Genuine- It never hurts to face the truth.
Chapter 8:
Yuuri tossed and turned in his sleep, opening his eyes as he drowsily snap out of his slumber. He and Wolfram had somehow fallen asleep in each others arms after a night of sweet whisperings and stolen kisses.
Yuuri reached out, expecting to find the lithe body of the blond beside him but instead, his hands reached out to grab air.
"Wolf?" he muttered, voice hoarse from sleep. Where could the boy be so late at night? He glanced around, eyes adjusting to the darkness.
Suddenly, he felt a shadow from the corner of his bed moved and a glint of a sword caught in the moonlight. He yelped, surprised and horrified. His heart hammered as he thought the shadow as another intruder again.
Yuuri scrambled from his laying position to stand guard at the post of his bed, wary and shocked, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Where was Wolfram? He panicked.
Then, just as soon as his panic started, it was gone. The soft glow of blond hair in the dark was enough to tell the identity of the shadow.
"Wolfram? Is that you?" Yuuri gasped in surprise and moved towards the shadow immediately now that his eyes have adjusted to the dark.
There, at the corner of the large bed, sat Wolfram in a crouching pose, sword unsheathe in his hands, eyes darting nervously around. He flinched when Yuuri stepped closer, but did not relax when he realized who he was.
"Wolfram. What's wrong?" Yuuri whispered, voice cloaked with worry as he lifted his arms to reach out for Wolfram.
Wolfram tensed immediately, as though afraid of Yuuri and gripped his sword instinctively. "Wolfram, its me, Yuuri. What's wrong? Put the sword down Wolf..." Yuuri retracted his hands and lifted them up in mock surrender.
-Y-Yuu-ri?- Wolfram gasped, his body trembling almost in fear as he dropped his sword. It landed with a clank on the floor and within moments, he found himself engulfed in the warm arms of Yuuri.
"Shh.. Its alright. Im here... Everything will be ok. I won't let anything come to you." Yuuri whispered in to his ears, rubbing soothing circles with his palms on the trembling boy's back as the boy sobbed.
"What's wrong? How long have you been up like this?" Yuuri asked gently, not wanting to push the boy over edged. He was genuinely concerned about the distraught state Wolfram was in. Wolfram had looked so frightened and did not even recognize Yuuri at first glance, the slight trembling did not help either.
-Night-mares-... Wolfram whimpered, his hands forming little fists on Yuuri's shirt as he shivered yet again.
"Nightmares? About?" Yuuri prompted.
-I-saw-you-getting-hurt!-And-so-in-pain-Then-i-was-hurt.-it-hurts-Yuuri-... A few tears cascaded down Wolfram's eyes as he struggled to mouth it out. Wolfram felt his heartbeat picking up again at the thought of the nightmare and couldn't help but tremble even harder, phantom pain still haunting him as he felt the sword plunged into his back again and again.
Yuuri felt the blond's breathing labored and his heart ache and yearn to share some of the blond's anxiety and pain. "Shh.. It's ok. Wolf... I'm here. And you're fine. We're unhurt now. Please... Don't do this to yourself." A few tears of desperation brimmed in Yuuri's eyes as his heart shattered at how broken Wolfram seemed to be in his arms. This was not the proud Wolfram he knew. Yuuri thought that everything went back to normal when he confessed his love for the blond but he had not thought that Wolfram was carrying such a big burden within him. He cursed himself for not noticing and cursed once again for his helplessness. If only he was more alert that night, Wolfram wouldn't have been hurt!
Wolfram took a few deep breaths, willing himself to calm down and convince himself that Yuuri was still here, still by his side. He reached up in desperation, arms clawing into jet black hair, tugging and pulling it towards him. Yuuri winced at the rough treatment but complied to the harsh admonishments to his hair.
Wolfram took the chance to crush Yuuri's lips to his, seeking solace in the warmth. He whimpered, twice, once out of relief and another out of pleasure. Yuuri allowed the blond to be comforted by his kisses, glad that at least he could play a part in soothing him.
Wolfram soon calmed down afterwards and dozed off in exhaustion, laying limply in Yuuri's embrace. Yuuri then proceeded to tuck him in after tediously carrying the weight in his arms to the middle of the bed. He realized he had to work out as his muscles protested. He chuckled and lay down beside the blond, tucking in a few strands of loose hair that framed his face, before bringing him closer into his arms for a solemn embrace.
He knew that this was not the end of Wolfram's nightmares, but he made an oath to himself that he would be there everytime with Wolfram to help him along the way.
Yuuri soon fell into a deep sleep again, lulled by the comforting scent of Wolfram's hair.
Wolfram awoke from what has been a good sleep in a long time. The blond propped himself up by the elbow, only to find his movement obstructed by a heavy pillow across his chest. He looked down and widened his eyes in surprise when he found himself in Yuuri's embrace. Memories of last night's heated confession and multiple kisses burnt thought his mind and he felt himself absolutely blooming red in the face, embarrassed yet happy.
He looked at the still sleeping king and smiled when he found himself staring at Yuuri with his mouth slack and a tiny trail of drool leaking from it. Timidly, he reached down to trace the contours of Yuuri's face, before pressing his lips on the corner of Yuuri's mouth.
He was surprised then to find the said mouth curve up cheekily and startled when an eye opened to meet his. Yuuri was awake all these time!
-You-were-pretending-to-be-asleep!- Wolfram let out an indignant huff before plopping down on the bed again, back facing the young king in annoyance, cheeks flushing yet again in embarrassment.
"Aww come on Wolf. You were just so adorable that I couldn't bear to tell you I was awake. Plus I manage to get a morning kiss." Yuuri replied playfully, letting his arms pull the supposedly annoyed Wolfram towards his chest. "Good morning Wolf..." he muttered and pressed a small kiss on the blond's neck, feeling the pulse beneath thump furiously at his contact. He chuckled. This wasn't so bad after all. He could get use to being so intimate with Wolf.
Wolfram relented in the end and squirmed in Yuuri's arms to face him. -Good-morning- he beamed, truly happy with this change in relationship with Yuuri. Last night was not a dream. To be sure, he pinched again, Yuuri's cheeks this time.
"Ouch! What was that for, again?" Yuuri yelped, rubbing his cheeks tenderly.
-Not-a-dream- Wolfram smiled again.
"What dream?"
-This!-Last-night-when-you-said-you-l-love-me-... He blushed, remembering yet once again.
Yuuri blushed too. "Ah,y-yah! It's not a dream... This is real... We're real... And I'm in for good this time... Trust me when I say I love you."
-But-why-the-sudden-change?-
"It dawned on me yesterday only. Because the thought of loosing you is too much to bear, and all the other times... I figured i had loved you all along, but was just too in denial to see it. I'm sorry." Yuuri meant every word he said and could only hope that Wolfram would have the heart to accept him despite hurting him so many times.
Wolfram still wasn't use to Yuuri being so blunt about his feelings and could only nod in return, blushing prettily when he heard the L word again.
-I-love-you-...
Yuuri could only count his blessings when Wolfram said that with eyes so wide and pure, innocent and sincere. He could only thank the heavens for giving Wolfram to him, to let him know of such a boy, to let him feel such a love like none other.
"Thank you, Wolf..."
Before Yuuri could bring his lips to meet Wolfram's, a sharp rap on the door made him hold his breath and freeze.
"Your Majesty, as much as you would enjoy being in your chambers, i would suggest you don't miss lunch, seeing that you've missed breakfast already." Conrad's voice sound through the closed door, seemingly amused.
Yuuri shot up immediately, "what!" He could not believe that they had slept in till noon. There was much to be done and he had missed morning jog. Hurriedly, he placed a kiss to Wolfram's forehead before jumping off the bed, shedding off clothes of yesterday, before grabbing the new ones to change into.
He froze in the midst of peeling off his pants and turned around, finding Wolfram's eyes fixed onto him. " Umm, Wolf, do you mind turning the other way? Cause I, err... You know..."
Wolfram rolled his eyes, before complying and shifted his body so that he was laying the other side. Absurd, he thought. Yuuri can be ridiculous at times like this. Yet, Wolfram found himself smiling secretly to himself, enjoying every moment of this giddy happiness, greedy for more like a drug addict.
Once Yuuri was done changing, he proceeded to the bathroom to brush his teeth, leaving the room empty for Wolfram to change into more proper attire. Not that the clothes he had worn to bed was not proper, seeing that they had worn their uniforms to sleep the night before. The one that was not proper was the lacy pink nightgown that Wolfram had insisted on wearing to bed every night, but now, Yuuri found himself wanting to see Wolfram in that skimpy attire. He blushed and shook his head, vanquishing the naughty thoughts out of his mind, proceeding to scrub his teeth furiously like a man on a mission.
The days passed into weeks as the castle settled into a routine of normalcy once again. During the day, Yuuri acted like the benevolent king, fulfilling all his duties. At night, he looked forward to spending time with Wolfram alone, engaging in more kisses and light touches as lovers would. The nightmares were still not gone, though not as frequent, but Yuuri always did his best to soothe Wolfram's anxiety, being there every time he woke up in cold sweat, whispering sweet nothings into the blond's ears.
But by now, he was reaching his limits. Conrad and the others were always looking for a chance to tease them, no doubt knowing their new change in relationship. Cecille had been the worst of all, embarrassing them every moment as though it's her life long goal. But Yuuri had not expect the same behavior from Conrad. The said man even had the audacity to ask them to use protection at one time. Protection! For gods sake! Conrad treated them like dogs in heat, thinking that they were rutting with every chance they've got when all they'd done was innocent kisses and light petting. Yuuri had blushed like a firecracker that time while Wolfram just let out a scowl, but after a few moments, unable to keep the smirk in his face.
If they were to continue to tease him, he was sure that his face would burst with all the blood rushing there so often. It was like everyone was in a contest to see who can make Yuuri blush like a light bulb the most. So far Cecille was winning, but Conrad was a close second. And the possible dark horse being Greta. The young girl has been asking awkward questions lately, like "Daddy, why are you staring at Wolf so frequently?" and "Daddy, why have you not ask me to sleep with you anymore?". Yuuri couldn't possibly answer those questions. Not in front his innocent daughter anyways.
And so his 'peaceful' days continued.
There were also no signs of any danger from the enemy. Yuuri assumed that they were not going to strike right now when the castle was so heavily guarded. But Yuuri wouldn't take his chances, not till the mastermind was stopped.
"Your Majesty, I know that you are recently... distracted, but we to have to get all these signed by this afternoon." Yuuri snapped out of his reverie at Conrad's voice.
"What? I'm not d-distracted!" His mouth widened in protest.
"Sure, if that blush is because of the weather. But seeming that it's raining heavily now..." Conrad chuckled as Yuuri blushed even further.
"Conrad!" Yuuri shot up indignantly, pouting in annoyance. "And it's 'Yuuri' to you!" with a 'hmph' he sat down and proceed to sign away furiously, muttering about how everyone is out to humiliate him under his breath.
Wolfram was getting better as the weeks passed but the blond now spends most of his time painting in his room. Even though he did not like it, but given his condition he was not in any position to command the troops, nor lead any training, except for occasional sparring. So Wolfram had basically lost his role as a commander, and Yuuri knew he was getting depressed about it as the days passed. But there was little he could do about it except providing Wolfram with the attention he seeks, but even then Wolfram still grew restless and anger easily at his helplessness.
If only he could help Wolfram to heal from his emotional wounds. Yuuri thought hard as the quill in his hands slowed.
What if... What if I bring Wolf to Earth?
He grinned. That's a brilliant idea, he thought, as Wolfram would get a chance to escape from reality and enjoy a few weeks in the comfort of his home. It'll be a break from all these drama, not to mention it'll be safe. He wondered whether his mom would figure put their relationship like the rest had...
He shuddered, thinking about the endless teasing he would receive. No way in hell would he tell his mom! Conrad was already enough trouble! No need to have his immediate family on his heels too!
But it would be a good idea.
He turned to Conrad, who looked at him curiously. Conrad did not like the look on Yuuri's face and knew that he would not like what's hatching in the young king's head. Yuuri let put his best puppy eyes look and smiled innocently. Conrad tensed.
"Can me and wolfram go to earth?"
Somehow Conrad knew it would be something like this.
HEY GUYS! I updated sooner than expected. Hopefully you guys will like it! Also for all my reviewers for chapter 6, thank you for providing me with a solution for my problem and giving me sound advice. I'm still not on speaking terms with my friend but I guess we're kind of comfortable now. =)
So as usual, please write in a review to comment on the chapter and how you'll like to see the story progress. xD Hopefully I'll be able to get some real good ideas from your reviews.