Chapter 9

Yuri woke up because of a bright golden light falling through the windows. He realized that the sun was rising again, and the sky was tainted in a shiny warm orange, broken just by a few small clouds. It was a wonderful, clear morning. The bed he lay in felt cozy and warm and he didn't want to think about getting up at all.

Apart from that, even if he wanted he couldn't stand up, because he was hold due to another body by a strong arm wrapped around his shoulder. He wondered about it, until-

Yuri tensed as he remembered what had happened the day before.

I told Conrad that I love him. And he... confessed the same to me.

He turned around in the other one's arm, still not really trusting his memories, but got them confirmed pretty quickly as he looked into Conrad's peaceful, sleeping face. He cuddled into the man's chest, inhaling the scent of the soldier, just to proof himself that this was no dream. Yuri remembered having done this all night, as they lay here in each other's arms, exchanging their stories.

Both of them had many funny ones to tell, about joyful times they shared, where they had a hard time keeping their hands off each other. But there were also the sad ones, where it was all about heartache and agony, of desire to be with the other one and the obstacles that prevented each from the other. He felt a sharp pain in his heart, remembering Conrad's miserable situations, where he hadn't even thought of why the man could be hurt deep inside by his behavior.

But that was the past.

Conrad had suffered so much just for me, the boy thought, still very compassionate, when he suddenly felt the taller one's arm around him squeezing him tighter, and as he looked upwards, he found a slight smile on the other one's face.

Yuri rested his head at Conrad's neck, sucking and kissing the sensitive skin lightly. He didn't want to leave any bruises. He swore to himself, that one day, the man would receive a love bite that would remind him a fair amount of time that he was Yuri's. Finally. But for now, something like that would be too perfidious. He sighed.

The first rays of sunlight were shining through the window, dipping Conrad's face into a bright, warm light. Yuri hadn't even thought that there would be something that could make the man in his arms even more handsome. But here was the proof. Conrad opened his eyes slowly, smiling lovingly and so happily at the king.

„Good Morning, Yu-ri," he said, chuckling softly. The way he emphasizes my name will always be the same, the boy thought amused.

„The best morning I could think of," he answered, reaching upwards to rest his hand in the brown hair strands, pulling Conrad's head a little bit down to kiss him. And then, Yuri was able to experience one of the cutest moments he could think of.

Conrad blushed. And it looked just... downright adorable.

„You're so cute when you're blushing," the black-haired boy couldn't resist to tell him. He smiled all over his face.

„You actually call an adult man 'cute'?" Conrad laughed.

Yuri still grinned some more. „I can't help it, you just are!"

He just earned a passionate, loving kiss for that statement. Feeling Conrad's warm, soft lips on his own got him flustered again, and that even increased when he felt the man's tongue as he sucked lightly at his bottom lip, licking slowly and softly before pushing into his mouth playfully just to run along the inside of his lips until he opened up... The tips of their tongues met, swirling around, tasting and trying each other. Conrad turned Yuri onto his back, pushed him down into the pillows. The boy felt the thoroughly unbroken kiss getting hot and filled with pleasant tension, and he realized once again that he was just a normal teenage boy with usual urges. But it was way too soon for that. He didn't feel like being ready.

As he became aware of Conrad's heavy, muscular body laying on top of him, his tongue still exploring his mouth, it was hard to resist. He loved this man. He couldn't prevent a lustful moan escaping his lips, and this got Conrad to smile into the kiss, which the boy noticed just well. He obviously seemed to like it as well, as Yuri could hear a deep groan from the man's throat.

Though hat wasn't the only thing. The way they lay due to each other revealed plenty of their feelings. Yuri could feel Conrad's erection on his thigh, and he was absolutely positive that the other one could feel his own as well. He put his hands onto the taller one's shoulders and shoved him away a bit, just to give himself the room to calm down and grasp some air.

Their eyes locked, and the lustful gaze in Conrad's sent shivers down the boy's spine. „Yuri..." he softly moaned, a sound so full of desire and passion that it made Yuri squirm with anticipation. But...

„Conrad," he sighed deeply, and he couldn't hold back the need in his own voice, „what are you doing to me..." Yuri closed his eyes.

„Don't worry, I won't – and I don't want to – rush into something you're not ready for. We have all the time we need, and we'll take it. Okay?" He placed a promising single kiss onto the boy's lips.

„Thank you," the younger one whispered.

„But you should know that I love you and that I desire you with every part of my body," Conrad hushed with his husky voice into Yuri's ear. The latter blushed deeply at this. He could die again right now by the insane butterflies in his stomach. He loved that voice. And he loved the kind of feelings it rose inside his body.

„Me too," he responded, nibbling softly at the older man's earlobe. The latter moaned silently, undeniably a little bit frustrated. Yuri kissed his cheek before turning back to kiss his lips again.

„But we mustn't tell anyone about this, at least for a few months. The people in the castle and in town will still be upset enough by the cancellation of the engagement," the king switched to the serious part.

Conrad nodded understandingly. „Of course." He sighed and pulled Yuri close again to seal his lips with a kiss.

(Note: A few weeks later...)

Gwendal wasn't neither blind nor stupid. It had been an open secret to him that Conrad and Yuri were leading a relationship now. He knew them far too good to not notice how their behavior had changed since the engagement was canceled. Whenever they felt like not being watched at the moment, they mostly shared very obvious gazes. Gwendal had a hard time not to point out any innuendos.

But on the other hand, he was far too happy for both of them to offend the couple. He hadn't seen so much love in his brother's eyes for a long time, and seeing Yuri that cheerful was a bliss. The mood and atmosphere in Blood Pledge Castle couldn't have been any better, if there wasn't one thing – or, to be exact: someone - that always had to be taken care about.

Every time Wolfram was around, Yuri and Conrad tried not to even look at each other, despite even talking. His youngest brother was still depressed, wallowing in self-pity and heartsickness. Everybody walked on eggshells around him, which was of course thoroughly reasonable. The only one who would always stick to Wolfram's side whenever another crying fit came around was Murata. He was mostly also the one leading the blond mazoku away when things got difficult.

Gwendal sighed. He just hoped that the relation between the former fiancés would improve and get better again in the near future. He shoved a dark gray hair strand out of his eyes and rubbed his temples. His wrinkled eyebrow twitched. If that ever happened, he presumed that there would be a very happy time awaiting them, for Yuri and Conrad would finally be able to announce their relationship. Maybe the wedding wasn't also far ahead after then. And they could lead their life in peace again, like everybody else.

But the current situation was tearing at his nerves.

Though, he hadn't told anyone about his assumption yet. But the day he returned home to Blood Pledge Castle, when he found everyone troubled by the recent happenings... Yuri breaking the engagement, Wolfram heartbroken, Conrad's usual smile seemingly a little bit too cheerful at all this, it was obvious to him. He had asked the guards about any unusual events at night, and all they could tell him was that either Conrad or the king used to sneak through the hallways every evening to the other one's room to spend the night there.

He didn't mind that, in fact, it rather amused him to know. They were smart enough to keep it a well-hidden secret. That the guards noticed wasn't preventable, but he was sure that they wouldn't tell anyone.

Gwendal startled when the door was blown open, and he faced Gunter disturbing his thoughts. Didn't he want to finish some paperwork here?

„Gwendal," the white-haired mazoku panted, his face lightly blushed as he closed the door tightly shut, „I wanted to talk to you about something..." he started, not finding quite the point to begin with.

„About... uhm... Heika and Conrad - Do you know anything what's going on with these two?"

The dark-haired man nodded slowly. „Well, I don't know anything, but if you ask me, they clearly are in a relationship. But that's between ourselves."

Gunter's eyes got watery. „I supposed so... But I'm pretty shocked right now, you know... I just burst into heika's bedroom to find them... uhm... making out on the bed." He cleared his throat, blushing even more. „I was torn between wishing them the best luck and just run away, and I found myself stuttering incoherent things about locking the door and stuff and that I won't tell anyone... -oh!" the counselor realized what he just said. „You are an exception, of course. And I wouldn't have told you if you weren't even guessing right about that in the first place."

Gwendal nodded again, the left edge of his lip twitching upwards. „I'm very happy for them and I hope for Wolfram to calm down soon," he responded, „that would really ease the current situation."

„Huh, yes, that's right. I hope so, too," Gunter sighed, still flustered but calming down steadily. „Though I can't help feeling a little bit sad about all that... you know?" Oh, Gwendal knew.

Then the white-haired man burst into tears.

Poor Gunter, was all Gwendal could think of. As annoying as he can be at times, but this... He got to his feet and walked around his desk to lay his hand onto the teacher's shoulder.

„It's okay, just give it time. It's going to be fine," he said, not quite finding a better expression.

Teary violet eyes looked up to him. The white-haired man shook of the sobs running through his body and he leaned into the taller one's touch. Gwendal hat so much pity on him. His hand on the other one's shoulder didn't seem to help in any way.

Though he didn't know what to do, Gunter solved the problem by simply leaning his head at the dark-haired mazoku's chest. Gwendal just had to wrap his spare arm around him and hold him tight until he felt the counselor calming down again.

Sorry for that little sidestory, but I like Gwendal far too much to not write it :) Hope you enjoyed it? Did you like it? :D