that seeming stupidity centuries ago, until Yuri burst into his life like a lightning, striking him with all his might. Where his life had become a dull, dreary repetition, just consisting of work and sleeping, that adoring teenager had thrown him completely off balance at once. Joyful manners, his ability to trust everyone from the beginning, thus turning every enemy into an ally, changing the whole spirit of the country – which he had never considered being possible at all – yes, Yuri had blown him away. Him, who doubted in the boy's capability to be the king when he first had met him.

That black-haired boy with the big, equally black eyes had proven him wrong in so many cases. He sighed quietly to himself as he thought about it. He had given up on loving somebody long ago, as he considered it enduring and elaborate and yet he found himself being in love with a kid – compared to his own age – and now even awaiting his return impatiently, feeling nervous like a pubescent teenager.

As Gwendal opened his eyes again, he noticed a small black-clothed figure emerging from the castle gate, eagerly striding across the courtyard - out of Conrad's and Yozak's sight. He obviously didn't want to be noticed. However, the demon was pretty sure that even if they saw Yuri, they wouldn't stop him. They knew he was sitting up here and they knew how restless he had been during the past week.

He watched the boy passing by the courtyard and running up the hill. The smile on Yuri's face was already notable. Breathlessly, the boy stopped for a second as he stood before him, grasping for air. Gwendal eyed him with his chin rested within his left palm, his lips drawn to an anticipated smirk. As Yuri lifted his head and black, sparkling eyes met his own, the man felt his heart skip a beat. He could still be as flustered about his lover as he was the day they founded their relationship, when they shared the bed while recovering from their injuries.

Yuri only hesitated for the glimpse of a moment before he flung himself into the older one's arms, cuddling into his chest before pulling away a bit.

Gwendal placed a short, loving kiss onto the younger one's lips, restraining him to say anything. After another intense look into his eyes, the dark-haired mazoku whispered softly: „Welcome home."

„Happy first anniversary," his lover responded, kissing him again.

„First anniversary?"

„Yes, today it's been a year that we became a couple, remember?"

As Gwendal recalculated, he had to agree. That Yuri actually thought of this day was making him pretty happy. He nodded to his young lover. „Happy first anniversary then. I'm sorry that I don't have a present for you..."

The tall demon was surprised with another kiss from Yuri. „It's okay, you are the best present I could have anyway," he smiled.

Gwendal pulled him close and hugged him tightly. The boy in his arms was still so cute and adoring, beyond compare, and still making him that happy. So happy that he thought his heart would burst any second. He had to rephrase his thought from before: Yuri was not only the sun in his life, he was like a thousand suns, shining on him every day and every night.

The boy finally managed to sit in his lap properly, straddling his hips where the green coat had fallen apart, his hands wrapped around the man's waist. Gwendal was running his hand through the younger one's hair, nuzzling it gently before it came to rest upon the other one's neck. His hair was cut short again, after he had let it grow for the past year, until he could even gather it in a decent ponytail.

„You had your hair cut," the general stated, amused.

„Yes, the long hair is not that handy when you want to play baseball in summer," Yuri answered, looking up from his position at the older man's chest. „Don't you like it?"

„Of course I do," he smiled softly, kissing him onto his forehead, where the bangs of the boy's hair fell down to his eyes. „You look almost even cuter that way."

Yuri just gave an unpleasant, grumpy sound. „I don't want to look cute. When it's not for you only, of course," he added blushing.

Gwendal chuckled softly. He loved Yuri because he was that adorable. Because he was the way he was.

Suddenly, he realized that he had never actually told the king. In all this time, the whole year, he had never dared to speak out those three words, that were truly something special – just like the young man in his arms.

„I think I found a present for you," he answered instead, bending down to whisper into Yuri's ear.

„I love you."

The black-haired boy eyed him suspiciously, obviously surprised but nonetheless extremely happy. Then a big grin spread all over his face. „I love you too, Gwendal."

Their lips crushed together in a kiss full of passion and pent-up desire. Yuri's tongue was running along his bottom lip, begging for entrance, which he blissfully granted. Sucking onto the younger one's sensitive upper lip, feeling him tremble under his caress, got him really into the mood – if they weren't sitting in the broad daylight right now.

Oh, how he really loved this boy. The small, but trained body in his arms began to shiver as he merely began to run his hands up and down his back, resting them on his waistband. Not that Yuri's hands were that innocent, caressing his hips and belly just to run around to his back – on the inside of his coat. Well, he had learned his lessons. And if his hand slipped underneath the shirt of his lover for a bit, then it was obviously not on purpose.

Yuri pulled away, panting heavily. His lips already seemed a bit swollen from all the caress they got. „Oh, god, what are you doing..." he sighed.

„You really want to know?" Gwendal smirked impishly.

„Of course," the boy winked.

„I want to get into your pants, heika." And if he emphasized the last word a bit too much, well, that was also totally not on purpose.

„You, Sir von Voltaire, are a dirty, dirty man."

Suddenly, an earth-shattering ka-booom could be heard. Startled, they both looked over to the castle, where deep-gray smoke was emerging from one of the windows.

It was Anissina's laboratory.

But everything seemed alright. Just one of the usual experiments gone wrong – and the red-haired inventor could also be spotted, opening all the windows to release the smoke while cursing out loud.

She was doing science and she was still alive.

Gwendal's gaze wandered back to Yuri. „Did you get what you wanted to buy on earth?"

„Of course I did. Want to try them?"

The general smirked anticipated when he lifted the boy up a bit, to get to his feet and carry his lover bride-style to the castle.

„Hey, let me go!" Yuri protested. „I'm not your bride!"

„Oh, you're not?" he grimaced playfully.

„Well, at least not yet," the boy mumbled, a beautiful shade of pink returning to his face.

His hand was sneaking its way into Gwendal's larger palm as he pulled him towards the royal bedchamber.

Because what he wanted to buy on earth were condoms. Yuri really showed him what it meant to fly.

THE END

… and they lived happily ever after.

So, I would be very, very happy, if you tell me what you thought of my story? Did you like it? Why or why not?

I just want to say once more that I'm no native speaker, and that comments on my english are also appreciated. Please feel free to write a mail or pm to me, if you like :)

So long, my dear readers! I'll see you at my next story, hopefully ^^

THANKS FOR READING :D

*waves* nami-chan